2013-2014 Southern Illinois University Application Thread

Getting into Med School is Hard? Not with BeMo.
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Mmedran said:
Hey ya'll, I interviewed yesterday (first group of the season) woot woot!

So if you've got Q's, Im happy to add to the input of the current students :)

PS-- dont stay at Mansion View Inn & Suites! It was close, but it was gross :/:thumbdown:
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I will be interviewing in the very near future! Mmedran - How was your interview? Any advice? Hope your interview went well!
 
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I interviewed today and it was super layed back and easy. But I had a friend interviewing today as well and he said his first interview didnt seem to go great, so I guess it depends on who your interviewers are.

I stayed in the days inn, it was about a 15 minute drive to campus but traffic wasn't bad at around 7am either.
 
crcpac said:
I will be interviewing in the very near future! Mmedran - How was your interview? Any advice? Hope your interview went well!
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Interviews went well, I thought. My open file interviewer GRILLED me, but the key was I know my application inside-out, so I was ready with answers and even got "I like that" as responses.
So, here are my pieces of advice:
1. Be ready! Check out SDN's interview feedback to prepare for possible questions. I was asked to pick a controversial topic and argue both sides and sure enough, I just read about euthanasia in Illinois a couple days before
2. Looks matter! I saw one person with heels and a short skirt which left an impression on me, so I can only imagine what the interviewers thought... she also looked to be in pain by the end of the day.
3. Be courteous to EVERYONE! I knew the security guy by name by the time I left... Here's the thing, you dont know who talks to who and he may very well know Beth personally and let her know you were an extra d-bag or a really nice person.
4. Know the school! SIU is super proud of what they have created and should be, you only do yourself a disservice by not knowing about the school you may attend next fall.
5. Finally, BE YOU and BE REAL! I was told they fill out an eval form and have to turn it in in 5 business days... are they gonna remember you the next day?

For the record, not once was I asked why I wanted to be a doctor... they seemed to want to know if I knew MYSELF with introspective questions

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me :) Best of luck to the rest of those interviewing!!
 
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Mmedran said:
Interviews went well, I thought. My open file interviewer GRILLED me, but the key was I know my application inside-out, so I was ready with answers and even got "I like that" as responses.
So, here are my pieces of advice:
1. Be ready! Check out SDN's interview feedback to prepare for possible questions. I was asked to pick a controversial topic and argue both sides and sure enough, I just read about euthanasia in Illinois a couple days before
2. Looks matter! I saw one person with heels and a short skirt which left an impression on me, so I can only imagine what the interviewers thought... she also looked to be in pain by the end of the day.
3. Be courteous to EVERYONE! I knew the security guy by name by the time I left... Here's the thing, you dont know who talks to who and he may very well know Beth personally and let her know you were an extra d-bag or a really nice person.
4. Know the school! SIU is super proud of what they have created and should be, you only do yourself a disservice by not knowing about the school you may attend next fall.
5. Finally, BE YOU and BE REAL! I was told they fill out an eval form and have to turn it in in 5 business days... are they gonna remember you the next day?

For the record, not once was I asked why I wanted to be a doctor... they seemed to want to know if I knew MYSELF with introspective questions

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me :) Best of luck to the rest of those interviewing!!
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Very good summation. Both of my interviews were practically just conversation. I know in the closed file interview they have 2 or 3 pages of scripted questions that they have to fill out, but like I said it was still pretty well a conversation then at the end she made sure that we covered it all.

I agree about the why medicine question. It was never asked, but in the conversational type interview, more than likely you'll talk about it without even being asked directly to. I think it also depends on who interviews you. Both of mine were extremely nice and layed back and wanted me to do well! But I could see how they could make the interview harder if they weren't as nice.

Everyone there is super nice, and will go out of their way to help! From the janitors at memorial to the campus security to physicians and faculty. They were all extremely nice. The security officer said he even hopes to see me back up there in a couple years! It is a very welcoming place.

Most importantly, just be yourself. The point of SIU's interview is to get to know you and see the type of person that you are and make sure you would fit well in their school.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to contact me!!
 
I am a little unclear from the information I've seen one the SIU school of medicine website and elsewhere. Is the campus located in Springfield, Carbondale or both?
 
beyondhuman said:
I am a little unclear from the information I've seen one the SIU school of medicine website and elsewhere. Is the campus located in Springfield, Carbondale or both?
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Both. You spend M1 in Carbondale and M2-4 in Springfield. The interviews are conducted in Springfield.
 
