2010 Non-Trad Applicants' Progress Thread

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Freezer

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So I thought we should get this 2010 cycle thread rolling... hope I am not stepping on anyone's feet in doing so. Anyways...

After working on my application materials since January, taking the March 28th MCAT, collecting all my LORs by May 5th... I am happy to say I have submitted all but one of my primaries...

June 2 - Submitted AACOMAS Primary Application for VCOM
June 3 - Submitted AMCAS Primary Application for UVa, Va Commonwealth, and EVa.

Waiting for Virginia Tech's new Medical School to show up on AMCAS... that will be my last primary.

Top Choices - VTCSOM and VCOM

Reason I am applying so early - I set my goal to apply by June 5th. I wanted it in early... even though most of the schools I am applying to will not see my app until after June 24th, there really wasn't anything else I could do with my application. Figured I would submit and continue working on common secondary app essays.

Reason I am applying to so few schools - not very mobile... my wife is a tenure track Professor at a local university and neither of us want to leave the area (Roanoke is amazing!!!). It sucks that location has become a primary reason for application decisions, but fortunately I am surrounded by a very diverse group of schools.

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Lots o' luck to all the 2010 non-trads!! :luck::luck: Happily, I do not have to apply again this year, but it was certainly a long road to get to this point.

Freezer, WTG applying early! That is absolutely crucial. I truly believe you have a much better shot at getting your foot in the door with an early app.

You mentioned working on "common" secondary apps. FWIW, here's a link to last year's secondary questions: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5531267&postcount=446 They rarely change from year to year, so it's nice to have those questions now.

It is tough to be geographically limited, but Virginia does have a really good mix of schools. Very exciting about the new VT med school, too - I hadn't heard about that!

Anyway, GOOD LUCK! :luck: and I hope you have some company on this thread soon! It's fun to commisserate with fellow non-trads throughout this crazy process. :)
 
Reason I am applying to so few schools - not very mobile... my wife is a tenure track Professor at a local university and neither of us want to leave the area (Roanoke is amazing!!!). It sucks that location has become a primary reason for application decisions, but fortunately I am surrounded by a very diverse group of schools.

Don't know your stats, but given your strong Virginia ties, I bet VCU and EVMS will love you. I interviewed at EVMS and thought it was a great school (ended up on the OOS WL but withdrew recently after getting into Vermont). I was in line for an interview at VCU, but applied too late and they ran out of slots before getting to me. I've heard very favorable things about them, too.

That is definitely a very small list of schools, but applying early was a great strategy to minimize your risk. If you haven't gotten any love from your initial list by the fall, you can still potentially add some schools and have a hope of getting in. (Both the schools I got into were October adds. It's not ideal, but you can make it work if you have to.)

Good luck!
 
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Best of luck! Here's to another successful non-trad application season. :)
 
good luck to everyone else applying!!!! and thanks for the encouragement... i just got my VTCSOM application out yesterday and added Wake Forest to my list...

my application isn't without flaws... i have a 30+ mcat but my uGPA is uncomfortable... i wasn't a "student" during my undergrad years... but i loved ecology research... you couldnt get me to remember to show up for an exam... but you could find me swimming in a lagoon somewhere catching turtles for a local herp survey... go figure... anyways, in 2002, I published an article on fresh water aquatic turtles in florida that grabbed a lot of attention in the herp world... all in all, that pub earned me a golden ticket to graduate school, where i got my act together and nailed a 4.0 GPA in Biology along with several academic honors and awards... the past few years, I published 3 more journal articles with a further 2 more being submitted for review over the next few months... also, i have been teaching Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, and Biotechnology full time at a local college for the past 3 years... i know they say that a low uGPA can be a nail in the coffin for med admissions... but i am hoping that my strong upward trend in post bacc and graduate work, several publications, professional teaching career in the sciences, and tons of ECs(including clinical volunteer/shadowing experiences) will speak louder than my actions from 10 years ago... keepin my fingers crossed... and frankly, it would be odd for me to take my OWN class just to raise my GPA...
 
