2019-2020 Washington State

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I interviewed the 16th of December as well, you think they send all the A's out in one day then?
 
Kabloozey said:
I interviewed the 16th of December as well, you think they send all the A's out in one day then?
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It sounds like the acceptance calls for that group already went out, but I could be wrong. Wishing the best for you.

I interviewed back in September and didn't hear back until I received a "Still Under Consideration" email in mid-December. Nothing since then.

Still holding onto hope though as this is my top choice. This wait is brutal but worth it if it means an A!

Hang in there everyone...
 
kearneje said:
It sounds like the acceptance calls for that group already went out, but I could be wrong. Wishing the best for you.

I interviewed back in September and didn't hear back until I received a "Still Under Consideration" email in mid-December. Nothing since then.

Still holding onto hope though as this is my top choice. This wait is brutal but worth it if it means an A!

Hang in there everyone...
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I remember them saying they continue considering applicants throughout the entire interview season by ranking people post-interview and offering acceptances based on those rankings. So it really just depends on where people stand within that?
 
anyone going to second look in April? Dr. Harrison sent out the email yesterday 🙂
 
From WSU Med FB:

It's final interview day!
688 applications screened
350 applicants interviewed
Soon to be 80 new students who will join the family as the MD class of 2024

Does anyone remember the acceptance offer:matriculant ratio for WSU? I believe it was close to 2:1 but I interviewed way back in September so my memory is a little fuzzy.
 
kearneje said:
It sounds like the acceptance calls for that group already went out, but I could be wrong. Wishing the best for you.

I interviewed back in September and didn't hear back until I received a "Still Under Consideration" email in mid-December. Nothing since then.

Still holding onto hope though as this is my top choice. This wait is brutal but worth it if it means an A!

Hang in there everyone...
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Schnikeys. Hope there's still a shot, feeling my youth and inexperience probably isn't helping me out here too much. Academics were my strongest selling point to most schools arguably.
 
It’s not even March yet do we think it’s over for those who haven’t heard back?
 
schborke said:
It’s not even March yet do we think it’s over for those who haven’t heard back?
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Are you waiting to hear back about interviews? Or acceptances? They just barely had their final interview day, but they're going to extend more acceptances over the next month or so.
 
Wwild16 said:
Are you waiting to hear back about interviews? Or acceptances? They just barely had their final interview day, but they're going to extend more acceptances over the next month or so.
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Acceptances I mean. That makes sense just seemed like people were really defeatist based on how early it was.
 
schborke said:
Acceptances I mean. That makes sense just seemed like people were really defeatist based on how early it was.
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Going off previous years’ trends, at this point I think it depends when you interviewed. For those that interviewed very early and haven’t heard back (like yours truly), a WL is all but guaranteed at this point. Most of the late A’s in feb/march are those that interviewed in the new year.
 
enchantments said:
Going off previous years’ trends, at this point I think it depends when you interviewed. For those that interviewed very early and haven’t heard back (like yours truly), a WL is all but guaranteed at this point. Most of the late A’s in feb/march are those that interviewed in the new year.
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Why not just put us on the waitlist back when we interviewed, then? I get what they are trying to do but this wait is so frustrating.
 
Premednurse123 said:
Why not just put us on the waitlist back when we interviewed, then? I get what they are trying to do but this wait is so frustrating.
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From what we were told on interview day along with what some people "in the know" have posted here, it's cause they R E A L L Y want them juicy rural / low SES applicants, and most of 'em don't apply till later. I don't know if you follow their IG page or not, but those frequent "showcases" of their students from rural towns should really emphasize this point. I imagine having this sort of background gives you quite a boost in their point system, but that shouldn't be a surprise to us given their mission.
 
enchantments said:
From what we were told on interview day along with what some people "in the know" have posted here, it's cause they R E A L L Y want them juicy rural / low SES applicants, and most of 'em don't apply till later. I don't know if you follow their IG page or not, but those frequent "showcases" of their students from rural towns should really emphasize this point. I imagine having this sort of background gives you quite a boost in their point system, but that shouldn't be a surprise to us given their mission.
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I understand their thought process, but at the same time I'm sure they knew in October what my status was going to be. How does putting me on the WL in March vs. in October help save room for those "juicy rural/low SES applicants"?
 
Premednurse123 said:
I understand their thought process, but at the same time I'm sure they knew in October what my status was going to be. How does putting me on the WL in March vs. in October help save room for those "juicy rural/low SES applicants"?
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I'd disagree by saying they don't know your status until you're officially ranked against the ENTIRE interviewee pool. If anything, March decisions are to your advantage because it shows they're actively considering where you rank with other applicants. Waiting until March allows rural/low SES applicants time to be ranked fairly but also gives WSU the freedom to accept you if you still rank higher than those late applicants.
 
