2012-2013 George Washington University Application Thread

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MedPR said:
Still on hold for re-review. Are they still updating every Thursday?
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Dude, I was complete on Aug. 8th and I'm still on just complete. At least your status has changed.
 
MLDM said:
Dude, I was complete on Aug. 8th and I'm still on just complete. At least your status has changed.
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I'm under the impression that complete is better than re-review.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
 
Goobs said:
I'm under the impression that complete is better than re-review.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
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I'm not so sure about that. I've been complete since 7/31 and I'm still just "complete". I think it's more likely they just haven't brought my app in front of the committee yet, and a screener has placed me in a pile to be looked at later since my stats aren't stellar. I think more competitive applications have at least been reviewed - and interview invites issued accordingly, and those applicants they're not so sure of placed on re-review. Why else would so many people marked "complete" after me already be placed on re-review?

That's just my own guesswork, though. Anyone have a better grasp of the process?
 
Where do you guys see these status? Mine just says that my application is complete. There's no under review, on hold, re-reviewed, etc.
 
duyvtr said:
Where do you guys see these status? Mine just says that my application is complete. There's no under review, on hold, re-reviewed, etc.
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That's your status then - complete. It will change depending on whether you get put on hold etc.
 
MLDM said:
Dude, I was complete on Aug. 8th and I'm still on just complete. At least your status has changed.
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I was complete back in July. They get tons more applications in August, which is probably why your status hasn't changed yet.


Goobs said:
I'm under the impression that complete is better than re-review.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
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+1

MsPlasmodesmata said:
I'm not so sure about that. I've been complete since 7/31 and I'm still just "complete". I think it's more likely they just haven't brought my app in front of the committee yet, and a screener has placed me in a pile to be looked at later since my stats aren't stellar. I think more competitive applications have at least been reviewed - and interview invites issued accordingly, and those applicants they're not so sure of placed on re-review. Why else would so many people marked "complete" after me already be placed on re-review?

That's just my own guesswork, though. Anyone have a better grasp of the process?
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My stats are 3.00/3.14/33 and I've been reviewed and then put on hold for re-review. They're not only reviewing competitive applicants.

duyvtr said:
Where do you guys see these status? Mine just says that my application is complete. There's no under review, on hold, re-reviewed, etc.
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Keep reading that status thing. If it doesn't say anything else, then you're just complete, that's all.
 
MedPR said:
Keep reading that status thing. If it doesn't say anything else, then you're just complete, that's all.
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You're going to drive yourself crazy doing this! I got an interview invite but all my status page says is "information regarding your status has been emailed." This is apparently the same for a rejection.

Advice for ALL applications: after you're complete, forget about the applications and wait for an email from the schools.
 
ceasefire said:
You're going to drive yourself crazy doing this! I got an interview invite but all my status page says is "information regarding your status has been emailed." This is apparently the same for a rejection.

Advice for ALL applications: after you're complete, forget about the applications and wait for an email from the schools.
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I didn't mean to keep checking it, I meant to continue reading the paragraph beyond the first sentence 🙂

Anyway, I've pretty much stopped checking statuses. I check a handful of them every week, but not all 30+ daily like I used to a few weeks ago 🙄.
 
MedPR said:
I didn't mean to keep checking it, I meant to continue reading the paragraph beyond the first sentence 🙂

Anyway, I've pretty much stopped checking statuses. I check a handful of them every week, but not all 30+ daily like I used to a few weeks ago 🙄.
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I seem to have gone the other way and am now the person described on PMOD's signature sigh.... also yay u have MDApps now! I can cheer u on for ur interviews/bother you via PM after you've attended them 😉
 
How many people have gotten II so far that were on hold for re-review? I think I've lose hope in getting an II post-in the area letter. Probably going to go ahead and make travel plans without GWU in mind now.
 
