2012-2013 University of Missouri - Columbia Application Thread

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Hey all, first time posting here, I am glad to see we have a thread going! I was just wondering if anyone else is from Mizzou's undergrad and has had their committee interview yet. I had mine earlier this week and am not sure what to think. I don't think it went horribly, but I am not sure it went well either.

Had my committee interview on the 1st. I would highly recommend signing up for a follow up meeting with Susan (I assume she did yours as well with Dr. Blake). I wasn't really sure about how mine went either but was surprised to hear that they were extremely complimentary. Also, they'll look over your letters of rec (I asked how mine looked) so you can ask her about that

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Had my committee interview on the 1st. I would highly recommend signing up for a follow up meeting with Susan (I assume she did yours as well with Dr. Blake). I wasn't really sure about how mine went either but was surprised to hear that they were extremely complimentary. Also, they'll look over your letters of rec (I asked how mine looked) so you can ask her about that

Thanks for the reply! Are you early decision or just really ahead of the game? And you are correct, it was with the same people. I just felt I rambled slightly and had a few curveball questions. Thankfully I have a meeting scheduled for this Tuesday, I was just freaking out a little and needed someone else's input. Do you know how long it takes for them to post our letters to AMCAS after the interview?
 
Thanks for the reply! Are you early decision or just really ahead of the game? And you are correct, it was with the same people. I just felt I rambled slightly and had a few curveball questions. Thankfully I have a meeting scheduled for this Tuesday, I was just freaking out a little and needed someone else's input. Do you know how long it takes for them to post our letters to AMCAS after the interview?

Nah I'm not early decision, just trying to get things in as soon as possible so I don't have to deal with it when the semester starts. Yeah don't worry I felt the same way, halfway through the interview I even noticed I was tailing off and rambling, but that could have just been jitters. Had a few weird questions as well. It took them 6 days to post the letter (it only gets posted as a single letter) to virtualevals and after that it took one day for my letter to be marked as received on my amcas. A few schools got my letter the same day that the letter was posted to amcas, still waiting on some others.
 
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To current students/reapplicants: how long does it take to get a response from them after submitting your secondary?

Also, I heard that they've discontinued the Conley Scholars program, but I'm not sure which year consists of their last entering class.

Last cycle I was complete on 9/2, received an interview invite a little over a month later.
 
Is it possible to check status online?
 
Anyone receive an ii or rejection yet?
 
That's what I remember as well.
 
No interview invites yet? Last year I received my invite about a month after being complete, and if the same timeframe holds true, I can maybe expect one in a couple weeks (hopefully!).
 
Based on my "your application is complete" email, they said that they are not going to start reviewing applications until late September, so I wouldn't expect an interview until sometime in October :(.
 
Based on my "your application is complete" email, they said that they are not going to start reviewing applications until late September, so I wouldn't expect an interview until sometime in October :(.

Well at least we know we're not behind the game or anything :)
 
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Congrats on the interviews everyone! I check this thread regularly and would be more than happy to answer your questions about interview day or the school in general as I'm a current student here.
 
Congrats everyone! Also, I'm an M1 and Columbia native here and would be more than happy to take questions from people. :)
 
Congrats on interviews! Can you guys share your stats and whether u were OOS or IS?
 
I was complete 8/17... hope to hear from them soon, then! And congrats to those with invites in the first round :)
 
Congrats on the interviews everyone! I check this thread regularly and would be more than happy to answer your questions about interview day or the school in general as I'm a current student here.

Congrats everyone! Also, I'm an M1 and Columbia native here and would be more than happy to take questions from people. :)

Thanks! I'm so excited! Do you have any tips for interview day? What kindsof questions were you asked?

How do you like the SOM overall and why/how did you decide Mizzou over other schools?

Monocles, did you go to Mizzou for UG as well (I went there for UG)? If so, how was the transition for you?

Congrats on interviews! Can you guys share your stats and whether u were OOS or IS?