Premednurse123 said:
I understand their thought process, but at the same time I'm sure they knew in October what my status was going to be. How does putting me on the WL in March vs. in October help save room for those "juicy rural/low SES applicants"?
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it doesn’t, and I share your frustration lol.
 
Premednurse123 said:
I understand their thought process, but at the same time I'm sure they knew in October what my status was going to be. How does putting me on the WL in March vs. in October help save room for those "juicy rural/low SES applicants"?
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People with lower SES tend to apply later in the cycle, so they're all loaded on the back end of the interview season. Forcing the admissions team to limit their decisions until they see those students too, does improve their chances of getting admitted. While they could probably guess with some accuracy who will get wait listed at this point, it's a pretty relativistic process and you're more than a score.
 
Wwild16 said:
I'd disagree by saying they don't know your status until you're officially ranked against the ENTIRE interviewee pool. If anything, March decisions are to your advantage because it shows they're actively considering where you rank with other applicants. Waiting until March allows rural/low SES applicants time to be ranked fairly but also gives WSU the freedom to accept you if you still rank higher than those late applicants.
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bluerock said:
People with lower SES tend to apply later in the cycle, so they're all loaded on the back end of the interview season. Forcing the admissions team to limit their decisions until they see those students too, does improve their chances of getting admitted. While they could probably guess with some accuracy who will get wait listed at this point, it's a pretty relativistic process and you're more than a score.
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So, just to help my understanding, does that mean all the january and earlier interviewees who were going to be given direct acceptances have gotten their calls already? And now its pretty much just WL or R? I dont think that's the case, but I'm no pro at understanding admissions, Sorry just trying to clarify my understanding.
 
Kabloozey said:
So, just to help my understanding, does that mean all the january and earlier interviewees who were going to be given direct acceptances have gotten their calls already? And now its pretty much just WL or R? I dont think that's the case, but I'm no pro at understanding admissions, Sorry just trying to clarify my understanding.
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They said at my interview that every interview group interviews for spots in the class and they do not fill the class before all the interviews are finished.
 
Kabloozey said:
So, just to help my understanding, does that mean all the january and earlier interviewees who were going to be given direct acceptances have gotten their calls already? And now its pretty much just WL or R? I dont think that's the case, but I'm no pro at understanding admissions, Sorry just trying to clarify my understanding.
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the dean of admissions at WSU (also at UW) did an hour long podcast discussing their admission process. Both schools admit the majority of the class after all interviews are complete. I wouldn’t count yourself out just because you haven’t heard back and interviewed early. A good comparison is the fact that the majority of UWSOM admitted students have at least one SUC. WSU just doesn’t send out SUC updates at the frequency at which UW does.
 
meek20 said:
the dean of admissions at WSU (also at UW) did an hour long podcast discussing their admission process. Both schools admit the majority of the class after all interviews are complete. I wouldn’t count yourself out just because you haven’t heard back and interviewed early. A good comparison is the fact that the majority of UWSOM admitted students have at least one SUC. WSU just doesn’t send out SUC updates at the frequency at which UW does.
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Cool, crossing my fingers, loved the school and am from Eastern Wa, but worry my relative inexperience will bite me in the rear. I enjoy what I'm doing right now, so it's not the end of the world to reapply, but I'd much rather not have to do so ofc, plus if I dont get in next cycle it'd mean retaking the MCAT. This has been a good learning that though regardless. If any of y'all were to reapply how would you fill the time or do differently?
 
Kabloozey said:
Cool, crossing my fingers, loved the school and am from Eastern Wa, but worry my relative inexperience will bite me in the rear. I enjoy what I'm doing right now, so it's not the end of the world to reapply, but I'd much rather not have to do so ofc, plus if I dont get in next cycle it'd mean retaking the MCAT. This has been a good learning that though regardless. If any of y'all were to reapply how would you fill the time or do differently?
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This is my second round. I would say that you should enter every cycle with the expectation that you won't be admitted. Only 40 percent of applicants do get admitted, so this is statistically supported as well. If you have a weakness, you should have been working on it from the beginning of the cycle and been updating your schools when it was worthwhile. This not only helps your current cycle but it also improves things on the second round. If you're struggling to figure out where your weak points might be, do something that aligns well with your goals. If you're research oriented, do biomedical research. If you're really into family/rural/specialty, scribe or MA in those fields. I get these jobs don't pay well, but you until you get that acceptance letter, you have to show how bad you want it. Volunteer with underprivileged people every week. Also, on second cycle, you absolutely need to get your application in early June, and secondaries done within 2 weeks of receiving them. Budget time and money to apply to 20-30 schools, and don't waste money on "reach schools." Put your best foot forward in the schools you have the best shot at getting into.
 
