2009-2010 University of Washington Application Thread

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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thanks for putting up that thread bluetulip.. i feel SO much better.. I'm under 10, so I'm actually feeling REALLY good right now 😳 but I definitely don't want to get ahead of myself..

yikes, is it really going to happen this time???? :xf:
 
Ill just add this to the thread:
Number off the alternate list by year:

2009: 42
2008: 32
2007: 34
2006: 40
2005: 29
2004: 31
2003: 39
2002: 33
2001: 47
2000: 33

I just got the email, I'm #43 so its looking pretty unlikely for me. My heart goes out to #43 from last year, that must have been heartbreaking. I hope the rest of you got better news than me, and I wish you all the best of luck in the following months.
 
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A waitlist thread was created for last year which you can access at:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=618305

It looks like last year 11 got off the list within a month of hearing (4/27/09), but things picked up in May, with 15 on May 1st, 21 on May 9th, and 37 on May 18th.

Movement slows down considerably after May, I was told by admissions at University of Cincinnati that on May 15th people with multiple acceptances have to declare which school they will be going to, and many schools will be making calls to ask people where they are going. Hope this helps.
 
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Congrats to everyone accepted and good luck to those still waiting. Are there any resources to help accepted students get to know each other? I'd like to have some info about the people planning to attend each regional site before I submit my preferences. I'm hoping to end up with some students who have similar specialty/research interests....Thanks.
 
Woot! I never thought I'd be so happy to be waitlisted! I don't want to get ahead of myself, but these next few weeks/months will definitely be a lot easier than the last few. I'm so grateful that UW gives out a ranked list. Hawaii just leaves you totally in the dark until the 1st day of class...

I'm a former coug, so I have to say Pullman/Moscow is a very cool place. Super tight-knit community, safe, everything you could think of to do outside (rafting, fishing, skiing, climbing, hiking, biking...etc), cool bars, a fair amount of live music, a farmer's market. It's awesome. I loved it. That being said, it's pretty isolated. So if you're into anything urban at all, it's not your scene. Spokane is the closest 'real city' but it's kind of a bizzarre place. Downtown in sort of eerie, and overall has a noticeable lack of planning. There's a relatively high crime rate too. But it has all the ammenities of a larger city (shopping, restaurants, concerts) and some beautiful waterfront. I know WSU just built a brand new facility in Spokane, called the Riverpoint campus, but I'm not sure if that's where the WWAMIs would go...? I've never lived in Seattle, but here's to hoping I get the chance!!:xf:
 
I like the feedback too. I was talking to my dad, when he applied to medical school and U of Iowa in the 70s, there was no interview, not even a secondary application. He applied in August and heard nothing until he got in in late March. Needless to say its much better now.
 
for ranking sites... they ask that you "Do not rank any site to which you would not be willing to be assigned for your first year of medical school." I want to be in Seattle for many reasons... do you think there is anything wrong with only ranking Seattle as my first and only option? To complicate the issue further, I'm on the alternate list... Do you guys think how you rank sites can have any effect on getting in off the alternate list?

Thoughts? Thank you!
 
From what I understand, once you are given a rank there is nothing you can do to change your rank, and therefore what site you choose will have no impact on where you end up. Its similar to choosing the TRUST program, UW says whether or not you opt for that has no effect on your chances. They make you rank sites so that if everyone wants to go to Seattle some people will be sent to their second choice site.
 
Remember Ronin said:
Woot! I never thought I'd be so happy to be waitlisted! I don't want to get ahead of myself, but these next few weeks/months will definitely be a lot easier than the last few. I'm so grateful that UW gives out a ranked list. Hawaii just leaves you totally in the dark until the 1st day of class...

