2014-2015 Panic Thread

BU Medical Sciences
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flowerpower123 said:
No, and I thought my recommendations were going to be pretty good too. So now I'm confused/nervous. I'm a re-applicant... are we reviewed later?
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That may help explain it. What have you improved since your last cycle?
 
flowerpower123 said:
No II, starting to get nervous... 3.95 and 40MCAT, Comp Aug. Lots of EC and Research...Could something be wrong? 0/15 schools and 1 rejection
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It's pretty odd. Other than my GPA is lower, all I've gotten so far are Missouri schools, which isn't even my home state. Could be either they want to see how much you've improved since last time you applied or essays.
 
flowerpower123 said:
I was pretty ambitious...I just thought I might have heard something from someone by now. I was pretty surprised to be rejected last friday pre-interview, so I hope that maybe their reasoning was similar to what you suggest.
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I concur with the reasoning as well. I am a reapp and last time for many reasons I applied only to the top schools. This time I've gotten IIs mostly from the top schools and from very few of my safety schools. Most of the mid tiers were silent+rejection. I am guessing there might be a red flag in your App. Maybe one of the LOR is a bit weird? Did you apply to UMich? They don't look at LOR before extending II. Did you get Mayo's LOR request? Did you get secondaries from Vandy's/UCLA/UCSF? Which might help eliminate your red flag boing in the primary app?
 
Each time a school puts me on hold it feels like a first date gone wrong, where the guy thinks I'm crazy, and is thinking hard about whether he even wants to see me again - while I sit at home, manically checking my phone every five minutes for his response. 🙁
 
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I wouldn't think that I would have a red flag... The only thing I can think is that my PI had their lab assistant upload my letter and she wasn't my biggest fan, but I don't think she would change anything...I don't know how appropriate it would be to ask my PI to make sure the letter he wrote was correctly uploaded. Other than that I don't know what could be up? I didn't apply to UMich, UCLA or UCSF. I applied to Vanderbilt and received a secondary, but that was before they had all of my LORs, so one still might have been off... I'm glad this panic thread exists... my SNS is starting to fire up.
 
Silverflash said:
Seriously? What did you say to that? That's so odd.
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It was really odd, he asked me if I was a fan of some famous hand puppeteer? Naturally, I had never heard of this person, and told him I was unfamiliar with whomever he was talking about... To which he replied, and I quote: "Ignorance is evident" and proceeded to start scribbling on my application.
 
flowerpower123 said:
It was really odd, he asked me if I was a fan of some famous hand puppeteer? Naturally, I had never heard of this person, and told him I was unfamiliar with whomever he was talking about... To which he replied, and I quote: "Ignorance is evident" and proceeded to start scribbling on my application.
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That, right there, was 100% reportable to the dean. I wouldn't suffer this fool of an interviewer.
 
kthxbai said:
That, right there, was 100% reportable to the dean. I wouldn't suffer this fool of an interviewer.
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That could be a funny interview if it was on a television show or something, not so much in real life. Maybe it was supposed to be one of those stressful interviews I have heard so much about. But yeah it should probably be reported.
 
kthxbai said:
That, right there, was 100% reportable to the dean. I wouldn't suffer this fool of an interviewer.
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Whatsinthebox said:
That could be a funny interview if it was on a television show or something, not so much in real life. Maybe it was supposed to be one of those stressful interviews I have heard so much about. But yeah it should probably be reported.
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It was several years ago... I probably should have said something then, but I'm not sure what would be best now. He was pretty bad though, he also asked me if I enjoyed singing in the shower...
 
Could be an episode of New Girl or something.
 
My state school has sent some acceptances to people from my interview date (and even some after me). I've heard nothing.

I'm about 99% sure I've been waitlisted or rejected.
 
I wish silent rejections didn't exist. Otherwise ( I go off of what I know) it has been an average of 6 weeks for MD schools (FSU has been 2 months :/) and 2 weeks from DO completion 1 MD II, 1 DO II, 8 MD silences and 3 DO silences. /nervous
 
Hey guys,
I applied to all of the schools as soon as possible - secondaries all complete mid july-, but have heard nothing but 4 rejections. Would you guys say it's about time I studied for the MCAT again and prepare for the next cycle? Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks a lot.
 
Oblige said:
Hey guys,
I applied to all of the schools as soon as possible - secondaries all complete mid july-, but have heard nothing but 4 rejections. Would you guys say it's about time I studied for the MCAT again and prepare for the next cycle? Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks a lot.
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I would say it ultimately depends on your stats/EC's and where you applied. If you are an average applicant, you can probably expect to hear more in Nov/Dec. I'm in a similar boat (although I have 1 II from a school that is notoriously fast) with silence from most schools for over 2 months. As Goro always says, be patient.

It's not over until it's over. Wait and see what November brings and then re-assess. Best of luck to you!
 
