2010-2011 Rosalind Franklin Application Thread

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Welcome all you new swimmers to the not so small small pool. Try not to get cramps... some of us have been swimming since Sept/Oct.
 
Hah. Or July. I'm not pining away though. Once you hit the half-year mark you just have to move on.
 
Long time lurker, first time poster...

Got invited for an interview today, my first one! I definitely did not think I had much of a chance at this school. When I got the small pool email yesterday I was pretty surprised, so you can imagine my shock and excitement when I got the interview invite today!

Any tips for the interview?

Does anyone have an idea of their acceptance rate of those interviewed? I wish I knew how much of the class has already been filled.

Celebration sushi tonight!
 
I've come to join the pool party too! Actually, I've been in since 12/20. It's cold and I have to pee. 🙁
 
phlyhigh said:
When I got the small pool email yesterday I was pretty surprised, so you can imagine my shock and excitement when I got the interview invite today!

Celebration sushi tonight!
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😡 Wut.

Congrats...

but seriously. wut.
 
Would it be reasonable to send an in the area letter if I am interviewing at medical college of Wisconsin and am traveling from California?
 
rrroddy said:
Does anybody know when they'll be done sending interview requests? Or when the last interview date for this cycle is? I thought I saw a list of interview dates for all allopathic med schools somewhere on the forum once, but now I can't find it at all. Maybe I just imagined it.... wouldn't be surprised with all this stress I've been under for 8 months (and counting!)
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I am an M1 right now at RFUMS....if it helps I had a very very very late interview.....end of April I think. And I believe they had several more after mine.
 
DoctaFuture said:
It's not really complaining on our parts, it's more like the pool is probably pretty big ergo the possibility of an individual attaining an interview invite may not be great especially at this point in time.
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At this point in time???? Man you applicants are even crazier this year than last year (in a good way, meaning on the ball). Pretty sure I didn't even apply until the app was almost due, didn't schedule my interview until the very end of March, had my interview in April, and still made it into the school.
If you are in the small pool I would be happy, it means that they like your application. I know it sucks waiting and wondering and watching the mail, but seriously try not to stress out as much about it.
I was 100% sure I wasn't getting into medical school last year and then I got into UW Madison and RFUMS both in the span of two months.
Don't give up hope!!!!
Small pool=good.

Plus, you have enough to stress about once you actually get in (i.e. I'm screwed for the test on the resp. system on Monday), so try to actually enjoy your life now instead of ruining it watching a pot boil.
 
Tippyboat said:
It is very important to me to make good friends in medical school and be a part of a cohesive class, which is why I'm kind of concerned about choosing RFU because I did not get a good social vibe while I was there (compared to other schools). I realize I was only there for a few hours on one day, so I'm hoping current students can shed some light on the situation.

One of the factors seem to be where everyone lives. If I were to go there, it would be for family reasons and I will probably choose to live far from campus (more toward the city). Since I will be commuting, will that make it hard to make friends? I am a perfectly social person and have no problem building relationships, I'm just wondering if the people who commute to school are still well integrated into the community.

I understand RFU offers a great education, but as discussed previously, there's stigma associated with it and I can't help but think it must dampen the atmosphere to have a place be everyone's last choice. I'm not going to lie, I will probably go to my other choices if family situations are willing, but if I were to go to RFU, I would be all for it and would hope everyone else were too. I went to an undergrad with no school spirit and I just want to be somewhere where peopel are EXCITED to be.

Are there social events regularly organized for the class?

When people move downtown in the last 2 years, do they still stay in close touch/hang out with people in their class? That seems like a test for friendships. If they still do, that's great.



Lastly and this is really off topic, RFU is LCME certified for the next 8 years right?

Thank you so much for any relevant information!
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Hey, I'm an M1 right now and I live in the city. If you want friends, I wouldn't recommend living in the city. I am a very social person as well and I don't really have any friends because it is just way too much effort on a limited time budget to make the effort to constantly drive in unless you absolutely have to. I started out the year driving to school at 6:30AM every day to go to all the classes and it just made me exhausted/not learn anything. By the time I got home at 7 I was beat and could hardly study, and I fell asleep in lecture. Now I only go to anatomy lab and ECR lab.....and watch all the lectures on Itunes. So I am pretty much only somewhat friends with the people I meet in lab, and I study alone. It is fine for me because I am engaged and spend my free time with my fiance anyways, but I'm pretty sure if I didn't have him I'd be miserable living alone so far from the school.
So what I'm saying is it is possible to live in the city and still make friends, but you'll be so busy that you will most likely not want to make the effort to constantly drive.
 
alphasyn said:
been placed on hold after a october interview...=/
how likely it is to get accepted off from the hold list??
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It's not impossible. I was on hold for awhile, then on the waitlist for awhile, then got in (all of this happening at the very, very end of the cycle). Being on hold means they like you! They just want to see what else is out there first since it is still early in the interviewing process overall.
Don't lose hope!
 
You seem like a BMS student. Obviously you are going to get an interview if you are. I know all the BMS students got the the invite on the Dec 16th and one of the dates is Jan 28th. Mine is on that day too.

