**2017-2018 URM Medical School Application Thread**

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teamoteamo said:
Which UC's have given out secondaries? Still waiting to hear back from UCSD and UCLA.
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I got UCLA's secondary today. Same prompt as last year but 5 times longer. Each of the 10 prompts have a 4000 character limit--as opposed to 800 characters last year and the year before that. I honestly hope this is an error on UCLA's part lol
 
Avada Cadaver said:
I got UCLA's secondary today. Same prompt as last year but 5 times longer. Each of the 10 prompts have a 4000 character limit--as opposed to 800 characters last year and the year before that. I honestly hope this is an error on UCLA's part lol
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I also hope its an error, but are your secondaries reaching near the word/character limit?
A few of mine are near the limit, but most just use up 2/3 of the limit.

Even if this wasn't a mistake, I don't think any of my responses will be over 1,000 characters haha
 
Ayahuasca said:
I also hope its an error, but are your secondaries reaching near the word/character limit?
A few of mine are near the limit, but most just use up 2/3 of the limit.

Even if this wasn't a mistake, I don't think any of my responses will be over 1,000 characters haha
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I had that problem at first but there are a few where I had to cut down. My problem really isnt writing 4,000 for "A" prompt. but writing that much 9 more times when some of my answers are the same for multiple questions. But as @OchemOficionado said, max characters does not equal required.
 
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Avada Cadaver said:
I got UCLA's secondary today. Same prompt as last year but 5 times longer. Each of the 10 prompts have a 4000 character limit--as opposed to 800 characters last year and the year before that. I honestly hope this is an error on UCLA's part lol
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Good to know, thanks! I still haven't received their's, but I'm drowning, so it's okay lol. I pre-wrote half of their secondary using the 800 character limit, but it is what it is lol. As long as you say what you want within the limits, all will be well. Good luck!
 
Avada Cadaver said:
I had that problem at first but there are a few where I had to cut down. My problem really isnt writing 4,000 for "A" prompt. but writing that much 9 more times when some of my answers are the same for multiple questions. But as @OchemOficionado said, max characters does not equal required.
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Do the secondaries just go to the e-mail linked to your amcas?
 
daxlo said:
Already??? That's great! What school is sending interview invites this early?
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Thanks so much! The school was Wayne State! I definitely wasn't expecting to hear back anything this early! Can't wait to see this thread blow up from everyone's interview invites in the coming weeks and months!!
 
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Just submitted my primary application. Got MCAT score today and did well. I originally wanted to submit early, but decided I should take my time and really make sure I was submitting my best application, as I know you can not change most things after submission. Also, I couldn't really afford to submit it until a couple weeks ago lol. Now time to continue writing secondarys and wait for verification.
 
I want to get gifts for all my letter writers, but I'm not sure what to get them. What would be an appropriate gift?
 
HermioneGrangerMD said:
Just checking in to share that I was fortunate enough to receive two II this past week. So humbled and excited. I'm sick with mono right now which is not the most fun, so this news really brightened my week.

Congrats to everyone, no matter where you are in this process. We're doing it 😀
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Good job!!! What places are giving out interviews this early?
 
Hello everyone. Im an African American male. I graduated with an Bachelors of Applied sciences degree back in 2013, took some time off and got into an Accelerated RN BSN (Bachelor program between 2014-15 then went right on to complete a graduate RN MSN (Master of Science in nursing) program concentrated in Leadership graduate in April 2017. I currently work as a Critical Care nurse in an acute care hospital which has inspired me to work towards taking the MCAT and applying to medical school within the next year. I have developed a strong interest in critical care and truly enjoy the healthcare field.

my cgpa undergrad was 2.5 my bsn program cgpa was 2.8 and my cpa graduate program was 3.17
Im not sure how to specifically calculate my sgpa as there are some retakes. (if anyone can offer some tips or a website that can help me please let me know)
I have started studying for the MCAT using the 2013 tbr books. I have the full set and will be using the pdf file floating around for psych and soc.

As far as research, i did research back in 2011 maybe 2 separate projects havent done anything since.

i feel as though im facing an uphill battle but im not discouraged. I wanted to aim for the october 2017 mcat. My question is if submitting an application this late even worth it or should i wait till next cycle. My personal statement is not even ready.
 
sbking said:
Hello everyone. Im an African American male. I graduated with an Bachelors of Applied sciences degree back in 2013, took some time off and got into an Accelerated RN BSN (Bachelor program between 2014-15 then went right on to complete a graduate RN MSN (Master of Science in nursing) program concentrated in Leadership graduate in April 2017. I currently work as a Critical Care nurse in an acute care hospital which has inspired me to work towards taking the MCAT and applying to medical school within the next year. I have developed a strong interest in critical care and truly enjoy the healthcare field.

my cgpa undergrad was 2.5 my bsn program cgpa was 2.8 and my cpa graduate program was 3.17
Im not sure how to specifically calculate my sgpa as there are some retakes. (if anyone can offer some tips or a website that can help me please let me know)
I have started studying for the MCAT using the 2013 tbr books. I have the full set and will be using the pdf file floating around for psych and soc.

