2009-2010 University of Miami Application Thread

[beachbumdoc]

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ugh this is another great school with a lame website! I can find stuff about the curriculum but pretty much nothing about extracurriculars/volunteer opportunities... anyone having better luck?

 

[Lyd2117]

Think there's any advantage to applying to the Miami over Boca Raton campus or vice-versa?

 

[caveat87]

Lots of essays...ugh

 

[camaras2480]

Think there's any advantage to applying to the Miami over Boca Raton campus or vice-versa?

fwiw, I think they are trying to push the Boca Raton campus - it might increase your chances just a bit to go that way - but I have no numbers to support this.

 

[camaras2480]

So if I am OOS and I get a secondary, does that mean anything? At first, i applied not realizing this note on their website.

"As a consequence, residents of states other than Florida are encouraged to apply, but only if they have truly superior academic records (>3.6 cumulative GPA) and exceptional (30+) MCAT scores, and have unique qualifications that the Committee on Admissions would find highly desirable."

Do they screen? Should I still do it? Looks like a great school

They do screen, and pretty tightly from what I've heard. If you are below both 3.6 and 30, and OOS, I would consider saving the $80 or so (I don't know the fee off the top of my head).

 

[Anand17]

Im not a reapplicant, but I accidently put "no" under "have you ever applied to UM before" without reading the title. ( I know, fail lol.) How do I get the damn dot off of the "no"? Its just annoying.

 

[camaras2480]

Im not a reapplicant, but I accidently put "no" under "have you ever applied to UM before" without reading the title. ( I know, fail lol.) How do I get the damn dot off of the "no"? Its just annoying.

Your post doesn't even make sense - or maybe I'm just tired haha.

If you are not a reapplicant, then wouldn't you say "no" to have you applied before?

 

[Anand17]

bad wording..the heading of the section is called "reapplicant" and then it tells you after a few questions (and that question) to write why you are a better applicant now.

 

[camaras2480]

bad wording..the heading of the section is called "reapplicant" and then it tells you after a few questions (and that question) to write why you are a better applicant now.

I'm not sure if the admin page I have an image of is the same as yours, but i see this:

Have you applied previously for admission to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine? Yes No

If yes, last entering class for which you applied

Were you interviewed? Yes No

If you applied previously, describe in this space how you have strengthened your candidacy since your last application. Be as specific as possible and limit your response to 750 characters.



So wouldn't you just say No to the first part, and leave the rest blank?

 

[drwham]

They do screen, and pretty tightly from what I've heard. If you are below both 3.6 and 30, and OOS, I would consider saving the $80 or so (I don't know the fee off the top of my head).

do u mean they screen after they receive your secondary or screen before they send out secondaries?

 

[ziggyd0c]

i finally got this one tonight too

 

[Lyd2117]

What if I don't have any counseling/teaching/leadership experience... should I just leave it blank? The only thing I can think to put is that I mentored my younger cousin through some rough times when she first started high school (she was bullied/teased). It is the truth, and it was really an amazing experience for me, but I feel like they might just think I'm bs-ing?

 

[redrower]

What if I don't have any counseling/teaching/leadership experience... should I just leave it blank? The only thing I can think to put is that I mentored my younger cousin through some rough times when she first started high school (she was bullied/teased). It is the truth, and it was really an amazing experience for me, but I feel like they might just think I'm bs-ing?

if you dont have it, dont put it down. but if you feel your exp with your cousin was substantial and you can stand your ground if youre asked about it during an interview while making legit claims about what you learned, etc. then put it down. i was thinking about putting down salsa lessons i took for a year in the fine arts section, but to be honest, i can barely recall 3 dances i "learned". so not putting it down 😛

 

[Alvarez13]

24 secondaries down, 2 to go. It's on Miami!

 

[neutropos]

Does community work include volunteering in a hospital?

Ohhh, I'm guessing that's considered medical, right?

What about being a TA for a science course? Would that count? I really want to show the leadership involved in that.

What a scandalous application. I can't even show my volunteer experiences, jobs, leadership because they all involve either being at a hospital or working in science.

 

[n618ft]

Does community work include volunteering in a hospital?

Ohhh, I'm guessing that's considered medical, right?

What about being a TA for a science course? Would that count? I really want to show the leadership involved in that.

What a scandalous application. I can't even show my volunteer experiences, jobs, leadership because they all involve either being at a hospital or working in science.

Yea man it's considered medical. Write about something else. TAing can be leadership experience - if you talked to students and offered them advice in any way, it definitely counts. Don't BS - you're better off leaving it blank than trying to stretch it out. Does anyone know the average USMLE Step 1 scores and pass rates for Miami?

