2010-2011 The Commonwealth Medical College Application Thread

Just got the secondary Kind of annoying questions though IMO:

Question #1:

List the five most important attributes you expect a physician to posses.

For each attribute, describe one or two of YOUR experiences that correlate or demonstrate that attribute about you. Please answer in the space provided.


Question #2:

Given TCMC's unique missions and values, please tell us why you feel you are a good fit for our institution. Also, if you have any special connection to Northeast Pennsylvania, please include this information here. Please answer using the space provided.


Question #3:

If you could speak directly to the Admissions Committee, explain why you should be admitted to The Commonwealth Medical College. Please answer using the space provided.

Is it an online secondary or pdf?

hey I just got one here too. I accidently clicked on the MBS program just to see what it was and logged back out, it kept saying I have submitted my application to MBS program and I cant log into MD anymore. WTF?
So I have no chance to see my secondary. Have to call them. Do you know how much space they provide to answer those questions... words?

It's online. It's weird too because it states that the supplemental is pre-populated with some information from AMCAS (like our name and email address), but when I access the site, my name does not show up in the "Name" field and I am unable to type anything in that field. I'm contacting them to see if maybe it's just a flaw they didn't realize yet (because I'm assuming today's the first day secondaries are going out) or if I need to use a specific browser or what.

ownage said:

hey I just got one here too. I accidently clicked on the MBS program just to see what it was and logged back out, it kept saying I have submitted my application to MBS program and I cant log into MD anymore. WTF?
So I have no chance to see my secondary. Have to call them. Do you know how much space they provide to answer those questions... words?

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It just says "Use the space provided." No specific character limit, which I really don't like at all lol

sedaniel, let us know what you find out. I didn't accidentally click the MBS link, but it still says that I have submitted an MBS application and can no longer access the MD application.

taylormade2006 said:

sedaniel, let us know what you find out. I didn't accidentally click the MBS link, but it still says that I have submitted an MBS application and can no longer access the MD application.

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I think there definitely must be some glitches with their website. I got that same MBS message just now, and I definitely clicked the MD supplemental application link. I e-mailed them just a little while ago so I'll let you guys know when I get a response. (I figure since it's the first day of their secondaries going out, I might as well not annoy them with a phone call if they are working to fix these problems lol)

just called they said to check tomorrow if its not working then, then call.

Thanks ddp8902!

Did anyone else get this email twice??

Hydrogen5040 said:

Did anyone else get this email twice??

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yup. i guess they want our apps really bad

that question that asks for our experiences that show some quality is annoying me. If i write down compassion then it just feels like I am praising my self.

.

The secondary seems to be working now.

ownage said:

that question that asks for our experiences that show some quality is annoying me. If i write down compassion then it just feels like I am praising my self.

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I wrote "compassion" as one too, I don't think it is like self-praising or anything because it asks for five qualities that are important in a doctor and that is definitely a big one. Write about a volunteer experience or something, that's what I'm doing.

Are you guys trying to restrain your responses to the size of the text box, because it almost seems like an endless number of characters are available. Has anyone been cut off from writing too much?

I am doing approximately ~1000 char for last 2 and ~1500 char for first 1. I think that is decent amount. not too much and not too little

I just copied and pasted some stuff into mine and it alerted me that I had exceeded the character limit of 1,111 characters. So I guess that is the limit.

taylormade2006 said:

I just copied and pasted some stuff into mine and it alerted me that I had exceeded the character limit of 1,111 characters. So I guess that is the limit.

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Random. lol

to anyone who's interested, i was accepted to tcmc during the 2010 cycle and our essays were similar to yours. my physician qualities one was 991 characters (no spaces) and the why tcmc one was 484 characters.

it would have been nice to know about the character limit beforehand. i wrote like 5000 characters for the first one.

TFS said:

it would have been nice to know about the character limit beforehand. i wrote like 5000 characters for the first one.

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5000 are u insane; that's a AMCAS essay lol


Anyways, I recently payed the supplementary fee today and it keeps on saying I payed it to the MBS application and it doesn't update on my MD status that the fee is paid. Anyone else with same problem?

So let me clarify: We have approx 1100 characters for describing the 5 attributes OR About 200 characters per attribute???

I wrote about 1000 characters PER attribute lol......

garyinthehouse said:

So let me clarify: We have approx 1100 characters for describing the 5 attributes OR About 200 characters per attribute???

I wrote about 1000 characters PER attribute lol......

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Yeah this is total BS. How are supposed to explain one OR two examples per attribute? Ridic.

sedaniel said:

Yeah this is total BS. How are supposed to explain one OR two examples per attribute? Ridic.

