2012-2013 Panic Thread

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MedPR said:
Do you have anymore interviews? I got wait listed at 7/9 MD interviews.

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Nope, unfortunately no more interviews. Wow, although you have an acceptance to an MD school as well if I am right? I haven't lost hope completely yet, but mentally preparing myself for reapplication is taking a little depression out of this cycle. Drafting some update letters to the schools and sending resumes out will hopefully pass the time until May.
 
just bringing the Panic Thread to the first page again, we mustn't let it disappear like that.
 
MedPR said:
Do you have anymore interviews? I got wait listed at 7/9 MD interviews.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
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You had 7 waitlists out of 9 medical school interviews? That's just uncanny. Grats on the number of interviews though 🙂

The waitlist moves a lot in may! have hope guys 🙂 It's not over til it's over.
 
Oogieboogie said:
You had 7 waitlists out of 9 medical school interviews? That's just uncanny. Grats on the number of interviews though 🙂

The waitlist moves a lot in may! have hope guys 🙂 It's not over til it's over.
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he has a low gpa so it makes sense.
 
By the time we interview, do your grades matter anymore? Is someone with a 36/3.9 on the same footing as someone with 33/3.6 when they're interviewing at the same school? Or can the 1st person afford to do a little worst on the interview than the other? (I hope you understand)
 
Permavirgin said:
By the time we interview, do your grades matter anymore? Is someone with a 36/3.9 on the same footing as someone with 33/3.6 when they're interviewing at the same school? Or can the 1st person afford to do a little worst on the interview than the other? (I hope you understand)
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This topic has been discussed to death, and the answer is yes, numbers still matter.

:beat:
 
Permavirgin said:
By the time we interview, do your grades matter anymore? Is someone with a 36/3.9 on the same footing as someone with 33/3.6 when they're interviewing at the same school? Or can the 1st person afford to do a little worst on the interview than the other? (I hope you understand)
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Yes they matter. You're still on lower footing if your stats are low.
 
MedPR said:
Yes they matter. You're still on lower footing if your stats are low.
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I think once you're invited to the interview, you have a moderate shot at gaining acceptance.
If your "goals" are more in line with the schools culture then I think you can level the playing field. But if you're a quiet duck like the rest of the herd I've seen at med school interviews, your numbers are probably going to matter more.

But I'm not adcom so who knows.

Oogie
 
Oogieboogie said:
I think once you're invited to the interview, you have a moderate shot at gaining acceptance.
If your "goals" are more in line with the schools culture then I think you can level the playing field. But if you're a quiet duck like the rest of the herd I've seen at med school interviews, your numbers are probably going to matter more.

But I'm not adcom so who knows.

Oogie
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I'd say "moderate" is an optimistic word when many schools accept ~30% post interview. Though for some it's closer to half, admittedly.
 
mcloaf said:
I'd say "moderate" is an optimistic word when many schools accept ~30% post interview. Though for some it's closer to half, admittedly.
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Haha. Maybe. Truth is, it certainly doesn't make your chances any better if you walk into the interview thinking you have no chance.

Yes, your numbers matter, but what matters more at the interview is your enthusiasm and your interest in the school on that particular day. At that point, what is there to change in terms of numbers? Nothing.

So if you're a person with low gpa/low mcats, the interview is a time when you can show the adcom that you're worth considering over the person with high gpa/high mcats.
 
Well for me it's the opposite
I have good grades but I'm not that great of an interviewer so I'm hoping my numbers make up for my awkward turtle status
 
Permavirgin said:
By the time we interview, do your grades matter anymore? Is someone with a 36/3.9 on the same footing as someone with 33/3.6 when they're interviewing at the same school? Or can the 1st person afford to do a little worst on the interview than the other? (I hope you understand)
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Are you talking about blind interviews? If blind, then there is an assumption that you're qualified.