M12B said:
I would say it ultimately depends on your stats/EC's and where you applied. If you are an average applicant, you can probably expect to hear more in Nov/Dec. I'm in a similar boat (although I have 1 II from a school that is notoriously fast) with silence from most schools for over 2 months. As Goro always says, be patient.

It's not over until it's over. Wait and see what November brings and then re-assess. Best of luck to you!
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I do like your undergraduate college as listed in Mdapps. 👍
 
Hey guys, I would appreciate it if someone can answer these two questions:

1) One of my professors in my Masters program recently wrote me a letter of recommendation. I've already submitted my primary/secondaries a long time ago and already did a few interviews. Is there any point in sending this LOR anymore? If so, do I send it to each school individually or can I just upload it through my AMCAS application?

2) Since submitting my apps, I also started teaching an afterschool program to middle schoolers. I only do it once or twice a week (5 hrs a week). Is it really worth updating schools on this? If so, do I have to go to each individual supplemental application portal and submit it one by one?

Thank you!!!
 
thenykway said:
Hey guys, I would appreciate it if someone can answer these two questions:

1) One of my professors in my Masters program recently wrote me a letter of recommendation. I've already submitted my primary/secondaries a long time ago and already did a few interviews. Is there any point in sending this LOR anymore? If so, do I send it to each school individually or can I just upload it through my AMCAS application?

2) Since submitting my apps, I also started teaching an afterschool program to middle schoolers. I only do it once or twice a week (5 hrs a week). Is it really worth updating schools on this? If so, do I have to go to each individual supplemental application portal and submit it one by one?

Thank you!!!
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i think it depends on the school. some are really receptive to interest/updates and some hate it.
 
Should I be worried if I still haven't heard anything from any schools? I submitted secondaries throughout September.

I'm getting a little nervous hearing about people who have already been accepted, while I still haven't gotten any interviews.
 
Dear Denizens of this thread,

Might I suggest listening to the following mix among other mixes and dancing around your room?



Enjoy your weekend!
RTC.
 
Boondock21 said:
Should I be worried if I still haven't heard anything from any schools? I submitted secondaries throughout September.

I'm getting a little nervous hearing about people who have already been accepted, while I still haven't gotten any interviews.
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Schools likely have been backlogged with applications. It can take a long time for people to get interviews even when secondaries are submitted in early August. Not much to do other than to wait. In the meantime, find some ways to keep your mind off of this stuff.
 
flowerpower123 said:
It was really odd, he asked me if I was a fan of some famous hand puppeteer? Naturally, I had never heard of this person, and told him I was unfamiliar with whomever he was talking about... To which he replied, and I quote: "Ignorance is evident" and proceeded to start scribbling on my application.
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Sounds like an interview with Zack Galifianakis in "Between Two Ferns."
 
When you go on to SDN and realize you're part of the 1% without an II.
Dr.-Who.gif
 
johnnytest said:
When you go on to SDN and realize you're part of the 1% without an II.
Dr.-Who.gif
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I creepily looked at your old posts. Did you do any volunteering/get that volunteering position that you were planning for?
 
People who interviewed later than me are getting accepted at my top choice...

Dat feel... 🙁
 
darthsubway said:
I creepily looked at your old posts. Did you do any volunteering/get that volunteering position that you were planning for?
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Lol not sure how long ago I mentioned that. But... yes I've been volunteering for more than a year now (~300 hours). No formal shadowing experience though.
 
johnnytest said:
Lol not sure how long ago I mentioned that. But... yes I've been volunteering for more than a year now (~300 hours). No formal shadowing experience though.
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That's not good. You should really get on that and try and get a LOR. This is very important.
 
pink/\floyd said:
That's not good. You should really get on that and try and get a LOR. This is very important.
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It's something I am working on this year in case I need to re-apply. Although, the volunteer program I am in provided some sort of shadowing if you will along with other duties. I was able to step in the patient room and observe and sometimes perform some tasks such as take blood pressure, look in patients' ears and mouth. I'm in the ER so I've seen a plethora of different cases. I've seen level 1 traumas and sometimes even got to assist e.g. flip patients over, perform CPR, etc. I feel I had my share of clinical exposure and understanding of medicine from the perspective of a doctor, nurse, and admin staff as far as the ER goes and a few departments such as cardio. I did get a LOR from the director of the program. The reason I did not shadow is because my pre-med adviser approved the type of clinical exposure I was getting and some of my pre-med friends said they shadowed and didn't get much, if any patient contact.

Now that I am in my gap year, it's something I will try to explore.
 
