2017-2018 Wake Forest University

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Hey everyone- current M3. TBH, we're all still unsure of what this "unranking" means. Wake has gone through a lot (albeit, very positive) curriculum changes since I started as an M1. In terms of rank, I think my classmates thiiiiiink there is some kind of internal rank. But when it comes to AOA, there are a lot of politics that also go into it. It will be interesting to see how my classmates get chosen. This time last year, the class of 2018 junior AOA was announced and we have heard nothing of the sort this year for 2019. I assume 3rd year grades will play a big role. But also, everyone wants AOA, its really hard to get. Life does not end when you don't have it.

Also some more unsolicited advice: As someone who is matching in less than a year, the focus has been on residency. I have been stalking many places match lists and they're honestly all very impressive. People match to big name programs in very competitive fields from every school you can think of (including unranked). Something to keep in mind when choosing your school, know that it will be easier to match at your home institution and in that geographic area. Sometimes its about geography > "ranking" of the school. Residency programs care a lot about where you went to undergrad and med school (as well as where your roots are) rather than its actual ranking in US news. All in all, if you want to make something happen, make it happen!!! You are NOT shut out from anywhere or anything based on where you go to school. Just be realistic on who you are and push your limits, find good mentorship, and KICK BUTT!

Happy to answer more questions as I procrastinate on shelf studying :)
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I can't make it to second look this weekend. Would love it if any attendees could share their thoughts here once all is said and done. :)
 
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penguinperson725 said:
Hey everyone- current M3. TBH, we're all still unsure of what this "unranking" means. Wake has gone through a lot (albeit, very positive) curriculum changes since I started as an M1. In terms of rank, I think my classmates thiiiiiink there is some kind of internal rank. But when it comes to AOA, there are a lot of politics that also go into it. It will be interesting to see how my classmates get chosen. This time last year, the class of 2018 junior AOA was announced and we have heard nothing of the sort this year for 2019. I assume 3rd year grades will play a big role. But also, everyone wants AOA, its really hard to get. Life does not end when you don't have it.

Also some more unsolicited advice: As someone who is matching in less than a year, the focus has been on residency. I have been stalking many places match lists and they're honestly all very impressive. People match to big name programs in very competitive fields from every school you can think of (including unranked). Something to keep in mind when choosing your school, know that it will be easier to match at your home institution and in that geographic area. Sometimes its about geography > "ranking" of the school. Residency programs care a lot about where you went to undergrad and med school (as well as where your roots are) rather than its actual ranking in US news. All in all, if you want to make something happen, make it happen!!! You are NOT shut out from anywhere or anything based on where you go to school. Just be realistic on who you are and push your limits, find good mentorship, and KICK BUTT!

Happy to answer more questions as I procrastinate on shelf studying :)
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Hi, as an M3- is there anything negative about the school you wish you knew before matriculating?
 
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Sidthekiddd said:
Hi, as an M3- is there anything negative about the school you wish you knew before matriculating?
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Great question. I can answer this in a few ways:
Personally: I’m not from the area and really missed my friends and family a TON. You make friends in school but you need support outside of the school too. The dating pool is also on the smaller side, a lot of the school is either married or in serious relationships.

Professionally: a lot of what I would have said is actually being fixed. The new curriculum will add a lot more time to 4th year scheduling to do more electives, more aways (you take step 1 of February of M2 instead of April which I think is a great idea- preclinical is now shorter). I have also been frustrated by the hand holding. For some this is a positive, but I would prefer to be left alone more (ie we have a deadline to take step 2 by September and that could actually hurt some people applying to competitive specialties but that’s a discussion for a later time lol). I think some people would complain about the preclinical courses “not teaching to step enough”, but I have friends at schools all over the country including the big ones up north and none of them were ever pleased with their courses “teaching to step” lol. But I’ve honestly have had great support from people here. I’ve had beyond words can express amazing mentorship and I feel ready to succeed for residency applications and beyond.

If I think of more I’ll post, but they’ve really made some good changes going forward. Some other things I thought about saying more have to do with classmates, and it’s definitely a gamble who you’re gonna get hahaha. You find your people and do your thing. It’s great to make friends but you’re here for a purpose and the lines get reallllyyyyy shady when you have to work with, party with, date with, (and trust to become a doctor) the same people for 4 years. So some more advice is to just really do your best to separate personal vs professional (and that’s another reason why I strongly feel like you need to go to med school where you have family and friends away from the situation when you need it and those lines get blurred).

I hope this is helpful. And again, just one persons opinion, I don’t speak for everyone here lol.
 
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penguinperson725 said:
Great question. I can answer this in a few ways:
Personally: I’m not from the area and really missed my friends and family a TON. You make friends in school but you need support outside of the school too. The dating pool is also on the smaller side, a lot of the school is either married or in serious relationships.

