2010-2011 Southern Illinois University Application Thread

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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ksmi117

ksmi117

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Please PM the essays or lack thereof to me (ksmi117) when the secondary is available.

:luck: with your application!
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I will do my best to keep up with this thread (though in past years it has been very slow). If you ever have questions about the school, please don't hesitate to post them here or PM me if you think they are sensitive.

Best of luck everyone! :)
 
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I would also like to mention how much of a gem SIU SOM is to us central/southern IL residents. Earlier this year I was deemed a "prospective reapplicant," but met with EW and feel great about my chances this year. It's amazing how helpful they are. I'm so ready for an acceptance. :xf:
 
Poor SIU is going to get so many emails from me because I am a Chicagoan and they are like, nope, forget about it. And I am going to be like, consider me! consider me! I can't help it where I was born. :laugh:
 
I just got an email saying that they recieved my primary app. Anyone know when they will start sending secondary invites?
 
metalgirl14 said:
I just got an email saying that they recieved my primary app. Anyone know when they will start sending secondary invites?
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They look at all primary applications first before sending out secondaries. At the earliest you might get one mid-July (based on last years SDN data).
 
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Avoidthetiger said:
They look at all primary applications first before sending out secondaries. At the earliest you might get one mid-July (based on last years SDN data).
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Talked with him briefly at orientation last week. AMCAS was released to schools this week I believe. Mid July is when secondaries come out. I think first interviews are around September.
 
Avoidthetiger said:
Ugh. I just need to rant for a moment. But seriously, how can a state funded school get away with saying there mission is to serve central and southern Illinois. Seventy-four percent of the Illinois population is urban (Chicago+surrounding suburbs in the northeast corner), so why is 74% of the tax dollars money going to a school that supports central and southern Illinois residents. I get that there is a need (especially because of the cost of malpractice insurance), but still, I would still like it if one of my two state schools would consider me as a tax-payer... even if I am from Chicago.

But honestly, I have no idea how to get them interested in me. I would love to serve urban underserved populations... but I can't lie about being interested in rural, as I have no experiences to back it up. It would be nice to be in Carbondale for the first year of medical school as three people in my family are down there for undergrad (sibling and two cousins). But I doubt they will send me a secondary for that. And my family is historically from southern Illinois, as I still pronounce it Elanoy, but they all migrated north now. But argh. Silly SIU making it challenging for me to get a secondary.
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I have classmates coming from Chicago this year that have no ties to the area. To get in from Chicago-area you need to A. be competitive and B. fit well with the PBL curriculum. In terms of why they do priority for south of I-80, applicants from down here are more likely to stay down here. We need doctors bad. The school was founded to get doctors to stay in the area. State Med schools are non-profit, and typically tuition driven. Taxes are paid for the public school system, not individual schools. Down state we pay for Western and all the Chicago schools. It works. It's how the system is, and it seems to work, and if it doesn't you arent going to change it with a post on SDN ;)

If you are interested in under-served areas, mention it. If you have experiences to back that up, mention those too. Your stats are similar to mine (plus you have grad school, and I don't) and I got in with the first batch, so it is possible. My advice is to send EW an email and tell him that you are interested in the school (and why) and see what advice he offers. He will point you in the right direction and has been incredibly helpful and forthcoming over the past years.
 
Is I-80 really the dividing line? I might be nitpicking, but a lot of information seems to broadly suggest that they give preference to central and southern Illinois.

Of course, I'm probably reading too much into this: but technically I live in Kankakee County (not even a block away from Iroquois). I'd be interested to know if it would make any difference, only because a large majority of Kankakee is well-developed and populated, whereas Iroquois (where I went to school, work, etc, etc), is significantly more rural.

Thoughts?
 
Caesar said:
My advice is to send EW an email and tell him that you are interested in the school (and why) and see what advice he offers. He will point you in the right direction and has been incredibly helpful and forthcoming over the past years.
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Thanks for the info. I have actually contacted him in early June asking if I should apply -- and plan on sending a more formal email stating why I would like to attend SIU in the upcoming week. Of course, I'm debating about including the fact that I would love to be at Carbondale for the first year because my brother and two cousins will be down there for undergrad. But that would be oh so nice.
 
psylves2 said:
Is I-80 really the dividing line? I might be nitpicking, but a lot of information seems to broadly suggest that they give preference to central and southern Illinois.

