2019-2020 Howard

BU Medical Sciences
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
I was interviewed and recently WL. I received the COVID email from Dr. Rose.
 
Just got an II today! I've basically already committed to another program since it's so late but I figure there's no harm in hearing their pitch esp now that it's virtual. Although this was originally my first choice in the cycle, my enthusiasm for this program waned over the long arc of this application cycle for several reasons I won't detail. Best of luck to those still waiting to hear back. I didn't hear anything about how many IIs are left.

FWIW, the sibling of a close personal friend is an RD at what many would consider an "elite/competitive" residency program and advised that HUCM is viewed about the same as Caribbean and other international schools. If it didn't work out for you this cycle here, I would definitely explore those options as an alternative. Stay safe out there!
 
suspiriadeprofundis said:
Just got an II today! I've basically already committed to another program since it's so late but I figure there's no harm in hearing their pitch esp now that it's virtual. Although this was originally my first choice in the cycle, my enthusiasm for this program waned over the long arc of this application cycle for several reasons I won't detail. Best of luck to those still waiting to hear back. I didn't hear anything about how many IIs are left.

FWIW, the sibling of a close personal friend is an RD at what many would consider an "elite/competitive" residency program and advised that HUCM is viewed about the same as Caribbean and other international schools. If it didn't work out for you this cycle here, I would definitely explore those options as an alternative. Stay safe out there!
Click to expand...
What time was it sent
 
Hm, I checked my email late this afternoon and it was there, but I changed time zones today a few times so idk what my timestamp reflects. I know I know Coronavirus (imitates Cardi B). Also, how easy do you think it is for someone on adcom to check what time an II was sent today assuming I wasn't the only one to receive one today? I mean I know there's a formal background check that admits consent to, but why wait for that when you can conduct your own using various search engines, public records, and socials?
 
suspiriadeprofundis said:
Hm, I checked my email late this afternoon and it was there, but I changed time zones today a few times so idk what my timestamp reflects. I know I know Coronavirus (imitates Cardi B). Also, how easy do you think it is for someone on adcom to check what time an II was sent today assuming I wasn't the only one to receive one today? I mean I know there's a formal background check that admits consent to, but why wait for that when you can conduct your own using various search engines, public records, and socials?
Click to expand...

your background check is a criminal one. They don’t necessarily care if you had nighT of 5 Hennessys lol
 
Did anyone else just get an interview invite!! I'm incredibly excited - my stomach dropped to the ground. They are conducting virtual interviews via Zoom for the remainder of the cycle. I received another interview invite this week and that other school is doing the same thing.
 
Locddoc said:
I was interviewed and recently WL. I received the COVID email from Dr. Rose.
Click to expand...
Wishing you the best of luck in your application cycle - hoping you are accepted (if you haven't been already) or that you have movement off of the waitlist! I'm guessing my upcoming interview may result in the same since I'm sure their class was technically filled since the early winter. How long did it take for the admissions committee to make a decision?
 
mandyads said:
Wishing you the best of luck in your application cycle - hoping you are accepted (if you haven't been already) or that you have movement off of the waitlist! I'm guessing my upcoming interview may result in the same since I'm sure their class was technically filled since the early winter. How long did it take for the admissions committee to make a decision?
Click to expand...
It took about three weeks
 
mandyads said:
Did anyone else just get an interview invite!! I'm incredibly excited - my stomach dropped to the ground. They are conducting virtual interviews via Zoom for the remainder of the cycle. I received another interview invite this week and that other school is doing the same thing.
Click to expand...
congrats!!! giving me hope!!!
 
mandyads said:
Did anyone else just get an interview invite!! I'm incredibly excited - my stomach dropped to the ground. They are conducting virtual interviews via Zoom for the remainder of the cycle. I received another interview invite this week and that other school is doing the same thing.
Click to expand...

I got an interview invite yesterday! Looks like it will be an all day just like regular, just conducted on Zoom. Just like someone posted earlier, my interest in Howard dwindled because they've taken so long to get back to me - I'm still on the fence.
 
brownskindoc said:
I got an interview invite yesterday! Looks like it will be an all day just like regular, just conducted on Zoom. Just like someone posted earlier, my interest in Howard dwindled because they've taken so long to get back to me - I'm still on the fence.
Click to expand...

lol yeah not bitter. But seriously though, I worry that I wouldn't feel the same about matriculating even if I were offered a spot even if some percentage of our classmates were similarly situated. I think COVID-19 could mean a couple of things for this cycle:
1. Higher yield on IIs because there's no real cost
2. Lower yield on acceptance overall because students may not want to study in a densely populated area with greater transmission risk and less opportunity to visit campus and meet people for those who didn't make it to Open House. I attended and like most great things- they're much better in person- compared against their virtual footprint.

