2016-2017 Brown University (Alpert) Application Thread

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1. Summarize your activities during the 2016-2017 academic year. Describe how your activities are preparing you for a medical career. (2000 characters)
2. How will your unique attributes (e.g., cultural or socioeconomic background, lifestyle, work experiences) add to the overall diversity of the Alpert Medical School community? (2000 characters)
3. What are your aspirations for your medical practice? Fast-forward to 15 years in the future: where do you imagine yourself? (3000 characters)
 
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Also an incoming M1 and long-time Providence dweller. Happy to answer questions!
 
flapjack3d said:
Were you PLME?
Click to expand...

I was regular AMCAS. I'll be starting the MD-ScM program this fall.

Some other information about my application cycle at Brown if you are curious:

-LizzyM = 73 (although this metric is likely being phased out with the new MCAT... not sure what the conversion would be)
-My file was not marked "complete" until around September/October
-II in January, interview in February
-Waitlisted at the end of February, then accepted from the wait list on the first week of May

Cheers, and good luck everyone!
 
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halpmepls said:
I was regular AMCAS. I'll be starting the MD-ScM program this fall.

Some other information about my application cycle at Brown if you are curious:

-LizzyM = 73 (although this metric is likely being phased out with the new MCAT... not sure what the conversion would be)
-My file was not marked "complete" until around September/October
-II in January, interview in February
-Waitlisted at the end of February, then accepted from the wait list on the first week of May

Cheers, and good luck everyone!
Click to expand...
Do you know if your stats/profile are the norm for non-PLME applicants?
 
How would Brown view a higher than average GPA (above a 3.9), but an MCAT that is below their average of a 34? I've heard of student getting accepted with a high MCAT and a lower than average GPA, but not necessarily the other way around


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positivedeltaS said:
How would Brown view a higher than average GPA (above a 3.9), but an MCAT that is below their average of a 34? I've heard of student getting accepted with a high MCAT and a lower than average GPA, but not necessarily the other way around


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Click to expand...
I feel like that's usually the case at top schools.
 
flapjack3d said:
I feel like that's usually the case at top schools.
Click to expand...

That students will get accepted with a lower than average GPA and a higher than average MCAT?

So should I even bother applying if I have a ~3.9 GPA but an MCAT below 34?


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rabidrabbitsquirrel said:
Incoming M1 in that very situation, although I did have some unique experiences which may have made a difference.



Brown is surely a great school, but I wouldn't count it among the "top" schools you're referring to, where the MCAT is weighed inordinately. What are the school's MSAR numbers? I never looked at those, but I am curious.
Click to expand...

Would you mind sharing your approximate stats? I have unique ECs as well, so I'm hoping that my application really is viewed holistically. MSAR says the 2015 incoming class had a 3.7 GPA (science and cumulative) and a 33 on the MCAT. Admissions website says 34!


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So, all I know about Providence is that the highway going through it feels like an F1 track, they used to have a habit of letting kids into bars with just a college ID, and that they're in a battle with the south shore for who has the harsher accent. I feel like as teenagers we were probably unfair in our comparison of Providence to Worcester. Tell me what's good about the city?

thatwouldbeanarchy said:
Also an incoming M1 and long-time Providence dweller. Happy to answer questions!
Click to expand...
 
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hurtem&healem said:
So, all I know about Providence is that the highway going through it feels like an F1 track, they used to have a habit of letting kids into bars with just a college ID, and that they're in a battle with the south shore for who has the harsher accent. I feel like as teenagers we were probably unfair in our comparison of Providence to Worcester. Tell me what's good about the city?
Click to expand...
Haha. Well, I honestly haven't spent much time in Worcester so I can't comment on that comparison. But Providence is great and vastly underrated! Since eating is my number #1 hobby, I'll start there. Providence (and really all of Rhode Island) has an incredible food scene. Forget Boston. If you're looking for good food in New England, Providence is your spot. Whether it's Italian, Indian, Portuguese, Japanese, New American... Or quahogs with a cabinet on the side. 😵 Obviously, we're not NYC, so you can't expect all night delivery or every single type of ethnic cuisine on earth but there really is an insane amount of great food in this tiny state.

