2016-2017 University of Utah Application Thread

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gertlush said:
So how is everyone handling the descriptions for your activities? I don't feel like I should copy and paste descriptions from the primary. Should I assume that they can read the primary description and maybe be a bit more expansive on what I learned and why I pursued those activities? What about service activities that covered 3 years and have 3 separate entries... do I copy/paste the same text into each description or write a unique one for each year?

I find it a little laborious to do all of this all over again! With MD, DO, and TX apps this is round three of entering all my experiences! Whew!

Also, thanks to @zhopv10 and @NorwegianRepresentative for helping with my previous question.
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I would stick as close to what your primary application says, but with different words.
 
I just talked to someone in admissions and found out that when you are submitting your activities they want you to submit them for each year. For example if you have a leadership position that lasted from April to April they want 8 months in one year and then another activity that has the other 4 months in the next year. I didn't get that from the instructions so I thought I'd let everyone else know.
 
Quaper said:
I just talked to someone in admissions and found out that when you are submitting your activities they want you to submit them for each year. For example if you have a leadership position that lasted from April to April they want 8 months in one year and then another activity that has the other 4 months in the next year. I didn't get that from the instructions so I thought I'd let everyone else know.
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Did they say anything about repeating AMCAS, do they want a different explanation somehow?
 
fball22 said:
Did they say anything about repeating AMCAS, do they want a different explanation somehow?
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They have some videos on youtube that I think says something about that. I didn't watch that one. Look up University of Utah School of Medicine Office of Admissions on youtube.
 
fball22 said:
Did they say anything about repeating AMCAS, do they want a different explanation somehow?
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Same question. The boxes for the activity description merely say any changes? So are we supposed to leave it blank if we want to use our AMCAS explanations or are we supposed to repeat what was said on AMCAS or do something entirely new.
 
NorwegianRepresentative said:
Same question. The boxes for the activity description merely say any changes? So are we supposed to leave it blank if we want to use our AMCAS explanations or are we supposed to repeat what was said on AMCAS or do something entirely new.
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This really confused me as well so I called and asked them about it. They said to enter a description in there, we can either copy and paste the one from AMCAS or put a new one in. I guess they're working on getting rid of that part that says any changes as it shouldn't be there. Here's to happy secondary applications this weekend!
 
Hopeful4MD said:
This really confused me as well so I called and asked them about it. They said to enter a description in there, we can either copy and paste the one from AMCAS or put a new one in. I guess they're working on getting rid of that part that says any changes as it shouldn't be there. Here's to happy secondary applications this weekend!
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Thank you very much. I figured I would check here before calling and sure enough SDN pulled through again (SDN has been way more helpful than any other source that I have found throughout this entire process).
 
Also a quick suggestion to pay the application fee first thing before beginning the secondary as you can't submit until it has been manually processed on their end for some reason.
 
Has anyone else noticed that when writing the description for your activities it says 300 characters, but you can write more than that without an error message popping up with you submit the activity? I'm wondering if I should stay strict to that 300 character limit... or just write whatever I feel just.
 
Anyone else having problems entering the LOR writers' names?
 
Snazzy02 said:
Anyone else having problems entering the LOR writers' names?
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Yes! I'm allowed to put in a first name of a letter writer, but when I go to put in the last name in a different box, the first name disappears. Anybody else had this problem? Solutions?
 
I've been sticking to it strictly because who knows how it will print out or appear on their screen etc...

Edit: This was supposed to be quoting the post about the character limit from @dstape2000. Sorry.
 
theblueswede said:
Yes! I'm allowed to put in a first name of a letter writer, but when I go to put in the last name in a different box, the first name disappears. Anybody else had this problem? Solutions?
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Mine was super glitchy as well but after multiple attempts it finally had all the info that I needed to input. Maybe try a different internet browser and don't use the tab key?
 
NorwegianRepresentative said:
Mine was super glitchy as well but after multiple attempts it finally had all the info that I needed to input. Maybe try a different internet browser and don't use the tab key?
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Pretty sure I've tried everything and still no luck getting the names in. It's the last thing I have to do before I can submit so guess it'll have to wait till tomorrow when I can call and get some help.
 
OOS and just got my secondary today. Fingers crossed for my alma mater!
 
When adding the courses taken, are we supposed to list the minimum requirement? It says "List only 1 biology course and 1 cell biology or biochemistry course to fulfill the biology requirement."
 
Serious deja vu filling this out. It seems like a lot of the secondaries are asking for information already in the primary! *sigh*
 
For those of you worried about secondaries, they stated on their Facebook admissions page that everyone who meets their minimum GPA and MCAT requirements will get a secondary. They are sending them out in batches so relax, you will get one regardless of if you are OOS or IS.

