2016 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread

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Eccesignum said:
Seven II? BEAST MODE, YO.

I've done the host once and hotel twice so far. Planning host with two future schools that I think I'd really like to talk to a student at, hotels for the rest. My experience was good, but I had my own bathroom and my hosts put breakfast food out for me (plus breakfast at the school), so I lucked out.

FYI Marriott rewards gives you a free stay after 3k points (about two-ish stays). Found this out today *joy*.
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Super good info, actually. Thanks!

I'm totally regretting not applying to more reaches now. But... I do have reaches, and one already interviewed me and everyone else is coldly regarding me like an interesting and potentially aggressive beetle.

All I can say is it's good a thing we nontrads have you here for a den mother. Keep flinging that good luck glitter, plz!
 
Gandy741 said:
Wasnt SnugSeal in Exorcist?
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nailed it.jpg
 
pageantry said:
Super good info, actually. Thanks!

I'm totally regretting not applying to more reaches now. But... I do have reaches, and one already interviewed me and everyone else is coldly regarding me like an interesting and potentially aggressive beetle.

All I can say is it's good a thing we nontrads have you here for a den mother. Keep flinging that good luck glitter, plz!
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Potentially aggressive beetle, lol. Yas. It's been two weeks since I heard anything from anyone, and most of the silent ones are ones I suspect are looking at my app like WHAT IS THIS AND WHO LET IT IN THE APP PILE?

And I'm a poor excuse for a den mother. I just take care of my fellow broke folks as I can 😉
 
There goes another week of silence. At least school is about to start back up and things are getting busy preparing for the coming year with the honor society, minus the fact I keep getting emails from med schools that are deceptive in that they are business related to AED not my app. Grrrr

Mostly frustrated in knowing I won't be able to change much on my app if I have to reapply. I have an ungodly number of shadow hours, awesome LORs, 2 years of CC with high grades and 2 years at UW with high grades, and am still working at the hospital. I won't have time to add any research, and volunteer is already strong so I can just continue at the same pace.

I know it's my GPA that has to be what's hurting me, but seriously, it basically was 1 term 11 years ago! It's crazy how little good grades will bring up a damaged GPA. Or how much one piece of paper (drop form) when I was a minor can affect you for basically the rest of your life. Le sigh.

/weeklywoeismerant
 
mavric1298 said:
There goes another week of silence. At least school is about to start back up and things are getting busy preparing for the coming year with the honor society, minus the fact I keep getting emails from med schools that are deceptive in that they are business related to AED not my app. Grrrr

Mostly frustrated in knowing I won't be able to change much on my app if I have to reapply. I have an ungodly number of shadow hours, awesome LORs, 2 years of CC with high grades and 2 years at UW with high grades, and am still working at the hospital. I won't have time to add any research, and volunteer is already strong so I can just continue at the same pace.

I know it's my GPA that has to be what's hurting me, but seriously, it basically was 1 term 11 years ago! It's crazy how little good grades will bring up a damaged GPA. Or how much one piece of paper (drop form) when I was a minor can affect you for basically the rest of your life. Le sigh.

/weeklywoeismerant
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100% agree. The thing holding me back is grades from 12 years ago :-/


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mavric1298 said:
There goes another week of silence. At least school is about to start back up and things are getting busy preparing for the coming year with the honor society, minus the fact I keep getting emails from med schools that are deceptive in that they are business related to AED not my app. Grrrr

Mostly frustrated in knowing I won't be able to change much on my app if I have to reapply. I have an ungodly number of shadow hours, awesome LORs, 2 years of CC with high grades and 2 years at UW with high grades, and am still working at the hospital. I won't have time to add any research, and volunteer is already strong so I can just continue at the same pace.

I know it's my GPA that has to be what's hurting me, but seriously, it basically was 1 term 11 years ago! It's crazy how little good grades will bring up a damaged GPA. Or how much one piece of paper (drop form) when I was a minor can affect you for basically the rest of your life. Le sigh.

/weeklywoeismerant
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Weren't you just verified on July 31st? Good grief, dude, nothing is hurting you yet except for the fact that it hasn't even been six weeks since you started turning in secondaries 😉 And since you weren't super duper early neurotic bird (through no fault of yours), you're in a pile with thousands of other applicants right now. The majority of my IIs came a month plus from when I submitted my secondary, and those were almost all submitted early/mid July.

Most of the ones I submitted late July/beginning-mid August are dead silent. Which I expected, as I'm in a big applicant pile.

Even a 4.0/45 is going to get a few rejections flat out. At this stage that means nothing except they just couldn't handle your hotness, their loss. The silence anywhere else means they're thinking about it. Take a breath.

