What branch were you accepted into? I interviewed on Oct 20 and was waitlisted. Now I can't decided if I want to wait a little to see if I move off or if I want to tell them I'm open to any branch.
2011-2012 Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences Application Thread
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What branch were you accepted into? I interviewed on Oct 20 and was waitlisted. Now I can't decided if I want to wait a little to see if I move off or if I want to tell them I'm open to any branch.
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did they say we can do that or was it on the waitlist letter? It kind of seemed that once we turned in the preference sheet thats what they would use
It was on the waitlist letter. It says you can email them with a new branch preference or with no preference but if you get into your second or third choice and a spot in your first opens up you won't be able to change.
So frustrating to have the first line of the letter say the admission comittee approved you for acceptance but they don't have a place for you yet so continue waiting.
Waitlist then alternate. The waitlist letter says you're accepted but your branch of choice was full. It sounds like they don't start pulling off the alternate list until after everyone on the waitlist has a spot.
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so apparently I am medically disqualified because the laser eye surgery I got doesn't meet their standards (which I found rather stupid because the doctor I went to has done the same exact type of laser eye surgery to people in the military) so does anyone know how waivers work?
the lady at USUHS seemed to make it seem like it was pretty easy to get a waiver just wondering if its true
the lady at USUHS seemed to make it seem like it was pretty easy to get a waiver just wondering if its true
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for people who have been accepted or current students (or really anyone else who would know)..
so i'm currently still in grad school and i have some grad school debt in the form of federal loans. i think i'm supposed to start repaying those loans as soon as i start having an income (which would be next year when I get commissioned), but I'll still be a student. does anyone know who I could talk to regard the loans issue? I also heard somewhere that my loans would all be taken care of by the government/military? any truth to this? I emailed admissions but haven't received a response and it's been a few days.
thanks in advance!
so i'm currently still in grad school and i have some grad school debt in the form of federal loans. i think i'm supposed to start repaying those loans as soon as i start having an income (which would be next year when I get commissioned), but I'll still be a student. does anyone know who I could talk to regard the loans issue? I also heard somewhere that my loans would all be taken care of by the government/military? any truth to this? I emailed admissions but haven't received a response and it's been a few days.
thanks in advance!
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I'm pretty sure that federal loans can be deferred if you are a student (this is what I did when I was in grad school). However, if the loans are unsubsidized, you will continue to accrue interest. If you are one of the lucky ones who got subsidized loans for grad school, then I'm not sure if they will accrue interest while in deferment...
Unless you won't be accruing interest while in med school you are probably best to go into repayment, seeing as you will be making ~60K at USUHS. I make half that now at NIH and I can afford to live in this area and pay ~$900 in loans/month.
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so the government does not take up the repayment of the loans? i'm just wondering b/c I have a friend who just started law school after working in the army as a contractor and he told me they paid for his federal undergrad loans and are also paying off his law school bills too...
As a current second year at USUHS I would like to put this nonsense post into perspective for all who were thinking about going to USUHS and had to read this.
It was posted on Sunday, November 13th at 11:02PM. The night before our Pathogenic Bacteria Exam. We're in medical school and guess what? Exams are hard! Life sucks after you've been studying for hours and hours instead of going out and having fun but it's going to be like that regardless of what medical school you go to. If it were easy everyone would be a doctor. I think it's irresponsible for someone to post on here when they were in that state of mind. I would also like to point out that listening to someone who decided to take the time to post on a forum instead of study or sleep the night before a test probably isn't the person you should be taking too seriously.
Parking is an issue right now at the school but the policy is being reviewed and more parking passes are being issued to students. I had to carpool for....1 month! Then I was given a parking pass. As for attending lectures, each lecture is recorded and available online so if your life is soooo inconvenienced by sharing a car then you can stay home and watch it on your laptop. The laptop you bought with the paycheck you get twice a month instead of taking out loans.
