2011-2012 University of Colorado Application Thread

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music2doc said:
Well, first the numbers:

For at least the past two years (2011 and 2012 reports), Medscape's Physician Compensation Report has indicated Colorado's region (the Southwest region) is the lowest-compensated region in the country:






According to Physician's Practice, here is how we rank (lower numbers being better rankings; there are 56 locations because a few states have been split into smaller regions):

Cost of Living: #34 (39th percentile)
Tax Burden: #35 (37th percentile)
Least Disciplinary Actions: #47 (16th percentile -- the 84th percentile for MOST actions!)
Lowest Malpractice -- Internal Med: #39 (30th percentile)
Lowest Malpractice -- Surgery: #46 (17th percentile)
Lowest Malpractice -- OB/GYN: #28 (50th percentile)
Reimbursement Adjustment (CMS): #26 (53rd percentile)

We are basically average reimbursement with a fairly average cost of living and tax burden. We have a pretty high number of disciplinary actions (read: high risk for lawsuits) and moderately high cost of malpractice insurance relative to most states. As a result, while CO is a beautiful place to live and offers many amenities, it is often not on people's top list of places to move/practice medicine unless they have strong ties here already.

Anecdotally, my dad is in a moderate-size (8-12 physicians and a few PA/NPs) physician group that serves a large portion of the Front Range. They are, for all practical intents and purposes, the only group in this (not so uncommon) specialty in the area and their affiliated hospitals serve somewhere around a million people. They oversee around 70-90 hospital beds as a group. They have been attempting to hire about 1-2 physicians/year for the past 12 years or so in order to keep up with demand. The reality is they have only been able to get about 1 physician every 18 months (on average). There is another group in town but that group has not been able to keep physicians at all. (They are now down to <4 FTE docs.) As a result, this larger group has had to pick up their slack to ensure patients' access to care. CU actually has a residency program in this specialty; however, students who grew up elsewhere tend to want to return home (not CO) when they finish residency and students who grew up in CO may not get into residency in CO and may end up moving elsewhere as a result. Along with the relatively low rate of acceptance/matriculation to medical schools by CO residents, this results in a net loss of talent from the state of CO.
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I had never seen these stats. Indeed, then, it is even more important for CO to protect its own than other states.

Will someone at CU let this guy in? Sheesh...
 
It seems like there is some monkey math going on here. If outsiders who learn in Colorado are quick to leave the state when they can, and Coloradoans who learn elsewhere set down roots and never return, then the solution is not to increase the IS percentage of students (thereby shifting the financial burden of education from the recipient to the school or the Colorado taxpayers, and geographically trapping the educated). The solution is to make Colorado a more attractive place to be a physician. Then Coloradoans and out of staters alike will want to practice there.
 
MT Headed said:
It seems like there is some monkey math going on here. If outsiders who learn in Colorado are quick to leave the state when they can, and Coloradoans who learn elsewhere set down roots and never return, then the solution is not to increase the IS percentage of students (thereby shifting the financial burden of education from the recipient to the school or the Colorado taxpayers, and geographically trapping the educated). The solution is to make Colorado a more attractive place to be a physician. Then Coloradoans and out of staters alike will want to practice there.
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While true, I am not so sure we can increase CO's attractiveness since the factors that make it less attractive (high malpractice risk & insurance rates, mediocre reimbursement, moderately high taxes, etc.) are generally things that would require the public's favor toward physicians. Unfortunately, the public image of medicine seems to be less than favorable (esp. when it comes to anything that might benefit physicians). It would seem that a more probable possibility would be to increase the number of Coloradans entering medical school (either in CO or elsewhere nationally). Other states have more medical schools, which helps them. We have one (and then a joke for a DO school).
 
music2doc said:
While true, I am not so sure we can increase CO's attractiveness since the factors that make it less attractive (high malpractice risk & insurance rates, mediocre reimbursement, moderately high taxes, etc.) are generally things that would require the public's favor toward physicians. Unfortunately, the public image of medicine seems to be less than favorable (esp. when it comes to anything that might benefit physicians). It would seem that a more probable possibility would be to increase the number of Coloradans entering medical school (either in CO or elsewhere nationally). Other states have more medical schools, which helps them. We have one (and then a joke for a DO school).
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aw snap!
 
707 interviewed
Accepted 212 as of May 1st
Accepted Median GPA 3.7 (Range 3.03-4.0)
Median MCAT 33 (Range 26-42)
As of Now they have 52% IS and 48%

OSS, this past week they pulled 23 people off the waitlist to give a grand total of 238 offers. There are currently 256 people on the waitlist. So its a mixed bag of news. On the bright side, if you are a IS applicant the 52% represents ~83 people where they would like it to be closer to 70% ~112. Additionally, last year they ended up giving 302 offers.