As far as research, i did research back in 2011 maybe 2 separate projects havent done anything since.

i feel as though im facing an uphill battle but im not discouraged. I wanted to aim for the october 2017 mcat. My question is if submitting an application this late even worth it or should i wait till next cycle. My personal statement is not even ready.
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@sbking , I think you do have a chance to get in somewhere but I think you should wait until next May to do your application. Several reasons:
1. Taking the MCAT in October means your scores won't be back until November and that is too late for this cycle
2. You need to get a new set of MCAT study books - the test was revamped in 2015 and those 2013 books are for the old version
3. waiting will give you a chance to get some letters of recommendation together and be able to do your essays carefully and thoughtfully, not in a rush.
 
sbking said:
Hello everyone. Im an African American male. I graduated with an Bachelors of Applied sciences degree back in 2013, took some time off and got into an Accelerated RN BSN (Bachelor program between 2014-15 then went right on to complete a graduate RN MSN (Master of Science in nursing) program concentrated in Leadership graduate in April 2017. I currently work as a Critical Care nurse in an acute care hospital which has inspired me to work towards taking the MCAT and applying to medical school within the next year. I have developed a strong interest in critical care and truly enjoy the healthcare field.

my cgpa undergrad was 2.5 my bsn program cgpa was 2.8 and my cpa graduate program was 3.17
Im not sure how to specifically calculate my sgpa as there are some retakes. (if anyone can offer some tips or a website that can help me please let me know)
I have started studying for the MCAT using the 2013 tbr books. I have the full set and will be using the pdf file floating around for psych and soc.

As far as research, i did research back in 2011 maybe 2 separate projects havent done anything since.

i feel as though im facing an uphill battle but im not discouraged. I wanted to aim for the october 2017 mcat. My question is if submitting an application this late even worth it or should i wait till next cycle. My personal statement is not even ready.
Click to expand...

I agree with the above poster. Take your MCAT in October and apply May 2018. I have delayed my application years longer than I originally intended, and honestly I'm so glad I did. It's a long process, but at least for me, there's no reason to rush it. You'll save yourself stress, worry, and money if you apply next cycle and strengthen your application in the meantime.
 
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Does anyone on here who is planning to take the MCAT need review books? I have the Kaplan 7 subject set (like new condition) that I'm trying to get rid of. If you pay the shipping from California, they're yours. Send me a message. Also, I'd prefer they go to someone who can't easily afford the expense of books. I know how the costs for this process add up. I'll go with an honor system on this - please keep others in mind. 🙂

EDIT: The books have gone.
 
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Hello fellow URMs!!!

I have been a long term lurker and just started posting recently. I watched the URM application thread last year, and there were some amazing stories of success.

I was fortunate enough to receive multiple acceptances and multiple huge scholarship offers, so I would be glad to answer any questions and offer any advice that I can. I feel like SDN, and especially the URM thread we're so instrumental to my success, that I would like to pay it forward.

Congratulations to all those who are already receiving early IIs and good luck to everyone. I hope all of you receive multiple acceptances in the end.🙂
 
Troll-like receptor 4 said:
Hello fellow URMs!!!

I have been a long term lurker and just started posting recently. I watched the URM application thread last year, and there were some amazing stories of success.

I was fortunate enough to receive multiple acceptances and multiple huge scholarship offers, so I would be glad to answer any questions and offer any advice that I can. I feel like SDN, and especially the URM thread we're so instrumental to my success, that I would like to pay it forward.

Congratulations to all those who are already receiving early IIs and good luck to everyone. I hope all of you receive multiple acceptances in the end.🙂
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How were you able to get multiple scholarship offers? Did you get accepted to multiple schools and basically have them compete with one another?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Upstage said:
How were you able to get multiple scholarship offers? Did you get accepted to multiple schools and basically have them compete with one another?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Click to expand...

One school gave me a full tuition scholarship. I used this to get a higher ranked school to match the offer, and I was completely surprised that it even worked. I honestly didn't think I was that special of an applicant to even warrant scholarship money. I was all set to go to this school until another school came with an even bigger offer, and this is where I decided to go.

None of them came with the acceptance. All scholarships came after I turned in financial aid info, even though they were all referred to as merit scholarships. I guess different schools send them out in different ways.
 
