* * 2010 - 2011 * * Secondary Applications Thread

[MightyMoose]

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I know I've got one but I'm not happy yet I got an interview there last year and it didn't work out so I don't have high hopes. I'm a negative person, what can I say haha

I go back to work next Monday (thankfully for cash and time reasons) so hopefully I'll be better off after that.

Haha. I hear ya, man. I'm sure it will work out just fine for you.

Nice! If it weren't for work I would probably be a lot more stressed than I am right now. You'll be in a much better place next week, but you should enjoy this week!! I would love a week off right about now. haha.

I got this one yesterday so they're probably still working on sending them out.

Nice! Would you mind posting the prompts?

 

[DbDan]

Haha. I hear ya, man. I'm sure it will work out just fine for you.

Nice! If it weren't for work I would probably be a lot more stressed than I am right now. You'll be in a much better place next week, but you should enjoy this week!! I would love a week off right about now. haha.

A week off would be fine. I've worked 2 weeks in the last 2 months!!! Epilepsy hasn't been cured, where are all our patients!?! lol Its also KILLING me by destroying my income. I haven't been getting paid so its been really hard. I've been living off of my credit card and I've maxed that out now. Luckily I have a few hundred coming in this week from my 2nd job so I can at least make a small payment on the CC to get some space for a few interview expenses.

We've got a phase 2 (intercranial electrode) patient coming in next week though. I was hoping to ask to observe the surgery for the implant but we wound up with another patient on that day too so thats outa the picture. I'm going to ask about the explant though and if I can see the resection. That would be AMAZING. 😱

 

[noshie]

A week off would be fine. I've worked 2 weeks in the last 2 months!!! Epilepsy hasn't been cured, where are all our patients!?! lol Its also KILLING me by destroying my income. I haven't been getting paid so its been really hard. I've been living off of my credit card and I've maxed that out now. Luckily I have a few hundred coming in this week from my 2nd job so I can at least make a small payment on the CC to get some space for a few interview expenses.

We've got a phase 2 (intercranial electrode) patient coming in next week though. I was hoping to ask to observe the surgery for the implant but we wound up with another patient on that day too so thats outa the picture. I'm going to ask about the explant though and if I can see the resection. That would be AMAZING. 😱

I understand what you are saying about lack of patients lately. My job requires me to consent and conduct clinical research on patients with traumatic brain injury, and it’s been freaking slow lately... No one is having a ton of fun this summer and randomly injuring themselves. Probably due to the economy. The other day, they closed down half of the Surgery ICU because there just weren’t any patients! That’s very odd for a level one trauma center/county hospital... But I get salary, so no patients doesn’t mean no work! 🙂 Though salary does not equal good pay… Haha.

 

[DbDan]

I understand what you are saying about lack of patients lately. My job requires me to consent and conduct clinical research on patients with traumatic brain injury, and it’s been freaking slow lately... No one is having a ton of fun this summer and randomly injuring themselves. Probably due to the economy. The other day, they closed down half of the Surgery ICU because there just weren’t any patients! That’s very odd for a level one trauma center/county hospital... But I get salary, so no patients doesn’t mean no work! 🙂 Though salary does not equal good pay… Haha.

yaaa I'm per diem so no patients = no pay here. Makes it difficult when I'm racking up costs for med school. I've been looking for a full time for MONTHS now in pretty much anything but the job market in LA/OC is just supersaturated. I've applied to everything from front desk administrative stuff to aide positions in PT or radiology to clinical or bench research to things completely unrelated to my degree/medicine. Its been brutal =( Oh well though. Maybe its time to start looking out of my comfort zone and look into moving to northern california or something ugh

 

[MightyMoose]

A week off would be fine. I've worked 2 weeks in the last 2 months!!! Epilepsy hasn't been cured, where are all our patients!?! lol Its also KILLING me by destroying my income. I haven't been getting paid so its been really hard. I've been living off of my credit card and I've maxed that out now. Luckily I have a few hundred coming in this week from my 2nd job so I can at least make a small payment on the CC to get some space for a few interview expenses.

We've got a phase 2 (intercranial electrode) patient coming in next week though. I was hoping to ask to observe the surgery for the implant but we wound up with another patient on that day too so thats outa the picture. I'm going to ask about the explant though and if I can see the resection. That would be AMAZING. 😱

Those would be some great procedures to check out.

I understand what you are saying about lack of patients lately. My job requires me to consent and conduct clinical research on patients with traumatic brain injury, and it’s been freaking slow lately... No one is having a ton of fun this summer and randomly injuring themselves. Probably due to the economy. The other day, they closed down half of the Surgery ICU because there just weren’t any patients! That’s very odd for a level one trauma center/county hospital... But I get salary, so no patients doesn’t mean no work! 🙂 Though salary does not equal good pay… Haha.