IRASNA said:
How many people have gotten II so far that were on hold for re-review? I think I've lose hope in getting an II post-in the area letter. Probably going to go ahead and make travel plans without GWU in mind now.
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I sent an in-the-area when i was just marked complete...weeks ago...and im STILL just marked complete 🙁 so I'm gonna have to do the same...luckily I won't have to fly so it'll prlly only cost me an extra $100 by bus

Congrats on all the interviews btw
 
IRASNA said:
How many people have gotten II so far that were on hold for re-review? I think I've lose hope in getting an II post-in the area letter. Probably going to go ahead and make travel plans without GWU in mind now.
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I got an II after being on hold for re-review
 
LPpostbacc said:
how long were you on hold for? Couple days, or a couple weeks? Thx.
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I submitted my secondary July 5. I was on hold a few days after that until my II (I stopped checking after 3 weeks).
 
ceasefire said:
I got an II after being on hold for re-review
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Did you write a LOI or send an in-the-area though?

I wonder if anyone got an II after being put on hold without communicating with the admissions office?
 
ceasefire said:
I submitted my secondary July 5. I was on hold a few days after that until my II (I stopped checking after 3 weeks).
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I think that's a slightly different scenario then the intention of the question (**I think**). I noticed almost every application was briefly placed "on hold for re-review" for a few days upon initial submission. Mine was, then I moved to under review, then back to on-hold (all within a week's time), where I've been for a month.

Sorry if I'm wrong here, but has anyone who has been on-hold for longer than 1 month received an interview yet??
 
LPpostbacc said:
I think that's a slightly different scenario then the intention of the question (**I think**). I noticed almost every application was briefly placed "on hold for re-review" for a few days upon initial submission. Mine was, then I moved to under review, then back to on-hold (all within a week's time), where I've been for a month.

Sorry if I'm wrong here, but has anyone who has been on-hold for longer than 1 month received an interview yet??
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Ceasefire and I both we on hold from like July 6ish up until beginning of August
 
Hey guys! Just wanted to let everyone know I interviewed at GW this past week and had a really good experience. The students seemed pretty engaged and happy, and there are a lot of opportunities for extra curricular involvement, especially if you are interested in policy stuff. Also, the location is awesome!

Some cons: Of course, the cost. GW is one of the most expensive schools in the country, and it doesn't sound like they give out much aid. It would be very hard to chose GW over a state school without receiving a substantial scholarship. Another con; many students complained about the curriculum being "outdated" and too time consuming. Many people I talked to said they were in class at least 8 hours per day on most days.

As for the interviews themselves, they were quite laid back, casual even. Just go in ready to answer the "tell me about yourself" question and have some good reasons for wanting to go to GW and you'll be set. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to answer them!
 
Thanks for the info!

Did they clarify what they meant by "outdated?" Just the amount of hours in-class? Or the actual material?
 
dance13021 said:
Thanks for the info!

Did they clarify what they meant by "outdated?" Just the amount of hours in-class? Or the actual material?
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Most of the complaints about the "outdated" curriculum had to do with the amount of class time. I have interviewed at 4 schools now, and GW students seem to spend the most time in class. A couple of students had spent TEN hours in classes/lab the previous day, although 8 hours seemed to be the average. At some schools, classes/labs do not take up so much time, and more time is left for electives and/or extra curricular activities.

As for the curriculum, I didn't hear as many complaints about it, but people seemed to dislike the way it was set up. First year you learn "normal" biology and second year you learn "abnormal" biology, with all the organ systems mixed together. Furthermore, several classes are kind of randomly thrown into the schedule. Supposedly, the new curriculum is going to be more "streamlined" and "integrated" and will focus more on "organ system blocks" where you learn everything there is to know about one organ system one at a time. Whether or not you consider this an actual improvement is really a matter of preference, but at least it does seem like the new curriculum will be a little bit more organized. Hopefully this will have the added benefit of reducing the number of hours students are spending in class.

In summary, the curriculum is considered "outdated" because it is not streamlined/integrated and is consequently more time consuming. This is the impression I got from ~5-10 students; I'm not an expert on GW's curriculum, and it is possible the information I heard was not representative of the experiences of other students.
 
