2011-2012 LSU - New Orleans Application Thread

[kautionwirez]

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they require 3 science letters?!?!

i have 2 science and other non sciences.... what to do... 🙁

 

[metallica81788]

they require 3 science letters?!?!

i have 2 science and other non sciences.... what to do... 🙁

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think this is the case. 2 should be fine, if I remember correctly.

 

[firstorlast]

they require 3 science letters?!?!

i have 2 science and other non sciences.... what to do... 🙁

I was shocked to find it out too, Shreveport is 2 science and one non science so I just assumed New Orleans would be the same.

ETA: This is straight from the email they sent out:
If an applicant chooses NOT to use their pre-professional committee or is no longer eligible to use their committee, the applicant must then submit THREE letters of recommendation from professors/teachers who have taught them in DIDACTIC classes in science and math. Letters from teachers/instructors of one (1)-hour lab courses WILL NOT be accepted.

 

[kautionwirez]

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think this is the case. 2 should be fine, if I remember correctly.

do you have any say in admissions? 🙂
If you do could you help a aspiring physician out?

 

[loveoforganic]

yeah, I'll get just enough time off to forget that ever started medical school and that I'll be going back.. lol

congrats on the MD/MPH program.. are you taking classes this summer then? Is there research involved?


I'd be happy to answer any questions about either MD or MD/PhD application processes!

Yeah I'm in class now. We have a capstone project to complete as part of the degree. Hoping to carry out a RCT for a medical practice-based intervention targeting physician-patient communication, but the school allots one semester for the capstone, and I'm more realistically looking at a summer to write a proposal, semester and a half to implement/collect data, then remainder of last semester to analyze and write up (assuming it will be possible in that time frame ), so I'm in the process of trying to meet with faculty and see if it has to be completed over the course of a semester or if that's flexible. Have never done the grant proposal/IRB submission before, so scary new world.

Do you do research with the PhD? Kidding, sorry, it's just nice to have someone that will be graduating after me 😀 Congrats on getting into that - which field?

 

[PsP for real]

Off topic question.

So my dad is an LSU alum but its not his highest degree. So how should I mark this on my secondary then? Everything thus far has asked for a highest degree. I was also born there and have family there so does anyone have any way that I could mark that someway or any creative ideas for doing that? 🙂

 

[metallica81788]

Off topic question.

So my dad is an LSU alum but its not his highest degree. So how should I mark this on my secondary then? Everything thus far has asked for a highest degree. I was also born there and have family there so does anyone have any way that I could mark that someway or any creative ideas for doing that? 🙂

If your dad is an LSUHSC-NO school of medicine alumnus, you probably want to emphasize that however possible. Or else, you're going to have serious issues coming from out of state.

 

[natxbug]

i am a little confused as i see in previous forums that there are people who have been accepted with 6 in verbal before and I mean they should still see that I scored a 9 before.

I wouldn't doubt that it's happened before, but you don't know what kind of rec's (or from who) those people had, etc etc. There are also people who have scored nothing below a 10 in any section & not gotten in (not waitlisted, just rejected - though they were accepted to the shreveport campus).

I'm just passing along what McCluggage (assistant dean of admissions for the med school) said about the cut-offs. They'll still look at your app, the 6 just is going to be a speed bump. They take the LORs pretty seriously, which may be an area where you can help your app.

When I met with McCluggage last year, I gave him my score break down & had a sub score of 7. He told me to absolutely re-take and to not do worse (he emphasized the necessity for me to not do worse in any section).

I have been told by 3 separate people on the admissions committee that they only consider your latest score (in reference to last year's app cycle). You may be able to call & ask which score they look at.

 

[eject]

do you have any say in admissions? 🙂
If you do could you help a aspiring physician out?

I'm sure you saw this already, but the website does seem to leave some wiggle room for people who have been out of school for a while. Maybe that implies flexibility on the letters. But that only reinforces my broader advice: talk to someone with real authority in admissions.

