2009-2010 Penn State Application Thread

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specialK32 said:
My wife and I are both planning to come to the 2nd look weekend...I don't think any student would want both my wife and I to crash on their couch/futon/bed. :laugh:

That being said...recommend a good hotel (or is the Days Inn the one)?
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The Days Inn is good and cheap!
 
the Days Inn is probably the best bang for your buck...and they have a free shuttle service to the campus to boot. But I believe I've seen a few hole in the wall motels tucked away on the sideroads that look like they would have been super cheap, although definitely lacking in comfort.
 
Hadeedish said:
Hi Klunkerz3,

Congrats! Would you mind posting your stats to keep all us waiting out there hopeful? Thanks!
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Thank you!! and of Course

33P, 3.9 in Biochem, and MA. resident.

Good luck everyone, this was my first accept and it is definitely a weight off my shoulders - official senoritis will now kick in
 
I'm sure this was answered in previous threads but I couldn't find the answer, does Penn State allow update letters, or Letters of interest post interview and on the hold list??
 
I Doctor said:
I'm sure this was answered in previous threads but I couldn't find the answer, does Penn State allow update letters, or Letters of interest post interview and on the hold list??
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i was wondering this too

does anyone know? thanks
 
do we need to do anything like a cover letter etc or just have the school send a transcript to hershey?
 
DrMattOglesby said:
MS-1 here, just an update about 2nd Look Day.
It appears to be scheduled for the weekend of 4/23 - 4/24. We are trying to get students to volunteer free couches/futons/beds in their apartments to accommodate everyone.
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Is that the for sure time for the second look weekend? I really would like to go but have an interview on the 22nd and then a final that following Monday so I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it up there!
 
hey guys i have an interview this coming monday, march 8th, so i'll be there all day march 7th. will anyone else be there/wanna meet up?
 
gatorbabe88 said:
Is that the for sure time for the second look weekend? I really would like to go but have an interview on the 22nd and then a final that following Monday so I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it up there!
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yeah its the for-sure time gatorbabe. looks like we have already started making all the arrangements to make it happen at that time. Sorry you might not be able to make it!
 
caniac said:
I interviewed in September, so my memory is a little fuzzy -- do they show the clinical skill ctr on the tour?

If not, they just finished renovating it and have a youtube tour here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWJPDHIJiyI

press release: http://www.pennstatehershey.psu.edu..._NEWS_articleId=1691162&_HMC_NEWS_version=1.1

looks pretty nifty.
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Thanks for posting that. When I was there in October, I remember them showing us something related to a simulation center, but I don't remember if it was totally up and running at that point.
 
did anyone on post-interview hold get either CBC e-mail or acceptance packet recently.

Waiting is killing me. 🙁
And not knowing where you stand on hold list makes it even worse. 😡
 
I'm with you fireitup, I'm also on pre-interview hold and I'm not too optimistic. They only sent me the pre-interview hold though about a month ago. Why did they even bother? Oh well. Here's to waiting on to hope without a reason to.
 
havent heard from Penn State since my complete email...absolutely NOTHING...hmmm...i dont know what to make of them, maybe i shd just cross them off my possible interview invite list
 
FIREitUP said:
i'm assuming pre-interview hold is a death sentence here.
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Was complete in Sept. Got the pre-interview hold letter about a month ago. Interview invite Tuesday (29o, 3.50, PA resident)! So it isn't completely a death sentence yet. Good luck!
 
Congratulation for your interview invitation. Do you know which is the last day of interview? Last year, last day of interview was March 27.


dru2002 said:
Was complete in Sept. Got the pre-interview hold letter about a month ago. Interview invite Tuesday (29o, 3.50, PA resident)! So it isn't completely a death sentence yet. Good luck!
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kmd34 said:
Congratulation for your interview invitation. Do you know which is the last day of interview? Last year, last day of interview was March 27.
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I don't know but if last year is any indication I got the second to last interview day. Hopefully they still have some spots left.
 
I know a few people have been accepted off the post-interview hold list already, but I was told that the majority of the movement will occur after the final interviews have taken place, can anyone verify that? Because it seems nobody has been accepted (post-int hold) in the last few weeks (at least not on SDN).
 
Hi All
Just got accepted to Penn state👍
My statistic and application info
MCAT 32O PS:14 VR: 07 BS 11 GPA 4.00

Secondary submitted: 08/20, RC letter received by AMCAS 09/04
Secondary complete e-mail 10/20
Inteview invite: 02/05, attended 02/10
Aceepted packet received 03/10
In state and local (Harrisburg)

Thanks to all of you for wonderful informations
Good luck to everyone
 
haven't heard back from penn state since the first mail about being continually reviewed

any chance at all left of interviews?
 