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Yes, there's some definite monkey math and some possibly faulty assumptions here, not just about the employment trends but in regards to the current in-state/out-of-state ratio of the class.

I don't think 52% IS represents only 83 people. I'm guessing 52% of OFFERS given were to in-state applicants, so 52% of 238 actually represents about 124 in-state people offered admission so far. And that leaves 48% of 238 or about 114 out-of state people offered admission. Since naturally more in-state than out-of-state people will ultimately choose to attend, they are probably right on target for achieving their 70%/30% ratio when the class size gets down to the actual 160.
 
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It seemed pretty clear in the info session that the class is currently 52 % IS and 48 % OSS, of the 160 spots that are being held. However, their assumption is that the OSS people are hanging out on some other wait-list, maybe in their home-state, that at some point they will be pulled off. It is much more difficult for someone to come off the wait-list and have to move from California in a month or week, than it is to grab an in-stater who already lives in Denver. This is just how they ensure that they will meet there out of state numbers. I don't believe that the school has more offers out than it has seats right now. After the 15th, they were probably 23 people under the cap and filled it with the wait-list.
 
Hey, all!

I've been accepted to the pharmacy school since November 2011, so I will be in the incoming pharmacy class graduating in 2016! I moved to Aurora and signed a lease but have recently found other living arrangements. I'm searching for someone else to take over my lease. The townhouse is located in a safe, gated community 2 miles from campus, east of I-225. Washer/dryer included, hardwood floors, huge kitchen, attached garage, and much more. It has a great, affordable rent for those of us who are living on a college student budget! I know school doesn't start until August, but if you are interested in jumping the gun and finding a great place to live in Aurora, please send me an email to [email protected] or [email protected]. I check both emails multiple times daily and will respond quickly! Thanks!
 
Accepted off the waitlist!! I can't believe it!! I love the school, but the OOS tuition is intimitating.

For those still waiting - they gave me 2 weeks to decide.
 
devolution said:
Accepted off the waitlist!! I can't believe it!! I love the school, but the OOS tuition is intimitating.

For those still waiting - they gave me 2 weeks to decide.
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Wow, congrats! 🙂 Nice to hear the WL is still moving, I hope some in-state spots open up soon. It's a hefty price-tag for OOS but still such an amazing school, tough decision. Where are you holding an acceptance currently?
 
I find it interesting that they already have a higher than desired OOS % and yet the only movement we've seen has been OOs people
 
StephBee said:
I find it interesting that they already have a higher than desired OOS % and yet the only movement we've seen has been OOs people
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My friend from undergrad got accepted off the WL the other week and he's in-state. I'm hoping they're just offering OOS acceptances first and we'll see more IS acceptances in a few weeks, because OOS people tend to need more time to make plans to move.
 
Accepted today! SO thrilled. I'm IS, and will definitely be going here.
 
OOS accepted off of the wait list today! definitely not expecting it, given that info about the current IS/OOS ratio... pleasantly surprised.
 
When Dr. Winn called me to congratulate me on my acceptance, he emphasized the diversity of the class. If you look through the website, there are a couple of pages and news article talking about how increasing diversity is a major goal for them. Dr. Winn even emphasized that on the interview day talks when he showed us all of the statistics. If you look through the facebook group, there are also several students who say they are moving from CA, NY, NJ.

Given this very open stance about diversity, I don't think it's too surprising that there have been so many OOS acceptances. And maybe they like the extra tuition money too. That has been an openly stated goal for the California universities - accept more out-of-state and international students because they pay much higher tuition (undergrad admissions, not med schools).
 
devolution said:
When Dr. Winn called me to congratulate me on my acceptance, he emphasized the diversity of the class. If you look through the website, there are a couple of pages and news article talking about how increasing diversity is a major goal for them. Dr. Winn even emphasized that on the interview day talks when he showed us all of the statistics. If you look through the facebook group, there are also several students who say they are moving from CA, NY, NJ.

