2012-2013 Tulane University Application Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Status
Not open for further replies.
....so whats your point?

Oh, sorry - my point was at the end of the (admittedly lengthy) post: there isn't much stock to be put into discussing what stats do and don't work. To me it looks like Tulane at least takes a look at the whole applicant rather than just the GPA+MCAT.
 
That's an awesome ratio!

Yeah, it's nice to have been accepted to every single one of the MD schools that gave me an interview. If you consider all the MD schools I applied to, then I don't look so good. I applied to eleven MD schools, got rejected at three and haven't heard anything from the other seven after I was complete in August. I did better on the DO front, with six interview invites (attended three, declined three), two acceptances and a waitlist from nine applications. I'm very grateful to Tulane for being willing to look past my 3.14 GPA and accept me based more on my postbac grades. This is a wonderful school for nontrads.
 
Rejected. Oh well! Good luck to everyone else, Tulane is just brutal! :-0
 
Anyone who interviewed on 10/22 or after hear anything yet?
 
I was complete 10/4, rejected pre interview. sGPA 3.74, cGPA 3.85, 10/10/10 MCAT. I was kind of expecting it based on their median MCAT scores.

Good luck to everyone else!👍
 
Can any current students talk about the LEAD program? Can you apply for this once accepted to the MD program or did you have to apply on the secondary?
 
if you get a rejection, does it come in the mail or via e-mail?
 
Can any current students talk about the LEAD program? Can you apply for this once accepted to the MD program or did you have to apply on the secondary?

I think you apply for this later, and the question on the application is just to gauge interest in the program.
 
cGPA 3.43, sGPA 3.23 32 MCAT. Interviewed on 10/29. Acceptance range
 
Looks like there haven't been any interview invites in a while....maybe today will be a good day! Any insight on how often they send them out / if they only send them one week each month or something like that? There doesn't look to be much rhyme or reason to when they're sent on this thread anyway.
 
Whoa that was quick - how did you find out? Email?
 
Rejected via e-mail.
images

Congrats to all those that've been accepted or received an interview. Unsubscribing today. Tootles.
 
Just got the email- accepted. Not sure how I felt about Tulane though, well see.
 
It seems like my account is gone when I login to its website. Is this mean I am out or what
 
It seems like my account is gone when I login to its website. Is this mean I am out or what
No, their system just does that after a while. Mine did that, but I later got an interview.
 
accepted today via email! interviewed 10/29 OOS
 
Just got an II today. Not sure if i can afford to get down to NOLA this late in the game, but I would try my darndest if it were a great school for me. Any current students or people who have interviewed have any thoughts on the school they'd like to share?
 
Just got the email- accepted. Not sure how I felt about Tulane though, well see.

Could you expand on this? I was offered an interview, but I haven't yet decided if it is worth the money/time I have to take off work that it would take to go interview. It would also be helpful to get some comments from anyone else who has interviewed here. I'm interested in both the positive and negative reactions to the school. Thanks!
 
Could you expand on this? I was offered an interview, but I haven't yet decided if it is worth the money/time I have to take off work that it would take to go interview. It would also be helpful to get some comments from anyone else who has interviewed here. I'm interested in both the positive and negative reactions to the school. Thanks!

Go to the interview, even if it is just to visit New Orleans.

I don't know about you but I've had interviews in some pretty dull locations. This is one time where an interview can really be an excuse to visit some place interesting. It's pretty awesome, at least when it comes to med school locations. If location/diverse patient population is important to you, it is worth checking out.
 
Last edited:
Go to the interview, even if it is just to visit New Orleans.

I don't know about you but I've had interviews in some pretty dull locations. This is one time where an interview can really be an excuse to visit some place interesting. It's pretty awesome, at least when it comes to med school locations. If location/diverse patient population is important to you, it is worth checking out.

this.
 
Go to the interview, even if it is just to visit New Orleans.

I don't know about you but I've had interviews in some pretty dull locations. This is one time where an interview can really be an excuse to visit some place interesting. It's pretty awesome, at least when it comes to med school locations. If location/diverse patient population is important to you, it is worth checking out.