Man, I have a ton of TBI patients... Too bad I have to dq all of them... I wish I could share with you, because they are dying to get into research.

 

[DbDan]

Aahhhhh just got NYMC's secondary. Need money!!!! Gotta talk to the parents about helping pay for my interview until I have some cash flow... ugh

 

[noshie]

Aahhhhh just got NYMC's secondary. Need money!!!! Gotta talk to the parents about helping pay for my interview until I have some cash flow... ugh

Darn you!!! I have been waiting for that secondary! No word on mine yet... 🙁

 

[megathunder]

My AMCAS hasn't even been verified yet 🙁

 

[KCS87]

I'm filling out Secondaries now. How do you write an essay on schools that ask why "blank" COM? Do you just repeat whats listed on their website that they advertise. If so how do you do that without sounding ingenuine?

 

[sedaniel]

Aahhhhh just got NYMC's secondary. Need money!!!! Gotta talk to the parents about helping pay for my interview until I have some cash flow... ugh

"Filling out" that secondary totally feels like being robbed. lol

 

[MightyMoose]

I'm filling out Secondaries now. How do you write an essay on schools that ask why "blank" COM? Do you just repeat whats listed on their website that they advertise. If so how do you do that without sounding ingenuine?

I don't think you can... That's why I think those are terrible questions.


You could always be unique and say, "Please refer to page 8 of your brochure..."

 

[MightyMoose]

My AMCAS hasn't even been verified yet 🙁

Yeah, they are definitely a lot slower than AACOMAS in terms of processing applications, but I'm guessing that they do a more thorough job. I feel like AACOMAS just glanced at my transcript, verified a class count and approved it... While AMCAS usually makes at least 1 adjustment.

 

[FutureDoc1988]

I'm filling out Secondaries now. How do you write an essay on schools that ask why "blank" COM? Do you just repeat whats listed on their website that they advertise. If so how do you do that without sounding ingenuine?

I tried to talk about how certain aspects of the schools I really liked and why. For example if the schools has early clinical experience why you want that. The hard part is that a lot of these things aren't detailed in one place on the website. It took a lot of research onto the individual schools, but I came up with good reasons why I wanted to attend each of the schools. If you are having trouble, I suggest spending time looking at what makes the school unique. Good luck!

 

[DbDan]

"Filling out" that secondary totally feels like being robbed. lol

True story I have it filled out now I just need to create some space on my CC and speak to my parents before I can submit it. Do you have any family that are alumni? no? ok who are we getting your letters from? great... now give us 100 dollars. FML lol

 

[noshie]

I'm filling out Secondaries now. How do you write an essay on schools that ask why "blank" COM? Do you just repeat whats listed on their website that they advertise. If so how do you do that without sounding ingenuine?

I did this the last few times I applied, just looked through their website and made everything up... But this time I took a different approach. I first discussed how the location would benefit my future practice of medicine. For instance, for AZCOM I said that the diversity of the patients I would meet in Arizona would benefit my future career because I will be better able to relate to many different types of patients. Then I read their mission statement and related their goals to mine. Like if they have a mission statement that says something about furthering medicine through research, I would say that this is also one of my goals as a future physician. Or if they had a mission of helping the underserved, I would say that their mission speaks to their altruistic goals and I would love to be a part of this. Then for the DO schools, I rounded it off with my strong desire to become an osteopathic physician, and how getting an osteopathic education would make me a well rounded doctor...

I feel that you need to make it more personal than "well, you have this type of curriculum and technology which makes you a great school". Try to relate it to your future goals and desires.

True story I have it filled out now I just need to create some space on my CC and speak to my parents before I can submit it. Do you have any family that are alumni? no? ok who are we getting your letters from? great... now give us 100 dollars. FML lol

Great... Well, at least I dont have to write another essay!!! 🙂

 

[metalgirl14]

Nice! Would you mind posting the prompts?

This was the only KCUMB essay 🙂:

Describe your motivation for applying to KCUMB's College of Osteopathic Medicine, and address the unique qualities and characteristics you would bring to our University and the osteopathic profession.

 

[DbDan]

I feel that you need to make it more personal than "well, you have this type of curriculum and technology which makes you a great school". Try to relate it to your future goals and desires.

Unless that is one of the things that you feel like it is necessary to help you to succeed and is important to you. I used location, opportunities and cirriculum in many of my essays. Early clinical exposure helps you relate the science material to a patient base. If they incorporate PBL it forces integration and clinical relevance to the material which helps me remember things and thoroughly understand them.

