2009-2010 University of Pittsburgh Application Thread

[MicroMN]

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Hey guys. Just wanted to wish you all good luck on the application trail. It is so exhausting but so worth it 🙂

I am going to be a first year at Pitt in Aug, so if you have any questions, feel free to message me.

FYI...
-A lot of interview invites are sent out before LORS are received, but Pitt places a lot of emphasis on LORs when making admissions decisions. So make sure you have good LORs even if you received an early interview invite.
-Pitt doesn't give auto-invites. The admissions committee is just REALLY on top of it (there are only a few people on the committee that read every single application)!
-For interview prepping, this is a really useful tool: http://more.studentdoctor.net/schoollist.php?type=2
Pitt interviews are really laid back-- they don't conduct stress interviews. I don't think that the interviewers have access to your application or numbers-- the sole purpose of the interview is to get to know you-- rather than to intimidate you. 🙂

 

[JJMrK]

Just submitted this one, it seems like everything is complete. Do they send a complete email?

 

[BlueElmo]

Just submitted this one, it seems like everything is complete. Do they send a complete email?

Nope.

 

[JJMrK]

Nope.

Cool, guess this is my 3rd complete then.

 

[osumc2014]

I was just wondering under the biology courses section, it says they require a year of biology, my school goes on quarter system, so 3 quarters = a year. But the general biology sequence at my school is only 2 quarters or semester equiv of 6.60 hours. Is that enough?

 

[flip26]

I was just wondering under the biology courses section, it says they require a year of biology, my school goes on quarter system, so 3 quarters = a year. But the general biology sequence at my school is only 2 quarters or semester equiv of 6.60 hours. Is that enough?

IIRC others have had this situation in the past and it usually works out fine; med schools do not expect you to go to another school to take additional classes in a pre req - they will accept what your school says is a full sequence of a course.

Of course, it may not fly at all schools - be prepared to explain it.

 

[Equality]

my first interview invite! =D =D

I just submitted my secondary last evening around 8pm. It took about 12 hrs for them to invite me. Wow!

 

[JasonE]

my first interview invite! =D =D

I just submitted my secondary last evening around 8pm. It took about 12 hrs for them to invite me. Wow!

were yours LORs in?

 

[osumc2014]

my first interview invite! =D =D

I just submitted my secondary last evening around 8pm. It took about 12 hrs for them to invite me. Wow!

Invites are through email right?

 

[andafoo]

my first interview invite! =D =D

I just submitted my secondary last evening around 8pm. It took about 12 hrs for them to invite me. Wow!

Congrats to you!

 

[mdeast]

Hey all. I submitted on 6/29 (LORs now in too). 36T, 3.7 Overall, 3.8 Science. PA resident. No interview yet. Is this a bad sign? Did they pass on my app already?

 

[JJMrK]

my first interview invite! =D =D

I just submitted my secondary last evening around 8pm. It took about 12 hrs for them to invite me. Wow!

Could it be that great MCAT score? Whatever it was, congratulations.

 

[osumc2014]

Hey all. I submitted on 6/29 (LORs now in too). 36T, 3.7 Overall, 3.8 Science. PA resident. No interview yet. Is this a bad sign? Did they pass on my app already?

I bet they do the batch comparison. So they'll wait for a few more apps, compare them, and give the top choices form that batch an invite...so you probably will have to wait. You do have great stats tho!

 

[lrkoehle]

Hey all. I submitted on 6/29 (LORs now in too). 36T, 3.7 Overall, 3.8 Science. PA resident. No interview yet. Is this a bad sign? Did they pass on my app already?

I'm in a similar position, but I guess we just have to wait. It would be nice to be able to sit back knowing I have an interview already, but it doesn't seem like I will have that luxury

 

[osumc2014]

I'm in a similar position, but I guess we just have to wait. It would be nice to be able to sit back knowing I have an interview already, but it doesn't seem like I will have that luxury

It would be nice...but honestly its still very early for in terms of invites

 

[imdanumb1]

yea interview, OOS

 

[Equality]

Invites are through email right?

Correct--I got the invite through email. My LORs seemed to have been submitted with my AMCAS.

The first available interview date for me was Sept 4. I wonder if there were earlier dates for interview that just got filled up.

 

[rockaction]

My LORs ain't in yet, but the rest of my secondary is submitted and complete. Are they going to wait till they get my LORs before they look?