I'm a former coug, so I have to say Pullman/Moscow is a very cool place. Super tight-knit community, safe, everything you could think of to do outside (rafting, fishing, skiing, climbing, hiking, biking...etc), cool bars, a fair amount of live music, a farmer's market. It's awesome. I loved it. That being said, it's pretty isolated. So if you're into anything urban at all, it's not your scene. Spokane is the closest 'real city' but it's kind of a bizzarre place. Downtown in sort of eerie, and overall has a noticeable lack of planning. There's a relatively high crime rate too. But it has all the ammenities of a larger city (shopping, restaurants, concerts) and some beautiful waterfront. I know WSU just built a brand new facility in Spokane, called the Riverpoint campus, but I'm not sure if that's where the WWAMIs would go...? I've never lived in Seattle, but here's to hoping I get the chance!!:xf:
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I know how you feel, I am so excited to be on the waitlist too!! All day today, before I got the email, I was mentally preparing myself for a rejection. Luckily though I am ranked top 5 on the list so I am super stoked!! Especially because I don't have to send $100 to another school and I can cancel my late interview next week at OHSU...go UWSOM!

good luck to everyone else on the waitlist!!
 
pipette said:
for ranking sites... they ask that you "Do not rank any site to which you would not be willing to be assigned for your first year of medical school." I want to be in Seattle for many reasons... do you think there is anything wrong with only ranking Seattle as my first and only option? To complicate the issue further, I'm on the alternate list... Do you guys think how you rank sites can have any effect on getting in off the alternate list?

Thoughts? Thank you!
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I had the same question. I emailed the office and they basically told me how the assigning works. The computer assigns everyone a random number and then they go from 1 to the end and assign spots to seattle until they run out. If there are no more spots in seattle, then they try to place that person in her second choice. If the person did not put down a second choice, she is RANDOMLY assigned to either spokane or pullman. So if you actually have a preference between Spokane and Pullman you should pick your first year site accordingly.

For your second question I saw somewhere on one of their FAQ sections that your ranking doesn't affect getting off the waitlist. I think the question was something along the times of "Does putting Seattle as my #1 choice affect my chances of getting off the waitlist?" and the answer was no.
 
I'm wondering, when they say 42 people got in off the alternate list last year, does that mean #42 was the last person to get in, or was the last rank that got in higher due to people getting off the alt list and going elsewhere? Does anyone have any idea about this?
Thanks
 
LieutenantDan said:
I'm wondering, when they say 42 people got in off the alternate list last year, does that mean #42 was the last person to get in, or was the last rank that got in higher due to people getting off the alt list and going elsewhere? Does anyone have any idea about this?
Thanks
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so from what I understand, your rank never changes. What that means is that even if youre #42 and lets say #30 decided to turn down their spot on the list, theoretically you would now be #41 right, but they don't actually change your number. Basically they would just skip #30 when its their turn and go straight to #31. So when they say #42 got in last year, that means whoever started out with #42 at the beginning eventually was accepted. Not quite sure how many total people are accepted from the list though...
 
Sorry to hear that Silverlion, I hope you get accepted elsewhere this year. If not, just remember that they liked you enough to interview you and you will certainly fare better next year.
Many of us, myself included, are making the transition from applicant to reapplicant, so you are not alone. I've heard numerous stories of people having terrible luck their first time applying, only to receive multiple acceptances the second time around. I hope fortune is on your side in the near future.
 
chet said:
How do you know what category you fall into, my rejection just states the standard, "you qualified but regretfully. . . "?
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Here is the letter I received:

"The Admissions Committee of the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) has completed its review of your application. You have many fine qualities and characteristics, however, the competition for this year's entering class continued to be very rigorous and I am sorry I must inform you that we will not be able to offer you a place in the entering class of 2010 or a position on the alternate list. The Admissions Committee felt that your application fell into the "not ready" category. This means that your application had many positive points, but we felt that you would be a stronger applicant and would benefit from:

* more experiences in the world at large, seeing how others live, work, and experience health care. In the process, we hope that you will have more opportunities to reflect on how your life experiences compare with others and to demonstrate your independence, responsibility, and leadership potential.