BTW, 4:30am PST? Thats way too early, even if Texas time is ahead lol

 

[noshie]

Unless that is one of the things that you feel like it is necessary to help you to succeed and is important to you. I used location, opportunities and cirriculum in many of my essays. Early clinical exposure helps you relate the science material to a patient base. If they incorporate PBL it forces integration and clinical relevance to the material which helps me remember things and thoroughly understand them.

BTW, 4:30am PST? Thats way too early, even if Texas time is ahead lol

Haha, first, it was like 6:30am (central time)... I wake up at 4am and work at 6am, remember? Second, you are correct sir. Only if it’s something you truly think is a reason for wanting to go to that specific school. Smarty pants... 😛

 

[MightyMoose]

I tried to talk about how certain aspects of the schools I really liked and why. For example if the schools has early clinical experience why you want that. The hard part is that a lot of these things aren't detailed in one place on the website. It took a lot of research onto the individual schools, but I came up with good reasons why I wanted to attend each of the schools. If you are having trouble, I suggest spending time looking at what makes the school unique. Good luck!

This is easy... It boils to name and location.

I think you'll be hard pressed to find many schools that don't offer early clinical exposure, etc. It's just an ego stroking mechanism. It's my guess that most adcom's dislike this type of question, because the responses are ridiculous and rarely provide much insight into the applicant.

 

[MightyMoose]

This was the only KCUMB essay 🙂:

Describe your motivation for applying to KCUMB’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, and address the unique qualities and characteristics you would bring to our University and the osteopathic profession.

Nice. Thanks!

 

[DbDan]

This is easy... It boils to name and location.

I think you'll be hard pressed to find many schools that don't offer early clinical exposure, etc. It's just an ego stroking mechanism. It's my guess that most adcom's dislike this type of question, because the responses are ridiculous and rarely provide much insight into the applicant.

truth. I'd say they probably put more weight into the what do you bring, why should we accept you, why are you better than everyone else, why DO questions than why our school. The why our school questions have to get repetitive after a while

 

[DbDan]

Haha, first, it was like 6:30am (central time)... I wake up at 4am and work at 6am, remember? Second, you are correct sir. Only if it’s something you truly think is a reason for wanting to go to that specific school. Smarty pants... 😛

My lord.. 4am to get to work at 6am? I'm up at 6:55 and out the door at 7am to work by 7:45 lol

 

[traitorman]

I'm right there with you. They received all of my stuff by July 13th, but no interview for me 🙁 yet...

You wouldn't happen to be retaking the MCAT would you? I am August 5th, so I feel like mine is hopefully just on hold at the moment

no retake for me. ill just have to wait and see.

and wow at the LECOM erie acceptances. congrats to all! i wish i could get an acceptance early so i kno i would have an entire year to just chill, relax, and have fun

 

[Atom bum]

no retake for me. ill just have to wait and see.

and wow at the LECOM erie acceptances. congrats to all! i wish i could get an acceptance early so i kno i would have an entire year to just chill, relax, and have fun

Would you guys really just take the year off? Like quit volunteering and everything? I think I will be volunteering somewhere for the rest of my life.

 

[traitorman]

Would you guys really just take the year off? Like quit volunteering and everything? I think I will be volunteering somewhere for the rest of my life.

i would continue to work full time and be productive but i meant more like being able to relax knowing my career is somewhat set. what sucks about now is the uncertainty of what ill be doing next year

 

[DbDan]

i would continue to work full time and be productive but i meant more like being able to relax knowing my career is somewhat set. what sucks about now is the uncertainty of what ill be doing next year

True story... I'm going onto year two of that now... these two cycles will have taken at least 10 years off my life by the time its done.

 

[Atom bum]

i would continue to work full time and be productive but i meant more like being able to relax knowing my career is somewhat set. what sucks about now is the uncertainty of what ill be doing next year

Gotcha. This might sound crazy but I am almost looking forward to medical school as something of a break. I can't wait till I can just attend school without working full time as well.
So many sleepless days...

 

[noshie]

My lord.. 4am to get to work at 6am? I'm up at 6:55 and out the door at 7am to work by 7:45 lol

You are such a boy!!! Getting ready in 5 min is impossible for a girl... It takes time to look this hot! 😉

 

[ChemMed]

I got this one yesterday so they're probably still working on sending them out.

Thanks. I called them and they mentioned that they were several weeks behind. Its nice to know that they are starting to send them out.

