2009-2010 Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU) Application Thread

[Nafis64]

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so just to clarify, May 6th is last Thursday when committee meets and makes decisions and so the Tuesday following is when all decisions should be up, so May 11th. my sources are very high up...the dean 🙂. that is if everything goes according to their plan.

this includes holds and what not which are slowly shuffled into acceptance and rejection. And everyone that is on hold after May 15th becomes the alternate list which is ranked.

 

[ThatQuestionGuy]

I interviewed March 17, and my interviewer said I should hear back the end of April...

That hasn't stopped me from checking my status every couple of days since the beginning of April. 😀

Um I interviewed 2/25 and have heard nothing. Should I start asking?

 

[anfielder]

so just to clarify, May 6th is last Thursday when committee meets and makes decisions and so the Tuesday following is when all decisions should be up, so May 11th. my sources are very high up...the dean 🙂. that is if everything goes according to their plan.

this includes holds and what not which are slowly shuffled into acceptance and rejection. And everyone that is on hold after May 15th becomes the alternate list which is ranked.

I'm on hold and have been assuming I'll hear the by the 14th, but it's good to hear some solid information about when they're meeting and should be getting decisions out (hopefully no delays). Thanks a lot for sharing what you know.

 

[MDHopeful14]

so just to clarify, May 6th is last Thursday when committee meets and makes decisions and so the Tuesday following is when all decisions should be up, so May 11th. my sources are very high up...the dean 🙂. that is if everything goes according to their plan.

this includes holds and what not which are slowly shuffled into acceptance and rejection. And everyone that is on hold after May 15th becomes the alternate list which is ranked.

Does the admissions committee meet weekly or monthly?

 

[Nafis64]

Does the admissions committee meet weekly or monthly?

weekly

 

[ThatQuestionGuy]

Interviewed 2/25 and still nothing. Anyone else interview before/on that date?

 

[reezer4]

New message on the website:
Important Announcement for 2010 Applicants:

4/20/2010 2:19 PM
Applicants to the current admissions cycle, please login to the Admissions Portal to check on the status of your application.
We continue to review files. If you have not heard from us, your file is still under review. You will hear from us within the next few weeks. Thank you for your patience.

Please check your status online for the most up to date information concerning your file.


Click here to access the OHSU MD Program Admissions Portal


Interviewed 2/25 and still nothing. Anyone else interview before/on that date?

that message isn't new, it's been there for at least a month. I interviewed 1/12 and have been placed on hold, no word since then.

 

[ThatQuestionGuy]

that message isn't new, it's been there for at least a month. I interviewed 1/12 and have been placed on hold, no word since then.

Oh, my bad. What did the hold message look like if you don't mind?

 

[MDHopeful14]

weekly

Thanks! That's what I thought I heard on interview day.

What takes them so long, then? I wonder which wave (interview dates) of interviewees they're currently reviewing.

 

[goodfruit]

Thanks! That's what I thought I heard on interview day.

What takes them so long, then? I wonder which wave (interview dates) of interviewees they're currently reviewing.

I'm sure they must be double-timing these days since the last interview dates to hear back were in February, and they have to get back to the March/April interviewees in three weeks.

Until then, I'll just be obsessively checking my status page!

 

[LolaPants]

I interviewed on 2/11, and haven't heard anything yet. I contacted Katy after the 8th week and she said it might take another week or two for them to reach a decision. I don't know if the delay in my case is based on when my interviewers submitted their feedback, or whether almost everyone is waiting more than 8 weeks to hear anything.

 

[Nafis64]

One more thing i forgot to mention is that in order for a decision to be placed on your file or for them to vote on your file, the committee person who presents you must be present at that meeting. I think this is one of the faculty people who interview you. if he/she are not present then your file waits.

 

[MDHopeful14]

One more thing i forgot to mention is that in order for a decision to be placed on your file or for them to vote on your file, the committee person who presents you must be present at that meeting. I think this is one of the faculty people who interview you. if he/she are not present then your file waits.

That's not good. My interviewer admitted that OHSU is very very slow in processing applications. Like I said before, she even told me to not feel discouraged and to stick with the wait. Maybe she was trying to tell me that she won't be there to present until the very end?