I agree with all of Mmedran's points. Especially about knowing the school. I am still learning more about this school that impresses me.
 
If it's not too personal of a question, for those of you who already received interview invitations, could you share your stats (GPA & MCAT)?
 
SamRus said:
If it's not too personal of a question, for those of you who already received interview invitations, could you share your stats (GPA & MCAT)?
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Mine are no secret... check out my MDApps profile.
 
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Hello Everyone,


I'm really nervous in asking the following questions because they mean so much to me, not to mention my family. Currently, I'm planning on trying to gain a seat, not in this years class, but the following (I couldn't find a thread related to that year yet). Here's my story:


I'm born and raised in Southern Illinois. In high school I was a computer nerd. I thought for sure that after high school I would do that career path, wrong! I listened to various people to stay in that major, but I wasn't even remotely interested. My GPA suffered because of this. After that, I job shadowed my aunt (shes a BSN), and I realized that I loved medicine.

I went on to get my Associates degree from a community college and my Bachelors degree from SIU-C in the radiologic sciences (radiation therapy specialization). My overall GPA (because of what I went over previously) is around 3.35/4.0 ish, however, the last 60 + hours done at SIU-C, my GPA is 3.85/4.0

I haven't taken quite a bit of pre req's to gain admittance, but I realized that SIU Med doesnt require specific pre-req's? I'm a diligent self-studier and am preparing for the MCAT for the following year as we speak. I've taken Anatomy and Physiology (at the community college), Microbiology, biology, english, psychology, and other pre req's, but no chemistry/physics.

I get the MCAT material I'm studying, and I study very-very hard. Im a non-traditional student, 26+ years of age, but I have a lot of heart in doing this.

I have 2 1/2 years full time experience in the hospital setting taking care of and treating the various forms of cancer, countless volunteer work (from cancer support groups/tumor board meetings/public health seminars to coaching junior high football for 5 years). I was the President of our honor society my senior year at school. I also job shadow my cousin who is a family practice doctor himself (I've job shadowed for countless hours/years).

My question is: If I self-studied (which I am now) for the MCAT and scored a fair score (29+ lets say) would it be possible for me to gain a seat in the upcoming class, or would I not even be looked at without taking all the the pre-req's required by other colleges? I just dont want to disappoint anyone.

Thanks again for taking the time to look over my long questions, I reallty appreciate it.
 
Your best bet would be to call the admissions office with your specific questions. I am not sure that I can answer them all because I am not involved that intimately with our admissions policies. You could also check the website to see if there are satisfactory answers there. We DO take a significant number of non-traditional applicants.

http://www.siumed.edu/studentaffairs/admissions/requirements.html
 
I'm doing some research on the school to prep for my interview. Any tips one most important aspects from those who have interviewed?

did they ask you questions about your secondary as well? I.e. like how you would contribute to SIU's mission and stuff like that?
 
PBL is, hands down, the most important aspect.

When I interviewed last year, they didn't ask any of the traditionally "cheesy" interview questions. Both of my interviews were really just conversations about me and my life so far. That being said, all interviews are different. You should be prepared to answer questions about how well you fit the school's mission, why you want to practice medicine, etc.
 
yoyohomieg5432 said:
I'm doing some research on the school to prep for my interview. Any tips one most important aspects from those who have interviewed?

did they ask you questions about your secondary as well? I.e. like how you would contribute to SIU's mission and stuff like that?
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You have a lot of face-time with faculty with the PBL system. They want to like talking to you before they accept you. Relax, and be yourself. That said, have some knowledge of how you meet the mission, what you can bring to the school, why you'd be good in PBL, current problems in healthcare, etc. These are definitely not "tricky" interviews.
 
what is the difference between PBL and case based learning?? or are they the same thing?

the curriculum page says nothing about PBL but mentions case based learning approach
 
Hiya, I had a Q for all those who got the secondaries already: how soon after the application received email did you get the secondary invite? Also, do you get an email saying you haven't made it past the cut or is it something you infer from the lack of communication?
 
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WhoGal said:
Hiya, I had a Q for all those who got the secondaries already: how soon after the application received email did you get the secondary invite? Also, do you get an email saying you haven't made it past the cut or is it something you infer?
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I got mine a week later, but that was at the very beginning of the cycle. I bet it will take longer (maybe 2-3 weeks) now that they are looking over more apps.
 
