2010-2011 University of Tennessee Application Thread

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Total180 said:
Hey everyone, I went to high school in TN, but left for college and am technically a SC resident for application purposes. My parents and siblings all still live in TN. Do you know if they give any consideration to applicants with close TN ties? I have a 3.6cgpa but only a 26 MCAT. Should I even bother? I wasn't going to apply at all this year after finding out my MCAT score, but I figured I would give it a shot and have an interview at USC (South Carolina) at the end of September. I am hoping that this means there are more compelling parts of my app that will make my mcat score not look so bad. Shoudl I even bother applying to UT? I would love to go back to TN and be closer to my family.
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Yes they do give consideration to those with ties in TN. And yes you should apply, my wife got in with an MCAT score of 24. You never know who they will let in.
 
Any other OOSers still waiting on a secondary? I was verified on the second day possible and got an email from UT to confirm but haven't heard anything since. Anyone else?
 
I am OOS with close ties to TN, lived in Tennessee my entire life only moved because my husband is in the Army and well we go where the army tells us to go! 🙂 UT held my application until they received my MCAT scores (8/10) and I got a secondary on 8/23.
 
How long after submission of AMCAS (though I'm still waiting on a letter of recommendation) until I find out if I receive a secondary (because they only send them out to a few applicants, right)? And only those who pass the first screening are interviewed, right, so I should definitely wait until after the secondary (if I get one) is submitted before calling and setting up an interview time?
 
aboynamedsooie said:
How long after submission of AMCAS (though I'm still waiting on a letter of recommendation) until I find out if I receive a secondary (because they only send them out to a few applicants, right)?
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No one will know the exact answer to this question. You'll just have to be patient until they process and review your primary app. However, your LORs should not delay their decision on whether you receive a secondary or not (I'm making this assumption because they talk about sending LORs in on the secondary application forms).

aboynamedsooie said:
And only those who pass the first screening are interviewed, right, so I should definitely wait until after the secondary (if I get one) is submitted before calling and setting up an interview time?
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Your first clause is correct but then I think you made a bad assumption. Yes, you have to been screened for and complete a secondary before you have the possibility of interviewing. But secondary ≠ interview invite; that is how Vanderbilt does things, not UT. Edit: Apparently I'm wrong ; )
 
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Total180 said:
Hey everyone, I went to high school in TN, but left for college and am technically a SC resident for application purposes. My parents and siblings all still live in TN. Do you know if they give any consideration to applicants with close TN ties? I have a 3.6cgpa but only a 26 MCAT. Should I even bother? I wasn't going to apply at all this year after finding out my MCAT score, but I figured I would give it a shot and have an interview at USC (South Carolina) at the end of September. I am hoping that this means there are more compelling parts of my app that will make my mcat score not look so bad. Shoudl I even bother applying to UT? I would love to go back to TN and be closer to my family.
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My aunt works with a doc on the admissions board and set up a meeting with him for me. He told me that UT weighs the MCAT score pretty heavily. Since the average score for UT is 27-29 depending on the source of the information, I'd suggest you try to pull that up before applying here. They do ask on the secondary if your parents were UT alumni, but not if they are TN residents. And if, for application purposes, you are considered an SC resident, there's another strike against you. According to the MSAR, UT only accepts around %10 of each class from out of state. But you might want to double check that. If your parents have stayed in TN the whole time and you only went to college in SC, you may still be considered a TN resident.
 
Suncrusher said:
Yes, you have to been screened for and complete a secondary before you have the possibility of interviewing. But secondary ≠ interview invite; that is how Vanderbilt does things, not UT.
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Actually his assumption was pretty good. UT does not outwardly state that a secondary = interview, but everyone that gets a secondary does get an interview. However, you should definitely NOT call to schedule an interview. They will send you an email when they have scheduled you and you have an opportunity to request a different date if that time is inconvenient. At any rate, if you got a secondary, then you will definitely get an interview so calm down and hold tight. Last year, some people waited 4+ months from the time they got a secondary until they got an interview in April (and some of them did indeed get in as well).
 