 

[Acoustic]

That's not good. My interviewer admitted that OHSU is very very slow in processing applications. Like I said before, she even told me to not feel discouraged and to stick with the wait. Maybe she was trying to tell me that she won't be there to present until the very end?

For a normal person there are way too many what ifs in that paragraph, but for a person that is one word and six weeks away from another cycle of applications - totally justified.

Maybe we should all stop religiously checking our status pages and sit back for a minute to appreciate that we can be so passionate about something...

 

[reezer4]

Oh, my bad. What did the hold message look like if you don't mind?

As you probably know the msg you quoted is on the main page, but when you actually sign in, it should say something about your status, at least something like "thank you for your interview, please fill out this survey". The hold status on my page currently says:

"Decision: Hold

Since your interview, you have been discussed by the Admissions Committee and are currently in a hold category.

With 550+ interviews conducted over the course of seven months (October through April) and a limited number of placements to offer, the Admissions Committee must put many applicants in a hold pool until they have had a chance to discuss each of their interviewed candidates. The Admissions Committee will be discussing applicants through the beginning of May, which means that you will be notified of a final decision regarding your application no later than May 15, 2010. If at any point prior to that the committee makes a final decision on your application, we will notify you immediately. Please note that further updates will not reopen your file or change the committee's decision.

We realize this is an anxious time of waiting and thank you for your understanding and patience."

I wonder if to be placed on hold one of your interviewers was present in a committee meeting? I assume to be on hold my application must have a score...

 

[Nafis64]

For a normal person there are way too many what ifs in that paragraph, but for a person that is one word and six weeks away from another cycle of applications - totally justified.

Maybe we should all stop religiously checking our status pages and sit back for a minute to appreciate that we can be so passionate about something...

I agree. Just wait for an email. checking the status page and finding info can only be disappointing.

 

[bloc]

interviewed 3.10. no email. accepted on status page

 

[MDHopeful14]

interviewed 3.10. no email. accepted on status page

Congrats! When did you find out?

 

[bloc]

just found out this evening. SUPER excited!

 

[MDHopeful14]

just found out this evening. SUPER excited!

Still no change for me.

Congrats, again!

 

[URHere]

On an unrelated note, does anyone know if there is parking available near the bottom of the tram?

There is some metered parking at the bottom of the tram, but most of it is only short term (2-3 hours). There are a few select 8 hour meters a little bit farther down Moody Ave, but I wouldn't count on snagging one of those.

If you need to drive, your best bet is to find someone living on the hill and rent out their parking space. It's not cheap (people generally sell them for $80+/month). You could also consider biking or busing up the hill.

 

[lejeunesage]

As you probably know the msg you quoted is on the main page, but when you actually sign in, it should say something about your status, at least something like "thank you for your interview, please fill out this survey". The hold status on my page currently says:

"Decision: Hold

Since your interview, you have been discussed by the Admissions Committee and are currently in a hold category.

With 550+ interviews conducted over the course of seven months (October through April) and a limited number of placements to offer, the Admissions Committee must put many applicants in a hold pool until they have had a chance to discuss each of their interviewed candidates. The Admissions Committee will be discussing applicants through the beginning of May, which means that you will be notified of a final decision regarding your application no later than May 15, 2010. If at any point prior to that the committee makes a final decision on your application, we will notify you immediately. Please note that further updates will not reopen your file or change the committee's decision.

We realize this is an anxious time of waiting and thank you for your understanding and patience."

I wonder if to be placed on hold one of your interviewers was present in a committee meeting? I assume to be on hold my application must have a score...

Me too!

 

[giraffeforlunch]

I interviewed 3/9 and found out tonight that I was placed on hold (impressive given my horrible interview). Does anyone know what kinds of expectations a person on hold should have if they are in the hold category? For example, percent end up being accepted, rejected, or wait-listed? I would love love love to go to OHSU, but am trying not to get my hopes up/obsess over it.

 

[Acoustic]

I interviewed 3/9 and found out tonight that I was placed on hold (impressive given my horrible interview). Does anyone know what kinds of expectations a person on hold should have if they are in the hold category? For example, percent end up being accepted, rejected, or wait-listed? I would love love love to go to OHSU, but am trying not to get my hopes up/obsess over it.

Would you mind sharing when you last checked your status before this evening was? Information had been discussed about statuses changing on Tuesdays, and so if you checked your status yesterday and it changed just today, that would change things maybe.