* additional exposure to the practice of medicine, specifically observing the doctor-patient relationship. Spending additional time seeing a medical practice day to day will give you a better understanding of the satisfactions and frustrations of being a physician. If you are having difficulty in finding a "shadowing" experience, please contact our office for some leads in finding a physician to observe.

* a better understanding of the field of medicine. This would include more awareness of problems with delivery of health care as well as features of the field of medicine that make you think it is the right career for you. We hope you will continue to reflect on your personality traits, what makes you happy and what frustrates you, and the features of medicine, assessing how they might successfully intersect."

When I interviewed, my tour guide mentioned that sometimes these e-mails go out to those who are rejected, and that if these guidelines are followed, it bodes well for re-application. I thought my letter seemed like a fairly standard form letter. Did you receive something different?

Good luck for re-application. I hope this information helps 🙂
 
rockchalk06,
Here is the first part of the letter that I recieved. After this it just talks about the town hall forums for those of us that were rejected. Mine has no specific things to improve upon and so I'm unsure of where to go from here. Would it be inappropriate for me to contact admissions in a few weeks when things start calming down and ask to discuss my application and where I should look to improve? Has anyone done this in the past?

Here it is:
The Admissions Committee of the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) has completed its review of your application. You have many fine qualities and characteristics, however, the competition for this year's entering class continued to be very rigorous and I am sorry I must inform you that we will not be able to offer you a place in the entering class of 2010 or a position on the alternate list.
I wish to express my regret in not being able to allow all applicants to fulfill their aspirations of a medical school education at this institution. Because of your achievements, it is our hope that you will be able to find fulfillment of your goals this year in other ways.
 
so apparently the waitlist is already moving, yay for us all!

I was #1 and got a call from Dr. Teitz just now and I am in!! not sure how many spots have moved yet though... so excited, good luck to all the other waitlisters!
 
Congratulations crywin!! Wow, #1! I'm also top 5, so I hope I'll be hearing soon (maybe even this week?).

Congrats again. 🙂 So exciting!
 
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Has anyone received info about the OMCA second look/accepted students weekend?

I was told in early-March that it was tentatively scheduled for 4/16-17 but haven't heard anything since then.

Thanks for any info you all might have!
 
HopefulToo said:
I have good news for you, CMasterB. I interviewed at Wake recently and had an amazing experience. While they do start offering spots during the fall, they told us they intentionally leave enough spots open in order to be able to offer acceptances to good applicants they interview late in the cycle, emphasizing that interviewing later does not reduce your chances of being accepted. They also do not reject interviewees. You are either accepted or waitlisted. That means they only interview people they are truly interested in since a large portion of the interviewees matriculate and a large portion of class is taken from the waitlist (~50% for both give or take).

I am telling you this because I've struggled against UW for the past two years. Despite good numbers, great experience, and a friendly personality, they are not willing to even place me on the waitlist. You're not alone in your frustration. Best of luck and enjoy yourself at Wake Forest!
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Thank you so much for your reply. I interviewed 3/19 and got accepted! I can't believe it; after so much frustration and rejection having an acceptance is amazing. Best of luck to everyone else out there; took me 3 attempts but now I've got my chance!
 
I was told that emails will be going out soon about 2nd look, but I have not heard anything yet. She (Amen) said that guests have to pay their way though since funding is low.

Great to see people are being accepted off the waitlist!

Good luck everybody. Don't lose hope!!
 
CMasterB said:
Thank you so much for your reply. I interviewed 3/19 and got accepted! I can't believe it; after so much frustration and rejection having an acceptance is amazing. Best of luck to everyone else out there; took me 3 attempts but now I've got my chance!
Click to expand...


CONGRATULATIONS CMasterB!
 
PLU2010 said:
rockchalk06,
Here is the first part of the letter that I recieved. After this it just talks about the town hall forums for those of us that were rejected. Mine has no specific things to improve upon and so I'm unsure of where to go from here. Would it be inappropriate for me to contact admissions in a few weeks when things start calming down and ask to discuss my application and where I should look to improve? Has anyone done this in the past?

