2009 Non-Trad Applicants' Progress Thread

[NTF]

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My heart goes out to you student. Here's hoping for Vermont.

Congrats to Chuck!

 

[Lacheln]

With everything in writing, I think it will be a lot harder for them to blow me off without doing anything to address my concerns. I still don't think my chances of success are great, but at least I'll make them sweat a bit.

Good for you. I think you are correct on points 1 and 3, and truly hope you're wrong on 2.

but I just found out I got into the main campus of Miami.

Congrats. 🙂🙂

 

[sindadel]

Got accepted by my second choice and rejected by my first choice this morning.

Rather bittersweet. Now we have to figure out if we are selling and moving - classes start July 29. The school is three hours away from where we live.

 

[CultureDoc]

With everything in writing, I think it will be a lot harder for them to blow me off without doing anything to address my concerns. I still don't think my chances of success are great, but at least I'll make them sweat a bit.

Best of luck, student! Give 'em heck!

Sorry I just found out I got into the main campus of Miami.

OMG.

Hooray!! Congrats, CRF! That sounds wonderful. (SDN needs a little plam tree smiley! 😀)

Got accepted by my second choice and rejected by my first choice this morning.

Rather bittersweet. Now we have to figure out if we are selling and moving - classes start July 29. The school is three hours away from where we live.

Wow - congrats on the acceptance but sorry to hear about the rejection and the move it would entail. 👎 Are you trying to decide whether or not to live away from your family and commute in on weekends or just whether or not to sell your place right now? Either way, no fun. 🙁 I hope all goes well in the end!

 

[ChairmanMao]

Got accepted by my second choice and rejected by my first choice this morning.

Rather bittersweet. Now we have to figure out if we are selling and moving - classes start July 29. The school is three hours away from where we live.

Congrats on your acceptance, where you going for med school in July? Are you moving their with your family or will you be commuting between the two locations?

 

[ChairmanMao]

Sorry to brag when you guys are having a hard time, but I just found out I got into the main campus of Miami.

OMG.

Best of luck to you two!

Congrats Chuck! It was a hard battle fought these last application cycles. Miami's a good school and definitely beats all the places where you've been waitlisted.

 

[sindadel]

Congrats on your acceptance, where you going for med school in July? Are you moving their with your family or will you be commuting between the two locations?

Thanks!

It's the University of Calgary. I think we are going to start out with me commuting. The kids are so attached to our home and we have lots of extended family locally. U of C has a three year program so it's condensed - no summer breaks. But on the plus side, I'm class of 2012! LOL.

 

[CultureDoc]

Thanks!

It's the University of Calgary. I think we are going to start out with me commuting. The kids are so attached to our home and we have lots of extended family locally. U of C has a three year program so it's condensed - no summer breaks. But on the plus side, I'm class of 2012! LOL.

Wow. The three-year program sounds intense, but med school is intense anyway, so it's nice that the scary parts will go by faster! And I'd have to imagine that there must be a tuition difference between a 3-yr and 4-yr program . . . which would be a sweet bonus! with the commuting. There's a slight possibility I may turn into a commuter as well . . . if so, we'll have to trade tips!

So, the news in my corner is that I will not be attending OHSU. 🙁 Thin envelope of doom arrived on Friday. My ego is a tiny bit bruised and my husband is devastated (guess I didn't realize quite how much he wanted to get the heck out of dodge), but I'm trying to embrace the "everything happens for a reason" motto and see this as a sign that we need to stay closer to family for now. If I get into Mizzou, the choice between Mizzou and UofL will be the tough one, though.

 

[student1799]

It's the University of Calgary. I think we are going to start out with me commuting. The kids are so attached to our home and we have lots of extended family locally. U of C has a three year program so it's condensed - no summer breaks. But on the plus side, I'm class of 2012! LOL.

I'd like to add my belated congrats on your getting into med school. From what I read in the MSAR, med school admissions are even more competitive in Canada than here (how is that possible?? 🙂), so it's no mean accomplishment to be admitted to ANY Canadian school.

Nonetheless, you have my full sympathy on the commuting situation. It sounds like what I'll be doing if I'm lucky enough to get off one of my WLs for a school like Vermont, which is a similar distance from my family. But that condensed 3-year program sounds like a big challenge. Best of luck, and I wish you all the success in the world.

