2017-2018 Cleveland Clinic (Lerner)

[gyngyn]

Required Essay: Greatest Challenge
The admissions committee is interested in gaining more insight into you as a person. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced, one which you feel has helped to shape you as a person. Examples may include a moral or ethical dilemma, a situation of personal adversity, or a hurdle in your life that you worked hard to overcome. Please include how you got through the experience and what you learned about yourself as a result.
Please limit your response to 1 page (about 3,500 characters), and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 3,500 character recommendation is exceeded, your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required Essay: Research
Please describe the hypothesis of your research, why the methods were selected to answer that hypothesis, your results and interpretation of your results with respect to future findings. If you have not participated in research or scholarly work, please indicate so in the text area below.
Please limit your response to 1 page (about 3,500 characters), and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 3,500 character recommendation is exceeded, your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required Essay: Small Group Essay
If you were working on a small group project and you thought that another student wasn't carrying his/her load, how would you handle it?Please limit your response to 300-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Optional: Additional Information Essay (University Program Only)
Is there any further information that you wish to share with the Admissions Committee? This optional response will only be considered by the University Program.

Required for College Program: Areas of Improvement Essay
Each year our students target for themselves areas of improvement. Other than the acquisition of new knowledge, what personal area do you think you have that could use strengthening? Design a plan as to how you could improve it.
Please limit your response to 500-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required for College Program: Criticism and Feedback Essay
Tell us about a time when you received unexpected criticism or negative feedback. How did you react? What did you do?
Please limit your response to 500-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required for College Program: Career Essay
How do you see your career ten years from now?
Please limit your response to 500-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required for College Program: Teaching Essay
When were you challenged to teach, coach, or mentor others to learn a new skill or improve an old one? Please describe how it went and what you learned from the experience.
Please limit your response to 500-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required for College Program: Gap Year Essay
If you took a gap year, please describe how you spent that time. Please limit your response to 500 characters, and leave blank lines between paragraphs

Good luck to everyone applying!

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[liquidcrawler]

I'm confused about this program. Do the students here take classes with the students at Case Western? Do I have to apply to this program specifically on AMCAS? Or just apply to CW and I'll get info about it later?

 

[seeinghowitgoes]

I'm confused about this program. Do the students here take classes with the students at Case Western? Do I have to apply to this program specifically on AMCAS? Or just apply to CW and I'll get info about it later?

Students at CCLCM do not take classes with Case students and, currently, attend classes at the Cleveland Clinic (as opposed to on Case's campus which is where the Case students take classes). This will change in a couple years when the new med school opens and case, cclcm, PA students, dental students, and nursing students are all housed together.

To apply to CCLCM, you just apply to Case and there is a check box on the secondary for if you want to apply to case, cclcm, or MSTP (or any combination of those). So for the primary part just worry about selecting Case.

Sometimes it's easier to think of Case as having three distinct tracts - a normal MD path (that's the "university program"), an MD/masters tract (CCLCM - you don't need to get a masters but you do have to do one year of "master's-level" research), and MSTP (Case's MD/PhD program). Even though the programs each have unique features, they're all under the Case umbrella.

Hope that helps!

 

[liquidcrawler]

Students at CCLCM do not take classes with Case students and, currently, attend classes at the Cleveland Clinic (as opposed to on Case's campus which is where the Case students take classes). This will change in a couple years when the new med school opens and case, cclcm, PA students, dental students, and nursing students are all housed together.

To apply to CCLCM, you just apply to Case and there is a check box on the secondary for if you want to apply to case, cclcm, or MSTP (or any combination of those). So for the primary part just worry about selecting Case.

Sometimes it's easier to think of Case as having three distinct tracts - a normal MD path (that's the "university program"), an MD/masters tract (CCLCM - you don't need to get a masters but you do have to do one year of "master's-level" research), and MSTP (Case's MD/PhD program). Even though the programs each have unique features, they're all under the Case umbrella.

Hope that helps!

Thank you! This is very helpful. I assume the CCLCM is more competitive than regular Case, but I'd be thrilled to attend either! On a side note, are you aware of any other programs that take a dedicated fifth year for research? I'm very interested in furthering my basic science skills, but am currently uninterested in committing to a full PhD. The only other programs I know that do this is Duke's normal MD and Pitt's Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP).

