2008 Non-Trad Applicants' Progress Thread

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I had my interview at GWU (which I thought went great!), and they made a point of saying several times that they particularly seek out older non-trad students who they feel really add a lot to the student body. They said that the age range this year is 21-49 (last year the oldest was 40), and when I spoke to some first and second years, they said that there's a good age distribution in the class.
 
Thanks Lshapley!

Also, to give you non-trads more confidence in how we're perceived, my first interview was with an older physician (it's blind, so you don't know anything but their name as well), and he made a point of saying how much he (and GWU) value non-trad students, and how he really thinks that the maturity, experience and added perspective we bring is a valued and excellent resource to the student body. And for what it's worth, I didn't learn who he was until the very end of the interview, when he asked if I had any questions. I'm extremely glad it was "blind" and that I didn't know ahead of time who he was, or I would have been TWICE as nervous. Here's his info:

"Dr. Bowles, retired, was a thoracic surgeon and served as Dean of Medicine and Professor of Surgery at The George Washington University ("GWU") School of Medicine and Health Sciences from 1976-1988 and as Vice President for Medical Affairs and Executive Dean of the GWU Medical Center from 1988-1992."

Wow. And he also made a point of saying how he thought that non-trad students are generally seeking a career in medicine for the right reasons, and that unfortunately many traditional students pursue medicine simply due to parental pressure. He also asked what specialty I was interested in, and approved of my answer that I was open to all areas of medicine at this point, until I got more exposure. He agreed that it's important to be open minded, and that while he thought that he was certain from day one that he wanted to be a surgeon, he realized later on that he would have been just as happy in psychiatry, but that he didn't really give other specialties half a chance since he was so focused on surgery in med school.

Anyway, I think all the advice I've read about just being yourself and being sincere is true. Obviously, I don't *know* how well I did, but it really felt right. For most of these questions, I see now that there really is no right answer so long as your answer is well thought out and reasonable. And I really do think that as non-trads we've got one leg up in interviews. We've got a lot more to talk about, and have more experience interviewing as it is. Honestly, I'm really glad that I wasn't trying to do this straight out of college! I don't envy the trads.
 
Wow. That is amazing. When you think about it, it is really amazing that people who have such prestigious backgrounds, as your interviewer does, find the admissions process so important that they give their time to interview applicants and speak on their behalf to the committee. That story makes me feel both excited and nervous (in a good way). Thanks for sharing.
 
Lshapley said:
Wow. That is amazing. When you think about it, it is really amazing that people who have such prestigious backgrounds, as your interviewer does, find the admissions process so important that they give their time to interview applicants and speak on their behalf to the committee. That story makes me feel both excited and nervous (in a good way). Thanks for sharing.
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Hey, we are the future! 😉
 
Gearing up this week for my CCOM interview.

It's one of my top schools on my MD/DO list so crossing my fingers that all goes well. I had a dream I left at 4am to make sure I got there on time and ended up 2 hours early LOL.

Here's to hoping it's a match made in heaven! 👍
 
hey, guys...i've been following this thread basically for the past few months and i've got to say...CONGRATULATIONS and WOOOOT to the non-trads..

i'm almost 28, and *just* started my first semester of post-bac at CCNY (taking bio, chem, and physics).....this journey is a long, and tough one, and its really inspiring to read about how you guys are faring, and to know that its actually possible to get through it all, and find out that people on the medical admissions side actually VALUE non-trade applicants immensely...

thanks for the posts, keep up the good work, and i hope to have as much success as there is on this thread about a year from now....😀
 
Wow, Phoenix's post will help me get through a few rough days, that was so encouraging.
 
Hey everyone- Congrats on your interviews so far (and on their going so well!)!

My update: I got a strange email from UCSF asking me to consider interviewing in early October (apparently there was some glitch in their interview scheduling system?) because I live close...

so this means I'm going to have an interview at UCSF!!!

Someone pinch me... I must be dreaming🙂

Keep up the good work🙂
 
chemphd said:
Hey everyone- Congrats on your interviews so far (and on their going so well!)!

My update: I got a strange email from UCSF asking me to consider interviewing in early October (apparently there was some glitch in their interview scheduling system?) because I live close...

so this means I'm going to have an interview at UCSF!!!

Someone pinch me... I must be dreaming🙂

Keep up the good work🙂
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Wow! Congrats! That IS amazing!!!

I'm not gonna pinch you. Sounds like you're in a good place right now.
 
