2015 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread

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Leslie_Knope said:
Congratulations! PS you do not need even half of that shizz. I promise. 🙂
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I am not sure how you are supposed to walk around with every single baby item taking up so much room... basinet, swinger, jumper, holder, rocker. Can we not invent one stand to do all of this!?!?
 
Inygma said:
I am not sure how you are supposed to walk around with every single baby item taking up so much room... basinet, swinger, jumper, holder, rocker. Can we not invent one stand to do all of this!?!?
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Bassinet and swing are the same. Pick one or put them in different rooms. Jumper we didn't use. Not good for motor skills development. What is holder? Rocker?

You mean play penitentiary? That we do have and we just keep it in the living room. The swing is in the living room. All the baby stuff will take over so we are delaying it as long as possible. 😉
 
ridethecliche said:
Saw a friend that goes to tufts today and she said she has people in her class that were 40 when they started, so it's possible you did better than my 34 on a retake 😉
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Hopefully, I'll be one of those next year, tufts or anywhere else. Well, you too, except the early 40s part. 😉
 
ridethecliche said:
I seriously have never consumed this much alcohol before in my life. Writing all these personal essays sober would have been awful though.
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This. I've been on the edge of worrying about myself these past two months. Reliving my childhood has been painful.
Bulleit is the typical go-to. Basil Hayden's when I'm feeling fancy.

milski said:
Quite possible, I'm older than my MCAT. 🙁
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Ha! I noted in my PS that I will be the same age as my MCAT when I start school next year.
 
Leslie_Knope said:
Congratulations! PS you do not need even half of that shizz. I promise. 🙂
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I agree. You don't need much. Our baby hates the bouncer she has and tolerates her swing.
Also are jumpers really not great? That's good to know!
 
Bbroush said:
I agree. You don't need much. Our baby hates the bouncer she has and tolerates her swing.
Also are jumpers really not great? That's good to know!
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Basically you want your child to have as much range of motion as possible and do as much work on her own as possible. So the Bumbo, walkers, exersaucers, even the bouncer all limit movement and development. We used the bouncer a lot though, because our son hated to be put down otherwise. Same for the infant carrier car seat. Only use it as needed otherwise wear or hold baby to maximize their neck development (and increase closeness).
 
Zelda840 said:
@Overanxious - I applied to Kansas. That secondary was absolutely insane!
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I agree! The longest one i've completed by far. Minnesota and Loyola were also quite lengthy. I've been trying to figure out some info for days on their website. Finally just called them and had them look through my app to see if I was complete. I can't believe they don't have a complete status like other schools.
 
I still haven't received Minnesota's secondary. Or the one for Drexel, but I've heard that one doesn't generally have any essays, so that's nice. 🙂
 
Zelda840 said:
I still haven't received Minnesota's secondary. Or the one for Drexel, but I've heard that one doesn't generally have any essays, so that's nice. 🙂
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If it's been a while since you submitted to minnesota quite a few have called up the school or emailed and received their secondary that day and i'd suggest you do the same. They are already sending out II's. Not sure what's going on at that school.
 
So... Just got rejected from Indiana and they have a line in their rejection email saying you can call then to "schedule a consultation" and "discuss how to strengthen your application".
I don't know how I feel about this...kind of a mix between ":yeahright:" and "😵, really?"
Anybody gotten this email and tried it?
 
kraskadva said:
So... Just got rejected from Indiana and they have a line in their rejection email saying you can call then to "schedule a consultation" and "discuss how to strengthen your application".
I don't know how I feel about this...kind of a mix between ":yeahright:" and "😵, really?"
Anybody gotten this email and tried it?
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Are you IS? I would definitely like some feedback on my app so if I have the same fate I will for sure ask.

What do you mean by how you have mixed feelings. In this game, you need to leave any sense of entitlement at the door! (No offense intended)
 
ConsultantMD said:
Are you IS? I would definitely like some feedback on my app so if I have the same fate I will for sure ask.
What do you mean by how you have mixed feelings. In this game, you need to leave any sense of entitlement at the door! (No offense intended)
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OOS.

No sense of entitlement, just wishing for good news and feeling a bit bummed. Also, not sure how in depth a "consultation" from them would be, especially if they're offering it to everybody they're rejecting. I mean, how much free time can they possibly have right now?
If they're serious, it could be really helpful in case I have to reapply, I just don't want to think about that possibility too much right now.
 
kraskadva said:
OOS.