Here it is:
The Admissions Committee of the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) has completed its review of your application. You have many fine qualities and characteristics, however, the competition for this year's entering class continued to be very rigorous and I am sorry I must inform you that we will not be able to offer you a place in the entering class of 2010 or a position on the alternate list.
I wish to express my regret in not being able to allow all applicants to fulfill their aspirations of a medical school education at this institution. Because of your achievements, it is our hope that you will be able to find fulfillment of your goals this year in other ways.
Click to expand...

I got the exact same letter and am also completely lost/concerned by the total lack of feedback. I dont know if I just didnt cut it or if admissions has simply written me off. I know that the town hall forums were designed to supplant one on one meetings but I'm still going to call admissions and try for a meeting with the dean. What else can we do ya know?
 
Congrats CMasterB, that must have been an ordeal to have applied three times, I imagine acceptance is three times as sweet by now.
 
LieutenantDan said:
Sorry to hear that Silverlion, I hope you get accepted elsewhere this year. If not, just remember that they liked you enough to interview you and you will certainly fare better next year.
Many of us, myself included, are making the transition from applicant to reapplicant, so you are not alone. I've heard numerous stories of people having terrible luck their first time applying, only to receive multiple acceptances the second time around. I hope fortune is on your side in the near future.
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Thanks LieutenantDan! I hope it does. I'm not getting any younger and the fact that I've been consistently working towards getting into a med school in this country for the past 7 years has made the UW email look pretty hurtful. Saying that you've been placed in the "not ready yet" category is not nice in my opinion (and I know that I'm never going to more ready)... But I guess people like me are being (and always will be) pushed around by the schools because of some reason or the other... in a way I already was a reapplicant and thought that this would be my year. Unfortunately, it hasnt turned out that way and it is not even possible to express how disappointed I am... 🙁

However, Congratulations to all of the people who've been accepted. All of you must've worked really hard for this and a UW acceptance is a very commendable achievement.
 
silverlion said:
Thanks LieutenantDan! I hope it does. I'm not getting any younger and the fact that I've been consistently working towards getting into a med school in this country for the past 7 years has made the UW email look pretty hurtful. Saying that you've been placed in the "not ready yet" category is not nice in my opinion (and I know that I'm never going to more ready)... But I guess people like me are being (and always will be) pushed around by the schools because of some reason or the other... in a way I already was a reapplicant and thought that this would be my year. Unfortunately, it hasnt turned out that way and it is not even possible to express how disappointed I am... 🙁

However, Congratulations to all of the people who've been accepted. All of you must've worked really hard for this and a UW acceptance is a very commendable achievement.
Click to expand...

Dont lose hope Silverlion. I am not in your shoes so I cannot claim to know exactly what that feels like, but knowing that I will likely have to wait another year is very disappointing to me as well. While I agree that perhaps UW could be a little more tactful with its rejection emails, I dont think you should be discouraged from reapplying.

I started a thread asking how I might improve my application for next year and gave information about my situation, and many SDN members generously offered advice on what areas to improve. Maybe you would find that useful as well.

The important thing is to convince yourself that once you get in to medical school, all of the anxiety and heart ache of the application and reapplication cycle will be no longer matter. Many of us don't like the idea of being too old once we get to medical school, but I had read that the oldest student admitted last year was in their mid 50s, with an average age around 25.

So keep up the hard work, stay positive, and eventually it will all have been worth it.
 
latinabelle said:
I was told that emails will be going out soon about 2nd look, but I have not heard anything yet. She (Amen) said that guests have to pay their way though since funding is low.

Great to see people are being accepted off the waitlist!

Good luck everybody. Don't lose hope!!
Click to expand...

Thanks and hope to see you there! I'm hoping we receive the info soon...gotta be buying plane tickets.