Just thought I'd chime in...
Submitted AMCAS 6/2/09 (verified 6/10/09)
Submitted AACOMAS 5/26/09 (status still "processing" as of today)
Still working on TMDSAS (eventhough I'm OOS, I have close TX ties).
MCAT: check
LOR's: check
currently *thinking* about secondary prompts
 
Just thought I'd chime in...
Submitted AMCAS 6/2/09 (verified 6/10/09)
Submitted AACOMAS 5/26/09 (status still "processing" as of today)
Still working on TMDSAS (eventhough I'm OOS, I have close TX ties).
MCAT: check
LOR's: check
currently *thinking* about secondary prompts

Hey, I grew up in Iowa but moved to TX. Where did you go to undergrad?
 
That made me laugh out loud. Epitome of a statement only a non-trad could make. You sound like a stellar candidate to me.

I loved that too...who says the young'ens have all the fun. Or maybe it's that our sense of humor wanes with age!:)
 
Submitted AMCAS 6/2/09 (still waiting on 1 transcript am resending tomorrow)
Submitted AACOMAS 6/1/09 (status still "processing" as of today)

ready for secondaries.
 
Good luck and have fun with the application process, nontrads. You can do it! :luck:
 
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Good luck guys! The app cycle is super fun and goes by really quickly! Er...well, maybe not, but it IS worth it. :)
 
Good luck guys! The app cycle is super fun and goes by really quickly! Er...well, maybe not, but it IS worth it. :)

Read through your MDapp's file. Great stuff. Thanks for lookin back over your shoulder with the good advice.

Anyway, it's great to finally be underway with this. I'm in for 10 schools until I can ho myself out in the Castro for some extra cash. The train is leaving the station with what I've got to offer--hmmm. ?. Here we go.

Good luck to all of us.
 
AMCAS submitted - 6/2
AMCAS verified - 6/3 !!

I'm ready to get the ball rolling... let's do this already!

Good luck everyone! :xf:
 
Read through your MDapp's file. Great stuff. Thanks for lookin back over your shoulder with the good advice.

Anyway, it's great to finally be underway with this. I'm in for 10 schools until I can ho myself out in the Castro for some extra cash. The train is leaving the station with what I've got to offer--hmmm. ?. Here we go.

Good luck to all of us.

Np Nas. :)

Btw, this is going to sound odd, but I thought of you the other day while reading Eden Express. If you haven't cone across it, it's a book by Kurt Vonnegut's son, who suffered a psychotic break while building a commune in rural BC. He went on to go to med school...anyway, his writing is incredible and I thought it might appeal to you.

Good luck with your 10 and the whoring, there are a lot of transferrable skillz there. ;)
 
AMCAS submitted - 6/2
AMCAS verified - 6/3 !!

I'm ready to get the ball rolling... let's do this already!

Good luck everyone! :xf:

Okay, I'm a year away from applying, but I was curious about how you were able to get verified so quickly? What are the best steps to take? i definitely want to make sure that i am able to apply as early as possible.

TIA!
 
Np Nas. :)

Btw, this is going to sound odd, but I thought of you the other day while reading Eden Express. If you haven't cone across it, it's a book by Kurt Vonnegut's son, who suffered a psychotic break while building a commune in rural BC. He went on to go to med school...anyway, his writing is incredible and I thought it might appeal to you.

Good luck with your 10 and the whoring, there are a lot of transferrable skillz there. ;)

Nice. I never read things people tell me to. But this will be a first. A psychotic break. A son of a giant. A commune. And then to med school. Awesome. Eden Express. Got it.

Thanks for the good wishes. I think I'll need 3500 or so more. So like 20 BJ's. 30 lays. Some other weird stuff. And a lifetime of shame and self loathing. F@ck the peace core, that's commitment.

Thanks for the book tip.
 
Okay, I'm a year away from applying, but I was curious about how you were able to get verified so quickly? What are the best steps to take? i definitely want to make sure that i am able to apply as early as possible.

TIA!

I submitted my application as soon as possible when AMCAS opened. Of course, that meant I had everything ready to go long before June 2. For me, I had to set mini-deadlines to keep me on track (otherwise I'd still be working on my personal statement and activities section). Also, it's important to have your transcripts on file when you submit your application. That way, AMCAS won't be waiting on those to start the verification process.