You can find gorgeous beaches and wooded hiking trails, all within about a 30 minute drive from PVD. There are some nice parks within the city, too. Roger Williams is my fave but there's also India Point, which is right near the med school. It overlooks the bay and is the entrance to the 14-mile East Bay Bike path.

If you're into arts and live music, there's plenty of that. Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is right next door to Brown's undergrad campus (5 minutes from Alpert) and contributes a lot to the local arts scene. You can find gallery nights, free outdoor movies in the summer, and food and music festivals. Newport is easily accessible by bus (and very soon to be accessible by ferry) and is home to the famed Newport Folk Festival, which is kind of expensive but brings amazing artists to RI every summer. I'll admit that Providence hasn't always attracted a lot of big-name musical artists but that's really changed for the better in the past couple of years.

As someone who truly and deeply hates New England winters, there aren't many positives I can say in that regard. But at least there are plenty of great bars to get you through 3 months of icy slush. 😉

Of course, if you're looking to get out of town, you can easily hop on the commuter rail and be in Boston in about 1 hour. Or take a bus or train to NYC. But despite being a small city in the smallest state, there's a surprising amount of stuff going on here.
 
@thatwouldbeanarchy Thanks for the cultural description! I didn't have Brown on my final decision list at first, until I was actually in Providence just a few days ago (as well as Worcester where I saw the infamous greasy pole competition :laugh:, in the one day I spent there it seemed like a nice little seaport town) and overall I liked the atmosphere of the place, or at least the area I was in, which included RISD, this coming from someone who doesn't like cities all too much. I was reminded that Brown is situated there, looked back over their info, and figured, "Hey, I think I can see myself liking this school."

On topic, I'm guessing these are probably the prompts for the secondary essays (I didn't get mine yet so if someone has up-to-date info please correct), even though they're largely subjective any suggestions from accepted students would be appreciated! Personally I only have vague ideas about the third one since healthcare systems on the whole still confuse me 🤔

Summarize your activities during the 2015-2016 [2016-2017] academic year. Describe how your activities are preparing you for a medical career. (2000 characters)

How will your unique attributes (e.g., cultural or socioeconomic background, lifestyle, work experiences) add to the overall diversity of the Alpert Medical School community? (2000 characters)

Imagine that you are approached by a multibillionaire philanthropist who wants to donate a substantial fund of money to a single project with the goal of “fixing the US healthcare system.” He/she asks for your expert opinion on what project this money should go towards; what would you advise and why?

Often when we talk about medicine, we focus on the individual physician-patient relationship. Why should medical schools train future physicians to care for communities and populations as a whole, and not just individual patients?
 
Andante12 said:
@thatwouldbeanarchy
On topic, I'm guessing these are probably the prompts for the secondary essays ...
Click to expand...

Last year, those were the questions for the MD/ScM path. For MD only the prompts were:

1. NOTE: Interviews occur on Thursdays and/or Fridays beginning in mid-September and finishing in February. Please detail any limitations on your availability during this time, such as international travel, work or courses. You may use the text box below to explain your limited availability. (500 char)

2. Summarize your activities during the 2015-2016 academic year. Describe how your activities are preparing you for a medical career. (2000 char)

3. How will your unique attributes (e.g., cultural or socioeconomic background, lifestyle, work experiences) add to the overall diversity of the Alpert Medical School community? (2000 char)

4. What are your aspirations for your medical practice? Fast-forward to 15 years in the future: where do you imagine yourself? (3000 char)



That one about the billionaire philanthropist scares the hell outta me, lol. I'm extremely grateful I don't have to answer it. I would be highly tempted to go down the path of, "Take all the money he can get and use it to fund the political campaigns of influential members of congress."
 