Of course, I'm probably reading too much into this: but technically I live in Kankakee County (not even a block away from Iroquois). I'd be interested to know if it would make any difference, only because a large majority of Kankakee is well-developed and populated, whereas Iroquois (where I went to school, work, etc, etc), is significantly more rural.

Thoughts?
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most people who live north of i-80 consider anything south of i-80 to be "southern illinois". There isn't REALLY a line drawn on the state map anywhere but if you live in a suburb or downtown chicago, you gotta work a little harder.
again, it's all about fitting the school's mission. you aren't instantly doomed just for living in one county vs another
 
Has anyone heard anything from SIU yet? Evan said that some secondaries have been sent. Hope I haven't been screened out already...:confused:
 
metalgirl14 said:
Has anyone heard anything from SIU yet? Evan said that some secondaries have been sent. Hope I haven't been screened out already...:confused:
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I almost bumped this thread to ask the same thing! I got mine on the 13th of last year, but there were people who got it later. Since they do screen I think it takes some time. If some have already sent, I would be patient and then check with him in about a week to see where your application stands. Patience is key, it sucks (I remember), but be patient.
 
Evan just came back from vacation (based on the "out of office" email I got from him a week ago)... so I would say give him and the aadmissions sometime to look over applications.

I sent SIU additional information about myself though... hope they like it :)
 
Hey Folks,

I got my secondary July 9th. I sent it back July 11th, but no news on being complete yet. My check hasn't been cashed yet either.

I'm a native Chicagoan. Went to school in a Central Illinois. 33R, 3.6 (cumulative and science)
 
hemostat5 said:
I got my secondary July 9th. I sent it back July 11th, but no news on being complete yet. My check hasn't been cashed yet either.

I'm a native Chicagoan. Went to school in a Central Illinois. 33R, 3.6 (cumulative and science)
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can I ask when you were verified? and congrats!
 
Has anyone else heard anything from the school yet?....
 
I mean anyone else besides that one person
 
dudester786, could you please post the essay prompts? Or are they the same as last years? Thanks!
 
Jijian said:
dudester786, could you please post the essay prompts? Or are they the same as last years? Thanks!
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SIU School of Medicine uses a holistic approach to identify and select a diverse student body best suited to fulfill its mission: to assist the people of central and southern Illinois in meeting their health care needs through education, patient care, research, and service to the community. In what ways do you believe you would contribute to this mission? Please limit your answer to 300 words or less.

To be successful as a student at SIU School of Medicine and as a practicing physician, you must be flexible and committed to cultivating and employing critical interactive and learning skills. Describe your experiences that demonstrate: contribution in a teamwork setting; engagement in self-directed and life-long learning (taking personal initiative to identify and address your learning goals and needs); and exposure to the small group tutorial process used in a problem-based learning environment. Please limit your answer to 500 words or less.

If you have previously applied to SIU School of Medicine, please describe how you feel you have strengthened your credentials since that application. Please limit your answer to 300 words or less.
 
congratulations!!! That is so excited for you! :thumbup:

I haven't even heard a peep from SIU. I assume I'm in the Chicago-Reject pile.
 
Thanks. Don't give up avoidthetiger! It's still very early in the cycle.

If it helps, I'm a Chicago resident. My ties to the rest of the state are as follows:
1. Went to school at UIUC
2. My gf of 3 years is from Carbondale, IL. I've been there quite a lot.
 
Avoidthetiger said:
Yeah, I sent an Evan an email letting him know my brother is currently down in Carbondale, and my dad graduated from their (and is an active alumni). Too bad it's all in aviation and not medicine. I should have been a pilot.

