2012-2013 Dartmouth Medical School Application Thread

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gettheleadout

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1. Please indicate your plans for the 2012-13 academic year. If in school, please list your courses. If working, let us know something about the nature of your job.

2. Please share with us something about yourself that is not addressed elsewhere in your application and which could be helpful to the Admissions Committee as we review your file.

Same as last year's!

Good luck to everyone applying! :luck:

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I am an incoming M1 at Dartmouth Med. I'm not sure if the secondary has been released yet this year, but here are the questions that were on mine last year:

1. Please indicate your plans for the 2011-12 academic year. If in school, please list your courses. If working, let us know something about the nature of your job.

2. Please share with us something about yourself that is not addressed elsewhere in your application and which could be helpful to the Admissions Committee as we review your file.

Message me if you have any questions about Dartmouth or the application process, and good luck to everyone! :luck:
 
Thanks for reposting. I saw this on last year's thread, but I haven't been able to find character counts or word limits. Do you happen to remember what they were?
 
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Thanks for reposting. I saw this on last year's thread, but I haven't been able to find character counts or word limits. Do you happen to remember what they were?

I'm sorry, I didn't write down this information! But my own response to the first question was pretty short, since I was still in school. My response to the second question was 502 words, or 2930 characters long. Since my responses on most secondary essays were pretty close to the limit, I imagine the limit on the second question was perhaps 500 words, or 3000 characters? Sorry I couldn't be of more help!
 
I'm sorry, I didn't write down this information! But my own response to the first question was pretty short, since I was still in school. My response to the second question was 502 words, or 2930 characters long. Since my responses on most secondary essays were pretty close to the limit, I imagine the limit on the second question was perhaps 500 words, or 3000 characters? Sorry I couldn't be of more help!

Thanks! The ballpark figure still helps :)
 
I'm really intrigued by Dartmouth Med + TDI. I'm really into health care policy and effectiveness, and would be interested in possibly doing an MD/MPH or MD/MS. Dartmouth is really a reach for me. My cGPA is ~3.8, sGPA ~3.9 and a 31R MCAT. I've had experiences in public health at the local level, along with all the other basic extracurriculars. Should I give Dartmouth a shot? Will the secondaries help me make a case for myself based on fit with Dartmouth (TDI, policy stuff)? Thanks!
 
I juss submitted my secondary. However, when I viewed the .pdf preview of it after submitting it, it shows a big red X where my photo should be. Is anyone else seeing this problem as well?
 
Is the secondary the same as last years? If not, can someone please post?
 
I juss submitted my secondary. However, when I viewed the .pdf preview of it after submitting it, it shows a big red X where my photo should be. Is anyone else seeing this problem as well?

When did you receive the secondary invite?
 
i haven't gotten a secondary yet...when did you receive yours?
 
I got a secondary this morning but I'm not even verified yet! ?_?
 
just got secondary, but unable to open up the link they sent...
does anyone else have the problem?
 
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I know everyone is going to think i'm being pretentious or whatever but I am honestly just curious:

I was born at Dartmouth Hitchcock medical center and both of my parents did their residencies there. Do you think this will have any impact on my admission?

Curiosity speaking. It's a reach either way.
 
Is anyone aware of how to save progress in filling out the secondary? All I'm seeing is a submit button.
 
If I am not a citizen of United States nor a US Permanent Resident, how am I supposed to mail them a copy of Alien Registration card ('green card')? Isn't this only issued to US permanent residents? Are they asking for student visa?
 
I know everyone is going to think i'm being pretentious or whatever but I am honestly just curious:

I was born at Dartmouth Hitchcock medical center and both of my parents did their residencies there. Do you think this will have any impact on my admission?

Curiosity speaking. It's a reach either way.

birth? no. parents' residencies? yes.
 
just got secondary, but unable to open up the link they sent...
does anyone else have the problem?

I'm having the same problem. I tried opening it with firefox, explorer, and google chrome, and the page won't open.

Does anyone have any insight on this problem?
 
i got a secondary email but havent even been verified by amcas. i also cant open the link in the email. anyone know whats going on?
 