Phoenix. said:
Wow! Congrats! That IS amazing!!!

I'm not gonna pinch you. Sounds like you're in a good place right now.
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Thanks, Phoenix! (For not pinching me as well- that would probably hurt!)

I'm still so excited that I'm bouncing off the walls!
 
mshheaddoc said:
Frustrated with this whole processa nd its not even the process that I'm frustrated with. Its my personal life. Part of me wishes I would ahve waited to apply until next year but I don't want to wait. And its not like I'm applying to more than 2 schools. I need to work on my secondaries but MCAT comes first and I haven't gotten the studying done that I'd like. It seems like my personal life keeps getting in the way and I really am disheartened because what if things liket his continue to happen to me? I know I can balance both but I never thought that just little family things could be such big deals!
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Things like that will continue to happen - you just have to keep plowing through, and don't be afraid to rely on other people for help! Also, I always keep reminding myself that I can't necessarily change what's going on around me, but I CAN change my reaction to it.

Trust me, I know. My husband and I bought a brand new house in my second week of school, only to find out that while we were moving the flooring guys set the place on fire. I had no place to live, $100,000 worth of damage, traumatic stress and my first round of midterms coming up the following week.

Sadly, life doesn't stop just because you have a cr@pload of stuff going on.

Edit: And if you're wondering what "overhauled" means from the article, it appears to mean "the bashing of holes with axes."

That said: Good luck to all of you! The admissions process is possibly one of the biggest pains in the butts that I've ever had to deal with, and that does include the fire. I don't envy what you're going through now.
 
Just got on an alternate interview pool at Wake Forest. Does anyone have experience with this? Is this the kiss of death or is there a chance to get off this thing?
 
Barfalamule said:
Just got on an alternate interview pool at Wake Forest. Does anyone have experience with this? Is this the kiss of death or is there a chance to get off this thing?
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Not sure - is that the same as a "pre-interview hold"? If so, check out this thread (the pre-interview hold thread from last year):

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=332104&highlight=pritzker+hold&page=3


Anyway, I got a pre-interview hold message from Pritzker a few weeks ago, but when I called they said it was a glitch and it disappeared. I just checked my status again today, and I'm officially on hold, which in my mind is GREAT news. Really thought I didn't stand a chance in ____ there. So, I now figure if I'm good enough for a hold at Pritzker, I've got to be good enough for an acceptance somewhere else! Anyway, they asked that I send letters of update, new LORs, etc., and that I'll be reviewed again in late January. I highly doubt I'll get an interview, but I consider it an honor to even be put in their hold pile. If only I could get some sort of status or news from Northwestern.... Alas, I think that if it's a hold or rejection (I was complete on 8/1 so I should have heard if there was good news by now), I probably won't know for several months. And 4 of the 7 people I was interviewing with today at RFU have NWU interviews set up. Le sigh.

Anyway, good luck to us barfalamule! :luck::luck::luck::luck:
 
Ah ha! As I first suspected, I'm in limbo zone. Phoenix, never in my life have I seen a person get as many interviews as you. Holy moses! You need to hold some kind of application seminar at your school.
Thanks for the clarification and the pick-me-up. Now I wish I had put more time into that secondary. It was just so nebulous; I think they made it that way to see how aggressive the applicant would promote themselves.
18 schools to go. Big money Big money (Barf throws the dice!)
 
Barfalamule said:
Ah ha! As I first suspected, I'm in limbo zone. Phoenix, never in my life have I seen a person get as many interviews as you. Holy moses! You need to hold some kind of application seminar at your school.
Thanks for the clarification and the pick-me-up. Now I wish I had put more time into that secondary. It was just so nebulous; I think they made it that way to see how aggressive the applicant would promote themselves.
18 schools to go. Big money Big money (Barf throws the dice!)
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Thanks, but I definitely don't have the most invites out there! I think there are even a couple of others in our non-trad thread who have nine or ten. And for what it's worth, I was rejected pre-secondary from Wake, so in some part, it definitely is a crap shoot. I think that as non-trads that once we get to that interview, we have a great shot at closing the deal. Getting there is the tricky part.

Anyway, don't beat yourself up about Wake. You obviously did a pretty good job on the essays, or you'd have been rejected outright. I think the best thing you can do now is send them update letters, letters of interest, letters of intent, or an additional LOR. Demonstrate your interest and they might throw you a bone. At least, I'm going to try that route with UofC and NWU.