Given this very open stance about diversity, I don't think it's too surprising that there have been so many OOS acceptances. And maybe they like the extra tuition money too. That has been an openly stated goal for the California universities - accept more out-of-state and international students because they pay much higher tuition (undergrad admissions, not med schools).
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Don't get me wrong, congrats to all of the OOS acceptances. I'm sure you all worked hard and deserve a spot at CU. I just think that if they explicitly state that they let in 75% IS, then they should honor that. I don't know where the numbers are now, but it doesn't seem like they will hit close to 75% this year. It is frustrating because this is our only state school. For me, it is not such a money issue. I would gladly pay OOS tuition here because I love CU and living in Colorado. I am about to give up on CU and get ready to move away in August, but I will do almost anything to get accepted off of this wait list as I bet most of you would too.
 
bjtwolve88 said:
Don't get me wrong, congrats to all of the OOS acceptances. I'm sure you all worked hard and deserve a spot at CU. I just think that if they explicitly state that they let in 75% IS, then they should honor that. I don't know where the numbers are now, but it doesn't seem like they will hit close to 75% this year. It is frustrating because this is our only state school. For me, it is not such a money issue. I would gladly pay OOS tuition here because I love CU and living in Colorado. I am about to give up on CU and get ready to move away in August, but I will do almost anything to get accepted off of this wait list as I bet most of you would too.
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Be grateful, some of us OOSers have NO state medical schools! 🙂
 
Will they ever cut some of the waitlisted people when they know the class is totally full of people planning to matriculate at CU? Or do we ever find out when that point is?

I'm guessing there are little to no offers to be given at this point, but it would be nice to have some closure.
 
There is hope yet! I just got offered a spot off the waitlist!! AAAAAHHHHH!! This is the happiest I've ever been, seriously. 🙂 I wish the best of luck to the rest of the waitlisted applicants, I will be taking this spot for sure as an in-state applicant. I hope to see some others from this thread successful, you guys are wonderful.
 
TheMightySmiter said:
There is hope yet! I just got offered a spot off the waitlist!! AAAAAHHHHH!! This is the happiest I've ever been, seriously. 🙂 I wish the best of luck to the rest of the waitlisted applicants, I will be taking this spot for sure as an in-state applicant. I hope to see some others from this thread successful, you guys are wonderful.
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Congrats!!!!! I've been pulling for you to get in!

In my own interest though, I will recommend considering not attending CU and declining the offer. Creighton rocks!!!! WOO, St Louis!!! Denver doesn't compare to Nebraska...right??? ....I'm grasping at straws here 😀
 
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just declined my wait list offer - I couldn't justify the out of state cost, sadly! good luck to everyone else - I hope one of you gets my spot!
 
I ended up turning down acceptance as well. I also couldn't justify paying $60,000 in tuition. It breaks my heart though.
 
I received my acceptance notice this morning as well, OOS. I fully intend to accept the offer. UC is expensive, but if the school is the right fit for you, it's worth it.
 
lalalaaaaaa said:
Congrats!!!!! I've been pulling for you to get in!

In my own interest though, I will recommend considering not attending CU and declining the offer. Creighton rocks!!!! WOO, St Louis!!! Denver doesn't compare to Nebraska...right??? ....I'm grasping at straws here 😀
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Lalala, I've been rooting for you from day one of posting here. 🙂 I have a good feeling about you! I think a few more spots will open up from now til orientation, and CU would be crazy not to pick you. Good luck!!!
 
Congrats to those who recently got off the wait list! I am very anxious to get CU's decision, but at this point it will most likely be no.
 
Hey... it's been awhile since I've posted on here, but I wanted to ask you all what you think of the fires in CO. I have been accepted to a few other schools, but I am from Colorado, so I'd really like to move home and was recently made an offer off the wait list. I still have my residency there, so it would be cheaper, but... wow. Have any of you seen what's going on there?

These are from the fire that ripped through Colorado Springs, an hour south of CU, where the extension campus will be opening, and is now heading north at a rapid rate:

Waldo_Canyon_Fire_Nate_Zeman_900_WM.jpg


p.php




There's also the largest fire in the history of the state burning up by Denver/Boulder and several other fires in the area.... Kinda freaky. What do you all think?
 
This is really an awful fire season and my heart just goes out to all the hundreds of people who have had their homes destroyed. 🙁 I do have to make a few corrections to your post. The Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs is not heading north to Denver. It has been very destructive in the city of Colorado Springs, however, burning over 300 homes and nearly 20,000 acres, with unfortunately two casualties so far. It also burned down the Flying W Ranch, a major tourist attraction that I've visited with my family a lot. It is now 30% contained. The other fire you referenced, the High Park Fire, is actually the second largest in the state and is burning west of Fort Collins, again nowhere near Denver. This fire is almost entirely contained, but lasted for three weeks and burned nearly 90,000 acres with over 200 homes destroyed. I myself had a wildfire scare this week: the Flagstaff Fire in Boulder came within a few miles of my home, but fortunately is now mostly contained and did not destroy any structures.