See you there!



CanadianMaple said:
Interview invite Dec 16!!! Best Christmas present ever! 😀 I was shocked out of my mind, given that I had so much going against me- a not so stellar GPA (3.2) an average MCAT, being Canadian (as you can tell by my username) and applying late (I was complete in the first week of December). However, what I feel I had going for me was my experience in, and passion for research. I have a masters in which I have a 4.0 GPA and 2-3 publications (1 in the making). I am passionate about all realms of medicine, from clinical practice to research, and am truly inspired to pursue a career as a clinician-scientist and I really feel RFU is a great fit for me given their dedication to research and discovery. I also have lots of varied ECs and with all of this, I really think it was my personal and academic maturity that helped me get this interview. I am really grateful to the CMS admissions committee who truly have a holistic approach in evaluating their applicants (I am a prime example and testament to this). So anyways, this long shpiel is just to let everyone know that everything and anything is possible!

What is a bit strange is that I wasn't small-pooled or anything. I received a direct interview invite about a week after I was complete. My interview is scheduled for Jan 28 and I'm excited and nervous at the same time since this is my first interview at a U.S. school! I've read through the threads and it seems that the interview is a pretty good experience. I'm preparing to answer the basics i.e. tell me about yourself, why medicine, your research, explain some of your crappy grades, etc. However, I also want to brush up on my knowledge of the U.S. healthcare system and be prepared to answer questions about the Canadian system and how they are similar/different.

I'm wondering if there's anything else I should focus on. Also, I'm not clear on whether the interview is open, semi-closed or closed file. Any interview tips and any other help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks and looking forward to visiting CMS 🙂
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Hopefully invites still being given out. Any idea what are the chances of an interview invite now in the cycle? I was complete 9/22 and pooled 1/4. Thanks :xf:
 
I was put on hold here after interviewing in November. I just sent in my letter of intent and called them to see whats goin on with the admissions committee. The lady said that they did not meet for the January session but will be meeting in February, so we ll have to wait a bit longer this cycle to hear decisions and maybe interviews. Also their waitlist starts in May.
 
pooballer said:
I was put on hold here after interviewing in November. I just sent in my letter of intent and called them to see whats goin on with the admissions committee. The lady said that they did not meet for the January session but will be meeting in February, so we ll have to wait a bit longer this cycle to hear decisions and maybe interviews. Also their waitlist starts in May.
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That's good to hear. I interviewed in Dec. and was expecting to hear something after the holidays were over in early Jan. I was put oh hold my about 2 weeks after my interview... we'll see what February brings!
 
If anyone is interested, this is the standard response that rejects get when they ask for feedback. Hope this helps somebody.

"We appreciate your interest in The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University. Thank you for contacting our office for information about your application.

The Chicago Medical School looks at many aspects when considering applicants for entrance into the class. Applicants should be well-rounded and well-balanced in all aspects of their application. CMS is also looking for applicants who will serve as leaders at Rosalind Franklin University. Please review the information below to guide you on ways to improve your application.

In reviewing an application, the GPA and MCAT is taken into consideration. Statistics on our previous class averages in these areas may help you to evaluate the strength of your application. The entering class of 2010’s average MCAT score was a 29; the average science GPA was a 3.53 and the average cumulative GPA was a 3.59.

Experiences, both medically and non-medically related are considered when reviewing an applicant. The Chicago Medical School is interested in applicants who are well-rounded in experiences. A variety of experiences in the different areas of medicine helps to strengthen an applicant’s application. Examples of medical experiences include, but are not limited to shadowing a physician, volunteering in a clinic/hospital, conducting research in a lab, etc.

The medical school also considers applicants’ experiences outside of medicine. As with the medical experiences, applicants with a variety of experiences strengthen their application. Experiences completed in the university setting as well as within the community are taken into consideration. Examples of humanitarian experiences include, but are not limited to tutoring, undergraduate athletics, homeless services, fund raising events, etc.

Because of the large amount of applications our school receives each year, we highly encourage early submission of applications.

Rosalind Franklin University has a variety of healthcare degrees including Podiatric Medicine, Medical Radiation Physics, Biomedical Sciences, Health Professions Education, Women’s Health and much more. We would encourage you to visit our website to explore the different possibilities: http://rosalindfranklin.edu/. We would be happy to discuss any of our programs with you.
Sincerely,
CMS Admissions Office"
 
Hey guys, new member here. I'm currently accepted at CMS and it's my only acceptance...and I'm really not happy about that. I didn't get a good feel off interview day that it'd be a good match for me and would really appreciate hearing from other people.

CMS for me would mean commuting from the city, where we currently live, as my husband works in-city. I'd be looking at taking the Metra, which is do-able, or driving. I know a few students do this, but it's really not ideal.
 
jydeguzm said:
Hopefully invites still being given out. Any idea what are the chances of an interview invite now in the cycle? I was complete 9/22 and pooled 1/4. Thanks :xf:
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I was complete on 9/21, pooled 12/3 and just received my invitation for an interview this afternoon. The email said to reply with my choice of top 3 interview date options out of about 6 that range from as early as 2/11 and as late as 3/7. I get the feeling that late winter/early spring is a busy time for RFU interviews, so don't lose hope.
 
oh no.. i was small pooled in October and no interview yet.. i hope there is still room at cms!!
 
