**2016-2017 URM Medical School Application Thread**

Started by WhittyPsyche
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alpha-GTP said:
I had 2 different diversity essays depending on the school and if one type was discussed in another essay prompt. I used either my experiences as an immigrant or as a nontraditional applicant with a previous career. In both cases, I tied diversity to how it would affect how I would practice as a physician and the skills/experiences I would bring to the table.
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I am a first generation immigrant as well! But I moved here when I was pretty young and grew up here I would say. I think that being an immigrant has caused me to have a really strong work ethic and made me have a natural inclination to working with underserved populations while being focused on working to combat health disparities. Do you think the gist of this comment would be suitable for a diversity essay? My other option was talking about how I have been able to volunteer with a couple different types of populations ( individuals with disabilities, low SES and minorities, church group, kids whose parents have had cancer) which shows my versatility in dealing with people from various backgrounds. I was wondering if the second option is more appropriate since being an immigrant is kind of a given and did not require anything on my part. what are your thoughts?
 
Chromium Surfer said:
I am a first generation immigrant as well! But I moved here when I was pretty young and grew up here I would say. I think that being an immigrant has caused me to have a really strong work ethic and made me have a natural inclination to working with underserved populations while being focused on working to combat health disparities. Do you think the gist of this comment would be suitable for a diversity essay? My other option was talking about how I have been able to volunteer with a couple different types of populations ( individuals with disabilities, low SES and minorities, church group, kids whose parents have had cancer) which shows my versatility in dealing with people from various backgrounds. I was wondering if the second option is more appropriate since being an immigrant is kind of a given and did not require anything on my part. what are your thoughts?
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This sounds pretty good and it is basically what I did for my essays. If you can talk about your experiences and match them to your history of community service and goals as a physician, you will have a great essay. Good luck!
 
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Chromium Surfer said:
I am a first generation immigrant as well! But I moved here when I was pretty young and grew up here I would say. I think that being an immigrant has caused me to have a really strong work ethic and made me have a natural inclination to working with underserved populations while being focused on working to combat health disparities. Do you think the gist of this comment would be suitable for a diversity essay? My other option was talking about how I have been able to volunteer with a couple different types of populations ( individuals with disabilities, low SES and minorities, church group, kids whose parents have had cancer) which shows my versatility in dealing with people from various backgrounds. I was wondering if the second option is more appropriate since being an immigrant is kind of a given and did not require anything on my part. what are your thoughts?
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That's basically what I wrote for my disadvantaged and diversity essays. Even though I (like you) grew up mostly here, having parents that raised me like I was back home helped me value what I had in this country and work hard to be the best. Add something about that and you have yourself a solid diversity essay!
 
Should i submit all of my secondaries now or can i wait until my mcat comes out sept 26? I would like some more time to write these essays and I know some schools won't look at my app until everything is complete
 
SydSing said:
I'm officially in panic mode on how to pay for my upcoming interviews. I wasn't anticipating such rapid feedback.
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I started a crowdfunding for this same reason. Make a fundraising page and reach out to friends and family and coworkers and old bosses.
 
So I really need help generating a list of medical schools to apply to. So far all I have submitted to are Howard and Meharry. My LizzyM is 70 and I am aiming to apply to max 25 schools. Unfortunately my state does not have many medical schools. Really appreciate any suggestions.
 
NatureEssence said:
So I really need help generating a list of medical schools to apply to. So far all I have submitted to are Howard and Meharry. My LizzyM is 70 and I am aiming to apply to max 25 schools. Unfortunately my state does not have many medical schools. Really appreciate any suggestions.
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What are your other EC's and your stat breakdowns. If everything is in order then you are pretty competitive. But posting in the WAMC forum would yield better results as well.
 
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x3kib said:
9 II?? CONGRATS!!!! Do you have any advice? That's truly amazing, wish you the best of luck!
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Thanks! I didn't expect to even have interviews at this point because of my borderline stats (gpa <10th percentile, MCAT ~90th percentile for most schools). I just made sure to apply early and broadly, turn in secondaries ASAP, and tried to stand out in ways other than academic performance (career changer, experiences as an immigrant, etc.). Hopefully it ends up paying off.
 
alpha-GTP said:
Thanks! I didn't expect to even have interviews at this point because of my borderline stats (gpa <10th percentile, MCAT ~90th percentile for most schools). I just made sure to apply early and broadly, turn in secondaries ASAP, and tried to stand out in ways other than academic performance (career changer, experiences as an immigrant, etc.). Hopefully it ends up paying off.
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Hard work pays off - keep grinding and good luck!
 
alpha-GTP said:
Thanks! I didn't expect to even have interviews at this point because of my borderline stats (gpa <10th percentile, MCAT ~90th percentile for most schools). I just made sure to apply early and broadly, turn in secondaries ASAP, and tried to stand out in ways other than academic performance (career changer, experiences as an immigrant, etc.). Hopefully it ends up paying off.
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I feel like GPA gets mitigated quite a lot for high MCAT. Especially for non-traditionals, which is a great thing. GPAs have so many factors, some of which tend to have nothing to do with aptitude and instead life circumstances at the time. You don't see the same success for high gpa with 10th percentile MCAT, so probably no need for applicants to consider themselves borderline with low gpa and high MCATs.