As for what you can expect as being on hold - you can expect that there are no hard rules about it haha. There are all sorts of sources with sometimes conflicting answers, but here is the general consensus. Now that you are on hold, it DOESN'T mean you are on the waitlist, which is ranked. Before the rankings are determined, you could be accepted, you could be rejected (this might not be a possibility, seems slim if it is), or nothing could happen and you eventually get ranked. If you are ranked, you will probably find out your rank sometime between May 15th and the beginning of June. I can't really remark on percentages, mostly because there are various methods of deducing exactly how many people get put in that category, but I can comment on how many are eventually accepted off of the ranked list. Some years, which seem the normal amount, around 60-90 are pulled from the waitlist, a very large number. Other years it is as low as 34, which is still a respectable number. Keep in mind that of the approximately 550 that are interviewed each year about 220 are accepted. I'd guess that a large portion of those interviewed are put on hold, moreso than either of the other two outcomes, probably combined (not optimistic I know, sorry).

So long story short - try not to get your hopes up until you see your ranking (which I'm guessing at this late in the cycle you have a much higher chance of getting ranked than either of the other two outcomes), and then STILL don't get your hopes up unless you have a very low ranking. I know what it feels like to feel like you did horrible in an interview and wanting SOOO badly to get your hopes up and look forward to a school you really love, but try your best not to dwell on it. There is simply nothing you can do to change your situation right now, so try not to worry about it as much.

 

[giraffeforlunch]

Would you mind sharing when you last checked your status before this evening was? Information had been discussed about statuses changing on Tuesdays, and so if you checked your status yesterday and it changed just today, that would change things maybe.

Thanks, Acoustic! I actually did check my status on Tuesday and Monday as well, so the information really did come out on Wednesday.

 

[launde93]

If you need to drive, your best bet is to find someone living on the hill and rent out their parking space. It's not cheap (people generally sell them for $80+/month).

URHere, thanks for the information.
Do you know if such parking spots are advertised somewhere..

 

[ZaccaZ]

There is some metered parking at the bottom of the tram, but most of it is only short term (2-3 hours). There are a few select 8 hour meters a little bit farther down Moody Ave, but I wouldn't count on snagging one of those.

If you need to drive, your best bet is to find someone living on the hill and rent out their parking space. It's not cheap (people generally sell them for $80+/month). You could also consider biking or busing up the hill.

Hmmm, alright. Thanks for the input. Any idea how one would go about finding/procuring a spot on the hill?

 

[rbnsafsadgf]

Do you know if such parking spots are advertised somewhere..

Postings are all over campus, with a lot of them in the basement of Mac Hall, between the Registrar and Caf.


You get use to bicycle commuting fairly quickly once you have a comfortable bike with panniers (side bags), lights, and proper clothing for rain. Car traffic on the hill is really slow at certain times; paying for car parking adds insult to injury because it is so slow.

 

[reezer4]

Would you mind sharing when you last checked your status before this evening was? Information had been discussed about statuses changing on Tuesdays, and so if you checked your status yesterday and it changed just today, that would change things maybe.

As for what you can expect as being on hold - you can expect that there are no hard rules about it haha. There are all sorts of sources with sometimes conflicting answers, but here is the general consensus. Now that you are on hold, it DOESN'T mean you are on the waitlist, which is ranked. Before the rankings are determined, you could be accepted, you could be rejected (this might not be a possibility, seems slim if it is), or nothing could happen and you eventually get ranked. If you are ranked, you will probably find out your rank sometime between May 15th and the beginning of June. I can't really remark on percentages, mostly because there are various methods of deducing exactly how many people get put in that category, but I can comment on how many are eventually accepted off of the ranked list. Some years, which seem the normal amount, around 60-90 are pulled from the waitlist, a very large number. Other years it is as low as 34, which is still a respectable number. Keep in mind that of the approximately 550 that are interviewed each year about 220 are accepted. I'd guess that a large portion of those interviewed are put on hold, moreso than either of the other two outcomes, probably combined (not optimistic I know, sorry).

So long story short - try not to get your hopes up until you see your ranking (which I'm guessing at this late in the cycle you have a much higher chance of getting ranked than either of the other two outcomes), and then STILL don't get your hopes up unless you have a very low ranking. I know what it feels like to feel like you did horrible in an interview and wanting SOOO badly to get your hopes up and look forward to a school you really love, but try your best not to dwell on it. There is simply nothing you can do to change your situation right now, so try not to worry about it as much.

