2017-2018 Johns Hopkins University

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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II!
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How far out are interviews now? Hopefully not all interview spots have been filled yet... I’ve been waiting in silence since July.
 
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Interview day impression:

I interviewed last week and thought I would share my experience with you all (especially to dispel any anxiety regarding the "fish bowl"). First of all, I did not take advantage of the student host program or the greeter's program so I can't speak on that.

Housing Tour:
I started my day with the housing tour, which was very brief. The agent took us to a four bedroom apartment (which is the most common plan). It has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 1 kitchen. The rooms are a bit small for my taste; it definitely felt like dorms from undergrad. It's super close to campus and starbucks (if you're not satisfied with the free coffee that they provide) and seems like a good community of Hopkins affiliated med students. With parking, the rent would come out to a little over $1000/ month, which is considered expensive by Baltimore standards. Also, the place is a bit of a food desert, so you will have a hard time getting groceries if you don't have a car. All in all, I can't imagine living elsewhere if I chose to attend Hopkins, just for the sake of convenience.

Check-In:
The check-in is at 11AM (every med school should do this!) which was fantastic. We got a brief run-down medical program by the associate dean. Some highlights: their genes to society curriculum really emphasizes social determinants of health. If you're into health disparities, I think you'll really appreciate the curriculum. Financial aid came in to talk about $$. Main takeaway, Hopkins grads take out less loans compared to other private schools, due to cheaper cost of living in Baltimore and aids given by the office.

Lunch:
We had lunch with a faculty member and some medical students, who were also our tour guides. I sat close to the faculty and had a fantastic time. He does research in the pediatric field and you can just tell how passionate he is about the work that he does. The students also talked about all the activities that they are involved in. Big takeway: 100% of students at Hopkins are involved in research; I think someone said 96% get published before graduation (big plus for me).

Campus/Hospital Tour:
The student tour guides showed us the facilities. I really liked how the school is broken down into the four colleges (there's definitely friendly rivalry between the colleges, which was adorable :p) We got to meet more students. Everyone seems really genuine and down-to-earth. We also got a brief tour of the hospital and all the history that's associated with it. There's so much history to Hopkins, it's ridiculous. For instance, the term medical "resident" originated at Hopkins, the first HeLa sample was taken at the hospital here, etc... It will definitely be an inspiring place to train.

Interview/ Fishbowl:
There were two interviews: one with faculty and the other with student, both open file. Whenever you're not interviewing, you are sitting with the other applicants and 4th year medical students in the "fishbowl" where you're just having casual conversations. I loved loved loved my interviewers, both the students and faculty. I can tell that they both read my application thoroughly and displayed genuine interest in the activities that I took part in and my motivation to pursue a career in medicine. My faculty interviewer also told me that they get to pick which applicant to interview, so I definitely get the sense that your interviewers have already selected you and will be your advocate, given that you open up about yourself and articulate your thoughts well. And of course, the dreaded fishbowl... I read about how tense it's going to be in previous SDN posts and heard about how stressful it was going to be from a fellow applicant in the morning. It's really just a casual conversation - treat it as such! The 4th year med students conducting the interview were super chill and absolutely no one was taking notes. The fishbowl is a great opportunity to ask questions about the Hopkins experience, living at Baltimore, etc... Plus, all the 4th years are in the process of residency interviews so I felt like I was in the same boat as them (sort of). Anyways, the fishbowl was very informal and I got to learn a lot about student life at Hopkins through it.

Overall, I had a great time. Unlike other programs where I have interviewed at, Hopkins doesn't try to actively sell itself or talk up their program. Everything and everyone seems genuine and in their place.

For those of you interviewing soon or hoping for an invitation to interview here, best of luck! I'm rooting for you all!
 
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Me too. Had an amazing interview at Hopkins. I thought they would be stuffy and uptight because of their rep, but they were open, and really cutting edge. They are interested in community health and social justice along with medical innovation. And I thought there was more diversity among the med students than at other places I've been to. I stayed with a very smart but down to earth dude. He went out of his way for me and introduced me to his friends. And yeah, 11 o'clock start to the day. Very human--says it all! Since my II there, Hopkins has become my current first choice, but I know painful well that the stats are against them wanting me! Has anyone sent another note --post thank you--to express intent to go--I don't have any updates, so it would just be like Pleeeease..."
 