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WhittyPsyche said:
I feel like GPA gets mitigated quite a lot for high MCAT. Especially for non-traditionals, which is a great thing. GPAs have so many factors, some of which tend to have nothing to do with aptitude and instead life circumstances at the time. You don't see the same success for high gpa with 10th percentile MCAT, so probably no need for applicants to consider themselves borderline with low gpa and high MCATs.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
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O.T.I. said:
Yeeessssss! I'm always so happy when I see you get a II! It always encourages me! I pray each one ends in an acceptance!
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Thanks guys!! I just love how supportive everyone is on this thread with offering advice and giving encouragement. You all seem like awesome people and I hope you all get multiple acceptances. 🙂

@WhittyPsyche, that is a good point regarding the MCAT/GPA thing. I hope that's how the adcoms view those types of stats, because life circumstances and my attitude had more to do with my grades than anything else. If my stats were the other way around, I would probably have added a bunch of DO schools since their stats are more in line with a lower MCAT and mid to high GPA.
 
SydSing said:
I'm officially in panic mode on how to pay for my upcoming interviews. I wasn't anticipating such rapid feedback.
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Congratulations on 6IIs. That's very impressive!! I guess it's better to be worried about paying for interviews rather than stressing out about why you don't have any. A good position to be in LOL.

My bank account is pretty empty, so I'm definitely trying to save money when I can. Living on the east coast is great because most places are drivable. I plan on driving for anything <7hrs away, and train for anything else if cheaper than a flight. I will only fly if going to the mid west or something like that. I am also trying to stay with friends/family whenever possible or student hosts. This should cut down on costs significantly. I am also trying to spread out interviews as much as possible without reaching the 10/15 acceptance.
 
alpha-GTP said:
Thanks guys!! I just love how supportive everyone is on this thread with offering advice and giving encouragement. You all seem like awesome people and I hope you all get multiple acceptances. 🙂

@WhittyPsyche, that is a good point regarding the MCAT/GPA thing. I hope that's how the adcoms view those types of stats, because life circumstances and my attitude had more to do with my grades than anything else. If my stats were the other way around, I would probably have added a bunch of DO schools since their stats are more in line with a lower MCAT and mid to high GPA.
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I would say and many adcoms have also expressed a similar sentiment that GPA and MCAT are viewed in the context of the whole application and the person.

So while some people with a low GPA and high MCAT may still do just fine that's not necessarily the case for the vast majority of applicants as evidenced by the high GPA and high MCAT medians of top schools etc.

Nothing is in a a vacuum but universally the best strategy is to be strong in as many areas as possible to mitigate any negative factors.
 
alpha-GTP said:
Congratulations on 6IIs. That's very impressive!! I guess it's better to be worried about paying for interviews rather than stressing out about why you don't have any. A good position to be in LOL.

My bank account is pretty empty, so I'm definitely trying to save money when I can. Living on the east coast is great because most places are drivable. I plan on driving for anything <7hrs away, and train for anything else if cheaper than a flight. I will only fly if going to the mid west or something like that. I am also trying to stay with friends/family whenever possible or student hosts. This should cut down on costs significantly. I am also trying to spread out interviews as much as possible without reaching the 10/15 acceptance.
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I'm taking things to an extreme. Didn't renew my lease and going to crash with my parents for awhile and put my entire salary towards travel. As a Texan with family only in the south, I am going to be flying and staying in a hotel for every trip.

I had to push one past October but only a little. I may end up moving it closer once I see how my money will look. I have 4 before the 15th, one the week after, and one the first week of November.

And thanks! This is definitely a good kind of stress 🙂
 
SydSing said:
I'm taking things to an extreme. Didn't renew my lease and going to crash with my parents for awhile and put my entire salary towards travel. As a Texan with family only in the south, I am going to be flying and staying in a hotel for every trip.

I had to push one past October but only a little. I may end up moving it closer once I see how my money will look. I have 4 before the 15th, one the week after, and one the first week of November.

And thanks! This is definitely a good kind of stress 🙂
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Hey you should absolutely check if you can stay w/ student hosts or AirBnB or something. Saves a ton of money
 
eteshoe said:
Hey you should absolutely check if you can stay w/ student hosts or AirBnB or something. Saves a ton of money
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Yeah? Some of these schools are offering reduced rates at hotels so like $99 a night. Is AirBnB cheaper?
 
SValley said:
Here's hoping to a new week of more IIs. I'm not like you superstars with 6-9 already but I'm pleasantly surprised & school girl giddy about my 2. Lolol good vibes all around, like, namaste :joyful:😛
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You should be. It's so early in the cycle so you're on pace to do well! 🙂

I never imagined I'd even have the opportunity to study up on multiple schools and weigh their pros and cons. God is good.
 
SydSing said:
Yeah? Some of these schools are offering reduced rates at hotels so like $99 a night. Is AirBnB cheaper?
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AirBnB can be cheaper, especially if you're just looking for a place to crash. I just booked a room for $40. Often they're more comfortable than a motel. I highly recommend! If you need a code for $20 off your first booking, PM me. 😉
 
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SydSing said:
You should be. It's so early in the cycle so you're on pace to do well! 🙂

I never imagined I'd even have the opportunity to study up on multiple schools and weigh their pros and cons. God is good.
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Amen to that!
 
Kgizzle said:
Not a superstar like O.T.I but I got an II. TCOM for the win!!!!
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Congrats!! Check the interview feeback portion to see if other SDN'er have posted about their experiences there, and if you go to the SDN essential wisdom sticky there is some good advice about interviewing. Good luck in your interview🙂
 
Chromium Surfer said:
Congrats!! Check the interview feeback portion to see if other SDN'er have posted about their experiences there, and if you go to the SDN essential wisdom sticky there is some good advice about interviewing. Good luck in your interview🙂
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already 12 neurotic sdn pre med steps ahead of you.... However, this is great advice! Doing this and practicing will allow you to find common themes and be at least somewhat prepared
 
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