I don't know what to say about the Office of Student Life. Do they come and talk to us? Not really. But I could care less. They have periodic lectures about how to prepare for the Step Exam and that's really all I really need them for. Maybe they feel that if you have an issue you would take the time to go to their office and talk to them... or email them..... or call them. That's why they have an open door policy and give us their contact information.
Class morale at USUHS? Yeah unfortunately they are some people at USUHS who believe the grass is greener on the other side and they wouldn't have to study as hard if they went to a different medical school. Luckily, those people apparently don't go to school that much and the rest of us don't have to see them. Medical school is a lot of work and I hope you really think hard about whether or not it's worth it for you. When you're reading all these posts remember that the people who are posting might be in a different state of mind and not coming on here strictly to help you and guide you on your way.
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I am also a USUHS student and also chose this school over a good state school BUT I could not be happier with my decision and where my career is going. I joined SDN specifically to address any concerns applicants may have about the "legitimacy" of the school. I agree last year went quite well and yes I was forced to carpool for about two months as the result of a major base realignment, when Walter Reed closed and moved over to Navy. Find me a major metropolitan hospital that doesn't have some parking issues and I'll give you a dollar. Now I'm one of the many who received their own parking pass and drive myself to and from school whenever I want. In fact every person in my old carpool drives themselves and I'm sure by next year there will no zero parking issues at the school.
Lectures are recorded and teachers are very approachable so missing class doesn't hurt your education.
The first years will have to comment on the specifics of how blazing the way in the new curriculum is but they aren't dropping out like flies, yet.
I'm at school every day and I don't know where this decline in moral is(maybe the women's bathroom or the gym or other places I don't go) but if anything the parking nonsense has brought our class closer together.
The Office of Student Affairs is our advocate, seriously. But they are also the ones who send out the dreaded parking emails, oh no!! I don't know of any other "bad" news they've given out and they have certainly not taken anything from us.
I agree the pros SIGNIFICANTLY outweigh the cons of USUHS. I have heard zero complaints from my classmates who I see on a daily basis that imply the school, DoD or government is failing us in anyway. The second year of medical sucks for everyone but you can't blame your troubles on a base realignment and a new curriculum. I would highly recommend USUHS to anyone andI realize that HSPS is more appealing to some, which is completely fine because I agree mil med is the place to be at. As long as you have the desire to serve your country and those who protect it, you will not be disappointed in USUHS.
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unconditional letter in the mail today!
I have been watching the thread here and I have only seen one post from someone who interviewed on the Oct. 20th who was waitlisted. Has anybody actually been admitted from that date or does anybody have first hand knowledge that someone was admitted from that date. I have yet to hear anything which makes me believe that my news will not be good when I get it. Having a rather large deposit due soon to accept a place at another school, I would like to know for sure my status at USUHS before dropping that kind of cash for my 2nd choice. Not the worst problem in the world to have I know, but still ...
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I feel your pain I just dropped 1k down on another school...I know they say they don't give results over the phone but maybe call tell them the situation and maybe just ask if a decision has been reached?
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I interviewed on 10/13 and received a waitlist letter dated 11/23. Does anyone know if as people drop acceptances those on the waitlist are notified as they are selected or do calls still go out on the 1st and 15th of the month?
At or above the 10 percentile of current students at USUHS when looking at my GPA and MCAT and father is currently serving as a flight surgeon for the Navy and got rejected by snail mail today without even an interview... ouch 🙁
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can anyone post the secondary prompts? thanks.
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did you get it via email or snail mail? I am expecting a fall grades request but havent gotten it yet. I live in cali
Via email early this morning. Interviewed on 11/3 so I'm expecting to hear back somewhat soon
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I may be wrong, but I interviewed 10/13 and haven't gotten a decision and I am assuming it is because they want my fall grades. So I dont expect my decision until Jan 15. It wont be dec 15 because my grades won't post until the end of december. It wont be jan 1 because you gotta be crazy to think the adcom will meet on new years
In last year's thread I think some people received calls on January 5th (perhaps as a Januar 1st substitute?). Either way, my grades won't be posted until late December so I'm not holding my breath too tightly until January.
