point of being anonymous?

Personal preference.

Because for every file an adcom reviews, they go on SDN to check up on the person. That's why the admission process takes so long.

jal06c said:

So on a lot of MDApps profiles I see people writing "assume average EC's, trying to stay anonymous". I'm new to SDN and MDApps and this is my first (and hopefully last!! ) application cycle, so I was just wondering is there a point to staying anonymous? Thanks.

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well i chose to make mine more anonymous when the application cycle started, but it was for reasons beyond my fear of an adcom stalking me on SDN basically i don't love the idea of anyone being able to find out so much about me on the internet... i'm one of the freaks that has their facebook privacy settings cranked up to the max. and even for people that can see my whole profile, there's not too much revealing stuff there. just being overly cautious i guess.

im 100% for anonymity


but really, i did super privatize my social profiles and took down any pictures that could have been viewed in a negative light (mostly my half-naked, spandex-clad triathlon pictures).

Because we all have to put on an act to get into medical school. If i let them know things like i enjoy getting drunk and playing video games all day, I'm against socialized health care, I want the job because it interests me and pays well, i'd be screwed. A lot of my comments would get me instantly removed from any pool of applicants and placed right in the "**** no" pile.

jal06c said:

So on a lot of MDApps profiles I see people writing "assume average EC's, trying to stay anonymous". I'm new to SDN and MDApps and this is my first (and hopefully last!! ) application cycle, so I was just wondering is there a point to staying anonymous? Thanks.

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Believe me, I've been able to recognize three posters that I know in real life based on one or two posts/MDapps/screennames they made. I haven't let them know, but it's scary knowing that something like that could happen to me, where people know who I am without me being aware of it.

The pre-med group at my undergrad isn't that big, and I'd be instantly identified if someone knew either my GPA or MCAT score, plus my undergrad. So, I prefer to remain anon. Much rather let the people who I know well enough to talk about it in on what's going on in the cycle rather than have people I barely know find me and ask me questions about why I did or did not get in somewhere, etc.

jal06c said:

So on a lot of MDApps profiles I see people writing "assume average EC's, trying to stay anonymous". I'm new to SDN and MDApps and this is my first (and hopefully last!! ) application cycle, so I was just wondering is there a point to staying anonymous? Thanks.

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because people aren't comfortable with the way they portray themselves in applications vs. who they really are.


but seriously, adcoms do read SDN. just don't be dumb and you'll be ok.

Jolt21 said:

because people aren't comfortable with the way they portray themselves in applications vs. who they really are.


but seriously, adcoms do read SDN. just don't be dumb and you'll be ok.

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Exactly, most of us (including myself) would never make it into medical school if we were just ourselves.

The FBI, CIA and KGB use MDApps to select highly qualified potential secret agents(they specifically look for people with 13+ VR scores). Some people with amazing stats don't want the FBI, CIA or KGB calling their house...now you understand?

More than that, you might not want others to know how you did. More like, your peers. The only reason why people are so open to telling their scores here is because no one knows who the hell they are.

Also, you know how whenever stephen colbert interviews an author on his show, the next day the author's book becomes a number one seller? Do you think that if I got interviewed on his show, and Colbert was like "all right med schools, I want you all to vie...battle each other to death...to take this young man into your school," that i'd get accepted everywhere regardless of what I did on the MCAT or GPA? (granted that MCAT is at least a 30 and cGPA and sGPA are both >3.7)

Fear of the adcoms...they're everywhere!

I just don't want random people to be able to easily identify me off the internet, hence I have no MDapps and I watch what I post.

If an ADCOM actually put forth the effort to discover my super secret starwars character identity I would laugh my ass off.

My only question to those who feel the need to be super private is: Why use MDapps at all? Further, why link it to your SDN profile?

Narmerguy said:

My only question to those who feel the need to be super private is: Why use MDapps at all? Further, why link it to your SDN profile?

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1. i use mdapps because it was REALLY helpful when i was putting together my list of schools. i got a lot of good feedback. also it's a good way to stay organized (although i do have spreadsheets as well).

2. i link to it in my profile because i think some posts are better in context. that is, sometimes when i read something that someone has written, i would like to know where they're coming from-- and the snapshot of their app cycle does a pretty good job of that, for my purposes anyway.

dw2158 said:

1. i use mdapps because it was REALLY helpful when i was putting together my list of schools. i got a lot of good feedback. also it's a good way to stay organized (although i do have spreadsheets as well).

2. i link to it in my profile because i think some posts are better in context. that is, sometimes when i read something that someone has written, i would like to know where they're coming from-- and the snapshot of their app cycle does a pretty good job of that, for my purposes anyway.

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Both of these, plus it can be helpful to other applicants in terms of figuring out if they've been screened out, comparing timelines, etc.

dw2158 said:

2. i link to it in my profile because i think some posts are better in context. that is, sometimes when i read something that someone has written, i would like to know where they're coming from-- and the snapshot of their app cycle does a pretty good job of that, for my purposes anyway.