So, the news in my corner is that I will not be attending OHSU. 🙁 Thin envelope of doom arrived on Friday.

Culture, I am really, really sorry to hear that. Obviously, I can relate 100% to how you feel. But I'm glad to hear that you seem to be taking the news pretty philosophically. And I'm sure you're hard at work trying to cheer your husband up, which is probably helping you to take a more optimistic view of things as well.

Waitlist season is now officially upon us, so good luck with Mizzou!

P.S. Almost forgot: Congratulations to you too, Chuck. 👍 You've done really well this cycle!

 

[netminder]

Wow. The three-year program sounds intense, but med school is intense anyway, so it's nice that the scary parts will go by faster! And I'd have to imagine that there must be a tuition difference between a 3-yr and 4-yr program . . . which would be a sweet bonus! with the commuting. There's a slight possibility I may turn into a commuter as well . . . if so, we'll have to trade tips!

So, the news in my corner is that I will not be attending OHSU. 🙁 Thin envelope of doom arrived on Friday. My ego is a tiny bit bruised and my husband is devastated (guess I didn't realize quite how much he wanted to get the heck out of dodge), but I'm trying to embrace the "everything happens for a reason" motto and see this as a sign that we need to stay closer to family for now. If I get into Mizzou, the choice between Mizzou and UofL will be the tough one, though.

CultureDoc,

I'm sorry about OHSU. Everything does happen for a reason, though. I sincerely believe this. Like my becoming a re-applicant; I believe this happened for a reason as well.

You will do great at Mizzou or Louisville. I hope you have the opportunity to go to whichever one you and your husband feel will be better for you.

Good luck from another non-trad.

 

[netminder]

Sorry to brag when you guys are having a hard time, but I just found out I got into the main campus of Miami.

OMG.

Best of luck to you two!

Nice, with the Miami acceptance. That's awesome. Congrats, man. I am inspired by your re-app story. I am just about to start my second try.

Good luck at Miami; any thoughts on what specialty you would like to pursue?

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

Nice, with the Miami acceptance. That's awesome. Congrats, man. I am inspired by your re-app story. I am just about to start my second try.

Good luck at Miami; any thoughts on what specialty you would like to pursue?

Peds Heme-Onc maybe.
Peds Surgery?

Peds____? 🙂

Thanks! Best of luck to you! Remember to apply to new schools as a re-app. My successes were mostly from first-time applying schools.

 

[NTF]

Congrats to sindadel.

On another note, I just got a $5000/yr merit scholarship from UC. Don't know how that happened.

 

[Lacheln]

Sinadel/Culture: When you say commuter you mean your family isn't moving with you, correct? Just curious because 3 hours seems untenable. Either way, that's a bummer. 🙁

Sinadel, congrats on getting into Calgary though! That's a great school. 🙂 I have semi-family in Calgary and Edmonton, I may be out your way in not too long.

Culture, I'm sure you've heard about the potential problems at OHSU, maybe it was for best.

Nontrad - awesome!! Congrats.

Net - :cry: You really deserved some lovin', but that's a good attitude for next time. I believe that things happen the way they do for a reason too.

As for me, I'm off to UMass. I'm excited about everything about it except moving to Worcester, which is starting to stress me out more and more. Haha, what would I have done if I had wrangled my way into UW? I'd be losing it right about now. Can't imagine how some of you longer movers are feeling. When does everyone start? Ours is mid-Aug, with a class trip a few days beforehand, so I'll be moving at the end of July.

 

[sindadel]

Nontrad -

Woot!! WTG on getting some $$!

Student -

I really really hope you get into somewhere close enough. It's wrenching enough to think of being 3 hours away. 🙁

Lacheln -

Definitely PM me if you are coming out this way - I always enjoy meeting message board people IRL!

Regarding commuting, I am planning to live in Calgary M-F, working my tail off. I will drive home Friday afternoon (which is historically unscheduled because of hockey practice (!) ) and spend the weekend being mom. I will listen to podcasted lectures on the drives, so that's an extra 6 hours of learning each week. I hope this will work, but if it doesn't, the family could always join me in Calgary for some weekends. We decided to homeschool our 6 year old next year for maximum flexibility, so we don't have to worry about a school schedule. And I rented a 950 sq ft 2 bedroom yesterday, so there is enough space for all of us, but not all our stuff.

