2013-2014 Wake Forest Application Thread

[Valar Dohaeris]

It went well! I don't think this is an interview to be nervous for. It's a little bit like speed dating, in the sense that you don't spend much time with each of your 3 interviewers, but I think they got a decently complete picture of who I am and how I communicate. The interviewers are blind to your GPA and MCAT, but have read your essays. I'd say about half of the questions were things like "What got you into medicine," while the other half were specific to my background as an applicant.

The school is located in the medical center campus, which is enormous and labyrinthian. Maybe this is a normal thing for many medical schools, but it was nice to feel like I was in the thick of it, surrounded by healthcare professionals and patients. I like the way that atmosphere plays into the idea of "This isn't undergrad anymore - You are now a professional. Act like it." Then again, I'm a non-trad, so I might have an overdeveloped appreciation of maturity.

It sounds like they care a lot about student development and student well-being, and I appreciate the collaborative aspect to the medical class. It's hard to articulate a school's culture exactly, but I'll say that Wake Forest's culture is a definite asset.

There's a big emphasis on training students to be competent, comfortable physical examiners using standardized patients (actors) prior to exposing students to patients. There are entire weeks dedicated to exposure to private practice out in the community.

The students I spoke with also stressed how open and approachable the faculty are -
Professors as well as physicians. Lots of opportunities to network and develop strong relationships with mentors who care about your success. Again, maybe this is true everywhere, but the doctors there just love teaching and students feel like they're getting a great value out of their time.

Housing is dirt cheap, and surprisingly, the average loan debt (including undergrad) for Wake students is lower than the national average for students attending state schools. Oh, and there's an Emergency Medicine rotation that is evidently on the rare-r side.

I'm sure I forgot other high points of the day, but that's what comes to mind right now. Are you interviewing in the near future?

Great post, and yeah I'm interviewing here next week. Glad it went well for you!

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[surely]

Thanks! Good luck to you. Oh, and I realize now I forgot to mention that there are six applicants per interview day, so it's pretty intimate.

 

[TheRobin]

Submitted my secondary today, roughly four weeks after I received it. I totally missed the three week deadline in the original email. Does an extra week hurt?

 

[tarheel1408]

Hi surely, were you one of the three that I popped out of an exam room to greet?

To answer your question about the MSAR, the video lectures are completely handled by students, which is why it's not listed on the MSAR. We use the Tegrity service and can link the lecture recordings to the class websites.

We do use standardized patients to help with our training, but we're exposed to real patients in our DPR course before we see a standardized one, sometimes in the first week of classes.

Everyone at Wake is invested in your success and all instructors and physicians are very friendly and willing to talk to you about anything.

 

[surely]

Hi surely, were you one of the three that I popped out of an exam room to greet?

Haha, that doesn't sound familiar, so I think I was in the other group - Charlie P was leading us around, if you know him, and I was the only caucasian female in my interview day.

Thanks for clarifying the points I misunderstood, especially about the patient exposure. Charlie was trying to emphasize how easy it was for him to speak with real patients and obtain histories and so forth after having practiced with standardized patients, and I think I mangled that in my description.

How cool is it that the lecture recordings are student-managed? I'm impressed.

 

[tarheel1408]

Haha, that doesn't sound familiar, so I think I was in the other group - Charlie P was leading us around, if you know him, and I was the only caucasian female in my interview day.

Thanks for clarifying the points I misunderstood, especially about the patient exposure. Charlie was trying to emphasize how easy it was for him to speak with real patients and obtain histories and so forth after having practiced with standardized patients, and I think I mangled that in my description.

How cool is it that the lecture recordings are student-managed? I'm impressed.

I guess you were in the other group! I saw the group being led by Chris. The first-years would probably be more friendly but we have a test coming up on Friday so we're all secluded and studying. Or in my case, procrastinating on SDN.