Really? The way they worded the "your secondary is complete" email they sent me didn't sound that way, but I hope you're right! If so, I guess I have an interview invite on the horizon :xf: I don't mind being wrong in that case : )
 
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Secondary=interview? Really? Can someone confirm this?
 
Xslim said:
Actually his assumption was pretty good. UT does not outwardly state that a secondary = interview, but everyone that gets a secondary does get an interview. However, you should definitely NOT call to schedule an interview. They will send you an email when they have scheduled you and you have an opportunity to request a different date if that time is inconvenient. At any rate, if you got a secondary, then you will definitely get an interview so calm down and hold tight. Last year, some people waited 4+ months from the time they got a secondary until they got an interview in April (and some of them did indeed get in as well).
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I would say that the secondary=interview rumor is false. From the email telling me that everything had been received (note what has been bolded):

Dear Student:

This is to apprise you that we are in receipt of your Secondary Information Form, signature release and photo for UT College of Medicine. Applicants are responsible for meeting all deadlines.

If you meet the criteria for interview selection, you will be notified via email with the dates and times.
 
That's what I thought. I went back and looked at the e-mail too.
 
I saw that too, but neither the email nor their website explicitly states there is a screen between the secondary and the interview invite. The website seems to go out of its way to be vague about the possible outcomes of submitting a secondary. "Meeting the criteria for interview" might simply mean the residency verification and required coursework verification that comprised the secondary application, which they want to double-check before automatically interviewing you...also the person who wrote it is a student at UT (check last year's thread) so....I want to believe him, but I'm especially curious why they are so vague about it. Why wouldn't they want to advertise that? It is something that applicants really see as a positive for the school.

Probably the most confusing line in the email is "If you have not done so, please submit the signature release and photo so that we may continue with the review of your application. These documents must be in our office prior to being scheduled for an interview." It talks about a "review" of the application, as if there is another screen, but then it also acts like being scheduled for an interview could be a foregone conclusion. But maybe the "review" is just to determine who gets interviewed first (again, see last year's thread where they talk about the 2 different cycles of interviews) because it is already a foregone conclusion that everyone will be interviewed...and yet, that line can be interpreted in precisely the opposite way as well, where the interview scheduling only happens after a second screen/review. boooo

Why would the secondary invite email say "Applicants invited to interview will be notified via email of the interview dates and times. Interviews are granted between October and April" if everyone who filled out the secondary will eventually be invited to interview? I mean, what they wrote doesn't explicitly rule that out, but...yeah...I'm confused as to what I should think.
 
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Okay, so lets see if I can clear up some of the confusion. My best friend is and MD graduated from UT, his little sister also an MD from UT and my wife...a 3rd year at UT and me...well I am working on it but have interviewed. Okay, now that my social resume is out of the way...Getting a secondary is not a guarentee for an interview Period. UT works on a scoring system. They give you a score and if it is high enough you get in right away, lower scores win you a place on the wait list and still lower scores...well we know where they end up. The people on the board have been doing this a good long time so some folks they know right away where to score them-they get weeded out (or in) first. Also UT operates on a rolling basis. This means they review batches of students weekly. They usually have a meeting on friday. Some students they put off while some they decide right away via their scoring system. It tends to be true that they are more liberal with the first batches of students but as the year wears on and seats become fewer they get more conservative. UT operates on the assumption that 30 students offered acceptances are not going to attend. That is-there are 165 seats and they make 195 offers right away, every year (minus those who deferred from the year before). The last 3 years they have not broken 60 on the wait list unless you count the year they got to 71 BUT (yes there is a but) that was the year they decided late to increase from 150 to 165 seats. So they pulled the extra 15 people off the list. 71-15=56 . Last year the wait list was over 240 students. I dont know why. Since they did not get to 60 on the wait list last year it means the top 25% did not get in. I hope this clears up any confusion. Good luck to all:luck:
 
Thanks for the info.... Do you know exactly how the scores are obtained?
 