These fires are terrible, and I've been praying for rain every single day, but I hope no one allows wildfires to influence their choice of CU Medical School. Anschutz campus is at least 45 minutes from the mountains and is in absolutely no danger from wildfires. In fact, the entire city of Denver is in no danger from wildfires. Fort Collins, Boulder, Golden, and Colorado Springs all border the mountains--Denver does NOT. 🙂

Congrats on your recent acceptance off the waitlist, please do not let the fires sway your decision!
 
I'm from C.sorings and Boulder, hopefully they are contained soon! And hopefully the flatirons don't go up in flames! I can't imagine driving into Boulder with scorched mountains.


The worst part is that these fires make me realize how much I love CO, pleaseeeeeee accept me. Gah not going to happen...
 
lalalaaaaaa said:
I'm from C.sorings and Boulder, hopefully they are contained soon! And hopefully the flatirons don't go up in flames! I can't imagine driving into Boulder with scorched mountains.


The worst part is that these fires make me realize how much I love CO, pleaseeeeeee accept me. Gah not going to happen...
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No worries, the Flagstaff Fire was on the western part of the Bear Peak and South Boulder Peak ridges, not close to the Flatirons. 🙂 And I still have hope that you'll be part of this year's class!
 
It appears that the firefighters did an amazing job down here in the Springs. At the speed that fire was heading down the mountain, I'm very surprised at how few homes were burned. It's been pretty darn stressful for the whole city, and as said above, it reminds me of how much I love Colorado. What a wonderfully beautiful state!
 
...so I'm getting the feeling that CU is probably done giving out acceptances... any thought? ...false hope?....
 
lalalaaaaaa said:
...so I'm getting the feeling that CU is probably done giving out acceptances... any thought? ...false hope?....
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You know, I did send CU a letter of intent about a month before my acceptance offer--despite all I'd been told about them not accepting updates. 🙂 So if anything, a LOI couldn't hurt.
 
I was accepted on 6/25/12, and I am so excited to go to CU! It was my number one choice far and above all other schools. Just thought I would post up with my numbers for the record.


MCAT- 35Q
GPA~3.9

Colorado resident

Primary Application Submitted: 10/11/12
Secondary Application Submitted: 12/31/12
Interview invitation: 1/31/12
Interview: 2/3/12
Waitlisted: 4/30/12
Date of acceptance offer: 6/25/12

I thought I was not going to get in this year because I applied so late. Don't do what I did, apply early! I had no idea how important it is to apply early, but don't count on getting as lucky as I did. Most people who submitted their secondaries on the last possible day probably did not get interviewed.
 
I'm a CU Boulder alumnus and with the terrible news coming from Colorado this morning just wondered if anyone knew what year James Holmes was in when he dropped out from med school there?

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-07-20-11-13-45

I didn't apply to CU's med school as my wife and I were ready to leave Colorado, but this pains me as it will likely tarnish the schools reputation for many years to come if, in fact, he was a student there. Many prayers for the victims and families there this morning.
 
I'm not sure that a med school dropout "will likely tarnish the schools reputation for many years to come".
SpesMeaInDeoEst said:
I'm a CU Boulder alumnus and with the terrible news coming from Colorado this morning just wondered if anyone knew what year James Holmes was in when he dropped out from med school there?

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-07-20-11-13-45

I didn't apply to CU's med school as my wife and I were ready to leave Colorado, but this pains me as it will likely tarnish the schools reputation for many years to come if, in fact, he was a student there. Many prayers for the victims and families there this morning.
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bassvp said:
I'm not sure that a med school dropout "will likely tarnish the schools reputation for many years to come".
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I'm not sure either, but it may. We had an issue with a graduate student (not med student) at our medical school who was arrested for stalking. When word got out it was a big mess for the adcoms because they'd "accepted some nut job." Even though it was their fault or the school's fault it was certainly perceived that way. The same could happen to CU once it gets out that a mass murdered was a med student there. That's not the sort of PR you want for your school. Terrible business.

We've had 2 people drop out of our class and when a med student drops out it's always a big deal. We were all concerned and sympathetic when the 2 dropped from our class as we all know each other and feel like family.
 
Unfortunately people will make all kinds of false assumptions including "this kid was a med student." Regradless of his degree candidacy, as long as the name of the school, "University of Colorado School of Medicine" is mentioned along with this investigation in the media, the risk management department will have their hands full.
 
vanquishS said:
Unfortunately people will make all kinds of false assumptions including "this kid was a med student." Regradless of his degree candidacy, as long as the name of the school, "University of Colorado School of Medicine" is mentioned along with this investigation in the media, the risk management department will have their hands full.
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Exactly my point. He was a confirmed CU med student and had dropped out according the CU's media/PR person. CU is going to be "that school with the mass murderer student" from now on.

