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***clears throat***
OMG!!!1 ONE WEEK UNTIL OCTOBER 15TH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11one😱😱😱
That is all. =D
Omg I know! The school I'm waiting on usually releases their decisions at 12:01am. I'm fareeeeking out!
2011 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread
Started by QofQuimica
Omg I know! The school I'm waiting on usually releases their decisions at 12:01am. I'm fareeeeking out!
I only applied to 6 schools. Of those I have 1 not unexpected rejection, 1 interview complete, 1 interview this week, 1 interview in November, and I haven't heard back from 2.
I suppose that these are pretty good numbers. My undergrad advisor said that applying to a whole bunch of schools was useless. You will either get a whole bunch of acceptances or none. If you are a good applicant then you will be accepted at one of a handful of schools to which you apply, so you might as well apply only at the places you would like the most to go. Applying to a bunch of schools is a waste of time and money. She may or may not have been right. For good or ill, I took her advice and only applied at the dream school that I most wanted, my state school, two highly competitive schools where I thought I had a chance and the 2 other schools where I had the best chance and wouldn't mind attending. I haven't been covered up with secondaries and interviews but I do have or had interviews at the most important places.
I suppose that these are pretty good numbers. My undergrad advisor said that applying to a whole bunch of schools was useless. You will either get a whole bunch of acceptances or none. If you are a good applicant then you will be accepted at one of a handful of schools to which you apply, so you might as well apply only at the places you would like the most to go. Applying to a bunch of schools is a waste of time and money. She may or may not have been right. For good or ill, I took her advice and only applied at the dream school that I most wanted, my state school, two highly competitive schools where I thought I had a chance and the 2 other schools where I had the best chance and wouldn't mind attending. I haven't been covered up with secondaries and interviews but I do have or had interviews at the most important places.
I just gave up and went trays full of nuts already.
Go ahead, give in to your inner nut.
Ok, well then maybe I should start working on a flavor choice. Honey roasted seems dated. There is a local restaurant that serves a warm sweet/spicy hazelnut. Local and yet interesting. Maybe brazil...they are highly under rated.
Interview invite today from Pitt, my one and only. Headed in Nov 3rd. The dream is alive!
Woot!! Grats!
Yay!
Good luck! So glad to see those who have applied to only a handful of schools getting some love this cycle. 👍
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Great news, knock em dead!!
QofQuimica
Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....
Moderator Emeritus
Lifetime Donor
15+ Year Member
Congrats to all of you on the invites! Pitt is a great school, lots of nontrads. I think you'll enjoy it, MSB. 👍
Things are going well here too. Continuing to get invites, no rejections yet. Dean's letters go out in a couple of weeks, and I should hear something from the rest of the programs after that, since several wait for Dean's letters before deciding whether to invite you. Also found out that I won first place in a research contest, which is nice because not only do I have something great to update my programs about, but I also won a cash prize. Which I've already spent to buy airplane tickets. 😛
Things are going well here too. Continuing to get invites, no rejections yet. Dean's letters go out in a couple of weeks, and I should hear something from the rest of the programs after that, since several wait for Dean's letters before deciding whether to invite you. Also found out that I won first place in a research contest, which is nice because not only do I have something great to update my programs about, but I also won a cash prize. Which I've already spent to buy airplane tickets. 😛
Yay for cash prizes!! 😀 Too bad it's gone already.
I know you're going to get into a great residency program! 👍I called the school I'll hear back from soon... They said 12:01am on Saturday 😱 I wanted Friday, but I guess I'll live.
Figured I'd share now that I have an acceptance. Maybe it will give some hope to someone. Long post, sorry 
I'm a web and software developer turned pre-med. I came back to school in summer '09 to take all the pre-reqs and MCAT. I'm proud to say I did it all in a year. Took 11 hours in summer '09 and took 19 hours in both Fall and Spring semesters. All while shadowing, volunteering, and doing research. My post-bacc GPA is a 3.81 sci and 4.0 non-sci. Took the MCAT in May and got a 26M. I know I could have done better but I was too busy doing everything else to effectively study. Turns out to be ok 🙂
My overall undergrad GPA is a completely different story... I partied way too much in college the first time around. My AMCAS GPA is lowwwwww. So I believed my only viable option was DO schools. After some retakes along with the pre-reqs, I got my AACOMAS GPA up to a 3.16 cGPA and 3.78 sGPA.
I applied and turned secondaries in to 2 MD schools and 8 DO schools. So far I've gotten 1 MD interview invite and 5 DO interview invites. I was waitlisted at my first two schools I interviewed at, making me very nervous. But yesterday I got a letter of acceptance from GA-PCOM!! But I will still interview at the MD school this Tuesday and I'll probably cancel one of my upcoming DO interviews and still go to the other.
