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PapaGuava

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

Good luck to everyone applying!

Interview Feedback: University of Toledo

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Secondary received; verified 6/06 IS
 
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Can you please post their essays?
Once I get home (I'm at a wedding), I'll post them there are 2 essays: general description is a diversity essay and the other is about describing a resilient/adaptable moment.
 
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Alright here are all of the essays that will show up for everyone. There are additional ones that will pop up based on peoples answers to specific questions in the affiliations and experience tab, but I am not going to add those as they do not apply to everyone.
Under the Affiliations and Experience tab:
We invite you to briefly discuss any other connections you may have to The University of Toledo, the UToledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, the city of Toledo, or the region of Northwest Ohio or to provide additional information about the affiliations you noted above. (500 words)

If you feel you have any aspects of your record that may potentially negatively influence your application to our medical school, we encourage you to use this space to discuss them in order to provide the admissions committee with further context about your application. (Examples of possible topics include MCAT scores lower than our class average, low grades, withdrawn course, institutional action/student conduct violation.) 500 words

Under Essay tab:
The Admissions Committee considers a wide variety of factors in evaluating applicants, including fit between applicants and our program’s mission, goals, and culture. In the essays below, we invite you to share information about yourself with regard to two aspects of our program. We encourage you to provide information and insights that may not be easily gleaned from other aspects of your medical school application. In responding to the essay prompts below, you should interpret the questions to the best of your ability.
One of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves cultural competence. The competency involves several distinct domains, including:
a. Demonstrating knowledge of socio-cultural factors that affect interactions and behaviors;
b. Showing an appreciation and respect for multiple dimensions of diversity;
c. Recognizing and acting on the obligation to inform one's own judgment;
d. Engaging diverse and competing perspectives as a resource for learning, citizenship, and work;
e. Recognizing and appropriately addressing bias in selves and others;
f. Interacting effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.

1. Discuss a specific experience from your life that you feel demonstrates your level of competence in one of the above domains. As part of your discussion, explain how you feel this experience will impact your future contribution to the culture of diversity and inclusion at The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences. (600 words)

2. One of the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical students involves resilience and adaptability. This competency involves the ability to tolerate stressful or changing environments or situations and adapt effectively to them. Additional characteristics of this competency are persistence and the ability to recover from setbacks. Discuss a specific experience from your life that you feel demonstrates your level of competence in resilience and adaptability as described above. As part of your discussion, explain how you feel this experience will help you meet new challenges you may face in medical school. (600 words)
 
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Did anyone else receive a secondary?
 
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Just received a secondary minutes ago! OOS
 
Are you guys answering the secondaries in narrative/story format (sort of like personal statement) or just a clear cut straighforward response? thanks!
 
Besides the Essay tab, there are optional prompts on the Experiences tab too
  • Please briefly describe what activities you are/have been engaged in during the period between undergraduate school and medical school.
  • If you feel you have any aspects of your record that may potentially negatively influence your application to our medical school, we encourage you to use this space to discuss them in order to provide the admissions committee with further context about your application. (Examples of possible topics include MCAT scores lower than our class average, low grades, withdrawn course, institutional action/student conduct violation.)
Also, for this question on the prerequisite requirement tab. Do they want every arts or humanities course we took in college? I took like 30...
  • Please indicate in the space below any other recommended coursework you have completed with a grade of C or above. (Do not include any of the courses you indicated as a prerequisite above.)
 
OOS, verified 6/28/19, secondary received 7/2/19
 
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Are you guys answering the secondaries in narrative/story format (sort of like personal statement) or just a clear cut straighforward response? thanks!
I answered them in a narrative format, but in the Experiences tab, I am answering those in a more straightforward response!
 
OOS secondary received! love this school & super excited
 
For the two essays in the "Essay" section, are you guys filling up this word requirement? Any diversity/adversity questions from other schools have a requirement much lower than that, so I was wondering if putting those in would be fine
 
For the two essays in the "Essay" section, are you guys filling up this word requirement? Any diversity/adversity questions from other schools have a requirement much lower than that, so I was wondering if putting those in would be fine

Obviously I'm not on an admissions committee but every time I see this question someone answers "As long as the answer is thorough and gets the point across it's better to be concise and not utilize filler to hit the maximum word/character count," For what it's worth I'll be sticking by this but try to fill 50-75% of space for the sake of being thorough.
 