I submitted my primary application in late July, which is still being processed since I retook my MCAT in early August . I still haven't received my secondary, and Iast year I received mine the day I submitted my primary application. Did you guys receive the GW secondary immediately or did it take a while to get sent?
 
MLDM said:
Dude, I was complete on Aug. 8th and I'm still on just complete. At least your status has changed.
Click to expand...

Goobs said:
I'm under the impression that complete is better than re-review.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

MsPlasmodesmata said:
I'm not so sure about that. I've been complete since 7/31 and I'm still just "complete". I think it's more likely they just haven't brought my app in front of the committee yet, and a screener has placed me in a pile to be looked at later since my stats aren't stellar. I think more competitive applications have at least been reviewed - and interview invites issued accordingly, and those applicants they're not so sure of placed on re-review. Why else would so many people marked "complete" after me already be placed on re-review?

That's just my own guesswork, though. Anyone have a better grasp of the process?
Click to expand...

Submitted on 7/28, complete on 8/15. Been complete the entire time and still awaiting a review over my application so thank you guys for making me not feel crazy that my application hasn't been put on hold/rereview 🙂. From what it appears from reading the previous pages, it seems like it could take about 2-4 weeks for them to look at your application after getting the complete.

aspiringdoc12 said:
I submitted my primary application in late July, which is still being processed since I retook my MCAT in early August . I still haven't received my secondary, and Iast year I received mine the day I submitted my primary application. Did you guys receive the GW secondary immediately or did it take a while to get sent?
Click to expand...

I got the secondary pretty quickly, they send it to you when they get the preliminary application (aka I want to go to your school). I would email them or just go ahead to the secondary website and do it as well. I believe earlier someone posted saying you can turn it in before your primary is verified (you'll have to read back just to make sure though).

Secondary link: http://smhs.gwumc.edu/mdprograms/admissions/applicationprocess/secondaryapplicationprocess
 
TxResident said:
Submitted on 7/28, complete on 8/15. Been complete the entire time and still awaiting a review over my application so thank you guys for making me not feel crazy that my application hasn't been put on hold/rereview 🙂. From what it appears from reading the previous pages, it seems like it could take about 2-4 weeks for them to look at your application after getting the complete.



I got the secondary pretty quickly, they send it to you when they get the preliminary application (aka I want to go to your school). I would email them or just go ahead to the secondary website and do it as well. I believe earlier someone posted saying you can turn it in before your primary is verified (you'll have to read back just to make sure though).

Secondary link: http://smhs.gwumc.edu/mdprograms/admissions/applicationprocess/secondaryapplicationprocess
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Awesome! Thank you for your help! 🙂
 
Hello,

Can anyone girls comment on the walking school tour? Like how long is it, is there a lot of going up and down stairs, etc. I'm wearing two-inch heels and was debating whether I should buy a pair of flats. Thanks 🙂
 
haveli63 said:
Hello,

Can anyone girls comment on the walking school tour? Like how long is it, is there a lot of going up and down stairs, etc. I'm wearing two-inch heels and was debating whether I should buy a pair of flats. Thanks 🙂
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its not much. i wore heels.
 
haveli63 said:
Hello,

Can anyone girls comment on the walking school tour? Like how long is it, is there a lot of going up and down stairs, etc. I'm wearing two-inch heels and was debating whether I should buy a pair of flats. Thanks 🙂
Click to expand...

Not a girl, but the walking tour was maybe ~30-45 minutes, with a lot of time standing listening to the tour guides talk. Everything at GWU is pretty close together, so you wont spend a lot of time actually taking strides. Also, there were a few staircases we had to climb, but never more than one flight at a time.
 
