2013 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread

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wagmanager said:
another non- trad here. Applied to 13 MD schools. 32P, 4.0 post bacc gpa, 3.3 gpa undergrad. 3 interviews so far. Still hoping for one of my top choices to call me. Meanwhile I refresh my inbox so much that I feel I have an addiction now.
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Three interviews already is pretty darn good. I have the exact same postbac GPA and MCAT as you, right down to the P on the MCAT. You've got me beat on the cGPA though, and I guess your 0.2 point advantage makes a difference, since I applied to eleven MD schools with no interviews and two rejections so far.

On the other hand, I'm already up to five DO interviews, which is pretty good for nine applications. Any more invites and I'll have to start cancelling interviews to save on airfare.
 
to those of you with interviews already- how's it going? how are you handling the "why medicine, and why not until now?" I had my first interview last week and felt like it all came out nice and naturally with the first interviewer who was very relaxed and chatty, and terribly awkwardly and insincerely with the second interviewer who did not have such a pleasant demeanor. Any tips on developing your answer to this without sounding rehearsed? I've been going through my PS and writing bullet points I want to hit, but I still don't feel like I have an eloquent way to answer that question yet.
 
wanderedtoolong said:
to those of you with interviews already- how's it going? how are you handling the "why medicine, and why not until now?" I had my first interview last week and felt like it all came out nice and naturally with the first interviewer who was very relaxed and chatty, and terribly awkwardly and insincerely with the second interviewer who did not have such a pleasant demeanor. Any tips on developing your answer to this without sounding rehearsed? I've been going through my PS and writing bullet points I want to hit, but I still don't feel like I have an eloquent way to answer that question yet.
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I def. know what you mean. Had my first one last week too and I also felt like one of my interviewers seemed puzzled by my path. It definitely made me realize how important it is to make sure you can articulate your reasons in a very very crystal clear manner. Definitely working on my one minute "elevator pitch" for my next interview.
 
Had my first interview yesterday & feeling pretty confident. Next one is in three weeks, and another two weeks after that.
 
First two interviews down.
9/10 LECOM-B. I already called and found out I am on the alternate list. 🙁
9/11 Nova Southeastern. It could take up to four weeks to hear back.

Two more already scheduled
9/29 Western U, NW campus.
10/19 LECOM-E

Two more II in the mail in the past two days
Alabama COM- I don't know how I will make this one. Interviews are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It would mean missing three days of work because there is no flight out of town after the interview. I would need to stay another night and fly out on Wednesday or Friday. I don't know if I can afford to take three days off work. 🙁
U Arizona, Phoenix. Asking me to come in on 9/17 but I could not do it. They will email me again with another choice in the near future. All interviews are on Mondays, so that is a good thing.

dsoz
 
My AMCAS primary was released last Wednesday and so far I have secondaries from all the schools I have applied to (though it sounds like that's pretty normal?). Still no IIs but I'm only complete at 3 schools so far and one is definitely a reach for me. I'm kind of nervous because I applied to so few schools but I really don't see the point in applying more broadly when I don't have money to interview or attend out of state.

I'm ~3.8 sGPA, ~3.65 cGPA (both including post-bacc work which was 4.0), 3.9+ gGPA, 34S MCAT - 10 PS/11BS/13VR. Downside is that my course work was not the most challenging so I think that will be a negative on my application. I do have pretty good clinical and EC experiences so I'm hoping that helps.


Eeee. Being patient is so hard.
 
Being patient is next to impossible. Reminds me of my fiance's favorite joke from childhood- "I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn't have the patience" hehehehe

Interviewed at UNC Chapel Hill Weds and absolutely loved it. In state, so the price is right. Sadly they interview almost 5X the people they need to fill the class. I keep thinking about things I said to my adcom and wondering if it was ok or if I came off poorly somehow. . .
nothing to do now but wait. And wait. And wait.

The waiting is the hardest part (I'm going to have that song in my head every day now)
 
Accepted to nova southeastern university college of medicine today. Hard to believe that last summer I had a 2.65 gpa. Im still waiting for other schools to get back to me (7 other interviews so far) but I would still be happy to attend nova next year!

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
 
craftyconqueror said:
Congratulations - you're going to be a doctor!!!
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vc7777 said:
Sweet! Congrats!

Sent from my phone
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Thanks guys, it's a great feeling. I know I havent been out of ug for as long as many others on this forum, but I just want to reiterate that you should never give up no matter how hopeless it seems. If this is really what you want it will be worth all the struggles.


Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
 
MedPR said:
Accepted to nova southeastern university college of medicine today. Hard to believe that last summer I had a 2.65 gpa. Im still waiting for other schools to get back to me (7 other interviews so far) but I would still be happy to attend nova next year!

