2008-2009 UCSD Secondary Application Thread

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So wait, am I understanding correctly that people who have not actually received an acceptance are putting their names on the waitlist for housing? Can you do that?


C'mon waitlist spots!!!! This is going to be a LONG weekend... ok, possibly an even LONGER summer...🙁
 
i checked the 2007 thread, couldnt find the 2008 thread. there was 1 girl that got in the first week. nothing really happens for a while.
by first week i meant starting on the 16, 17th.
 
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Does anyone know the status of class as of today? Is it still overbooked or are they finally under the class size?

Best of Luck to everyone on this thread !! :xf::luck::luck::luck:
 
Let the movement begin! Good luck, everyone! :xf:

(Sorry, no insider info today.)
 
Okeydoke, I had a lovely chat with Brian today. As of 4:11pm or something, not enough people had withdrawn yet, but it was really really close to the class size. At this stage, there are more people holding spots than there were at the same time last year. My impression (I didn't ask him directly) is that there will of course be waitlist movement, but it's not clear how much.

He told me that they really aren't able to look at updates and letters at this stage, so I'm sorry to report that it won't help =/ I believe this was stated in the email that was sent to waitlisters, but just letting you know that he said the same thing to me.

Another thing I found out is that we actually have cut people from the acceptable pool before; it's just not really advertised. News to me.

That's all I've got... he said I could stop in on Monday and see what's up then. =p
 
silverlining1 said:
Okeydoke, I had a lovely chat with Brian today. As of 4:11pm or something, not enough people had withdrawn yet, but it was really really close to the class size. At this stage, there are more people holding spots than there were at the same time last year. My impression (I didn't ask him directly) is that there will of course be waitlist movement, but it's not clear how much.
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Any idea about how these numbers compare to some of the previous years, beyond last year? For some reason I was under the impression that there was significant waitlist movement last year.

Well, can only sit around and hope for the best now, I guess.
 
I don't know about the md program but I know of someone who got in off the wl for md/phd. Good luck to everyone.
 
PowerButton said:
Any idea about how these numbers compare to some of the previous years, beyond last year? For some reason I was under the impression that there was significant waitlist movement last year.

Well, can only sit around and hope for the best now, I guess.
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I'm sorry, I don't know anything about past years. I also don't have numbers info for last year's waitlist movement. All I know is that withdrawals were happening more slowly this year. I do know of a few classmates who got off the waitlist within a month of school starting 😱 And I haven't talked to everyone or asked Brian, so I don't know how many of my classmates got in off the waitlist.

I know it's hard to have little information AND little control... but I wish you all the best!
 
I got bored this evening and starting looking into two books that were medical school guides (US news guide to medical schools, and Best 168 medical schools by princeton review). I started looking at some of the statistical info in order to give me an indication as to how much waitlist movement there is relevant to other schools and I thought I would share with you all. These books are great because they give you an indication as to how many people apply, how many interview, how many are accepted.

I hand picked random schools in different "tiers" to see how many acceptances were offered before they filled there spots and what percentage of students accepted their offers. The following stats apply to 2006 & 2007 cycles

Harvard: 06' = 220 offers/ 165 spots ~75%
07' = 240 offers/ 165 spots ~69%

Columbia: 06' = 274/155 ~ 57%
07' = 286/155 ~54%

Duke: 06'= 183/101 ~ 55%
07'= 196/101 ~ 52%

Johns Hopkins: 06'= 259/120 ~ 47%
07' = 279/118 ~ 43%

UCSF: 06' = 257/141 ~ 55% (no in-state info)
07' = 251/147 ~ 59% (In-state; 72% took offers)

UCLA: 06' = no info.... 07'= 232/121 ~ 52% (in state, 60% took offers)

UCSD: 06' = 290/122 ~42% (no state info)
07' = 304/ 134 ~ 44% ( in state, 47% took offers)

UC Irvine: 06' = 279/104 ~ 37%
07' = 276/104 ~ 37%

Einstein: 06' = 521/180 ~34%
07' =541/183 ~ 33%

Temple: 06' = 576/175 ~ 30%
07' = 539/178~ 33%

New York Medical College: 06': 736/194 ~ 26%
07': 669/ 195 ~ 29 %


Yes I know, I must have been really bored, but I WAS. Not sure what you can take from all this info, but from the looks of it, there should be decent waitlist movement for UCSD. I hope so. I'd be glad to hear any thoughts bout this. 🙂
 
hmm

tat means they will take around 100 more for 40 spots!! nice, thats pretty consistent with what brian says. so its 100 out of ~250 left on the list, good luck players.
 
Thanks for posting that CeeLos; it's exactly the type of information I was inquiring silverlining for. This helps with keeping my spirits up.

