2013-2014 Tulane University Application Thread

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neuronerd24 said:
So US news rankings came out today and Tulane is still unranked... I'm disappointed. Can anyone explain why? I feel like they have fairly rigorous MCAT/GPA requirements that would be cause for a ranking...
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Those rankings are usually about who paid the most money or who has a grad on staff. If you actually think they matter to anyone, you're wrong.
 
neuronerd24 said:
So US news rankings came out today and Tulane is still unranked... I'm disappointed. Can anyone explain why? I feel like they have fairly rigorous MCAT/GPA requirements that would be cause for a ranking...
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No no no, Tulane SOM (along with other schools) CHOOSES not to be apart of the US News and World Report rankings by not responding to the survey. It has nothing to do with their MCAT/GPA/acceptance rates/etc etc at all.

This is from way way back in the day (article from 1999), but it talks about the med school at the bottom and some administrative views on the ranking system.

http://tulane.edu/news/releases/archive/1999/us_news_rankingsa_necessary_evil.cfm
 
Remember, there is a huge difference between "unranked (no data volunteered)" and "didnt rank (greater than 100th place)". Mayo has often been unranked too.

About a decade ago when Tulane did send in the numbers, they were consistently between 50 and 60. The last time I ran Tulane's numbers myself and calculated what their rank would have been, they were between 50 and 60.

In case you are curious, Tulane is in far better shape in terms of academics, research, grants, etc than before the storm in '05. Of course, so are the other 140 medical schools. We all just keep getting better!
 
Interview invite just now. Complete 8/8. 2.9 sGPA 3.2 cGPA 34Q MCAT. I am in shock, especially because I've been hearing nothing but a few rejections from DO schools. Just danced up and down the stairs a few times.
 
When are your interview dates (people who just received II)?
 
Sorry to hear that! Those are very solid stats. Are you going to talk to the admissions office about your app?
 
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From MSAR it looks like there are a lot of MD/Phd students at Tulane. If I'm not an MD/Phd student but I do have an interview, what kind of chance do I stand? Of the MD only interviewees how many do they accept? Also, can someone give me an idea of what schools in general and Tulane in particular are looking for from interviewees?
 
twistedoak said:
No no no, Tulane SOM (along with other schools) CHOOSES not to be apart of the US News and World Report rankings by not responding to the survey. It has nothing to do with their MCAT/GPA/acceptance rates/etc etc at all.

This is from way way back in the day (article from 1999), but it talks about the med school at the bottom and some administrative views on the ranking system.

http://tulane.edu/news/releases/archive/1999/us_news_rankingsa_necessary_evil.cfm
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I just hope this "unranked" status doesn't affect residency programs' view of the medical school. I would assume it doesn't...
 
Johnmc said:
From MSAR it looks like there are a lot of MD/Phd students at Tulane. If I'm not an MD/Phd student but I do have an interview, what kind of chance do I stand? Of the MD only interviewees how many do they accept? Also, can someone give me an idea of what schools in general and Tulane in particular are looking for from interviewees?
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I am not sure what you are talking about. There is a program for people who already have a phd called HEAL-X. I think in my class there are only a handful of md/phd students. There are a lot of md/mph students because the program is only 4-years.

Tl:dr. Majority of acceptances are md only (like over 95%) and Im not really sure what you are talking about.
 
fourhumours said:
I am not sure what you are talking about. There is a program for people who already have a phd called HEAL-X. I think in my class there are only a handful of md/phd students. There are a lot of md/mph students because the program is only 4-years.

Tl:dr. Majority of acceptances are md only (like over 95%) and Im not really sure what you are talking about.
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Just looking at MSAR, it looks like 102 of 188 either have a Phd or are a candidate. Or maybe I am reading the chart wrong.
 
neuronerd24 said:
I just hope this "unranked" status doesn't affect residency programs' view of the medical school. I would assume it doesn't...
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Not even close. Tulane is one of the oldest medical schools in the country with a longstanding good reputation. The name itself carries weight. Someone else above mentioned that even Mayo has been unranked in previous years. The ranking system is no where near perfect and completely bogus to many, it is absolutely one of the very last factors to worry about (if at all).
 
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Johnmc said:
Just looking at MSAR, it looks like 102 of 188 either have a Phd or are a candidate. Or maybe I am reading the chart wrong.
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Don't worry about it. I can't name anyone in my class who is MD/PhD.
 
Does anyone have an idea of how many people they accept?
 
Historically 10,000 apply, 600 interview, 400 accepted, 200 matriculate.
 
Can anyone who interviewed today (9/16) talk about the interview day, particularly the structure of the interviews?
 
Rejected. Complete 8/21. Non-Trad. Low uGPA, high post-bacc/masters GPA. 35+

I'm sad. I liked this school a lot!
 
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So there is a role-play scenario and a faculty and a student interview.

The role-play is brand new. Basically you are assessed while interacting with a standardized patient. I thought it was fun and rather beneficial. The faculty and student interviews are equally weighted, though the student interview is over lunch and therefore a lot more informal.

Its a rather relaxed day, so don't get intimidated! Good luck everyone!
 
Reject 9/19. Complete 8/23. MCAT 32 cGPA 3.3 gGPA 3.8 🙁 And I thought this was one of my backup schools

Good luck to all of those still waiting to hear!
 
novrain said:
II just now.
Completed 7/26
<3.5 and 32, OOS
Submitted regular MD admission app, but they transferred my app to HEAL-X during the process.
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Probably because you already have a PhD?