On the other hand, I've heard that medical schools don't take kindly to applicants declining any offer because they believe they can do better so that they can reapply with cosmetic changes. Specifically, I've heard the word "blackballed". Tho, I don't think Howard subscribes to any Masonic traditions, it certainly wouldn't be very hard to locate an applicant's name from AMCAS' admitted students list regardless of whether a school requests this information.

Anyway, I'll still come to the virtual cookout this year but not sure how long I can stay.
 
Last edited:
Aktak said:
I worked on a Liberal Arts degree many years ago. Part of the poor grades were from being active duty military at the same time and being in the field (so not able to always go to class or do hw). I had two semesters that were filled with nothing but F’s as a result of having to leave school for life but after the withdraw deadlines. So, my GPA from that time period is probably about a 2.0. I also had to leave school with only a semester left to complete my philosophy degree. Very frustrating at the time, but hindsight is 20/20.

Fast forward about 10 years and I went back to school for two science degrees; I have been full-time and maintained a 4.0 GPA over the last 3.5 years.

So, a major upward trend and distinctly different life stages.

But with something around 230 credits, there’s no real budging the cGPA.
Click to expand...
I am also in the military got deployed my senior year! My GPA is a 3.2 how did you explain to them the reason for the low gpa? In your personal statement?
 
brownskindoc said:
I got an interview invite yesterday! Looks like it will be an all day just like regular, just conducted on Zoom. Just like someone posted earlier, my interest in Howard dwindled because they've taken so long to get back to me - I'm still on the fence.
Click to expand...
It's my alma mater, so it's a bit of a different story for me. I've already paid a $2000 deposit since I was accepted early/mid-Fall and could not wait, but I always said "if I hear from Howard or Meharry, it's a wrap."
 
Ylewins24 said:
I am also in the military got deployed my senior year! My GPA is a 3.2 how did you explain to them the reason for the low gpa? In your personal statement?
Click to expand...
You typically explain this in your secondary applications and interviews. A lot of secondary applications have a section dedicated to explaining a low GPA, MCAT, etc. and you’ll likely get asked about it by your interviewers.
 
Ylewins24 said:
I am also in the military got deployed my senior year! My GPA is a 3.2 how did you explain to them the reason for the low gpa? In your personal statement?
Click to expand...
I was never asked the question in an interview. I have two semesters that were 100% F’s. I just explained in my essays that life happened after the withdraw dates, so I had to choose between taking care of family and going to school. I chose family and took the F’s.

I have a very strong upward trend with a 4.0 over the last 4 years and 100 credits. So, that coupled with the high MCAT was good enough to overcome the 2.89 cGPA at plenty of schools.
 
Aktak said:
I was never asked the question in an interview. I have two semesters that were 100% F’s. I just explained in my essays that life happened after the withdraw dates, so I had to choose between taking care of family and going to school. I chose family and took the F’s.

I have a very strong upward trend with a 4.0 over the last 4 years and 100 credits. So, that coupled with the high MCAT was good enough to overcome the 2.89 cGPA at plenty of schools.
Click to expand...
How high was you MCAt @Aktak?

Sent from my LM-G710 using SDN mobile
 
suspiriadeprofundis said:
Just got an II today! I've basically already committed to another program since it's so late but I figure there's no harm in hearing their pitch esp now that it's virtual. Although this was originally my first choice in the cycle, my enthusiasm for this program waned over the long arc of this application cycle for several reasons I won't detail. Best of luck to those still waiting to hear back. I didn't hear anything about how many IIs are left.

FWIW, the sibling of a close personal friend is an RD at what many would consider an "elite/competitive" residency program and advised that HUCM is viewed about the same as Caribbean and other international schools. If it didn't work out for you this cycle here, I would definitely explore those options as an alternative. Stay safe out there!
Click to expand...
Is this how Howard is viewed across the board? I never thought so
 
jamaicangal99 said:
Is this how Howard is viewed across the board? I never thought so
Click to expand...