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hurtem&healem said:
Last year, those were the questions for the MD/ScM path. For MD only the prompts were:

1. NOTE: Interviews occur on Thursdays and/or Fridays beginning in mid-September and finishing in February. Please detail any limitations on your availability during this time, such as international travel, work or courses. You may use the text box below to explain your limited availability. (500 char)

2. Summarize your activities during the 2015-2016 academic year. Describe how your activities are preparing you for a medical career. (2000 char)

3. How will your unique attributes (e.g., cultural or socioeconomic background, lifestyle, work experiences) add to the overall diversity of the Alpert Medical School community? (2000 char)

4. What are your aspirations for your medical practice? Fast-forward to 15 years in the future: where do you imagine yourself? (3000 char)
Click to expand...

Ok, thanks for steering me in the right direction!

hurtem&healem said:
no
Click to expand...
No it's not a nice town? Eh, whatever, not really relevant here anyways.
 
for the summarize your activities question? Do we talk about what we are going to do? like after the submitting our AMCAS?
 
Kidou said:
for the summarize your activities question? Do we talk about what we are going to do? like after the submitting our AMCAS?
Click to expand...

I think classes + activities that will be continuing throughout next year, especially those related to your career as a physician. I'll be talking about research, volunteering, classes, hobbies, etc.
 
so just talk about what we did this year? and what we are going to do in the future?
 
Kidou said:
so just talk about what we did this year? and what we are going to do in the future?
Click to expand...
Yes, talk about what you're doing this year. It's a good place to expand on any activities you may not have had the space to discuss in AMCAS. You don't want to repeat what's in AMCAS but you can definitely expand upon it. You can also use this space to talk about anything new you may be doing since submitting (new classes, new ECs). And don't forget to tie at least some of what you're doing into medicine since that's in the prompt as well.

I briefly mentioned a new class I was taking, talked about continuing my job and some new projects I was working on, and discussed ongoing volunteer experiences and how they relate to the type of medicine I want to practice in the future.
 
Don't forget that for this year, it will be changed to 2016-17! I was confused at first, but maybe I'm just dumb.
 
Is there a place to check the GPA range of the incoming class at Brown? I'm happy about my MCAT but worried that my GPA will put me out of consideration
 
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If you are a URM, a 3.3 will be more than sufficient. If you were not fortunate enough to win the genetic lottery and fall into one of the races that count as URM, good luck to ya
 
So, would the "2016-2017 academic year" include this summer? Should we include that just to be safe? I already mentioned/listed the end dates in AMCAS of the activities I'm involved in until August (when I'll start something entirely new that I'll definitely discuss), so I'm a little uncertain...
 
neurobio23 said:
In a similar boat stats wise. If you look at their class profile for the entering class of 2015 the GPA range is 3.26-3.99. Granted the lower end of the range may be due to URM, but whatever, I'm still trying lol.

Source: https://www.brown.edu/academics/medical/admission/class-profile
Click to expand...
You still have a chance, but remember your application should also show substantial efforts in the other areas they consider, e.g. how involved you are with ECs and what kind of experiences you have etc. etc.
 
lostpremed123 said:
If you are a URM, a 3.3 will be more than sufficient. If you were not fortunate enough to win the genetic lottery and fall into one of the races that count as URM, good luck to ya
Click to expand...

Are you freaking kidding me?

Being Black, Hispanic, or Native American isn't "winning the genetic lottery"; it means that you and your ancestors have been given historically horrific treatment in the US, have been and are being discriminated against in every single part of society outside of college applications, and are not born with the privilege that White & Asian people have in the US (e.g., intelligence assumed to be the norm, not followed around the grocery store, or doubted as a future drunkard or drug addict).
 