Professionally: a lot of what I would have said is actually being fixed. The new curriculum will add a lot more time to 4th year scheduling to do more electives, more aways (you take step 1 of February of M2 instead of April which I think is a great idea- preclinical is now shorter). I have also been frustrated by the hand holding. For some this is a positive, but I would prefer to be left alone more (ie we have a deadline to take step 2 by September and that could actually hurt some people applying to competitive specialties but that’s a discussion for a later time lol). I think some people would complain about the preclinical courses “not teaching to step enough”, but I have friends at schools all over the country including the big ones up north and none of them were ever pleased with their courses “teaching to step” lol. But I’ve honestly have had great support from people here. I’ve had beyond words can express amazing mentorship and I feel ready to succeed for residency applications and beyond.

If I think of more I’ll post, but they’ve really made some good changes going forward. Some other things I thought about saying more have to do with classmates, and it’s definitely a gamble who you’re gonna get hahaha. You find your people and do your thing. It’s great to make friends but you’re here for a purpose and the lines get reallllyyyyy shady when you have to work with, party with, date with, (and trust to become a doctor) the same people for 4 years. So some more advice is to just really do your best to separate personal vs professional (and that’s another reason why I strongly feel like you need to go to med school where you have family and friends away from the situation when you need it and those lines get blurred).

I hope this is helpful. And again, just one persons opinion, I don’t speak for everyone here lol.
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Thanks for answering questions! I’m really hoping to find a good mentor while in med school. It sounds like Wake is a good school for this. Do they try to help you determine what specialty to go into, how to get involved in research, etc.? What are your favorite aspects of the school?


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DBC03 said:
Thanks for answering questions! I’m really hoping to find a good mentor while in med school. It sounds like Wake is a good school for this. Do they try to help you determine what specialty to go into, how to get involved in research, etc.? What are your favorite aspects of the school?
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Absolutely, I’m very happy to pay it forward! It’s what we do in medicine :)
Yes there are a lot of ways to expose yourself. There’s good ole do it yourself and email people to shadow and there are also interest group talks and also orientation lectures that have guest docs come talk to you. I think there is definitely a level of “do it yourself” but there are plenty of resources and people you can ask. There are always upperclassmen at the minimum (I gotchu).
When it comes to specialties and research (no matter where you decide to go to school), if even an inkling of you might want to do something like Ortho, Derm, Rad Onc, neurosurgery, ENT, Ophtho (etc), get involved in that research ASAP! Because even if you don’t do it in the end, at least you have research and you set yourself up for success :). School is your #1 priority but definitely make yourself seen early if that’s maybe what you want so you can eventually get pubs and good letters. But even if you’re interested in a less competitive specialty, the best programs are very very competitive, just as competitive as any ENT program, so it would be worthwhile to keep that in mind too.
I know it seems overwhelming, but this is the reality. I think starting early and thinking about it early can set you up for success with less stress later on. Just my $0.02.
 
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Current M1 @ Wake; can't wait to meet you guys! Congrats!!!!
 
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@Pathdocmd we received info about the internal rankings being eliminated completely at second look. In light of this, can you explain how AOA membership is determined at Wake Forest? Thanks!


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Sawbones_11 said:
@Pathdocmd we received info about the internal rankings being eliminated completely at second look. In light of this, can you explain how AOA membership is determined at Wake Forest? Thanks!


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Since there is no ranking it comes down to a thumb wrestling contest with the ortho residents... I'll look into it and get back to you.
 
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Sawbones_11 said:
@Pathdocmd we received info about the internal rankings being eliminated completely at second look. In light of this, can you explain how AOA membership is determined at Wake Forest? Thanks!
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M3s received word that junior AOA is based only on USMLE (step 1) (only 4 people get this, you’re nominated if you’re in the top 25%)
I assume senior is USMLE and year 3 grades.
 
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I just received my financial aid package! Although, the information contained is somewhat disappointing...
 
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Frame said:
I just received my financial aid package! Although, the information contained is somewhat disappointing...
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I also received my financial aid package. Can't wait to see y'all in July!
 
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Frame said:
I just received my financial aid package! Although, the information contained is somewhat disappointing...
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Same. :\ I'll be withdrawing. Hope my seat goes to one of you on the WL!
 
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It said to inform them if you intend on matriculating for the class of 2022. If you’re planning to defer but attend specifically this school, what is the right response.
 
MedicusQuackus said:
It said to inform them if you intend on matriculating for the class of 2022. If you’re planning to defer but attend specifically this school, what is the right response.
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Have you not told them about wanting to defer yet? That's a pretty significant thing that you should definitely request from admissions ASAP.
 
tiramisucheese said:
Have you not told them about wanting to defer yet? That's a pretty significant thing that you should definitely request from admissions ASAP.
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Thank you. I didn’t realize I had to do this since I’m still on the waitlist. I’ll call them later on and see what’s up.
 