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Submitted today; got confirmation email and under review
 
Secondary received (7/2) and submitted (7/4) (IS). Looks like last year they sent the first wave of IIs around the end of July?
 
Secondary received (7/2) and submitted (7/4) (IS). Looks like last year they sent the first wave of IIs around the end of July?
The email I got stated reviews are rolling basis starting in July and interviews start in August. So I'm hoping they'd give us more than a week lol but who knows since we're in state. :lol:
 
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"If you feel you have any aspects of your record that may potentially negatively influence your application to our medical school, we encourage you to use this space to discuss them in order to provide the admissions committee with further context about your application. (Examples of possible topics include MCAT scores lower than our class average, low grades, withdrawn course, institutional action/student conduct violation.)"

If i have a lower sGPA (3.30), do you think I should mention the circumstances here (financial hardship so I had to work a lot)? I hear sometimes it's better to not highlight it?
 
"If you feel you have any aspects of your record that may potentially negatively influence your application to our medical school, we encourage you to use this space to discuss them in order to provide the admissions committee with further context about your application. (Examples of possible topics include MCAT scores lower than our class average, low grades, withdrawn course, institutional action/student conduct violation.)"

If i have a lower sGPA (3.30), do you think I should mention the circumstances here (financial hardship so I had to work a lot)? I hear sometimes it's better to not highlight it?

I don't think you should unless you got below a C in a course.
 
I don't think you should unless you got below a C in a course.

I got a C in my first quarter of Ochem... I understand the reasons for not mentioning it in the typical essays that say something along the lines of "is there something else you'd like us to know" but this one from Toledo specifically says "low grades" so i'm concerned that not mentioning it will seem like i'm not being honest.
 
I got a C in my first quarter of Ochem... I understand the reasons for not mentioning it in the typical essays that say something along the lines of "is there something else you'd like us to know" but this one from Toledo specifically says "low grades" so i'm concerned that not mentioning it will seem like i'm not being honest.
I said anything below a C because a C is the minimum requirement, so I'm not sure if they'd consider that low.
 
"If you feel you have any aspects of your record that may potentially negatively influence your application to our medical school, we encourage you to use this space to discuss them in order to provide the admissions committee with further context about your application. (Examples of possible topics include MCAT scores lower than our class average, low grades, withdrawn course, institutional action/student conduct violation.)"

If i have a lower sGPA (3.30), do you think I should mention the circumstances here (financial hardship so I had to work a lot)? I hear sometimes it's better to not highlight it?

I think when they ask about this specifically and you have a good reason, talk about it. Especially if you have figured out how to manage your time better. For me, my low grades gave me an opportunity to show my growth. I still work full time and take classes full time, but I got almost a 4.0 in my post bacc. That isn't highlighting weakness as much as it is showing growth. Just my 2 cents.
 
I got a C in my first quarter of Ochem... I understand the reasons for not mentioning it in the typical essays that say something along the lines of "is there something else you'd like us to know" but this one from Toledo specifically says "low grades" so i'm concerned that not mentioning it will seem like i'm not being honest.
Do it, I did the same thing. Just don't make an essay with excuses.
 
marked as complete and under review. OOS submitted 7/16/19
 
Did anyone OOS write anything else for the "We invite you to briefly discuss any other connections..." prompt? Just leave it blank if no significant connections?
 
Did anyone OOS write anything else for the "We invite you to briefly discuss any other connections..." prompt? Just leave it blank if no significant connections?

Yup, I left it blank
 
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Is it worth applying here without a connection? It appears that all accepted students that oos had some ties. Am I wrong?
 
OMG JUST GOT AN II. Low stats so I’m shook. Under review 7/11
 
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I submitted 7/10. Everything is checked off and says I’m under review. Never got a complete email... should I contact or let it be?
 
I submitted 7/10. Everything is checked off and says I’m under review. Never got a complete email... should I contact or let it be?
Double check your inbox/junk because I also submitted 7/10 and immediately got a received and complete email.
However, the complete email says my status is "ready for review" so if your portal says that, you should be good too.
 
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I'm getting really anxious now. I've been complete 7/5 and under review IS... Hope to get an II
 
Just got an interview! Instate, submitted 7/4. MCAT 515, Science and cumulative GPA 3.87
 
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