You might want to weigh your finances and time commitment though. If you live far away, it would cost quite a bit to travel there, and if you live close, you can probably visit there any time. I agree that New Orleans would be worth visiting either now or later.
 
Just got an II today. Not sure if i can afford to get down to NOLA this late in the game, but I would try my darndest if it were a great school for me. Any current students or people who have interviewed have any thoughts on the school they'd like to share?

if I may ask, what dates are the interviews at now?
 
Interview invite today. I was rather confused because I got a rejection email from them 8/24....I called and they said the rejection email was an error and they wanted to extend me an interview. (*Steps back to watch SDN'ers feathers get ruffled)
 
Interview invite today. I was rather confused because I got a rejection email from them 8/24....I called and they said the rejection email was an error and they wanted to extend me an interview. (*Steps back to watch SDN'ers feathers get ruffled)
This is hilarious. Wish all schools that rejected me made this mistake.
But hey, congrats! Guess it would be one of the best surprises.
 
II here as well last night. I was complete 7/30, a very long time ago, and thus totally surprised that they invite me now. But at least I never got rejected haha. Pretty excited although it will take some considerable money for me to make it to this interview 🙁
 
So I can email Dr Beckman to confirm the spot, but not pay the deposit until later, when I'm more certain I want to go to this school?
 
Could you expand on this? I was offered an interview, but I haven't yet decided if it is worth the money/time I have to take off work that it would take to go interview. It would also be helpful to get some comments from anyone else who has interviewed here. I'm interested in both the positive and negative reactions to the school. Thanks!

I would say that these are my positive and negative impressions of the school:

POS

1. The students seem very happy. I think that it is probably hard not to be happy when you live right by/on historic Charles street and can visit Bourbon street after an exam.

2. They have some great tangible community involvement programs - such as the new nutrition/cooking class.

3. The MD/MPH and Tropical Medicine program is a very unique program tailored to my interest in working in developing countries. It also seems very clinically focused, which is great as I worry a lot about MPH programs being a lot of theory but little practice. Also, if you want to work in developing countries, New Orleans might be one of the closest places in the US (that came directly from my interviewer's mouth). They have a ton of clinic opportunities with the underserved!

CONS

1. I have been told by multiple family friends who are academic doctors that after Katrina, Tulane's residency program declined exponentially, which has led to a decline in the academic and research atmosphere of the school. I'm interested in working with the underserved, but I don't want to pigeonhole my future into that domain; I want options.

2. My impressions of New Orleans beyond the historic architecture of St. Charles street and the French Quarter is that city planning is non-existant (powerplants in the middle of downtown, etc) and quite dirty. Some people may disagree, but I didn't like it too much.

3. I'm originally from the North, and have recently moved to a big city in the southeast, which has been a transition in itself; New Orleans culturally might be too much of a stretch for me to be happy.

Anyway, just some things to consider! But as others have said, the interview day is all about seeing whether you FIT the school and area, so you never know until you try. Also, it's just way more fun to visit than many other schools!
 
So I can email Dr Beckman to confirm the spot, but not pay the deposit until later, when I'm more certain I want to go to this school?

I called the office and they said the deposit is refundable until May 15th so I would go ahead and pay the deposit.
 
I would say that these are my positive and negative impressions of the school:

POS

1. The students seem very happy. I think that it is probably hard not to be happy when you live right by/on historic Charles street and can visit Bourbon street after an exam.

2. They have some great tangible community involvement programs - such as the new nutrition/cooking class.

3. The MD/MPH and Tropical Medicine program is a very unique program tailored to my interest in working in developing countries. It also seems very clinically focused, which is great as I worry a lot about MPH programs being a lot of theory but little practice. Also, if you want to work in developing countries, New Orleans might be one of the closest places in the US (that came directly from my interviewer's mouth). They have a ton of clinic opportunities with the underserved!

CONS

1. I have been told by multiple family friends who are academic doctors that after Katrina, Tulane's residency program declined exponentially, which has led to a decline in the academic and research atmosphere of the school. I'm interested in working with the underserved, but I don't want to pigeonhole my future into that domain; I want options.