Just wanted to second this comment. As an MS1, I've been really happy with the experience, and honestly, the parking "issue" is the only con.
Also: for those of you dealing with medical waivers... Keep fighting for them, and you will eventually win. My waiver request was denied 3 times before I finally convinced them that I was physically fit (I have allergies, and I checked a box that said allergies/asthma). Make sure to be ...errr... judicious with your bubble-filling.
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I also interviewed on the 1st, with my top choice being Army as well. Have you had any issues with remedials? I'm getting nervous after reading a post that some laser eye surgery caused them to be medically disqualified.......
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I have a question everyone in regards to the academic requirements for those of you that were accepted..ie GPA and MCAT scores. I was a prior navy infantry corpsman for about 8yrs and I am a sophomore and my GPA is a 3.4. I just finished all of my core classes this semester (did it in one year) to include bio I and chem I. Unfortunately I overloaded my self by taking two other classes as well as a research project with my bio professor, and got a B in both chem and bio. Next semester I am taking Chem II, Bio II, and since I am on the GI bill I am rounding out my schedule with a Biotech course. I guess my question is am I on the right track and will those B's in Bio I and Chem I come back to haunt me. I am trying to decide whether to do the HSAP program or try to get into USUHS. Any advice would be greatly appreciated
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hope I didn't cause too much anxiety for you! I know when I had the laser eye surgery done the technique the doc used was relatively new and there's no way to tell what about the surgery they didn't like...all it said was that it wasn't to their standards...I am sure I will get the waiver but I will let you know when I get more info (I am assuming you also did laser eye surgery)
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I don't remember what the average MCAT and GPAs are anymore for usuhs. However, usuhs loves prior service people! And you are medical prior service so that'll be a huge plus too. It sounds like you've learned the hard way about taking on too much, but it also sounds like it didn't hurt you too much. Bs are fine; I had a couple of Cs on my college transcripts (one of them in an upper level bio lab class). Just try to not take on too much in the future and do your best to get A's in bio II and chem II. Also, try to take breaks and such - don't stress yourself out too much over all of this. Try not to fret too much about what's over and done with, the only thing you can do about the past is learn from it. Take your time to study for the MCAT, especially if you're like me and are horrible at standardized exams.
In terms of deciding on programs, I don't know much about the others, but I do know that a lot of prior service people will choose usuhs for some of its benefits. Mainly, they're a lot closer to retirement and your 4 years at usuhs count toward your time in service once you hit 20 years (i.e. if you get out at 16 years, your 4 years at usuhs won't bump you to 20, but once you hit 20 you'll automatically get bumped to 24). That and most of them have families so being paid as active duty is helpful (especially for the prior officers who have save pay, but you would also get a bump in your O1 paycheck by being O1/E).
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Yeah I definitely learned my lesson, but the I got a lot of good lab time with that outside research, and now that I have all those other non-science classes out of the way I can focus on the sciences and the couple of Math courses I still have to do. But since I am on the Gi bill I have to take classes all year in order to get my BAH (to include both summer semesters). Do you get a stipend while you are going through school or how does that work? Since I am married the financials of it all will way heavily on my ultimate decision. Plus I plan on going back into the navy as an MO, I love the time I spent with the infantry and that is where I want to back to.
Hey everyone, current USUHS MSI here. If you have not been invited to interview or been accepted yet, don't fret. I did not get my interview invite until late December and did not interview until February, but I got in and I got my service choice (Navy). Keep your heads up!
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HPSP = Stipend w/o increase for having a spouse; USUHS = full O1 pay (or O1E in your case) with increase for having a spouse; Big difference! But keep in mind that we owe the Navy 7 years payback and HPSP owes 4 (I don't know what the HSAP program is so you'd have to talk to someone else about that).