 

[Cndmdhopeful]

Hey Guys
Thanks so much for creating this forum. I have sent in my amcas and waiting for verification. CCLCM is my absolute number one choice so crossing my fingers.
I dont know if anyone really knows but I have published couple of clinical papers and number of abstracts, however I dont have any basic science publications, do you think that will work against me in the application process?

 

[AVSS HDS CSM]

When CCLCM says they need one letter from a research advisor, is that referring to an advisor at my school who deals with research students or is that referring to my research supervisor at school?
Thanks!

 

[bootsandspooky]

When CCLCM says they need one letter from a research advisor, is that referring to an advisor at my school who deals with research students or is that referring to my research supervisor at school?
Thanks!

I believe that this refers to the latter, so they are asking for a letter from your PI that you did research under.

 

[seeinghowitgoes]

Hey Guys
Thanks so much for creating this forum. I have sent in my amcas and waiting for verification. CCLCM is my absolute number one choice so crossing my fingers.
I dont know if anyone really knows but I have published couple of clinical papers and number of abstracts, however I dont have any basic science publications, do you think that will work against me in the application process?

Absolutely not. Having any sort of publication, even if it was in ornithology, would be a positive at any school.

Beyond that, I want to clarify CCLCM isn't focused solely on basic science work (I feel like that is a misconception about the school) - clinical and basic sciences research are really viewed equally. They have a relatively broad view of what research is.

 

[liquidcrawler]

I believe that this refers to the latter, so they are asking for a letter from your PI that you did research under.

My school does a letter packet. I have a letter from my PI in the letter packet. Is that sufficient?

 

[AVSS HDS CSM]

I believe that this refers to the latter, so they are asking for a letter from your PI that you did research under.

Thank you! I also verified that directly with CCLCM, you are correct.

 

[AVSS HDS CSM]

My school does a letter packet. I have a letter from my PI in the letter packet. Is that sufficient?

Based on CCLCM's webpage it seems perfect. See their "Answers to FAQs" on the topic of how many LORs are required.

 

[cuttlefish_deluxe91]

Thank you! This is very helpful. I assume the CCLCM is more competitive than regular Case, but I'd be thrilled to attend either! On a side note, are you aware of any other programs that take a dedicated fifth year for research? I'm very interested in furthering my basic science skills, but am currently uninterested in committing to a full PhD. The only other programs I know that do this is Duke's normal MD and Pitt's Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP).

Yale has a tuition-free research year (fifth year), for what that's worth. They don't pay your way, but you don't have to pay them! I guess that's a deal...

 

[alcoholdehydrogenase69]

Thank you! This is very helpful. I assume the CCLCM is more competitive than regular Case, but I'd be thrilled to attend either! On a side note, are you aware of any other programs that take a dedicated fifth year for research? I'm very interested in furthering my basic science skills, but am currently uninterested in committing to a full PhD. The only other programs I know that do this is Duke's normal MD and Pitt's Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP).

I will be matriculating here in a little over a week but I welcome any questions you all may have! CCLCM is a niche program so it is very competitive, ultimately selecting 32 matriculants from an applicant pool of around 2500. I think about 250 were interviewed last year and around 45 were offered a spot with some applicants electing to go to other top programs.

To answer your research question, you can elect to take a research year at almost any medical school program. However, what differentiates CCLCM from others is how heavily emphasized research (both basic and clinical) is throughout the curriculum. The goal is to train physician investigators who are competent and experienced in both practicing medicine and translating research findings to better patient outcomes. For more info on this check out Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine.

For what it's worth, I've heard Pitts PSTP program is a solid option as well and offers a tuition scholarship (~10K a year) that partially limits cost.



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[ChopinLiszt]

Yale has a tuition-free research year (fifth year), for what that's worth. They don't pay your way, but you don't have to pay them! I guess that's a deal...

And Duke has a dedicated research year - it's third year, which is free because class work is condensed into year one, and year two takes care of clinicals. Lots of medical schools will let you extend for a year of research, too. About 1/3 of students at UPenn (MD only) extend beyond the 4 years to do research or a master's.

 

[ChopinLiszt]

I will be matriculating here in a little over a week but I welcome any questions you all may have! CCLCM is a niche program so it is very competitive, ultimately selecting 32 matriculants from an applicant pool of around 2500. I think about 250 were interviewed last year and around 45 were offered a spot with some applicants electing to go to other top programs.