After that, it's up to AMCAS!
 
I'm submitting EDP to my state school, so my situation is a little different. I'm taking the MCAT tomorrow, so I'll wait until I get results before I hit the submit button on the AMCAS.

So far, I have all of my information entered into the application, and my transcripts have been received by AMCAS.

Good luck to everyone this cycle!
 
Submitted AMCAS on 6/19
Still working on TMDSAS

Good luck to all!
 
HEY I was supposed to be a 2010 Applicant ! Lol.

Ah life and kids can sometimes change the most well laid out plans.

Good news. I've done real well in all my Post Bacc work. Bad news. Due to time constraints of working full time, two kids, an elderly grandmother to care for, and now the recent addition of a mother with stage IV non small cell lung cancer, I've been forced to push it back to next year.

Good news is I'm trying to block off the fall of 2009 for that last semester push. ( Chem III and IV) and Physics II is all that's left on the agenda. Then it's MCAT's early spring and let's see what happens.

I like to follow these threads in preparation for the day when I get to participate as well.

Good Luck to all of our 2010 applicants.
 
I submitted my application as soon as possible when AMCAS opened. Of course, that meant I had everything ready to go long before June 2. For me, I had to set mini-deadlines to keep me on track (otherwise I'd still be working on my personal statement and activities section). Also, it's important to have your transcripts on file when you submit your application. That way, AMCAS won't be waiting on those to start the verification process.

After that, it's up to AMCAS!

So when does AMCAS open to where you can send the transcripts?
 
Wow! So much development in so little time. I was out on vacation for a few weeks but I see we have quite a lot of 2010 applicants - I thought it was just me and few other guys. Hope I didn't miss anything. Good luck everyone!
 
So when does AMCAS open to where you can send the transcripts?


I'm pretty sure you can send them in as soon as AMCAS opens in May. You have to send a Transcript Request Form along with your transcript. You can only get the form AFTER you enter the "Schools Attended" portion of the application. Since all my grades were in (b/c I wasn't enrolled in any classes during the Spring semester), I completed that section, printed the forms and requested my transcripts be sent the first day after AMCAS opened. AMCAS notified me that my transcripts were received about two weeks later.

I hope that helps.
 
verified and ready to rock! :)

It'll be nice starting med school and focusing on just that. Balancing work, school, social life, and this application process makes me tired, but I guess you have one life to live!
 
so i interviewed for my committee letter at Penn State (class of 2002) a few days ago.... tell you the truth, I was extremely nervous... It has been almost 10 years since I took courses there and I had no idea if they would be able to see who I am today, rather than who I was then... I jumped on SDN countless times looking for a reason why I wouldn't need a committee letter because I am a non-trad... and i found a lot of people who said just that... but i pulled myself up and jumped through the hoops anyways... i'm glad i did...

the interview went great... they were truly excited to meet me... a majority of their interviews involved typical PSU juniors and seniors, who all had the same shadowing experience with campus physicians, who all had the same work studies, who all had very little life experience... so I was a nice break from all of that... they were extremely interested in what I had done over the years and were quick to show me some application strengths i never realized i had... overall they were extremely encouraging and helpful and not condesendingly judgemental as i originally predicted them to be...

anyways... long story short... don't be afraid of your undergrads pre-med committee (if they have one)... they dont bite... as far as i can tell anyways...
 
Wow congrats to all of you for getting your act together so quickly! I didn't decide to apply until late Feb and then focused all my energy on the MCATs. Then I very crazily decided to wait until I got my MCAT score ... and now I need to get my act together and put together my application. Good luck to all of you :)
 
so i interviewed for my committee letter at Penn State (class of 2002) a few days ago.... tell you the truth, I was extremely nervous... It has been almost 10 years since I took courses there and I had no idea if they would be able to see who I am today, rather than who I was then... I jumped on SDN countless times looking for a reason why I wouldn't need a committee letter because I am a non-trad... and i found a lot of people who said just that... but i pulled myself up and jumped through the hoops anyways... i'm glad i did...

the interview went great... they were truly excited to meet me... a majority of their interviews involved typical PSU juniors and seniors, who all had the same shadowing experience with campus physicians, who all had the same work studies, who all had very little life experience... so I was a nice break from all of that... they were extremely interested in what I had done over the years and were quick to show me some application strengths i never realized i had... overall they were extremely encouraging and helpful and not condesendingly judgemental as i originally predicted them to be...

anyways... long story short... don't be afraid of your undergrads pre-med committee (if they have one)... they dont bite... as far as i can tell anyways...