Though it's true that past performance isn't necessarily predictive of future results - but let's hope more people withdraw!
 
For those who applied, any adivce on writing this beast of a secondary? I mean what exactly do they want? There are some personal things that happened to me but im not sure if i should even include them...as some have to do with abuse. I normally avoid these topics becuase i dont see a reason to rehash the past but they do want an autobiography....so what exaclty should i include? I dont really know what is necessary and what isnt...if that makes sense.
 
Elijah05 said:
For those who applied, any adivce on writing this beast of a secondary? I mean what exactly do they want? There are some personal things that happened to me but im not sure if i should even include them...as some have to do with abuse. I normally avoid these topics becuase i dont see a reason to rehash the past but they do want an autobiography....so what exaclty should i include? I dont really know what is necessary and what isnt...if that makes sense.
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Include whatever experiences in your life you want that demonstrate why you have the interests and values you do now. I included things like how I first got interested in medicine and how my academic interests changed in high school and college. There's stuff sprinkled in there about what else I've been interested in and how it has impacted me, like my experiences in marching band and what I learned about leadership and teamwork.

It's not a "tell us everything about yourself and don't leave anything out" autobiography. If there are painful experiences that you DON'T want to write about, I really don't think you should feel a need to do so. I hope there are many other experiences in your life, whether positive, neutral, or negative, that have contributed to who you are today and why you want to be a physician. So, again, nothing is "necessary" - it's just another essay, but it's one that allows you to talk about anything in your life, as opposed to simply asking about your "favorite extracurricular activity" or whatever.
 
just called, 10 spots, which is less than 40-60 that would be normal.. not much chance out of 250, good luck players.
 
yinxzon said:
just called, 10 spots, which is less than 40-60 that would be normal.. not much chance out of 250, good luck players.
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The thing is that is 10 spots right now...that doesn't include the people who are holding their acceptance to UCSD who will find out next week that they got into some other school that they want on a waitlist. They will then drop UCSD, and that will open another spot.

10 spots right now, to me, actually suggests they may have around 40...maybe not 60 but 40 is definitely a possibility. 30 people holding an acceptance to UCSD and getting in somewhere else that they prefer isn't THAT unlikely.

Not to mention the people who may be invited to one of those 10 spots but ultimately get some other waitlist acceptance that they want more...so 10 spots could mean maybe 15 invitations if you count the people who end up with something else.
 
Did they happen to mention when they would start accepting the pool people?
 
Did anyone interview in April? or early May?

Has anybody called Brian regarding the waitlist movement?

Will Brian tell you what position you're in if you're waitlisted?
 
DrWookie said:
The thing is that is 10 spots right now...that doesn't include the people who are holding their acceptance to UCSD who will find out next week that they got into some other school that they want on a waitlist. They will then drop UCSD, and that will open another spot.

10 spots right now, to me, actually suggests they may have around 40...maybe not 60 but 40 is definitely a possibility. 30 people holding an acceptance to UCSD and getting in somewhere else that they prefer isn't THAT unlikely.

Not to mention the people who may be invited to one of those 10 spots but ultimately get some other waitlist acceptance that they want more...so 10 spots could mean maybe 15 invitations if you count the people who end up with something else.
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DrWookie is correct. I am currently waiting for UCLA to make a decision (currently on the waitlist) and as far as I know there are at least 10 others here on SDN that are in my same exact position. If you add up the ones that are waiting on UCSF and some other brand-name institutions, you get about 20-30 people. So it's not unlikely, as DrWookie mentioned, to see this number jump up to 30 or even 40 over the course of this post-may 15th sprint.
 
Do you guys actually know there are 10 spots open? I heard that they are still trying to figure out who is holding multiple acceptances and they will know more in the middle of the week. :xf:

I don't know if they will tell you your specific spot. I suppose it would be worth asking. I know some schools don't do it b/c they are afraid ppl will be calling every 30 minutes to see if the list has moved. I guess we are still doing that anyway, haha🙂

Hopefully by the end of the week some offers will be made...

Agh! I'm so nervous/excited/scared!🙁
 
maymee3 said:
I don't know if they will tell you your specific spot. I suppose it would be worth asking. I know some schools don't do it b/c they are afraid ppl will be calling every 30 minutes to see if the list has moved. I guess we are still doing that anyway, haha🙂
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Brian says our waitlist is unranked.

I don't know when they're going to start making offers - Brian gave me the impression that it wouldn't be immediate - but I promise to let you know when movement has begun.
 