Congrats on your acceptance! I read through last year's CCLCM application thread and I was rooting for you.. for like an hour today.. haha

Does anyone else read through previous year threads for schools they're interested in? It's a great way to build anxiety while also procrastinating secondary essays. Highly recommended.

 

[twentyeightmiles]

Congrats on your acceptance! I read through last year's CCLCM application thread and I was rooting for you.. for like an hour today.. haha

Does anyone else read through previous year threads for schools they're interested in? It's a great way to build anxiety while also procrastinating secondary essays. Highly recommended.

Totally agree. I went down the rabbit hole of reading MDapplicants profiles today -- great way to procrastinate on writing a self-improvement plan

 

[enchantediris]

Congrats on your acceptance! I read through last year's CCLCM application thread and I was rooting for you.. for like an hour today.. haha

Does anyone else read through previous year threads for schools they're interested in? It's a great way to build anxiety while also procrastinating secondary essays. Highly recommended.

I tell myself that I'm just doing due diligence and research for those "Why X School" secondaries

 

[ChopinLiszt]

Totally agree. I went down the rabbit hole of reading MDapplicants profiles today -- great way to procrastinate on writing a self-improvement plan

@twentyeightmiles - is your name a reference to running a 50k race by any chance?

 

[ChopinLiszt]

I tell myself that I'm just doing due diligence and research for those "Why X School" secondaries

And we all know how much CCLCM values research..

@enchantediris I also lurked on your MCAT thread while I was waiting for my score release, and I was super jealous of/impressed by your score. I was hoping to hit 520s based on my FLs but was disappointed in my PS score.. which is extra dumb because I was a psych major.

 

[enchantediris]

And we all know how much CCLCM values research..

@enchantediris I also lurked on your MCAT thread while I was waiting for my score release, and I was super jealous of/impressed by your score. I was hoping to hit 520s based on my FLs but was disappointed in my PS score.. which is extra dumb because I was a psych major.

Thanks! And I feel you on the major thing... I'm a hard science major and did the worst in the chem/phys section. Life throws you some curveballs!

 

[Cndmdhopeful]

Has anyone received their secondaries yet?

 

[bootsandspooky]

Just received - I posted the University track prompts in the Case Western thread and will post everything here.
@Lucca
----
Required Essay: Greatest Challenge
The admissions committee is interested in gaining more insight into you as a person. Please describe a significant personal challenge you have faced, one which you feel has helped to shape you as a person. Examples may include a moral or ethical dilemma, a situation of personal adversity, or a hurdle in your life that you worked hard to overcome. Please include how you got through the experience and what you learned about yourself as a result.
Please limit your response to 1 page (about 3,500 characters), and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 3,500 character recommendation is exceeded, your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required Essay: Research
Please describe the hypothesis of your research, why the methods were selected to answer that hypothesis, your results and interpretation of your results with respect to future findings. If you have not participated in research or scholarly work, please indicate so in the text area below.
Please limit your response to 1 page (about 3,500 characters), and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 3,500 character recommendation is exceeded, your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required Essay: Small Group Essay
If you were working on a small group project and you thought that another student wasn't carrying his/her load, how would you handle it?Please limit your response to 300-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Optional: Additional Information Essay (University Program Only)
Is there any further information that you wish to share with the Admissions Committee? This optional response will only be considered by the University Program.

Required for College Program: Areas of Improvement Essay
Each year our students target for themselves areas of improvement. Other than the acquisition of new knowledge, what personal area do you think you have that could use strengthening? Design a plan as to how you could improve it.
Please limit your response to 500-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required for College Program: Criticism and Feedback Essay
Tell us about a time when you received unexpected criticism or negative feedback. How did you react? What did you do?
Please limit your response to 500-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required for College Program: Career Essay
How do you see your career ten years from now?
Please limit your response to 500-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required for College Program: Teaching Essay
When were you challenged to teach, coach, or mentor others to learn a new skill or improve an old one? Please describe how it went and what you learned from the experience.
Please limit your response to 500-1000 characters, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. If the 1000 character recommendation is exceeded your essay WILL still be saved in its entirety.