NCPremed said:
Not a girl, but the walking tour was maybe ~30-45 minutes, with a lot of time standing listening to the tour guides talk. Everything at GWU is pretty close together, so you wont spend a lot of time actually taking strides. Also, there were a few staircases we had to climb, but never more than one flight at a time.
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Would love to wear heels just for the confidence it exudes. But I'm keeping things semi-practical and wearing one inches for all my interviews. I think I would look pretty bad with a suit and flats combo!
 
Interview invite a few days ago was complete Early to mid August
 
kuntash said:
Would love to wear heels just for the confidence it exudes. But I'm keeping things semi-practical and wearing one inches for all my interviews. I think I would look pretty bad with a suit and flats combo!
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And you get that awesome intimidating sound with every step you take! 🙂
 
interviewed last week and was so impressed by the school and the students. hospital is gorgeous, facilities are nice, and the students were soooo friendly, down to earth and REAL. i got the vibe from this school

from reading earlier posts it seems like some other people had a different impression...different strokes for different folks i guess
 
Does anyone know if it's possible to be rejected pre-interview without ever being put on hold for re-review?

I'm trying to be patient but I've seen no change from "complete" in over 6 weeks now. I just wanna know where I stand after they initially evaluate me, and brace myself if an early rejection is likely. Being put on re-review would at least show me that they've looked at my app. =/
 
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To all of you who sent out LOIs, did you send an email or an actual snail mail letter and who did you send it to?
 
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Is anyone else interviewing on Sept 11th? I'm heading back to the Reagan airport right after the interview, so if you're interested in sharing a cab back (or you know of a cheaper way) please let me know!
 
Waittt....I just realized how cheap it is to use the metro, so I'm going to be brave and take public transit in a new city!
 
Hey guys this is my first interview and it's on sept 25th. I'm a little nervous and would appreciate any tips from people who have already interviewed for this year. I read through some of the thread but would love more tips. Are they big into ethical questions? Is it more of a laid back interview? And because it is a blind interview how much detail should you give from your AMCAS. Would appreciate any help.
 
Donald Blake MD said:
Hey guys this is my first interview and it's on sept 25th. I'm a little nervous and would appreciate any tips from people who have already interviewed for this year. I read through some of the thread but would love more tips. Are they big into ethical questions? Is it more of a laid back interview? And because it is a blind interview how much detail should you give from your AMCAS. Would appreciate any help.
Click to expand...

It is fairly laid back however both your interviewers (one student, one faculty/physician) will know nothing about you. I thought it was difficult to explain yourself, what you have done and why you are here in 20-25 mins. But I haven't done an open file interview yet so have nothing to compare with. It seems in the closed file situation the "dreaded" tell me about yourself question will form the entire conversation. And it will be repeated from many angles..tell me about yourself/your activities/your interest in medicine/your general interests/where you work etc. There were no ethical question though.

BTW for the earlier poster who did not like the interview day, I loved it. I was struck and appreciated the strong focus on producing great clinicians...believe I heard mention of a third year delivering a baby and one suturing during a real surgery! I was especially impressed with the students that we had lunch with. They were very friendly but honest and very real about what we were going into and the field of medicine as a whole not just GW. Didn't get any undergrad/college type of vibes. I think that when we are trying to get into med school and "looking in" from this side, we may have some sort of idealized view of what it will be like and may think "I just want ONE acceptance and I'll be the happiest person on earth!". I think for many (all?) of us, once we are actually in med school and the reality of the amount of work, debt plus general uncertainty of the actual final "payoff" hits, we may be in for a rude awakening...and we will return to being...just normal people, not the "I"m a future doctor, yippee!" type of attitude that pre-meds tend to have. In fact I believe I can sense this shift in attitude from most of the Medical Students who post on SDN usually after a couple of months in. So perhaps this feeling of everyone "keeping it real" is what some folks took as a lack of excitement/enthusiasm about their career choice?
 