I'm paid just like any other O1 in the Navy. The only difference from other O1s is that my time in service doesn't count toward retirement yet (until you hit 20 years like I explained in my earlier post; HPSP doesn't get that at all since they're reserve while in med school).
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Thanks for the hope! My interview is on Jan 5 and Navy is definitely my first choice. After reading all these posts I was starting to wonder if I should change my first choice, but you've inspired me to stick it out 🙂
Merriest of Christmases and congrats on finishing your first semester!
Any last minute top secret interview tips are welcome 🙄😉
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Not too much anxiety 🙂 I have been politely bugging DoDMerb, and I have finished my remedials without even receiving the letters haha. I had my eye exam on Friday, so I will find out if I am medically DQ by Monday most likely. I hope I will be cleared, as I had my PRK surgery done in the Army in 2006.
Anyone out there have some "insider" info on what the availability is for each branch? From what I have gathered during my interview and SDN it seems that Navy is filling up really quick. Followed by Air Force. I hope this helps me since I have chosen to keep my previous branch of Army.
Does anyone know if they pull from the waitlist, and then alternate list continually, or do they keep interviewing and accepting until the interview dates are up and then start pulling? Just wondering what the chances of getting pulled up to the waitlist and then getting accepted are. Stressful.😕
To the best of my knowledge, Army and Air Force are already full and interviews are for waitlist spots. When I interviewed in February last year, all three services were full, but as I said above that does not mean anything. Pick which service you want!
if a waitlist spot means that you've been accepted but your branch is full, is it likely that waitlisted applicants don't get a spot at all?
Just saying because my interview is in January and it looks like I am interviewing for a waitlist spot...
Just saying because my interview is in January and it looks like I am interviewing for a waitlist spot...
Got a letter last week telling me my application was on hold. I was not even aware that this was an option. Anybody else get this letter? The letter states that all the spots were full for the Air Force so they put my application on hold and will review it periodically with a final decision to come by March. They assure me that this is a good thing. Is that just admissions speak to make me feel good about myself? Any current students who have been admitted after being put on hold? I am wondering if there is something I should do to try to bolster my chances here in the mean time. My physical cleared long ago and my security paperwork is without questions so I am just waiting on them to give me the go ahead. I hope being on hold really is a good thing.
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No. No issues with remedials. I was medically qualified (luckily) a week prior to the interview. I had and xray and mri on my knee and it turned out to be a small bruise. So I guess it was ok. I hope you get everything squared away! Good luck!
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To those that have interviewed, how long did it take to receive information about the physical after your II? I got an II on Dec 2 and it said I would be receiving information about completing the physical, but I have yet to get anything. Is this normal or should I contact someone at admissions?
Also, can anyone tell me about how long it takes to get to the campus from Dulles airport? I'm looking at a flight that gets in ~5:45am and want to make sure I have enough time to go straight there.
Thanks!
Also, can anyone tell me about how long it takes to get to the campus from Dulles airport? I'm looking at a flight that gets in ~5:45am and want to make sure I have enough time to go straight there.
Thanks!
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two weeks for the physical. can't help you out with the Dulles stuff b/c i took the bus directly into bethesda using vamoose. good luck!
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Hi All,
I just e-mailed the Admissions Office to withdraw from my seat in the Navy. I think USUHS is an amazing place, but after a lot of thinking I decided it was not the best fit for me and I did not want to hold a spot from someone else.
I wish everyone the best of luck and I hope one of you on the WL gets my spot!!!
I just e-mailed the Admissions Office to withdraw from my seat in the Navy. I think USUHS is an amazing place, but after a lot of thinking I decided it was not the best fit for me and I did not want to hold a spot from someone else.
I wish everyone the best of luck and I hope one of you on the WL gets my spot!!!
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