 

[lilmintysmiles]

ugh this is another great school with a lame website! I can find stuff about the curriculum but pretty much nothing about extracurriculars/volunteer opportunities... anyone having better luck?

I can't find anything else either. Which worries me a tad. Anyone know if this is a good choice to apply to if you are interested in having a life outside of all the classes? 😕

Also, from what I can tell about the Boca Raton campus, the curriculum there is a lot more focused on family medicine and community involvement. Did anyone else get that impression too?

 

[greg1184]

I can't find anything else either. Which worries me a tad. Anyone know if this is a good choice to apply to if you are interested in having a life outside of all the classes? 😕

Also, from what I can tell about the Boca Raton campus, the curriculum there is a lot more focused on family medicine and community involvement. Did anyone else get that impression too?

Are you kidding me? Absolutely. Miami is probably one of the best places if you want to have a life outside classes. Ask ANYONE who is in my class currently. They work hard and play hard, especially after exams. Not to mention the Health Fair Clinics that we have that serve the community and tons of other opportunities.

I don't see what is wrong with the website. It has an absolutely outstanding FAQ and Reapplicants page that clearly defines what they and other schools want. In fact I used the pages as a great reference as I applied to schools.

http://www6.miami.edu/UMH/CDA/UMH_Main/0,1770,2600-1;14190-2;47735-3,00.html

http://www6.miami.edu/UMH/CDA/UMH_Main/0,1770,2600-1;14190-2;66101-3,00.html

http://www6.miami.edu/UMH/CDA/UMH_Main/0,1770,2600-1;14190-2;31983-3,00.html

 

[neutropos]

anyone know if the character count includes spaces?

I was also wondering about that. I was actually writing these experiences in this morning when I realized it said 375 CHARACTERS, not WORDS. 375 characters is so little!

 

[ziggyd0c]

I was also wondering about that. I was actually writing these experiences in this morning when I realized it said 375 CHARACTERS, not WORDS. 375 characters is so little!

arrgh i just came in here to complain about this, i can write like four sentences in broken english and that's it lol

 

[CarlATHF]

arrgh i just came in here to complain about this, i can write like four sentences in broken english and that's it lol

Me like help people!

Hulk smash!

That's my Community Work essay.

 

[brooklynblunder]

whats with the courses section?

 

[ziggyd0c]

whats with the courses section?

yeah something is weird about this, i'm wondering if it's a glitch... how are they supposed to know what course we're referring to?

 

[ziggyd0c]

if i get an interview, when they ask if i have any questions i'll be like "yeah, on one part of your website it says FAU is 60 miles north of Miami, and on another part it says it's 45 miles north of Miami, what gives?" they'll be soooo impressed

 

[brooklynblunder]

this school screened?

 

[CarlATHF]

this school screened?

I do not believe so. According to MSAR, they send secondaries to all U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

 

[robrobbberts]

So for their short answer questions...are we supposed to think of something not on our AMCAS app or can we just copy paste? Because I got nothing much else to add.

This is what I am wondering. I have already listed my community service, employment, etc. on AMCAS.

What are you guys doing?

 

[drwham]

does this school accept fee waivers?

 

[stayclassy]

Does this school not accept the FAP?

 

[drwham]

gosh i hope this is one of those schools that wants you to email in your FAP confirmation...

otherwise, i would have wasted my time doing this secondary blahhhh

 

[stayclassy]

gosh i hope this is one of those schools that wants you to email in your FAP confirmation...

otherwise, i would have wasted my time doing this secondary blahhhh

says on their FAQ that everyone who gets a secondary has to pay the fee.. hope they are excluding FAP from that

 

[drwham]

says on their FAQ that everyone who gets a secondary has to pay the fee.. hope they are excluding FAP from that

i sent them an email so I will let you know the response

 

[JediZero]

Anyone else catch this one on the FAQ page?

They told me at the University of Florida that I would have to learn Spanish to go to medical school in Miami. Is that true? Nuestros Buenos amigos en la Universidad de Florida no saben de lo que hablan.

 

[drwham]

Anyone else catch this one on the FAQ page?

