2011-2012 University of Arkansas Application Thread

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Sammich117

Sammich117

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  1. Attending Physician
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Reserved for prompt.

Please PM the essays or lack thereof to me when the secondary is available and I will update this.

Best of luck with your application :luck::luck::luck:!
 
I'm from Texas.. What does the OOS matriculation look like?
 
So the secondary is being sent by mail? What's up with that? Is there a fee too?
 
Really, Arkansas? Snail-mail only?

This does nothing to change the preconceived notions I had about your state...
 
flatearth22 said:
Really, Arkansas? Snail-mail only?

This does nothing to change the preconceived notions I had about your state...
Click to expand...

Yeah, I got the secondary app the other day.. i nearly LOL'ed.. plus a $100 app fee .. i nearly ROFL'ed
 
flatearth22 said:
Really, Arkansas? Snail-mail only?

This does nothing to change the preconceived notions I had about your state...
Click to expand...

Haters gonna hate. Still patiently waiting for mine
 
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MilkmanAl said:
Might as well give it a shot, assuming you'd consider coming here if accepted and have the cash. It really is a pretty good place, Little Rock's general suckiness notwithstanding.
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I think I'd like living in Arkansas. I'm an outdoors enthusiast, and it seems to be a great state for that stuff.
 
Anyone know if they show some adjacent-state love for Missourians?
 
I'm an outdoors enthusiast, and it seems to be a great state for that stuff.
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It really is. There's a lot of good climibng and hiking around, and the Ozarks (northern Arkansas and southern MO) are gorgeous. That's about 2-ish hours north.

Anyone know if they show some adjacent-state love for Missourians?
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Well, I'm here. I know a couple other people from KC and from various parts of MO. It's a bit easier for you to make the case that you'd stay in the area to practice.
 
I'll be a second year, so I don't have quite the experience Milkman does, but I'll still be glad to help anyone that needs it.
 
E Tom Idate said:
How long did it take to get the secondary from when you submitted
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My AMCAS isn't fully verified yet.. but I got an email like 2 weeks after submitting the app saying they were going to send a secondary.. and 5 days later I got one via snail mail
 
Gotta love the snail mail and $100 dollar secondary app fee. I have heard that the interviews weed out a bunch of people with amazing stats but would not be a good fit for the personality of this university.
 
Anybody who got the secondary mind posting the prompts. I'd like to get an early start.
 
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E Tom Idate said:
Anybody who got the secondary mind posting the prompts. I'd like to get an early start.
Click to expand...


There's no essay. You just fill out Pre-Med coursework and provide a picture
 
Submitted my ACMAS yesterday and got the "we'll be sending a hard copy in the mail." today.

😛 they're on top of things it seems
 
Does anyone have any idea of ~ interview dates for instate applicants...either last year or this year...
 
I'm not 100% sure of last year, but two years ago the first interview dates were at the beginning of October and they went to January or February I think. I'm not totally positive about the Jan-Feb, but I know they started in early October (I scheduled mine on Oct 10th).
 
How are you supposed to send the secondary back?? .. they don't give you any return envelope or return address..
 
deano5709 said:
I'm not 100% sure of last year, but two years ago the first interview dates were at the beginning of October and they went to January or February I think. I'm not totally positive about the Jan-Feb, but I know they started in early October (I scheduled mine on Oct 10th).
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Thanks for the response. Could you tell me if you interviewed on a Saturday or not (the 10th of Oct 2 years ago was but just wanted to make sure)
 
Yes, it was a Saturday and they had three groups that day. They started around 9 and went to 1 or 2 with all the optional tours and such and depending on when your interview time was.
 
So how ridiculously difficult is it to get accepted if one is OOS? I'm from Memphis, and I have a cousin who is going to UAMS-COM this fall. I wrote that letter about AR ties like the supplemental asked for, since I've spent weeks of my summers in small town AR since I was little staying with a relative.

20 yo male
3.7 cGPA
3.67 sGPA
MCAT 27Q
 
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Got my interview scheduled today. Come on October.
 
MilkmanAl, how much preference do they really show people with AR ties as opposed to OOS? And I know my MCAT is on the low side - 11 BS, 10 PS, 6 VR, Q WS. How much does that VR score hurt my chances?
 
got an email that my secondary was received
 
I got into UAMS this last cycle with a 6 on vr (10, 6, 10)... but Im instate and I did the rural practice program.

They just recently increased the class size from like 160 to 172 and I think most of those seats have been going to OOS. But, from my understanding, OOS applicants usually have stellar stats and a decent connection to Arkansas.
 