Have an upcoming interview 3/26

Doing research online to compare schools and had trouble finding much about Penn state...US News and Report didn't have a ranking either...Would any of you happen to have some info about the school in terms of research or primary care?

Any info would help thank you! and good luck everyone 😀
 
tengteng88 said:
Have an upcoming interview 3/26

Doing research online to compare schools and had trouble finding much about Penn state...US News and Report didn't have a ranking either...Would any of you happen to have some info about the school in terms of research or primary care?

Any info would help thank you! and good luck everyone 😀
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I have found that it's difficult to get detailed information on this school. It's not ranked by USNews so there's not a lot of info there. One site I have looked at is the NIH data sites.

Penn State Hershey's NIH funding has remained pretty stable at $46-47 million. That probably puts them at about 70 out of 123 medical schools.

For comparison's sake, a couple other schools that I've looked up as I've interviewed:

in $millions
Duke: 371
Mayo (Roch.): 175
University of Massachusetts: 135
Wake Forest: 103
Medical College of Wisconsin: 93
George Washington: 66 (but only 17 of this goes to the medical school, strangely)
Georgetown: 62
Penn State Hershey: 47
NYMC: 17
Albany: 11


Of course, medical schools perform a significant amount of research which is not funded by the NIH. This is true of all med schools. For example, PS Hershey says its total research budget is "about $100 million." NIH funding is just a convenient way to compare schools.

I can't help but think if the medical center was more integrated with the main Penn State campus, med students would get more in the way of research diversity (Penn State University Park gets an additional $49 million from NIH)

How important is this for a medical student (MD only)? Not really very important, in my opinion. I think it helps understand the focus and strength of the schools, and it depends on your goals to some degree as well.
 
tengteng88 said:
Have an upcoming interview 3/26

Doing research online to compare schools and had trouble finding much about Penn state...US News and Report didn't have a ranking either...Would any of you happen to have some info about the school in terms of research or primary care?

Any info would help thank you! and good luck everyone 😀
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Here is a link to this same topic discussed a while back...http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=271153

Below is one opinion from the thread:

I should also add something. Yeah, I was there at 2nd look and was pretty happy with the way he answered her question about US News rankings. He made some good points, not just about how it's a biased calculation.

Coming from a top school (where I've been doing research for 8 years), I can say it's a ridiculous celebration when the hospital gets ranked #1 again and again. There is less hooplah when the med school is ranked (although I guess we came in #2 this year??-- not really paying attention), and I think I can say why. So, yeah, it's nice ot have some frame of reference to compare schools, and on the surface the US News stuff seems like a good idea. Problem comes in when you consider all the factors they rank, so you need to take it with a grain of salt. If you must look at US News, look at raw data (actual NIH $$, average MCAT, etc). This can help you figure out where their priorities are, but it's not really any better than using the MSAR to determine if your scores/grades are good enough and interview day (or website browsing) to figure out what they emphasize in the training and the facilities.

So, yeah, Harvard and Hopkins are big time into research (despite their saying "you don't have to"-- most people DO research and many here apply for competetive residencies that really require research to make the cut). And if you want training in the unusual, they are good places to go. One faculty member here said it best-- he thinks they don't emphasize enough of the normal day-to-day things you will see as a doc, as they spend a lot of time on Zebras. He was the same guy who gushed about PSU's curriculum.

PSU has a reputation for excellent clinical training, and nobody has a bad word about pre-clinical years. If you're worried about it being a "good enough" school if you're going for a tough residency (like I am), just look at their match list. It is really telling of who they attract and how good they are. It's a very diverse list, but even IM/FP residency spots are often at really good places... plus they match in some of the toughest specialties, too. So it's obvious that getting an MD from PSU will close no doors for you. It's really up to YOU to get good grades, good boards, good experiences. I think one of the best things about them is that they encourage everyone to make their own path (they're very open to your away rotations, you can start any kind of student organization under the sun, etc).

Dean Davis really hit it on the nose-- you need to visit PSU, talk to students, do your research on the programs there, etc-- then decide how it fits YOUR goals. But above all else, know that it is a good school with a good reputation for producing very well-trained physicians... you make your own future.

Me, personally, I like the lifestyle up there. I like that it's low cost of living and not a super-hectic lifestyle. More ability to concentrate on school, and enjoy some down-time with my husband. Yeah, there is also plenty to do within the range of a day-trip, too. Quality of life is so very important, so keep that in mind when choosing (or eliminating) a school. And that means quality based on what you, the individual, want.