Just got the secondary link today. For the "additional info" essay, is it okay to emphasize my interest in the TDI (institute for health policy & clinical practice). It doesn't really directly emphasize anything that would make me a good fit for the MD program specifically, but it does maybe highlight my fit for the school in general? I don't have much formal experience in health policy, etc., but I have taken courses in health policy and a public health internship (included in my AMCAS), and am constantly keeping up to date with health care policy in this country and abroad. Just wanted to see if any current students did the same or feel like this isn't the best approach to take in the secondary since it sort of strays away from the MD program itself.
 
Just got the secondary link today. For the "additional info" essay, is it okay to emphasize my interest in the TDI (institute for health policy & clinical practice). It doesn't really directly emphasize anything that would make me a good fit for the MD program specifically, but it does maybe highlight my fit for the school in general? I don't have much formal experience in health policy, etc., but I have taken courses in health policy and a public health internship (included in my AMCAS), and am constantly keeping up to date with health care policy in this country and abroad. Just wanted to see if any current students did the same or feel like this isn't the best approach to take in the secondary since it sort of strays away from the MD program itself.
what internet browser do you use? i cant open seem to open the link that was in the email and i think it is because of my browser.
 
i figured it out guys. i believe it has to do with your wifi. i couldnt open it at my home on our wifi so i then turned the wifi off on my phone and i was able to open it using 3g. i was also able to open it using the wifi at my library as well. hope that helps.
 
I juss submitted my secondary. However, when I viewed the .pdf preview of it after submitting it, it shows a big red X where my photo should be. Is anyone else seeing this problem as well?

I'm having the same issue. I think it may just take time to update or something.

As far as accessing the secondary, I had to change some of my firewall settings.
 
Submitted the secondary 2 hours after I got it. Used Chrome. Have not been verified by AMCAS which is taking its time :mad:
 
Mine submitted fine with internet explorer.

Also, just FYI - if for any reason your school is like mine and they don't do credit hours in 4's - Dartmouth will still accept your application as long as you've completed a year of physics and gen chem even if you don't have the required 8.
 
Mine submitted fine with internet explorer.

Also, just FYI - if for any reason your school is like mine and they don't do credit hours in 4's - Dartmouth will still accept your application as long as you've completed a year of physics and gen chem even if you don't have the required 8.

Do you know if their "other chem" requirement has to be gen chem, or can I use the organic chem courses I took? At my school our pre-med requirement is just a half-semester of gen chem with lab, and there isn't a second gen chem course to take with a lab. I emailed them about it, but I haven't heard back yet so if you know then I'll be able to get this secondary finished ASAP!
 
I don't really understand the question: "Please share with us something about yourself that is not addressed elsewhere in your application and which could be helpful to the Admissions Committee as we review your file". I made an effort to list almost everything notable somewhere on my application, so what I could I possibly talk about for this question? Should I tell them why I specifically want to go to Dartmouth?
 
Just submitted, and that was my first secondary. $130 is steep! They better contemplate at least a little before sending the rejection letter. :p
 
Mine won't open with Chrome or Firefox. None of the Geisel Med websites are working for me. Any ideas?
I am using Chrome on a Mac and am also having no luck.
 
I used Safari and it worked fine.


For those of you that submitted, when you went to look at the PDF of the completed file did you notice that there was a red X where your photo is supposed to be? Or is that just me?
 
I am using Chrome on a Mac and am also having no luck.

I don't think that's the problem because j used chrome on a Mac and it was just fine.
 
Do we have to answer the "Tell us something about yourself that isn't highlighted in the rest of your application. . . . " question? I'm thinking it's one of those, "if you faced any disadvantages, please let us know" questions. Or should I just treat it as an essay about why I want to attend Dartmouth?

EDIT: This is a silly question, but for the pre-reqs portion, should we list, like, all of the Biology courses that we've taken or just the ones necessary to fulfill the requirement? Just the ones necessary to fulfill the requirement, right?
 
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Do we have to answer the "Tell us something about yourself that isn't highlighted in the rest of your application. . . . " question? I'm thinking it's one of those, "if you faced any disadvantages, please let us know" questions. Or should I just treat it as an essay about why I want to attend Dartmouth?