Junior Beaver said:
MilkmanAl, how much preference do they really show people with AR ties as opposed to OOS? And I know my MCAT is on the low side - 11 BS, 10 PS, 6 VR, Q WS. How much does that VR score hurt my chances?
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A lot and a lot. They really want Arkansas residents because everyone else is pretty damn likely to jump ship after school. They're not huge on using state funds to give other states practitioners. That said, it's by no means impossible to get in here if you can make a case for why the school fits you, regardless of whether you're from some tiny town in rural AR or NYC. As for the MCAT thing, a 6 section score is always going to hurt you. The fact that it's in verbal is good, though, for I've heard that at least some of the big name adcoms around here either aren't terribly concerned with that section or completely disregard it.
 
flatearth22 said:
Really, Arkansas? Snail-mail only?

This does nothing to change the preconceived notions I had about your state...
Click to expand...


It doesn't matter for us OOS, because they have non-rolling decisions. I wish they did, my stats would've looked better 🙄. Oh well, just hope for the best. 1/5 of the class in OOS, which is pretty good.

Do they show love for IL residents?
 
I think all out of state applicants have to come up with a valid reason for why they want to study/practice in Arkansas
 
Hello all. I realized it was that time of year again when I was helping with the new M1s orientation this past week. Although I'm sure Milkman has things under control (living the dream with 4th year I hear), I'll be around occasionally too to chime in.

flatearth22 said:
Really, Arkansas? Snail-mail only?

This does nothing to change the preconceived notions I had about your state...
Click to expand...
I thought it was an outdated (and inefficient) idea when I applied too, but they're still using it. I'm not sure why although it is one of those things I'll probably ask about to see when they're planning on changing it. They end up emailing you most things anyway, so I can't understand why they would want to mess with the inconvenience of keeping track of paper secondaries.

As far as the preconceived notions, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised for the most part. Arkansas itself is a mixed bag of course (like any state); some cities are very imported, some are touristy, most are nice enough but small/bland, and then there are some look like they're still in the great depression. Generally speaking the western, central, and northern parts of the state are very pretty and pretty imported in places, so you'll meet a good mix of people. East and south is more agricultural and tends to be economically depressed, but there are bright spots too. Little Rock is nicer than I expected when I moved here (but I was expecting it to be pretty crappy, so take that for what it's worth). I like the part of town I live in and the shopping/entertainment is pretty typical of a city this size with a few nicer options as well. There are ample things to do outdoors, there's a better arts/music scene than I had anticipated and several museums ranging from the free small ones to the Clinton Presidential Library, but I don't know how much time you'd have for all that stuff until the summer of M1 year😀. More importantly, most UAMS clinical and research facilities are downright amazing compared to most public med schools I've seen, and they are well known for some areas of research and treatment that I wasn't aware of before coming here. Many of the facilities are very new (the school has been on a huge spending/building spree over the last decade) and for the most part, so far anyway, the faculty is approachable and friendly. Educational buildings are more generic, even the new ones, but that wasn't as important to me when I was looking.

zrhodes said:
Does anyone have any idea of ~ interview dates for instate applicants...either last year or this year...
Click to expand...
For those wondering, the interview dates for this year have been set:

In State: October 15, November 12, December 3
Out of State: January 7



WhatMD88 said:
It doesn't matter for us OOS, because they have non-rolling decisions. I wish they did, my stats would've looked better 🙄. Oh well, just hope for the best. 1/5 of the class in OOS, which is pretty good.

Do they show love for IL residents?
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I have talked to one M1 from Illinois and I know one in our class. There may be more (I don't know where everyone is from) though.

Good luck to all applicants this year and if you have any questions, I'll be around.
-Matt
 
Interviewing on 10/15!
 
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Anybody have an opinion on the quota/district rule, where the acceptances have to be spread out a certain way across the state congressional districts?

I've heard people complain that it's not fair to more qualified applicants. Any thoughts?
 
Cinclus said:
I think I'd like living in Arkansas. I'm an outdoors enthusiast, and it seems to be a great state for that stuff.
Click to expand...

It is, especially in the North and West regions of the state. Tons of great camping and hiking, caves, floating/rafting, and lakes for skiing. I lived in AR until college, when I made the short trip to Memphis.
 
mrmatt said:
Anybody have an opinion on the quota/district rule, where the acceptances have to be spread out a certain way across the state congressional districts?

I've heard people complain that it's not fair to more qualified applicants. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
It's an incredibly stupid policy that excludes quite a few very qualified applicants in favor of some marginal ones, in hopes that the rural applicants will return home to practice. While I think it's probably indisputable that someone from Middleofnowhere, Arkansas has a higher chance of practicing medicine there than someone from Little Rock or out of state, most of those people still don't go back home. They need better incentives to draw people to those kinds of jobs rather than simply accepting locals.

Interestingly, though, I think it says a lot about med school admissions in general that most of those people go on to pass med school just fine. While I don't know who those "underqualified" people are or what their scores and grades look like, for the most part, the vast majority of them are still here in 4th year. It's true that UAMS graduates an unusually large number of people headed to primary care specialties, but it's hard to say if that's a product of necessity, the school's teaching philosophy ( they HAMMER primary care here, make no mistake), or just how people were raised to view medicine. I'd say it's a complex mix of all of those reasons and more.

