2006 Non-Trad Applicants' Progress Thread

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Congrats, sweetdoc! Things are going really well for you. 😀 Let us know what you think about Yale.

Sorry to hear about Cornell, blee. 🙁

I've been accepted by UAB and offered a full tuition scholarship to Chicago. 😍
 
QofQuimica said:
Congrats, sweetdoc! Things are going really well for you. 😀 Let us know what you think about Yale.

Sorry to hear about Cornell, blee. 🙁

I've been accepted by UAB and offered a full tuition scholarship to Chicago. 😍
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The best thing about Yale is the street vendors during the warmer months. Many of the area restaurants set up food carts outside the school during the day to entice the students (med/grad), faculty, and hospital staff. It's so much better than cafeteria food, and the selection is great! Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, burgers, Ethiopian, etc. Now, on days I don't pack a lunch, my only options are Wendy's or cafeteria food (which is even worse here than it was out east).

Congratulations on the scholarship. I can only fantasize. How do those offers come anyhow? A phone call? A thin envelope with one of those checks inside like how the credit card companies do it: only valid if blah blah blah? Maybe a big fancy envelope like the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes?
 
Damn Q, want to funnel some of that money my way?? 🙂

Speaking of money, looks like the next big step is going to be the FAFSA. I hope I can get some grant/scholarship money as well...
 
amk25a said:
Maybe a big fancy envelope like the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes?
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That would be great if they came to your house with a huge check and ballons and stuff in a creepy van.

I once had a dream I got one of those giant checks, and spent all day trying to find an ATM that had a huge slot in which to deposit it. But what did it mean...
 
I would actually prefer to cash it to bills, and the roll around in bed on top of the money. That seems like a popular approach.
Then I would stuff it in some sacks with dollar signs and carry them around with me at all times.

Ah, I should have applied to chicago.
 
hey everyone! happy new year! i just came back from a disasterous "vacation" in europe and it's great to be home. congrats to everyone and that roach conversation was absolutely disgusting (especially the part regarding crunching exoskeletons and blood). bugs are one thing i absolutely can NOT handle!!!

and because i know you will all care...by some grand miracle, i was granted an interview at UCSD!!! my one chance to stay in california!!! :scared:
 
amk25a said:
Congratulations on the scholarship. I can only fantasize. How do those offers come anyhow? A phone call? A thin envelope with one of those checks inside like how the credit card companies do it: only valid if blah blah blah? Maybe a big fancy envelope like the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes?
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One came by email and one by phone call. No Publisher's Clearing House. I don't believe they ever really award anyone the ten million dollars anyway. 😉
 
QofQuimica said:
One came by email and one by phone call. No Publisher's Clearing House. I don't believe they ever really award anyone the ten million dollars anyway. 😉
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Heh, that's kind of like how I thought nobody really ever scored above a 42 on the MCAT 😉
 
amk25a said:
Heh, that's kind of like how I thought nobody really ever scored above a 42 on the MCAT 😉
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My guess is that fewer people win Publisher's Clearinghouse than score above 42 on the MCAT. All in all, it might be better to win the sweepstakes....you could just BUY your own med school. 😛
 
Congrats everyone on your acceptances and scholarship offers. You all help me keep a positive attitude. I'm a Texas resident waiting on the match.....:scared:.....21 days away.....this wait is torture.

Did anyone here apply to Stanford? I completed my secondaries in September, and I am desperately hoping for an interview invite.

On the nasty palmetto bugs.....:barf:.....we have those here in teXas, and they're HUGE. To avoid the flying face attack after spraying with roach killer, first trap the bug under a large tupperware or trash can, carefully lift one side and spray the **** out of it and hold the tupperware down tight until it dies! *shiver* creeps me out just writing about them!
 
I have been really impressed over the 2nd half of 2005, reading about everyone's success...inspired is another word that fits 🙂 👍.

Then comes the "why not me" thing 😕.

Looking back, I must say that I probably aimed a little too high...especially as a non-trad amongst non-trads.

I have learned that you really do need to play the numbers game if you want to have a choice among acceptances, like many of the posters on this thread (I only applied to 8 schools, one of which I should not have applied to simply because of a lack of residency / significant ties (IU)...so in a sense, I applied to 7).

Most of the programs I applied to were probably a little out of my league (Mayo, Harvard, Brown, University of MN). GW was insanely tough from a numbers point of view (11,000 applications?!?!)

Ok, enough sandbagging 😳 .

As I have posted before...I have one acceptance (AZCOM...the only Osteopathic app I made)...I am waiting on a final decision from my state school (U of A)...and I have not heard whether or not Harvard wants to interview me (I doubt it).

So...for those of you who read this thread without posting much because you are just a little self-conscious about getting mostly rejections (me)...here is a little balance to all the success we are reading about.

