2016-2017 University of Arizona - Tucson Application Thread

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toriz said:
+3.

Also, I was reading on the schools website (under admissions-->decisions tab) that they will have 6 rounds of acceptances. We've only gone through 3 so far. So there's that lol.
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Not exactly. As someone who interviewed very early, I've now received 7 of the "not accepted at this time" post-II emails. So the information on the website must not be accurate.
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spookyskeletonman said:
Not exactly. As someone who interviewed very early, I've now received 7 of the "not accepted at this time" post-II emails. So the information on the website must not be accurate.
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Oh wow!! Thanks for that!
 
toriz said:
+3.

Also, I was reading on the schools website (under admissions-->decisions tab) that they will have 6 rounds of acceptances. We've only gone through 3 so far. So there's that lol.
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+4
 
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spookyskeletonman said:
Not exactly. As someone who interviewed very early, I've now received 7 of the "not accepted at this time" post-II emails. So the information on the website must not be accurate.
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How in the world have you received 7 "not accepted at this time" emails? Didn't they start giving out offers like early November? That would mean you have received an email rejection from them like every 2 weeks since November. Can you explain this for us?? I feel like the majority of people here, regardless of how early we've interviewed, have only received 3 status updates from UA COM-T Admissions.

It states on their website "Beginning in November, the committee makes decisions approximately twice per month. Applicants are admitted on a semi-rolling basis from November through March. In total, there are about 6 rounds of admissions."

http://medicine.arizona.edu/admissions/application-process/decisions
 
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KangarooMD said:
How in the world have you received 7 "not accepted at this time" emails? Didn't they start giving out offers like early November? That would mean you have received an email rejection from them like every 2 weeks since November. Can you explain this for us?? I feel like the majority of people here, regardless of how early we've interviewed, have only received 3 status updates from UA COM-T Admissions.

It states on their website "Beginning in November, the committee makes decisions approximately twice per month. Applicants are admitted on a semi-rolling basis from November through March. In total, there are about 6 rounds of admissions."

http://medicine.arizona.edu/admissions/application-process/decisions
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I've gotten these emails on 10/17, 10/31, 11/10, 11/28, 12/21, and 1/27. My apologies, on my portal it shows the email for 10/31 was mistakenly sent twice. So I guess I've received 6, not 7.
 
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spookyskeletonman said:
I've gotten these emails on 10/17, 10/31, 11/10, 11/28, 12/21, and 1/27. My apologies, on my portal it shows the email for 10/31 was mistakenly sent twice. So I guess I've received 6, not 7.
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Interesting. I was in the first interview group and I only received 4 of those emails (10/17, 11/01, 12/21, 01/30)
 
spookyskeletonman said:
I've gotten these emails on 10/17, 10/31, 11/10, 11/28, 12/21, and 1/27. My apologies, on my portal it shows the email for 10/31 was mistakenly sent twice. So I guess I've received 6, not 7.
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Wow! I bet those type of emails are starting to get depressing!
 
I was also in the first interview group in late August, so I'm not really sure why we've gotten different amounts of emails. The only thing I can think of is what they said in the quote below (on page 20 of this thread).

UAZ COM-T Admissions said:
We update as your status changes. There's 2 trains of thought here - we can send updates weekly and frustrate applicants or we can send them less frequently and still frustrate applicants. Either way, it's a waiting game. And we're REALLY not trying to make life horrible.
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So maybe it's an individual thing? Honestly, who knows
 
New update from the twitter for those interested:



Side note: love how SDN embeds the tweets! Great feature.
 
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toriz said:
+3.

Also, I was reading on the schools website (under admissions-->decisions tab) that they will have 6 rounds of acceptances. We've only gone through 3 so far. So there's that lol.
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Website says about 6. We just completed Round 8.
 
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On 10/27 I received the Interview hold email and it's been dead silent.

I haven't been rejected yet so I guess that's a plus?
 
alludallu said:
Interesting. I was in the first interview group and I only received 4 of those emails (10/17, 11/01, 12/21, 01/30)
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I interviewed on 10/1 and I received the "post-II hold email" on the same days (4 times total). I wonder if the amount of times you received the email is the amount they viewed your application...

This is my first application cycle. Does the admission committee ever given any information on how to improve your individual application?
 
AZ_1028 said:
I interviewed on 10/1 and I received the "post-II hold email" on the same days (4 times total). I wonder if the amount of times you received the email is the amount they viewed your application...

This is my first application cycle. Does the admission committee ever given any information on how to improve your individual application?
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Interviewed the same day and received holds on the same days. Maybe it's people from interview groups get re-reviewed together but only on certain dates?

They've refused to provide feedback on individual applications in the past so I would assume it's the same this cycle.
 