School starts July 29th.

 

[netminder]

Chuck's,

Cool; great advice. Thanks. I never really thought about this, but it makes sense. Enjoy Miami. You will have a great time.

 

[netminder]

Sinadel/Culture: When you say commuter you mean your family isn't moving with you, correct? Just curious because 3 hours seems untenable. Either way, that's a bummer. 🙁

Sinadel, congrats on getting into Calgary though! That's a great school. 🙂 I have semi-family in Calgary and Edmonton, I may be out your way in not too long.

Culture, I'm sure you've heard about the potential problems at OHSU, maybe it was for best.

Nontrad - awesome!! Congrats.

Net - :cry: You really deserved some lovin', but that's a good attitude for next time. I believe that things happen the way they do for a reason too.

As for me, I'm off to UMass. I'm excited about everything about it except moving to Worcester, which is starting to stress me out more and more. Haha, what would I have done if I had wrangled my way into UW? I'd be losing it right about now. Can't imagine how some of you longer movers are feeling. When does everyone start? Ours is mid-Aug, with a class trip a few days beforehand, so I'll be moving at the end of July.

Lacheln,

Good luck at UMass. Keep us posted. It sound like it will be a spectacular ride.

 

[CultureDoc]

Got the call from Mizzou today - i'm in!!! 😀 (and earlier than I had thought possible!)

The bad news is that I'm not sure we are any closer to making this decision. 😱 This long weekend will be spent (a) visiting Columbia, MO to scope it out properly (b) researching architecture firms in Columbia and nearby Jefferson City to see if there is ANYWHERE my husband could get a job and enjoy working (c) researching UofL's program a bit more, as I feel I haven't done my due diligence there (d) researching loan forgiveness programs for after med school (NHSC and others) because that's really the only way we can allow ourselves to consider UofL over Mizzou. I'm looking forward to the long weekend, but also feeling like it won't be long enough!

Responding to other tidbits on here:
fogie: nice scholarship!! Rock on! 👍 Also, are you a father yet? I'd love to hear the news!

netminder: sorry to hear it didn't work out this year, but best of luck in the upcoming cycle. This was my second time around, and it certainly turned out much better. Like CRF, I also had luck with schools I hadn't applied to last year. I really believe a major factor is getting your stuff in EARLY (gosh, that's soon in this case! Hope you've been working on your AMCAS and PS!!!)

Sindadel: WOW! I'm so impressed that you've figured all of this out and rented a place in less than a week. You have got it together!!

Lacheln: congrats on your decision! UMass is an awesome school - you're going to rock it out there! (And yes, moving sucks . . . I don't want to do it either!! 👎)

 

[sindadel]

Yay Mizzou!! Good luck in getting clarity on what you want to do. I'm sure you'll make a great decision. 🙂

 

[student1799]

Got the call from Mizzou today - i'm in!!! 😀 (and earlier than I had thought possible!)

Congrats, Cuture, that's great news!! I knew you'd make it. 👍👍 (And gee, that's a pretty impressive acceptance-to-interview ratio ...😎)

As for me, it must be Nontrad Waitlist Day, because

I JUST GOT INTO VERMONT!! 😍😍

The Director of Admissions just called me at home, and I whooped for joy right into the phone (she was delighted at this) and I hugged my husband and younger son--who's been home with the flu, of all things--and the dog was barking and I'm still in a daze ...

It's a 3-hour drive from the family, but that's a huge improvement over where I was before.

Thank God this process actually works out the right way once in a while.

 

[ChairmanMao]

Congrats, Cuture, that's great news!! I knew you'd make it. 👍👍 (And gee, that's a pretty impressive acceptance-to-interview ratio ...😎)

As for me, it must be Nontrad Waitlist Day, because

I JUST GOT INTO VERMONT!! 😍😍

The Director of Admissions just called me at home, and I whooped for joy right into the phone (she was delighted at this) and I hugged my husband and younger son--who's been home with the flu, of all things--and the dog was barking and I'm still in a daze ...

It's a 3-hour drive from the family, but that's a huge improvement over where I was before.

Thank God this process actually works out the right way once in a while.