PS: Class hours, although they had been a little cryptic about them, are not so bad. Looks like most days don't start too horribly early and most days end by 3 or 4 PM... some earlier. This includes PPS. So, no, not as good as some schools where you're out by noon... but MUCH better than your 8-5 schools. Plenty of time in the 1st year to ease into med school and still have a life.

Hope this will answer some of your questions!
 
March Madness causes companies to lose ~$1.8bn in lost productivity. But, can you really lose productivity when your boss hasn't given you any work to do?

Personally, I think I've been very productive time wasting this morning:
http://www.pennstatehershey.org/web/md/home/accepted/orientation

2013 orientation docs, including advice on housing, course descriptions, finaid, etc.

I almost wish my boss would give me work to do.....then I wouldn't feel like such a gunner right now 🙂...

T-minus 1.5 hours til the DANCE!!!!
 
caniac said:
March Madness causes companies to lose ~$1.8bn in lost productivity. But, can you really lose productivity when your boss hasn't given you any work to do?

Personally, I think I've been very productive time wasting this morning:
http://www.pennstatehershey.org/web/md/home/accepted/orientation

2013 orientation docs, including advice on housing, course descriptions, finaid, etc.

I almost wish my boss would give me work to do.....then I wouldn't feel like such a gunner right now 🙂...

T-minus 1.5 hours til the DANCE!!!!
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I looked at that page too. The "unsolicited advice" is pretty interesting.
 
I'm interviewing this Friday there, in fact. So they must not be done. Pretty sure it's the last possible date, though!

- On a separate note, does anyone know if Penn State allows you to defer if you are accepted???

I've decided I don't want to leave my husband behind in NC this fall but he won't be stationed there by next fall. I might actually cancel my interview if they never allow deferring.
 
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Narutodoc said:
Congratulation
If you don't mind can you answer following questions.
What are your Stats like? Were you put on hold?
When did you get your CBC e-mail (it might be in spam folder).

Good luck
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Thanks!
I'm OOS, 35R, 3.9.
I was not put on hold, I just hadn't heard anything back from Penn State since my interview.
I didn't get a CBC e-mail (I checked my spam folder), BUT I am fortunate to have been accepted to another school that used CBC, and have been through the process before, so I might not need to do it again. BTW, my letter was dated 3.18.10. Good luck to everyone still waiting!
 
Crumbs Smiles said:
Thanks!
I'm OOS, 35R, 3.9.
I was not put on hold, I just hadn't heard anything back from Penn State since my interview.
I didn't get a CBC e-mail (I checked my spam folder), BUT I am fortunate to have been accepted to another school that used CBC, and have been through the process before, so I might not need to do it again. BTW, my letter was dated 3.18.10. Good luck to everyone still waiting!
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Did they ever send you a letter alerting you that you were on post-interview hold? I have a feeling that that's why I haven't heard from them yet... pretty much everyone that's accepted right away has been hearing back within 4 weeks recently.
 
Accepted!!! Interviewed 1/25/10, and I was never put on hold. It's my first acceptance after 9 interviews, so I'm really excited!
 
jennjax87 said:
I'm interviewing this Friday there, in fact. So they must not be done. Pretty sure it's the last possible date, though!

- On a separate note, does anyone know if Penn State allows you to defer if you are accepted???

I've decided I don't want to leave my husband behind in NC this fall but he won't be stationed there by next fall. I might actually cancel my interview if they never allow deferring.
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They do grant deferments, but there has to be good reason. Just write a letter and call and let them know what your plans are and that you are requesting a deferment.

just an update: MARCH IS THE LAST MONTH PENN STATE IS DOING INTERVIEWS.
 
gatorbabe88 said:
Did they ever send you a letter alerting you that you were on post-interview hold? I have a feeling that that's why I haven't heard from them yet... pretty much everyone that's accepted right away has been hearing back within 4 weeks recently.
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No, I never got a letter saying I was on hold. I never was on hold, they just took a long time to get back to me. Another student (couple posts up) interviewed on 1/25 and was pretty much in the same boat as me.
 
for all those still waiting for an interview invite, i just spoke with the admissions rep and was told that adcom is still sending out invites this week. apparently, they're holding interviews right up until the 31st..so i was told.
 
Just got done interviewing and all I can say is awesome. Absolutely loved the campus and curriculum. Fingers crossed for a background check email.
 
dru2002 said:
Just got done interviewing and all I can say is awesome. Absolutely loved the campus and curriculum. Fingers crossed for a background check email.
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Alright! Good luck to you! I'm headed up there tomorrow for an interview Friday, I'm definitely excited now and I'm glad I didn't cancel.
 
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