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UAZ COM-T Admissions said:
No real quota. Estimate for the year was 550. We are currently at 561 II.
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Since you have already passed your II quota and interviews only run through the end of February, should we assume that if we do not receive an II within the next 2 weeks that we will be rejected?
 
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How frequently are acceptances given out?
 
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Does anyone have an upcoming interview this month? I'm curious to know when the last interview date is.
 
Got Rice? said:
“relying on MCAT scores was counterintuitive to selecting for students who would pass the Step 1 exam as students with the lowest combination of MCAT and pre-admission GPA scored higher on Step 1 than students with some of the highest metrics.”

Was reading and found this quote quite interesting.
http://medicine.arizona.edu/news/2017/student-ability-research-receives-national-recognition
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Keep in mind this is coming from a school with average step scores (historically).

Additionally, this study focused on a sample of 96 students (IUCOM) that matriculated in 2012. A huge limitation/generalization by this paper which is clearly stated in their limitations section. Coupled with a small sample size, it is safe to say any findings of this paper are pretty much useless.

This is a classic example of cherry picking from an academic paper in order to counter deficiencies.
 
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Got Rice? said:
“relying on MCAT scores was counterintuitive to selecting for students who would pass the Step 1 exam as students with the lowest combination of MCAT and pre-admission GPA scored higher on Step 1 than students with some of the highest metrics.”

Was reading and found this quote quite interesting.
http://medicine.arizona.edu/news/2017/student-ability-research-receives-national-recognition
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I have read similar findings from other studies and I too find this very interesting! My husband entered medical school with a lower MCAT/GPA, relative to his fellow classmates, and he scored amongst the top five percent of his class on both Step 1 and Step 2. I have personally witnessed the validity in these findings and I truly believe that the enriching curriculum and the nurturing environment formed by supportive faculty and peers at UA COM is what helped him thrive in medical school and it is this reason (amongst many others) that Tucson is my top school choice. It is reassuring to know that our performance on the MCAT and in school does not solely define us. I am remaining hopeful for those of us still awaiting a final decision!
 
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Future_Dr. C said:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25850120

Does the MCAT predict medical school and PGY-1 performance?
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"MCAT scores were weakly to moderately associated with Step 1 scores."

Keep in mind this is for the old MCAT.

How about this one?
http://med-ed-online.net/index.php/meo/article/view/31795

"Multiple linear regression, correlation, and chi-square analyses were performed to determine the relationship between MCAT component and composite scores and USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores from five graduating classes (2011–2015) at the University of Minnesota Medical School (N=1,065)."

Ahh, much bigger sample size! However, the limitation of a single college still exists.

"These results indicate significant moderately positive relationships between MCAT composite scores and USMLE exam scores."

"Being in the top or bottom scoring range of the MCAT exam was predictive of being in the top or bottom scoring range of the USMLE exams, although the strengths of the associations were weak to moderate."
 
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samiam65 said:
"MCAT scores were weakly to moderately associated with Step 1 scores."

Keep in mind this is for the old MCAT.

How about this one?
http://med-ed-online.net/index.php/meo/article/view/31795

"Multiple linear regression, correlation, and chi-square analyses were performed to determine the relationship between MCAT component and composite scores and USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores from five graduating classes (2011–2015) at the University of Minnesota Medical School (N=1,065)."

Ahh, much bigger sample size! However, the limitation of a single college still exists.

"These results indicate significant moderately positive relationships between MCAT composite scores and USMLE exam scores."

"Being in the top or bottom scoring range of the MCAT exam was predictive of being in the top or bottom scoring range of the USMLE exams, although the strengths of the associations were weak to moderate."
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Yes, every study has its discrepancies and limitations and those certainly must be considered when assessing the validity of research findings. However, I think anyone would agree that a poor performance on the MCAT does not necessarily mean a student will perform poorly on the USMLE and vice versa. The MCAT is a tool used to predict the student's performance. More specifically, it is used to predict whether or not the student will pass the USMLE on their first attempt. With that being said, medical schools do want their students to obtain the highest scores possible as to ensure high match rates.

I am currently searching for another journal article that found ~85% of students that scored a 498 on the MCAT passed their Step 1 exam on the first attempt and, as you may imagine, there was a positive correlation between MCAT scores and the percentage of students passing the USMLE on their first attempt. I will post the article on here once I find it.

For those interested and may not have already read how the AAMC uses the predictive validity of scores, I provided a link here:

https://www.aamc.org/download/462316/data/2017mcatguide.pdf
 
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Chemist1986 said:
On 10/27 I received the Interview hold email and it's been dead silent.

I haven't been rejected yet so I guess that's a plus?
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+1 except I was put on hold in August. I really don't know what to think at this point.
 