Edit: Said three weeks earlier cause I seriously don't even know what day it is anymore, edited to six, still sound.
 
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Eccesignum said:
Weren't you just verified on July 31st? Good grief, dude, nothing is hurting you yet except for the fact that it hasn't even been three weeks since you started turning in secondaries 😉 And since you weren't super duper early neurotic bird (through no fault of yours), you're in a pile with thousands of other applicants right now. The majority of my IIs came a month plus from when I submitted my secondary, and those were almost all submitted early/mid July.

Most of the ones I submitted late July/beginning-mid August are dead silent. Which I expected, as I'm in a big applicant pile.

Even a 4.0/45 is going to get a few rejections flat out. At this stage that means nothing except they just couldn't handle your hotness, their loss. The silence anywhere else means they're thinking about it. Take a breath.
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PREACH, den mother! 😉

@mavric1298 , I know the wait is agonizing. Also, I'd be really bummed about UW in your situation, too. 🙁 BUT...

Remember that that place rejects, like, everyone, so it's not a good barometer. And also, @Eccesignum is right that SDN is FULL of super duper early neurotic birds who skew everything. 🙄 Don't worry about the super duper early neurotic birds! There's still lots of time for you to get some love!!! (Anecdotal evidence: I just got an II today from a school to which I submitted my secondary on 7/16. Said school is known for being "fast" with decisions, and they've been sending out invites since mid-July, so I was sure that I was going to get rejected. You never know!!!)

We are all pulling for you!:xf::xf:
 
So what do I do? At this point, I have six MD and one DO II (at the only DO school where I already completed a secondary) and interview costs are piling up. Luckily the plan is to spend the next ten months living in a van in Central America or I'd be freaking out.

But... Should I apply to a few more DO schools? Just to be safe? Would you?
 
pageantry said:
So what do I do? At this point, I have six MD and one DO II (at the only DO school where I already completed a secondary) and interview costs are piling up. Luckily the plan is to spend the next ten months living in a van in Central America or I'd be freaking out.

But... Should I apply to a few more DO schools? Just to be safe? Would you?
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Probably not. But look at it this way, Goro already said that a DO app in by December is fine. Why not let it breathe til the end of October, as by then you should at least have an idea of how things are going. If you're sweating in November, put your additional DO apps in.

(Personally I think the only reason you'll be sweating is knowing you have seven schools to choose from, but I know the anxiety)
 
Man, I dunno. I was kind of a nice normal person two months ago. And then I submitted all those secondaries and started interviewing and now I'm this slobbering self-conscious sewer monster living on truck stop coffee and Xanax.

But I think you're right about waiting til November. *fistfuls of xanax*
 
pageantry said:
Man, I dunno. I was kind of a nice normal person two months ago. And then I submitted all those secondaries and started interviewing and now I'm this slobbering self-conscious sewer monster living on truck stop coffee and Xanax.

But I think you're right about waiting til November. *fistfuls of xanax*
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You'll likely get into one of those MD schools.
 
Eccesignum said:
Speaking of which, I'm headed out to the airport now for a Monday interview at my (pre-visit) numbah one school HUAGUAGUAGUAGUL

View attachment 196303
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Omg so pulling for you! I'm shoveling my good luck gravel down your driveway. Even if you already have a perfectly good driveway. Which you do.

This process is so the verbing of "fistfuls of Xanax." Don't worry! You'll be great!
 
Eccesignum said:
Woke up at about 3 o' clock this morning having had a dream that I was interviewing at Harvard (I do not have an interview at Harvard), and when asked the "Who would you take to dinner?" question I said: James T. Kirk.

...the sad part is that is totally something I would say.
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elegantphoenix said:
Dude, I'm so stealing this answer!!
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Because I thought of you guys.

dothething.jpg


We're all doing the thing!
 
Glycereine said:
First interview (and only currently) coming up this Friday at UCF. Anyone interviewed there? Nervous/excited


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Not I, said the fly.

SnugSeal and Kirk will be with you, my child. Believe.
 
Ad2b said:
Good luck!! The campus is gorgeous and at the best side of town 🙂
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Thanks! Yeah I was in town a couple weeks ago and scoped it out 🙂. Only made me want to go there more!


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Glycereine said:
Thanks! Yeah I was in town a couple weeks ago and scoped it out 🙂. Only made me want to go there more!
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Just steer clear of Apopka - hear there's a loose cobra over there 😱 Am cheering for you!
 
Throughout this whole process I have been anxious about how my partner may need to uproot his life for my dream. However, on Friday, I received in an interview at a program I can literally walk to from our apartment (Berkeley - UCSF joint medical program).