 

[FML]

sigh...I've been complete since 7/3. Doesn't look like I'm getting any early interview love (not that I expect any with my stats)

 

[lrkoehle]

sigh...I've been complete since 7/3. Doesn't look like I'm getting any early interview love

Same here. I was hoping for one, but they must not have liked my secondaries very much...

 

[kywii]

Did anyone check their status after they submitted their secondary. I submitted my secondary yesterday and it stills says "Invited to complete secondary". Should it change to complete or will we get an email notifying us that our application is complete?

 

[osumc2014]

Did anyone check their status after they submitted their secondary. I submitted my secondary yesterday and it stills says "Invited to complete secondary". Should it change to complete or will we get an email notifying us that our application is complete?

Same mine never changed either I think it just means they havent really looked at us yet 🙁

 

[lrkoehle]

Same mine never changed either I think it just means they havent really looked at us yet 🙁

I hope they haven't looked at me yet. If they did, they did not like me...

 

[dr seuss]

Help! I'm a white, middle class male! How many more doctors like me does this country really need. I hate questions like this. I'm thinking about talking about how being a finance major will offer diverity... not too many business school grads in med school...

I have to idea what to put either.

 

[lrkoehle]

I have to idea what to put either.

Just try to dig deep. I know there has to be something unique/special about you, and anything unique will add diversity. That is what they are looking for.

 

[zizou232]

So how are you guys approaching this essay? The only dilemmas I can think of that I've faced are the typical lying vs. telling the truth, taking the blame for something you did wrong, returning change to a cashier, etc..

The word "substantial" is throwing me off in this prompt though. None of these examples are "substantial" dilemmas. I'm guessing they specifically stated not to discuss cheating in an academic setting because they've had many of these essays in years past. But do you think "substantial" is meant to filter out these weaker moral and ethical dilemmas too?

I realize you can only speak about your experiences but at this point I have an idea for my essay and I'd really like to submit it but I *could* do some more soul searching and try to dig up a better example. Basically, do you guys think one of the run of the mill answers to this essay will fly with Pitt admissions?

 

[bigman225]

II today, my moral dilemma essay wasn't too extreme.

 

[imdanumb1]

sigh...I've been complete since 7/3. Doesn't look like I'm getting any early interview love (not that I expect any with my stats)

your stats are higher than mine, and I got an OOS interview. don't fret, you'll be fine

 

[FML]

your stats are higher than mine, and I got an OOS interview. don't fret, you'll be fine

thanks for the encouragement 🙂

good luck for your interview! is it too rather early?

 

[BlueElmo]

I wish I got an interview invite here. But it looks like more waiting.

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

I'll be in Pitt Aug 1. If anyone is in the area and wants to look around, let me know. I really enjoyed my interview there. It really IS conversational. I felt both the student and the faculty interview hit some really good points that let me cover all the important issues.

 

[dr seuss]

Just try to dig deep. I know there has to be something unique/special about you, and anything unique will add diversity. That is what they are looking for.

Is placing 2nd in intramural ping pong good enough?

 

[orgoking]

I had a question about the moral dilema essay. So I wasn't sure if I could write about this particular topic so I thought I would throw it on here and get some feedback. A patient who had been in the ICU for over 2 months was in really bad shape. The family refused to make the patient DNR status (do no resucitate) and therefore even though the patient was going to die they were still full code. One night while I was working the patient went into asystole. I was about to start chest compressions when the resident called us off and let the patient pass even though the patient was full code. Technically the resident wasn't supposed to do this but nobody questioned him and the patient passed away soon after. I was wondering if A) this was too touchy of a subject, and B) could I write about this even though the moral dilema didn't directly involve me. Thanks alot.

 

[nick_carraway]

I had a question about the moral dilema essay. So I wasn't sure if I could write about this particular topic so I thought I would throw it on here and get some feedback. A patient who had been in the ICU for over 2 months was in really bad shape. The family refused to make the patient DNR status (do no resucitate) and therefore even though the patient was going to die they were still full code. One night while I was working the patient went into asystole. I was about to start chest compressions when the resident called us off and let the patient pass even though the patient was full code. Technically the resident wasn't supposed to do this but nobody questioned him and the patient passed away soon after. I was wondering if A) this was too touchy of a subject, and B) could I write about this even though the moral dilema didn't directly involve me. Thanks alot.