So does Brian have a say/final say in deciding who gets accepted from the waitlist pool? When he came to my school to speak, he said he had no say...😕
 
rgatt2 said:
So does Brian have a say/final say in deciding who gets accepted from the waitlist pool? When he came to my school to speak, he said he had no say...😕
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He does not. He said he wishes he could have a couple "Brian's picks" every year, but alas, it doesn't work that way.
 
silverlining1 said:
He does not. He said he wishes he could have a couple "Brian's picks" every year, but alas, it doesn't work that way.
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Oh ok. I was just curious because he's the same guy that told my school 3.5 was 'competitive'.😛

U go to UCSD SOM or something?
 
I'm sure the waitlist is going to be moving once UCSF and UCLA get going. Way too many people at second look were waiting on one of those two waitlists to not have a substantial number of withdrawals later on.

On another note, I might be withdrawing soon. Still need to have that internal debate with myself, but I picked up a spot at CCLCM today and it's hard to pass on the full tuition scholarship that it comes with.
 
rgatt2 said:
U go to UCSD SOM or something?
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Haha.... read my previous posts. I'm an MS1 at UCSD and one of the biggest advocates of the school, both through official student government duties and on SDN.
 
Anatidae said:
I picked up a spot at CCLCM today and it's hard to pass on the full tuition scholarship that it comes with.
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WOW!! That is so kick-ass! Congrats!! That's an amazing school!🙂
 
Anatidae said:
...

On another note, I might be withdrawing soon. Still need to have that internal debate with myself, but I picked up a spot at CCLCM today and it's hard to pass on the full tuition scholarship that it comes with.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised to read this as I did exactly the opposite. Sure, the full-ride is nice, but CCLCM isn't quite the same level as UCSD. It also forces you into a five year program, which you may discover may not be your thing. UCSD's financial aid was quite generous, and with HHMI scholarships, you could easily achieve the same experience as in CCLCM, and come out from a better school that guarantees you a Cali residency.
 
jejudo said:
I'm surprised to read this as I did exactly the opposite. Sure, the full-ride is nice, but CCLCM isn't quite the same level as UCSD. It also forces you into a five year program, which you may discover may not be your thing. UCSD's financial aid was quite generous, and with HHMI scholarships, you could easily achieve the same experience as in CCLCM, and come out from a better school that guarantees you a Cali residency.
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I wish UCSD's financial aid worked out better for me, but even a conservative estimate suggests that I'd be saving atleast 80K, probably much more given the difference in living costs, over the course of 4 years.

Of course, I'm apprehensive about giving up four years of absolutely gorgeous weather and spending some time with my family. On the other hand, my interests are in academic medicine, likely a competitive specialty, and that research year is something I had planned to take anyways. So, getting the chance to do that just seems to make sense. I don't know. I've got a final tomorrow, so it's hard for me to think about it very much, but that's the way I'm seeing it right now.
 
jejudo said:
I'm surprised to read this as I did exactly the opposite. Sure, the full-ride is nice, but CCLCM isn't quite the same level as UCSD. It also forces you into a five year program, which you may discover may not be your thing. UCSD's financial aid was quite generous, and with HHMI scholarships, you could easily achieve the same experience as in CCLCM, and come out from a better school that guarantees you a Cali residency.
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What do you mean CCLCM isn't at the same level as UCSD? CCLCM is a great, well respected place, and it's actually quite young...in fact the 5 year program was established to train a new set of physicians for a future where biomedical research is increasing in importance. I'd definitely take that over UCSD, especially if I'm saving over 80K too. And dude, nothing guarantees you a cali residency...especially not UCSD...ask around and you'll find that some UCSD SOM graduates didn't receive a single match. None. It's about working hard, not about the school.
 
calisurfer said:
... And dude, nothing guarantees you a cali residency...especially not UCSD...ask around and you'll find that some UCSD SOM graduates didn't receive a single match. None. It's about working hard, not about the school.
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Not quite, but to each his own. You build connections in your area. I'm not saying that you can't land a Cali residency after med school in Ohio, but you certainly have a better shot at it if you stayed in school in Cali (especially a good one).

Anatidae said:
I wish UCSD's financial aid worked out better for me, but even a conservative estimate suggests that I'd be saving atleast 80K, probably much more given the difference in living costs, over the course of 4 years.
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Actually, UCSD will also be about $80,000 more expensive for me than CCLCM. You say that your goal is a competitive specialty, which means that this loan is not going to be a big deal for you in the future... at least this is the way I look at it.
 
calisurfer said:
And dude, nothing guarantees you a cali residency...especially not UCSD...ask around and you'll find that some UCSD SOM graduates didn't receive a single match. None. It's about working hard, not about the school.
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"Especially not UCSD"? Do you have evidence that UCSD grads do more poorly in matching into California residencies than do grads of other medical schools? I have seen our match lists (I even posted them on SDN somewhere) and it doesn't look like people do shoddily.