Required for College Program: Gap Year Essay
If you took a gap year, please describe how you spent that time. Please limit your response to 500 characters, and leave blank lines between paragraphs

 

[rolyat323]

Does anyone know the matriculation averages? I'm sitting at a 514 / 3.81 and have ~3000 hours in research (only 1 second-author pub and 3 posters though). Because there is little information, I'm unsure how competitive I am.

I was told most interviewees have an MCAT score over 520. I think the average matriculating MCAT was 522. But your research experience could help you a lot.

 

[Noctámbulo]

[wrong thread, sorry]

 

[Lucozade27]

.

 

[pediatricneurotrauma]

.

 

[Lucozade27]

This program is the best fit possible for me, but I'm also worried about the MCAT score. I've got a 515, which I'm not particularly ashamed of, but 520 is a steep average. I'm hoping that my 2+ years of basic science and 1 clinical pub submitted will pull through.

jesus dude, 57 primaries??? are you applying to Mars too? lol

 

[pediatricneurotrauma]

.

 

[seeinghowitgoes]

Are there any students who matriculate with an average mcat (508-510)..but with multiple first author papers? The 520+ mcat is what's really scaring me

Obviously can't speak to your situation, but students absolutely have gotten in with scores well below the class average when other parts of their application were strong. As many Med schools are these days, it's actuallt a pretty wholistic review with a focus on fit as much as numbers.

 

[CCresearcher]

Obviously can't speak to your situation, but students absolutely have gotten in with scores well below the class average when other parts of their application were strong. As many Med schools are these days, it's actuallt a pretty wholistic review with a focus on fit as much as numbers.

As a current M1 who had below a 520 on the MCAT, I would definitely support the idea that you do NOT need a 520+ to receive an interview or acceptance. I'm not sure where whoever posted that got their info. It's worth keeping in mind that CCLCM is not required to post their own stats, as their numbers are lumped in with Case's for things like the MSAR.

During my interview, we were specifically told that due to the "secret" numbers and the importance of class dynamics, CCLCM isn't overly obsessed with your grades and scores in the way other top schools are. They want a record of academic excellence, but that can be demonstrated in multiple ways. In fact, they explicitly prefer students who are in some way imperfect, as students who have struggled or failed tend to be more humble. Obviously that isn't saying you can get in with a 2.5 and a 490, but if you don't have the highest MCAT or GPA ever, you're not locked out.

The downside of all of this is that since CCLCM is looking for a very specific type of student, they consider the dynamics of the entire class, and they only take 32 people, there's no easy way to predict your success. Definitely go ahead and apply! The only guarantee is you won't be accepted if you don't submit the application.

 

[rolyat323]

As a current M1 who had below a 520 on the MCAT, I would definitely support the idea that you do NOT need a 520+ to receive an interview or acceptance. I'm not sure where whoever posted that got their info. It's worth keeping in mind that CCLCM is not required to post their own stats, as their numbers are lumped in with Case's for things like the MSAR.

During my interview, we were specifically told that due to the "secret" numbers and the importance of class dynamics, CCLCM isn't overly obsessed with your grades and scores in the way other top schools are. They want a record of academic excellence, but that can be demonstrated in multiple ways. In fact, they explicitly prefer students who are in some way imperfect, as students who have struggled or failed tend to be more humble. Obviously that isn't saying you can get in with a 2.5 and a 490, but if you don't have the highest MCAT or GPA ever, you're not locked out.

The downside of all of this is that since CCLCM is looking for a very specific type of student, they consider the dynamics of the entire class, and they only take 32 people, there's no easy way to predict your success. Definitely go ahead and apply! The only guarantee is you won't be accepted if you don't submit the application.

Although CCLCM is not required to report statistics, you will go to a meeting sometime in the fall (if I remember correctly) where they will present information about the entering class such as average MCAT and other interesting information.

That said, a high average does not mean there are not outliers. I have classmates that scored well below our classes average. I'm not sure where that idea came from.

 

[premedstudent2017]

Is it possible to apply to only Cleveland CLinic and Not case? Or do we have to apply to case too if we apply to Cle clinic?

 

[twentyeightmiles]

Is it possible to apply to only Cleveland CLinic and Not case? Or do we have to apply to case too if we apply to Cle clinic?

You can apply to one, the other, or both. You just check off which one you're applying to in the secondary. But you have to add it as Case on AMCAS

 

[Horse Apiece]

Is it possible to apply to only Cleveland CLinic and Not case? Or do we have to apply to case too if we apply to Cle clinic?