No sense of entitlement, just wishing for good news and feeling a bit bummed. Also, not sure how in depth a "consultation" from them would be, especially if they're offering it to everybody they're rejecting. I mean, how much free time can they possibly have right now?
If they're serious, it could be really helpful in case I have to reapply, I just don't want to think about that possibility too much right now.
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This rite of passage is tough, but I think it is one of the first tests of pitting yourself against others. I like it best phrased by my friend who just started residency, it's a 'dick measuring contest'.

No one likes to be bummed out, but this is a rough process so we've got to roll with the punches. Keep your head up!
 
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kraskadva said:
So... Just got rejected from Indiana and they have a line in their rejection email saying you can call then to "schedule a consultation" and "discuss how to strengthen your application".
I don't know how I feel about this...kind of a mix between ":yeahright:" and "😵, really?"
Anybody gotten this email and tried it?
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I would do so if I didn't get an acceptance anywhere. In fact, I'll be emailing each school at the end of the application season if I'm rejected everywhere.
 
Leslie_Knope said:
I would do so if I didn't get an acceptance anywhere. In fact, I'll be emailing each school at the end of the application season if I'm rejected everywhere.
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Oh for sure, me too. This blatant offer so early in the cycle to help me prepare to reapply just felt a bit cutting though. I think I'll let it sit for a few days before deciding to call them at this point or not.
 
With all these II's coming out and not my way i'm considering adding a few more schools. Is it too late? I've applied to 19 so far. Is there an optimal number to shoot for? I saw on AMCAS the average was 14-15 schools per applicant so i opted for a couple more. However, I've only submitted 17 secondaries. (Oregon didn't sound promising, and i'm still waiting to hear back from UWashington)

[Mayo, Nebraska, Boston, Dartmouth, Saint Louis, Wisconsin, Rush, Yale, MCW, Georgetown, Tufts, Iowa, Brown, Loyola, Kansas, Minnesota, Northwestern, UWashington, Oregon]
I'm fully aware some of these are way outside even a reach school range but i had to try. Suggestions?
 
Overanxious said:
With all these II's coming out and not my way i'm considering adding a few more schools. Is it too late? I've applied to 19 so far. Is there an optimal number to shoot for? I saw on AMCAS the average was 14-15 schools per applicant so i opted for a couple more. However, I've only submitted 17 secondaries. (Oregon didn't sound promising, and i'm still waiting to hear back from UWashington)

[Mayo, Nebraska, Boston, Dartmouth, Saint Louis, Wisconsin, Rush, Yale, MCW, Georgetown, Tufts, Iowa, Brown, Loyola, Kansas, Minnesota, Northwestern, UWashington, Oregon]
I'm fully aware some of these are way outside even a reach school range but i had to try. Suggestions?
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I don't know anymore man, I guess you could add DO if your feeling really insecure (admittedly, I have DO in my app d/t below 30 MCAT, but it depends on your GPA too). But I think everyone feels insecure at this point, especially those of us who haven't gotten interview invites. I don't like the idea of wasting money, and if your like me, you probably looked at which schools you thought you might have a chance already, and were in your desired area, and picked them. To add more, just cause you feel down is probably going to be a waste of funds honestly. Now if you already feel desperate enough that you don't care where you go you could go Caribbean :wacky:.

As non-traditionals, I don't feel like we should rush and panic, we are already years removed from our undergrads, so one more won't kill us (which is worst case scenario). And at the same time, we have to think about family and finances. Cost of living/location/nearby families/nearby schools/daycare's for kids/crime rate/ etc. is a much bigger deal when your a daddy or mommy or even just married ( what is your spouse gonna do if you move into BFE for medical school?). I think being on this site makes one more neurotic sometimes. I mean I only have 12 complete apps, if 17 is panic worthy, than I need to jump out of my townhouse...

Anyway, just my two cents. Look at it big picture, and ask whether your just anxious because this process sucks, and involves months of silence for most of us; or if there is a real legitimate issue with your apps so far that really needs to be addressed. Deep breath partner!:nod:
 
HandsomeRob said:
I don't know anymore man, I guess you could add DO if your feeling really insecure (admittedly, I have DO in my app d/t below 30 MCAT, but it depends on your GPA too). But I think everyone feels insecure at this point, especially those of us who haven't gotten interview invites. I don't like the idea of wasting money, and if your like me, you probably looked at which schools you thought you might have a chance already, and were in your desired area, and picked them. To add more, just cause you feel down is probably going to be a waste of funds honestly. Now if you already feel desperate enough that you don't care where you go you could go Caribbean :wacky:.