BurntFlower said:
I gave one of my LOR writers a sunflower today. She really liked it, so thank you!
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I thought of getting them Starbucks gift cards, but I ended up settling for just coming to their offices and thanking them. Telling them about my success and the critical role they played in it seemed to give them enough satisfaction. I'm sure all letter writers feel this way.
 
sbking said:
Hello everyone. Im an African American male. I graduated with an Bachelors of Applied sciences degree back in 2013, took some time off and got into an Accelerated RN BSN (Bachelor program between 2014-15 then went right on to complete a graduate RN MSN (Master of Science in nursing) program concentrated in Leadership graduate in April 2017. I currently work as a Critical Care nurse in an acute care hospital which has inspired me to work towards taking the MCAT and applying to medical school within the next year. I have developed a strong interest in critical care and truly enjoy the healthcare field.

my cgpa undergrad was 2.5 my bsn program cgpa was 2.8 and my cpa graduate program was 3.17
Im not sure how to specifically calculate my sgpa as there are some retakes. (if anyone can offer some tips or a website that can help me please let me know)
I have started studying for the MCAT using the 2013 tbr books. I have the full set and will be using the pdf file floating around for psych and soc.

As far as research, i did research back in 2011 maybe 2 separate projects havent done anything since.

i feel as though im facing an uphill battle but im not discouraged. I wanted to aim for the october 2017 mcat. My question is if submitting an application this late even worth it or should i wait till next cycle. My personal statement is not even ready.
Click to expand...

It's great to see that you are not discouraged by past failures and you're looking to redeem yourself. Welcome to the URM application thread! 🙂

The first question I would have is if you have taken any of the science prereqs. Medical schools don't count nursing major science prereqs as equivalent to med school prereqs, so you would have to take the classes that are taken by science majors.

If this is the situation you are in, this would be my advice

Don't take the MCAT just yet. I would wait until you take the prereqs so you can have a really strong foundation in the sciences. I really want to make sure you are as prepared for that exam as possible. I have seen too many friends/acquaintances underestimate the MCAT or study poorly, only to fail miserably and severely diminish their chances of an acceptance.

I suggest doing a formal postbacc, or if finances are an issue, do a DYI at a state school. After this, I would recommend Khan Academy and the Kaplan 7-book set for review. I would also do all 3 AAMC tests plus at least 7 others (cannot recommend Kaplan or Princeton). Do not take that exam unless you are consistently hitting your average score. I've seen people bomb practice exams and hope for a miracle on test day, and it never happens.

When the time comes to apply, do not rule out DO schools.

Sorry for the long post, and good luck on everything!
 
Thank you so much for your advice. i appreciate any advice and from anyone here. I actually have all of the classes from the first degree i just have to retake physics 2 (passed the lab ith a B got a D in lecture). I had a rough time with the physical sciences( chem o chem (A's B' [didnt learn any material]; i wasnt the best in physics but once i go over it i think ill be ok) the first go round never really grasped them. Ive taken genetics, biochem, immunology, pharmacology (general and nursing I almost feel like taking chem/ochem again but at this point i feel that would be redundant. I am hoping that if i work on the kaplan review books and the practice Mcats I can have a good enough grasp to be successful on the mcat. Ive also looked into uworld mcat prep as it was very helpful for my nclex rn exam and the mcat disciples mcat online prep. Im looking more towards a january mcat as through research i found that the last date for 2017 is sept9. I definitely wont be ready for that. So im going to take the time and focus on the mcat.
 
sbking said:
Thank you so much for your advice. i appreciate any advice and from anyone here. I actually have all of the classes from the first degree i just have to retake physics 2 (passed the lab ith a B got a D in lecture). I had a rough time with the physical sciences( chem o chem (A's B' [didnt learn any material]; i wasnt the best in physics but once i go over it i think ill be ok) the first go round never really grasped them. Ive taken genetics, biochem, immunology, pharmacology (general and nursing I almost feel like taking chem/ochem again but at this point i feel that would be redundant. I am hoping that if i work on the kaplan review books and the practice Mcats I can have a good enough grasp to be successful on the mcat. Ive also looked into uworld mcat prep as it was very helpful for my nclex rn exam and the mcat disciples mcat online prep. Im looking more towards a january mcat as through research i found that the last date for 2017 is sept9. I definitely wont be ready for that. So im going to take the time and focus on the mcat.
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I agree with the last poster, I think with your current GPAs you either need to KILL the MCAT which even then with your GPAs mainly DOs would look at you. I think the better course of action is taking at least 2 semesters of classes and get close to 4.0 as you can to show medical schools you can handle yourself in a classroom. Then after taking those classes you will be even more ready to take the MCAT. Plus you're URM, so if you can get your cGPA to a 3.0 that would help you a lot and if you do well enough on the MCAT, MD could become a possibility. I was in a similar spot as you and it took me 2 1/2 years to get ready to apply (post-bacc and MCAT) but it is a struggle and that is two extra years of working towards something that is not guaranteed. Its not the route for everyone but if you think you couldn't wait another 2 years then go with your own route of just studying for the MCAT.
 