 

[DbDan]

You are such a boy!!! Getting ready in 5 min is impossible for a girl... It takes time to look this hot! 😉

Pays to have short hair that I don't do anything with unless I'm going out. My little sister is the same way as you. She wakes up at 5am to be at school by 7:45

 

[megathunder]

Boys aren't all made the same. True story here. One of my friends I went to Vegas with last year decided to stay longer with another friend's group that had just arrived. So he left us the night before we were leaving but forgot all his toiletries in our bathroom. We picked it all up for him the morning we were checking out and, I kid you not, we even videotaped this, we filled three LARGE ziploc freezer bags up with all his bathroom paraphernalia. It was more than most of our girlfriends carried around, and we still give him crap about it .

So no judgments about men please 😉


In other news, my AMCAS just got verified and I'm stoked they didn't change any of my research credit to non-science. Ended up with a 3.2 cumulative. Hoping I can get at least a couple interviews.

 

[DbDan]

Boys aren't all made the same. True story here. One of my friends I went to Vegas with last year decided to stay longer with another friend's group that had just arrived. So he left us the night before we were leaving but forgot all his toiletries in our bathroom. We picked it all up for him the morning we were checking out and, I kid you not, we even videotaped this, we filled three LARGE ziploc freezer bags up with all his bathroom paraphernalia. It was more than most of our girlfriends carried around, and we still give him crap about it .

So no judgments about men please 😉


In other news, my AMCAS just got verified and I'm stoked they didn't change any of my research credit to non-science. Ended up with a 3.2 cumulative. Hoping I can get at least a couple interviews.

I fill a large ziplock bag with all my stuff but its because of things like razor and shaving cream that are bigger, if I had travel size I could fit it in a much smaller one. I have friends that can take over an hr to get ready too... I've never understood that. I can get home, shower, get dressed, shave and be ready to go out entirely in less than 20 minutes.

Congrats on the AMCAS GPA, impressive. I got screwed and unfortunately my GPA was the same as last year so I have been sending updates to all the schools, doubtful that I'm gonna pull anything off though with such an abysmal GPA 😳

I'm just hoping I get the chance to interview at a few DO schools. I'd like to have a few options and the chance to at least check out a few of them so I can make an educated decision on where I'd like to attend.

 

[noshie]

Boys aren't all made the same. True story here. One of my friends I went to Vegas with last year decided to stay longer with another friend's group that had just arrived. So he left us the night before we were leaving but forgot all his toiletries in our bathroom. We picked it all up for him the morning we were checking out and, I kid you not, we even videotaped this, we filled three LARGE ziploc freezer bags up with all his bathroom paraphernalia. It was more than most of our girlfriends carried around, and we still give him crap about it .

So no judgments about men please 😉


In other news, my AMCAS just got verified and I'm stoked they didn't change any of my research credit to non-science. Ended up with a 3.2 cumulative. Hoping I can get at least a couple interviews.

Thats hilarious! Poor guy...

Im jealous of your GPA... 😛 Mine ended up being so much lower than AACOMAS, cGPA-2.91 sGPA-2.87. Im scared.... I don't have a good feeling about OOS MD...

 

[crazynate]

my gpa stayed the same in aacomas cgpa 3.4 and sgpa 3.4 but for some reason my amcas cGPA was a 3.4 and my sgpa was a 3.2.....still don't know how that happened

 

[DbDan]

Thats hilarious! Poor guy...

Im jealous of your GPA... 😛 Mine ended up being so much lower than AACOMAS, cGPA-2.91 sGPA-2.87. Im scared.... I don't have a good feeling about OOS MD...

Better than mine! I've got no shot at in-state MD either so I'm pretty much SOL. Stupid California and their uber competitive med schools!

I spoke to my dad bout helping me pay for stuff, he offered to pay for an application to BU's SMP for January but wouldn't pay for my secondary to NYMC 😡 Then brushed it off when I said I'd rather him help with my interview costs. We'll see, he'll likely be more willing when it gets closer but that means I may be done with secondaries (no USC or NYMC) until at least 2 weeks from now. Ugh 🙁

 

[DbDan]

my gpa stayed the same in aacomas cgpa 3.4 and sgpa 3.4 but for some reason my amcas cGPA was a 3.4 and my sgpa was a 3.2.....still don't know how that happened

Math courses? research credit that was found to be non-science? "other science" courses on AACOMAS that weren't science on AMCAS

 

[MightyMoose]

Boys aren't all made the same. True story here. One of my friends I went to Vegas with last year decided to stay longer with another friend's group that had just arrived. So he left us the night before we were leaving but forgot all his toiletries in our bathroom. We picked it all up for him the morning we were checking out and, I kid you not, we even videotaped this, we filled three LARGE ziploc freezer bags up with all his bathroom paraphernalia. It was more than most of our girlfriends carried around, and we still give him crap about it .