As non-traditionals, I don't feel like we should rush and panic, we are already years removed from our undergrads, so one more won't kill us (which is worst case scenario). And at the same time, we have to think about family and finances. Cost of living/location/nearby families/nearby schools/daycare's for kids/crime rate/ etc. is a much bigger deal when your a daddy or mommy or even just married ( what is your spouse gonna do if you move into BFE for medical school?). I think being on this site makes one more neurotic sometimes. I mean I only have 12 complete apps, if 17 is panic worthy, than I need to jump out of my townhouse...

Anyway, just my two cents. Look at it big picture, and ask whether your just anxious because this process sucks, and involves months of silence for most of us; or if there is a real legitimate issue with your apps so far that really needs to be addressed. Deep breath partner!:nod:
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DO is a great option depending on where you see yourself after medical school. Since I am interested in ER, I am fine with D.O. Everything is doable with a little more legwork on your part, but if you are Ortho or bust, DO might not be the 'safest' or 'easiest' route, but still doable. I would avoid Carribean though, unless it is your very last option and you can't imagine a life outside MD/DO. But in the end DONT PANIC, I know people who applied late, even AFTER the deadline at some respected schools and were accepted...
 
Inygma said:
DO is a great option depending on where you see yourself after medical school. Since I am interested in ER, I am fine with D.O. Everything is doable with a little more legwork on your part, but if you are Ortho or bust, DO might not be the 'safest' or 'easiest' route, but still doable. I would avoid Carribean though, unless it is your very last option and you can't imagine a life outside MD/DO. But in the end DONT PANIC, I know people who applied late, even AFTER the deadline at some respected schools and were accepted...
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Just to clarify, I was joking about the Carribean. I wouldn't recommend that route, it makes everything about 10x harder IMO. A large amount of Caribbean don't match, I have multiple friends who ran out of loans trying to do Caribean. A lot of the Caribbean schools don't care if you flunk out, and consequently many students end up taking much longer d/t weak support. Its bad. Multiple states won't let you practice depending on the school. The Caribbean schools are a landmine.
 
Inygma said:
DO is a great option depending on where you see yourself after medical school. Since I am interested in ER, I am fine with D.O. Everything is doable with a little more legwork on your part, but if you are Ortho or bust, DO might not be the 'safest' or 'easiest' route, but still doable. I would avoid Carribean though, unless it is your very last option and you can't imagine a life outside MD/DO. But in the end DONT PANIC, I know people who applied late, even AFTER the deadline at some respected schools and were accepted...
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I agree with this about DO's especially. I know multiple Ortho surgeons who are DO, you can do anything you want as DO, just have to work a little harder. There are even 3! DO's who are Anesthesiologists on my unit. If you want it, you can get it!

I don't think the DO bias exists at the professional level like it does in premed's mind. They are doctors, just like MD's, I mean exactly like MD in fact, as most don't use manipulation in the hospital because, as one told me, 'its not a billable item'. They can even practice as physicians in most English speaking countries (65 countries total if you cared), so you can't even make that argument. I think the biggest thing against DO school is 1.the clinical's might not be locked down like most MD schools; 2. They cost more than many instate schools. 3. Scholarship money is probably not as good.
 
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Thank you for the comments. I'd never consider going to the Caribbean, i've heard too many horror stories. Also, never shadowed a DO and don't really know much about the process to go that route. Maybe i'll consider that next cycle should this cycle turn out poorly, gives me more time to do some research (and you're right, what's one more year at this point i'm already a crypt keeper).
 
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Overanxious said:
Thank you for the comments. I'd never consider going to the Caribbean, i've heard too many horror stories. Also, never shadowed a DO and don't really know much about the process to go that route. Maybe i'll consider that next cycle should this cycle turn out poorly, gives me more time to do some research (and you're right, what's one more year at this point i'm already a crypt keeper).
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DO is pretty much the same, except you have to use interfolio for the letters since aacomas doesn't accept reference. And DO separates its sections a little differently. Honestly, you could probably do it and get in even if you are verified in Feb depending on LizzyM (anything 60+ is considered pretty competitive). DO schools have a longer cycle.

The other big difference is DO don't have rules about the earliest they can release acceptance or caps on deposits. So a DO school could interview you and accept you in August. And the deposit is usually $1500 due within 30 days of offer, and often non-refundable. Although I know of at least one school that gives you the option of not getting their decision till Nov 15th.