I honestly have never heard of this (no shade to whoever said it ☺️) . I think that since it’s an HBCU , there is a tendency to view it negatively. I’ve seen many people match to terrific programs, even Plastics ! So, I don’t think that’s the case across the board .
 
purple100dee said:
I honestly have never heard of this (no shade to whoever said it ☺) . I think that since it’s an HBCU , there is a tendency to view it negatively. I’ve seen many people match to terrific programs, even Plastics ! So, I don’t think that’s the case across the board .
Click to expand...


It's the work you put in. If you're a lousy student at Harvard, UCLA, Baylor, or Howard you can't expect much. Not sure why folks think that the school hands you a platter directly. I'm sure it opens doors but it's not indicative of your success.

If you have doubts about attending Howard's interview then don't accept it. I'm sure there is someone else reading these responses hoping for an interview.
 
futuredrmrs said:
Does any one have the 2020 match results for Howard?
Click to expand...
So, I just saw this post on Howard’s COM 2023 Class! This is this year’s match results, I think!!! I feel pretty confident with Howard, afterwards!
 

Attachments

  • 7A6C43D9-109D-4DCE-B729-04A88DCC7657.jpeg
    7A6C43D9-109D-4DCE-B729-04A88DCC7657.jpeg
    50.2 KB · Views: 307
Let me be clear: I was not trying to come for Howard nor was anyone trying to shade their distinguished program. I think this person was referring to her own impression of institutional prestige based on objective measures program directors use to evaluate students (e.g., step scores, grades, etc). I mean there seems to be consensus at the premedical level among adcoms about which metrics make an applicant competitive. So, I kinda feel like it's rational that residencies would match that same energy when looking at newly-minted docs. I think many would agree that this system isn't perfect and that there are always exceptions. Still, this framework seems to be the prevailing thought that is often conflated with "quality". I agree people do tend to come for HBCUs more often, but that was not my intention or perspective.

However, with most med schools having P/F grading and Step 1 going P/F, the landscape appears to be shifting in a way that could place some candidates (intl/D.O.) or groups at a disadvantage ceteris paribus.
 
Last edited:
LegsPainted said:
It's the work you put in. If you're a lousy student at Harvard, UCLA, Baylor, or Howard you can't expect much. Not sure why folks think that the school hands you a platter directly. I'm sure it opens doors but it's not indicative of your success.

If you have doubts about attending Howard's interview then don't accept it. I'm sure there is someone else reading these responses hoping for an interview.
Click to expand...
I agree with all of that in general, but I think it's a little "hand-wavey" to say it's all about the work you put in. I don't think anyone expects to be "handed anything", but asking the hard questions about data and student outcomes should not be taboo. Students are making a huge investment and are entitled to evaluate medical schools with the same unforgiving scrutiny :bookworm:.

Word Alert: Status Inconsistency. I think that is a reality for many doctors whether in personal or professional networks regardless of pedigree. Becoming a physician is a purposeful and service-driven ambition. Let your success be defined by that, not brand names and money.
 
suspiriadeprofundis said:
I agree with all of that in general, but I think it's a little "hand-wavey" to say it's all about the work you put in. I don't think anyone expects to be "handed anything", but asking the hard questions about data and student outcomes should not be taboo. Students are making a huge investment and are entitled to evaluate medical schools with the same unforgiving scrutiny :bookworm:.

Word Alert: Status Inconsistency. I think that is a reality for many doctors whether in personal or professional networks regardless of pedigree. Becoming a physician is a purposeful and service-driven ambition. Let your success be defined by that, not brand names and money.
Click to expand...

Thank you for bringing up those points. Most definitely agree with it all that you say. We shouldn't stop asking questions about data or student outcomes. In a previous post I mentioned that I didn't like Howard's adcom not disclosing their average Step 1 score and/or their first time pass rate. These are very important factors in making a decision, not just for me. During my interview day, a current med student mentioned he failed Step 1 3 times. I'm sure there are students in every med school across the country that has students not pass Step 1 on their first try.

The reality is if you look at all the matches for all schools, there's at least one person who matched into a high specialty. IMO, the specialty that one dreams of getting is correlated to your work ethic. I'm sure no Gen Surgery resident got in by being at the bottom of the class. While it might seem "hand-wavey" to some, I sure don't seem to think I'm delusional or off the mark.
 
LegsPainted said:
Thank you for bringing up those points. Most definitely agree with it all that you say. We shouldn't stop asking questions about data or student outcomes. In a previous post I mentioned that I didn't like Howard's adcom not disclosing their average Step 1 score and/or their first time pass rate. These are very important factors in making a decision, not just for me. During my interview day, a current med student mentioned he failed Step 1 3 times. I'm sure there are students in every med school across the country that has students not pass Step 1 on their first try.