IS 32Q cGPA 3.75
 
Tips for interview day: 1) Dress conservatively w/ nothing flashy (no tie bars, no pocket squares, etc and girls no short dresses, etc) and make sure your suit looks good on you and you match. Some people really don't know how to dress and you need to present yourself in the best way possible. I know it's common sense but as they say...it's not so common. 2) If you have long hair/surfer look, get a hair cut! Just looks unprofessional. 3) No facial piercings, stubble, etc. You don't want anything to detract from what you are saying. 4) Talk to your other interviewees and be friendly. Some of them might be your classmates and it just makes the day better anyway. 5) Go through questions and have some mock interviews before your MU interview. Think of questions you might get asked, come up with your answers and have someone (gf, parent, etc) ask you them so you can polish them. This is very helpful but of course there are always oddball questions you can't prepare for. 6) Ask some questions or pay attention on the tour to be engaged and to learn. The tour people know the school well. 7) During the interview, avoid um and like. Speak clear and confidently. Be your real self and don't be fake but present yourself in the best possible light. Don't brag and be pretentious but bring up your important accomplishments if your interviewer doesn't bring them up. 8) Sit during the interview with good posture, don't figit and watch what your doing with your hands. To sum it up, be conservative in your clothes, confident, friendy and be yourself and you'll be fine.

Kinds of questions: 1) Why do you want to be a doctor, 2) Why Mizzou?, 3) Do you think you'll like PBL, 4) Who has influenced you to become a doctor, 5) What does your family/gf think of your career choice, 5) How will you balance your medical career, family and an outside life, 6) Where do you see yourself in 10 years?, 7) What specialty are you thinking and why, 8) What was your favorite college class and why? 9) What kind of music would you play in the OR?, 10) What if you and someone in PBL had an argument and how would you handle the conflict?, 11) Tell me about your research?, 12) What interests you outside of medicine?, 13) What will you do if you don't get accepted this year, 14) What books have you been reading?, 15) What are your thoughts on the state of our current health care system?, 16) How would you treat a patient if they wanted to have an abortion and you were against abortion, 17) What would you do if you couldn't be a doctor? and lastly 18) Why should we accept you and how are you better than the next person applying? The first question I got was "Tell me about yourself." That question sucks and I talked forever so prepare for that one seriously.

The school is great and the people are cool. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else and I chose it because it was my only acceptance.

I did undergrad at MU and the transition isn't as bad as students from other schools but it's still bad. You wont ever venture on the undergrad campus anymore and school is brutal at times. But at least you know the town, you get to keep your pawprint and you know resources around campus for when you need it.

That was a long post!
 
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Thanks! I'm so excited! Do you have any tips for interview day? What kindsof questions were you asked?[/SIZE]

How do you like the SOM overall and why/how did you decide Mizzou over other schools?

Monocles, did you go to Mizzou for UG as well (I went there for UG)? If so, how was the transition for you?

jtdMU2010 already wrote a ton of great tips so I won't rehash too much. But basically be yourself and be friendly. If the format is still the same as last year, they'll do two 1-on-1 interviews for each candidate, and you'll likely get a student interview and a faculty interview. However, it is possible that you'll get two faculty interviews. Generally, my personal observation was that you get a "tough" interview and an "easy" interview, where you get grilled a bit more on one and the other is more conversational. The process may seem intimidating but in actuality everyone is very nice and helpful, their main goal is to get to know you as a person. (Since they've already got your academic stats)

During my interviews I got to talk a lot about my work with student government (I spent 2.5 years in those leadership positions), and my research. If you do any sort of research (especially if you have publications), make sure you know your topic like the back of your hand because they will ask you about the tiny details. They also want to get to know your personality and will ask you to describe yourself, etc. I was actually preparing for quite a few ethical questions but my interviews mostly asked about my research, clinical experiences and undergrad activities.

7 weeks in, I absolutely love Mizzou and the overall curriculum. We're two weeks away from our first test week (we have 8 weeks of class and then a week of testing, and a free week off) so I can't exactly gauge how much I've learned yet. Although there are frustrating moments, overall I'm a huge fan of the PBL curriculum, and it seems that everyone here really pulls their weight to help each other learn. One of my favourite aspects of Mizzou is the cooperative learning process; all the classes in year 1 are P/F, and there are no internal rankings, no comparative grading scales, etc, so people are truly vested in helping each other out.