Let me be the first one to congratulate you on this! 👍

See, this application cycle wasn't that bad. You'll look back on it 10 years from now and think, "Man, these were the good times" 🙂

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

congrats, cuture, that's great news!! I knew you'd make it. 👍👍 (and gee, that's a pretty impressive acceptance-to-interview ratio ...😎)

as for me, it must be nontrad waitlist day, because

i just got into vermont!! 😍😍

The director of admissions just called me at home, and i whooped for joy right into the phone (she was delighted at this) and i hugged my husband and younger son--who's been home with the flu, of all things--and the dog was barking and i'm still in a daze ...

It's a 3-hour drive from the family, but that's a huge improvement over where i was before.

Thank god this process actually works out the right way once in a while.

amazing!!!!

 

[sindadel]

WOOOOOOT! I'm so happy for you, student! We can commiserate next year about our 3 hour commute. 🙂

 

[Lacheln]

Awesome news Student! your family must be SO happy! I hope your youngest feels better soon. 🙂

 

[coffeebeanjenn]

I JUST GOT INTO VERMONT!! 😍😍

Yayyyyyy! And yayyyyy for CultureDoc! I kept checking back here to see how you guys were doing. (too busy to post with the move to Kansas City) I'm happy for y'all!

 

[CultureDoc]

I JUST GOT INTO VERMONT!! 😍😍

YESSSSS! student, this makes me so happy! Congrats to you - you absolutely deserve it. And yay for a 3 hr. commute vs. flying back and forth from Chicago! 👍

And thanks for the congrats from you, sindadel, and coffeebean. 🙂 We may have gotten a little more clarity regarding the decision this weekend, but we still need to look into a couple of things to be thorough and make sure we are secure in this decision. Woof. I've been talking with a couple people, and we concur that, although we may feel differently at the time, we are glad the residency decision will be made by a computer!

 

[student1799]

I've been talking with a couple people, and we concur that, although we may feel differently at the time, we are glad the residency decision will be made by a computer!

I'm a little in the dark as to what you mean by "the residency decision will be made by a computer." Can you explain?

 

[Lacheln]

I'm a little in the dark as to what you mean by "the residency decision will be made by a computer." Can you explain?

NRMP is the computer-based system that handles residency matches using algorithms.

Culture, congrats on Mizzou! Have you made a decision yet?

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

NRMP is the computer-based system that handles residency matches using algorithms.

To explain a little further.... Wait there is too much, let me sum up....


People rank the programs they intereviewed at. Programs rank the individuals who interviewed. Some sweet sweet love and some heavy duty math crank out a list of who matches where. No multiple acceptances. People hope to match at their top choice, or high on the list, but there are no guarantees because it also matters where the program ranked you.

 

[Nanon]

YAY!!! for student and culture!!! 😀

 

[student1799]

NRMP is the computer-based system that handles residency matches using algorithms.

To explain a little further.... Wait there is too much, let me sum up....

Oh, THAT's what she meant! Thanks. I do know how the match works (more or less), but in the original context I wasn't sure whether "residency" meant state residency for med school admissions purposes, assignment to a particular campus, or what. I didn't realize we were supposed to start worrying about RESIDENCY residency yet ...🙂

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

I am dissapointed no one picked up on the Princess Bride reference.

 

[student1799]

I am dissapointed no one picked up on the Princess Bride reference.

Chuck, I'm really kicking myself, because Princess Bride is my favorite movie of all time! As with the original "residency" confusion, it never occurred to me that there was a hidden context lurking in the background. I remember it now: it's when Montoya, Vizzik and Westley are about to storm the castle, and Westley wants to know what happened while he was "probably mostly dead."

I made a Princess Bride reference myself in this thread back in April: "W.O.U.S. (Week Of Unusual Suckage)." But I did identify it as such.

 

[student1799]

Will wonders never cease: Temple actually gave me a new interview.

I had already concluded that the school was totally blowing me off, which made me pretty mad, and I was mulling over what to do next. But I just checked my email, and there is a message from the AD apologizing for the delay (she says they were busy moving into their new building) and asking me to call Ms. Soandso to schedule a new interview.

Maybe this is just for form's sake, in which case it won't matter in the end. But if they actually ended up letting me in, that would certainly stir things up a bit ...