Based on the SUC email more decisions should be coming out this week, right?
 
Based off of the SUC email and previous years, I think the majority of the As to be handed out in the next week are going to be decisions from the February interviewees (last interview was Feb 10th). But they may also pull some individuals from the SUC pool considering they've interviewed all potential candidates, so fingers crossed.

Praying for a call from Dr. T...
 
kearneje said:
Based off of the SUC email and previous years, I think the majority of the As to be handed out in the next week are going to be decisions from the February interviewees (last interview was Feb 10th). But they may also pull some individuals from the SUC pool considering they've interviewed all potential candidates, so fingers crossed.

Praying for a call from Dr. T...
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Well this December interviewee is still crossing his fingers. Werent a good number of matriculants accepted off the WL? I remember my student guide was from the WL so there could be some availability bias there.
 
Kabloozey said:
Well this December interviewee is still crossing his fingers. Werent a good number of matriculants accepted off the WL? I remember my student guide was from the WL so there could be some availability bias there.
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This September interviewee thinks you're right. I've spent more time than I probably should have looking through previous years threads and it seems like there is a good amount of movement off the WL. But there's so much that goes into that on a year-by-year basis that we can't really conclude exactly how much movement there is going to be. I'm also wondering how much the change to STEP 1 P/F is going to effect how many students will accept an offer from ESFCOM (i.e. choosing higher tier schools vs. a school that has a good "fit"). I wish it didn't have to be that way but it's a harsh truth.
 
bluerock said:
+1, lol

Every few weeks I swear I'm going to quit SDN and pray more. Yet, here I am, feeling rejected.
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We're in this together my dude. Also awaiting my first MD acceptance after a handful of invites. I've grown so pessimistic through the course of this cycle - you can literally track it over the course of this thread lol. And the Step news has not helped at all.

One trend I've noticed though is that many of the early admits at WSU over the years tend to be accepted to UW as well (same seems to be the case this year), and I think we can expect the vast majority of them will stick with UW.

And with the recent Step news, I think we can assume that proportion will grow even larger this year.
 
Do you think will waitlist us 6 monthers or straight reject? How often have they rejected in the past?
 
Wobbler said:
Do you think will waitlist us 6 monthers or straight reject? How often have they rejected in the past?
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If you interviewed early you probably have more going for you than those who interviewed and were not accepted later so I wouldn’t worry that much about being on the waitlist. That being said, if I were you I’d consider adding a new volunteer/clinical experience and maybe even a hobby to prepare for a reapp if it doesn’t work out.
 
enchantments said:
We're in this together my dude. Also awaiting my first MD acceptance after a handful of invites. I've grown so pessimistic through the course of this cycle - you can literally track it over the course of this thread lol. And the Step news has not helped at all.

One trend I've noticed though is that many of the early admits at WSU over the years tend to be accepted to UW as well (same seems to be the case this year), and I think we can expect the vast majority of them will stick with UW.

And with the recent Step news, I think we can assume that proportion will grow even larger this year.
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I actually think the USMLE changes were good for newer schools and rural programs. It's all about STEP 2 now, which means everyone has to re-optimize their programs to focus on clinical skills - a more level playing field. UW is a great academic program, but talking with doctors, the graduates are not known for their clinical skills. Rural programs also tend offer far better clinical experiences than urban ones, because there's less competition with residents for training.

You're probably still right in students choosing UW over WSU. UW is nationally ranked. WSU still has a lot to prove, and they don't have a residency program yet.
 
Wobbler said:
Do you think will waitlist us 6 monthers or straight reject? How often have they rejected in the past?
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This year they're sending post-II rejections earlier. You're still under consideration. Definitely be doing things to improve your application. They give you a chance to update when you accept your WL position.
 
bluerock said:
I actually think the USMLE changes were good for newer schools and rural programs. It's all about STEP 2 now, which means everyone has to re-optimize their programs to focus on clinical skills - a more level playing field. UW is a great academic program, but talking with doctors, the graduates are not known for their clinical skills. Rural programs also tend offer far better clinical experiences than urban ones, because there's less competition with residents for training.