I'm a Chicago resident considering applying here. Any advice? I hear they don't take applicants from the Chicagoland area and look for people with rural backgrounds. Is this true? Just wondering weather or not I should submit here, don't want to waste money.
 
IL Pre Med said:
I'm a Chicago resident considering applying here. Any advice? I hear they don't take applicants from the Chicagoland area and look for people with rural backgrounds. Is this true? Just wondering weather or not I should submit here, don't want to waste money.
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I think they show some preference for students for southern and central IL, which they outright say on their webpage. Just as importantly though, more than just having a rural background, my feeling is they want people committed to rural medicine in the future, particularly family and community medicine. You are still in-state, and they screen, so they will only give you a secondary and ask for a fee if they are seriously considering you. I would say if you are interested definitely apply! Good luck!
 
InfinitySquared said:
I Just as importantly though, more than just having a rural background, my feeling is they want people committed to rural medicine in the future, particularly family and community medicine.
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This. If you can make a strong case for why you would commit to furthering SIUSOM's mission, definitely apply (regardless of where you're from).
 
InfinitySquared said:
I got mine a week later, but that was at the very beginning of the cycle. I bet it will take longer (maybe 2-3 weeks) now that they are looking over more apps.
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That's what I had assumed, just wanted to check in though....Thanks for your input :)
 
Pasmal said:
This. If you can make a strong case for why you would commit to furthering SIUSOM's mission, definitely apply (regardless of where you're from).
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I don't know if I would say regardless of where you are from. They will only accept you if you are from Illinois (or have an Illinois mailing/living address). Also, they heavily favor applicants from Southern and Central Illinois. I am not sure if it was this years thread or last years, but someone from Chicago applied with good stats and appeared to be a good applicant, but got a screener's alternate, which is pretty much a better luck next year, probably because they were from Chicago.

My advisor at SIU said that when looking at applicants to determine if they will receive a secondary is based on 5 things.
1) From Central or Southern Illinois
2) Good extracurricular and volunteer activities giving back to a community
3) GPA of 3.6 or higher
4) You have shown personal investigation on the field of medicine
5) MCAT of 22 or higher

Not sure how many of those you have to meet and if there are exceptions, but from the individuals that I know that have interviewed at SIU and myself, it seems like they stick pretty close to those guidelines.
 
850501515 said:
I don't know if I would say regardless of where you are from. They will only accept you if you are from Illinois (or have an Illinois mailing/living address).
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^ What I meant, sorry.

Also, they heavily favor applicants from Southern and Central Illinois. I am not sure if it was this years thread or last years, but someone from Chicago applied with good stats and appeared to be a good applicant, but got a screener's alternate, which is pretty much a better luck next year, probably because they were from Chicago.
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Correlations does not equal causation. While Central/Southern Illinois applicants may have an easier time proving their dedication to serving the medical needs of Central/Southern Illinois, they are by no means the only applicants considered for seats.

I'm from northern Illinois. So is at least 10% of our class. I was not a 4.0/40 applicant, I just had good reasons for applying here.
 
850501515 said:
I don't know if I would say regardless of where you are from. They will only accept you if you are from Illinois (or have an Illinois mailing/living address). Also, they heavily favor applicants from Southern and Central Illinois. I am not sure if it was this years thread or last years, but someone from Chicago applied with good stats and appeared to be a good applicant, but got a screener's alternate, which is pretty much a better luck next year, probably because they were from Chicago.

My advisor at SIU said that when looking at applicants to determine if they will receive a secondary is based on 5 things.
1) From Central or Southern Illinois
2) Good extracurricular and volunteer activities giving back to a community
3) GPA of 3.6 or higher
4) You have shown personal investigation on the field of medicine
5) MCAT of 22 or higher

Not sure how many of those you have to meet and if there are exceptions, but from the individuals that I know that have interviewed at SIU and myself, it seems like they stick pretty close to those guidelines.
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To qualify the first point you mentioned, they do also say (under "Interview" on the website):
"Area of residence, with preference given to central and southern Illinois residents and those from rural, inner-city or disadvantaged backgrounds"
So the city is not ruled out all together... Im originally from inner-city Chicago and interviewed on the first day.
So, there's hope for all Illinois residents!
 