Once you do receive the secondary I would suggest paying the application fee first. They don't download your letters of recommendation until the fee is paid, and it can take a few days to process the fee as well. I didn't pay the fee until I had completed the rest of the secondary and now I can't submit because I'm still waiting for my fee to be processed.
 
I just want to throw some info in a about what they consider IS for Utah. They changed this starting last year and I assume they are keeping it the same now since it seems to have worked well for them.

According to Dr. Chan when I visited, they consider you part of their Utah pool of you are a legal resident there, but also if you went to college or HS there. So even if you listed some other state as your legal residence on AMCAS, they may still consider you IS for selection purposes. This is helpful since almost all of those selected for admission are in the Utah pool of applicants. Dr. Chan did make it clear though that even if you are considered IS for selection purposes, if you are now a resident of another state, you will pay OOS tuition.

Also, don't forget that they reserve 10 seats for Idaho residents. They are chosen from their own pool and not compared to Utah students, only each other. They also pay IS tuition.

OOS students also have their own pool and are only compared to each other when making selections. The three groups also get their own waitlists, so when a Utah student drops, and Utah student is selected, etc.

This is how it was explained to me last year at least. Verifying with admissions might be helpful, but I just wanted to throw that out their since it may change what you think you chances are.
 
Are we actually supposed to put a hypothesis of our research under the description of each research activity? I've only worked in one research lab, but have been published and presented in a few different venues...I'm thinking of listing all of these separately though.
 
JPFC said:
Are we actually supposed to put a hypothesis of our research under the description of each research activity? I've only worked in one research lab, but have been published and presented in a few different venues...I'm thinking of listing all of these separately though.
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If you're published, stay true to your manuscript's abstract-- further proof that you are indeed published and cite it. They will see it when they google search your publication. The abstract should have the hypothesis and should summarize it just fine. After all, it's got your name on it right?
 
canes_season said:
If you're published, stay true to your manuscript's abstract-- further proof that you are indeed published and cite it. They will see it when they google search your publication. The abstract should have the hypothesis and should summarize it just fine. After all, it's got your name on it right?
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Very true. Thanks!
 
Hey guys, in the "research" tab, it says we can list lab courses. Lab courses involve performing multiple experiments throughout the semester to test different hypotheses. For those who listed lab courses, did you just put the course description or put one of the hypotheses you did an experiment on? Also, do you guys think medical scribe work qualifies as patient exposure even though the job is not "hands-on?"
 
WikiJiki said:
Hey guys, in the "research" tab, it says we can list lab courses. Lab courses involve performing multiple experiments throughout the semester to test different hypotheses. For those who listed lab courses, did you just put the course description or put one of the hypotheses you did an experiment on? Also, do you guys think medical scribe work qualifies as patient exposure even though the job is not "hands-on?"
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How much did you interact with patients?
 
Quaper said:
How much did you interact with patients?
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My medical scribe company does not permit us to perform hands-on activities or speak with the patients other than to introduce ourselves. All I do is document everything I hear them tell the physician, everything the physician asks from them, and the physician's physical exam findings. But throughout this whole period, I am close enough to patients that we could shake hands. I have 2,600 hours of being a scribe.
 
WikiJiki said:
My medical scribe company does not permit us to perform hands-on activities or speak with the patients other than to introduce ourselves. All I do is document everything I hear them tell the physician, everything the physician asks from them, and the physician's physical exam findings. But throughout this whole period, I am close enough to patients that we could shake hands. I have 2,600 hours of being a scribe.
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Personally I would say you would have to actually interact with them in some way, but since you were that close I would use your best judgement. It seems more like shadowing than patient exposure to me though.
 
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WikiJiki said:
My medical scribe company does not permit us to perform hands-on activities or speak with the patients other than to introduce ourselves. All I do is document everything I hear them tell the physician, everything the physician asks from them, and the physician's physical exam findings. But throughout this whole period, I am close enough to patients that we could shake hands. I have 2,600 hours of being a scribe.
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Personally I would probably count it. You're seeing the interaction and perhaps you have some other patient exposure you can include as well? But ya I mean you're seeing the patients seeing how they interact with the doc and you're in the clinic day to day so I would count it and make sure and include some well written well thought out stories from it to show it was valuable is the key. I mean honestly at face value it probably doesn't look as good as say being a CNA or being an MA etc. but at the end of the day it's what you learns from these experiences and how well you represent that that counts. A person who was a CNA for 3 yrs but only writes very superficially about the experience or can't articulate well thought out lessons from it will not be looked on better than a scribe who may have had less direct contact but learned some really great lessons. The goal (IMO) of patient exposure at the end of the day is to say ok I've been in the trenches of medicine, I've done the dirty work and I still like medicine and not only that but it strengthened my resolve on X ways. As long as that is addressed the experience at face value is less important.