Fremont101 said:
+1 except I was put on hold in August. I really don't know what to think at this point.
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I have also been on hold since October. Unfortunately, I think it is done. I am guessing they will send us the final letter in March.
 
bio53858 said:
I have also been on hold since October. Unfortunately, I think it is done. I am guessing they will send us the final letter in March.
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There is still a couple rounds of acceptance emails left before we reach the end... and UA COM just announced this week that they have only sent out about half of the acceptances. And since this is the last month of interviews I'm guessing March will be filled with lots of people getting acceptances who were from the 1st interview date all the way to the last one.
 
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KangarooMD said:
There is still a couple rounds of acceptance emails left before we reach the end... and UA COM just announced this week that they have only sent out about half of the acceptances. And since this is the last month of interviews I'm guessing March will be filled with lots of people getting acceptances who were from the 1st interview date all the way to the last one.
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Sorry, to clarify, I mean on interview hold.
 
Has anyone in the past gone to the applicant workshops? If so, did you find them helpful?
I am from NY and am interested, (preparing for the worst here, in case I have to reapply) but I just want to know if it is worth the long travel.
 
toriz said:
Has anyone in the past gone to the applicant workshops? If so, did you find them helpful?
I am from NY and am interested, (preparing for the worst here, in case I have to reapply) but I just want to know if it is worth the long travel.
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I did attend the Arizona Applicant Academy workshop last year in May. It was super helpful as I got to speak with the Executive Director Dr. Price-Johnson, Assistant Dean Dr. Parikh, Director of Financial Aids, Admissions Office members, and the former Admissions Committee chairman and committee members including the medical students. They basically taught us how to apply into their school. For example, they showed some examples of good, okay, and bad personal statements and told us what critical components we need to have in our personal statement. They taught us how we should ask writers for letters of recommendation. Basically, tips and advice were given on every part of the application process. If you have the chance, do not miss out this golden opportunity to learn about the admission process and meet these amazing people!
 
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toriz said:
Has anyone in the past gone to the applicant workshops? If so, did you find them helpful?
I am from NY and am interested, (preparing for the worst here, in case I have to reapply) but I just want to know if it is worth the long travel.
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I agree that its helpful but I wouldn't spend the money flying over unless money isn't an issue for you. Even then most of the information pertinent to applying you can find SDN. And if you've gone through an interview day here already then you'll have most of the school specific info already.
 
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KangarooMD said:
There is still a couple rounds of acceptance emails left before we reach the end... and UA COM just announced this week that they have only sent out about half of the acceptances. And since this is the last month of interviews I'm guessing March will be filled with lots of people getting acceptances who were from the 1st interview date all the way to the last one.
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I just really want some love from this school. They can't make it so awesome when you interview and not expect me to fall in love!
 
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Thank you both!! Is there maybe one session you would recommend going to? Since the sessions are spread out I don't think I can attended all, but what kind of stuff do they cover in the "general information" session?
Is the MMI session basically like, if you've done an mmi here already you have what you need to know?
 
toriz said:
Thank you both!! Is there maybe one session you would recommend going to? Since the sessions are spread out I don't think I can attended all, but what kind of stuff do they cover in the "general information" session?
Is the MMI session basically like, if you've done an mmi here already you have what you need to know?
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That's my feeling, that the MMI session probably explains what an MMI is, the benefits, how to prepare, and they might run through a brief MMI experience with you. In my opinion it's not worth flying down from New York if you've already done one, (and like someone else said before, the majority of this stuff you can look up online). You already know what to expect. The workshop is probably more for locals who can easily get to the medical school without a long trip and spend a couple of hours learning about the basics of what to expect from an interview.
 
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KangarooMD said:
That's my feeling, that the MMI session probably explains what an MMI is, the benefits, how to prepare, and they might run through a brief MMI experience with you. In my opinion it's not worth flying down from New York if you've already done one, (and like someone else said before, the majority of this stuff you can look up online). You already know what to expect. The workshop is probably more for locals who can easily get to the medical school without a long trip and spend a couple of hours learning about the basics of what to expect from an interview.
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Gotcha! Thanks for everyone's feedback!
 
toriz said:
Has anyone in the past gone to the applicant workshops? If so, did you find them helpful?
I am from NY and am interested, (preparing for the worst here, in case I have to reapply) but I just want to know if it is worth the long travel.
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I got rejected last year and they actually send out a link in that email to sign up if you want to receive re-applicant materials and they sent out an email a few months after that with the link to the re-applicant workshops they did and you could watch it online!
 
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az16 said:
I got rejected last year and they actually send out a link in that email to sign up if you want to receive re-applicant materials and they sent out an email a few months after that with the link to the re-applicant workshops they did and you could watch it online!
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Thank you!
 
Has anyone received communication from the school outside of email or portal updates? Radio silence since my interview :/
 
Rejected pre II just now. Finally filling in the blanks on my spreadsheet.

Thanks for the transparency @UAZ COM-T Admissions ! I really hope other schools start following your lead.

Have a good one everybody!:)
 
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Hopping on the rejection train!
 
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