2013-2014 Underdawgs Thread ( Lets get it)

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serenade said:
Alright, I'm intrigued. Are there things on your application that you feel make you stand out in a positive way?
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I dont think my ECs are stellar. I'd say they are average. leadership roles with the pre-med organization on campus, lots of volunteer work with different organizations like Commit for Life, American Cancer society, philanthropy events, small part in research project, ER scribe, patient advocate..
 
SummerNights23 said:
Your EC's are good, what are you talking about?!? Congrats on the interviews & acceptance! Hard work and great attitude do pay off 🙂 THB, this talk about "numbers" rubs me the wrong way: how shallow and snobbish people are. Obviously, it's not a crabshoot like you guys try to sell. People who are acceoed deserve the acceptance, no need to insult or speculate why low stats are accepted: they are worth future good docs ... The committee choose the right person to be admitted, because they see the potential that those people possess to become good, compassionate physicians, not dinguses who obsessed with statistics and try so hard to bring others down by diminishing others' success (excuse my language), I'm watching the Superbowl and the level of testosterone in the air seep tvein ... Also, this is te underdog thread, and you can argue who's UD however you want: that's the beauty of it, however, when the real UDs post their success here, instead of getting the congratulations, they get "curious" or "suspicious" tones (nay sayers, as victoria stated), so I son't know ... Support the UDs if tou wanna claim this is the UDs thread, don't bash on other people' success, like I said before, working hard and being genuine will get you far ...
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Thanks for congratulatory comment Summer!.. I appreciate it. I do agree with you on your post! 😉
 
SummerNights23 said:
Your EC's are good, what are you talking about?!? Congrats on the interviews & acceptance! Hard work and great attitude do pay off 🙂 THB, this talk about "numbers" rubs me the wrong way: how shallow and snobbish people are. Obviously, it's not a crabshoot like you guys try to sell. People who are acceoed deserve the acceptance, no need to insult or speculate why low stats are accepted: they are worth future good docs ... The committee choose the right person to be admitted, because they see the potential that those people possess to become good, compassionate physicians, not dinguses who obsessed with statistics and try so hard to bring others down by diminishing others' success (excuse my language), I'm watching the Superbowl and the level of testosterone in the air seep through my vein ... Also, this is the underdog thread, and you can argue who's UD however you want: that's the beauty of it, however, when the real UDs post their success here, instead of getting the congratulations, they get "curious" or "suspicious" tones (nay sayers, as victoria stated), so I don't know ... Support the UDs if you wanna claim this is the UDs thread, don't bash on other people' success, like I said before, working hard and being genuine will get you far ...
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I don't think anyone is being shallow or snobbish. We're simply trying to make sense of the application process and understand it so that we can better advise both others and ourselves.
 
SummerNights23 said:
Ok, maybe I'm too extreme in the wording, but I think if you have financial ability with at least 22/23 MCAT & 3.3GPA, then you should just apply to the right schools (schools that look at you holistically and not number-whoring) as long as it's not too late (like Jan/Feb submission) ... thanks for creating this thread though, serenade, good place to express opinion and debate 🙂
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Honestly tho, I'd much rather people spend that 2k on apps for a prep course and get in the first time instead of being in an emotional limbo. And no problem, just continuing what I can hah.
 
SummerNights23 said:
Your EC's are good, what are you talking about?!? Congrats on the interviews & acceptance! Hard work and great attitude do pay off 🙂 THB, this talk about "numbers" rubs me the wrong way: how shallow and snobbish people are. Obviously, it's not a crabshoot like you guys try to sell. People who are acceoed deserve the acceptance, no need to insult or speculate why low stats are accepted: they are worth future good docs ... The committee choose the right person to be admitted, because they see the potential that those people possess to become good, compassionate physicians, not dinguses who obsessed with statistics and try so hard to bring others down by diminishing others' success (excuse my language), I'm watching the Superbowl and the level of testosterone in the air seep through my vein ... Also, this is the underdog thread, and you can argue who's UD however you want: that's the beauty of it, however, when the real UDs post their success here, instead of getting the congratulations, they get "curious" or "suspicious" tones (nay sayers, as victoria stated), so I don't know ... Support the UDs if you wanna claim this is the UDs thread, don't bash on other people' success, like I said before, working hard and being genuine will get you far ...
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No offense to anyone with low stats. I just think admissions standards need to be raised. Like it or not, low GPA/mcat averages hurt the perception of DO schools.
 