LizzyM ~64

0 MD IIs, 1 small pool, 4 MD rejections, 2 MD hold, 9 silent
2 DO IIs, 2 DO holds, 1 acceptance, 5 silent

Although I am extremely grateful for my one DO acceptance, it is 6 hours away and I am dying for a chance to interview at my MD state school. I figure it's a long shot with my stats, but I believe I'm a decent interviewer so I wish they'd give me the opportunity to wow them! I cannot check my email often enough. :bang:
 
johnnytest said:
It's something I am working on this year in case I need to re-apply. Although, the volunteer program I am in provided some sort of shadowing if you will along with other duties. I was able to step in the patient room and observe and sometimes perform some tasks such as take blood pressure, look in patients' ears and mouth. I'm in the ER so I've seen a plethora of different cases. I've seen level 1 traumas and sometimes even got to assist e.g. flip patients over, perform CPR, etc. I feel I had my share of clinical exposure and understanding of medicine from the perspective of a doctor, nurse, and admin staff as far as the ER goes and a few departments such as cardio. I did get a LOR from the director of the program. The reason I did not shadow is because my pre-med adviser approved the type of clinical exposure I was getting and some of my pre-med friends said they shadowed and didn't get much, if any patient contact.

Now that I am in my gap year, it's something I will try to explore.
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I understand. I did both. However, these two activities are different. Shadowing allows you to work 1-on-1 with a physician and gives you a better idea of what you are getting yourself into; simply because you are working exclusively with a doctor. At my last interview, I was specifically told that shadowing experience is very important and looked at very closely.
 
Ahh I see. Thank you for that information. I was complete Early-Mid September so not sure if schools have reviewed my application and passed on it. So far 1 rejection and 1 hold, 15 silent crickets. There could be many flaws or weaknesses in my application which I'm not aware of and I'm the kind of person who thinks there could be something wrong with every single aspect. If I don't hear anything by December, I will sit down with my pre-med adviser and try to figure out the most important things to improve upon. Right now, I'm working as a research assistant, trying to create a start-up, and volunteering.
 
johnnytest said:
Ahh I see. Thank you for that information. I was complete Early-Mid September so not sure if schools have reviewed my application and passed on it. So far 1 rejection and 1 hold, 15 silent crickets. There could be many flaws or weaknesses in my application which I'm not aware of and I'm the kind of person who thinks there could be something wrong with every single aspect. If I don't hear anything by December, I will sit down with my pre-med adviser and try to figure out the most important things to improve upon. Right now, I'm working as a research assistant, trying to create a start-up, and volunteering.
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Sounds good. GL! In case you have to reapply, make sure u submit day-1.
 
If I don't get an II by the end of November, I am going to get a SpongeBob tattoo on my right hand. If I don't get an II by the end of December, I am going to get a tongue-piercing. And if I don't get an II by the end of January, I am going to shave my head. Mark my words.

Well, no. But if someone from the admissions committee cut me a deal to do any one of those things in exchange for an interview, I would take it.
 
Boondock21 said:
If I don't get an II by the end of November, I am going to get a SpongeBob tattoo on my right hand. If I don't get an II by the end of December, I am going to get a tongue-piercing. And if I don't get an II by the end of January, I am going to shave my head. Mark my words.

Well, no. But if someone from the admissions committee cut me a deal to do any one of those things in exchange for an interview, I would take it.
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I would eat a poop hotdog for an interview at a school on my personal top 10 list.
 
Just curious, ~60% of applicants are not accepted to any medical school each year. Are there any data stating what percentage receive 0 IIs. If I receive an II and don't get in then I could live with that and I would look forward to re-applying. But, I don't know if I could swallow the "No-II" pill.
 
johnnytest said:
Ahh I see. Thank you for that information. I was complete Early-Mid September so not sure if schools have reviewed my application and passed on it. So far 1 rejection and 1 hold, 15 silent crickets. There could be many flaws or weaknesses in my application which I'm not aware of and I'm the kind of person who thinks there could be something wrong with every single aspect. If I don't hear anything by December, I will sit down with my pre-med adviser and try to figure out the most important things to improve upon. Right now, I'm working as a research assistant, trying to create a start-up, and volunteering.
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No need to panic yet, you were complete quite late for this cycle since AMCAS went really quickly through apps this year and thus school are quite inundated with apps. Some schools still haven't gotten to August secondaries.
 
Dare2Dream said:
No need to panic yet, you were complete quite late for this cycle since AMCAS went really quickly through apps this year and thus school are quite inundated with apps. Some schools still haven't gotten to August secondaries.
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As someone with August submissions, I'm not sure if this should make me good better or worse about the schools I haven't heard from yet...
 
FriendlyFH said:
I concur with the reasoning as well. I am a reapp and last time for many reasons I applied only to the top schools. This time I've gotten IIs mostly from the top schools and from very few of my safety schools. Most of the mid tiers were silent+rejection. I am guessing there might be a red flag in your App. Maybe one of the LOR is a bit weird? Did you apply to UMich? They don't look at LOR before extending II. Did you get Mayo's LOR request? Did you get secondaries from Vandy's/UCLA/UCSF? Which might help eliminate your red flag boing in the primary app?
Click to expand...


I got secondaries from UCSF and UCLA, does that imply that there weren't any red flags in my primary app? I haven't heard anything back from 20 schools. 🙁
 
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