I am so thankful to have the opportunity to interview there, and for many many reasons (my partner's life being relatively unaffected being a big one!) I am so hopeful that I impress them beyond belief.
 
pageantry said:
So what do I do? At this point, I have six MD and one DO II (at the only DO school where I already completed a secondary) and interview costs are piling up. Luckily the plan is to spend the next ten months living in a van in Central America or I'd be freaking out.

But... Should I apply to a few more DO schools? Just to be safe? Would you?
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it would be very unusual for you to get rejected from all 6 MD schools you have interviews at
 
pageantry said:
So what do I do? At this point, I have six MD and one DO II (at the only DO school where I already completed a secondary) and interview costs are piling up. Luckily the plan is to spend the next ten months living in a van in Central America or I'd be freaking out.

But... Should I apply to a few more DO schools? Just to be safe? Would you?
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I feel the same way and then I go to my trusty formula to stop myself from applying to more:

-Gather the post-interview (IS or OOS) acceptance numbers from the MSAR and double them to estimate the accepted percentages.
(e.g. School A matriculates 30 OOS and interviews 200 so acceptance is 60/200 = 0.300)
(e.g. School B matriculates 100 IS and interviews 300 so acceptance is 200/300 = 0.667)

-Subtract the acceptance rate from 1 for each school to obtain a rejection rate.
(School A = 1 - 0.300 = 0.700 and School B = 1 - 0.667 = 0.333)

Your acceptance rate = 1 - (rejection rate A)*(rejection rate B)*. . .*(rejection rate Z)

1 - 0.700*0.333 = 1 - 0.233 = 0.767 = 76.7% with only two schools.

With seven II, you will see that your odds must be very high at this point! Be confident!

(Sorry for the stupid math lesson, I figure you know how to do it, but it may be reassuring to see someone else tell you!)
 
Oh my god I'm glad to learn my method for this is not dissimilar to yours. I have to say, though, I believed in my formula more before I started interviewing.

I guess interviews are just getting to me. It is an exhausting process.
 
pageantry said:
Oh my god I'm glad to learn my method for this is not dissimilar to yours. I have to say, though, I believed in my formula more before I started interviewing.

I guess interviews are just getting to me. It is an exhausting process.
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I agree, I have attended six and am pretty worn out. I have a seventh scheduled for next week and then I am taking at least a month off of interviewing (barring extraordinary circumstances).
 
pageantry said:
Oh my god I'm glad to learn my method for this is not dissimilar to yours. I have to say, though, I believed in my formula more before I started interviewing. I guess interviews are just getting to me. It is an exhausting process.
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Same here. I've had plenty of job interviews in my life, and I always knew after leaving one of those whether I would get the job. With medical schools? Not so much. All of my interviewers have had really straight faces through the whole 30 minutes. Come on people, give me some sign that I am connecting with you! Ugh. October 15, hurry up and put me out of my misery. I feel like I am screwing up every single time and I would love to know that at least one place was okay with me.
 
Whoosh, Tulane done. Loved. It. Oh. Em. Gee.

Optimistic...but I have to keep reminding myself that they're trained to smile and be friendly even if you're hanging yourself, so I never really know what to think. Harblablhbalhabdlab. And stuff.

Least I have a week and a half to decompress before getting back on the road.
 
Wassup my fellow non trads? I hope you guys are all having a interviewlicious week 🙂. I haven't been able to log in the net too much from my cpu- only from my phone- therefore is hard for me to read and post ..... This construction job is not only taking the life out of my lower back, but also from my internet endeavors :hungover:. I sincerely hope you guys are all good . I just received my second rejection today from UW, therefore I am having a talk to my friend captain morgan and apple juice to sweeten up my dreams 😉. I just scheduled my flights and they cost me $1600 dollars without hotels and rental cars. I am excited, and yet, uneasy for this next month, where I have 5 Interviews. NON TRAD COALITION ------ WE GO:punch::punch::punch::punch::punch::punch::punch::punch::punch:

We may lose a few battles--- but not the war.
 
Hello fellow nontrads,

I'm late to this thread but just wanted to add my own progress. My AMCAS was verified on 8/5 and I have five II scheduled, the first one on 10/15! I really hope to get more soon, its too few to feel comfortable about my chances. Also, I haven't received any rejections but its fairly early for me so I expect to get some soon.