 

[natxbug]

Yeah I'm in class now. We have a capstone project to complete as part of the degree. Hoping to carry out a RCT for a medical practice-based intervention targeting physician-patient communication, but the school allots one semester for the capstone, and I'm more realistically looking at a summer to write a proposal, semester and a half to implement/collect data, then remainder of last semester to analyze and write up (assuming it will be possible in that time frame ), so I'm in the process of trying to meet with faculty and see if it has to be completed over the course of a semester or if that's flexible. Have never done the grant proposal/IRB submission before, so scary new world.

Do you do research with the PhD? Kidding, sorry, it's just nice to have someone that will be graduating after me 😀 Congrats on getting into that - which field?

As long as you have faculty advising you who know what you're trying to accomplish, and support it, you'll get it done. It's amazing how much of your timeline is dependent simply on your advisor helping you along or digging their heels into the ground. Definitely keep me posted on how your stuff is going! I've heard from MD/PhD students that they had some time during second year to do a little bit of work for their PhD, so you might have some time to get then to get some things done.

The office of research services might have some good info to help you get started with the grant & IRB writing. They have different seminars year-round to maybe keep an eye out for.

Paula Gregory (in Genetics) also offers a proposal writing course and might have some good resources.

Some days, I wish I could just make up a dance & submit it as my dissertation. I'm in biochem now (as a grad student this summer) but next summer I'm thinking about doing a rotation in Pharmacology or Genetics.

 

[eject]

If your dad is an LSUHSC-NO school of medicine alumnus, you probably want to emphasize that however possible. Or else, you're going to have serious issues coming from out of state.

I wonder what the real story is on the rumors of 40 spaces for OOS applicants...it seems like that'd be something easy to confirm or deny.

 

[kautionwirez]

i contacted admissions and they told me i need to get 1 more science letter.

 

[metallica81788]

I wonder what the real story is on the rumors of 40 spaces for OOS applicants...it seems like that'd be something easy to confirm or deny.

No idea here. Like I said, the little I knew about admissions before last year has left my brain by now. I hear tidbits of info like that, but just through rumors that circulate through the class from people who have recently given interview tours. It's hard to tell what's legit and what's just talk.

The only things I really remember are when they start sending out interview invites, when they start accepting, and that they're not huge fans of letting you know you're complete.

 

[firstorlast]

i contacted them and they said i need 2 more science letters? i already sent in 2 science, was one not adequate?

looks like my chances are slim to none at this school

Who did you contanct, and how did you contact him/her?

 

[Slack3r]

Is there any sort of status page for LSU?

 

[metallica81788]

Is there any sort of status page for LSU?

No.

They're pretty old school.

 

[jessiemsy]

I applied early decision and I was wondering if anybody knows the timeline for interviews/acceptance for that? Thanks!

 

[Slack3r]

No.

They're pretty old school.

Should've gathered as much since we had to print and mail the secondary like it's 1995.

 

[loveoforganic]

I applied early decision and I was wondering if anybody knows the timeline for interviews/acceptance for that? Thanks!

I interviewed mid september, acceptance/rejection has to either go out or be received by oct. 1, don't remember which, and it did take that long

 

[metallica81788]

Should've gathered as much since we had to print and mail the secondary like it's 1995.

Exactly.

I didn't hear anything from when I mailed mine in until they emailed me with an interview invite like 2 or 3 months later. And I got an early interview invite, too. I had already been on 2 interviews before I even got their invite.

I might have called to make sure I was complete. Probably. I would do that in mid August just to make sure.

 

[vannguyen]

So LSU-NO isn't participating in VirtualEvals this year. Will the LSU committee forward my letters to LSU-NO automatically or do I need to request that of them?

 

[jessiemsy]

So LSU-NO isn't participating in VirtualEvals this year. Will the LSU committee forward my letters to LSU-NO automatically or do I need to request that of them?

I'm not sure about LSU, but I go to UNO and our committee collects all the eval letters we give them, writes their own recommendation and then mails it all to the med school. Check with your advisor but they probably do something similar at LSU. I heard LSU stopped doing the electronic ones because AMCAS was so slow and/or lost them.

