2016-2017 SUNY - Upstate Application Thread

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robotfinches said:
Interviewed late September, and the interview info is also gone for me. According to last year's thread, it apparently means a decision has been made?
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How late in September? Mine was too but interview is still there
 
Meccamputechture said:
Interviewed early September, and all of that stuff has been gone for me since I submitted campus preference.
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How long did it take you to submit a campus preference? Was it the same day or did it take you a few days?
 
Monophasic said:
How long did it take you to submit a campus preference? Was it the same day or did it take you a few days?
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I was super quick, since I liked the sound of both campuses. "Syracuse preferred" was an easy choice for me, so I got it in within minutes.


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Meccamputechture said:
I was super quick, since I liked the sound of both campuses. "Syracuse preferred" was an easy choice for me, so I got it in within minutes.


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile
Click to expand...

"Syracuse preferred," good choice. 😉

To everyone who is waiting to hear back: Good luck and may Monday bring you many acceptances!!
 
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Monophasic said:
I'm not @robotfinches, but since you'll be on campus tomorrow allow me to answer these questions:

The day is really low-key and not at all stressful. If you have an early start at 8ish then I believe you'll start the day with the MMI. If you start around 1030 then you'll have your MMI at the end of the day. Like most MMIs, the people you'll interact with will be anyone from practicing physicians to professors to current medical students to non-clinical community members. The best advice for the MMI is to gather your thoughts during the small prep time, and deliver a cohesive thought that you'll be able to discuss with the person. It's really that simple -- just be yourself and have a fluid conversation. Don't worry about make sure you spend the entire 8 minutes or whatever speaking, just have a discussion on the topic presented.

As for helpful information? Hmm. There's a parking garage across the street from Weiskotten Hall (where the interview is) that's not too expensive so you don't have to worry about walking distance to the interview. Also, the lunch provided is pretty tasty. Oh, and I would say the standard advice applies: Know info about the school, a little about the school's history, know the school's mission and purpose, and about the community served. Really can't go wrong with those things.

Make sure while you're interviewing that you get a feel for the school. Ask the students questions, especially when they are giving the tour. Much like interview day, Upstate is pretty low-key, and so far it's been a pretty enjoyable experience.

Good luck with your interview tomorrow, I am sure you will do well. Let me know how it goes either way.
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I'm really sorry I'm just getting to this now. It's been crazy lately at work. Upstate's MMI went quite well. It is fair, intriguing, and surprisingly helpful. I hope to see you (@Monophasic ) on campus in the summer of 2017. (By the way, did you do the MedSet class?) I didn't think I could like the school/area anymore than I already did, but somehow I continually find a way to do so. Faculty and the students (tour guides, those that didn't get annoyed by our presence in their class, etc.) were kind and extremely helpful. I don't know what it is about Upstate, but they seem to find individuals who are "team players", as cliché as that sounds. Whether if it is the true P/F system or the interviewing process, I'm impressed and excited.



To those who are interviewing soon: the MMI does not seem to be fun in the moment. You will stress the small things... "Can I log in right now? Should I? That kid is! But, wait. They haven't announced it yet. WHAT" You will say, "how do I even begin to articulate this?" In the end however, I will undoubtedly say that this is better than the traditional and panel interviews I have been on. I feel their MMI tests WHO you are, not WHAT you are (GPA, MCAT, etc.).

I let the pressure of interviewing at my top choice get to my head. I did wayyyyy too much (10+ hours) MMI preparation (reading strategies, practicing questions, etc.). My car ride there was spent talking to my lonely self in a car discussing things like whether I should abort a severely disabled child or let it die within a few weeks of being born. Without giving away specifics, the typically feared MMI ethical questions will not be this convoluted from my experience(s), as well as others' experience. Will they challenge you? Yes. Will the interviewer challenge you? Yes. Is it impossible? Certainly not. I'd recommend doing at least some MMI preparation. DO NOT BUY MMI BOOKS. I read/skimmed 3 MMI books and they, in all honesty, were not helpful. A couple free sources are listed below. These will suffice to 1) get your technique down and 2) practice on the more convoluted topics.

If anyone has questions or would like clarification, feel free to PM or reply.



To save time, watch at 1.5 speed.
1) General information:
2) General information (some MMI):
3) MMI information: (Last Kevin Ahern video, I promise)
4) MMI examples: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLltsQb0J9n8vJ69Rlvqyu6chREtdObu8V (Great source. This is the strategy I practiced over and over again since I think it is thorough and comprehensive.)
5) MMI practice questions: http://multipleminiinterview.com/mmi-questions/ (be sure to time yourself with standard time allotments: 2 minutes to think, 6 minutes to answer.)
6) MMI practice questions: https://www.mcgill.ca/caps/files/caps/guide_mmi-stations.pdf (be sure to time yourself)
7) MMI practice questions: http://science-student.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2014/01/Sample-Questions-2013-2014.pdf (be sure to time yourself)
 
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Pinocytosis said:
I'm really sorry I'm just getting to this now. It's been crazy lately at work. Upstate's MMI went quite well. It is fair, intriguing, and surprisingly helpful. I hope to see you (@Monophasic ) on campus in the summer of 2017. (By the way, did you do the MedSet class?) I didn't think I could like the school/area anymore than I already did, but somehow I continually find a way to do so. Faculty and the students (tour guides, those that didn't get annoyed by our presence in their class, etc.) were kind and extremely helpful. I don't know what it is about Upstate, but they seem to find individuals who are "team players", as cliché as that sounds. Whether if it is the true P/F system or the interviewing process, I'm impressed and excited.