To add to the other posters comment that said you need to apply to to Case, the secondary fee is the same if you apply to both Case and Lerner, so you might as well apply for both.

 

[adcom101]

Some CCLCM stats for this year's matriculating class:
Avg MCAT: 517. Avg GPA 3.76.
86 publications!!
1800 applied. 250 interviewed. 60 were accepted to fill class of 32.

 

[ChopinLiszt]

86 publications from just the 32 entering students? Wow. So they really want publications, not just research experience, I suppose. Publish or perish, right? Most of my research experience (5+ years - nontrad) has been on large clinical trials (national, multi-site, etc), so no real chance of publication or being listed as an author as an undergrad - more like data entry and patient screening and follow up.

 

[seeinghowitgoes]

86 publications from just the 32 entering students? Wow. So they really want publications, not just research experience, I suppose. Publish or perish, right? Most of my research experience (5+ years - nontrad) has been on large clinical trials (national, multi-site, etc), so no real chance of publication or being listed as an author as an undergrad - more like data entry and patient screening and follow up.

They definitely don't require pubs out of undergrad. I didn't know those numbers haha, but I bet some of the class had zero publications while other had many, and I stand by the assertion that it's more about having a demonstrated interest in research (maybe through pubs, maybe through length of time in a lab, etc). For any prospective applicant, I wouldn't get too caught up in the numbers game on that front.

 

[ChopinLiszt]

Good point. Still, that's an amazing number of publications from such a small number of students! It would be very cool to study with people who have that much research experience.

 

[boogiecousins94]

86 publications from just the 32 entering students? Wow. So they really want publications, not just research experience, I suppose. Publish or perish, right? Most of my research experience (5+ years - nontrad) has been on large clinical trials (national, multi-site, etc), so no real chance of publication or being listed as an author as an undergrad - more like data entry and patient screening and follow up.

I have one first author publication and I feel like thats not even enough, its only a review article and 86/32 is on average over 2 pubs per person, thats insane!! I currently work as a lab manager full time and there is plans to submit manuscript soon, I hope we hurry up hahaha

 

[badboy12435]

Some CCLCM stats for this year's matriculating class:
Avg MCAT: 517. Avg GPA 3.76.
86 publications!!
1800 applied. 250 interviewed. 60 were accepted to fill class of 32.

I found that the Class of 2018 at CCLCM had 35 publications; I doubt that it got more than doubled in a few years. Here is the information:
Class Profile

 

[AVSS HDS CSM]

I found that the Class of 2018 at CCLCM had 35 publications; I doubt that it got more than doubled in a few years. Here is the information:
Class Profile

I don't really see why these stats couldn't be super variable from year to year. MCAT and GPA would remain more or less static I guess, since applicants are constantly maintaining the scores, but publications may not be as uniformly produced across the applicant pool, and it is not an absolute requirement for admission. It is entirely conceivable that the number fluctuates a lot, although I don't know this for a fact. Furthermore, perhaps the Class of 2018 was an exception....
All the same, I have been involved in research for three years now, in four separate projects, but haven't got a single publication due to situational reasons. I hope I still have a shot, got letters from all my supervisors, and they really seemed to like me. At this point it's kind of late for the 2018 cycle to do much about it, so I'm just going for it.

 

[lord_leonan]

II today! Good luck everyone!

 

[AVSS HDS CSM]

II today! Good luck everyone!

Wow, that's pretty early! Good luck!

 

[twentyeightmiles]

II today! Good luck everyone!

Congrats! That must feel great to hear back from both

 

[ChopinLiszt]

Congrats! Wanna share stats/pubs?

 

[lord_leonan]

Congrats! Wanna share stats/pubs?

Thanks! one pub, 2 posters.

 

[neuroyale]

II today! Good luck everyone!

woww.. for real?? congrats. so early. Was there any change in your portal status? or completion email?

 

[lord_leonan]

woww.. for real?? congrats. so early. Was there any change in your portal status? or completion email?

changed from "file complete" to "offered interview"

 

[MDHopeful16]

Anyone else's status get changed to "placed on hold for future review"?

 

[neuroyale]

Anyone else's status get changed to "placed on hold for future review"?

Nope. Did yours?