I wouldn't write about this simply because you may get the details wrong or you were not privy to the whole story or you may come off as overly critical of the physician(s)/family.

 

[BlueElmo]

Is placing 2nd in intramural ping pong good enough?

very good.

 

[Homoochan]

so disturbing to see people have gotten interviews already at UPitt... while i'm still waiting

 

[dingyibvs]

Hey, I've got a question for the people who applied last year. I received a letter asking me to send in my secondary last year(I didn't send it in until about 2 months after I received it), does anybody know if they send it to everyone who received a secondary and didn't reply yet or do they only send it to people they're more interested in? Thanks in advance.

 

[BlueElmo]

so disturbing to see people have gotten interviews already at UPitt... while i'm still waiting

I... want... interview!

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

Hey, I've got a question for the people who applied last year. I received a letter asking me to send in my secondary last year(I didn't send it in until about 2 months after I received it), does anybody know if they send it to everyone who received a secondary and didn't reply yet or do they only send it to people they're more interested in? Thanks in advance.

They send it to everyone, I think. I know I received one. It felt like an auto-mail since I had completed my secondary before they mailed it.

 

[lrkoehle]

I... want... interview!

Same here. I think they have only sent out invites to the people that they probably consider to be a sure thing for an acceptance. You know, the people that they like more than me...🙁 (I think a crying emoticon would better represent my emotions)

 

[osumc2014]

Same here. I think they have only sent out invites to the people that they probably consider to be a sure thing for an acceptance. You know, the people that they like more than me...🙁 (I think a crying emoticon would better represent my emotions)

:cry: there ya go

 

[BlueElmo]

Me, too..

 

[JJMrK]

Same here. I think they have only sent out invites to the people that they probably consider to be a sure thing for an acceptance. You know, the people that they like more than me...🙁 (I think a crying emoticon would better represent my emotions)

Chillax. You have a 35 and a 3.8.

 

[lrkoehle]

:cry: there ya go

Me, too..

Where did you find the crying emoticons? I looked in the thing here on SDN, and I didn't see any.

Chillax. You have a 35 and a 3.8.

I'm not really stressed, I just felt like a crying emoticon would be more dramatic.

 

[BlueElmo]

Where did you find the crying emoticons? I looked in the thing here on SDN, and I didn't see any.



I'm not really stressed, I just felt like a crying emoticon would be more dramatic.

Click "more" for conventional ones.

 

[rockaction]

I'm in the same boat with you guys. Complete and waiting. I need an interview to validate my fragile self-esteem

Oh what this process has already done to me

 

[osumc2014]

I'm in the same boat with you guys. Complete and waiting. I need an interview to validate my fragile self-esteem

Oh what this process has already done to me

The thing is we all know its still very early...but we've worked so hard that an interview anywhere would calm us...at least for a couple months! lol

 

[AGLAIA]

Two questions:

If you are from a college with a quarter system, are you reporting your classes as quarter or semester credits?

If you general course grades are weaker than subsequent classes (for which the general course is a pre-req) are you reporting your general course or the higher level course?

Thx

 

[osumc2014]

Two questions:

If you are from a college with a quarter system, are you reporting your classes as quarter or semester credits?

If you general course grades are weaker than subsequent classes (for which the general course is a pre-req) are you reporting your general course or the higher level course?

Thx

1) Reporting as semester credits
2) report your general courses, isn't that all they ask for? shouldn't be putting down upper level courses anyway

 

[Dantheman1828]

What do you guys think of this ethical dilemma?

I was recently in Ghana and I caught a guy about 20 years old trying to steal my cell phone. It had fallen out of my pocket in the bus we were riding in and out of the corner of my eye I watched him pick it up, turn it off and slip it in his bag. After confronting him about it he continuously denied having it. Before I knew it the bus had pulled over, a cop was called over and a small crowd gathered. Just as I had thought they found my phone on this guy. I guess they take theft pretty seriously over there because everyone was screaming at the cop to take him to jail. Essentially his fate was in my hands so I could have either told the cop to take him to jail (which everyone was yelling at me and the cop to do) or let him go free and hope he doesnt try to do that to anyone again. As I'm sure a lot of westerners would I forgave him, but needless to say the rest of the bus ride was pretty awkward for both of us!