So no judgments about men please 😉


In other news, my AMCAS just got verified and I'm stoked they didn't change any of my research credit to non-science. Ended up with a 3.2 cumulative. Hoping I can get at least a couple interviews.

Ok... Which one of these is your boy?

😛

 

[crazynate]

Math courses? research credit that was found to be non-science? "other science" courses on AACOMAS that weren't science on AMCAS

its probably the other science courses, good point

 

[MightyMoose]

Math courses? research credit that was found to be non-science? "other science" courses on AACOMAS that weren't science on AMCAS

Because AACOMAS doesn't count math as a science course my AACOMAS science GPA is lower than my AMCAS science GPA...

I still don't get why math doesn't count as a science, but whatever.

 

[MightyMoose]

my gpa stayed the same in aacomas cgpa 3.4 and sgpa 3.4 but for some reason my amcas cGPA was a 3.4 and my sgpa was a 3.2.....still don't know how that happened

I feel your pain, man. Mine ended up doing the same thing.

 

[DbDan]

Because AACOMAS doesn't count math as a science course my AACOMAS science GPA is lower than my AMCAS science GPA...

I still don't get why math doesn't count as a science, but whatever.

Mine is better without math. i was an engineering major before pre-med. Differential equations, multivariable calculus, and computer programming would have thoroughly ravaged my GPA

 

[MightyMoose]

Mine is better without math. i was an engineering major before pre-med. Differential equations, multivariable calculus, and computer programming would have thoroughly ravaged my GPA

Haha. That's why I never messed around that kind of craziness! 😉

 

[traitorman]

True story... I'm going onto year two of that now... these two cycles will have taken at least 10 years off my life by the time its done.

this is my first cycle and its already killin me. i cant even imagine two. hope we all get it!

Gotcha. This might sound crazy but I am almost looking forward to medical school as something of a break. I can't wait till I can just attend school without working full time as well.
So many sleepless days...

not crazy at all, some of my friends feel the same way. i think it might be because my job hours are amazing. i work full time but have so much time off

 

[DbDan]

Haha. That's why I never messed around that kind of craziness! 😉

I'm a nerd. I'm majorly into technology and good with physics and math (at least I was before going off to college and getting ravaged because I wasn't attending class). Thought I wanted to work with nanotechnology and build artificial limbs that would move with nervous system impulses like the technology that is coming out now. Obviously that didn't work out I much prefer patient interaction to stiting behind a computer.

If I really wanted my GPA to jump heavily with AACOMAS I would retake the one F I ever received in computer science (4 units! ahh), but then I'd be scared I was going to fail it again. My cGPA would jump from 2.93 to 3.01 if I could manage to replace that F with an A... ridiculous

 

[DbDan]

AZCOM Interview Invite!!! Go me. Going on the 24th!

 

[noshie]

AZCOM Interview Invite!!! Go me. Going on the 24th!

CONGRATS! I thought your head would explode if you didn't get one soon! 🙂 You're up to 2... 6 more and I win the bet! Actually, you're lucky that you're going Sept 24th, then all of us can tell you what to expect...

 

[zetabetazeta]

AZCOM Interview Invite!!! Go me. Going on the 24th!

Congrats!!!! 🙂

 

[DbDan]

CONGRATS! I thought your head would explode if you didn't get one soon! 🙂 You're up to 2... 6 more and I win the bet! Actually, you're lucky that you're going Sept 24th, then all of us can tell you what to expect...

Haha true, you can return the favor for me telling you what to expect from LECOM already 😉 I have a friend out there too so I'll have to give her a call to see if I can crash at her condo lol I definitely would have sunk into depression if a 2nd round went out w/o me getting one hahahah

I really like AZCOM though which is part of the reason I was disappointed. Plus I have already met the director of neurology from Barrows who invited me to go tour their Neuro department and neurosurgical suite (yes suite, they have 8 ORs just for neurosurgery or something insane like that). Gotta get in contact with him now and hopefully I can go meet him before my interview. Gotta make those connections early! lol

FWIW, I hope you DO win the bet lol, I'd love 8 interviews and a handful of acceptances. It'd cost me an arm and a leg but it'd totally be worth it.

 

[crazynate]

I have a quick question.....when they decide on giving a person an interview invite (or not), they've already read through your entire application (primaries and secondaries) already right?

 

[DbDan]

I have a quick question.....when they decide on giving a person an interview invite (or not), they've already read through your entire application (primaries and secondaries) already right?

Yes. However, it doesn't mean that the interviewers will have read it. Whoever decides on the interviews has gone through your entire application though.