2014-2015 Albany Medical College Application Thread

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anyone who has experience with waitlists and the background check service through Certiphi, do schools every initiate these checks with only a waitlist placement, or are the always indicative of an acceptance? I spoke with Certiphi and their parent company today and they can't indicate who initiated the check or why the check was initiated, except that it was through AMCAS service. Thinking it might be AMC

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Accepted this morning. Called the admissions, class is not full yet, wait list is still moving.
 
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For the essay question:
"Please explain any inconsistencies in your university, graduate, or professional school academic performance and/or MCAT scores"

Would it be wise to discuss having a sub 30 mcat here? I have a 29 with a breakdown of 9-9-11 for physics-verbal-biology. I mean ultimately its going to sound like a series of excuses no matter how I put it that I didn't score well on the MCAT. I also have a very high GPA so there is a gross mis-correlation between my MCAT and GPA.
 
for anyone who has done the health screening, do they drug test? i was told they do not but the pre-employment packet does mention it. I just want to be aware so I don't walk in and get blind sided
Pre-employment packet?
 
I was just offered a position off the waitlist, however I can't find when orientation or classes start. Could someone please tell me these dates, thank you.
 
I was just offered a position off the waitlist, however I can't find when orientation or classes start. Could someone please tell me these dates, thank you.

Congratulations future classmate! Orientation is August 3rd-5th (white-coat is August 4th), classes start on August 5th. Look for the Albany Medical College Class of 2019 group on Facebook. The orientation leaders will probably be adding you to it soon!
 
I was just offered a position off the waitlist, however I can't find when orientation or classes start. Could someone please tell me these dates, thank you.

Stats? Congrats!
 
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Rejected post-interview. That was the fastest decision ever, but I blew my first MMI scenario and it happened to be with the dean of the school (my fate was sealed at that point). The MMI format really doesn't favor non-trads. With life experience you become more of a realist (and lose a lot of the youthful idealism that the MMI seeks). I also like being to the point and not very verbose (my pet peeve is people that repeat themselves, but that trait might help in the MMI). I had a lot to offer the school, but wasn't really given much any opportunity to talk about it. I really do wish I could talk about my life and why medicine now. Instead, I was having discussions on things mostly irrelevant to my pursuit of medicine.

At least next winter when I'll likely be studying medicine in 80F weather on a beach in South Florida, I won't be thinking to myself, "I really wish I was in Albany buried under a few feet of snow." That said, the school is really nice, and I'm sad to be rejected. Though, I did feel a little out of place as a non-trad at Albany Med.

Good luck all! The interview day is pretty fun overall and I do hope you all get in!
I completely agree .. one question was would u switch a doctor is a patient was offended by their tattoo and I'm like realistically if they couldn't get along then yes but the interviewer hated my answer and kinds suggested I would be enabling prejudice. He wanted me to say I would keep them so the patient could learn it realistically that's not why a patient is there to learn political views but to be treated . I am very discontent.
 
During my interview the ratios for male to female were approximately equal. The official ratios at the college have always maintained equal representation over the last 30 years.
Actually u can see it is not equal at all on MSAR. Men are 2/3
 
I completely agree .. one question was would u switch a doctor is a patient was offended by their tattoo and I'm like realistically if they couldn't get along then yes but the interviewer hated my answer and kinds suggested I would be enabling prejudice. He wanted me to say I would keep them so the patient could learn it realistically that's not why a patient is there to learn political views but to be treated . I am very discontent.

I suspect your interviewer didn't like your response because it's not a realistic one; attendings aren't a dime a dozen on the floors, and very often doctors and patients are forced to get along because there are no other alternatives. A disagreement over a tattoo doesn't warrant changing a physician like disagreement over race/religion/creed would (thankfully that happens rarely).

I reckon that MMIs favor non-trad realism more than you'd think.

*I'm a non-trad who interviewed 2 years ago at Albany and was immediately accepted. N=1, but I'm a known grump.
 
I suspect your interviewer didn't like your response because it's not a realistic one; attendings aren't a dime a dozen on the floors, and very often doctors and patients are forced to get along because there are no other alternatives. A disagreement over a tattoo doesn't warrant changing a physician like disagreement over race/religion/creed would (thankfully that happens rarely).

I reckon that MMIs favor non-trad realism more than you'd think.

*I'm a non-trad who interviewed 2 years ago at Albany and was immediately accepted. N=1, but I'm a known grump.

The question was not if they had a disagreement over a tattoo , it was what if the patient REFUSED to work with the doctor because of his tattoos. I don't see how it's realistic or efficient to argue with patients for hours to let the doctor work with them when you could , IF POSSIBLE, assign a doctor better suited. My very first sentence was I would try to reach a compromise and see if it could be possible for them to work together BUT IF NOT...
(I should of added those details previously but I was typing from my phone and was just trying to get the generally gist across.)
 
The question was not if they had a disagreement over a tattoo , it was what if the patient REFUSED to work with the doctor because of his tattoos. I don't see how it's realistic or efficient to argue with patients for hours to let the doctor work with them when you could , IF POSSIBLE, assign a doctor better suited. I should of added those details previously but I was typing from my phone and was just trying to get the generally gist across.

Haha, the patient can refuse all s/he wants, but most likely you get the doctor you get. In this case, realistically, you'll likely show the patient to door.
 
The question was not if they had a disagreement over a tattoo , it was what if the patient REFUSED to work with the doctor because of his tattoos. I don't see how it's realistic or efficient to argue with patients for hours to let the doctor work with them when you could , IF POSSIBLE, assign a doctor better suited. My very first sentence was I would try to reach a compromise and see if it could be possible for them to work together BUT IF NOT...
(I should of added those details previously but I was typing from my phone and was just trying to get the generally gist across.)

And I want to add that I think this question is way to advanced for a pre-med student to even have expertise on. How are we supposed to put our selves in the shoes of hospital administrators? If I had a patient who had tattoos, I would work with them even if they were "offensive", I can answer that because I want to be a doctor. However, I don't want to be a hospital administrator overseeing employees , or I would be getting the degree for that as well.
 
Haha, the patient can refuse all s/he wants, but most likely you get the doctor you get. In this case, realistically, you'll likely show the patient to door.
So my answer should of basically been like screw the patient bc who cares what they want?!
 
So my answer should of basically been like screw the patient bc who cares what they want?!
what if the patient was an african american and the doctor had a swatiska tattoo? I'm supposed to MAKE the patient stay with them or say there's the door!
Some minorities feel much more comfortable working with doctors who are culturally similar to them. However, I wouldn't expect the interviewer to realize that since he was a white male.
 
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