You're probably still right in students choosing UW over WSU. UW is nationally ranked. WSU still has a lot to prove, and they don't have a residency program yet.
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You’re saying that UW grads aren’t known for their clinical skills even though they’re top ranked in primary care and they get a shortened didactic period (1.5 years)?
 
bluerock said:
I actually think the USMLE changes were good for newer schools and rural programs. It's all about STEP 2 now, which means everyone has to re-optimize their programs to focus on clinical skills - a more level playing field. UW is a great academic program, but talking with doctors, the graduates are not known for their clinical skills. Rural programs also tend offer far better clinical experiences than urban ones, because there's less competition with residents for training.

You're probably still right in students choosing UW over WSU. UW is nationally ranked. WSU still has a lot to prove, and they don't have a residency program yet.
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I think the contrary may actually be true regarding Step. Particularly for UW, which has historically had lower Step 1 scores relative to its T20 peers (but by no means "bad"). I wouldn't be surprised if more of its students begin pursuing specialties now that they can ride the school's prestige. I don't know whether Step 2 will be as good a metric - I think I read somewhere that the average this year was like 240 and that it tends to have a tighter spread compared to Step 1, which would make it more difficult to stratify applicants.

And I feel like I entered this cycle with a similar mindset to the rural rotations that you have, but having spent way too much time in the medical school subforums / subreddits, I seem to find that med students argue overwhelmingly that learning under residents in academic hospitals will prepare you to be a more competent intern (although you may not do as much hands on stuff).
 
Sky138 said:
You’re saying that UW grads aren’t known for their clinical skills even though they’re top ranked in primary care and they get a shortened didactic period (1.5 years)?
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I think UW has an excellent program all around, but there are absolutely unranked programs that have far better clinical programs. I've met people who've trained alongside UW grads that confirmed this for me.
 
enchantments said:
I think the contrary may actually be true regarding Step. Particularly for UW, which has historically had lower Step 1 scores relative to its T20 peers (but by no means "bad"). I wouldn't be surprised if more of its students begin pursuing specialties now that they can ride the school's prestige. I don't know whether Step 2 will be as good a metric - I think I read somewhere that the average this year was like 240 and that it tends to have a tighter spread compared to Step 1, which would make it more difficult to stratify applicants.

And I feel like I entered this cycle with a similar mindset to the rural rotations that you have, but having spent way too much time in the medical school subforums / subreddits, I seem to find that med students argue overwhelmingly that learning under residents in academic hospitals will prepare you to be a more competent intern (although you may not do as much hands on stuff).
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That’s the thing tho, just because UW has a massive academic center doesn’t mean the students are limited by it. If I remember correctly UW students can do rotations at around 400 sites and as you can imagine, most of them aren’t the UWMC. If someone doesn’t want to go to UW it sure isn’t because of the lack of clinical opportunities.
 
Sky138 said:
That’s the thing tho, just because UW has a massive academic center doesn’t mean the students are limited by it. If I remember correctly UW students can do rotations at around 400 sites and as you can imagine, most of them aren’t the UWMC. If someone doesn’t want to go to UW it sure isn’t because of the lack of clinical opportunities.
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I know, I wasn't arguing against you lol.
 
enchantments said:
I think the contrary may actually be true regarding Step. Particularly for UW, which has historically had lower Step 1 scores relative to its T20 peers (but by no means "bad"). I wouldn't be surprised if more of its students begin pursuing specialties now that they can ride the school's prestige. I don't know whether Step 2 will be as good a metric - I think I read somewhere that the average this year was like 240 and that it tends to have a tighter spread compared to Step 1, which would make it more difficult to stratify applicants.

And I feel like I entered this cycle with a similar mindset to the rural rotations that you have, but having spent way too much time in the medical school subforums / subreddits, I seem to find that med students argue overwhelmingly that learning under residents in academic hospitals will prepare you to be a more competent intern (although you may not do as much hands on stuff).
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See, and I've heard a number of graduates tell me their clerkships at big hospitals looked more like shadowing. I bet more than anything that it has to do with the quality of the program, less the actual location. This is so confusing as an applicant, because how are we supposed to know? USMLE scores are only one indicator, and schools like UW with high median MCATs are recruiting competitive students. Are their scores high because of their students or their program? The only thing that doesn't make this whole thing infuriating is that only like 20 percent of applicants get an actual choice of medical programs. The rest it's rejections or one option.
 
bluerock said:
See, and I've heard a number of graduates tell me their clerkships at big hospitals looked more like shadowing. I bet more than anything that it has to do with the quality of the program, less the actual location. This is so confusing as an applicant, because how are we supposed to know? USMLE scores are only one indicator, and schools like UW with high median MCATs are recruiting competitive students. Are their scores high because of their students or their program? The only thing that doesn't make this whole thing infuriating is that only like 20 percent of applicants get an actual choice of medical programs. The rest it's rejections or one option.
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Guessing you were part of the 80% then?
 
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