Other than the LOR's and deposits, they are pretty much the same. DO application season goes longer on purpose so they can get some folks who might not want to go through another cycle.
 
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I'm complete at 24 schools right now (some for over a month) and other than the 2 quick rejections I haven't heard a peep from anybody. This is still early in the waiting game.
 
HandsomeRob said:
I agree with this about DO's especially. I know multiple Ortho surgeons who are DO, you can do anything you want as DO, just have to work a little harder. There are even 3! DO's who are Anesthesiologists on my unit. If you want it, you can get it!

I don't think the DO bias exists at the professional level like it does in premed's mind. They are doctors, just like MD's, I mean exactly like MD in fact, as most don't use manipulation in the hospital because, as one told me, 'its not a billable item'. They can even practice as physicians in most English speaking countries (65 countries total if you cared), so you can't even make that argument. I think the biggest thing against DO school is 1.the clinical's might not be locked down like most MD schools; 2. They cost more than many instate schools. 3. Scholarship money is probably not as good.
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Agreed.
 
Overanxious said:
Thank you for the comments. I'd never consider going to the Caribbean, i've heard too many horror stories. Also, never shadowed a DO and don't really know much about the process to go that route. Maybe i'll consider that next cycle should this cycle turn out poorly, gives me more time to do some research (and you're right, what's one more year at this point i'm already a crypt keeper).
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Many people apply to DO Dec/Jan if they aren't happy with their current cycle, so if you have time, do some research and consider it and reevaluate your options in a few months.
 
kraskadva said:
I'm complete at 24 schools right now (some for over a month) and other than the 2 quick rejections I haven't heard a peep from anybody. This is still early in the waiting game.
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I'm betting my first rejection will come from UWashington or Mayo. Quite possibly both with the way these two are turtleing along.

Inygma said:
Many people apply to DO Dec/Jan if they aren't happy with their current cycle, so if you have time, do some research and consider it and reevaluate your options in a few months.
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Wow that just seems so late. Good to know!
 
Had my first true stress dream of the cycle last night. Dreamt that I entered my address wrong on all my applications and thus wasn't receiving any snail mail rejections. Then I got like 19 rejections in a single day (which, I think is extremely unlikely). Needless to say I checked my AMCAS and AACOMAS application again for the bajillionth time this morning, and my address is correct. This site is probably just making me neurotic because all I've gotten so far is just silence, and I need to chill out about it. No rejections, no invites, one hold, and a crazy amount of refreshing my inbox.
 
I just mailed off the paperwork for DO fee assistance today, figure I'll plug slowly at it and submit Sept 1st. It only covers 3 schools so I figure I'll apply to both Western U campuses and Touro-CA. Maybe add one or two more, maybe not.

No reason to rush it, I really don't want to end up paying $1500 deposit and letting it evaporate if I don't have to, but I don't want to have an acceptance and let it slip through my fingers.

Still complete at 24 schools, no II, no rejections. 4 more w/o secondaries.
 
As of tonight I've got 26 complete (inc. the 2 rejections) and 2 more secondaries to do- Temple (tomorrow) and Drexel (whenever they get around to sending it). I'd actually enjoy a week or so more of silence.
Classes start in 2 weeks (finishing out a 2nd bacc) and my research mentor wants me in a week early to get going before things get hectic.
I gots other **** to do right now, can't be stressin' 😎
 
arainyday said:
Had my first true stress dream of the cycle last night. Dreamt that I entered my address wrong on all my applications and thus wasn't receiving any snail mail rejections. Then I got like 19 rejections in a single day (which, I think is extremely unlikely). Needless to say I checked my AMCAS and AACOMAS application again for the bajillionth time this morning, and my address is correct. This site is probably just making me neurotic because all I've gotten so far is just silence, and I need to chill out about it. No rejections, no invites, one hold, and a crazy amount of refreshing my inbox.
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Don't worry, the only snail mail rejection I got last season was from Stanford. Anyone else is not paying the 40 cents for a stamp to send you a rejection. 😉
 
Anyone else find themselves on the MSAR the night before their MCAT score was released, searching for schools with the lowest MCAT scores. lol.

I didn't do it yet, but the thought has crossed my mind about 100 times in the last hour.
 
MedicalMomma81 said:
Anyone else find themselves on the MSAR the night before their MCAT score was released, searching for schools with the lowest MCAT scores. lol.

I didn't do it yet, but the thought has crossed my mind about 100 times in the last hour.
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No... Don't do it! Fingers crossed for you!
 
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