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

Will wonders never cease: Temple actually gave me a new interview.

I had already concluded that the school was totally blowing me off, which made me pretty mad, and I was mulling over what to do next. But I just checked my email, and there is a message from the AD apologizing for the delay (she says they were busy moving into their new building) and asking me to call Ms. Soandso to schedule a new interview.

Maybe this is just for form's sake, in which case it won't matter in the end. But if they actually ended up letting me in, that would certainly stir things up a bit ...

Very interesting. Is Temple closer to home than Vermont?

 

[student1799]

Very interesting. Is Temple closer to home than Vermont?

Yes--it's just a 90-minute train ride.

On the other hand, I just found out this interview will be on June 10th. If they're in so little hurry to do it, I'm afraid the outcome will be symbolic at best.

 

[ChairmanMao]

Will wonders never cease: Temple actually gave me a new interview.

I had already concluded that the school was totally blowing me off, which made me pretty mad, and I was mulling over what to do next. But I just checked my email, and there is a message from the AD apologizing for the delay (she says they were busy moving into their new building) and asking me to call Ms. Soandso to schedule a new interview.

Maybe this is just for form's sake, in which case it won't matter in the end. But if they actually ended up letting me in, that would certainly stir things up a bit ...

Well, it seems as though the appeal did catch their attention. I'm not sure if it'll result in an acceptance but it's certainly better than an outright rejection. We'll see how it pans out - did you and Nontradabeach PM each other and both write a letter of appeal or was this an isolated thing?

 

[CultureDoc]

Wow - I fell off the SDN wagon for a while (I think because I joined the Facebook wagon. Two social networking sites is proving difficult for me!) Sorry to have caused some confusion with my flip statement! And yes, that was what I meant . . . and yes, I had been thinking about Residency residency because it's the next (and perhaps the last?) time we'll going through anything similar to this year again. I know making that list is going to be tough, but knowing the final decision isn't entirely up to you just feels a little comforting after the decision-making (or waffling!) HELL that has been the past couple for weeks for me. I am on here to report that we FINALLY decided, though: I will be attending the University of Louisville School of Medicine in August!! 😀 It's funny because I went from thinking it was the decision we'd probably make to flipping that statement and then coming back to it in a whole different light. I am excited and exhausted! Time to grab some rest before the whirlwind of the next month or two - finding a place to live, packing, moving, finishing up my job, etc. It's going to be a little (or a lot) crazy! But I am SOOO relieved that this application process is officially over! Thanks go out to the folks on this thread for helping make this year a little more bearable via commiseration!! 😉 I am excited for all of us and excited for the great bunch of docs we'll make in the not-so-distant future!

Anyone still hanging out waiting for a waitlist or making a decision?

p.s.: student - good luck with the re-interview at Temple! It's nice to hear that someone listened there and is offering the opportunity (or at least the pretense of the opportunity 🙄). I hope it goes well, and I hope you hear something from them shortly afterward!

 

[student1799]

I will be attending the University of Louisville School of Medicine in August!!

Congrats on making the decision. (Should have posted this a while back, but I've been busy with logistical stuff like you...) I'm curious: what made you choose UofL over Mizzou, considering that you must be paying OOS tuition there? Was it the PBL curriculum at Mizzou?

p.s.: student - good luck with the re-interview at Temple!... I hope it goes well, and I hope you hear something from them shortly afterward!

Thanks for the encouragement. I went down there yesterday, and was actually blown away by how friendly and gracious everyone was. I had 2 interviews, one with the dean and the other with a family medicine prof. Both were great (especially the prof--I LOVED him), and I found myself wondering if there was actually a chance I could get into this school. (In which case, should I take it???)

But my heart sank when the dean told me that I'd been hearing from them in "early July." WHAT???
I don't think there's anything personal there (I think the adcom only meets monthly over the summer), but by that point, how could there possibly be any room left in the class? And it puts me in am impossible logistical bind, since I have to sign a lease up in Burlington by the end of this month, at which point we'll be taking the kids to Europe for 2 weeks. (Our first vacation in 5 years, and possibly our last one for the next 5 ...)

Sigh.