So I guess here's what I have to say about my experience and advice I have to give:
1. Yes, it may be a major fluke and have to do with the state I'm from (Georgia), but even if your GPA and MCAT are considered hopeless for MD schools by SDN, you still may have a shot at an MD school because of your non-trad experience, so apply!! I still fully expect to get waitlisted or rejected at the MD school, because it's so unbelievable But I fit their mission perfectly, which is very important, so we'll see! The point is, try, and apply logically. I know I'd never get into Emory with my GPA/MCAT, so I didn't apply. But I know the missions of MCG and Mercer, so I applied there. I knew I'm low for MCG too, but their secondary was free - so look into things like that.
2. If you're someone with a low GPA that is hard/impossible to bring up on AMCAS (I had A LOT of hours...it would take me years to get barely over a 3.0 in both AO and Science), be open to DO schools. Their grade forgiveness really helps, and there are some really great DO schools out there. If you really want to be a doctor, then the initials shouldn't matter, so don't be stubborn.
3. Apply early! My AMCAS and AACOMAS were submitted Day 1. Secondaries submitted within a day or two of receipt. Early Primary = Early Secondary = Early Interview = MUCH better chance of acceptance. Don't procrastinate. Get it in.
4. Be prepared for questions in the interview about why you switched careers. And what happened that you had bad grades in undergrad (if applicable). And DON'T give excuses when they ask. Just own up to it. My first interview I said "oh I partied too much and wasn't focused and had a job..." Yeah...that didn't go over so well. I learned on the second interview to just say "I was young and immature, and it isn't a reflection of who I am now or what my standards are today." Leave it at that. Don't give them any reason to keep thinking or talking about it. They'll like you more for not giving excuses.
5. Do study harder for the MCAT than I did. My second interview went extremely well and I was completely in love with the school. When I called to ask why I was waitlisted, they told me it was because of my MCAT. So try a little harder...shoot for a high score. Your MCAT and GPA do matter even after the interview to the adcom. Which brings me to my next point...
6. I did all this in one year. I wouldn't recommend it. Everyone's different and thankfully I was able to handle it. But you may not be able to, or you may do better than I did. You know you. But if I had to go back, I'd spread it out over two years. This semester I'm taking Biochem, Genetics, Anatomy & Physiology 2, Cell Biology (and a couple others). But these classes really would have helped me on the MCAT. They aren't necessary, but I feel like I could bust out a 30+ now having had these. Again, it's up to you. Don't rush it. One more year is just a drop in the bucket.
7. Get your finances straight before you come back to school. I saved up a good chunk from when I was working full-time to help me while back in school. It didn't last as long as I'd liked. Primary/Secondaries and flying to interviews is very expensive. So save up how much you think you'll need, then double it.
That's all I can think of right now. Good luck to all you non-trad pre-meds out there. Be patient, it will happen. I'll update on the MD school and my other DO interviews. But right now, I'm completely excited that I've been accepted somewhere and I'll get to be a doctor!
Edit: WOW, Wall of text...sorry guys. Hope you find this useful and not annoying LOL
I'm a web and software developer turned pre-med. I came back to school in summer '09 to take all the pre-reqs and MCAT. I'm proud to say I did it all in a year. Took 11 hours in summer '09 and took 19 hours in both Fall and Spring semesters. All while shadowing, volunteering, and doing research. My post-bacc GPA is a 3.81 sci and 4.0 non-sci. Took the MCAT in May and got a 26M. I know I could have done better but I was too busy doing everything else to effectively study. Turns out to be ok 🙂
My overall undergrad GPA is a completely different story... I partied way too much in college the first time around. My AMCAS GPA is lowwwwww. So I believed my only viable option was DO schools. After some retakes along with the pre-reqs, I got my AACOMAS GPA up to a 3.16 cGPA and 3.78 sGPA.
I applied and turned secondaries in to 2 MD schools and 8 DO schools. So far I've gotten 1 MD interview invite and 5 DO interview invites. I was waitlisted at my first two schools I interviewed at, making me very nervous. But yesterday I got a letter of acceptance from GA-PCOM!! But I will still interview at the MD school this Tuesday and I'll probably cancel one of my upcoming DO interviews and still go to the other.