 

[jerseybae]

Sorry if this has been answered, but does WF send an email if we are screened out pre-secondary? I was verified about 5 days ago and haven't heard anything. Thanks

 

[Thrillhouse]

Sorry if this has been answered, but does WF send an email if we are screened out pre-secondary? I was verified about 5 days ago and haven't heard anything. Thanks

My application wasn't complete until 8/6 and I recieved my secondary 8/19 and I had a 10th percentile MCAT. I know it doesn't answer your question, but hopefully gives you some insight not to worry quite yet .

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Sorry if this has been answered, but does WF send an email if we are screened out pre-secondary? I was verified about 5 days ago and haven't heard anything. Thanks

Based on last year's thread, they only download AMCAS primary apps once every few weeks. You just gotta be patient. I'm fairly certain they'll tell you if you've been rejected.

 

[jerseybae]

Great. Thank you guys

 

[premed7007]

II this morning !

 

[truthDMC]

ii this morning! submitted 9/6

 

[sbarilla]

Anyone interviewing this Friday, sept 13 and doing anything Thursday night?

 

[anteater08]

II this morning !

ii this morning! submitted 9/6

Congrats to both! Stats? If you don't mind.

 

[truthDMC]

3.45 c, 3.9s, 31

 

[hamsawx]

ii this morning! Submitted 9/6

8/6?

 

[premed7007]

3.7c 3.5s 30

 

[Soulstice]

Those with invites - did either of you have NC ties?

 

[Cambover]

Those with invites - did either of you have NC ties?

I'm interviewing this next week and have no ties to the state.

 

[truthDMC]

8/6?

I in fact submitted it 9/6, I was confused when I heard back so quickly. Also I have no ties to NC, I live in CA, but I grew up in GA, that's my closest connection.

 

[umli]

Submitted my secondary today, roughly four weeks after I received it. I totally missed the three week deadline in the original email. Does an extra week hurt?

I also submitted mine about four weeks after I recieved the email and I saw this ominous message when I submitted:

"I understand that my failure to complete accurately my application according to the instructions accompanying the supplemental application form and to return the supplemental application prior to the deadline may prevent further consideration of my application."

hopefully we're still considered! *

Edit: Here's something I found in last year's thread:

"holy crap I've been putting this secondary off FOREVER! I received it on the 24th and I JUST submitted it. I wonder if the amount of time I took will negatively impact my app? I sure hope not . Either way, I'm done with secondaries...now the waiting begins..."
"Just called them and asked about the deadline and the lady (SUPER NICE btw) said, "Oh don't worry haha, it's really early in the cycle still so we aren't really enforcing it yet. You will be fine if you sent it in a couple days late. Good luck". All I can say is PHEW, it really had me worried lol. Gl to everyone else!"

Hopefully mid-September is considered the new early, lol

 

[Jimsy]

I in fact submitted it 9/6, I was confused when I heard back so quickly. Also I have no ties to NC, I live in CA, but I grew up in GA, that's my closest connection.

Must be your unique non-trad background. Congrats and good luck!

 

[premed7007]

Those with invites - did either of you have NC ties?

I went to undergrad in NC

 

[Cambover]

Even before my interview Wake is making a strong bid for my heart: climbed a mountain, discovered a dive BBQ place, and found the medical school.

Here's some pics for y'all.

 

[tarheel1408]

Even before my interview Wake is making a strong bid for my heart: climbed a mountain, discovered a dive BBQ place, and found the medical school.

Here's some pics for y'all.

View attachment 25036View attachment 25037View attachment 25038View attachment 25039View attachment 25040View attachment 25041

Pilot mountain is one of my favorites! Great place for a day hike.

 

[CanePreMed]

Even before my interview Wake is making a strong bid for my heart: climbed a mountain, discovered a dive BBQ place, and found the medical school.

Here's some pics for y'all.

View attachment 25036View attachment 25037View attachment 25038View attachment 25039View attachment 25040View attachment 25041

What I would give for an acceptance here... Pick me Wake Forest! Pick me, lol!!!

 

[anteater08]

Here's some pics for y'all.