As for somebody asking above if you can list lab classes as research. I personally would strongly recommend against that unless it's the only way you can meet the requirement. If it tells you you should then go ahead and add it I suppose but certainly don't emphasize it. It really doesn't address the purpose of the requirement IMO.






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zhopv10 said:
Personally I would probably count it. You're seeing the interaction and perhaps you have some other patient exposure you can include as well? But ya I mean you're seeing the patients seeing how they interact with the doc and you're in the clinic day to day so I would count it and make sure and include some well written well thought out stories from it to show it was valuable is the key. I mean honestly at face value it probably doesn't look as good as say being a CNA or being an MA etc. but at the end of the day it's what you learns from these experiences and how well you represent that that counts. A person who was a CNA for 3 yrs but only writes very superficially about the experience or can't articulate well thought out lessons from it will not be looked on better than a scribe who may have had less direct contact but learned some really great lessons. The goal (IMO) of patient exposure at the end of the day is to say ok I've been in the trenches of medicine, I've done the dirty work and I still like medicine and not only that but it strengthened my resolve on X ways. As long as that is addressed the experience at face value is less important.

As for somebody asking above if you can list lab classes as research. I personally would strongly recommend against that unless it's the only way you can meet the requirement. If it tells you you should then go ahead and add it I suppose but certainly don't emphasize it. It really doesn't address the purpose of the requirement IMO.






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There have been 2 upsides to clinical experiences for me. The first is what you alluded to: people are gross and you need to get in there and see stuff and know that you 1) "did your time in the trenches" and 2) won't be so grossed out or go all vasovagal when you see body stuff; EMT experience did this for me. The second is the more intellectual part: you get to be part of clinical decision-making and get a feel for that mindset, and you get to learn if 1) you can think that way and 2) if doing that day-in day-out is what you really want to do.

Scribing has given me a much better idea of what doctors actually do with their days than EMTing did.
 
I appreciate everyone's clarification and elaboration. Of course, I'm going to call the admissions committee tomorrow for their verification.

If we're talking about being "grossed out," "time in the trenches," or "go all vasovagal," as a scribe I have stepped in almost every body fluid/excrement, have been vomited/coughed on, had patients with known cocaine/heroin addiction jump at me requiring me to use my computer as a barricade, walked into probably a hundred rooms of highly contagious patients, walked around puddles of blood draining from amputated extremities, typed patients' suicide notes into their medical chart, explained to people in the waiting room why they had to wait for two hours without being placed in a room and have had unfortunate patients who cried at me that they don't want to die and one hour later the physician had to call their time of death.

So no, I have never had a "hands-on" experience as a scribe, but I hope I can convince the college that my experience should qualify as "patient exposure."
 
WikiJiki said:
I appreciate everyone's clarification and elaboration. Of course, I'm going to call the admissions committee tomorrow for their verification.

If we're talking about being "grossed out," "time in the trenches," or "go all vasovagal," as a scribe I have stepped in almost every body fluid/excrement, have been vomited/coughed on, had patients with known cocaine/heroin addiction jump at me requiring me to use my computer as a barricade, walked into probably a hundred rooms of highly contagious patients, walked around puddles of blood draining from amputated extremities, typed patients' suicide notes into their medical chart, explained to people in the waiting room why they had to wait for two hours without being placed in a room and have had unfortunate patients who cried at me that they don't want to die and one hour later the physician had to call their time of death.

So no, I have never had a "hands-on" experience as a scribe, but I hope I can convince the college that my experience should qualify as "patient exposure."
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That sounds a lot more like patient exposure.
 
Just a clarification, by "being in the trenches" I meant the interactions and relationships with patients and understanding the dynamics of the healthcare system. This should be the focus and how it shaped your desire and motivation to stay in medicine. Personally I wouldn't address the Vasovagal response stuff. It comes across as very superficial IMO. Everyone overcomes their Vasovagal response for the most part (or goes into something that doesn't trigger it), many students still have it (I still have the tendency for sure). It's part of the career, we see gnarly stuff, it doesn't really set anyone apart and having seen gnarly stuff doesn't really set anyone apart in and of itself. Talking about a couple of poignant experienced that were really meaningful on a personal level, that sets you apart. Hope that's helpful!


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Caveat: I didn't mean it to sound like you absolutely can't write about overcoming your Vasovagal response, if it was a big deal to you personally go for it and I've seen some successful examples of that angle. I just meant to say that not necessarily what is being looked for as that is just assumed to be something that most everyone will go through either before or during medical school.


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To be clear, I agree that the vasovagal/"stuff is gross" aspect is not remarkable at all; EVERY applicant either overcomes it, finds ways to cope, or seeks life elsewhere, so using that aspect as the cornerstone of what you got out of an experience (unless it was unique in some way beyond "seeing blood made me pass out before but now it doesn't") is a waste of space on your application.
 
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