Sorry for the negativity, but you can definitely be rejected after being on hold. I have first hand experience with this one from the first time I applied. I was placed on hold after a March interview, and then rejected in April. My second time applying I was placed on hold and didn't hear anything until May 15th when I got a ranking on the waitinglist. More food for thought ;o)

 

[Acoustic]

Sorry for the negativity, but you can definitely be rejected after being on hold. I have first hand experience with this one from the first time I applied. I was placed on hold after a March interview, and then rejected in April. My second time applying I was placed on hold and didn't hear anything until May 15th when I got a ranking on the waitinglist. More food for thought ;o)

Thanks for the info. I thought it was possible, but wasn't sure if it was very likely this close to May 15th since I understand the "hold" status before ranking to be a sort of buffer against rolling admissions, waiting to hand out acceptances and instead resulting in wait listing. Well anyway thanks.

 

[jdwmont]

Emailed the admissions office regarding when we could accept a decision if we are on the hold list. The following was the reply I got...

Our deadline to admit the class and rank the alternate list is May 15. That is the latest you will hear back from the admissions office. (Though you may hear before, it is unlikely.) At that time, our applicants currently in the hold pool will be notified either of the fact that they have a spot on the alternate list or that they will be rejected.

 

[Mashizhao]

Has anyone been accepted off the hold list yet? And if so, were you notified by email, phone or status page?

 

[lejeunesage]

I interviewed 3/9 and found out tonight that I was placed on hold (impressive given my horrible interview). Does anyone know what kinds of expectations a person on hold should have if they are in the hold category? For example, percent end up being accepted, rejected, or wait-listed? I would love love love to go to OHSU, but am trying not to get my hopes up/obsess over it.

We interviewed on the same day (I was one of 3 males that day)! I'm going to withdraw, now. The only way I was ever going to go there was if they gave me a big scholarship. Now my hopes for such a thing are nil. Good luck to everyone.

 

[ThatQuestionGuy]

We interviewed on the same day (I was one of 3 males that day)! I'm going to withdraw, now. The only way I was ever going to go there was if they gave me a big scholarship. Now my hopes for such a thing are nil. Good luck to everyone.

Wait, does OHSU give out scholarships? I thought they were pretty stingy with aid money

 

[CornOnTheCob]

My understanding is that there are a FEW scholarships, but the vast majority of financial aid packages are loans.

 

[lejeunesage]

My understanding is that there are a FEW scholarships, but the vast majority of financial aid packages are loans.

I knew that, but I tend to be very optimistic.

 

[RunningDiva]

My understanding is that there are a FEW scholarships, but the vast majority of financial aid packages are loans.

its all loans. a few couple thousand dollar monies but that's it. 😱

 

[reezer4]

Emailed the admissions office regarding when we could accept a decision if we are on the hold list. The following was the reply I got...

Our deadline to admit the class and rank the alternate list is May 15. That is the latest you will hear back from the admissions office. (Though you may hear before, it is unlikely.) At that time, our applicants currently in the hold pool will be notified either of the fact that they have a spot on the alternate list or that they will be rejected.

Sounds like it's either alternate list or rejection for us hold pool people then. Wow, I was kinda holding out hope for an acceptance ;o)

 

[giraffeforlunch]

Sounds like it's either alternate list or rejection for us hold pool people then. Wow, I was kinda holding out hope for an acceptance ;o)

I feel your pain Reezer. It looks like people on hold get wait-listed or rejected then. Does anyone know if they offer any straight rejections after interviews, or does everyone not immediately accepted go into the Hold group?

 

[searun]

its all loans. a few couple thousand dollar monies but that's it. 😱

Unfortunately, this is true. It is also why I turned down an acceptance to OHSU (I am an Oregon resident) and decided to attend a well known school on the East Coast that gives me about $45,000 per year in grant money (need based) plus a $5,000 merit scholarship. I will graduate from my private med school with about $100,000 in debt ( for my living expenses for 4 years) - I would have had about twice this much debt if I had attended OHSU.

OHSU is a good school, but don't expect much in the way of grant money or scholarships.