VOLengrMD said:
Thanks for the info.... Do you know exactly how the scores are obtained?
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Well that is a very closely guarded secret. Well think about it...they will score you based on your grades/GPA, your MCAT, your extracurricular activities, your experience, your interview, letters of reference, your essay, etcetera. They also have their own motivations, for example they want to have so much of the class to be female, so much of the class to be OOS and other demographics. If you "score" enough points to make it to interview you find that some of the interviewers will carry a piece of paper into the room with them. On this piece of paper is often some categories and a place to score you in those categories. Some interviewers will wait until after the interview to fill out this piece of paper so that you never see it. And still other interviewers like to take notes and then fill out the paper afterwards using the notes. I am not saying that the process is as rigid as what is on the piece of paper. I think that most interviewers use it as a guide and that is all. They then present you to the rest of the board and try to get other members of the board to vote for you. If there is a tie there is a rumor that Nelson Strother helps to break the tie---note that this is only a rumor---Anyway, I assume a high enough score gets you straight to a vote while a lower score leads to discussion. When they cannot make a decision they will put you off until later when they can compare you to the rest of the class of people applying. If you are not offered an acceptance but are put on the wait list your score determines your position. Your position is immutable, that is once you are there you have no ability to alter it. You may not move up. So make a good impression and get a good score🙂
 
VitalArmor said:
Getting a secondary is not a guarentee for an interview Period.
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Notice the one piece of evidence that is missing here. Can anyone reference a friend or even a friend of a friend that got a secondary but did not receive an interview? No, they can not because it does not happen. No, they don't guarantee it in words and they never will, but receiving a secondary means you will get an interview date. Try to prove me wrong
 
Xslim said:
Notice the one piece of evidence that is missing here. Can anyone reference a friend or even a friend of a friend that got a secondary but did not receive an interview? No, they can not because it does not happen. No, they don't guarantee it in words and they never will, but receiving a secondary means you will get an interview date. Try to prove me wrong
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Actually I think I did receive a secondary and not get an interview a few years ago, though I think you may be right...my memory is fuzzy. Who knows? I would say however that a secondary is always a good thing🙂
 
Xslim said:
Notice the one piece of evidence that is missing here. Can anyone reference a friend or even a friend of a friend that got a secondary but did not receive an interview? No, they can not because it does not happen. No, they don't guarantee it in words and they never will, but receiving a secondary means you will get an interview date. Try to prove me wrong
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Are you a student? Your amount of confidence/assertions are a little out of place. While I AM a student I can not speak specifically on the issue. ( Though I thought I had a friend who got a secondary and did not interview) More importantly, the big factor at UTHSC is not getting a secondary its when you actually interview. I know people who turned in the secondary a week after myself but did not interview until Jan-Feb compared to myself who interviewed early Nov. Obviously there are external factors you can not control, but I would get the secondary and ANY extra stuff to them as soon as possible. That means, your picture, money, everything. UT is really good about evaluating your info and getting back to you after you interview. For instance GW took 8 weeks for my to hear back from them (this is their normal wait time)
 
Anyone hear about interviews yet? Since they start in October I figured some people would hear about their interview date by now. I suspect I will not be an early interviewee but who knows. 🙂
 
VitalArmor said:
Anyone hear about interviews yet? Since they start in October I figured some people would hear about their interview date by now. I suspect I will not be an early interviewee but who knows. 🙂
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Nope, not me at least... that's what I keep checking my emails and then this thread for!
 
Got my interview invite via email late yesterday. They scheduled me two dates - one in Memphis Oct. 4 and one in Nashville (where I live) the following week. I thought it was odd they had two separate days for interviews, especially more than a week apart, but at least the second one is in Nashville.
 
Hashi said:
Got my interview invite via email late yesterday. They scheduled me two dates - one in Memphis Oct. 4 and one in Nashville (where I live) the following week. I thought it was odd they had two separate days for interviews, especially more than a week apart, but at least the second one is in Nashville.
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When were you complete? Can you share your stats, if you dont mind? 🙂
 
Armywife06 said:
When were you complete? Can you share your stats, if you dont mind? 🙂
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No problem. Secondary completed on 8/24, interview invite on 9/20. Overall GPA 3.97, MCAT 34. Hope that helps!
 