Anyway, I guess it depends on the formula the SOM uses to determine acceptances. One of the schools that accepted me uses a 3, 3, 4 formula. An applicant's GPA is rated 1-3, his MCAT is rated 1-3, and his interviews are rated 1-4. The scores are added up and it you meet the threshold, you're accepted.
 
SOMBound13 said:
Are you talking about blind interviews? If blind, then there is an assumption that you're qualified.

Anyway, I guess it depends on the formula the SOM uses to determine acceptances. One of the schools that accepted me uses a 3, 3, 4 formula. An applicant's GPA is rated 1-3, his MCAT is rated 1-3, and his interviews are rated 1-4. The scores are added up and it you meet the threshold, you're accepted.
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That is interesting/cool that they're willing to be that transparent about how they evaluate people. Where do LORs, ECs, and PS/secondary essays come into play? Just for granting interviews?
 
SOMBound13 said:
Are you talking about blind interviews? If blind, then there is an assumption that you're qualified.

Anyway, I guess it depends on the formula the SOM uses to determine acceptances. One of the schools that accepted me uses a 3, 3, 4 formula. An applicant's GPA is rated 1-3, his MCAT is rated 1-3, and his interviews are rated 1-4. The scores are added up and it you meet the threshold, you're accepted.
Click to expand...

mcloaf said:
That is interesting/cool that they're willing to be that transparent about how they evaluate people. Where do LORs, ECs, and PS/secondary essays come into play? Just for granting interviews?
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I wondered the same thing. You may be right about nudging for deciding who to interview.
 
SOMBound13 said:
Are you talking about blind interviews? If blind, then there is an assumption that you're qualified.

Anyway, I guess it depends on the formula the SOM uses to determine acceptances. One of the schools that accepted me uses a 3, 3, 4 formula. An applicant's GPA is rated 1-3, his MCAT is rated 1-3, and his interviews are rated 1-4. The scores are added up and it you meet the threshold, you're accepted.
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what school is this? what is the threshold?
 
cinamin said:
what school is this? what is the threshold?
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I don't know if I should post the name here. If you send me a PM, I'll tell you.

I don't know what the threshold is, but I've heard that it gets lowered at some later point as needed.
 
As an international with 2 interviews at 2 state schools that I haven't yet heard back from (out of 4 - the other two being rejections), and a 3.5 GPA/31 MCAT, my hopes are dwindling....

Honestly it'll be a miracle if I get in somewhere.
 
physiologist said:
As an international with 2 interviews at 2 state schools that I haven't yet heard back from (out of 4 - the other two being rejections), and a 3.5 GPA/31 MCAT, my hopes are dwindling....

Honestly it'll be a miracle if I get in somewhere.
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Dude no. We gotta keep the international hope strong. I'm rooting for you my international brother !
 
Oogieboogie said:
I think once you're invited to the interview, you have a moderate shot at gaining acceptance.
If your "goals" are more in line with the schools culture then I think you can level the playing field. But if you're a quiet duck like the rest of the herd I've seen at med school interviews, your numbers are probably going to matter more.

But I'm not adcom so who knows.

Oogie
Click to expand...

Have you really seen a lot of these quiet ducks you speak of? I haven't even met a socially awk person yet... So far I've met people with some pretty kick-@ss personalities that seem like normal/non-crazy people so it makes me panic inside...
 
SOMBound13 said:
I don't know if I should post the name here. If you send me a PM, I'll tell you.

I don't know what the threshold is, but I've heard that it gets lowered at some later point as needed.
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PM'd you 🙂 Thanks
 
physiologist said:
As an international with 2 interviews at 2 state schools that I haven't yet heard back from (out of 4 - the other two being rejections), and a 3.5 GPA/31 MCAT, my hopes are dwindling....

Honestly it'll be a miracle if I get in somewhere.
Click to expand...

Nahnia said:
Dude no. We gotta keep the international hope strong. I'm rooting for you my international brother !
Click to expand...