Unfortunately for me and SIU, I'm a city girl through and through and I can't deny that (even went to college in a city though my 2nd choice was SIU.) Though being a city girl has drawn me to help the city's undeserved... but well, they aren't in southern illinois, so SIU might not care.
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Do you mean there aren't many underserved people in southern illinois? If so, that is not the case at all. East St. Louis, Springfield, Danville and areas of Peoria all have some pretty underserved populations. Specifically East St. Louis-- its like the s***** armpit suburb of one of the countries most dangerous city...
 
turkaglew said:
Do you mean there aren't many underserved people in southern illinois? If so, that is not the case at all. East St. Louis, Springfield, Danville and areas of Peoria all have some pretty underserved populations. Specifically East St. Louis-- its like the s***** armpit suburb of one of the countries most dangerous city...
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I'm pretty sure she was saying that the places she volunteered at weren't in southern illinois..?

I'm in the same boat. I volunteered in underserved areas, just not underserved areas in southern illinois.
 
turkaglew said:
Do you mean there aren't many underserved people in southern illinois? If so, that is not the case at all. East St. Louis, Springfield, Danville and areas of Peoria all have some pretty underserved populations. Specifically East St. Louis-- its like the s***** armpit suburb of one of the countries most dangerous city...
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I meant the Chicago undeserved aren't in southern Illinois. I have no rural/suburban experiences for SIU.
 
Avoidthetiger said:
I meant the Chicago undeserved aren't in southern Illinois. I have no rural/suburban experiences for SIU.
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Well I wouldn't sell yourself short. I think if you talk about these experiences you will raise some eyebrows. Im not sure, and I am too lazy to check right now, but I thought there missions says something like .....ppl of southern and central IL and underserved populations... I could be wrong though. Either way, make yourself sound like a good fit and I think you will be surprised. When I interviewed here last year 2/5 ppl that day were from Chicago, and seemed to have no ties to central/southern IL. I have a sneeky suspicion one of them got in too GL
 
The secondary asks one to describe your experience with .exposure to the small group tutorial process used in a problem-based learning environment... Can anyone clarify what that means? I'm not sure what kind of experience qualifies as such. Thanks!
.
 
rockclimbersher said:
The secondary asks one to describe your experience with .exposure to the small group tutorial process used in a problem-based learning environment... Can anyone clarify what that means? I'm not sure what kind of experience qualifies as such. Thanks!
.
Click to expand...
Sure!

Basically most places don't have PBL so the obvious is out. I would list anything that has to do with studying in a group. Maybe you worked on research in a lab and had that small group learning where the "tutor" would be your PI or Grad student. Also anything that has to do with BEING a peer tutor would be good to mention also. Maybe you had an upper level class that had a low number of students and you worked together a lot. It's really hard to think of what all COULD fall into this. For me I did research and I was an Organic tutor, so I had this question covered. They know that depending on your background you may not have a solid background in this type of thing but you SHOULD have some sort of self-directed group work in your past.
 
so how many of you have got SIU interviews yet?
 
I just confirmed my interview date with the admissions office. I'll be down in Springfield September 9, 2010.
 
Is SIU sending interview invitations via email? I haven't heard from them at all since submitting my application (mailing date 7/9).
 
Augusta92 said:
Is SIU sending interview invitations via email? I haven't heard from them at all since submitting my application (mailing date 7/9).
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Yes, all correspondence with the admissions office has been through email, including secondary invite, interview invite, and confirmation of interview.
 
I'm trying to add more schools to my AMCAS application and I'm trying to add SIU. For some reason Its not giving me an option for regular MD program, only MD/JD

Am I doing something wrong?? I'm pretty sure that they have a regular MD program

In my MSAR I dont see SIU Carbondale, only Springfield
 
if you are OOS you can only apply to the MD/JD program. Only IS people can apply to the regular MD.

The school is located in Springfield but the first year you are down in Carbondale.
 
I just interviewed at SIU. It was a pretty relaxed interview. It seemed like they just really wanted to get to know you rather than drill you with routine questions.

But I really liked the campus and the way they do things there. I'm really hoping for an acceptance ther
 
Anthony212 said:
I just interviewed at SIU. It was a pretty relaxed interview. It seemed like they just really wanted to get to know you rather than drill you with routine questions.

But I really liked the campus and the way they do things there. I'm really hoping for an acceptance ther
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Anthony212! That must have been exciting! I am very interested in SIU as well and I have heard good things about them! What was the most difficult question that you were asked? What was the most interesting question? Any tips for me? I interview next week!
 
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