Hashi said:
No problem. Secondary completed on 8/24, interview invite on 9/20. Overall GPA 3.97, MCAT 34. Hope that helps!
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Ouch, those are good stats! no wonder you interviewed early. 🙂
 
VitalArmor said:
Ouch, those are good stats! no wonder you interviewed early. 🙂
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Lol, thanks. Apparently not good enough for Vanderbilt which is right down the street from me! Got my rejection later in the mail tonight 👎
 
Hashi said:
Lol, thanks. Apparently not good enough for Vanderbilt which is right down the street from me! Got my rejection later in the mail tonight 👎
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Well, vandy sucks anyway 😛 I think my science GPA is around 3.67 (3.72 over all) my MCAT which I took forever ago is in the 20's, still got top 3rd wait listed last year at UT. My wife is a 3rd year, her MCAT was a 24 and she got in. Mine is higher than hers but I am not tellin. I think you have a good shot based on your numbers. You can look on UT's web site and see the class profile from last year and compare your numbers.
 
Yeah, you never really know. Last year was my first year applying with a 3.4 31, and I thought it was a pretty good interview. GPA is clearly my weakness, but I can't make freshman year go away. I would love to get an interview this fall or early winter. Good luck to everyone.
 
p head said:
Yeah, you never really know. Last year was my first year applying with a 3.4 31, and I thought it was a pretty good interview. GPA is clearly my weakness, but I can't make freshman year go away. I would love to get an interview this fall or early winter. Good luck to everyone.
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I feel ya, every year they interview me and every year they dont let me in, I have interviewed more often than I would like to reveal-its how I know sooo much about the process. Anyway, good luck to all--and may you get in at a better school so I can get in here😛 I mean good luck🙂
 
So who all is applying and where is UT (Tennessee for you Texans) on your list? I really do not want to go anywhere else. Even if I could get into an expensive private school, I would not want to pay for that. I love Memphis and hope to stay right here.
 
p head said:
So who all is applying and where is UT (Tennessee for you Texans) on your list? I really do not want to go anywhere else. Even if I could get into an expensive private school, I would not want to pay for that. I love Memphis and hope to stay right here.
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Well UT is the only one on my list as my wife is presently a student, not going to spend years away from her just because I got into another school...not healthy on a relationship. Also it is too late at this point for her to significantly change her rotations to match wherever I get in.
 
Got interview invite via email yesterday. Memphis interview October 6 and Nashville (where I live) October 12. Wonder why they aren't just both at Memphis in one day? Did they just start that this year?
 
Hi all,

when you have interviewed, would you mind sharing the interview questions and experiences?

Thanks!
 
No, they did that last year too. People had another interview in Nashville, Chattanooga, etc. If you live in Memphis, they are both here.


julia2310 said:
Got interview invite via email yesterday. Memphis interview October 6 and Nashville (where I live) October 12. Wonder why they aren't just both at Memphis in one day? Did they just start that this year?
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julia2310 said:
Got interview invite via email yesterday. Memphis interview October 6 and Nashville (where I live) October 12. Wonder why they aren't just both at Memphis in one day? Did they just start that this year?
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If this is your first interview with UT you get two interviews. One is by a faculty member and the other is by a student. The faculty member will have your grades/mcat scores, etc. The student will not. The student is a 4th year or M4. The student is there to get an impression of you as you, that is why they do not have your scores and such. If you live in or near the Nashville area and the student is doing one of their 4th year rotations in Nashville then you will interview in Nashville. They have been doing this for awhile now. Hope this helps🙂
 
medhope1 said:
Hi all,

when you have interviewed, would you mind sharing the interview questions and experiences?