MySonTheDoc said:
Me too. Had an amazing interview at Hopkins. I thought they would be stuffy and uptight because of their rep, but they were open, and really cutting edge. They are interested in community health and social justice along with medical innovation. And I thought there was more diversity among the med students than at other places I've been to. I stayed with a very smart but down to earth dude. He went out of his way for me and introduced me to his friends. And yeah, 11 o'clock start to the day. Very human--says it all! Since my II there, Hopkins has become my current first choice, but I know painful well that the stats are against them wanting me! Has anyone sent another note --post thank you--to express intent to go--I don't have any updates, so it would just be like Pleeeease..."
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Thanks for sharing! Can you talk more about the community health and social justice with medical innovation? I am interested in those fields!
 
Sure. The students I met were doing studies on community health that seemed innovative--also on women's health-- and said they felt well supported by faculty. They take courses in it. Actually everyone I met was doing more public health than lab research. ( could be my host's friends--DK) They also have programs in underserved communities and you can work there. Actually I can't remember the details. I was a bit ( HA HA) nervous and it was all rushed-- But I am sure about what I told you. And it felt real different than some of the ivies I interviewed at that felt too traditional and hard ass to students.
 
Apologies if this has been addressed previously, but why is there such a long period of time between submitting the secondary and having your file marked complete? Are they reviewing the materials during that time as well? Thanks :)
 
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Hey guys, I interviewed at Hopkins in late September, and they said they'd give me a decision in early December; is it worth it/normal to send them an email reaffirming my interest in their school before they send out my admission decision? I've heard if the admissions committee sees you're really interested in the school they may take that into consideration (i.e. if they have two identical people, they'll admit the one who seems to genuinely want to go there.) Just thought I'd see your thoughts. Thanks!
 
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NewMedGuy said:
Hey guys, I interviewed at Hopkins in late September, and they said they'd give me a decision in early December; is it worth it/normal to send them an email reaffirming my interest in their school before they send out my admission decision? I've heard if the admissions committee sees you're really interested in the school they may take that into consideration (i.e. if they have two identical people, they'll admit the one who seems to genuinely want to go there.) Just thought I'd see your thoughts. Thanks!
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If you have a significant update you can send it but merely expressing interest is unnecessary and won’t help; they already know you are interested because you applied and interviewed.
 
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Does anyone know if the airport is open 24/7? The flight I'm looking at is for the next morning after my interview around 6am, so I was thinking that I would just chill at the airport until then. Thoughts on this?
 
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LA_Doc said:
Does anyone know if the airport is open 24/7? The flight I'm looking at is for the next morning after my interview around 6am, so I was thinking that I would just chill at the airport until then. Thoughts on this?
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Yep! It is opened 24/7.
 
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LA_Doc said:
Does anyone know if the airport is open 24/7? The flight I'm looking at is for the next morning after my interview around 6am, so I was thinking that I would just chill at the airport until then. Thoughts on this?
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Sounds like a brutal night if you ask me, me thinks you won't sleep very well, if at all, and you'll be zonked. You'd probably survive though....
 
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YLA said:
Sounds like a brutal night if you ask me, me thinks you won't sleep very well, if at all, and you'll be zonked. You'd probably survive though....
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Yeah I probably won't sleep much/at all, but I'll try to get some shuteye on the plane ride back to the west coast. Gotta do what you gotta do when money is tight.
 
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LA_Doc said:
Yeah I probably won't sleep much/at all, but I'll try to get some shuteye on the plane ride back to the west coast. Gotta do what you gotta do when money is tight.
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Oh boy, I totally agree! I've just begun my interview travel arrangements, and my piggybank is beyond broken. This application cycle has cost me about 5 grand thus far. They should have student loans just for the apps! I hear from others that this is normal though, so I get you loud and clear, cheaper is definitely better. Good luck with your travels!

Edit: This prompted me to check on my med-school expenditure; I'm in over 6 grand, dear God! I haven't even been to a single interview yet! I may just follow your lead and begin to sleep in airports....

Edit #2: I just realized my calculations were in CAD. In USD, I'm still below the 5 thousand mark. I guess just in case anyone in the future wants to get a sense of what's involved.
 