I do plan to apply to OHSU for residency next fall and I also may do an away rotation at OHSU. I love Portland. A great place to live.

 

[Acoustic]

I feel your pain Reezer. It looks like people on hold get wait-listed or rejected then. Does anyone know if they offer any straight rejections after interviews, or does everyone not immediately accepted go into the Hold group?

Thankfully I can't say from experience if rejections are offered straight after interviews without reaching hold status, but I'm pretty sure it's possible. During the interview orientation it was specifically stated that you could expect the FIRST status change to be one of the three categories, but that being on the hold list was the only one that wouldn't send you an email. Also it just seems like it would be unlikely that they would never immediately reject, there must be some applicants that just won't cut it at their school.

By the way, did anyone see the message for "maintenance" and down time for the status page next Tuesday morning? Can someone say massive uploading of statuses? Haha. This whole process is humorous at times

 

[reezer4]

Thankfully I can't say from experience if rejections are offered straight after interviews without reaching hold status, but I'm pretty sure it's possible. During the interview orientation it was specifically stated that you could expect the FIRST status change to be one of the three categories, but that being on the hold list was the only one that wouldn't send you an email. Also it just seems like it would be unlikely that they would never immediately reject, there must be some applicants that just won't cut it at their school.

By the way, did anyone see the message for "maintenance" and down time for the status page next Tuesday morning? Can someone say massive uploading of statuses? Haha. This whole process is humorous at times

oh good call, seems like Tuesday or Wednesday next week some people might have answers... maybe I can still be accepted ;o) here's hoping.
good luck all.

 

[CornOnTheCob]

This might be an obvious question, but it just occurred to me- what's the source of discretionary income for students at OHSU?

 

[URHere]

This might be an obvious question, but it just occurred to me- what's the source of discretionary income for students at OHSU?

Unless you have a side job, family/spousal support, or savings....it all comes from loans.

 

[Acoustic]

Unless you have a side job, family/spousal support, or savings....it all comes from loans.

When does the first financial aid package disperse? In time to have it help with the moving costs to Portland? (probably a question for the financial aid people, but just wondering really)

 

[URHere]

When does the first financial aid package disperse? In time to have it help with the moving costs to Portland? (probably a question for the financial aid people, but just wondering really)

My financial aid situation is a little bit different than the MD students, so I can't really give you an accurate answer on this one.

If I had to guess, I would say that loan money will become available for most students sometime after they move, but before the first tuition payment is due. I am saying this based on the fact that my MD/PhD stipend kicked in towards the end of August, about a week before classes started. Granted, payment times might be different for MD students.

 

[specialK32]

I withdrew my acceptance today (OOS)...good luck to everyone!

 

[ThatQuestionGuy]

Maybe in a few minutes...

 

[karis0166]

There is some metered parking at the bottom of the tram, but most of it is only short term (2-3 hours). There are a few select 8 hour meters a little bit farther down Moody Ave, but I wouldn't count on snagging one of those.

If you need to drive, your best bet is to find someone living on the hill and rent out their parking space. It's not cheap (people generally sell them for $80+/month). You could also consider biking or busing up the hill.

Actually, there is a plenty of on-street metered parking at the bottom of the tram. Within a block of the tram, it's shorter term, but, 2+ blocks away most of it allows up to 11 hours. But at $1.60 per hour, it's expensive.

 

[Acoustic]

Actually, there is a plenty of on-street metered parking at the bottom of the tram. Within a block of the tram, it's shorter term, but, 2+ blocks away most of it allows up to 11 hours. But at $1.60 per hour, it's expensive.

Is it really all the difficult to find parking on the hill? I traveled there with my girlfriend who explored Portland in her car while I interviewed, part of the time she gave herself a self-guided tour of the school. She told me it took her less than 5 minutes to find street parking immediately adjacent to campus. Is this uncommon? It was the middle of the day during the middle of the week.

I mean we are used to what might be some of the worst possible street parking in the country - downtown San Francisco where there are way too many people and very steep hills. Not uncommon to look for parking for 2 hours. Anything Portland could throw at us just doesn't seem like it would be as bad. We actually laughed, out of joy, when we tried to find parking in downtown Portland because it wasn't even an issue.

By the way did anyone get a status change this morning? I was mostly kidding about that maintenance message meaning status updates but it would be cool if it actually announced them.