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Another incoming MS1 here; Brown was my top choice school. Feel free to post or PM any questions you might have about the application process, as well as school experiences (esp. later on in the cycle after I start here in less than a month--so excited!)
Best of luck to everyone!
 
faceless_doc said:
Another incoming MS1 here; Brown was my top choice school. Feel free to post or PM any questions you might have about the application process, as well as school experiences (esp. later on in the cycle after I start here in less than a month--so excited!)
Best of luck to everyone!
Click to expand...
Why was Brown your top choice?
 
clippers50fan said:
Why was Brown your top choice?
Click to expand...
Well, a combination of lots of things:
- Match list
- Friendly, collaborative atmosphere. Highly selective interviews, so you better believe each and every student here was chosen for a specific reason to add to the social and academic community. Administration seems friendly, approachable, and above all concerned about school/life balance, encouraging you to keep and pursue your passions outside of school and medicine.
- The most developed and robust concentration program of any med school I've seen. Emphasis on multidisciplinary and systems thinking. Big on medicine-humanities collaboration, social justice, and slightly left field aspects of medicine (Alternative medicine, mindfulness meditation and contemplative studies, integrative medicine)
- IMO, the breadth of clinical and educational experiences equal those of higher ranked institutions (a super extensive focus on research community was not a deciding factor for me personally, though Brown's is growing with tons of new lab construction underway). Seems like they don't really pay much attention to USN rank-climbing, and they look for students who feel the same way.
- That match list though

Ask me again in 6 months!
 
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1. Summarize your activities during the 2016-2017 academic year. Describe how your activities are preparing you for a medical career. (2000 characters)
2. How will your unique attributes (e.g., cultural or socioeconomic background, lifestyle, work experiences) add to the overall diversity of the Alpert Medical School community? (2000 characters)
3. What are your aspirations for your medical practice? Fast-forward to 15 years in the future: where do you imagine yourself? (3000 characters)

@WedgeDawg @Ismet
 
For all programs:
1. NOTE: Interviews occur on Thursdays and/or Fridays beginning in mid-September and finishing in February. Please detail any limitations on your availability during this time, such as international travel, work or courses. (500 characters)

2. Summarize your activities during the 2016-2017 academic year. Describe how your activities are preparing you for a medical career. (2000 characters)

3. How will your unique attributes (e.g., cultural or socioeconomic background, lifestyle, work experiences) add to the overall diversity of the Alpert Medical School community? (2000 characters)

For Regular MD only:
4. What are your aspirations for your medical practice? Fast-forward to 15 years in the future: where do you imagine yourself? (3000 characters)

For MD-ScM:
4. Imagine that you are approached by a multibillionaire philanthropist who wants to donate a substantial fund of money to a single project with the goal of "fixing the US healthcare system." He/she asks for your expert opinion on what project this money should go towards; what would you advise and why? (2000 characters)

5. Often when we talk about medicine, we focus on the individual physician-patient relationship. Why should medical schools train future physicians to care for communities and populations as a whole, and not just individual patients? (2000 characters)

For MD/MPA:
4. Often when we talk about medicine, we focus on the individual physician-patient relationship. Why should medical schools train future physicians to think about health care policy, and not just individual patients? (2000 characters)

5. Describe one low cost solution to fixing the United States Health Care System. (2000 characters)
 
3000 characters to describe my aspirations for my medical practice in 15 years... how is anyone getting anywhere close to that limit?! I feel like since they increased the limit from the other questions they expect a longer, more detailed answer right?
 
al22al22 said:
3000 characters to describe my aspirations for my medical practice in 15 years... how is anyone getting anywhere close to that limit?! I feel like since they increased the limit from the other questions they expect a longer, more detailed answer right?
Click to expand...
That, or it's a trap they set to weed out the delusional.
The SDN consensus is to feel absolutely no obligation to approach the character limit in any essay. Answer the question fully, but in as few words as possible.
 
hurtem&healem said:
That, or it's a trap they set to weed out the delusional.
The SDN consensus is to feel absolutely no obligation to approach the character limit in any essay. Answer the question fully, but in as few words as possible.
Click to expand...
Always answer a question in as many words is needed. Never any more or any less.
 
Is anybody else having trouble getting into the secondary?

Edit: Nevermind. I just had to reset my password for like a third time and then it started working.
 
Feel free to pm me if you have any questions about the school.
 
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