I don't have data to indicate whether any of our fourth years failed to match. Regardless, people fail to match regardless of where they come from...
 
I feel like Californians are always the ones who give UCSD the hardest time. Only CA is blessed with having 4 top 15 schools, and to people, like me, who aren't originally from CA, this is very impressive. However, it appears that those who do come from CA, will always just see it as the fourth best of the top CA schools. Hence, i probably will never put much thought into a negative CA opinion about UCSD. It's a great school and has earned its ranking and hopefully will gain the reputation it deserves.
 
Silverlining,

how are you handling neuro?

I think Roman is getting tired of it...his g-mail message: "too much neuro"

Oh...when are you guys out for the summer?
 
😕

I think I'm going to develop some sort of anxiety disorder by the time this whole thing is over.. anyone? any news?:xf:
 
Anyone know how they plan on contacting the lucky few who get off the waitlist? I assume its by phone. Even though I know it's a big time longshot, I cannot seem to stop glancing at my cell. Anxietyville rocks! :laugh:
 
golakeshow said:
Anyone know how they plan on contacting the lucky few who get off the waitlist? I assume its by phone. Even though I know it's a big time longshot, I cannot seem to stop glancing at my cell. Anxietyville rocks! :laugh:
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Accepted WL's are notified through e-mail. Leave your cell alone!😛
 
calisurfer said:
And dude, nothing guarantees you a cali residency...especially not UCSD...ask around and you'll find that some UCSD SOM graduates didn't receive a single match. None. It's about working hard, not about the school.
Click to expand...

2009 UCSD Match List indicates that 81 out of 108 students matched in CA (75%)

2009 UCSF Match List indicates that 91 out of 138 students matched in CA (66%)

Granted, there are probably more out of staters at UCSF than at UCSD who are leaving CA by choice, but that doesn't change the fact that UCSD grads have an EXCELLENT chance of matching in CA.
 
SteroidsAreOK said:
2009 UCSD Match List indicates that 81 out of 108 students matched in CA (75%)

2009 UCSF Match List indicates that 91 out of 138 students matched in CA (66%)

Granted, there are probably more out of staters at UCSF than at UCSD who are leaving CA by choice, but that doesn't change the fact that UCSD grads have an EXCELLENT chance of matching in CA.
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That is true. However, most of them seem to match in internal meds/gen. surgery/peds/FM/psyc, etc. i.e. non-competitive specialities. I dont think its that hard to get a cali residency if you are interested in any of these fields.
In match list of UCSD for 2009, I only see 2 people matching in CA in ophth and 1 in Derm (competitive) out of 108. Now, I am not sure how well other UC schools do in these comp. specialities but that number seems to be on the lower side to me. Maybe Silverlining1 has more info on this?😕
 
b2fly said:
That is true. However, most of them seem to match in internal meds/gen. surgery/peds/FM/psyc, etc. i.e. non-competitive specialities. I dont think its that hard to get a cali residency if you are interested in any of these fields.
In match list of UCSD for 2009, I only see 2 people matching in CA in ophth and 1 in Derm (competitive) out of 108. Now, I am not sure how well other UC schools do in these comp. specialities but that number seems to be on the lower side to me. Maybe Silverlining1 has more info on this?😕
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can you really compare schools according to rate of match in to competitive specialities, especially if you are not aware of to which specialties people applied in the first place?

Many deans have also argued that the amount of interest in various specialties vary widely year to year
 
b2fly said:
In match list of UCSD for 2009, I only see 2 people matching in CA in ophth and 1 in Derm (competitive) out of 108. Now, I am not sure how well other UC schools do in these comp. specialities but that number seems to be on the lower side to me.
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Not everybody wants to go into ophtho and derm. This is a ridiculous metric. 🙄

The vast majority of graduates are legitimately interested in internal medicine, pediatrics, and general surgery.
 
Although CA does not have very many in-state schools, it is blessed with an enormous amount of residency spots. And, sadly, not all of them are good programs. I really don't think that a high match into CA programs should make you think that its a better medical school.

So, while I think match lists are generally not very useful, how the school is able to place students into highly competitive residencies (optho, derm, etc.) is a much better metric than location in my opinion. This is much more dependent on the school's resources/board preparation than where their graduates go location-wise.

Yes, it is true that many students don't want to go into these specialties, but if you are looking at a top-tier research institution within the US (like UCSD), a good (and probably equal) proportion of the students will likely be interested in these specialties. So, the amount of people who end up matching into these can really tell you a lot, especially if you are comparing two very similar schools.
 
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