.

hmmm...well if i get accepted then I will gladly learn more spanish (unless my one semester is good enough lol)

 

[JediZero]

hmmm...well if i get accepted then I will gladly learn more spanish (unless my one semester is good enough lol)

Based on the population you'll be working with there (i.e. the largest populations of Cubans outside Cuba), you're just going to pick up Spanish living there, even more so in medicine. Kind of like me volunteering at a free clinic in LA... my Spanish has gotten very good😀

I actually kind of wish that was a requirement for some schools, would certainly help me out a lot😀

 

[pilkington82]

hey so I have a question about the one healthcare experience prompt. I am reapplying so do you think it is alright to use the same experience but maybe just rewrite? It seems alittle disingenuous to me to change it but I have had greater and more involved clinical experiences since then yet they aren't the original one that impacted my decision. I have redone and changed everything for all my apps so I'm hesitant to recycle even a tad.

 

[FML]

hey so I have a question about the one healthcare experience prompt. I am reapplying so do you think it is alright to use the same experience but maybe just rewrite? It seems alittle disingenuous to me to change it but I have had greater and more involved clinical experiences since then yet they aren't the original one that impacted my decision. I have redone and changed everything for all my apps so I'm hesitant to recycle even a tad.

I think that is totally fine for you to update an essay, especially like this one which would seem a bit off if you wrote about a different experience than last time

 

[beachbumdoc]

Not to mention the Health Fair Clinics that we have that serve the community and tons of other opportunities.

I don't see what is wrong with the website.

I was looking for info about things like if you can complete clinical rotations internationally, if there's a free clinic to work at, more stuff about whatever the "Health Fair Clinics" are, etc. which I still can't find anywhere. I agree that in terms of FAQ and things like that the site is awesome, but for other stuff not so much...

 

[MDplease123]

yeaaah i really dont get what we are supposed to write in the "non-science/non-medical life experiences" section other than what is on our AMCAS. Do they want us to copy/paste? Or is this like a list type thing like the Columbia app? ideas anyone?

 

[dee123]

are the non-medical/non-science questions optional? i would imagine that you don't have to fill them all out if you don't have an experience that applies, but i'm not sure how far to stretch it.

 

[bmr6819]

Does anyone know if the non-medical experiences boxes are optional? I can fill in most boxes with meaningful experiences, but not all of them. If necessary I can come up with something, but it would be a stretch. Do we just leave it blank???

 

[neutropos]

Does anyone know if the non-medical experiences boxes are optional? I can fill in most boxes with meaningful experiences, but not all of them. If necessary I can come up with something, but it would be a stretch. Do we just leave it blank???

I'd leave them blank. That's what I am doing. I'm sure medical schools can point out where you're BSing something or stretching something way out.

 

[FML]

Does anyone know if the non-medical experiences boxes are optional? I can fill in most boxes with meaningful experiences, but not all of them. If necessary I can come up with something, but it would be a stretch. Do we just leave it blank???

If you look at last year's prompt wording they have something to the extent of "you don't have to fill them all" so I wouldn't worry if you don't write something for all of them

 

[linkin06]

sent.

 

[jh366]

there's only 2 boxes available to input biology courses but my lectures and labs were separate each semester (2 credits each)... so can I just put the better two of the four grades earned? i got A's in both labs so it would be cool to highlight that 🙂

orgo is a similar situation... 2 boxes but I have 2 lectures and 1 lab....

did anyone ask the admissions office yet? what are you folks doing?

thx 🙂

 

[redrower]

there's only 2 boxes available to input biology courses but my lectures and labs were separate each semester (2 credits each)... so can I just put the better two of the four grades earned? i got A's in both labs so it would be cool to highlight that 🙂

orgo is a similar situation... 2 boxes but I have 2 lectures and 1 lab....

did anyone ask the admissions office yet? what are you folks doing?

thx 🙂

i put in the courses with the better grades. if they are missing something, theyll either ask you or look at AMCAS. might as well highlight all your As while you can.

 

[drwham]

says on their FAQ that everyone who gets a secondary has to pay the fee.. hope they are excluding FAP from that

called them this morning, turns out you have to email your fee waiver confirmation in and then they will email you back about how to pay for secondary

 

[drdude21]

Does anyone know if the non-medical experiences boxes are optional? I can fill in most boxes with meaningful experiences, but not all of them. If necessary I can come up with something, but it would be a stretch. Do we just leave it blank???

Under the application instructions ( before logging in):
"Leaving categories blank in this section will not make the application incomplete."

 

[lebron]

i put in the courses with the better grades. if they are missing something, theyll either ask you or look at AMCAS. might as well highlight all your As while you can.

I called them since I am on the quarter system and they said just use the first two classes. They just use the secondary as a guide but can see all the grades on amcas anyways. I might just put down all my a's too if it will look better.

 

[TAWS]

called them this morning, turns out you have to email your fee waiver confirmation in and then they will email you back about how to pay for secondary

Just to make sure, FAP people don't have to pay for secondary fee right?