This is not to offend anyone...only to offer support to many who might be silent readers, bummed-out that they are not experiencing the same level of success in their own application process.

Congrats to all who have been accepted, and good luck to all who are still waiting to hear 🙂 !
 
You're not alone, mid30. I, too, haven't had the rousing success of some of our cohorts. The DO schools have been much more forgiving of my age and 20 year old mistakes, but I haven't had as much luck with MD schools. I'm fortunate to have a DO school acceptance (and have turned down 2 DO school interviews for various reasons afterward), and I had one allo interview at VCU. My own state school has ignored me, and no other allo schools have acknowledged that I breathe (other than to cash my check).

So, I too offer my support to silent readers who think they are somehow not doing well. For those who haven't gotten any acceptances yet, I know how that goes (I'm a reapplicant after not even a single interview last year). For those who have an acceptance, I also share your joy.

GO NON-TRADS! And remember: old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill. Eventually.
 
ShyRem said:
GO NON-TRADS! And remember: old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill. Eventually.
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i love that line.

and i hope it's true.

i hear you...the silence is deafening from the allo schools...i'm just finishing secondaries to DO's...fingers crossed.

go us! go us! go us! the 20 year olds with 6 allo acceptances may have that, but by god, i'm sure we all had more of a life in college! maybe? hmmm.

sigh
 
mid30premed said:
Looking back, I must say that I probably aimed a little too high...especially as a non-trad amongst non-trads.

I have learned that you really do need to play the numbers game if you want to have a choice among acceptances, like many of the posters on this thread (I only applied to 8 schools, one of which I should not have applied to simply because of a lack of residency / significant ties (IU)...so in a sense, I applied to 7).
!
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Applying to a lot of schools definitely does help, but of course many people can't do that because of family and other concerns. I am lucky that way, b/c now that I'm single I have a lot more flexibility in terms of being able to pick up and move halfway across the country. (In fact, it's probably even a good thing for me to put more distance between me and my ex. 😛 ) But even if you are limited geographically, it is so important to pick schools that you are a good fit for and that are a good fit for you. I haven't been posting about the schools that rejected or waitlisted me (and there are several of them!), but there are some schools in retrospect that I am sorry that I applied to because I am so clearly not the kind of student they would want, or they are not the kind of school that I would want. I don't think I knew what I wanted out of a school well enough before I started. I had some idea, but I definitely wasted some time and money on some of my schools.

And just so you guys know, I am inspired by you older non-trads like ShyRem, efex and njb who have the guts to go for this with families in tow and make it into (and through!) med school. 🙂 And I second ShyRem that I wish the best of :luck: to everyone who is applying.
 
I got a really nice letter from Columbia after submitting a withdrawal email. They wished me luck. It was hand signed, much nicer than my email. Yeah for courtesy!
 
ShyRem said:
You're not alone, mid30. I, too, haven't had the rousing success of some of our cohorts. The DO schools have been much more forgiving of my age and 20 year old mistakes, but I haven't had as much luck with MD schools. I'm fortunate to have a DO school acceptance (and have turned down 2 DO school interviews for various reasons afterward), and I had one allo interview at VCU. My own state school has ignored me, and no other allo schools have acknowledged that I breathe (other than to cash my check).

So, I too offer my support to silent readers who think they are somehow not doing well. For those who haven't gotten any acceptances yet, I know how that goes (I'm a reapplicant after not even a single interview last year). For those who have an acceptance, I also share your joy.

GO NON-TRADS! And remember: old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill. Eventually.
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ShyRem, I've had VERY similar experiences as you.

Good luck to all my fellow non-trads. 👍
 
Stay strong non-trads. I am one and am about to grad from med school. Been married the whole time and well before that too, have a couple kids also. I'd do it again. Always remember your family and their sacrifices. 🙂
 
Got a letter Friday...from AZCOM...it begins, "Dear Student Doctor:"...has a nice ring to it 😀 .
 
Hi everybody,

I just wanted to post because nobody had posted here in almost TWO WEEKS! Where are we, non-trads? Are there any updates whatsoever? Here's my mini-update:

I've been waitlisted by Wake Forest, but that's cool since I'd rather go to UNC. I interviewed at UPenn and absolutely loved it. The curriculum is innovative and working (highest board scores in the nation - two years in a row). I also underestimated the impact of attending a medical school that is close to home (45 mins away). So if I'm lucky enough to get in, I'd have a hard choice to make between UNC and UPenn. If I get in 🙂

My last two interviews are these next two Fridays (Duke, Yale). I'm so excited to almost be finished with this process. Good luck :luck: to everybody else and I hope things are working out for you all.