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I know! I just wrote about 200-300 characters per attribute, but was able to only explain one experience and not two.

In any case, I submitted mine today. Hope all goes well! I really like TCMC!!

I wrote about 1000 characters per attribute as well. Then I got the error message when I tried to paste it in. Ugh! How are we supposed to fit a description for each in such little space! Without giving any reasoning for your attributes, it's hard not to sound superficial or arrogant.

Kalu123 said:

I wrote about 1000 characters per attribute as well. Then I got the error message when I tried to paste it in. Ugh! How are we supposed to fit a description for each in such little space! Without giving any reasoning for your attributes, it's hard not to sound superficial or arrogant.

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yep

Kalu123 said:

I wrote about 1000 characters per attribute as well. Then I got the error message when I tried to paste it in. Ugh! How are we supposed to fit a description for each in such little space! Without giving any reasoning for your attributes, it's hard not to sound superficial or arrogant.

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I completely agree! I had to cut my essay into a quarter of its origional size once I got that message!

^
yeah i had to cut mine down to super bare bones. oh wells. i really like the school though!

not enough room at all for the any of the questions!

don't the last two questions sound very similar? why do you fit the institution. why should you be admitted. lol

is the "fit" question basically why do you want to attend commonwealth?

hey guys. i'm a little confused. the first question asks for "For each attribute, describe one or two of your experiences that correlate or demonstrate that attribute about you. Please answer in the space provided."

Are these experiences suppose to be literally involving ourselves? For example what if you said compassion and you watched how doctors were compassionate w/ their patients etc. Can you just talk about the experience itself, maybe what you saw? Instead of for example for Compassion you say "i was w/ a patient in a hospital at her bed"

anyone?

How much do they weigh "ties to NE Penn" because I am a bit below average and have none- i can't justify doing this secondary yet, although my numbers are close and I have pretty good ECs

DoctaFuture said:

hey guys. i'm a little confused. the first question asks for "For each attribute, describe one or two of your experiences that correlate or demonstrate that attribute about you. Please answer in the space provided."

Are these experiences suppose to be literally involving ourselves? For example what if you said compassion and you watched how doctors were compassionate w/ their patients etc. Can you just talk about the experience itself, maybe what you saw? Instead of for example for Compassion you say "i was w/ a patient in a hospital at her bed"

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Idk I think based on the prompt you should talk about how YOU show compassion not how you've seen someone else demonstrate it. But I also don't think that all 5-10 experiences need to necessarily be in a medical setting. Like you could probably talk about being compassionate to someone in a nonclinical volunteer setting or something.

For everyone who has filled this out, does the 1,111 character limit include spaces or not?

Is anyone else's application going completely wonky?

I entered my PIN and now when I login I cant access the app.

dramaqueen14 said:

Idk I think based on the prompt you should talk about how YOU show compassion not how you've seen someone else demonstrate it. But I also don't think that all 5-10 experiences need to necessarily be in a medical setting. Like you could probably talk about being compassionate to someone in a nonclinical volunteer setting or something.

For everyone who has filled this out, does the 1,111 character limit include spaces or not?

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it includes spaces for me

munchymanRX said:

Is anyone else's application going completely wonky?

I entered my PIN and now when I login I cant access the app.

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which pin are you using? after you save it once, it generates a new pin, which you use to access the app that you were working. that really confused me, but i think the pin shows up near the top of the application.

How does the fee waiver work for this secondary?

Is there a 1,111 character limit for each question?

bpost137 said:

Is there a 1,111 character limit for each question?

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Yes there is!

Has anyone been marked as totally complete yet? They have received my secondary/payment, but yet to be marked as complete on the website.

runfastnow said:

Has anyone been marked as totally complete yet? They have received my secondary/payment, but yet to be marked as complete on the website.

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Same here, they say they are waiting on my LORs. But I think maybe they just haven't accessed them yet because they are busy, because I did send mine when I submitted my primary.

sedaniel said:

Same here, they say they are waiting on my LORs. But I think maybe they just haven't accessed them yet because they are busy, because I did send mine when I submitted my primary.

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Yup, I think that's it. My LORs have been in for over a month so I'm sure they will download them when they're ready to start reviewing.

i havent got a secondary yet ... when did you all submit your AMCAS?
does TCMC wait until you're verified before sending it out?
Thanks

Yea, I think they wait because I didn't get mine until my primary got approved.

Has anyone had their LOR's marked as received yet?

Nope. Glad to hear someone else is wondering just like me. I was beginning to think something had gone wrong with me LORs.

I called about the letters, they are waiting a day or two before they start downloading letters

Thanks guys!