EDIT: This is a silly question, but for the pre-reqs portion, should we list, like, all of the Biology courses that we've taken or just the ones necessary to fulfill the requirement? Just the ones necessary to fulfill the requirement, right?

lol No need to over-think things so much, man.

A) The prompt means just what it says: tell Dartmouth something about you that isn't mentioned anywhere else in your app...could be that you were disadvantaged (unless, you wrote about it in PS or AMCAS)... it could be that you joined the circus after high school and walked on tight ropes for crowds of roaring fans....whatever.

B) Just fill in enough to meet the required credits specified.
 
lol No need to over-think things so much, man.

A) The prompt means just what it says: tell Dartmouth something about you that isn't mentioned anywhere else in your app...could be that you were disadvantaged (unless, you wrote about it in PS or AMCAS)... it could be that you joined the circus after high school and walked on tight ropes for crowds of roaring fans.

B) Just fill in enough to meet the required credits specified.
Yeah, but what could I put that I haven't already identified?

EDIT: Maybe I should address why I took a few of my pre-reqs at a CC after I graduated from my undergrad?
 
Yeah, but what could I put that I haven't already identified?

there is certainly no way that you touched upon every facet of your XX-year life within 1 PS, 15 activities, and 1 other Dartmouth essay.

That said, I don't know you. You know yourself. Your friends and family know you. If you are really having writer's block ask friends/family for some material to get the juices flowing.
 
I talked about a hobby that I didn't get a chance expose more of. I then talked about how I gained certain values from the hobby that would be important in medicine.
 
I talked about a hobby that I didn't get a chance expose more of. I then talked about how I gained certain values from the hobby that would be important in medicine.
That's not a bad idea, at all. Maybe I should just write about one of my hobbies.
 
Do you guys think I should avoid discussing why I took a few pre-reqs at a local CC after I graduated from my undergrad?
 
If you're still talking about that essay, I wouldn't make it exclusively about that... Sounds too boring.
I think I'm going to discuss a favorite hobby of mine, instead.
 
I juss submitted my secondary. However, when I viewed the .pdf preview of it after submitting it, it shows a big red X where my photo should be. Is anyone else seeing this problem as well?

Same with me.

I think we uploaded our pictures to a place that wouldn't be auto-attached to a form generator like they have building the pdf file. I'd bet that no pictures will show up on the autogenerated ones for us to download - mostly for a space/bandwidth reason.
 
For the second question, would it be appropriate to mention that I've lost over 50 lbs in the past year through a combination of dieting, walking/running, and weightlifting? No pills or surgery, and I'm still losing weight. I could tie it into how I could use my experiences to better help the overweight and obese, of which there are over 200 million in the US.

I'm still a tubby @ 5'11" 223 lbs, so I'm worried they'll be expecting a rail-thin guy instead of someone that went from morbidly obese to barely obese.

I've also very recently begun to study Spanish again, but considering I only started a week ago, it will probably sound like I'm grasping for straws if I mention it. Thoughts?
 
Is there a character count/word limit for the essay? I don't want to submit and have some of mine cut off.
 
For the second question, would it be appropriate to mention that I've lost over 50 lbs in the past year through a combination of dieting, walking/running, and weightlifting? No pills or surgery, and I'm still losing weight. I could tie it into how I could use my experiences to better help the overweight and obese, of which there are over 200 million in the US.

I'm still a tubby @ 5'11" 223 lbs, so I'm worried they'll be expecting a rail-thin guy instead of someone that went from morbidly obese to barely obese.

I think that would be a pretty cool thing to mention. It shows dedication and is definitely personal.
 
I see I'm not the only one having problems accessing Dartmouth's website. For those who have been having trouble accessing the secondary app, any change in luck? I'm using Safari on a Mac, but I've tried all the other computers in my house (pc+mac) on different browsers and I still can't get onto their website.
 
If I am not a citizen of United States nor a US Permanent Resident, how am I supposed to mail them a copy of Alien Registration card ('green card')? Isn't this only issued to US permanent residents? Are they asking for student visa?

I am wondering this as well, I am applying as a Canadian citizen with no status in the US, how would I mail this?
 
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