So I guess here's what I have to say about my experience and advice I have to give:
1. Yes, it may be a major fluke and have to do with the state I'm from (Georgia), but even if your GPA and MCAT are considered hopeless for MD schools by SDN, you still may have a shot at an MD school because of your non-trad experience, so apply!! I still fully expect to get waitlisted or rejected at the MD school, because it's so unbelievable
But I fit their mission perfectly, which is very important, so we'll see! The point is, try, and apply logically. I know I'd never get into Emory with my GPA/MCAT, so I didn't apply. But I know the missions of MCG and Mercer, so I applied there. I knew I'm low for MCG too, but their secondary was free - so look into things like that.2. If you're someone with a low GPA that is hard/impossible to bring up on AMCAS (I had A LOT of hours...it would take me years to get barely over a 3.0 in both AO and Science), be open to DO schools. Their grade forgiveness really helps, and there are some really great DO schools out there. If you really want to be a doctor, then the initials shouldn't matter, so don't be stubborn.
3. Apply early! My AMCAS and AACOMAS were submitted Day 1. Secondaries submitted within a day or two of receipt. Early Primary = Early Secondary = Early Interview = MUCH better chance of acceptance. Don't procrastinate. Get it in.
4. Be prepared for questions in the interview about why you switched careers. And what happened that you had bad grades in undergrad (if applicable). And DON'T give excuses when they ask. Just own up to it. My first interview I said "oh I partied too much and wasn't focused and had a job..." Yeah...that didn't go over so well. I learned on the second interview to just say "I was young and immature, and it isn't a reflection of who I am now or what my standards are today." Leave it at that. Don't give them any reason to keep thinking or talking about it. They'll like you more for not giving excuses.
5. Do study harder for the MCAT than I did. My second interview went extremely well and I was completely in love with the school. When I called to ask why I was waitlisted, they told me it was because of my MCAT. So try a little harder...shoot for a high score. Your MCAT and GPA do matter even after the interview to the adcom. Which brings me to my next point...
6. I did all this in one year. I wouldn't recommend it. Everyone's different and thankfully I was able to handle it. But you may not be able to, or you may do better than I did. You know you. But if I had to go back, I'd spread it out over two years. This semester I'm taking Biochem, Genetics, Anatomy & Physiology 2, Cell Biology (and a couple others). But these classes really would have helped me on the MCAT. They aren't necessary, but I feel like I could bust out a 30+ now having had these. Again, it's up to you. Don't rush it. One more year is just a drop in the bucket.
7. Get your finances straight before you come back to school. I saved up a good chunk from when I was working full-time to help me while back in school. It didn't last as long as I'd liked. Primary/Secondaries and flying to interviews is very expensive. So save up how much you think you'll need, then double it.
That's all I can think of right now. Good luck to all you non-trad pre-meds out there. Be patient, it will happen. I'll update on the MD school and my other DO interviews. But right now, I'm completely excited that I've been accepted somewhere and I'll get to be a doctor!
Edit: WOW, Wall of text...sorry guys. Hope you find this useful and not annoying LOL
Last edited:
Congrats on your acceptance, BigB! A great post, too. Makes me think that those who want to share could post their success stories in a consolidated "How I Got Into Med. School as a Non-Trad" thread once this cycle is wrapping up!
Thanks! And I think that's a great idea. I wasn't sure if this should go here or in Low GPA Success stories... But I just started typing and this is where it ended up
QofQuimica
Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....
Moderator Emeritus
Lifetime Donor
15+ Year Member
Congrats, BB! Very inspirational story. 👍
We have a few threads floating around for people to post their success stories. If you want, I can move or copy your post into one of them. (The difference is that if I move it, your post won't be in this thread any more, whereas if I copy it, the same post will be part of both threads.)
I'd rather not leave your post here only, because future year applicants won't read this thread and see it. But I also would hesitate to move it altogether since this year's applicants will likely want to read it. So I suggest that we copy your post to either "Low GPA Success Stories" or "Nontrad Secrets of Success." You can find the links to both threads in the sticky. If you like this idea, let me know where you'd prefer to have your post copied to. And congrats again!
We have a few threads floating around for people to post their success stories. If you want, I can move or copy your post into one of them. (The difference is that if I move it, your post won't be in this thread any more, whereas if I copy it, the same post will be part of both threads.)
I'd rather not leave your post here only, because future year applicants won't read this thread and see it. But I also would hesitate to move it altogether since this year's applicants will likely want to read it. So I suggest that we copy your post to either "Low GPA Success Stories" or "Nontrad Secrets of Success." You can find the links to both threads in the sticky. If you like this idea, let me know where you'd prefer to have your post copied to. And congrats again!
Thanks Q. You're part of the success story - thanks again for going over my personal statement.
Feel free to copy it to either one. If I had to pick I guess I'd go with Secrets of Success, seems to be a longer thread.