 

[kautionwirez]

Who did you contanct, and how did you contact him/her?

via email, admissions email address, don't have it with me atm.

i have to ask one of my professors from freshman year.... its been awhile i would say.

 

[natxbug]

I applied early decision and I was wondering if anybody knows the timeline for interviews/acceptance for that? Thanks!

I applied ED. I got my interview invite within a week of having all my secondary materials in (first week of August?).

At the interview (on a monday.. Sept 13th or something) they said they had 3 days of interviews & they'd be meeting that Friday. The letters went out the next Tuesday or Wednesday and I received mine the next day because I live in town.

 

[loveoforganic]

Sorry, I forgot I hadn't replied

As long as you have faculty advising you who know what you're trying to accomplish, and support it, you'll get it done. It's amazing how much of your timeline is dependent simply on your advisor helping you along or digging their heels into the ground. Definitely keep me posted on how your stuff is going! I've heard from MD/PhD students that they had some time during second year to do a little bit of work for their PhD, so you might have some time to get then to get some things done.

The office of research services might have some good info to help you get started with the grant & IRB writing. They have different seminars year-round to maybe keep an eye out for.

Paula Gregory (in Genetics) also offers a proposal writing course and might have some good resources.

Some days, I wish I could just make up a dance & submit it as my dissertation. I'm in biochem now (as a grad student this summer) but next summer I'm thinking about doing a rotation in Pharmacology or Genetics.

Thanks for the advice! I don't think I have the flexibility or appropriate schedule to work in a proposal writing course, but I'll definitely check out the seminars.

Good luck with it all! I'm sure you will enjoy it and be happy with your decision, but I'll be happy to have at least a few of you hardcore science nuts to leave behind 😀

 

[S6MD]

hey, do you guys mind withdrawing your app from this school? it's my #1.

thanks.

 

[jessiemsy]

I applied ED. I got my interview invite within a week of having all my secondary materials in (first week of August?).

At the interview (on a monday.. Sept 13th or something) they said they had 3 days of interviews & they'd be meeting that Friday. The letters went out the next Tuesday or Wednesday and I received mine the next day because I live in town.

Thanks. I haven't heard from them, but I'm just hoping they don't really get the interview invites going till August. stressful!

 

[nonamesleft]

do you have any say in admissions? 🙂
If you do could you help a aspiring physician out?

It's 3 didactic letters, right? I'm pretty sure they mean it. I didn't get an interview until I turned my third one in...very late January. I fedexed it to make the application deadline. Needless to say, I was sitting at the very end of the interview stack by then..

 

[TurtleHop]

Definitely apply early my friends; that did me in last year.

I dropped a C in my final semester of college. Of course, I could explain to you that the C was me getting punked, but they don't want to hear about that. Do ya'll think that will hurt me badly?

 

[kautionwirez]

It's 3 didactic letters, right? I'm pretty sure they mean it. I didn't get an interview until I turned my third one in...very late January. I fedexed it to make the application deadline. Needless to say, I was sitting at the very end of the interview stack by then..

Wow.

I have 7 letters (only 2 science) and I was able to get a letter from my freshman year chem teacher. Luckily she remembers me and I will get it by the end of this month.

 

[S6MD]

Do ya'll think that will hurt me badly?

I doubt it, although it depends on the rest of your app.

 

[PrimaryCoeur]

I'm starting in August and I'd be happy to help yall out as best I can, I'm looking forward to doing interview tours too. A little about myself is that I was a nonscience major, average grades, average MCAT, rejected once and reapplied one year later to start LSUNO after a two year nonscience masters program.

Does anyone have any hints/ideas/suggestions on what they are looking for from the secondary app essay. It's very vague...

LSU was my number one choice for a number of reasons so I wrote about why I applied to LSU-NO, what I loved about the school, etc.

for that matter i have been screened into schools like wake and vcu so i feel that they must have at least looked past the 6.