To those who are interviewing soon: the MMI does not seem to be fun in the moment. You will stress the small things... "Can I log in right now? Should I? That kid is! But, wait. They haven't announced it yet. WHAT" You will say, "how do I even begin to articulate this?" In the end however, I will undoubtedly say that this is better than the traditional and panel interviews I have been on. I feel their MMI tests WHO you are, not WHAT you are (GPA, MCAT, etc.).

I let the pressure of interviewing at my top choice get to my head. I did wayyyyy too much (10+ hours) MMI preparation (reading strategies, practicing questions, etc.). My car ride there was spent talking to my lonely self in a car discussing things like whether I should abort a severely disabled child or let it die within a few weeks of being born. Without giving away specifics, the typically feared MMI ethical questions will not be this convoluted from my experience(s), as well as others' experience. Will they challenge you? Yes. Will the interviewer challenge you? Yes. Is it impossible? Certainly not. I'd recommend doing at least some MMI preparation. DO NOT BUY MMI BOOKS. I read/skimmed 3 MMI books and they, in all honesty, were not helpful. A couple free sources are listed below. These will suffice to 1) get your technique down and 2) practice on the more convoluted topics.

If anyone has questions or would like clarification, feel free to PM or reply. If all goes well on Monday (Oct. 17th), I will be done with the application cycle 🙂clap🙂.




To save time, watch at 1.5 speed.
1) General information:
2) General information (some MMI):
3) MMI information: (Last Kevin Ahern video, I promise)
4) MMI examples: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLltsQb0J9n8vJ69Rlvqyu6chREtdObu8V (Great source. This is the strategy I practiced over and over again since I think it is thorough and comprehensive.)
5) MMI practice questions: http://multipleminiinterview.com/mmi-questions/ (be sure to time yourself with standard time allotments: 2 minutes to think, 6 minutes to answer.)
6) MMI practice questions: https://www.mcgill.ca/caps/files/caps/guide_mmi-stations.pdf (be sure to time yourself)
7) MMI practice questions: http://science-student.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2014/01/Sample-Questions-2013-2014.pdf (be sure to time yourself)
Click to expand...

Thanks for this, seems super helpful
Bookmarked for if I ever get an II from anywhere lol
 
robotfinches said:
@Pinocytosis Thanks for being such a resource to others! I hope good news comes your way, and I'm so glad you enjoyed your day 😀
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I hope you hear something positive on Monday as well.

baratheonfire said:
Thanks for this, seems super helpful
Bookmarked for if I ever get an II from anywhere lol
Click to expand...

Hang in there, man. I was lucky enough to hear back from Upstate early on. Excluding Upstate, I haven't heard back from any of the ~25 MD schools (except a rejection).
 
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Pinocytosis said:
I hope you hear something positive on Monday as well.



Hang in there, man. I was lucky enough to hear back from Upstate early on. Excluding Upstate, I haven't heard back from any of the ~25 MD schools (except a rejection).
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Yeah I'm hanging in lol. But tbh I've counted Upstate as a rejection; odds of getting off hold aren't very good at all
 
baratheonfire said:
Yeah I'm hanging in lol. But tbh I've counted Upstate as a rejection; odds of getting off hold aren't very good at all
Click to expand...

Despite the name, a rejection does not mean you are not good enough. It generally means, as the emails say, "there's just not enough room".

You did very well on the MCAT and your GPA isn't bad by an means. Assuming your ECs are in place, you'll find a 'place' soon enough.
 
ClemsonTiger17 said:
Do you remember any questions from the MMI that you can share? Just trying to prep a little bit!


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Click to expand...


We signed a waiver that states we cannot tell anyone. Previous interviewers should not disclose their prompts since it is unfair on many levels. If you scroll up to my previous post or Google "MMI practice questions", you'll see a wide array of questions that can help with preparation.
 
Pinocytosis said:
Despite the name, a rejection does not mean you are not good enough. It generally means, as the emails say, "there's just not enough room".

You did very well on the MCAT and your GPA isn't bad by an means. Assuming your ECs are in place, you'll find a 'place' soon enough.
Click to expand...
Thanks lol. I know I'm getting annoying but I'll just try to wait it out
 
Pinocytosis said:
By the way, did you do the MedSet class?
Click to expand...