I went through the same process myself at my undergrad (hadn't been there since 97). Drove 10 hrs to get there and had a full day of interviews/meetings and had to come with a PS draft and ~10 essay questions written out. It was a lot of work, but my pre-med committee was great. Informative, encouraging, helpful, and always answered my emails within an hour. They sent me all kinds of helpful emails to remind of deadlines, etc. My letter writer emailed me to ask me to put things together to make my letter the best it could be (had to get an extra recommendation letter in the middle of the process). They were awesome. I'm definitely glad I went the pre-med committee route. Plus, the upside to the composite letter I didn't have to track down professors who wouldn't remember me anyways for recommendations. I could tailor it to my own non-trad career. For instance, I only had one letter from a science professor whereas most schools would require two if you send in your own letters.

Of course, the downside is that committee letters generally take longer to be released than doing it yourself.

My undergrad committee was great, but I have read posts of ones at other schools that weren't so great. Like everything each school has its own idiosyncrasies.
 
Hey folks.

What do yall think about the statisticals involved in going from 27 up to like 35 schools. I got a loan from my credit union to do this thing right.

But I'm wondering if I'd be better off saving my money for quick turn around on my 27 possible secondaries.

My personals are: 3.28 gpa, 3.87 sci gpa. 32 MCAT.

It's hard to know how much money to blow at the get go. Especially as the out-of-state numbers get smaller for some of my possible add-ons.

I know. This is kind of dear diary. But I'm just looking to bounce the idea around some different heads than my own.
 
Hey folks.

What do yall think about the statisticals involved in going from 27 up to like 35 schools. I got a loan from my credit union to do this thing right.

But I'm wondering if I'd be better off saving my money for quick turn around on my 27 possible secondaries.

My personals are: 3.28 gpa, 3.87 sci gpa. 32 MCAT.

It's hard to know how much money to blow at the get go. Especially as the out-of-state numbers get smaller for some of my possible add-ons.

I know. This is kind of dear diary. But I'm just looking to bounce the idea around some different heads than my own.

I think the question has less to do with total number of apps, and more to do with number of competitive apps. I think despite your low OA you are a pretty solid applicant, and 35 would be overkill. The exact number of schools you need to apply to where you are competitive is up for debate, but I'd say 10 is sufficient. It becomes less clear the more asymmetric your application (since it's tough to say what impact any single factor truly has...how do you weight OA vs. recent SGPA?), but that's what I'd say for someone who, like you, isn't 100% unassailable numerically, but is pretty decent, all things considered. IMSHO.

I don't think the time savings of 27 apps vs. 35 would be that great - you are going to be doing a lot of recycling either way. I'd still stick with a carefully researched 27 vs. adding another 7 up to 35 for the sake of volume though. Sanity is not overrated.
 
I think the question has less to do with total number of apps, and more to do with number of competitive apps. I think despite your low OA you are a pretty solid applicant, and 35 would be overkill. The exact number of schools you need to apply to where you are competitive is up for debate, but I'd say 10 is sufficient. It becomes less clear the more asymmetric your application (since it's tough to say what impact any single factor truly has...how do you weight OA vs. recent SGPA?), but that's what I'd say for someone who, like you, isn't 100% unassailable numerically, but is pretty decent, all things considered. IMSHO.

I don't think the time savings of 27 apps vs. 35 would be that great - you are going to be doing a lot of recycling either way. I'd still stick with a carefully researched 27 vs. adding another 7 up to 35 for the sake of volume though. Sanity is not overrated.


Appreciate that. Take it easy.
 
I feel like Gilbert from revenge of the nerds. Pretending to be asleep...nope...full pocket protector-bowtie-getup, what...what?