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Hey folks! Do you guys think that folks who interviewed in v early November may hear back in the December round of decisions? or do you think we'd hear back late Jan/early Feb?

Thanks!
 
tonyrt said:
Hey folks! Do you guys think that folks who interviewed in v early November may hear back in the December round of decisions? or do you think we'd hear back late Jan/early Feb?

Thanks!
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During my interview late October they announced the cut off was the end of October for December decisions and interview dates after that day would occur in 2018.
 
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If we mentioned a new job/an anecdote during our interview, should we still submit a formal update letter (with more details) to make sure it will be fully represented in our file? I'm not even sure where to ask if this is appropriate or not haha
 
:slap:
tikisqueeky said:
During my interview late October they announced the cut off was the end of October for December decisions and interview dates after that day would occur in 2018.
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SO they send the first round out in December, Does anyone know what the possibilities are; Accept (!), Reject, Waitlist or Deferred?
 
It's still really far away, but does anyone know if they send emails or call? Or do we need to check the portal? Or do they send an email to check the portal?

This wait is killing me! I interviewed nearly three months ago and it feels like it's been forever :help:
 
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It feels like forever because it is forever! :uhno:

Let's hope its worth the wait for us both:bow:
 
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gradschooltoMD said:
It's still really far away, but does anyone know if they send emails or call? Or do we need to check the portal? Or do they send an email to check the portal?

This wait is killing me! I interviewed nearly three months ago and it feels like it's been forever :help:
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Send email to check the portal with decision.
 
II earlier today. Complete late August. They gave me a date in January
 
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Got an email saying my 'decision was available to be viewed' for md-phd yet there was nothing in the portal and the admissions office is not open thursday/friday. Rejection?
 
dizzy18 said:
Got an email saying my 'decision was available to be viewed' for md-phd yet there was nothing in the portal and the admissions office is not open thursday/friday. Rejection?
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Check now. It is available now. Rejection for me!
 
dizzy18 said:
Got an email saying my 'decision was available to be viewed' for md-phd yet there was nothing in the portal and the admissions office is not open thursday/friday. Rejection?
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Didn't work for me in chrome but worked in firefox. was rejection
 
When your post-interview decision comes in two weeks...
tenor.gif
 
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lol_new_user said:
I believe these are post interview
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I think this is about the time that pre-interview rejections went out last year. Post-interview rejections and waitlists went out right after acceptances in mid-December.

I’m so impatient to hear something!!
 
gradschooltoMD said:
I think this is about the time that pre-interview rejections went out last year. Post-interview rejections and waitlists went out right after acceptances in mid-December.

I’m so impatient to hear something!!
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Oh so then that means that basically if you hear something from them at this point it’s a rejection if the mail doesn’t say “interview invite”
 
gradschooltoMD said:
I think this is about the time that pre-interview rejections went out last year. Post-interview rejections and waitlists went out right after acceptances in mid-December.

I’m so impatient to hear something!!
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So is it only one wave? Or multiple waves of these pre-interview rejections? ANd are these only MD Phd or MDs as well?
 
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How do you see you status? All I have is a basic landing page that has my submission date and the receipt for my application fee. If I click on my application and into "Check your Application," it says thank you for your interest but the deadline has passed for application, and with no info on my status. Is this the same for everyone? I received an application complete email, but wondering if I should maybe email them...
 
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SPmasters2010 said:
How do you see you status? All I have is a basic landing page that has my submission date and the receipt for my application fee. If I click on my application and into "Check your Application," it says thank you for your interest but the deadline has passed for application, and with no info on my status. Is this the same for everyone? I received an application complete email, but wondering if I should maybe email them...
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I have the same status. I believe it is just indicating the deadline to submit secondary has passed
 
When I interviewed in September, they told us we would hear a decision in December. How early in December do you think we will hear back?
 
SPmasters2010 said:
How do you see you status? All I have is a basic landing page that has my submission date and the receipt for my application fee. If I click on my application and into "Check your Application," it says thank you for your interest but the deadline has passed for application, and with no info on my status. Is this the same for everyone? I received an application complete email, but wondering if I should maybe email them...
Click to expand...


Not sure how many people still have this status, but I believe it indicates that you're still under review. Perhaps those whose statuses are still like that survived the first wave of rejections.
 
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