I have a question regarding interview attire (I'm female). Would forest green be too bold a color for a blazer? It fits perfectly and looks tasteful. I wanted to pair it with a conservative but fitted dark gray sheath dress, since I find skirts more comfortable and easier to move around in. I have read about and spoken with other female interviewees attending interviews in business dresses and having no problems, but they mostly wore black. I already have jet black, thick curly hair so I want some color to look less severe.
 
entresuspiros said:
Hello fellow nontrads,

I'm late to this thread but just wanted to add my own progress. My AMCAS was verified on 8/5 and I have five II scheduled, the first one on 10/15! I really hope to get more soon, its too few to feel comfortable about my chances. Also, I haven't received any rejections but its fairly early for me so I expect to get some soon.

I have a question regarding interview attire (I'm female). Would forest green be too bold a color for a blazer? It fits perfectly and looks tasteful. I wanted to pair it with a conservative but fitted dark gray sheath dress, since I find skirts more comfortable and easier to move around in. I have read about and spoken with other female interviewees attending interviews in business dresses and having no problems, but they mostly wore black. I already have jet black, thick curly hair so I want some color to look less severe.
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I think you'd be the first colored blazer I would have seen (through four interviews) but the whole outfit sounds very conservative. I guess it depends on how you pull it off?

If I were you, I'd go ask the people here: http://www.forums.studentdoctor.net/index.php?threads/Women's-Interview-Clothing-#3!.842732/

Lots of doctors and a few adcoms give good advice from a lot more experience than any of us have in this thread.

That said, welcome to the thread and thanks for pitching in your good luck! Congrats on all your II's! Nontrad POW-WAH.
 
Decompensated at some point on my extremely late flight last night and chewed off every polished bit of a month's painstaking fingernail growth.

And why yes, it was the best damn feeling ever.

Oh well, just under two weeks is plenty of time to let them grow back a bit, right? 😀
 
pageantry said:
I think you'd be the first colored blazer I would have seen (through four interviews) but the whole outfit sounds very conservative. I guess it depends on how you pull it off?

If I were you, I'd go ask the people here: http://www.forums.studentdoctor.net/index.php?threads/Women's-Interview-Clothing-#3!.842732/

Lots of doctors and a few adcoms give good advice from a lot more experience than any of us have in this thread.

That said, welcome to the thread and thanks for pitching in your good luck! Congrats on all your II's! Nontrad POW-WAH.
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Thanks for the link. Congrats on your interviews, I hope you hear some good news soon!
 
I'm so glad I'm not the only nontrad feeling the pressure of the interview circuit. I had my first thumbscrew interview. The guy questioned the validity of my perceptions of "my greatest challenge" and implied I might have *deserved* the difficulties (which began in childhood), regardless of how I overcame them.

No big deal, sir! I can see how you could see it that way! Everyone's just doing their best! Ha ha!

Is it too early for wine? *checks watch* *checks again*
 
pageantry said:
I appreciate that you responded thirty seconds past noon (where i am).

Lunch wine! We're so French. CLASSY.
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It's noon where I am. I'm off today and I haven't even put on pants yet. Wine sounds fantastic, I might join you.
 
entresuspiros said:
Hello fellow nontrads,

I'm late to this thread but just wanted to add my own progress. My AMCAS was verified on 8/5 and I have five II scheduled, the first one on 10/15! I really hope to get more soon, its too few to feel comfortable about my chances. Also, I haven't received any rejections but its fairly early for me so I expect to get some soon.

I have a question regarding interview attire (I'm female). Would forest green be too bold a color for a blazer? It fits perfectly and looks tasteful. I wanted to pair it with a conservative but fitted dark gray sheath dress, since I find skirts more comfortable and easier to move around in. I have read about and spoken with other female interviewees attending interviews in business dresses and having no problems, but they mostly wore black. I already have jet black, thick curly hair so I want some color to look less severe.
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I am decidedly not a woman... so take my opinion for what it's worth.

What you're describing is very conservative still and I think forest green (unless my color palette is off which very well could be) is not too bold. I also think your reasons for it as far as contrast are very good. As mentioned it really does depend on how it "looks" on you. I was actually contemplating bucking the trend for my interview this week, but ended up deciding on a plain black suit. I decided against wearing dress uniform for basically the same reason you are thinking against solid black. *shrug*
 
.
 
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Not to belabor this, but I'm reading more of /The Empathy Exams/ right now and there's a great essay about people who have self-diagnosed themselves with that thing Joni Mitchell says she has, Morgellon's disease, where mysterious fibers start to come up out of your skin, which unfortunately is not something doctors have been able to agree is anything more than delusion. Albeit a deeply uncomfortable delusion.

She raises great points. What does it mean to empathize with somebody's pain when we doubt its purported cause? How is it done? I mean, I think that was what that interviewer was actually trying, awkwardly, to do with me.

Anyway, my point is that this continues to be a really great book to read before your interviews.
 
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