2016-2017 Oregon Health & Sciences University Application Thread

Started by WedgeDawg
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Will they really wait til Sunday??? Seems like they'd want to get this done by Friday, but who knows.

They HAVE to announce A/WL/R by the 30th, right?
 
banana_phone said:
Will they really wait til Sunday??? Seems like they'd want to get this done by Friday, but who knows.

They HAVE to announce A/WL/R by the 30th, right?
Click to expand...

I think in the past years they've announced early, either a few days early or the Friday before if it fell on a weekend. Therefore I am checking my portal constantly and feel like I'm going to vomit.
 
OHSU is my top-choice school and I am planning on taking 2 gap years before entering medical school (applying after my first gap year). I got a job working full-time at Intel in Hillsboro and because of the compressed work week, I will have every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and every other Wednesday free. I already have an invite to a volunteer orientation at OHSU and I have recently interviewed for a scribe position at OHSU... I was wondering if anyone had any insight on how this combination of gap-year(s) activities will help me in terms of gaining an admittance to OHSU. Also, GPA is a 3.73, but my MCAT score was a 506... should I retake?
 
GoCougs! said:
OHSU is my top-choice school and I am planning on taking 2 gap years before entering medical school (applying after my first gap year). I got a job working full-time at Intel in Hillsboro and because of the compressed work week, I will have every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and every other Wednesday free. I already have an invite to a volunteer orientation at OHSU and I have recently interviewed for a scribe position at OHSU... I was wondering if anyone had any insight on how this combination of gap-year(s) activities will help me in terms of gaining an admittance to OHSU. Also, GPA is a 3.73, but my MCAT score was a 506... should I retake?
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I don't think that it matters how many gap years you take, but rather what you do with that time. I think since you will be volunteering in a healthcare setting that will look good, and the fact that you are working too will show that you aren't just wasting the two gap years you plan on taking. As for the MCAT, a 506 isn't bad but if you have the time to study for it and retake it I would say that might be in your best interest. Also when you apply to OHSU make sure you are part of one of their mission based groups since they really only interview those people (I am adding the link to that site). Good luck on applying! 🙂

Academic and Selection Factors
 
Just a touch of input on the mcat side - unless you do something significantly different, the data generally shows that mcat score don't change much, and there is a likely chance you score could go down. So you have to weigh risk/reward, and be honest about if you are really going to prep differently. Getting a 507/508 on a retake isn't going to drastically change your odds of acceptance, especially as a retake. Now if you got a retake of 505/504, you just nuked your app. Just food for thought.


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banana_phone said:
Ahhhh. Now I'm freaking out. Really hoping for good news, but just want ANY news. I've been on hold since mid-November.
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I feel ya, I'm still neurotically checking, but after getting another post II rejection yesterday, I pretty much am resigned that I'm just waiting on another rejection from here. Been a rough week!
 
ALPAL11 said:
I don't think that it matters how many gap years you take, but rather what you do with that time. I think since you will be volunteering in a healthcare setting that will look good, and the fact that you are working too will show that you aren't just wasting the two gap years you plan on taking. As for the MCAT, a 506 isn't bad but if you have the time to study for it and retake it I would say that might be in your best interest. Also when you apply to OHSU make sure you are part of one of their mission based groups since they really only interview those people (I am adding the link to that site). Good luck on applying! 🙂

Academic and Selection Factors
Click to expand...
Thank you for your response! I guess I was mostly wondering if anyone had any feedback on whether volunteering and scribing at OHSU has helped them gain an admittance.
 
GoCougs! said:
Thank you for your response! I guess I was mostly wondering if anyone had any feedback on whether volunteering and scribing at OHSU has helped them gain an admittance.
Click to expand...

Here's my story:
Applied as a mission-based applicant in 2014-2015 cycle with a 1st try MCAT 29, 2nd try MCAT 28, average GPA, undergrad from Oregon state school, lots of OHSU surgery shadowing, and lots of OHSU education volunteering, very little OHSU education research. Interviewed (7/10 MMI, 7/10 1:1), placed on hold, then rejected. In my exit interview they suggested that I needed more volunteer experience directly with patients, hinted that I should do some other shadowing in something other than surgery, and said my interviewing skills could improve. They said my MCAT could be improved but wasn't the reason for my rejection.
However, I didn't get many other interviews so I thought my MCAT was a big limiting factor for me.
Thus, I decided to retake my MCAT and start working in an OHSU Family Medicine clinic as a clinic assistant where all I do is interact with patients.
My family medicine experience was truly transformative and I was able to articulate this well on applications and in interviews.
I increased my MCAT score to a 95th percentile score on the new test.
I continued working in OHSU education and shadowing in surgery (because I like it).
I also involved myself in a lot of education research at OHSU including a few presentations, posters, and publications.
Applied again this cycle (2016-2017) and I believe I was the first person to post on this forum about receiving an interview invitation (9/10 MMI, 10/10 1:1), and again I think I was the first person on this forum to post about getting accepted. I also interviewed and was accepted elsewhere this cycle. Whether or not my OHSU success was due to better interviewing skills, higher MCAT, more research, my experience working with patients in the family medicine clinic, or just being a reapplicant I'm not sure. But my two cents are that if you don't get in this cycle, you need to critically evaluate your application, look for any deficiencies, and address any that you can. Not just to make you a better applicant, but eventually it will make you a better med student. Also, I wouldn't just do things to be a successful applicant at OHSU. I firmly believe that my increased MCAT score and family medicine experience led me to success not only at OHSU, but at the other places I interviewed/received acceptances.
 
Still on hold...does anyone know if all the waitlist emails go out at once? Hoping maybe there's a delay for some people [emoji120]


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Alt list as well. can someone jog my memory as to where the waitlist usually gets to? I'm not that close to the front, but also not that low (between 30-50). I think, however, I will have to proceed with my other plans at this point. I believe the waitlist typically gets to right around my number..


GAHHSGKJSDh
 
Man. Beggers can't be choosers and I am grateful to have the alt list appointment...but my number is too close to 50 to bank on getting in 🙁 My significant other needs to make job plans/we need to plan our lives, and I think waiting until mid-June or July is simply too late.
 
So is it safe to assume that if we're still on hold we're either #4000 on the wait list or we can expect a rejection within the next few hours?
 
Waitlisted as well 60-80. Interviewed November, on hold January. I suppose if you're on hold at this point the number will keep getting higher.
 
Does anyone know if all acceptances have been sent out at this point? Didn't they send out some last year after the waitlist or am I mistaken?
 
I seems to remember it went - acceptances, wistlist, rejections in pretty much that order with waitlist/rejections happening the same time, with the next day only additional rejections.

I'm on mobile and can't find it - can anyone repost the waitlist movement file?


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mavric1298 said:
I seems to remember it went - acceptances, wistlist, rejections in pretty much that order with waitlist/rejections happening the same time, with the next day only additional rejections.

I'm on mobile and can't find it - can anyone repost the waitlist movement file?


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Click to expand...
Just went through last years thread and that seems correct. Thanks for the post!
 
Alternate :/

On last year's thread, someone posted they moved through spot 44. Does anyone know if this is the actual number, or just the last reported movement on SDN? I am around that number so it looks like it'll be even more waiting for me....
 
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