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kuntash said:
I think that when we are trying to get into med school and "looking in" from this side, we may have some sort of idealized view of what it will be like and may think "I just want ONE acceptance and I'll be the happiest person on earth!". I think for many (all?) of us, once we are actually in med school and the reality of the amount of work, debt plus general uncertainty of the actual final "payoff" hits, we may be in for a rude awakening...and we will return to being...just normal people, not the "I"m a future doctor, yippee!" type of attitude that pre-meds tend to have. In fact I believe I can sense this shift in attitude from most of the Medical Students who post on SDN usually after a couple of months in. So perhaps this feeling of everyone "keeping it real" is what some folks took as a lack of excitement/enthusiasm about their career choice?
Click to expand...

Well said; I couldn't agree more.
 
kuntash said:
It is fairly laid back however both your interviewers (one student, one faculty/physician) will know nothing about you. I thought it was difficult to explain yourself, what you have done and why you are here in 20-25 mins. But I haven't done an open file interview yet so have nothing to compare with. It seems in the closed file situation the "dreaded" tell me about yourself question will form the entire conversation. And it will be repeated from many angles..tell me about yourself/your activities/your interest in medicine/your general interests/where you work etc. There were no ethical question though.

BTW for the earlier poster who did not like the interview day, I loved it. I was struck and appreciated the strong focus on producing great clinicians...believe I heard mention of a third year delivering a baby and one suturing during a real surgery! I was especially impressed with the students that we had lunch with. They were very friendly but honest and very real about what we were going into and the field of medicine as a whole not just GW. Didn't get any undergrad/college type of vibes. I think that when we are trying to get into med school and "looking in" from this side, we may have some sort of idealized view of what it will be like and may think "I just want ONE acceptance and I'll be the happiest person on earth!". I think for many (all?) of us, once we are actually in med school and the reality of the amount of work, debt plus general uncertainty of the actual final "payoff" hits, we may be in for a rude awakening...and we will return to being...just normal people, not the "I"m a future doctor, yippee!" type of attitude that pre-meds tend to have. In fact I believe I can sense this shift in attitude from most of the Medical Students who post on SDN usually after a couple of months in. So perhaps this feeling of everyone "keeping it real" is what some folks took as a lack of excitement/enthusiasm about their career choice?
Click to expand...

👍👍
 
kuntash said:
It is fairly laid back however both your interviewers (one student, one faculty/physician) will know nothing about you. I thought it was difficult to explain yourself, what you have done and why you are here in 20-25 mins. But I haven't done an open file interview yet so have nothing to compare with. It seems in the closed file situation the "dreaded" tell me about yourself question will form the entire conversation. And it will be repeated from many angles..tell me about yourself/your activities/your interest in medicine/your general interests/where you work etc. There were no ethical question though.

BTW for the earlier poster who did not like the interview day, I loved it. I was struck and appreciated the strong focus on producing great clinicians...believe I heard mention of a third year delivering a baby and one suturing during a real surgery! I was especially impressed with the students that we had lunch with. They were very friendly but honest and very real about what we were going into and the field of medicine as a whole not just GW. Didn't get any undergrad/college type of vibes. I think that when we are trying to get into med school and "looking in" from this side, we may have some sort of idealized view of what it will be like and may think "I just want ONE acceptance and I'll be the happiest person on earth!". I think for many (all?) of us, once we are actually in med school and the reality of the amount of work, debt plus general uncertainty of the actual final "payoff" hits, we may be in for a rude awakening...and we will return to being...just normal people, not the "I"m a future doctor, yippee!" type of attitude that pre-meds tend to have. In fact I believe I can sense this shift in attitude from most of the Medical Students who post on SDN usually after a couple of months in. So perhaps this feeling of everyone "keeping it real" is what some folks took as a lack of excitement/enthusiasm about their career choice?
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I think you are grossly distorting what i was trying to say; can't blame you, I didn't do a good job communicating it
 
Hey guys, just making sure - they aren't asking for applicants to send in a picture this cycle are they?
 
Kuntash and Bumblebee, I appreciate both points of view. Thanks to both of you fora taking time to write about your experiences! I am really excited about this interview, but definitely nervous haha.
 
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