 

[Lacheln]

Thanks for the encouragement. I went down there yesterday, and was actually blown away by how friendly and gracious everyone was. I had 2 interviews, one with the dean and the other with a family medicine prof. Both were great (especially the prof--I LOVED him), and I found myself wondering if there was actually a chance I could get into this school. (In which case, should I take it???)

But my heart sank when the dean told me that I'd been hearing from them in "early July." WHAT???
I don't think there's anything personal there (I think the adcom only meets monthly over the summer), but by that point, how could there possibly be any room left in the class? And it puts me in am impossible logistical bind, since I have to sign a lease up in Burlington by the end of this month, at which point we'll be taking the kids to Europe for 2 weeks. (Our first vacation in 5 years, and possibly our last one for the next 5 ...)

Sigh.

That'd be quite the choice, I don't know what I'd do. On the upside, if you did decide to go with Temple its proximity to NYC would make it a lot easier to change your housing plans at the last minute - aside from eating the vt deposit of course.

Where in Europe are you off to?

 

[CultureDoc]

Congrats on making the decision. (Should have posted this a while back, but I've been busy with logistical stuff like you...) I'm curious: what made you choose UofL over Mizzou, considering that you must be paying OOS tuition there? Was it the PBL curriculum at Mizzou?

Well, I definitely fell off the SDN wagon again; thanks for the congrats and apologies for not acknowledging it sooner!

Regarding the decision, it was most certainly NOT the PBL curriculum that forced the decision over to UofL . . . in fact I am still in mourning for the loss of what I think would have been a perfect fit for me, curriculum-wise and am DREADING the substantial classroom time of UofL's very traditional curriculum. 🙁 (ouch, those wounds are still fresh! 🙁) In fact, there was nothing about Mizzou that I didn't love school-wise. The decision really came down to outside factors. I am going to get the MD either way (at least, I'm assuming this is true and that I'll actually be able to learn effectively in a traditional classroom environment! 😱); my husband, however, was going to have a very difficult time getting a job in his field (architecture) in Columbia, MO. We were probably going to have to live a couple of hours apart for him to get a decent job (REALLY untenable for us) OR we'd live together in Columbia, and he'd be stuck with a job he'd hate, which would naturally, make me miserable too (misery is contagious, I hear 😉). In addition, while Columbia is a cute college town, we're big city fans, so it's not our kind of place. I could have dealt with that easily enough, but I've heard again and again that your spouse needs to be in a place where s/he is happy. Louisville isn't the perfect place for us either (Portland was about as perfect as cities come, but I digress . . .), but it's closer to the sort of environment we want to be in. Add into the mix that the hubby's entire family lives in Louisville and it's only 5 hours from my not-so-well mother, and it becomes a much more desirable location. There are other factors too, but ultimately, what it came down to was feeling that on a daily basis we would be happier in Louisville than in Columbia, so UofL over Mizzou. I am bummed over the loss of the PBL curriculum, but this had to be an "us" decision and not a "me" decision.

And yes, we will be paying OOS tuition at UofL. (Don't remind me!! 😱) It SUCKS . . . A LOT . . . particularly given that it was my husband's home city his whole life, so it doesn't feel right to be paying that premium for a place that feels more like home. The money was, in fact, the biggest hang-up for him. He was ready to choose Mizzou on that factor alone. Ultimately, though, there are a couple of mitigating factors there: (a) UofL's OOS tuition rates have been frozen for the next 4 years, so while Mizzou's will creep up, UofL's will not. (b) if my husband is able to get an architecture job sometime soon in Louisville, from what we have found, it will probably pay 5-10K more/yr. than a similar job in Columbia, MO. (c) loan forgiveness. I'm really hoping to get in on some of that when I go out into the world to actually practice medicine. While (a) and (b) aren't going to totally make up the cost difference between the two schools, they certainly help, and hopefully (c) will pan out somewhere down the road. I am very interested in working with underserved populations, so something like the NHSC programs greatly appeal to me . . . so long as I get to work in an inner-city area, rather than a rural one!

So that's the decision in a (long) nutshell. 😳

student, glad to hear that things went so well at your Temple re-interviews, but sorry to hear about the timetable and, of course, the possible dilemma should you get in (the decision business is no fun at all!). Sounds like you should be hearing soon, though, so I'll make sure to check back! In the meantime, enjoy the European vacation!!