Feel free to copy it to either one. If I had to pick I guess I'd go with Secrets of Success, seems to be a longer thread.
Accepted!!!!!!! 12:03am via text from head of admissions! FIU here I come!!
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Congrats!!
accepted!
YAY! I kept checking this thread all night just to see when you'd be accepted! AWESOME!
I'm not one to say 'I told you so'..... but........
I told you so!!!!!!!!!!!!
Party like a rock star!!!
As soon as I saw this thread had new posts, I knew yours would be one of them!
Congrats!!
Congrats everybody!
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Nice job folks! Don't be strangers 🙄😀
It is nice to see that hard work pays off.
I am beyond happy and inspired after reading the news of all the guys who got accepted. Know that as your efforts pay off, also sharing your stories and experience are an incredible help for those like me, preparing and dreaming about a day when we get to post such good news.
I don't wish you luck. Talented and intelligent people need no luck, only time. 🙂 I am certanly thrilled to be part of those who get to share with you something so important.
Keep it up future Doctors!!!
I don't wish you luck. Talented and intelligent people need no luck, only time. 🙂 I am certanly thrilled to be part of those who get to share with you something so important.
Keep it up future Doctors!!!
Amen. Hope some good news is headed your way, Ed!
Accepted! So I guess it IS possible to adequately explain the reason for having 8 undergrad institutions... 🙄 Congrats to everyone else as well, and good luck to those still waiting!
Congrats! Reapplying paid off! 😀Accepted! So I guess it IS possible to adequately explain the reason for having 8 undergrad institutions... 🙄 Congrats to everyone else as well, and good luck to those still waiting!
Accepted! So I guess it IS possible to adequately explain the reason for having 8 undergrad institutions... 🙄 Congrats to everyone else as well, and good luck to those still waiting!
Wow, 8! I will no longer think I had it bad with 4. 😉
Congrats!!!! There's so much good news here! I know more is to come!
Accepted x2! Congrats to everyone who is "in" and to everyone else - keep the chin up, fingers crossed for your good news to come.
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Thanks guys! I agree with EA, more good news is on the way for us nontrads!😀
@ dianyla: when is your interview? I have mad respect now for anyone who could legitimately complete OHSU's secondary. I looked at it, thought, "uhhhhhh....." and decided to withdraw!
@ dianyla: when is your interview? I have mad respect now for anyone who could legitimately complete OHSU's secondary. I looked at it, thought, "uhhhhhh....." and decided to withdraw!
Thanks guys! I agree with EA, more good news is on the way for us nontrads!😀
@ dianyla: when is your interview? I have mad respect now for anyone who could legitimately complete OHSU's secondary. I looked at it, thought, "uhhhhhh....." and decided to withdraw!
I thought the same thing about USF's. I am super glad I didn't have to force myself to finish that thing (I was putting it off until after 10/15).
Also, I, like all women, enjoy being told I am right. Thank you, Teddy).
I completed 26 secondaries. USF's was by far the toughest.
I'm interviewing the week before Thanksgiving. Should be pretty well blustery and dreary in Portland by then! 🙂@ dianyla: when is your interview? I have mad respect now for anyone who could legitimately complete OHSU's secondary. I looked at it, thought, "uhhhhhh....." and decided to withdraw!
And yeah, that secondary was a beast. Although I only applied to two schools, so I was able to devote some very good time to it and I felt really solid about the quality of what I submitted. I can't even imagine folks who apply to more than 10 schools! 😱
I have found the ultimate way to avoid clicking the refresh button on the status page: I have begun to tear apart my kitchen with my bare hands. Fortunately, it needed it, and there will be a new one pretty soon to replace it, or this could be construed as overkill. I hope I hear something from the school soon because I am going to run out of kitchen in the next couple of days.
I hope I hear something from the school soon because I am going to run out of kitchen in the next couple of days.
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Wow, congrats everyone with acceptances! I've only read a few posts in this thread but they give me some hope 🙂 My 2nd interview is in 2 weeks so hopefully I'll have some good news soon after
For me it was mostly that both essay prompts seemed basically the same. So I would've ended up repeating myself in 2 different 4K character essays. Both of which would've just been repetitions of my personal statement, essentially. Plus it was practically the last one I got and I just couldn't bring myself to buckle down. I would've loved Portland though, grew up in NorCal! 😍 Ahhh, there's always residency, I guess...
OMG!! After being rejected pre-secondary and appealing, I just got a UCSF secondary invite tonight.
Exactly! We get to go through this whole reshuffling process of musical chairs again in 4 years.
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