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I can respect your points but this one seems to suggest that keeping significant portions of your app secret would counteract what you're discribing. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating that everyone put the full details of their app in their MDApps. I'm just saying that it seems that the reasons for privacy that people give seems to go against putting a link to that private profile.

i don't really understand it even after reading all of these posts, but i guess better safe than sorry

Narmerguy said:

I can respect your points but this one seems to suggest that keeping significant portions of your app secret would counteract what you're discribing. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating that everyone put the full details of their app in their MDApps. I'm just saying that it seems that the reasons for privacy that people give seems to go against putting a link to that private profile.

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you're right. not having my ECs on there does give a less clear picture of who i am as an applicant. but i'd rather strike a middle ground-- leave it up and be less identifiable-- than take it down altogether. even if i can't learn much about a person from their mdapps, it's helpful to see that, okay, this person has turned in all of their secondaries already, or, okay, this person was complete on this date and got an interview invite, etc.

dw2158 said:

you're right. not having my ECs on there does give a less clear picture of who i am as an applicant. but i'd rather strike a middle ground-- leave it up and be less identifiable-- than take it down altogether. even if i can't learn much about a person from their mdapps, it's helpful to see that, okay, this person has turned in all of their secondaries already, or, okay, this person was complete on this date and got an interview invite, etc.

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Fair enough

jaxasp said:

i don't really understand it even after reading all of these posts, but i guess better safe than sorry

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You don't get that if medical schools knew how most of us think/act that we wouldn't get into medical school?

That's my reason. I'm a nice guy, but my opinions on several things would not make me look good to an admissions committee.

rockaction said:

Because for every file an adcom reviews, they go on SDN to check up on the person. That's why the admission process takes so long.

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jal06c said:

So on a lot of MDApps profiles I see people writing "assume average EC's, trying to stay anonymous". I'm new to SDN and MDApps and this is my first (and hopefully last!! ) application cycle, so I was just wondering is there a point to staying anonymous? Thanks.

Click to expand...

In the same vein, MDapps profiles with little information are useless. If it's literally just a GPA without a school or major attached and a MCAT score (worse, a RANGE in which the MCAT score falls) then why even put it up? Everyone's idea of average ECs is different and equivalent ECs can show different/unique interests so that statement on ECs typically thrown in is not very helpful.

scarletgirl777 said:

In the same vein, MDapps profiles with little information are useless. If it's literally just a GPA without a school or major attached and a MCAT score (worse, a RANGE in which the MCAT score falls) then why even put it up? Everyone's idea of average ECs is different and equivalent ECs can show different/unique interests so that statement on ECs typically thrown in is not very helpful.

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amen.

i can understand being low key during the process

but bare-minimum mdapps are useless to everyone else so i dont understand why people dont add info once the cycle is over

mvenus929 said:

The pre-med group at my undergrad isn't that big, and I'd be instantly identified if someone knew either my GPA or MCAT score, plus my undergrad. So, I prefer to remain anon.

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This, kinda. I don't care if adcoms identify me, but I'm easily identifiable at school based on a somewhat detailed list of ECs. Not many people know my GPA/MCAT, so I left that up, but I know I've run into friends' applications on here before because their ECs were that specific. I'd rather I find out how someone is doing through personal interaction, not an "anonymous" website (and vice versa).

Eh why do people feel so secretive about GPA/MCAT? Ashamed? Afraid people who know you well enough to identify you will judge you because of it? People guard that stuff like their bank accounts.

NoMoreAMCAS said:

You don't get that if medical schools knew how most of us think/act that we wouldn't get into medical school?

That's my reason. I'm a nice guy, but my opinions on several things would not make me look good to an admissions committee.

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well i understand not putting your undergrad institution, but after that how the hell are they going to identify you? is an adcom going to call around to the other schools you listed on mdapps, and use a logarithm to narrow down the potential candidates to you, and after identifying you are they going to read all of your sdn posts?
obviously an exaggeration, and if you dont say anything idiotic (like making fun of that CCLM adcom in that one thread), i wouldnt even mind putting my real name at the ends of posts

Narmerguy said:

Eh why do people feel so secretive about GPA/MCAT? Ashamed? Afraid people who know you well enough to identify you will judge you because of it? People guard that stuff like their bank accounts.

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I'm definitely not ashamed, I just hate it when people treat me differently because they're under the impression that I think I'm better than them, or they think I am better than them. It sounds arrogant, but it's really not something you can understand unless you've been there.

jaxasp said:

well i understand not putting your undergrad institution, but after that how the hell are they going to identify you? is an adcom going to call around to the other schools you listed on mdapps, and use a logarithm to narrow down the potential candidates to you, and after identifying you are they going to read all of your sdn posts?
obviously an exaggeration, and if you dont say anything idiotic (like making fun of that CCLM adcom in that one thread), i wouldnt even mind putting my real name at the ends of posts

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It's probably pretty easy to narrow people down. Hey, do we have an applicant with a 3.85 BCPM/3.91 AO, 34R MCAT (10,10,14 breakdown), white, male that goes to Ohio State. Plenty enough info to pretty much identify anyone.

And they wouldn't have to go searching through your SDN posts. You just post something "other than doctorly" and they click your MDapps. Hey, this kid applied to our school. Identified no problem.

Wait, missed the part about not putting undergrad. Still, do we have a kid from Ohio with these exact stats/mcat breakdown? That should be enough to identify people.