2. My impressions of New Orleans beyond the historic architecture of St. Charles street and the French Quarter is that city planning is non-existant (powerplants in the middle of downtown, etc) and quite dirty. Some people may disagree, but I didn't like it too much.

3. I'm originally from the North, and have recently moved to a big city in the southeast, which has been a transition in itself; New Orleans culturally might be too much of a stretch for me to be happy.

Anyway, just some things to consider! But as others have said, the interview day is all about seeing whether you FIT the school and area, so you never know until you try. Also, it's just way more fun to visit than many other schools!

Tulane lost many faculty members after Katrina, but that was 7 years ago, and since then, the school has replaced faculty. It is worth noting that Tulane's research funding and output is higher than before the storm.

There are no power plants in the middle of downtown, and there is urban planning in the city. I think a common mistake people make when they interview is that they don't explore the rest of the city (Uptown, GD/LGD, Marigny, Mid-city, Bywater), thus they think the entire city is like the Quarter. New Orleans is a city of neighborhoods: each has a different vibe and history, and unfortunately, you won't be able to experience that unless you leave the Quarter/CBD.
 
Tulane lost many faculty members after Katrina, but that was 7 years ago, and since then, the school has replaced faculty. It is worth noting that Tulane's research funding and output is higher than before the storm.

There are no power plants in the middle of downtown, and there is urban planning in the city. I think a common mistake people make when they interview is that they don't explore the rest of the city (Uptown, GD/LGD, Marigny, Mid-city, Bywater), thus they think the entire city is like the Quarter. New Orleans is a city of neighborhoods: each has a different vibe and history, and unfortunately, you won't be able to experience that unless you leave the Quarter/CBD.


I'm talking about an "electric-looking" plant that is down the street from the hospital on the way to the freeway.

And no matter what the output has increased from after Katrina, attendings from a few top schools have been telling me that that is the perception of Tulane. Whether it is true or not may not be important if that is the perception. I'm not trying to damper anyone's excitement about Tulane, I'm just commenting about what I have heard from people who are part of the residency process.
 
I am almost certainly going to Tulane and here's why:
1) The community in which you get your medical education affects how you practice medicine. NOLA provides an excellent, large, diverse patient population. Medicine is moving rapidly toward collaboration and service, Tulane will prepare physicians for the future of medicine.
2) I spent four days in NOLA and I loved it. If you visit, do yourself a favor and stay an extra day or two, the city is truly amazing.
3) I went to WUStL for undergrad and did a few years of research there. I chose WUStL because people there were nice even though they had every reason to be snobbish. No other top-ten was like that (WUStL was a top-ten once...). I get the same vibe at Tulane. Even though the med school is unranked, it's still an outstanding program. Everyone seemed intelligent and hard-working and self-aware but not self-involved. If you want to go somewhere where you will be congratulated on a daily basis for the name of the institution you're attending, maybe choose somewhere else.
4) Four year MD/MPH, duh.
5) Finally, my PI would disown me if I went anywhere else. He did his residency there and he could not be more impressed with Tulane. We're at Stanford and he helps with residency interviews. Stanford loves Tulane, guys. At least for medical specialties -- I have no idea about surgery. Anyone worried about Tulane limiting their residency options is getting very different information than I am.
 
To the people who got II this week-- what date(s) were you given? Just curious where they are now, still in Feb or after that..
 
To the people who got II this week-- what date(s) were you given? Just curious where they are now, still in Feb or after that..

I was given a date in early December, so really not that late yet. Will be nice in New Orleans during that time, escaping the cold for a bit.
 
Has anyone done the student host program? I'm considering it, but I normally like to have time to myself right before an interview, and be on my own schedule. On the flip side, I feel that it would be a good way to see the personality of the school. thoughts?
 