SummerNights23 said:
Again, you can give YOUR opinion however you want, but it always comes to "personal" choice. If people have the ability to spend at least $500-$1000 on the application and get into good school, then, why not?!? Residency is the key, actually, so, you can look down on new schools however you want, but if students from those new schools get top 5-10% of COMPLEX or USMLE score, 'cus of the undivided attention of the faculties and staff from "new" schools and get great primary care residency spots, then be it
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No offense but you're being overly optimistic thinking those with lower stats are suddenly becoming the top 10% in board standardized testing. Sure it sounds good, but that's not reality.
 
Elevencents said:
No offense but you're being overly optimistic thinking those with lower stats are suddenly becoming the top 10% in board standardized testing. Sure it sounds good, but that's not reality.
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And, you're assuming that only those with lower stats chose to go to the newer schools. Otherwise, I get what you're saying in your response. The rest of this isn't directed at that response specifically.

The biggest factor on where someone ends up is what he or she puts into getting there: doing well in school, networking, etc. Attending a certain school can make certain aspects of those efforts easier, but in the end it's up to the individual to do well. You can attend "Well-Known University" and barely pass your boards only to get a mediocre residency compared to someone who came from a lesser known school who did well on the boards and made a good impression on audition rotations.
SummerNights23 said:
Again, you can give YOUR opinion however you want, but it always comes to "personal" choice. If people have the ability to spend at least $500-$1000 on the application and get into good school, then, why not?!? Residency is the key, actually, so, you can look down on new schools however you want, but if students from those new schools get top 5-10% of COMPLEX or USMLE score, 'cus of the undivided attention of the faculties and staff from "new" schools and get great primary care residency spots, then be it
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No one should be going to school expecting the faculty to give him or her lots of attention. The last place anyone should expect that in the least is high school.

Also, I wouldn't call the attention from faculty at a new school undivided. Thinking about it, some of the faculty and staff may be getting acclimated to the new area just as the new students are. Some of the faculty may be new to academic medicine altogether whereas some still may not have experienced any of its newer components such as medical simulations yet. But, I'm certainly not saying new schools have their faults and none of the others do. Each school has its strengths and weaknesses. And, these change from year to year.

If you want to do well in the end, you have to put in the effort.

(Side note: It's COMLEX, not COMPLEX.)
 
user3 said:
No offense to anyone with low stats. I just think admissions standards need to be raised. Like it or not, low GPA/mcat averages hurt the perception of DO schools.
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I agree the MCAT averages need to keep rising, however, the gpa argument is a double edged sword. The opportunity that DO schools provide for individuals who don't have the perfect academic record and had to do some recovery work is a necessity to continue increasing the physician workforce. Additionally, not in any way a negative sentiment towards high gpa bearing applicants, but many of the individuals with the less than perfect academic records are going to become the physicians more apt to calmly and successfully overcome struggle and mistakes because it isn't their first go around. As opposed to a pre-med robot, for lack of a better word, who may not know struggle or will have extreme difficulty admitting mistakes and learning from them as a physician. Furthermore, those physicians who have faced struggle will have an easier time connecting with patients.

Just my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt, but experiences speak volumes about an individual beyond what most any of us will be able to comprehend.
 