I didn't go to Mizzou for undergrad, I went to a small liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere. Since we haven't had any sort of testing, I can't say how well my undergrad classes have prepared me for medical school. Generally, the atmosphere currently is that everybody feels a little bit overwhelmed at times, but for the most part people tend to get through it. The other thing is that I was a psych major, so for Block 1 (we're on a 4 quarter/block system) I feel rather overwhelmed because it is a biochemistry focused block, whereas I'm looking forward to Block 3, where neuro and social sciences are the main emphasis.

Sorry for the wall of text! If you have any more questions please ask! :)
 
jtdMU2010 already wrote a ton of great tips so I won't rehash too much. But basically be yourself and be friendly. If the format is still the same as last year, they'll do two 1-on-1 interviews for each candidate, and you'll likely get a student interview and a faculty interview. However, it is possible that you'll get two faculty interviews. Generally, my personal observation was that you get a "tough" interview and an "easy" interview, where you get grilled a bit more on one and the other is more conversational. The process may seem intimidating but in actuality everyone is very nice and helpful, their main goal is to get to know you as a person. (Since they've already got your academic stats)

During my interviews I got to talk a lot about my work with student government (I spent 2.5 years in those leadership positions), and my research. If you do any sort of research (especially if you have publications), make sure you know your topic like the back of your hand because they will ask you about the tiny details. They also want to get to know your personality and will ask you to describe yourself, etc. I was actually preparing for quite a few ethical questions but my interviews mostly asked about my research, clinical experiences and undergrad activities.

7 weeks in, I absolutely love Mizzou and the overall curriculum. We're two weeks away from our first test week (we have 8 weeks of class and then a week of testing, and a free week off) so I can't exactly gauge how much I've learned yet. Although there are frustrating moments, overall I'm a huge fan of the PBL curriculum, and it seems that everyone here really pulls their weight to help each other learn. One of my favourite aspects of Mizzou is the cooperative learning process; all the classes in year 1 are P/F, and there are no internal rankings, no comparative grading scales, etc, so people are truly vested in helping each other out.

I didn't go to Mizzou for undergrad, I went to a small liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere. Since we haven't had any sort of testing, I can't say how well my undergrad classes have prepared me for medical school. Generally, the atmosphere currently is that everybody feels a little bit overwhelmed at times, but for the most part people tend to get through it. The other thing is that I was a psych major, so for Block 1 (we're on a 4 quarter/block system) I feel rather overwhelmed because it is a biochemistry focused block, whereas I'm looking forward to Block 3, where neuro and social sciences are the main emphasis.

Sorry for the wall of text! If you have any more questions please ask! :)

Aw man, I got jipped last year, I had 2 faculty interviews!
 
Interview invite this morning! Very excited to hear back from them, since I go here haha stats are 3.93, 3.96, 34S. Good luck to others who have sent in their application!
 
Interview invite this morning! Very excited to hear back from them, since I go here haha stats are 3.93, 3.96, 34S. Good luck to others who have sent in their application!

Nice work! I got my interview today as well!
 
II via emails or phone calls? I haven't heard back yet :( Complete on 7/20

Tips for interview day: 1) Dress conservatively w/ nothing flashy (no tie bars, no pocket squares, etc and girls no short dresses, etc) and make sure your suit looks good on you and you.

What, since when are tie bars and pocket squares flashy?
 
II via emails or phone calls? I haven't heard back yet :( Complete on 7/20



What, since when are tie bars and pocket squares flashy?

I didn't even know those items existed. I guess the worst that could happen is they'll think you're a bit eccentric or something but that's about it. At my interview I halfway considered wearing my pocketwatch with my suit but figured that would get far too many questions so I ended up not wearing it. :laugh:
 
II via emails or phone calls? I haven't heard back yet :( Complete on 7/20



What, since when are tie bars and pocket squares flashy?

It was an email from "University of Missouri - Columbia School of Medicine". I was complete on 8/16.
 
II via emails or phone calls? I haven't heard back yet :( Complete on 7/20
Ah, and also interview invites are usually sent out through emails. :) And don't worry if you don't get an II immediately, keep in mind that the interview process goes through March.
 
II this afternoon by email. IS, 37Q, 3.64c, complete 8/24.
 
II via emails or phone calls? I haven't heard back yet :( Complete on 7/20



What, since when are tie bars and pocket squares flashy?