Out of curiosity I decided to map our class out. Here's what I came up with:

map.png

White: 1 student
Light green: 2-3 students
Green: 4-6 students
Dark green: 7-10 students
 
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Adcom meets tomorrow if I recall....? AWPAs should be in next week then?



PS-- Quiet thread = eerie:shifty:
 
Mmedran said:
Adcom meets tomorrow if I recall....? AWPAs should be in next week then?



PS-- Quiet thread = eerie:shifty:
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If I remember correctly, Beth said they would meet 9-24 and the AWPAs would go out in the mail the next day. We should know by the end of the week!
 
crcpac said:
If I remember correctly, Beth said they would meet 9-24 and the AWPAs would go out in the mail the next day. We should know by the end of the week!
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Yes that is correct. You should know by weeks end.
 
Just spoke to Beth. Letters were sent out Thursday. So however long it takes the mail to get from Springfield to your address. I kind of wishes they would have just emailed it.
 
850501515 said:
just spoke to beth. Letters were sent out thursday. So however long it takes the mail to get from springfield to your address. I kind of wishes they would have just emailed it.
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+1
 
Got an interview invite!!! Pretty excited!
3.4 GPA, 29 MCAT, really wanting to work with underserved populations reflected that heavily in my application.
 
Hello everyone, congrats on those getting letters!

I just had a quick question. I just took my MCAT and received scores back and unfortunately did not do as well as I had hoped. SIU SOM is my top choice school and I was wondering how they look upon sub 30 scores. I know their minimum is a 22, I scored a 28, and I know higher will only better my chances. Has anyone this cycle applied with sub 30? Feel free to PM me please. I know i'll end up retaking but getting that score back bummed me out so much.
 
Brownman55 said:
Hello everyone, congrats on those getting letters!

I just had a quick question. I just took my MCAT and received scores back and unfortunately did not do as well as I had hoped. SIU SOM is my top choice school and I was wondering how they look upon sub 30 scores. I know their minimum is a 22, I scored a 28, and I know higher will only better my chances. Has anyone this cycle applied with sub 30? Feel free to PM me please. I know i'll end up retaking but getting that score back bummed me out so much.
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That score isn't terrible.
 
Brownman55 said:
Hello everyone, congrats on those getting letters!

I just had a quick question. I just took my MCAT and received scores back and unfortunately did not do as well as I had hoped. SIU SOM is my top choice school and I was wondering how they look upon sub 30 scores. I know their minimum is a 22, I scored a 28, and I know higher will only better my chances. Has anyone this cycle applied with sub 30? Feel free to PM me please. I know i'll end up retaking but getting that score back bummed me out so much.
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Check out my MDApps... there's hope for everyone! Just make sure to put your best foot forward in the rest of your app :)
 
Caesar said:
That score isn't terrible.
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It isn't a terrible score I agree. Just a little unhappy with my self. Really wanted to see that 30 at least :p Verbal, which I thought was my strongest, and which I had been scoring highest on in practice FL and such brought me down. Breakdown was 10/8/10 PS/VR/BS.

It's still early since I just received scores the other day so just trying to gather all my options. I'm not really sure how to go about studying again and if a class would be beneficial... but that's a question for another thread lol


Mmedran said:
Check out my MDApps... there's hope for everyone! Just make sure to put your best foot forward in the rest of your app :)
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Thank you! All your ECs and actual experience are awesome though ! Congrats on the AWPA!
 
Brownman55 said:
Hello everyone, congrats on those getting letters!

I just had a quick question. I just took my MCAT and received scores back and unfortunately did not do as well as I had hoped. SIU SOM is my top choice school and I was wondering how they look upon sub 30 scores. I know their minimum is a 22, I scored a 28, and I know higher will only better my chances. Has anyone this cycle applied with sub 30? Feel free to PM me please. I know i'll end up retaking but getting that score back bummed me out so much.
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I had a sub-30 and retook because I thought I could do better. Switched up my study methods and it worked out. Everyone is different, so it's up to you to decide whether or not to retake. As Caesar said, 28 isn't bad. It won't keep you from getting in if you are great in other areas.
 
crcpac said:
congrats! now the real wait begins :)
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You aren't kidding. Waiting for my acceptance letter last year was the longest wait of my life. Hang in there! And congrats on making it this far!
 
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