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
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Nice! I'll be interviewing there next Tuesday. You and I have the exact same 3.14 cGPA, so I hope I don't get there and find out that they could only take one of us!
 
Chip N Sawbones said:
Nice! I'll be interviewing there next Tuesday. You and I have the exact same 3.14 cGPA, so I hope I don't get there and find out that they could only take one of us!
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Good luck! My AACOMAS GPA is a little higher, but don't sweat it. If you got an interview your GPA probably doesn't matter much.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
 
MD interview invite! I get to go to Tulane and see how much New Orleans has changed since the last time I was there, six months after Katrina.

Edit: Today was a doubleheader. Interview invite to VCOM-Carolina.
 
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MedPR said:
Accepted to nova southeastern university college of medicine today. Hard to believe that last summer I had a 2.65 gpa. Im still waiting for other schools to get back to me (7 other interviews so far) but I would still be happy to attend nova next year!

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
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Woooooooooot! Wooooooooooot! YOU DID IT! Congratulations!

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
MedPR said:
Accepted to nova southeastern university college of medicine today. Hard to believe that last summer I had a 2.65 gpa. Im still waiting for other schools to get back to me (7 other interviews so far) but I would still be happy to attend nova next year!

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
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Congrats!
 
Chip N Sawbones said:
MD interview invite! I get to go to Tulane and see how much New Orleans has changed since the last time I was there, six months after Katrina.

Edit: Today was a doubleheader. Interview invite to VCOM-Carolina.
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Wow congrats! Tulane was one of my first rejections. Very unfortunate considering it was one of my top schools.

Mommy Doc 85 said:
Woooooooooot! Wooooooooooot! YOU DID IT! Congratulations!

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
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NTF said:
Congrats!
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Thank you both!!
 
MedPR said:
Wow congrats! Tulane was one of my first rejections. Very unfortunate considering it was one of my top schools.





Thank you both!!
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MEDPR,,, CONGRAT!!!! you are going to be a doctor no matter what!!! any fun place to visit while i am in ft lauderdale in october?
 
zoner said:
MEDPR,,, CONGRAT!!!! you are going to be a doctor no matter what!!! any fun place to visit while i am in ft lauderdale in october?
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Thanks! I'm not sure, I didn't really stray too far from my hotel.
 
MedPR said:
Accepted to nova southeastern university college of medicine today. Hard to believe that last summer I had a 2.65 gpa. Im still waiting for other schools to get back to me (7 other interviews so far) but I would still be happy to attend nova next year!

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

Congratulations! That's one hell of a comeback.
 
congrats to ppl who did it. I wish I got the chance to take some pressure off of my shoulder this early too. So I don't have to check emails every secs, very unproductive. :scared:
All my anxieties are spent.
 
MedPR said:
Accepted to nova southeastern university college of medicine today. Hard to believe that last summer I had a 2.65 gpa. Im still waiting for other schools to get back to me (7 other interviews so far) but I would still be happy to attend nova next year!

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
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BabyDoc86 said:
Accepted to DMU!!!
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woohoo! go nontrads!
 
Update: Interview invitations from the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, the University of Washington, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Colorado. Rejected by the Mayo Clinic and the University of Wisconsin. Harvard and Penn interviews are next week. Terrified.

I didn't expect to get so many interviews, but I'm thrilled that I have! Take that, non-non-trads.

Congrats to all of you with interviews and acceptances so far! I am looking forward to the huge release of stress that will accompany my first acceptance (assuming, of course, that I am accepted).
 
Got an acceptance today from Nova. (ranked in my top 1/3rd)

Still on the alternate list at LECOM-B. I like the area near Bradenton better than Fort Lauderdale. I would choose rural over urban. Right now I don't have the choice, so the point is moot. (also ranked in my top 1/3rd)

I have interviews scheduled at LECOM-E, LMU (Tennessee), and ACOM (Alabama) that I will probably withdraw from on Monday. I have not bought airline tickets yet and each one would be at least $500 and ACOM would be closer to $950 😱 (none of them are in my top 1/3rd)

I have an interview scheduled for Western U COMP-NW that I will attend on 9/29. (also top 1/3rd)

I also have an interview scheduled for UA Phoenix on 10/1. Since I have the airline tickets already, I am going to go check out the school.

I am also hoping to hear back from OHSU. My wife is hoping that I do not hear from them. She likes the idea of moving to Florida or Arizona to get out of the rain in Oregon. Ha Ha.

dsoz
 
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BabyDoc86 said:
Accepted to DMU!!!
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Esquire said:
Class of 2017!