I am almost certainly going to Tulane and here's why:
1) The community in which you get your medical education affects how you practice medicine. NOLA provides an excellent, large, diverse patient population. Medicine is moving rapidly toward collaboration and service, Tulane will prepare physicians for the future of medicine.
2) I spent four days in NOLA and I loved it. If you visit, do yourself a favor and stay an extra day or two, the city is truly amazing.
3) I went to WUStL for undergrad and did a few years of research there. I chose WUStL because people there were nice even though they had every reason to be snobbish. No other top-ten was like that (WUStL was a top-ten once...). I get the same vibe at Tulane. Even though the med school is unranked, it's still an outstanding program. Everyone seemed intelligent and hard-working and self-aware but not self-involved. If you want to go somewhere where you will be congratulated on a daily basis for the name of the institution you're attending, maybe choose somewhere else.
4) Four year MD/MPH, duh.
5) Finally, my PI would disown me if I went anywhere else. He did his residency there and he could not be more impressed with Tulane. We're at Stanford and he helps with residency interviews. Stanford loves Tulane, guys. At least for medical specialties -- I have no idea about surgery. Anyone worried about Tulane limiting their residency options is getting very different information than I am.
Thanks so much for your post Rachel! I was concerned that Tulane might limit my residency options, but I'm glad to hear that is not the case! I too am excited about going to Tulane, and your motivations for attending are almost identical to mine. See you in August!
 
Has anyone done the student host program? I'm considering it, but I normally like to have time to myself right before an interview, and be on my own schedule. On the flip side, I feel that it would be a good way to see the personality of the school. thoughts?
You MUST stay with a student! I think this is true with any school, but especially Tulane (because of all the fun stuff to do around town). Student hosts can give you the inside scoop of a school, the good and bad and also the general vibe of what type of students are there. These aren't things you find out on the interview day. All but one of the schools I interviewed at were able to provide me with a host and the school that wasn't is at the bottom of my list because I felt like I wasn't able to get a good feel about the school. When you can stay with a student, plus it saves money which is always helpful!
 
You MUST stay with a student! I think this is true with any school, but especially Tulane (because of all the fun stuff to do around town). Student hosts can give you the inside scoop of a school, the good and bad and also the general vibe of what type of students are there. These aren't things you find out on the interview day. All but one of the schools I interviewed at were able to provide me with a host and the school that wasn't is at the bottom of my list because I felt like I wasn't able to get a good feel about the school. When you can stay with a student, plus it saves money which is always helpful!

thanks thats good to hear
 
And no matter what the output has increased from after Katrina, attendings from a few top schools have been telling me that that is the perception of Tulane. Whether it is true or not may not be important if that is the perception. I'm not trying to damper anyone's excitement about Tulane, I'm just commenting about what I have heard from people who are part of the residency process.

This is simply wrong. There are plenty of research opportunities if you want them. I have done research since my first year. I have two first author papers with another that will be published soon. I am by no means the only one who is in this boat. I have had to turn down opportunities for research projects because I didn't have the time. The school is also making a huge push towards research with programs such as the Debakey scholars programs, so opportunities will be there. When it comes time to applying to residency, the programs could care less about the research your school performs. What they will care about is the research YOU do.

I am also currently applying to one of the most competitive specialties. I already have over 15 interviews and only about 1/3rd of the programs I applied to have sent out interview invites. Some of my interviews include Duke, Stanford, Penn, Yale, and University of Chicago to name a few. People in the residency process seem more than confident in the schools ability to produce competent medical graduates. Many of my classmates are all interviewing at top programs, so regardless of what your friends of the family seem to think, we are doing more than fine.

I do wish you luck in the process, choosing a medical school can be a lot of fun yet frightening at the same time. The thing to keep in mind is that many people who you think are in the know, and who do have your honest interests at heart, don't always have their fingers on pulse. Keep that in mind no matter where you end up going to medical school.
 
Rejected. Pre-interview. Not surprised..

Unsubscribing.

Good luck everyone!
 
II just now for 1/11/13! YES YES YES! One of my top schools, looks like I'll be doing a New Orleans road trip for my birthday weekend. 37 4.0 OOS.
 
II just now for 1/11/13! YES YES YES! One of my top schools, looks like I'll be doing a New Orleans road trip for my birthday weekend. 37 4.0 OOS.
Congratulations! May I ask when you received the "complete" e-mail? Not that it really seems to make a difference at Tulane....
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top