Like others said, LSUNO looks at your most recent score. My scores went up PS and BS, but down in VS, and my overall only improved one point. It was incredibly frustrated to hear the most recent score news, particularly when other schools DO take your best subscores. My take is that if you did it once it proves you can handle the section, but I'm not on adcom.

Is this the first year LSU-New Orleans is requiring three letters from science professors? They said they won't consider your application until EVERY item required for the secondary is turned in. I'm not a science major and getting a third science letter might be difficult.

I was also a nonscience major and when I reapplied my undergraduate committee had destroyed my file before I reused it, so I had to go back to get letters, including a third science eval I didnt need when I used committee. This included me going back to a professor I hadn't spoken to in ~3 years. I offered to meet with the professor to discuss my application, etc, and he thankfully wrote me my third science letter. 👍

I didn't hear anything from when I mailed mine in until they emailed me with an interview invite like 2 or 3 months later. And I got an early interview invite, too. I had already been on 2 interviews before I even got their invite.

I might have called to make sure I was complete. Probably. I would do that in mid August just to make sure.

This is similar to me. I applied ED, got ED rejection (and put into regular applicant pool) in August and got interview invite in late January! The communication between admissions and applicants is the first thing I'd recommend improving. I liked that Shreveport sent occasional automated emails saying that my application was complete and in process of review, I had better peace of mind compared to New Orleans and getting an email maybe every 2-3 months. With New Orleans I worried things like "do they REALLY have that new eval letter I sent in?"

 

[PrimaryCoeur]

Also, poking around admissions website, the "expected number of new entrants" has been bumped from 200 to 240.

Curious, anyone know if they're following through and starting that primary care program in Lafayette next year? I'm not sure if the 40 extra spots are all New Orleans or if any of it is Lafayette.

 

[Buttermellow]

Just read this on the LSU-NO site:

"LSU School of Medicine will NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE AMCAS LETTER SERVICE; however, we do access the VirtualEvals letter service."

I would also need another science letter... I think both of these will keep me from applying here 🙁

 

[jsisne1]

anyone applying early decision, have you heard anything yet? I'm still waiting on 1 more letter of rec to be received before my app is complete.

 

[S6MD]

complete here, wooo. not EDP though.

 

[Vachata]

I am a CA resident and I applied here.

Do I have a chance of getting in? No LA ties.

I also have a hill type trend in my GPA, should I mention that in my app why?

you have no chance getting in unless your MD/PhD

 

[S6MD]

you have no chance getting in unless your MD/PhD

not true. LSU-NO is accepting up to 40 OOS - they don't have to be MD/PhD or have parents that are alums.

 

[kautionwirez]

you have no chance getting in unless your MD/PhD

I don't know if this is a joke but

 

[underdog427]

anybody just receive an email from lsu-nola stating they have received secondary?

 

[Slack3r]

anybody just receive an email from lsu-nola stating they have received secondary?

Yup, almost a month after I submitted it. 😡

 

[SteveJMarist]

Mailing this out today- looks like I'm a little late, but I'm still keeping my hopes up.

 

[underdog427]

k

 

[S6MD]

bump. any news?

 

[kautionwirez]

need to make sure they received my last letters....

 

[kautionwirez]

my 2 science (lab) letters don't count......

I can't believe I have to give this up.

 

[Missorleans]

that blows. hope mine works. I only had two science profs write for me but technically mine is a "committee packet", hope that counts.

 

[kautionwirez]

that blows. hope mine works. I only had two science profs write for me but technically mine is a "committee packet", hope that counts.

I am writing several emails to professors that I have taken courses with years ago for LORs...

 

[metallica81788]

I can't believe you need 3 science letters. That's crazy. I also wonder why they're not doing the AMCAS letter service this year. Since they used it in its first year of existence when I applied (which is when you would think it would have problems), you think they would keep using it now.

😕

 

[Missorleans]

They're just kind of old school. You can't even submit the app or pay the fee online. Shreveport doesn't use AMCAS letter service either.

metallica - You're a med student at LSUHSC? Do you know about the Rural Scholars program? What have you heard about it? People like it generally or no?