The reality is if you look at all the matches for all schools, there's at least one person who matched into a high specialty. IMO, the specialty that one dreams of getting is correlated to your work ethic. I'm sure no Gen Surgery resident got in by being at the bottom of the class. While it might seem "hand-wavey" to some, I sure don't seem to think I'm delusional or off the mark.
Click to expand...
Oh not at all! I think we're both responding to different things based on experience. Personally, I'm always a bit reluctant to draw conclusions about relative terms like work ethic or merit based on an isolated outcome or achievement, but I concede that pattern recognition is foundational to clinical medicine. Hope I didn't offend.

I just feel like this "work hard here and you can go anywhere" is a little trite and a narrative that not every medical school feels the need to recount. It's like why tho?🤔
 
suspiriadeprofundis said:
Oh not at all! I think we're both responding to different things based on experience. Personally, I'm always a bit reluctant to draw conclusions about relative terms like work ethic or merit based on an isolated outcome or achievement, but I concede that pattern recognition is foundational to clinical medicine. Hope I didn't offend.

I just feel like this "work hard here and you can go anywhere" is a little trite and a narrative that not every medical school feels the need to recount. It's like why tho?🤔
Click to expand...

You most definitely did not offend. I think everyone asking some really good questions. Like you said, this is a huge investment. We all have to endure 4 years of Med school and so it has to be the right choice.

I do think that if you work hard there you can go anywhere. “Anywhere” is subjective hahaha
I just hope people make informed decisions. I still don’t know 100% where I will end up.
 
cogilli said:
So, I just saw this post on Howard’s COM 2023 Class! This is this year’s match results, I think!!! I feel pretty confident with Howard, afterwards!
Click to expand...
My math may be off, but this is only about 103 matches. Doesn’t the school have 150 students per class?
 
Prettybunny112 said:
My math may be off, but this is only about 103 matches. Doesn’t the school have 150 students per class?
Click to expand...

Medical School classes fluctuate similar to other programs. Students may need to take off time for research, to pursue other degrees, or personal reasons. Some students will have to remediate or repeat. Acceptance does not equate to completion. Sometimes people find medical school is not for them. Bottom line there are a multitude of reasons and this is not limited to Howard. These are issues amongst all medical schools
 
sidewindermm said:
Medical School classes fluctuate similar to other programs. Students may need to take off time for research, to pursue other degrees, or personal reasons. Some students will have to remediate or repeat. Acceptance does not equate to completion. Sometimes people find medical school is not for them. Bottom line there are a multitude of reasons and this is not limited to Howard. These are issues amongst all medical schools
Click to expand...
All true but retention/completion/match rate are all relevant stats prospective students should have access to. I mean would you buy a car if you asked about the gas mileage and the salesperson shrugged and said well it really fluctuates between highway and city. Also, the price of gas is highly volatile due to uncertainty in Middle Eastern markets. The price of a car is only about half the cost of one year of medical school.
 
Are candidates receiving acceptances post interviews or are they all being waitlisted? Also has anyone who was waitlisted before gotten an acceptance to the college of medicine?
 
blinkoncetoagree said:
All true but retention/completion/match rate are all relevant stats prospective students should have access to. I mean would you buy a car if you asked about the gas mileage and the salesperson shrugged and said well it really fluctuates between highway and city. Also, the price of gas is highly volatile due to uncertainty in Middle Eastern markets. The price of a car is only about half the cost of one year of medical school.
Click to expand...
On the other hand, maybe with instruction going virtual b/c of COVID-19 we could see prices fall. For at least the first two years, online might be feasible? I might be willing to buy a hybrid lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

wysdoc
2024-2025 Howard
20 21 22 23 24
Replies
1K
Views
208K
psalm46.5
P
chilly_md
2023-2024 Howard
18 19 20 21 22
Replies
1K
Views
224K
SOtheProdigy
SOtheProdigy
wysdoc
2022-2023 Howard
23 24 25 26 27
Replies
1K
Views
243K
koalafied_biologist
koalafied_biologist
TheDataKing
2020-2021 Howard
25 26 27 28 29
Replies
1K
Views
344K
Grad_interest
G
wysdoc
2021-2022 Howard
12 13 14 15 16
Replies
792
Views
193K
PostiveVibesOnly
P
Top