SummerNights23 said:
Your EC's are good, what are you talking about?!? Congrats on the interviews & acceptance! Hard work and great attitude do pay off 🙂 THB, this talk about "numbers" rubs me the wrong way: how shallow and snobbish people are. Obviously, it's not a crabshoot like you guys try to sell. People who are acceoed deserve the acceptance, no need to insult or speculate why low stats are accepted: they are worth future good docs ... The committee choose the right person to be admitted, because they see the potential that those people possess to become good, compassionate physicians, not dinguses who obsessed with statistics and try so hard to bring others down by diminishing others' success (excuse my language), I'm watching the Superbowl and the level of testosterone in the air seep through my vein ... Also, this is the underdog thread, and you can argue who's UD however you want: that's the beauty of it, however, when the real UDs post their success here, instead of getting the congratulations, they get "curious" or "suspicious" tones (nay sayers, as victoria stated), so I don't know ... Support the UDs if you wanna claim this is the UDs thread, don't bash on other people' success, like I said before, working hard and being genuine will get you far ...
Click to expand...

Be aware that I (and others, probably) see it as somewhat of a crapshoot not to diminish people's accomplishments, but because we have no idea of the manner in which various Adcoms value them. I definitely looked at my own cycle as a crapshoot. Rejected from every school in the midwest except for what happened to be one of my top choices? Rejected from my "safeties?"

Anyway, I haven't really seen anyone bring people down over acceptances. If you got in, you obviously deserved it. We're just trying to make heads or tails of everything.

And Hvilledoc, your ECs look pretty fantastic to me. And what I think is more important than listing them is being able to extract and share valuable experiences from them (something that I think was a saving grace on my app/secondaries). My gut says you did just that. Nice work!
 
coolingglasses said:
Be aware that I (and others, probably) see it as somewhat of a crapshoot not to diminish people's accomplishments, but because we have no idea of the manner in which various Adcoms value them. I definitely looked at my own cycle as a crapshoot. Rejected from every school in the midwest except for what happened to be one of my top choices? Rejected from my "safeties?"

Anyway, I haven't really seen anyone bring people down over acceptances. If you got in, you obviously deserved it. We're just trying to make heads or tails of everything.

And Hvilledoc, your ECs look pretty fantastic to me. And what I think is more important than listing them is being able to extract and share valuable experiences from them (something that I think was a saving grace on my app/secondaries). My gut says you did just that. Nice work!
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Thanks!... I did share some detailed experiences within my ECs... After all, that is what makes each person's ECs count, the actual things that we learned from them. 😉
 
user3 said:
Isha2018 accepted to TT-El Paso (MD) with 3.62/3.47/26.

THIS is an underdog acceptance, not someone with 3.6/23 that gets into LMU-DCOM.
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Good for Isha2018! He was a MAJOR underdog for MD with 6PS/11VR/9BS... I guess his healthcare experience carries him to the finish line....
 
serenade said:
Kinda makes me wish I was a Texan hah
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My stats were a bit higher than his but I got rejected from the same school..shows to how much they look into each individual applicant past their stats. Still jealous.
 
Last edited:
Here are the results of my app cycle:

cgpa 3.3, sgpa 3.1, mcat 27.

Completed secondaries to about 12 schools.

Interview invites: LECOM, ACOM, LUCOM, NYCOM, ATSU-SOMA
Accepted: ACOM, LUCOM, NYCOM
Waitlisted : LECOM

Haven't heard back yet from ATSU, but this cycle is finally over for me!! Good luck to all the underdogs!!! Do not give up hope! If I can do it...so can you!!
 
happypremed1 said:
California and New York are the toughest states.
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I agree...that is why I think its ridiculous when people assume that DO students all have lower stats than MD students. In reality there are a lot DO students from CA and NY who have better stats than MD students who attend their state schools. I think being an Asian or Caucasian pre-med in CA is probably the worst.
 
