Just got an interview for the University Track program!!
Scheduled early January.
Just wondering, is this date "late" as far as the rolling admission goes?
Congrats on your interview! I too was another January interviewee who was accepted to both programs (direct accepts, not from hold).
The answer to your question is yes and no, as others have said. The pool of people on hold does get larger and larger as the time goes by. But if you're awesome in September, you'll be awesome in January, too.
🙂
As to why we're rolling admissions, I have no idea.
Most schools have rolling admissions. I think they do it because when there is someone who is obviously awesome, they want to recruit that person. As those of you with October acceptances can attest to, it is nice to feel loved.
🙂
Your idea of pics with eggplants from all over the world could be the start of something big!! And fun!
Please, please, PLEASE do this!
So, my basic question is what else I can do, aside from submit a new LOR and letter of interest and autumn quarter grades, to show my interest (aka ANOTHER LOR?)?
As others have already said, the fact that you're sending the update and LOI does show that you're interested, and unfortunately there is not a whole lot more that you can do at this point. I mean that in the sense that there is no right number of letters that will convince the school to take you off hold, and there is also not something specific where if you say just the right thing, they will take you off hold. By all means, send in the updates, send the letter, and then in a few months, you can send an update with your winter quarter grades. But don't pester the admissions office.
I think we've gotten a lot of input on this thread about what the academics are like, but, dear cool people of the Case thread, what are the the +'s and -'s of 3rd, 4th, (and 5th) years at either program? Do we have some upper levels that can comment or things that current students have heard from upper levels about the strengths and weaknesses?
From my perspective as a fifth year:
Strengths:
Both Programs: We have four main hospitals where people rotate, and they have very different patient populations and cultures, which adds to the learning experience. Of course there are always a few bad apples, but in general, most of the attendings were pretty hands on with teaching students, especially at CCF. The CCF rotation directors pass out pictures of all the rotating students in both programs, and so people actually know who you are. My surgery experience was particularly awesome, which ended up surprising me quite a bit.
CCLCM Specifically: We don't have to take the shelf exams, which is a huge source of stress for many people who do have to take them. (Not just at Case, but at most med schools in general.) But we can take them if we want to, which many of us do, since they're good practice for Step 2.
Weaknesses:
Both Programs: OB/gyn is hands down the most unpopular rotation for all Case students at all rotation sites. This was even noted by our LCME reviewers when we got reviewed two years ago (I was one of the clinical students they met with.) However, this is also a fairly common thing at many other schools apparently, if you go by what you read in the clinical rotations forum. At CCF, we had to take Q4 30-hour call with the team, which was definitely among the less enjoyable experiences of my life.
CCLCM Specifically: We rely heavily on evals since we have no exams, and sometimes it is a real hassle to get the faculty to return the forms, especially when you're rotating at sites other than CCF. (My experience was that UH tended to be the worst in this regard.) It's not an issue in terms of getting a final grade, but it does come to be an issue at the start of your fifth year when you want to write your final portfolio and you might not have evidence that would be helpful.
Between the UP and CP, the main weakness of the CP, in my opinion, is the lack of grades during the clinical years. Residencies will only have summative comments (which are almost always positive) from your dean's letter and your step 1 scores on which to base their decisions. In contrast, the UP will have all of the above, plus distinct grades. Some might say that the grades are too subjective, but I say tough cookies, everything from here on out is subjective, just get used to it.
Well, if the grades are subjective anyway, what is the point?
😉
Coming from the side of having been in the gradeless system, I prefer it. I had the opportunity to take exams and have grades while doing aways, and you know, it's not all it's cracked up to be.
Other than that difference, the UP and CCLCM people have equal access to any of the hospitals in the area. The Case registrar does the scheduling for all 3rd year rotations for both programs.
CCF electives are scheduled by an administrator at CCF. Otherwise, besides the grading schemes, I agree: the rotation experience is basically the same for UP versus CCLCM.
But imagine you are a PD (program director) at a competitive program in a competitive field. You have, let's say, 10 applicants for each spot available for interviewing (not even talking actual residency spots - just interviews 😱).
Every one of the applicants has a GPA, AOA/non-AOA membership (an indicator of class rankings)...except this funny one from CCLCM.
What do you do in their shoes? Maybe you will take a chance? Then again, maybe not?
My experience so far has been that this has not been a major issue. Nearly every program I applied to ultimately invited me for an interview, including most of the prestigious/popular programs I applied to that everyone wants to interview at. Sometimes I didn't get invited with the first group of people, and then I'd get an invite later. I assume that's because the program needed more time to evaluate my app. Of the programs I hadn't heard from, I called a few and they wound up inviting me too. I even called a program that had initially rejected me and wound up with an invite. I can't explain that one except maybe I got screened out by grades initially?
It is very hard to say how much impact this is having on an individual applicant, since there are so many other factors that need to be "backed out" of the equation before a definitive answer can be made.
It's not just "very hard." It's impossible.
From what I understand, there is an application option for "No AOA available", at least, to differentiate from the "Not AOA" applicants.
Correct.
Also, I think as the reputation of the CP grows over time, this will become less of an issue, but may always linger.
I already don't think it's much of an issue. At interviews, I don't usually even get asked about our grading system, and the couple of times it did come up, it was because I had brought it up. As vc7777 knows, I put together this beautiful binder to show to interviewers if they were interested in knowing more about our program. Never have used it, not even once. The only notoriety it gets me is that I'm the only fool carrying a binder around throughout the interview day.
What it comes down to is that applying to residency is not like applying to medical school. It's more like applying for a job, and in fact, that's exactly what a residency is. Depending on specialty and program, numbers are still used to screen to some extent, but soft factors like LORs and research tend to matter quite a lot even for competitive specialties. In addition, our grading system, with the competencies and portfolios, is very similar to the grading system that residency programs use to evaluate their residents. The few times I have discussed CCLCM's system at interviews, I have pointed this out to people.
Again, this is my personal experience, N = 1, for whatever you think it's worth. But vc7777, if you honestly think I would have gotten more interviews had I been at a school with grades....
I am not sure if CCLCMer is around town...but I may or may not make an appearance 😏
No, speaking of interviews, I have an interview tomorrow. But I will be around on Friday and may stop by if any of you will be there interviewing. Anyone? Anyone?