Just got some secondaries. Is it normal to be so excited about it. Not much of a life here. But keeping you all posted anyway.
 
I feel like Gilbert from revenge of the nerds. Pretending to be asleep...nope...full pocket protector-bowtie-getup, what...what?

Just got some secondaries. Is it normal to be so excited about it. Not much of a life here. But keeping you all posted anyway.

Not only is it normal, but it's an escalating cascade of excitement from first secondary, first interview invite, first interview to first acceptance.

Of course there's the downward cascade too... getting physically repulsed by the thought of another secondary prompt, first pre-interview hold, first rejection, first waitlist...

Oh yeah, and I agree with Lacheln, you're better off being judicious with your school choices rather than applying to too many. This process gets very expensive. I only applied to 15 schools and in retrospect I should've only applied to 10-12.
 
Definitely, prepare to manage your emotions. Picture this:
- within 5 hours of AMCAS verification, you get a secondary from school X
- it's your first secondary, so you go all out with the essay
- you put loving care into the completion of everything required in the secondary
- feeling invested, hopeful and vulnerable, you submit the secondary
- within 2 days you get your rejection letter (or they never contact you at all)

It takes nerves of steel, really.
 
Nontrads: Yes we can!


:p

Just cause we are old and lived through 80s fashion the first time, doesn't mean we can't do it!!! We just need more naps!!!

Good luck!
 
Nontrads: Yes we can!


:p

Just cause we are old and lived through 80s fashion the first time, doesn't mean we can't do it!!! We just need more naps!!!

Good luck!

:laugh:

Before writing a secondary. I'm sitting by my window. I need a nap. A smoke. A couple of cups of coffee. Some miles davis. The perfect fog bank. The soothing sound of ships blowing through it. Two or three hours of a Walter Mosley novel. And then. I'm in the right mood.

To sell my self with words.

The older I get. The more foreplay it takes.
 
AMCAS submitted 6/28
AMCAS verified 6/29
MCAT results tomorrow 6/30.

BS 2002 + MS 2004 in engineering from Missouri - Rolla. 3 years with Lockheed Martin. 2 years in a post-bacc at University of Kansas.

I'm applying EDP to KUMED.

Good luck everyone!!!!!

Tracia
 
Hey folks.

What do yall think about the statisticals involved in going from 27 up to like 35 schools. I got a loan from my credit union to do this thing right.

But I'm wondering if I'd be better off saving my money for quick turn around on my 27 possible secondaries.

My personals are: 3.28 gpa, 3.87 sci gpa. 32 MCAT.

It's hard to know how much money to blow at the get go. Especially as the out-of-state numbers get smaller for some of my possible add-ons.

I know. This is kind of dear diary. But I'm just looking to bounce the idea around some different heads than my own.

Depends on what you want. Yes applying to schools is expensive, so it depends on if you just want to get into ANY med school, or if you would prefer to have a handful to choose from. I had stats kind of similar to yours -- sort of on the cusp of acceptable. I applied to 35+ schools. Ended up with a nice bevy of schools to choose from come March. Once I got into a school I really liked, I withdrew from over half the schools I applied to, so saved myself the interviewing expenses. I don't regret applying to so many schools. Med school is so freakin' expensive, you'll never remember the extra $1000 you spent on more schools. Like you said -- do it RIGHT the first time around. I hate to see it when people don't get in first round, or only got into a school they're not thrilled about simply because they didn't apply to enough schools.

Remember, the admissions process is formulaic only to a certain point. Beyond that point, it's important to remember that there's a human being on the opposite end reading your application. You want to get your application in front of as many eyes as possible. I got into two or three schools I absolutely should NOT have gotten into simply because the human being on the other end saw something that the other schools didn't.
 
Depends on what you want. Yes applying to schools is expensive, so it depends on if you just want to get into ANY med school, or if you would prefer to have a handful to choose from. I had stats kind of similar to yours -- sort of on the cusp of acceptable. I applied to 35+ schools. Ended up with a nice bevy of schools to choose from come March. Once I got into a school I really liked, I withdrew from over half the schools I applied to, so saved myself the interviewing expenses. I don't regret applying to so many schools. Med school is so freakin' expensive, you'll never remember the extra $1000 you spent on more schools. Like you said -- do it RIGHT the first time around. I hate to see it when people don't get in first round, or only got into a school they're not thrilled about simply because they didn't apply to enough schools.