Thanks!
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It probably would not help. There are many different people who interview and if it is your first time interviewing at UT you may be interviewed by a student--the student does not get a vote--but the student does "feel" you out and gets a sense of you. They report back to the board and what they say carries weight. You will also be interviewed by a board member so there will be two interviews. Since there are so many different people who interview just be ready for anything. Remember the common questions: "What do you think is your greatest weakness?" "How do you cope with your weakness?" "What do you think is your greatest strength?" "What do you think about the future of medicine in this country?" "What do you think is your greatest achievement?"---I had one interview where the lady just read from a piece of paper different scenarios--What if your patient was gay?--How would you handle telling a patient they had AIDS?--Most the interviews at UT are very relaxed and personable. Don't get too nervous about them...however don't show up late in flip-flops and yammer on about how you already got into another school...not cool (yes this really happened). Do dress the part but wear comfortable shoes as there is a long walking tour. Take cues from your surroundings. My wife noticed that her interviewer had pictures of his dogs up on his wall. She used to breed dogs and well they got to talking about that and now she is an M3 at UT! I hope this helps🙂
 
About the 2nd interview, what is the schedule like? I expect the main one in Memphis to be all day, but what about the one with the student? In Nash or Chatt do you get a tour of the hospital along with meeting with the interviewer?
 
TropicalKitty said:
About the 2nd interview, what is the schedule like? I expect the main one in Memphis to be all day, but what about the one with the student? In Nash or Chatt do you get a tour of the hospital along with meeting with the interviewer?
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I do not know, I had both interviews at UT on the same day. So my interview experience was all inclusive. I would suspect that the student interview in another city is only as involved as the student wants it to be. So if your student wants to give you a tour then that is what you will get otherwise I assume it is just an interview. Again, I do not know perhaps someone who has had a student interview outside Memphis could better answer your question. Any takers?
 
They have an "academic" and a "personality" interview. And the "personality" interview isn't necessarily with a student; last year, both of mine were with doctors although some of the rest of my group had their personality interviews with students.

P.S. It is really painful seeing others get interivews at UT and ETSU when I'm still waiting and hearing nothing :cry:
 
I think I can relate SunCrusher, a little bit at least! I'm kind of going crazy since ETSU already put me on hold... and no interview at UT yet! The secondary wasn't even a "screen," I don't get it. I'm sure they're working their way around to all of us though, rather than going back to our primaries and saying they don't like them anymore.

At least that's what I keep telling myself...
 
Akr said:
I think I can relate SunCrusher, a little bit at least! I'm kind of going crazy since ETSU already put me on hold... and no interview at UT yet! The secondary wasn't even a "screen," I don't get it. I'm sure they're working their way around to all of us though, rather than going back to our primaries and saying they don't like them anymore.

At least that's what I keep telling myself...
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Keep the faith - I'm in the hold category at ETSU as well (although it's before October 15th and they have another meeting before that... so don't lose hope yet) and haven't heard anything from UT. I've only heard back from 6/21 schools (three interviews and three rejections), but I'm sure that the other schools will get back to me soon. The way I see it there's nothing more I can do at this point, and now that I'm back in school and working full time I have less time to just sit around and wait.

I think that the waiting is the worst part of this whole process. :scared:
 
Suncrusher, I'm just finishing up my secondaries today. Hopefully I'll be complete at UT within the next few days (had issues with letters). I don't have any interviews yet, so you aren't alone. I was just asking because I work full-time and am trying to figure out how my vacation time is going to have to get used so I can be prepared if (when!) I get one/any.

So no worries, you aren't alone in the waiting party.

*insert pat on back emoticon*
 
Still no interview e-mail here though I did not expect one this early. I don't have the MONSTER stats I have seen out there. I think I had everything in and done including secondary all by august this year. I was top 1/3 of the wait list last year and I interviewed in february I think. I have a modest goal to be in the top 50 (or top 1/5) of the wait list this year...or otherwise just be accepted. :xf:
 
I am waiting on the interview email as well. I know they have the committee meetings on Fridays for scoring and interview decisions. I check my email pretty much all day at the beginning of the week, just hoping. Good luck to all and please keep posting when others receive interview dates.
 
Does UT send email confirmation when your application is received? I submitted my AMCAS in early September, and it was verified last week, but I have yet to hear anything from UT.
 
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