I'm rooting for all of us miserable internationals
 
cinamin said:
Have you really seen a lot of these quiet ducks you speak of? I haven't even met a socially awk person yet... So far I've met people with some pretty kick-@ss personalities that seem like normal/non-crazy people so it makes me panic inside...
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If you can't readily spot the crazy person, then you must be... also 100% normal.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
 
MedPR said:
Yes they matter. You're still on lower footing if your stats are low.
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People are going to make *****ic conclusions about your interview skills, and while it might be a factor, I totally agree with you on this.
 
113 said:
If you can't readily spot the crazy person, then you must be... also 100% normal.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
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ha yea I figure someone would make a comment like that. I'm not too worried about myself. I just noticed there are lots of stories about weirdos on the interview trail and I haven't really noticed any.... I am not interviewing at very high-tier schools so maybe that has something to do with it.
 
cinamin said:
ha yea I figure someone would make a comment like that. I'm not too worried about myself. I just noticed there are lots of stories about weirdos on the interview trail and I haven't really noticed any.... I am not interviewing at very high-tier schools so maybe that has something to do with it.
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........does that mean there's a high probability of finding weirdos at high-tier schools lol. I see where you're coming from though I haven't seen any weirdos either. For my first interview everyone went into cliques and turned me into the Forerver Alone dude *shrug*
 
cinamin said:
Have you really seen a lot of these quiet ducks you speak of? I haven't even met a socially awk person yet... So far I've met people with some pretty kick-@ss personalities that seem like normal/non-crazy people so it makes me panic inside...
Click to expand...

Nahnia said:
........does that mean there's a high probability of finding weirdos at high-tier schools lol. I see where you're coming from though I haven't seen any weirdos either. For my first interview everyone went into cliques and turned me into the Forerver Alone dude *shrug*
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My first and third interview had one person that was super weird..but my second interview it felt like there were only two other normal people. It was a strange experience to say the least. They weren't quiet..they were quite the opposite, actually.
 
I swear that time slows down when a decision day approaches.
 
I guess it helps 🙂confused🙂 to make time go by when you spend your waiting time studying for the MCAT again. :scared:
 
BrettJH said:
Ugh. No thanks! Haha. I'll take the waiting 😉
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Yeah, I totally get that. But If I don't study and prepare myself for next cycle, I could potentially be waiting for a full extra year if I get another waitlist from my last interview.
 
jemstone said:
Yeah, I totally get that. But If I don't study and prepare myself for next cycle, I could potentially be waiting for a full extra year if I get another waitlist from my last interview.
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Yeah, I know what I should be doing, but... haha. I think if I get wait listed at this school and my interview in march, then ill start mcat studying. Until then, I've tricked myself into thinking that I'm fine 😉
 
Waitlisted post interview at my top choice (Dartmouth). ****ing **** this sucks.
 
TheShaker said:
Waitlisted post interview at my top choice (Dartmouth). ****ing **** this sucks.
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Sorry to hear that dude. Hope things turn out well for all of us but you have a good amount interviews so it's highly probable you can get in somewhere. On a side note we have the exact same timeline for Rosalind Franklin. Cool.
 
TheShaker said:
Waitlisted post interview at my top choice (Dartmouth). ****ing **** this sucks.
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I'm wait listed at my top choice as well. So I can absolutely feel your pain. Just keep telling yourself that a wait list is not a rejection!
 
wizedw said:
I'm wait listed at my top choice as well. So I can absolutely feel your pain. Just keep telling yourself that a wait list is not a rejection!
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yup same with me. may 15th can't come any faster.
 
