2019-2020 Johns Hopkins

[PapaGuava]

Please tag a pre-allo moderator when the second prompt is posted.

Good luck to everyone applying!

Interview Feedback: Johns Hopkins University

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[helpmeout441]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this. One of the secondary questions from last year asks about an area of medicine that I'm interested in. I'll mention a specialty i'm interested in, but I'm wondering if I can also answer this question by saying that I'm interested in an academic career (as opposed to like health policy or private practice). Does this count as an "area of medicine?"

 

[texasvandy]

There is a education field in medicine and research field in medicine. You should be more clear on what you want to do. It could be considered an area if you truly dont have a specific part of medicine but would still like to be doing either research or teach in the area you do your residency/fellowship in.

I have seen many profiles of people in their final year of residency planning to go into education fellowship.

 

[helpmeout441]

There is a education field in medicine and research field in medicine. You should be more clear on what you want to do. It could be considered an area if you truly dont have a specific part of medicine but would still like to be doing either research or teach in the area you do your residency/fellowship in.

I have seen many profiles of people in their final year of residency planning to go into education fellowship.

Ya so there is an actual specialty I'm interested in which I mentioned in my response. I also wrote that I want to do academia so that I can do both of the things you mention (teach and research). Does this work?

 

[texasvandy]

Ya so there is an actual specialty I'm interested in which I mentioned in my response. I also wrote that I want to do academia so that I can do both of the things you mention (teach and research). Does this work?

If already picked a specialty then that is what they are asking. Stating you want be academia in that field makes it more specific.

 

[hellanutella]

Heyo, Hopkins super senior here (I liked it so dang much I took ANOTHER year). Feel free to ask any questions, though queries about the curriculum are probably best directed towards more recent matriculants. Because I am old.

Kind reminder that, alas, I cannot give insight into things along the lines of "how can I increase my chances of getting an interview/acceptance/off the waitlist." One: I don't know how. Two: I don't believe there's a sure-fire recipe.

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this. One of the secondary questions from last year asks about an area of medicine that I'm interested in. I'll mention a specialty i'm interested in, but I'm wondering if I can also answer this question by saying that I'm interested in an academic career (as opposed to like health policy or private practice). Does this count as an "area of medicine?"

Totally fine. This is also a non-binding question, but just helps us see where you envision yourself down the road. It is also acceptable to state that you don't have a set speciality in mind, but at least provide one or two you're particularly interested in – it's also a great icebreaker for your interviewers.

Funny enough, this made me dig up my old secondary. 5 years later and what I wrote is still 100% true (and also the specialty I'm applying into). I didn't specify career type (academia, private, policy, pub health, global service, etc.), but I've seen a good handful of essays that do.

 

[ChymeofPassion]

Secondary received!

 

[booksinlibraries]

Just received the secondary - MSTP

 

[u_raptor]

Secondary Received

 

[booksinlibraries]

Just received the secondary - MSTP

lol just kidding, it's an email saying that I will receive the secondary from WebAdMIT soon

 

[babykarat]

MSTP Secondary

Edit - just kidding! I got tricked too

Edit 2 - actually this time

 

[babykarat]

We should have both focused on CARS more

 

[ChymeofPassion]

We should have both focused on CARS more

My 130 (flex) was useless in this situation. Obviously Hopkins requires and expects 131/132

 

[booksinlibraries]

We should have both focused on CARS more

If I had focused on cars more I think it would have started to make sense and that's dangerous territory

 

[Etopn23]

Secondary Received

+1

 

[deleted972488]

+1

+2

 

[relm]

The character limit for the secondaries is 9999????

 

[md_cheme]

The character limit for the secondaries is 9999????

"Briefly describe"
Gives 9999 characters

 

[Purple&Gold7]

I'm confused. Last year's limit was 1100c on the longest prompt. Why is it so much longer?

 

[Ortizc]

Is anyone else having difficulties with submitting the payment for their secondary?

 

[Crassus]

Secondary received.

 

[A girl has no name]

Are the character limits for each prompt a mistake, or did they actually increase them by that much?

 

[haws]

Could anyone post the prompts?

 

[helpmeout441]

Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application.

Are there any areas of medicine that are of particular interest to you? If so, please comment.

Briefly describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician.

Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from the experience?

Optional: The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first generation college student, or being a part of a minority group (whether because of your sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity) or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it.


All are 9999 characters apparently. Not sure if it's a mistake.

 

[babykarat]

Are the character limits for each prompt a mistake, or did they actually increase them by that much?

Some of them are shorter (2000c), so I think the 9999c ones are intentional. This could sound counter-intuitive, but maybe they made it that large to indicate they really do mean brief?

 

[u_raptor]

Is anyone else having difficulties with submitting the payment for their secondary?

YES. This has been an issue for me on all the "Applicant Gateway" system secondaries. Other secondaries were payed just fine. This is the third secondary I can't submit bc the system won't let my card through...

 

[Beyonce2.0]

Anyone figure out how to save edits in this system? It says it saves automatically but when I go to home and come back, my answers disappear.