It's not my personal opinion that those items are flashy. I asked about them before interviews because I considered wearing them and got a resounding no from many older adults. I would have worn both of those had I not been advised not too. I rock the tie bar now though anytime we dress up for class and clinic.
 
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Does anyone know whether Mizzou's interviews are open file? Do the interviewers have access to your transcripts/MCAT scores?
 
Does anyone know whether Mizzou's interviews are open file? Do the interviewers have access to your transcripts/MCAT scores?

Yeah, open file. They'll have your AMCAS app printed out with them during the interview or pulled up on their computer.
 
Ah, and also interview invites are usually sent out through emails. :) And don't worry if you don't get an II immediately, keep in mind that the interview process goes through March.

Still worried I won't even get an invite :scared:
 
9) What kind of music would you play in the OR?
awesome question, lol


Thanks so much for your tips jtdMU2010 and Monocles! really appreciate it! Good to know about the Blocks and P/F. I took a class that was very similar to PBL style and I really liked it! Good luck on your tests!
 
Can any current students comment on ACE? Is it pretty much like shadowing?
 
Can any current students comment on ACE? Is it pretty much like shadowing?

Yeah, pretty much shadowing. Your experience will be highly dependent on the physician. You get three ACE experiences M1 year and I had optho, family med and burn/wound surgery clinic. With optho, I got to hone my ophthalmascope skills and just looked in their eyes. Other than that, I just sat there and listened. With family med it was all shadowing with me just watching interviews and asking questions of the doctor afterward. Burn/wound surgery was just shadowing as well and I didn't get to do anything.

Some classmates did female pelvic exams while in the OB/GYN clinic, some people did rectal exams/prostate exams w/ urology clinic. So you might get a little bit of experience doing a few things and you might get do some interviews w/ patients if the doctor lets you. ACE is nice because you get exposed to the ins/outs of being a physician and understand the speciality better and unless you did extensive shadowing in undergrad ACE will benefit you by exposing you to these specialities. I had no idea what a burn/wound surgeon would do in clinic and now I know and I'm positive I would never want to decub ulcers all day in a clinic so it's helpful for ruling in/out specialties.

ACE is done Block 2-4 M1 year and is optional Block 6-8 in M2 year. I think a lot of people do ACE Block 6 M2 year but then don't after that. Boards prep/anxiety takes a hold in January so people try to minimize time lost to studying that is uneccessary...such as ACE.
 
When were you complete?

Nice EC's, by the way! And a nice MCAT, to boot.

Idk when I was complete. It should say on mdapps. I'd check but I don't have a computer nearby.

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As an OOS student, how tough is it to get the secondary after you fill out the OOS form? What are the requirements they are looking for? I have no ties to Missouri, I am "White", and I have slightly below average GPA and MCAT...I do have great extracurriculars, however.
 
Hi, also an M1 at Mizzou. GomerPyle, you will want to do a great job of explaining why you are interested in Mizzou in your application. Majority of our class is from MO, but there are a good number from OOS. You will want to emphasize some factor that drew you to Mizzou out of the dozens of great med schools around the country.

Personally I don't think a tie bar is "too fancy." I wore one and did just fine. Tie square will probably make you look more like a prom date than a medical school applicant.
 
crap, wrong Columbia. Don't mind me....
 
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As an OOS student, how tough is it to get the secondary after you fill out the OOS form? What are the requirements they are looking for? I have no ties to Missouri, I am "White", and I have slightly below average GPA and MCAT...I do have great extracurriculars, however.

So, basically what they want to see is commitment to the state of Missouri. While most of our classmates are in state, there are a few individuals from places such as OR, NY, CA, etc. It would help if you...

- Have family members in Missouri
- Have an SO/spouse in Missouri
- Lived here at any point in your life
- Grew up here but went to other state for college
- Are from a nearby midwest state such as Ohio, Kansas, etc
 
I was complete on 9/12 - should I be worried about that being too late? I'm currently in an SMP. Mizzou is my first choice (Jefferson City is my hometown).

Here are my stats:
3.18 uGPA, 3.93 gGPA (from the SMP), 31Q IS.
 
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3.00/3.14/33Q IS URM.. no interview love. :(

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