Hey everyone,

I am fairly new to this, and I just wanted to say I am loving the encouraging and supportive vibes. I was wondering if I can get your feedback on my profile.

Background: Hispanic, Male.
Metrics: LizzyM 65 MCAT 1st try: 501, MCAT 2nd try: 506
Volunteering: Did service trips, mostly focused on health.
Clinical Experience: Did two summer internships
Leadership: Was in student government
Research: Did a summer of clinical research, also currently doing some for my masters thesis. No lab/bench research though. 🙁
Work Experience: Worked as a tutor and mentor throughout college, also did some lifeguarding.
Extracurricular: Have been part of student cultural groups.
School List:
Rochester, Columbia, Miami, Dartmouth, Northwestern, Loyola, CU, Ohio, GW, Chapel Hill, UCLA, Wayne State.
Thoughts/Concerns: I have already submitted my primary and secondary apps to all the schools (except UCLA, haven't received it yet). I do feel ready, however, I am concerned about my MCAT since I took it twice and it wasn't much of an improvement. I am considered starting to do some DO applications or maybe just taking another year to study for MCAT and take it a third time. Any thoughts? Much love and positivity everyone.
 
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I'm hoping to receive some instate love. Thank God Illinois has so many schools :banana:

Also do you of you all have a preference for allopathic or osteopathic medicine and why?
 
Troll-like receptor 4 said:
One school gave me a full tuition scholarship. I used this to get a higher ranked school to match the offer, and I was completely surprised that it even worked. I honestly didn't think I was that special of an applicant to even warrant scholarship money. I was all set to go to this school until another school came with an even bigger offer, and this is where I decided to go.

None of them came with the acceptance. All scholarships came after I turned in financial aid info, even though they were all referred to as merit scholarships. I guess different schools send them out in different ways.
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Can you please elaborate on your stats you applied with i.e. Metrics, attributes, experiences? That is awesome by the way, congrats
 
Sa!yan said:
Hey everyone,

I am fairly new to this, and I just wanted to say I am loving the encouraging and supportive vibes. I was wondering if I can get your feedback on my profile.

Background: Hispanic, Male. First gen student from rural and medically underserved area. Fluent in Spanish and English.
Metrics: LizzyM: 65, cUGRD GPA: 3.68, sUGRD GPA: 3.59, cGRAD GPA: 3.9, sGRAD GPA: 4.0 MCAT 1st try: 501, MCAT 2nd try: 506
Volunteering: Did local, national and international service trips, mostly focused on health and human rights. Also did small projects here and there with some volunteer groups.
Clinical Experience: Did two summer internships, one in primary care another in general surgery, also have EMT and WFR cert but never practiced.
Leadership: Was in student government and other University wide councils, have been a board member for two non-profits.
Research: Did a summer of clinical research, also currently doing some for my masters thesis. No lab/bench research though. 🙁
Work Experience: Worked as a tutor and mentor throughout college, also did some lifeguarding. Currently contracted by the state doing health policy work.
Extracurricular: Have been part of many student cultural groups, have also started and help found a few student orgs. Play music, poet, and competed in my men's basketball league.
School List:
Rochester, Columbia, Miami, Dartmouth, Northwestern, Loyola, CU, Ohio, GW, Chapel Hill, UCLA, Wayne State
Thoughts/Concerns: I have already submitted my primary and secondary apps to all the schools (except UCLA, haven't received it yet). I took two years off from undergrad to complete a masters degree. I do feel ready, however, I am concerned about my MCAT since I took it twice and it wasn't much of an improvement. I am considered starting to do some DO applications or maybe just taking another year to study for MCAT and take it a third time. Any thoughts? Much love and positivity everyone.
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Welcome to the thread!

You have a pretty solid GPA, especially with your grad school work. The MCAT seems to be your only glaring weakness. For MD schools, the first score may work against you, because some schools average. I would add more low tier schools like Tulane, the "Philly triplets", Wake Forest, the HBCUs, and any state schools.

I would also throw in at least 5 DO schools also.

Good luck and keep us updated.
 
Sa!yan said:
Can you please elaborate on your stats you applied with i.e. Metrics, attributes, experiences? That is awesome by the way, congrats
Click to expand...

I can't reveal too much due to anonymity, so:

MCAT: 516-519
GPA: 3.2-3.5
Some research, no pubs
Demonstrated service towards underserved minorities

Applied primarily to east cost schools, from top 20s to low tier
 
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rosemilk said:
Just popping in to send you guys some good vibes as this cycle starts to ramp up! Such an exciting time 😍
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One of my good friends will be joining you at DGSOM this year (well technically already joined since you guys already started? lol). I'm praying to all the deities I get some LA love this cycle haha
 
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