In a nutshell, I think the policy is terrible and ineffective but does indicate that maybe med schools don't necessarily have their admissions philosophies quite right, as a whole.

mrmatt said:
It is, especially in the North and West regions of the state. Tons of great camping and hiking, caves, floating/rafting, and lakes for skiing. I lived in AR until college, when I made the short trip to Memphis.
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Northern Arkansas is, indeed, beautiful. However, unless you're fond of skipping class (which you should be), you won't have many opportunities to enjoy it unless you're okay with 5-ish hours of driving for a one-day excursion.
 
MilkmanAl said:
It's an incredibly stupid policy that excludes quite a few very qualified applicants in favor of some marginal ones, in hopes that the rural applicants will return home to practice. While I think it's probably indisputable that someone from Middleofnowhere, Arkansas has a higher chance of practicing medicine there than someone from Little Rock or out of state, most of those people still don't go back home. They need better incentives to draw people to those kinds of jobs rather than simply accepting locals.

Interestingly, though, I think it says a lot about med school admissions in general that most of those people go on to pass med school just fine. While I don't know who those "underqualified" people are or what their scores and grades look like, for the most part, the vast majority of them are still here in 4th year. It's true that UAMS graduates an unusually large number of people headed to primary care specialties, but it's hard to say if that's a product of necessity, the school's teaching philosophy ( they HAMMER primary care here, make no mistake), or just how people were raised to view medicine. I'd say it's a complex mix of all of those reasons and more.

In a nutshell, I think the policy is terrible and ineffective but does indicate that maybe med schools don't necessarily have their admissions philosophies quite right, as a whole.

Northern Arkansas is, indeed, beautiful. However, unless you're fond of skipping class (which you should be), you won't have many opportunities to enjoy it unless you're okay with 5-ish hours of driving for a one-day excursion.
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Yeah. But for weekend trips, Petit Jean, Mt Nebo, Devils Den, Lake DeGray, and the like are quite do-able.
 
Buttermellow said:
Anyone know if they show some adjacent-state love for Missourians?
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I'm an M1 from Missouri, so they definitely did in my case. In addition to the several who have already done so, I would be glad to offer my input if anyone has any questions. I'm only 4 weeks into it, so take my advice for what it's worth.
 
Hi everyone,
I'm going to be interviewing on Oct. 15 as well. I was wondering if some of the med students could comment on how to start preparing for the types of questions that'll be asked and other dos/don'ts for the big day.

Thank you!
 
I'm hoping for some OOS love from arkansas too. I went to drury in missouri, but I am from Tennessee so hopefully they do not mind tennesseans.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
medvedyev said:
Hi everyone,
I'm going to be interviewing on Oct. 15 as well. I was wondering if some of the med students could comment on how to start preparing for the types of questions that'll be asked and other dos/don'ts for the big day.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
There's always the interview feedback page here. For any interview, you'll always want to prepare for "Tell me about yourself," "Why medicine?" and "Why here?" Other than that, it's kind of a crap shoot around here. Interviews here don't tend to be terribly stressful, relatively speaking, so don't fret too much about it. I'd at least have an opinion with some supporting evidence on some current events but wouldn't prep too much other than that.

For what it's worth, I'll be interviewing people in all sessions except the one in October, and I won't be looking to bust any balls.
 
A member sent me a question via PM that I figured would get asked a lot on here in the upcoming weeks/months so I figured I would post that response on here as well:

Do you have some advice on what I can start doing to prepare for the interview or what kind of questions I should expect? How did you research/answer the ethical and healthcare reform related questions during your interview? From what I know so far, UAMS conducts blind team interviews on-campus.
Click to expand...

Questions are somewhat hard to predict with the blind/conversational style interview, which I think is the way they like it. Here are some questions I can remember from when I interviewed:
- Why do you want to be a doctor? (of course)
- What is your Plan B if you don't get into medical school?
- How will you pay for medical school if admitted?
- What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
- Tell us about a difficult situation you were in and how you resolved it.
- What organizations or activities did you enjoy most in undergrad?
- How do you think Healthcare Reform will affect medicine if it passes? (This was two years ago after all, 😀)

That's all I remember off the top of my head. It's a very laid back format- the interviewers generally don't care about your GPA and MCAT, that's what the ADCOM is for, they want to get to know you and your interests and provide their input on whether you would be a good fit for the college of medicine/UAMS or not and such.

As far as how to prepare, that's hard to say. I spent some time looking into UAMS history, hot ethical issues, healthcare reform, etc. online. Most of it was probably not necessary (especially the UAMS history, they didn't seem to care if I knew any of that or not), but it's always good to have a conversational knowledge on some ethical issues and healthcare reform, especially things in the news in the months leading up to your interviews. Other than that, just answer questions honestly and enjoy the conversation with your interviewers.
Hope that helps. See you all on interview days.
-Matt
 
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