Also, I have to say this is one of the most supportive and friendly school threads on here. It definitely makes me love UW a lot more that it is attracting such great people.

Good luck to everyone still waiting.
 
pipette said:
bump.

any wait list movement recently??
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I agree about the UW attracting good people comment posted earlier. My wife and I have been reading this post like hawks for the last week, and you all have been such a comfort.

Regarding waitlist movement, though I was not called or emailed, my status update page had an acceptance tab on it yesterday and I was #2 on the waitlist. Hope that is good news for others.

Peace
 
WABC05 said:
I agree about the UW attracting good people comment posted earlier. My wife and I have been reading this post like hawks for the last week, and you all have been such a comfort.

Regarding waitlist movement, though I was not called or emailed, my status update page had an acceptance tab on it yesterday and I was #2 on the waitlist. Hope that is good news for others.

Peace
Click to expand...

I just got the official email 10 minutes ago. I guess all is official. The waitlist is moving, good luck to all of you who are still waiting.
 
WABC05 said:
I just got the official email 10 minutes ago. I guess all is official. The waitlist is moving, good luck to all of you who are still waiting.
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Congrats, hopefully its not an April Fools prank.
 
any idea how long it takes for the financial aid package/letter/email to arrive after confirming acceptance?

also, anybody thinking about participating in the PREMAT program? I am debating between the PREMAT program or doing a border health fellowship in Tucson.

Thanks!
 
I have heard that it is hard to get into the premat program because there are very few spots for it, somewhere around 20, and they give preference to people who need the classes to get on the same page as the other first year students.

The program is pretty cool though, one part of it is a histology class you take during the summer as opposed to during the fall, and consequently you have a lighter class load first semester. Many students take histology in the summer and then TA in the fall class to make some extra money, and from what I understand it is very easy to get a TA position once you have passed the class.
 
Hey everyone

Just wanted to throw something out there about premat. Like someone said, you take histo in the summer instead of fall, that way your fall load is lighter. The thing is, the hardest part of fall quarter is the block of anatomy we start with. After you finish anatomy, there are really only 2 hard classes (biochem and histo) with a couple easier ones. Basically what I"m saying is, if you want to do premat, go for it. But if you are on the fence, just thinking about making fall term easier, don't worry!!! Fall term pretty easy once anatomy is over, so you'll be ok taking histo then.

Feel free to PM me with questions about that or anything else!
 
Congrats to all of you who got accepted and good luck to all on the waiting list! For those of you who got an interview or acceptance at UW, would you mind posting your general stats (nothing too specific, but ranges) like cGPA, sGPA, and MCAT? My GPA is pretty crappy and even though I'm instate I heard UW got rid of automatic interviews. Quite a few of my friends didn't even get interviews with better GPAs and I'm pretty nervous for the upcoming application cycle. I'm also debating on some postbac work. Thanks for your help!
 
I have a GPA of 3.3 overall (3.5 science, 3.2 non-science), 38 MCAT. This is my first time applying, I got interviewed and alternate listed in the low 40s.

My GPA was much lower earlier in college, but I got good grades my last 2 years. As long as you show an upward trajectory in your grades you can overcome a poor GPA.

I have heard that postbac programs can be a waste of money for a lot of people, and in many cases simply taking a few more undergrad classes to boost your GPA can accomplish the same thing.

I started a thread asking about postbacs and posted my stats and several SDN members offered me advice on whether or not to pursue one.

Also I have found that UW is probably more thorough in reviewing applications than any school I have applied to, and they will definitely take into consideration many factors beyond your GPA when you apply. Hope this helps.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about your stats. Many have been accepted with low GPA/MCAT scores and other were rejected with relatively high ones. What seems to be the most important to UW is what kind of physician you will become (ie highly dedicated to the well-being of your future patients or not so much). The way to prove that is through your extra-curricular activities. Focus more on developing a resume that both reflects your dedication to medicine (and to your future patients) and to the field within medicine that you wish to enter. Also, do some activities within fields of medicine that you are not terribly interested in so when it comes time to explain why you want to do a particular field, you will have some first hand experience to relate your reasoning to. Unfortunately, I don't know what your resume looks like. You may have already done exactly what's stated above. Overall, I don't think you have to be worried at all.