MedicusQuackus said:
Thank you. I didn’t realize I had to do this since I’m still on the waitlist. I’ll call them later on and see what’s up.
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You typically cannot get a deferment unless you have an exceptional reason (health, military service). Of course I don’t know your situation and it may be warranted, but from my understanding they are exceedingly difficult to secure. That said, if you are on the WL it’s unlikely that they will offer you a spot if they know you are going to defer, so it makes sense from an outsiders perspective that you haven’t told anyone thus far.


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MedicusQuackus said:
Thank you. I didn’t realize I had to do this since I’m still on the waitlist. I’ll call them later on and see what’s up.
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Yeah, I was under the impression that you were already accepted. Wait until getting accepted before starting that conversation.
 
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Sawbones_11 said:
You typically cannot get a deferment unless you have an exceptional reason (health, military service). Of course I don’t know your situation and it may be warranted, but from my understanding they are exceedingly difficult to secure. That said, if you are on the WL it’s unlikely that they will offer you a spot if they know you are going to defer, so it makes sense from an outsiders perspective that you haven’t told anyone thus far.


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We are pretty liberal in granting deferments. You are probably going to be in medicine for the rest of your professional life, so you have something that you need/want to do...do it. Also, for some people an extra year of living life doesn't hurt.
 
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Pathdocmd said:
We are pretty liberal in granting deferments. You are probably going to be in medicine for the rest of your professional life, so you have something that you need/want to do...do it. Also, for some people an extra year of living life doesn't hurt.
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Do you know if there is a deadline for deferments for this application cycle? Some schools have June 1st, but I couldn't find anything for Wake.
 
Pathdocmd said:
We are pretty liberal in granting deferments. You are probably going to be in medicine for the rest of your professional life, so you have something that you need/want to do...do it. Also, for some people an extra year of living life doesn't hurt.
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Wake continues to impress... so glad I have the opportunity to go here.
 
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MedicusQuackus said:
Do you know if there is a deadline for deferments for this application cycle? Some schools have June 1st, but I couldn't find anything for Wake.
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Nothing official (as far as I know), but it makes sense to have one (stay tuned). The last thing we want is to have someone defer days before orientation. Taking people off the wait list requires a committee vote, so it is not something that can happen quickly.
 
Pathdocmd said:
Nothing official (as far as I know), but it makes sense to have one (stay tuned). The last thing we want is to have someone defer days before orientation. Taking people off the wait list requires a committee vote, so it is not something that can happen quickly.
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Your presence on this thread is invaluable!


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Just withdrew from my last two schools. Hoping to see you all in July!
 
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It was a hard decision, but I withdrew my acceptance this morning! Good luck y'all!!
 
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I know the decision must have weighed on you!
Good luck with your future endeavors :)
Congratulations!
 
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I wonder if Pathdocmd would have any update on the current state of the waitlist, and when the next committee meeting would be!? :thinking:
 
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If there aren’t that many empty spots by now, that would mean that we’re relying on people getting accepted off the waitlist somewhere else and freeing up spots at WF. This is disappointing considering this is my dream school :(.
 
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^ I've got to say, of all the bad news I've gotten from this cycle, this probably hit me the hardest.

No offense to you, Pathdocmd.
 
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Pathdocmd said:
We don't have that many empty spots right now. Stay tuned...
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But on the bright side, he/she didn't say they don't have any empty spots at the moment.

350.png
 
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Pathdocmd said:
We don't have that many empty spots right now. Stay tuned...
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Thanks for the update. Can you provide any additional context as to what "that many" means? Are there fewer spots than previous years, and will you still be having a meeting to accept a large group of students? Also, does that mean you expect more spots to open up in the coming weeks?
 
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the devil's advocate said:
Thanks for the update. Can you provide any additional context as to what "that many" means? Are there fewer spots than previous years, and will you still be having a meeting to accept a large group of students? Also, does that mean you expect more spots to open up in the coming weeks?
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We will be having a meeting to accept more applicants, but I can't say until that evening. I assume that there will be more withdrawals in the coming weeks, but I can't predict how many.
 
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Pathdocmd said:
We will be having a meeting to accept more applicants, but I can't say until that evening. I assume that there will be more withdrawals in the coming weeks, but I can't predict how many.
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I literally just noticed the smiley face in that profile picture...

On another note, do you happen to know the odds of receiving any scholarships before (or after) launch or has the scholarship award period passed?
 
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So the Admissions Comittee met on this day last year to accept more applicants off the waitlist. Anyone have any idea if we’re following the same trend this year?
 
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Has anyone been admitted of the waitlist since December?
 
Tryrosine said:
Has anyone been admitted of the waitlist since December?
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I interviewed in January, was waitlisted in early February, and accepted March 1. Recently withdrew my acceptance though, so good luck to you all.
 
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I know some schools allow you to apply to other schools the following year if you defer. Does anyone know Wake Forest's policy on this? I have not been accepted, nor do I know if I would defer if I was lucky enough to be accepted. I am just trying to gather more information.
 
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