*dying* it's so freaking pretty omg

 

[esmer91]

Just received my secondary today and the link is not loading at all.. Did this happen to anyone else? I'm using a Mac, and I tried both Safari and Firefox. The page simply does not load and says "connection time out" or "failed to open page"

 

[osprey099]

Is it an easy commute from Durham to Winston Salem? I have family in Durham and would like to stay with them instead if paying for a hotel.

 

[sapphire86]

Is it an easy commute from Durham to Winston Salem? I have family in Durham and would like to stay with them instead if paying for a hotel.

Durham to Winston Salem is about an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half. It is pretty much straight down 40 west.

 

[osprey099]

Durham to Winston Salem is about an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half. It is pretty much straight down 40 west.

Would you say there's alot of traffic along that highway during the early morning?

 

[McRunner]

I really need to get motivated to do this secondary. Would kill to be in NC for 4 years!

 

[sapphire86]

During the weekdays you can expect traffic during morning rush hour. Like 7:30-8:30. There is a lot of traffic on 40 west in Winston Salem near the highway 52 exit. This is a couple of miles before the exit to get to Wake Forest, so I would allow extra time to be safe.

 

[osprey099]

During the weekdays you can expect traffic during morning rush hour. Like 7:30-8:30. There is a lot of traffic on 40 west in Winston Salem near the highway 52 exit. This is a couple of miles before the exit to get to Wake Forest, so I would allow extra time to be safe.

Ok thanks!

 

[Cambover]

Had a really great time interviewing today. Wake is a great school with very friendly people. The interviewers were very friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed. The other interviewees said they had similar experiences. I enjoyed my time in North Carolina and hope to hear positive news from Wake.

 

[anteater08]

Got the under review status a few weeks ago, and just saw the complete status yest but it might have been there for a few days. Hoping for an II soon!

 

[CyberMaxx]

Just received my secondary today and the link is not loading at all.. Did this happen to anyone else? I'm using a Mac, and I tried both Safari and Firefox. The page simply does not load and says "connection time out" or "failed to open page"

I had some problems with the website as well. It didn't work on IE or Firefox, but worked on Chrome.

Also, just completed this secondary, last secondary of the season! Hopefully last secondary of my life Here is hoping for an II!!!

 

[Pandaeac]

II this morning !

pre-med 707, when were you complete?

 

[premed7007]

pre-med 707, when were you complete?

i got the complete email on 8/27

 

[rellak]

My graduate school complicated my application, so it my primary with Wake Forest was only complete as of 09/23 even though I submitted it a month ago. But the very next day on 09/24 they sent me the secondary!

I'm really excited about the vibe and disposition of this school

 

[ct303]

How long after submission does it take to get the complete email?

 

[Agnieszka020]

To those who had an interview at WF, who were your interviews with? Students, faculty, clinicians?

 

[C.glabrata123]

Faculty

 

[Burla]

How do you guys see your status? When I log into my secondary it just shows a summary of my essays. Is there a different link for checking my status?

 

[Cambover]

To those who had an interview at WF, who were your interviews with? Students, faculty, clinicians?

I had 3 faculty interviewers.

 

[buckeyenut14]

Does anyone know when the latest time in the interview cycle is that students were still being accepted? From what I've gathered those interviewing towards the end of winter and early spring are essentially interviewing for a Wait List spot.

 

[Ehe101]

So I checked my status and it said this.

"Your application is complete. Interviews are by invitation from September to March. If you are invited, you will receive a e-mail or phone call to schedule an interview."

At the start of this week, my status was something a long the line of "Your application is complete and is undergoing review. Please wait 1-2 week before a decision."

Any insights as to the changes in status and II/rejections?

 

[Ehe101]

double post.

 

[TechToDoc]

That sounds like a good thing. Mine had been the first message since July.

 

[tarheel1408]

Does anyone know when the latest time in the interview cycle is that students were still being accepted? From what I've gathered those interviewing towards the end of winter and early spring are essentially interviewing for a Wait List spot.

There are people in my class that interviewed in the last few weeks of interviews. There are people that were accepted a few weeks before orientation. If you interview here, you have a chance.