 

[Ortizc]

YES. This has been an issue for me on all the "Applicant Gateway" system secondaries. Other secondaries were payed just fine. This is the third secondary I can't submit bc the system won't let my card through...

I called Applicant Gateway and they said they were looking into it and that it has been a problem for other students-they said it could be a week before it's figured out. I also emailed the admissions office so we'll see what they say.

 

[deleted972146]

Are you guys getting anywhere near the character maximum? After writing so many shorter secondaries this feels so wrong.

 

[Etopn23]

Is anyone else having difficulties with submitting the payment for their secondary?

+1

 

[ChymeofPassion]

Are you guys getting anywhere near the character maximum? After writing so many shorter secondaries this feels so wrong.

Not even close, maximum 2000-3000, but for the minority one way less. My happiness with short secondaries is the same reason I've procrastinated Vandys book.

 

[md_cheme]

Are you guys getting anywhere near the character maximum? After writing so many shorter secondaries this feels so wrong.

I think the extremely high character limit is like a professor telling you "to answer the question completely" but doesn't give any other directions.

 

[xkcd6330]

I think all the mentions of "briefly," plus their past character limits, suggest that they still want pretty concise answers. I'm definitely expanding my answers over last year's limits, but am going nowhere close to 10,000 char.

 

[ChymeofPassion]

Also having trouble paying for the secondary.

 

[deleted972488]

So I prewrote these responses based on last year's character limits... which were like 1000 characters, not 9999. Should I expand or nah?

 

[deleted927529]

So I prewrote these responses based on last year's character limits... which were like 1000 characters, not 9999. Should I expand or nah?

I don't think it's necessary. Answer the question and you're good.

 

[xkcd6330]

Also having trouble paying for the secondary.

+3. Has anyone's payment gone through successfully?

 

[Ortizc]

+3. Has anyone's payment gone through successfully?

I just tried mine again and it went through this time!

 

[u_raptor]

+3. Has anyone's payment gone through successfully?

I just tried mine again and it went through this time!

Mine just went through as well! Guess they fixed it!

 

[Etopn23]

Mine just went through as well! Guess they fixed it!

+1

 

[ChymeofPassion]

+1

+2. These schools are fast when it comes to taking our money.

 

[deleted976595]

I’m assuming since they say “discontinued attendance at or been dismissed” they mean dropped out not transferred for that question, right?

 

[deleted972488]

I’m assuming since they say “discontinued attendance at or been dismissed” they mean dropped out not transferred for that question, right?

Yes

 

[StandDontSit]

I submitted my secondary a while ago but have not received an email confirmation as I have from most schools. Anyone else experience the same thing? Also most schools have a way for applicants to check if their application is fully complete (letters have been received, etc.) and I'm not seeing that from JHU.

 

[deleted972488]

I submitted my secondary a while ago but have not received an email confirmation as I have from most schools. Anyone else experience the same thing? Also most schools have a way for applicants to check if their application is fully complete (letters have been received, etc.) and I'm not seeing that from JHU.

+1

 

[drdreyman]

Does anyone know how strict their LOR requirements are? My non-science letter-writer has ghosted me and I'm not sure I can find another one in time..

 

[deleted927529]

Does anyone know how strict their LOR requirements are? My non-science letter-writer has ghosted me and I'm not sure I can find another one in time..

I had asked a similar question about letters and got a response--they are strict. You will need a letter from a non-science faculty member who taught you in a course. From what I can tell Hopkins doesn't start sending out IIs until mid-August. Can you get a letter before then?

 

[drdreyman]

I had asked a similar question about letters and got a response--they are strict. You will need a letter from a non-science faculty member who taught you in a course. From what I can tell Hopkins doesn't start sending out IIs until mid-August. Can you get a letter before then?

Let's hope...otherwise i'll die trying!

 

[hellanutella]

Does anyone know how strict their LOR requirements are? My non-science letter-writer has ghosted me and I'm not sure I can find another one in time..

I had asked a similar question about letters and got a response--they are strict. You will need a letter from a non-science faculty member who taught you in a course. From what I can tell Hopkins doesn't start sending out IIs until mid-August. Can you get a letter before then?

Admittedly I applied 5 years ago, but I did not have a non-sci letter due to various circumstances (and I've reviewed plenty of apps w/o non-sci letters). In fact, all my letters were pretty much... science. Ultimately was accepted to several schools where I did not fit their LoR requirements, so I don't think it's a complete deal-breaker.

The most informative LoR portfolio likely comes from a wide breadth of people – professors, employers, PIs, nonprofit leaders, etc. I think the non-science LoR is an effort to get someone who can attest to a different skillset than your usual pre-med science req letters. Ask people who you think would be eager and excited about your application; those are the ones that want to be read!

I'd say a lacklustre letter is more harmful than the absence of one. Often times the professorial letters can be the least informative (or I am sure mine were at any rate: "Hella Nutella was a student in my bio class. She did good on exams. Did not seem to have glaring personality defects. Once ate an entire wheel of Laughing Cow cheese during a midterm").

 

[BiographicalSciences]

Are there any MD/PhD specific prompts? If so, could you post them?