Getting love & acceptance from DO programs
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dsoz said:
Got an acceptance today from Nova. (ranked in my top 1/3rd)

Still on the alternate list at LECOM-B. I like the area near Bradenton better than Fort Lauderdale. I would choose rural over urban. Right now I don't have the choice, so the point is moot. (also ranked in my top 1/3rd)
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Congrats on the invites! Go nontrads!

dsoz - My husband is the opposite. He's hoping we get word from the close schools, but visiting other places makes me want to pick up and move. :laugh: Whatever happens, we'll roll with it. 👍
 
craftyconqueror said:
Congrats on the invites! Go nontrads!

dsoz - My husband is the opposite. He's hoping we get word from the close schools, but visiting other places makes me want to pick up and move. :laugh: Whatever happens, we'll roll with it. 👍
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That is what I keep trying to tell my wife. She keeps telling me to try harder for specific schools, and I tell her that it is not a matter of me trying harder... Let's see. I want to try harder to get an interview invite from XXX school. It just does not work that way.

dsoz
 
dsoz said:
I have an interview scheduled for Western U COMP-NW that I will attend on 9/29. (also top 1/3rd)
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See you there! I have an interview the same day. It's also a top school for me.
 
dsoz said:
That is what I keep trying to tell my wife. She keeps telling me to try harder for specific schools, and I tell her that it is not a matter of me trying harder... Let's see. I want to try harder to get an interview invite from XXX school. It just does not work that way.

dsoz
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It would be awesome if it did. I'd be attending my top choice next year! 😉
 
Chip N Sawbones said:
See you there! I have an interview the same day. It's also a top school for me.
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Are you going to be able to make it to the Pizza night on Friday? If you are, then PM me your "real name." I am putting together a list of SDNers that are attending and will send it out to everyone late next week. That way we can all meet each other and not be so nervous. We can all mostly get along together on here, so why should our first meeting be awkward?

dsoz
 
Still chugging through secondaries. Going considerably slower than I'd planned, but... life, I guess. 18 submitted, 9 still to be done, 11 (of 18) marked complete, 5 interviews, 3 schools haven't sent me a secondary, 0 rejections.
 
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Chip N Sawbones said:
Three interviews already is pretty darn good. I have the exact same postbac GPA and MCAT as you, right down to the P on the MCAT. You've got me beat on the cGPA though, and I guess your 0.2 point advantage makes a difference, since I applied to eleven MD schools with no interviews and two rejections so far.

On the other hand, I'm already up to five DO interviews, which is pretty good for nine applications. Any more invites and I'll have to start cancelling interviews to save on airfare.
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Almost same stats for me, except undergrad was a 3.8 and different writing score. I didn't do a formal post bac, just took pre-reqs but I earned a 4.0. I submitted most of my secondaries the second week of august, applied to 17 schools, and have only received an interview invite from one state school.

Meanwhile, I read in another thread someone with a 27MCAT and high gpa already has 3 interviews. How long does it usually take to get interviews on average?
 
impact2d said:
Almost same stats for me, except undergrad was a 3.8 and different writing score. I didn't do a formal post bac, just took pre-reqs but I earned a 4.0. I submitted most of my secondaries the second week of august, applied to 17 schools, and have only received an interview invite from one state school.

Meanwhile, I read in another thread someone with a 27MCAT and high gpa already has 3 interviews. How long does it usually take to get interviews on average?
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From what I've seen, schools start giving out interviews about a month after applications are complete, and they will continue giving out interviews until around February. In my case, I got my first interview invite on August 3rd, and the rest have been coming in every week or two since then. Some schools have only just started giving out invites though, so don't panic yet. Besides, most of the people who have already gotten interviews had their secondaries in before you. Don't worry, schools are a long way from filling their classes yet.
 
First rejection, pre-interview from Penn state. 😕 So one interview IS and one rejection OOS. My stats are above the average for Penn state, so I'm surprised I was rejected outright. I hope there isn't something bad I'm overlooking in my app... 🙁

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impact2d said:
First rejection, pre-interview from Penn state. 😕 So one interview IS and one rejection OOS. My stats are above the average for Penn state, so I'm surprised I was rejected outright. I hope there isn't something bad I'm overlooking in my app... 🙁

Sent from my ADR6400L using SDN Mobile
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Hang in there! There are still plenty of schools you're waiting to hear back from.
 
zoner said:
First acceptance at AZCOM!
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YAHOO! Doesn't it feel great! You know you will be a doctor. The question now becomes WHERE you will go, rather than IF you will go.

I still have 3 interviews left to attend. Then I may need to decide which school. Ha Ha.

dsoz
 
Yeah totally. I have two more to hear back from and four more that I want to attend

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