That transfer-to-HEALX happened to an applicant last year, but when he got to the interview (they interviewed every HEALX on the same day) he was clearly uncomfortable with the HEALX program. His PhD was not really in a medically relevant field. At the interview they switched him into the regular class of 2017 program.

If you personally aren't comfortable with the HEALX program for whatever reason, you might want to try to get your interview switched back to the regular program, or perhaps just bring up the issue at your interview like my friend did last year.

Or maybe stay with HEALX. Whatever. There are many paths to success in medicine.
 
Denied. OOS, balanced 31, 3.8+. Complete 08/28
 
novrain said:
II just now.
Completed 7/26
<3.5 and 32, OOS
Submitted regular MD admission app, but they transferred my app to HEAL-X during the process.
Click to expand...

I'm currently in HEAL-X. I think quite a few of us were switched over, because we didn't know what HEAL-X was at the time we were applying. I don't even remember if it was an option on the form last year. The interview process was completely different for us (6-person adcom/student panel interview) as compared to the rest of the class, but I'm not sure if they are going to do like that again this year. I got the impression that it was for expediency of the admissions process, since HEAL-X starts in January. It was an awesome interview though, because I only got one question from each panel member, and they were directly about my application contents, not dumb, awkward, or cliche questions like "why do you want to be a doctor?" Either way, it's not something to be afraid of, I truly felt like it was the only interview I had where I could be myself. I don't know the exact numbers, but I am almost certain that having a PhD and applying as a HEAL-X student is a very large advantage over applying for the regular class, with your probability of getting in multiplied by a factor of about 10.
 
Interviewed today. I am OBSESSED with this school. If it were less expensive (and I got accepted), I would attend without any hesitation. 😍 😍 😍
 
neuronerd24 said:
Interviewed today. I am OBSESSED with this school. If it were less expensive (and I got accepted), I would attend without any hesitation. 😍 😍 😍
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Congratulations! It's great to get an II from the school you love. Good luck at the interview!
 
neuronerd24 said:
Interviewed today. I am OBSESSED with this school. If it were less expensive (and I got accepted), I would attend without any hesitation. 😍 😍 😍
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unless you have a much cheaper option (your mdapps says your from Florida so you probably do), I wouldn't worry so much about cost. it sounds like a lot up front but most private medical schools cost a similar amount and really think of it as an investment. 250k now over four years and you have a career for the rest of your life.

my unsolicited advice is to go to the school you see yourself being the most successful at (quality of life, opportunities you can take advantage of, etc.) many people are in the same financial boat as you I am sure and they still get by at Tulane. not to mention if you are interested in primary care you can do health corps professional scholarship program.

full disclosure though, I had no state school so all schools were gonna be expensive, and I am also not on financial aid, but I think medical school is really something that its not just about money but also your overall experience (unless you absolutely ef up, you will be able to pay back your loans). If you get accepted I would definitely email the financial aid office or students you met at interview and ask them about tulane and finances if they don't mind I am only 6 weeks in but I can tell you, if I was at a school I liked less now I would be absolutely miserable because all my time is studying and being at the school. when I do get a chance to go out New Orleans allows me to unwind well with my awesome classmates. I really can't imagine myself anywhere else other Tulane.
 
Amygdarya said:
Congratulations! It's great to get an II from the school you love. Good luck at the interview!
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I actually just had the interview itself. When I got the invite, I was excited. After yesterday, I'm in love.
 
fourhumours said:
unless you have a much cheaper option (your mdapps says your from Florida so you probably do), I wouldn't worry so much about cost. it sounds like a lot up front but most private medical schools cost a similar amount and really think of it as an investment. 250k now over four years and you have a career for the rest of your life.

my unsolicited advice is to go to the school you see yourself being the most successful at (quality of life, opportunities you can take advantage of, etc.) many people are in the same financial boat as you I am sure and they still get by at Tulane. not to mention if you are interested in primary care you can do health corps professional scholarship program.

full disclosure though, I had no state school so all schools were gonna be expensive, and I am also not on financial aid, but I think medical school is really something that its not just about money but also your overall experience (unless you absolutely ef up, you will be able to pay back your loans). If you get accepted I would definitely email the financial aid office or students you met at interview and ask them about tulane and finances if they don't mind I am only 6 weeks in but I can tell you, if I was at a school I liked less now I would be absolutely miserable because all my time is studying and being at the school. when I do get a chance to go out New Orleans allows me to unwind well with my awesome classmates. I really can't imagine myself anywhere else other Tulane.
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Thank you for your advice! I completely agree with all of your points, and it's super reassuring to hear how happy you are there. I'm concerned that my final decision will come between a dream private school and a less expensive Florida school... But I guess ill figure that out eventually.
 
Somehow I passed the screens.

II on 9/23 for interview date of 1/17/14.
 
Interview Invite today!! Tulane is one of my top choices, and I wasn't sure I had a chance here, so I'm super excited!
 
Lol I get an interview from Stanford but get rejected from Tulane pre interview. What a crapshoot. Complete mid Aug.
 
rfvbnmju said:
Somehow I passed the screens.

II on 9/23 for interview date of 1/17/14.
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Congrats! Were there any other dates available? It's a little unsettling to think they've booked interviews through mid January already. 🙁
 
medschooled said:
Congrats! Were there any other dates available? It's a little unsettling to think they've booked interviews through mid January already. 🙁
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They give you a date. No choices.
 
II received for Tulane: 9/23 for 1/6/14
Secondary submitted: 8/4
MCAT: 32N
sGPA: 3.75
published research
Native American
25 years old
CA resident

me= 🙂
 
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