No whammies, no whammies....!
 
Big money, big money, STOP!

I really have nothing productive to add here, but I did want to wish you luck.

And now, off to read an essay for an unnamed non-trad with the power to ban me...
 
I am just now complete with AACOMAS as my MCAT score arrived today. The only seat I was able to get to take the beast was in the middle of my biology summer class (entire year in 9 weeks thing) and so my only "study" was two practice tests that weekend before. I ended up with 9P,10B and only 9 on verbal even though I got 11 on one practice and 12 on another. I think it was due to another test taker sitting next to me absolutely pounding out her essay and shaking the cubicles. I am feeling like this is good enough for me as the total is around what I scored on the practice tests so unless I hear from any school that they would like me to retake it in January I am going to let it go. I am applying to - DMU, COMP, OUCOM, ATStill in Kirksville, Texas and the new school in Yakima, all osteopahic as that is all I am interested in. We shall see - hopefully I will be able to post some good news soon.
 
That's a good, balanced score. If your ECs and LORs are decent I think you've got a good shot at multiple interviews. I know DMU is pretty competitive. Not sure about the rest.

I agree, don't retake the MCAT unless you absolutely have to. Time better spent elsewhere.
Good luck!
 
Grrrrr.. email from Georgetown today wanting to know what happened to my August MCAT score since they hadn't received it. My AMCAS reflects the change to the 9/7 date instead of August, so either 1) that info didn't get passed along or 2) it got passed along and then lost.

Either way, I can't help but wonder how many other schools I'll hear from about this. Aaargh.

On the flip of that, it's not a rejection. 🙂
 
Just got back from MSU CHM interview. Seemed to go pretty smoothyly. They pride themselves on no stress interviews and it made for a nice afternoon. .....and now we wait.





Pingouin, that stinks! This process is crazy because you never know who has what or when. Good luck though!
 
I interviewed at GWU and Georgetown, my interviewers were all very nice and non-trad friendly. The GWU MD who interviewed me was a non-trad himself, a former civil engineer turned surgeon.

FYI to those applying to Georgetown, they are completely redoing their curriculum for M1 and M2. They are moving to a systems-based modular learning system, with more smalll group time, not PBL.


Hey Pheonix, good luck w/ G-dub, maybe we'll be classmates🙂 Going to VCU/MCV, and that's it, I'll be 3/3 for interviews.
 
2008orbust said:
Just got back from MSU CHM interview. Seemed to go pretty smoothyly. They pride themselves on no stress interviews and it made for a nice afternoon. .....and now we wait.





Pingouin, that stinks! This process is crazy because you never know who has what or when. Good luck though!
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congrats on the interview, and thanks. unfortunately, I got a similar email from NYU in today's inbox.. and sent back a similar response.

(although in that one, I added "NYU School of (insert college) c/o 1998" under my signature because I am ALL ABOUT BEING SUBTLE 😉 )
 
Had my CCOM interview yesterday and was very happy with the interview and the school 🙂

It's not as up-to-date as DMU was as far as facilities (surg lab and simulated patient dummies) but the students seemed more happy than at DMU (the students not involved with the interviews 😉) and, of course, it's close to home.

I liked DMU and CCOM both and I hope they both liked me!!!!!
 
montessori2md said:
I interviewed at GWU and Georgetown, my interviewers were all very nice and non-trad friendly. The GWU MD who interviewed me was a non-trad himself, a former civil engineer turned surgeon.

FYI to those applying to Georgetown, they are completely redoing their curriculum for M1 and M2. They are moving to a systems-based modular learning system, with more smalll group time, not PBL.


Hey Pheonix, good luck w/ G-dub, maybe we'll be classmates🙂 Going to VCU/MCV, and that's it, I'll be 3/3 for interviews.
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Good luck to you too! I loved GWU. The only detractor I saw was the fact that classes are from about 8:30-5pm every day and then students spend the rest of the day studying - barely any time for those great activities that they offer. I really wish they cut down on some of that lecture time like a lot of other schools have been doing. *sigh*
 
Ok. I'll play as well. I had my TCOM interview on 7/27 and Texas A&M on 8/30. Both went great although I think I did a little better at A&M after I shook off my nerves at TCOM. All in all, both great schools I hope to have shots at both.

I'd like a little more love from San Antonio or Houston, but we'll see. November 15th is the soonest I'll hear anything from Texas schools.
 