sweetdoc
 
sweetdoc said:
Hi everybody,

I just wanted to post because nobody had posted here in almost TWO WEEKS! Where are we, non-trads? Are there any updates whatsoever? Here's my mini-update:

I've been waitlisted by Wake Forest, but that's cool since I'd rather go to UNC. I interviewed at UPenn and absolutely loved it. The curriculum is innovative and working (highest board scores in the nation - two years in a row). I also underestimated the impact of attending a medical school that is close to home (45 mins away). So if I'm lucky enough to get in, I'd have a hard choice to make between UNC and UPenn. If I get in 🙂

My last two interviews are these next two Fridays (Duke, Yale). I'm so excited to almost be finished with this process. Good luck :luck: to everybody else and I hope things are working out for you all.

sweetdoc
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Way to go, sweetdoc! Good luck on the remaining interviews. You can cruise through now you have an acceptance!

:luck:
 
Thanks Megboo,

Congrats on the wedding! It looks like it was a beautiful event 🙂

sweetdoc
 
Thanks for the update, sweetdoc -- Penn sounds really cool. 🙂

I doubt I will receive more interviews this year. After declining my Drexel acceptance, I'm looking at four schools: EVMS, VCU, Wake Forest, Georgetown. I honestly have *no* idea where to go, and it's kind of driving me crazy. 🙁 I can't even figure out the best school from an academic perspective, much less from a family perspective. We did, however, just come back from a quick trip to Richmond so that I could revisit the school and learn more about Richmond. We actually spent a couple of hours with a real estate agent to get a feel for the housing market.

I'm very happy to have my acceptances, and it's objectively better to have a choice...but this one's a real toughie.
 
blee said:
I doubt I will receive more interviews this year. After declining my Drexel acceptance, I'm looking at four schools: EVMS, VCU, Wake Forest, Georgetown. I honestly have *no* idea where to go, and it's kind of driving me crazy. 🙁 I can't even figure out the best school from an academic perspective, much less from a family perspective.
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Hehe, how about picking based on which school you want to start a legacy at 🙂 Would you rather have your kids go to med school in DC, Virginia, or NC (that is where Wake is right?)? 😎
 
Yay Emory! I'm in 🙂

sweetdoc
 
Wow, congrats everyone! I'm still waiting to hear from Northwestern, UCSF, and UCI (got an acceptance to OHSU last week) but I'm leaning heavily towards UCSD. It's almost a relief not to feel so conflicted any longer!
 
QofQuimica said:
How many of you guys know where you're going for sure, or are pretty much decided? I'd say I'm about 90% sure myself.
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I'll decide in about a month. The suspense is killing me.
 
Congrats on Pritzker TDS! 👍 :hardy:
QofQuimica said:
How many of you guys know where you're going for sure, or are pretty much decided? I'd say I'm about 90% sure myself.
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I think it is fair to say that I'm 90+% committed to Michigan. If I am accepted at Northwestern I'll go to the second look weekend and think about it a bit, but unless something unexpected happens it's UofM for me! 😀
 
Finally finished with interviews 🙂 :luck: to all of us who are waiting for interviews and patiently waiting to hear some good news!

sweetdoc
 
QofQuimica said:
How many of you guys know where you're going for sure, or are pretty much decided?
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Not yet decided. I've still got some investigating to do.
Hey non-trads, I am glad we exist. I'm a non-trad reapplicant and things have gone well. Not only did I apply in oh, October of this year (my AMCAS was processed by Nov 4th - I kid you not), but I actually got accepted somewhere. Last year I did everything "right" by applying in June, etc, but obviously that didn't work, so I did this year, um, untraditionally. Strangely, I've had way more success. Tulane accepted me in late January, and on Valentine's Day both UCLA and UCSD invited me to interview. If UCSF invites me, I will pee my pants. :laugh:
That's my update. This year I was a little more aggressive with my "on hold" status anywhere- and I called adcoms with the "hi, so-and-so, I am a re-applicant and I have a rather quick question. I know you are probably dealing with a barrage of them. Do you have time to answer or should I call back later?" It's worked. Well. I also got more in-clinic paid experience. I LOVE drawing blood. I faint when I get mine drawn. I photocopied my Hep B/rubella antibody proof so that I don't have to deal with that crap again, dammit.
Keep strong. Don't be afraid of the re-app if it happens. You just get to do things a little more... your way - know what I mean?
Watching everyone's progress has been really encouraging. You guys are some of my favorite people here. gdbaby, noonday, qofquimica- you guys rock. All of you are people I would choose as my physician, simply on personality (you have some).
Best of luck to you all. :luck:
 
QofQuimica said:
Thanks, niki, and congrats to you on your Tulane acceptance. 😀 Getting in is all the sweeter for re-applicants. 👍
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It's the sugar in my coffee, Q, the sugar in my coffee.... 😎

Which, incidentally is peets and needs to be ground so I can grind through the day tomorrow. 4 day weekend- whoo-hoo! I get to ski and not handle pee(doing GC/CTs)... ha ha that rhymed.
 