Leggomyeggo128 said:
Thought I'd give the underdogs some hope:

cGPA: 3.5
sGPA: 3.3
MCAT: 24 (7PS, 9VR, 8 BS)

Applied to 13 schools
Interviewed: KCUMB, DMU (withdrew), COMP-NW, CUSOM, LMU, KYCOM (withdrew)
Wait listed: KCUMB
Accepted: CUSOM, COMP-NW, and LMU

If this is what you really want to do, med schools will see through sub par numbers. Because after all, they train people not MCAT scores.

Good luck everyone.
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congrats...where will you be attending?
 
would a 3.4 cGPA and 3.2 sGPA and 25 MCAT (all above 8) be an underdog?

it's a friend of mine, but he has strong ECs (including impressive mission trips).
 
aspiring20 said:
would a 3.4 cGPA and 3.2 sGPA and 25 MCAT (all above 8) be an underdog?

it's a friend of mine, but he has strong ECs (including impressive mission trips).
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not if he applies broadly, early, etc. I would expect 5+ interviews as long as he has all his ducks in a row.
 
aspiring20 said:
would a 3.4 cGPA and 3.2 sGPA and 25 MCAT (all above 8) be an underdog?

it's a friend of mine, but he has strong ECs (including impressive mission trips).
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If this person is URM, no--if not URM, then a 3.2 sGPA and a 25 makes him statistically disadvantaged and, IMO, an underdog.
 
AlbinoHawk DO said:
Disagree. It is within the average of many schools. Being 0.1 below or a point below on the mcat is not fatal.
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That's fair. I'm not going to get into a debate about what constitutes an underdog since it has been done extensively in this thread, but, in my personal opinion, an ORM, for instance, would be an underdog with those stats. As has been covered on SDN elsewhere, the MSAR statistics offer a 10th percentile, which is largely agreed upon to be comprised of URM's, and that GPA would fall under most low-tier school's 10th percentile. Also, the MCAT score is rather low for many, many schools.

That said, my thoughts above are just one man's opinion, and I don't mind some disagreement 🙂
 
about 50% of this year's thread has been spent arguing what constitutes an underdog...
 
user3 said:
I remember someone a few years ago who got no interviews. They had 3.01/2.95/19 I believe (Noshie)
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Uh... Actually, I had a 3.01, 2.95, and took the MCAT 5 times (16, 19, 17, 22, 27)... But I had a 27 when I finally applied a few years ago. And I had over 10 interviews (MD and DO). I did get in (currently a third year at TCOM)... 😉 Underdogs have to work harder, but it can be done. I know the season is coming up quickly, I am super excited for all of you, good luck guys!
 
noshie said:
Uh... Actually, I had a 3.01, 2.95, and took the MCAT 5 times (16, 19, 17, 22, 27)... But I had a 27 when I finally applied a few years ago. And I had over 10 interviews (MD and DO). I did get in (currently a third year at TCOM)... 😉 Underdogs have to work harder, but it can be done. I know the season is coming up quickly, I am super excited for all of you, good luck guys!
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I'm curious as to what your was your undergrad. what experience did you have?

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk
 
SOOyC52H1Sof said:
I'm curious as to what your was your undergrad. what experience did you have?
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Everything is in my MDapps... It's linked on my profile here. I did a lot after undergrad, and I had a pretty good CV. But my undergrad grades were not so hot... My CV and persistence ultimately helped me overcome my grades.

Test scores and grades are not an indicator of intelligence. If you can prove yourself in other ways, prove that you are more than just numbers, the adcoms will give you a chance. In the end, I am so glad that I wasn’t a straight A student and didn’t get a 30+ on my MCAT. It forced me to focus on other things (something many of the people in my med school class didn't get the chance to do)... Grades don’t follow you through life. At the end of med school, no one will care what my undergrad GPA was. And at the end of residency, no one will care what rank I was in med school or what my USMLE/COMLEX board scores were…

The point is, grades don’t follow you. They are limited in their ability to make you look competent and intelligent. However, your experiences, all of the things you have done that no one else had the chance to do because they were so focused on their grades… Those things make you look like a rockstar for the rest of your life. Just something to think about kids…
 
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