Hey there! I always read SDN but hardly ever post. I am a nontraditional student (graduated with a Finance degree in 2003). I had an interview at the University of Pittsburgh last week than went really well. Other than that, I am waiting to hear from most of my schools as my Committee Letter was just written last week (all secondaries are in). Good luck to everyone!!
 
*sigh* snail mail Tulane rejection today. Wonder if they realize they're still waiting on my second MCAT scores.. I could appeal, but I didn't have any specific reason for wanting to go there. Ah well.

Phoenix- please give them my warmest regards when you go there. Spit on the front steps or something like that for me. 👍
 
I'm still knocking off secondaries. 6 done, 15 to finish before the weekend. I've got 6 pre-secondary rejections. Waiting on 6 schools to send 2rys - probably will only hear from EVMS out of that batch.

I've been making good progress through the 2rys that want to know "why us? why here?" but now I'm blocked on the "hey punk, what makes you so damned special already" category. I'm SO OVER MYSELF at this point.

I'd love to just say "I'm 41 and I can kick your ass, any questions?" Sigh.
 
pingouin said:
*sigh* snail mail Tulane rejection today. Wonder if they realize they're still waiting on my second MCAT scores.. I could appeal, but I didn't have any specific reason for wanting to go there. Ah well.

Phoenix- please give them my warmest regards when you go there. Spit on the front steps or something like that for me. 👍
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Ack. Sorry. I could be completely wrong, but if they were supposed to wait for your second set of scores, you should totally call them up and see if they'll just reinstate your app until your new scores came out. Hey, you paid to apply to them - the least they could do is wait until your app is complete! Seriously, I wouldn't think that you'd need a specific reason to be interested in Tulane just to give them a call to check. I bet there wouldn't even be any loops to jump through (i.e., you wouldn't need to do an official "appeal"). They'd probably say "oops" and stick you back into the "waiting for scores" pile. Anyway, I wouldn't give up without a fight, but maybe I'm just itching for some action right now. I'll do my best to spit on the steps when no one is looking.
 
Interview was yesterday. It was very relaxed and conversational. I think they went well, but it's so hard to gauge those things. One way or the other, decisions will be emailed on Friday!!!
 
Captain Fantastic said:
Interview was yesterday. It was very relaxed and conversational. I think they went well, but it's so hard to gauge those things. One way or the other, decisions will be emailed on Friday!!!
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Fingers crossed captain!
 
Captain Fantastic said:
Interview was yesterday. It was very relaxed and conversational. I think they went well, but it's so hard to gauge those things. One way or the other, decisions will be emailed on Friday!!!
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😱 Congrats!!! I finally got that secondary in Sunday night... 😳 Better late than never.
 
This old non-trad is going to be a doctor!!!

MSU CHM here I come!!!!!! (got the phone call 2 hours ago)
 
Congrats🙂

For my part, I finished my last secondary (Stanford) last night. Now it's mostly waiting and getting geared up for my first interview (in a week)!
 
2008orbust said:
This old non-trad is going to be a doctor!!!

MSU CHM here I come!!!!!! (got the phone call 2 hours ago)
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Congrats to the first non-trad acceptance of the cycle!!!!
 
Thanks guys!!! I am praying so hard for you guys! Can't wait for all of you to join me in one huge non-trad happy dance.
 
pingouin said:
😱 Congrats!!! I finally got that secondary in Sunday night... 😳 Better late than never.
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Don't stress. You're still ahead of most of the undergrads here. When you're prepping for your interview ('cause surely you'll get one) PM me and I'll give you all the details I can remember about my interview day -- if you'd like. :luck:
 
WTG 2008!!!!!

I got waitlisted at DMU. Apparently doing 10 hours of science courses a semester plus owning and working in a private practice is not evidence of handling a rigorous med school caseload. 🙄

I am waiting for CCOM's adcom to meet about the interview I was on (I have good feelings so far about it!) and I just got an invite to WVSOM on halloween!!! Nice birthday present, but an acceptance to CCOM by then would be even nicer!!!!!

MCAT score out on 10/10 - are you ready, pingouin?????? 😱
 
megboo said:
MCAT score out on 10/10 - are you ready, pingouin?????? 😱
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....suuuuuuure........... :barf:

honestly, I just want to get it back and get on with this process. I'm well aware everything is on hold until 10/10, so I really want to get some answers- whether I like them or not.

picked the suits up from the seamstress today. 👍 😍
 
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