Remember, the admissions process is formulaic only to a certain point. Beyond that point, it's important to remember that there's a human being on the opposite end reading your application. You want to get your application in front of as many eyes as possible. I got into two or three schools I absolutely should NOT have gotten into simply because the human being on the other end saw something that the other schools didn't.

Thanks for the perspective. I got you.

The thing is. My stock is low. But you know. A couple of naked short sales and some tricky intervals and nasrudin.corp might be up and running well.

No but I do appreciate your input. I'm gonna do my best to scrounge my duckets to throw at some more schools. It's just gonna take me till later in the season to get em all out there.
 
Thanks for the perspective. I got you.

The thing is. My stock is low. But you know. A couple of naked short sales and some tricky intervals and nasrudin.corp might be up and running well.

No but I do appreciate your input. I'm gonna do my best to scrounge my duckets to throw at some more schools. It's just gonna take me till later in the season to get em all out there.


I should add that I think the 27 you've got on your plate is plenty. I was more referring to the advice above that 10-12 is all you need. I personally think that's a little too risky ...
 
Wow, I have to say there are quite a few of us that got the ball rolling early. I guess that is this extra wisdom we've earned by being non-trads! AMCAS verified monday, got my first secondary today from FSU ( something like 7 essays LOL)....M.S. in Toxicology, 4.0 Grad GPA, 31 MCAT...3.2 uGPA... ridiculous extra curric and a couple publications, here's hoping! oh, if anyone has questions on florida schools let me know. I have decided to become an "expert" on them! :oops:)
 
I took the MCAT on 6/18, and I just finished up the first summer session consisting of Physics and Organic (9 hours w/ labs). I got A's in all nine hours, and I'll be sending an updated transcript to AMCAS while I'm waiting on my MCAT score.

The summer coursework bumps my BCPM gpa from a 3.74 to a 3.81, so I hope that will help a little as my state school says they only consider the BCPM gpa during the evaluation of applications.

I was averaging 32-33 on my AAMC practice exams, and I feel pretty good about the verbal and physical science sections. I got three organic passages on my MCAT, so I'm pretty sure I did below my average AAMC practice test score of 11 on the biology section, but I'm hoping for a 9 and an overall MCAT of 30+.

My state school provides pre-application counseling, and I am scheduled to meet with them next friday. I figure some face time with the admissions folks and a tour of the facilities will be helpful as I prepare for the possibility of an interview in September.

If my MCAT score comes back at 27 or above, I'll be submitting to the early decision program at The University of Mississippi SOM on July 20. Last year 10 of the 12 applicants interviewed for the EDP were admitted at my school of choice. I'm hoping the odds are in my favor this year!

Micah
 
so, any non-trads around with lower numbers who have had success wanna share some stories? all the ups and downs i had forgotten when i applied 3 years ago are starting to come back to me as i fill in some of these secondaries...one minute i feel good and hopeful, the next i feel like there is no way anyone will give me a chance.

oh boy, long year ahead.
 
Just submitted my application and it was processed within a half hour. I'm applying EDP to U of Kansas...

29Q (9,10,10)
3.65 GPA (Both)

We'll see!
 
Scout-
Hello from another KU EDP-er!

Let me know when you get your secondary -- I've been waiting anxiously for mine. :)

I got my MCAT score back yesterday and it was also a 29Q. I'm slightly disappointed with that, but I'll take it.

See you around!
Tracia
 
Hi all, i'm applying this cycle too...AMCAS and TMDSAS verified/submitted, so now just waiting!! It seems like this takes forever and a day. But i guess it only gets worse ;-)
 
I am applying EDP to Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. My MCAT wasn't great, so I will be retaking 7/17. I am praying it comes back near 30 to be competitive. Otherwise, I guess we will see what happens. GL to everyone.
 
Last edited:
TMDSAS complete on 6/25
AMCAS verified on 7/1

Baylor secondary complete...working on the rest.

Good luck all!
 
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