I did not do the MedSet program, but from everyone I've spoken to who has, they all loved it. There have been several occasions in the first few units when discussing a particularly difficult concept someone who did MedSet would say: "oh yeah we did this in MedSet so this is review, I understand this material." If you're a few years out of the game, or just want to get a jump-start on med school, MedSet seems like a really good choice, especially since there is no additional cost to you.
 
Monophasic said:
I did not do the MedSet program, but from everyone I've spoken to who has, they all loved it. There have been several occasions in the first few units when discussing a particularly difficult concept someone who did MedSet would say: "oh yeah we did this in MedSet so this is review, I understand this material." If you're a few years out of the game, or just want to get a jump-start on med school, MedSet seems like a really good choice, especially since there is no additional cost to you.
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Great, thank you for the feedback. 8 keep hearing good things about MedSet. By the time I matriculate (assuming October 17th is in my favor), it will have been 2 years since grad school. Though I've tried to stay in the field and "groove" as much as possible, med school is a different beast. Also, I'd like to see if my previous studying methods are reasonable for med school.

Either way, time will tell. Thank you for being helpful in this thread.
 
robotfinches said:
Thanks! <3 But as pointed out by @Meccamputechture's post, it could just be some sort of portal/system thing? I'm not sure. I'm completely basing this off of the speculations of last year's thread. I really hope you hear back early as well! Then we can all live it up until school starts
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Thanks, I hope so too! I don't feel like this one went particularly well so maybe they review the best applicants first.
 
Anyone hear?? At the interview they said we would hear MAYBE on the 14th but likely monday so just wondering if anyone heard yet.
 
Maybe I didn't get accepted because the login site is different now, it doesn't show the interview selection date it just shows my completed app... weird.
 
IIRC, when the portal screen returns to the default view (meaning it no longer says you are invited to interview, pick a date, etc. essentially no extra red text at the bottom) it means your application was finalized and ready to have its final review by the admissions committee. I don't think it means they've made a decision, just that you're up for review. Either way, when the text disappears, a decision should come in 2-4 weeks, on average, I think. (Most of this is speculation, I am in no way associated with the admissions committee). Seeing how we just past Oct 15, I would suspect that decisions should post by tomorrow if your portal has cleared.

I really enjoy Upstate, and for those of you who are accepted tomorrow, congratulations; enjoy it! If you are waitlisted know that the waitlist does move, and there is a possibility of being accepted. If you're on the waitlist, when the cycle winds down and they start to look at the waitlist to pull applicants, you can call the admissions office and they will bluntly tell you if you are high on the list, in the middle, or at the bottom.

For those of you who are denied, it does not mean you are not qualified to attend medical school. Last year I received my very first medical school admissions decision on Oct 15th, and it was a flat-out rejection from a US MD school. I know it is easy to blame yourself, after all it's you who is applying, but remember there are many factors at play. Sometimes it's just not a good fit, but that does not mean you are not fit to become a physician. The cycle can be demoralizing, but keep your chin up. @Goro likes to say the process is a marathon and not a sprint, and that's some really solid advice. If for some reason you do not receive an acceptance at any medical school, you can reach out to Upstate (whether in-state or not) and they will review your application with you so you can get feedback from actual med school admissions people, instead of your undergrad pre-med advisors.

Again good luck to everyone.
 
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Monophasic said:
IIRC, when the portal screen returns to the default view (meaning it no longer says you are invited to interview, pick a date, etc. essentially no extra red text at the bottom) it means your application was finalized and ready to have its final review by the admissions committee. I don't think it means they've made a decision, just that you're up for review. Either way, when the text disappears, a decision should come in 2-4 weeks, on average, I think. (Most of this is speculation, I am in no way associated with the admissions committee). Seeing how we just past Oct 15, I would suspect that decisions should post by tomorrow if your portal has cleared.

I really enjoy Upstate, and for those of you who are accepted tomorrow, congratulations; enjoy it! If you are waitlisted know that the waitlist does move, and there is a possibility of being accepted. If you're on the waitlist, when the cycle winds down and they start to look at the waitlist to pull applicants, you can call the admissions office and they will bluntly tell you if you are high on the list, in the middle, or at the bottom.

For those of you who are denied, it does not mean you are not qualified to attend medical school. Last year I received my very first medical school admissions decision on Oct 15th, and it was a flat-out rejection from a US MD school. I know it is easy to blame yourself, after all it's you who is applying, but remember there are many factors at play. Sometimes it's just not a good fit, but that does not mean you are not fit to become a physician. The cycle can be demoralizing, but keep your chin up. @Goro likes to say the process is a marathon and not a sprint, and that's some really solid advice. If for some reason you do not receive an acceptance at any medical school, you can reach out to Upstate (whether in-state or not) and they will review your application with you so you can get feedback from actual med school admissions people, instead of your undergrad pre-med advisors.

Again good luck to everyone.
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Thanks bud! All of that information is super helpful. People like you are exactly why I'm sure so many of us love this school!
 
My portal still shows the interview info but I was told on interview day that I'd hear back on Oct 17th. Not sure what you guys are talking about with it resetting.
 
Anyone interview late September and hear back? I've got nothing so far.
 
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