I also agree with LieutenantDan regarding upper division undergrad courses versus a post-bac program.

To answer your original question: 3.5 overall, 28 MCAT, accepted.

Of course nothing is a guarantee, but as long as you can prove via your resume that you will become a good physician in your respective chosen field, you will stand a very good chance. Hope this helps.
 
I completely agree with the above poster. It's not about your stats as much as who you are as a person. I believe that when they read through your app, UW is searching for the life experience, integrity, and character that lends itself to the practice of medicine. If you've spent a great deal of effort "going through the motions" to perfectly pad a resume, I think it shows in many ways. One, in how you reflect on your experiences in the EC section & essay, and two, during the interview. When you're invited to interview, I believe they're trying to match your personality to the resume.

Of course, numbers are important, too, in so that they know you're capable of handling a tough curriculum. But equally important is the level and source of your motivation, so that when academics/ clinicals get tough, you're able to push through it.

UW takes a very holistic approach to admitting people.

Anyways, in terms of my stats, I don't even HAVE a GPA, since I attended a small liberal arts college that doesn't give grades, but narrative evals instead. My MCAT was not spectacular either, 29 (cum).
 
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How far has the waitlist moved now? Just the first 2 spots?
 
DrLuv said:
I completely agree with the above poster. It's not about your stats as much as who you are as a person. I believe that when they read through your app, UW is searching for the life experience, integrity, and character that lends itself to the practice of medicine. If you've spent a great deal of effort "going through the motions" to perfectly pad a resume, I think it shows in many ways. One, in how you reflect on your experiences in the EC section & essay, and two, during the interview. When you're invited to interview, I believe they're trying to match your personality to the resume.

Of course, numbers are important, too, in so that they know you're capable of handling a tough curriculum. But equally important is the level and source of your motivation, so that when academics/ clinicals get tough, you're able to push through it.

UW takes a very holistic approach to admitting people.

Anyways, in terms of my stats, I don't even HAVE a GPA, since I attended a small liberal arts college that doesn't give grades, but narrative evals instead. My MCAT was not spectacular either, 29 (cum).
Click to expand...

DrLuv did you get an interview and was accepted too? My science GPA is barely a 3.3, and I'm having a hard time finding physicians to shadow. In the beginning I was sitting pretty counting on an automatic interview and hopefully show what I'm like beyond the bad numbers but now :scared:. With everything getting so competitive I'm afraid of getting screened out from the beginning.
 
OrkidLover said:
DrLuv did you get an interview and was accepted too? My science GPA is barely a 3.3, and I'm having a hard time finding physicians to shadow. In the beginning I was sitting pretty counting on an automatic interview and hopefully show what I'm like beyond the bad numbers but now :scared:. With everything getting so competitive I'm afraid of getting screened out from the beginning.
Click to expand...

3.2 sGPA here, accepted in Nov. You definitely have a shot dude. You should find other stuff to carry you though (kick-ass PS, activity descriptions), to make them want to interview you. As for shadowing, check out www.WAFP.com
 
OrKidLover--Why don't you start another thread for the 2010-2011 application year? I think posters here have addressed your concerns based on their experiences. Also, the UW's webpage on Focus Group Sessions is an amazing resource with an exhaustive Q&A section. It's not uncommon to apply more than once to UW before being admitted.

Kitanai-- Is this cuz I managed to get into med school without a GPA?? 😛 No matter, I love lovers of DrLuv!


and....super BUMP!! Anyone call the office about the waitlist?? I want to meet my future classmates!!
 
Does anyone have a detailed agenda for second-look weekend? If so do you mind posting it?

Thx!
 
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