WTF have I been doing in Pre-Allo this whole time?
I'm a non-trad reapplicant too. Congrats everyone! It's not over yet, btw, as nikibean has just demonstrated. (Those UCs play so f*cking hard to get!)
 
Hey guys, I'm new to the forum here...

Glad I found this place too, because I have been lurking for two or three weeks now. This site has boosted my confidence in what I'm doing. I feel now that I'm just another nontrad pre-med guy, and I'm not alone!

Anyways, my progress is that I'm applying to the Medical College of Georgia's Student Enrichment Program for this summer. I'm taking the MCAT next summer, so I'm actually looking forward to that. Hey, I just want to be done with that thing you know?
 
nikibean said:
It's the sugar in my coffee, Q, the sugar in my coffee.... 😎

Which, incidentally is peets and needs to be ground so I can grind through the day tomorrow. 4 day weekend- whoo-hoo! I get to ski and not handle pee(doing GC/CTs)... ha ha that rhymed.
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niki-

congrats on your application success! i find it funny though, you speak so highly of Peets coffee yet on your MD app profile, you list you're the asst. manager of a starbucks. don't you think you'd be better off at peets? 😛
 
Hi everyone!

Not sure why I've just stumbled onto this thread after forgetting it for months (I saw it around the time AMCAS became available and then got caught up in the whirlwind of the season!). Maybe it's fate. 😳)

CONGRATS TO EVERYONE! Even if you are still waiting, congrats on making it this far. It takes a completely different level of dedication for us non-trads... you just can't explain it to the 21-year-olds. BTW-- I work for a university and a colleague of mine was explaining to an undergrad in his lab who I was (she saw me working and wondered if I was a grad student or something)... he mentioned how old I was and that I was leaving for med school. Her response was shock, "Why on earth is she applying for med school now? I mean, at her age?" It goes to show you, they just don't get it. They still see med school as a reward for good grades, test scores, and experiences as an undergrad. 🙄

Let me introduce myself since it's my first post: I am a non-trad re-applicant who's been out of full-time school for, er, let me calculate here-- OH MY GOSH! Yep, 11 years. And I've been working in medical research for 10 of those 11... sort of a crazy story how I even ended up here (and way too long to put in this post).

Anyway, I blanketed the nation and the range of schools with applications after an unsuccessful run in 2003 (I only applied to DC, MD, and Philly schools to stay in the area- not one interview!). I tied up loose ends (more clinical exp and lots of post-bac courses) and made a go at it this year with success (applied to 28 schools). I've only gotten one "Ivy League" interview (and that was a freakin' nightmare interview-- the only one where I was made to feel uncomfortable and unworthy-- evil interviewer! makes you wonder why they bothered to interview me), but have a bunch of offers from D.O. schools and a few from M.D. schools. My first acceptance came from a D.O. school back in the end of September (before my MCAT scores were even released!)... so, wow! What a difference it makes to apply to the right schools.

Since then I've been juggling the geography and curriculum preferences as my few acceptances come in... and right now I've narrowed it down to probably Penn State. There is one other M.D. school I will still consider but they aren't sending me a decision until mid-March. Either way, it is like a load off my chest... no, it is like being brought back to life by a quick shock from the paddles! <"CLEAR!"><BZZZT!>

So, now I am reaching for a new goal to be stressed about-- the financial thing. Yeah, in the scheme of things, it's inevitable and it won't make me decide not to do med school (or even consider not doing it!), but for those of you who are used to having an income, man, it's scary. I'm dragging my husband into becoming the sole provider when I used to supply 1/2 the income for our family (and it's modest). Even though I am very debt-conscious, I've given in to the idea of banks being my best friend over the next, oh, 20 years! At least they tend to lend money to physicians... one of the lowest default rates of all professions (if not THE lowest??). Still, after filling out the FAFSA and seeing our EFC, I almost lost my lunch right there. Ew, OK, not really... it's amazing how the feds treat those with an income as if they will still be making that income when school begins... I hope those "financial exception" forms you fill out with schools will change the fin aid picture in our favor. In the meantime, I am beating the streets for scholarships and grants... and finding out there are very few for med students... even fewer for a non-minority. Looks like I should start pimping out my husband or something... hahahaha!

Anyone else freaking out about the money? Maybe it's just because I don't have to freak out about the applications/interviews/acceptances any more. My mind is used to that heightened level of cortisol since last May. :laugh:

FDoRoML
 
Congrats on your success in this cycle, FDoRoML!

sweetdoc
 
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