It certainly adds an interesting turn on these typical type of events. Many times the culprit is a ne'er-do-well lacking empathy or any type of compassion. This wouldn't "normally" characterize someone who successfully makes it through the application process for medical school. Obviously, it happened though.
 
Ah, now they're reporting that he was a PhD candidate in neuroscience at CU. Not a med student after all. That's at least a tiny bit less confusing then.
 
SpesMeaInDeoEst said:
This could be a tipping point for CU:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/james-holm...ssessment-team/story?id=16908862#.UBqD7EJ8ulY

If Penn State was punished severely for knowing of someone potentially molesting kids imagine what may happen to CU if it's shown they knew this person was dangerous and did nothing. If this is true I hope the penalties are so massive that the school never recovers.
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The Denver Post website also has good coverage of this story.

People are going to think CU dropped the ball on this one because they just let him be on his merry way since he was dropping the program. Sounds like they just didn't want to have to deal with him, and maybe they didn't need to, it's too early to know. There will be some policy changes, and probably nothing else in regards to CUs involvement.

In regards to punishment like Penn State, this is not even comparable. Penn State happened on campus for years, and was unaddressed by MANY people throughout the administration. This guy had some psychotic warning signs a few times. I'm not justifying CUs lack of response, it's just really not comparable IMO, and people just want to point fingers to give reason to such a horrendous act.

Also, who would get punished? The neuroscience graduate program, and the team of people assessing his mental status, I suspect. That wouldn't be crippling for the university at all.
 
lalalaaaaaa said:
The Denver Post website also has good coverage of this story.

People are going to think CU dropped the ball on this one because they just let him be on his merry way since he was dropping the program. Sounds like they just didn't want to have to deal with him, and maybe they didn't need to, it's too early to know. There will be some policy changes, and probably nothing else in regards to CUs involvement.

In regards to punishment like Penn State, this is not even comparable. Penn State happened on campus for years, and was unaddressed by MANY people throughout the administration. This guy had some psychotic warning signs a few times. I'm not justifying CUs lack of response, it's just really not comparable IMO, and people just want to point fingers to give reason to such a horrendous act.

Also, who would get punished? The neuroscience graduate program, and the team of people assessing his mental status, I suspect. That wouldn't be crippling for the university at all.
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Certainly it's comparable in that both are criminal neglect (even if context and content are different). And who would get punished? Simple - those who ignored the psychiatrist's warnings that he was dangerous (if, in fact, that's what happened).
 
I agree that the neglect makes people at fault (keep in mind that there might not be criminal negligence here because we do not know enough and the people likely acted in accordance with policy). I was also saying the punishments cannot be comparable. CU will likely have no punishments on the scale of Penn State because there is no monopolizing governing body for neuroscience grad programs like the NCAA. If anything I'm guessing a few people will lose their jobs at the university and that's it.

I'm thinking it's not likely that the CU becomes a scandal in which the highest ranking officials at the medical school were being negligent in reporting this. In fact, the psychiatrist may have done everything required. Whether that was enough is a different discussion.
 
On a separate note, can CU just reject me already so I can move on with my life?! Anyone out their willing to donate their acceptance to me? Such a gesture would really speak to the altruism you talked about in your PS 🙂
 
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lalalaaaaaa said:
On a separate note, can CU just reject me already so I can move on with my life?! Anyone out their willing to donate their acceptance to me. Such a gesture would really speak to the altruism you talked about in your PS 🙂
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Take whatever other acceptance you have and run with it. I'm a CU alum (undergrad) and was also accepted to the med school. I choose to attend another school. As much as I love my alma mater my advice to anyone is not to go the CU med school. I won't go into reasons here as it would quickly devolve into a mess.
 
SpesMeaInDeoEst said:
Take whatever other acceptance you have and run with it. I'm a CU alum (undergrad) and was also accepted to the med school. I choose to attend another school. As much as I love my alma mater my advice to anyone is not to go the CU med school. I won't go into reasons here as it would quickly devolve into a mess.
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Well, since I don't have any other acceptances, I wouldn't complain about one from CU (Especially because I went to CU Boulder for undergrad and worked in a lab at the med school for 2 years after graduation.). I agree that there are serious problems with the education that need to be addressed, especially the academic leadership, but it's still a really good school.
 
Rejection at last. Got the email this morning. Now I can finally have closure enough to be excited about this years application process. It was a bumpy ride, so I'm glad it's come to an end. I am still applying to CU this upcoming year, despite the tumoil. I am, however, definitely broadening my search.
 
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