I'm not trying to damper anyone's hope, because it is most certainly encouraging that we have waitlists and not rejections, but we have to do whatever we can do to properly prepare ourselves to not solely rely on waitlists because they can be rather long.
 
jemstone said:
I'm not trying to damper anyone's hope, because it is most certainly encouraging that we have waitlists and not rejections, but we have to do whatever we can do to properly prepare ourselves to not solely rely on waitlists because they can be rather long.
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Especially at schools that don't reject post-interview
 
jemstone said:
I'm not trying to damper anyone's hope, because it is most certainly encouraging that we have waitlists and not rejections, but we have to do whatever we can do to properly prepare ourselves to not solely rely on waitlists because they can be rather long.
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I'm on the upper tier wait list at a school that is know to outright accept only about half their class and already has rejected a bunch of people. Let me have my hope dude.
 
jemstone said:
My first and third interview had one person that was super weird..but my second interview it felt like there were only two other normal people. It was a strange experience to say the least. They weren't quiet..they were quite the opposite, actually.
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I never met a weird person at an interview. I did meet a kid who admitted to me he spent 5 minutes preparing for the interview. I'm not saying someone who is quiet is weird, and I'm not saying someone who is loud is normal.

But there are a lot of applicants who don't actively engage the faculty/other students. They are more comfortable in their shells, if you get what I mean.

I'm concerned as to why people think quiet = awkward and weird/unlikeable.
 
Oogieboogie said:
I never met a weird person at an interview. I did meet a kid who admitted to me he spent 5 minutes preparing for the interview. I'm not saying someone who is quiet is weird, and I'm not saying someone who is loud is normal.

But there are a lot of applicants who don't actively engage the faculty/other students. They are more comfortable in their shells, if you get what I mean.

I'm concerned as to why people think quiet = awkward and weird/unlikeable.
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Well, don't forget that it's an interview too. People are probably being more reserved than usual to avoid potentially sticking out in a bad way if they were a bit more vocal than they should be, not to mention the fact that it's a bit of an unfamiliar environment. I, too subscribed to this but found it easier to chat with others as the day went on and we became acclimated with the group.

I reserved judgment, as I was too anxious about my own agenda to really get to know them. I figured I could get to know them if they ended up being accepted and matriculated to the same school, otherwise it's not really worth a deeper interaction.
 
I have one more interview at the end of this week. Crossing my fingers - if it falls through I will literally be a re-applicant.
 
wh2k13 said:
I have one more interview at the end of this week. Crossing my fingers - if it falls through I will literally be a re-applicant.
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Do you have any open applications? Any silent schools left?
 
IncognitoGuy said:
Well, don't forget that it's an interview too. People are probably being more reserved than usual to avoid potentially sticking out in a bad way if they were a bit more vocal than they should be, not to mention the fact that it's a bit of an unfamiliar environment. I, too subscribed to this but found it easier to chat with others as the day went on and we became acclimated with the group.

I reserved judgment, as I was too anxious about my own agenda to really get to know them. I figured I could get to know them if they ended up being accepted and matriculated to the same school, otherwise it's not really worth a deeper interaction.
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Interesting. I took the different approach. I was very engaging with other applicants, and with the faculty and maybe what people would have called a "weirdo." In my opinion, I always felt that the other applicants would be my colleagues one day. I would see them either in medical school, in residency, in my fellowships, or in my work somewhere along the way. I feel interacting with strangers helps show your ability to communicate and interact with people, even if you'll never see that person again.

Who knows, though? You might.

But I definitely see the other side of that argument. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth. Oh well!

Oogie
 
Oogieboogie said:
Interesting. I took the different approach. I was very engaging with other applicants, and with the faculty and maybe what people would have called a "weirdo." In my opinion, I always felt that the other applicants would be my colleagues one day. I would see them either in medical school, in residency, in my fellowships, or in my work somewhere along the way. I feel interacting with strangers helps show your ability to communicate and interact with people, even if you'll never see that person again.

Who knows, though? You might.

But I definitely see the other side of that argument. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth. Oh well!

Oogie
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Haha, I've always been more cautious when it comes to first impressions. I did enjoy the interactions when it happened but I reasoned that an interview was not the time or place to pursue them. To each their own.
 
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