Are the basic science course lectures generally available online at RFU? Sorry if this question has been asked many times. Thanks for your help!
 
dsholtes said:
Are the basic science course lectures generally available online at RFU? Sorry if this question has been asked many times. Thanks for your help!
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All the lecture notes are available online for download. After lecture, the audio/video recording will also be available for you to view.
 
DoctaFuture said:
nah ja. I believe they only accept them post-interview. how are you doing man? ja didn't you get into a grip load of med schools already!
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2 acceptances, 1 rejection, 1 WL, and 1 school I withdrew my the interview because I gained acceptance elsewhere and really didn't want to go there unless it was the only option.

My SO really loves Chicago... so I promised I would put an effort into getting interviews in Chicago.. plus I have some exciting updates - 2 publications, 3 presentations, lots more volunteering hours, and a 4.0 semester to add.
 
when is the adcom going to meet again? This is taking FOREVER!!!!
 
To everyone who's been small-pooled, how long were you in primary screening for? I was complete in mid-November, and only entered primary screening in early January. I'm wondering how long I should expect to be in that stage of the process.

Does everyone who doesn't get notified that they've been admitted to the small-pool get a notice of rejection? Or do you just assume that if you haven't heard after a month or two you're rejected?
 
Withdrew my acceptance today- I hope the spot goes to one of you guys! :luck:
 
I'm in the pool too! Hoping for an interview. 😎

wavepool.jpg
 
long time lurker...received interview invite today! just to let you guys know dates available for me were 3/7,3/14,3/21, and 3/28.
 
I just canceled my interview for this coming Monday (2/14) in case anyone wants to try and get an earlier interview date. Good luck!
 
adcom meeting tomorrow for some post interview decisions? what do we think?
 
I just got an interview invite- honestly I wasn't expecting to hear from any more schools and I don't know if I should accept. I'm having a hard time getting a feel for this school- I don't have any major connections in the area so I have few outside opinions to consider, but you guys in general seem really enthusiastic about it.

Thoughts? Why should/shouldn't I interview?
 
welly said:
I just got an interview invite- honestly I wasn't expecting to hear from any more schools and I don't know if I should accept. I'm having a hard time getting a feel for this school- I don't have any major connections in the area so I have few outside opinions to consider, but you guys in general seem really enthusiastic about it.

Thoughts? Why should/shouldn't I interview?
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If you're already accepted at a school where tuition is less than about 43K or where you have a scholarship, it's probably not worth interviewing here.
 
KeyzerSoze said:
If you're already accepted at a school where tuition is less than about 43K or where you have a scholarship, it's probably not worth interviewing here.
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I'd disagree. I've interviewed at some pretty good schools this cycle, and Rosalind Franklin seemed to have a great student body. Yeah, it's somewhere middle to low tier, but it honestly has a lot of great things about it. So I wouldn't shortchange it unless you got in somewhere you really wanted/love. An MD is afterall, an MD.

Welly, in order to decide if you want to go interview, compare the school/s you got into with Rosalind Franklin in terms of location and other factors. It wasn't the best location by far, but being 45 mins from downtown Chicago has its perks.

I don't think any of us can give you advice, ultimately it's your own cost-benefit analysis, congrats though!
 
If you have an acceptance and intend on enrolling to another school, interviewing at Rosalind will only be a waste of money (especially if you feel like you have no ties/have no intentions to enroll if accepted). I would recommend giving someone else the opportunity to interview here. On the otherhand, if you're definitely on the fence, then go ahead an interview here and find out for yourself what the school is all about. Who knows, you might even love it. You might not.
 
After being in the pool for nearly 5 months and almost drowning, I finally got an interview. lol .Sorry RFU, you are too late im going elsewhere..
Im giving up the interview spot, hopefully one of you guys get it! Good luck
 
heartofsmiles said:
I'd disagree. I've interviewed at some pretty good schools this cycle, and Rosalind Franklin seemed to have a great student body. Yeah, it's somewhere middle to low tier, but it honestly has a lot of great things about it. So I wouldn't shortchange it unless you got in somewhere you really wanted/love. An MD is afterall, an MD.

Welly, in order to decide if you want to go interview, compare the school/s you got into with Rosalind Franklin in terms of location and other factors. It wasn't the best location by far, but being 45 mins from downtown Chicago has its perks.

I don't think any of us can give you advice, ultimately it's your own cost-benefit analysis, congrats though!
Click to expand...

I think CMS is a good school; all medical schools are more alike than they are different. But I can't imagine why you'd want to incur an extra 40K in debt by coming here if you already got into your state school or something.
 
fishsticks2629 said:
After being in the pool for nearly 5 months and almost drowning, I finally got an interview. lol .Sorry RFU, you are too late im going elsewhere..
Im giving up the interview spot, hopefully one of you guys get it! Good luck
Click to expand...

Congrats on the invite and your other acceptances! Mind sharing what dates you were being offered?
 
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