2020-2021 Miami (Miller)

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MSAR says community college courses are accepted case by case. Has anyone who has applied before been able to use them?

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I don’t feel like it’s solely about that. I picked up volunteering for Meals on Wheels in my area as soon as the pandemic started and feel like I will be using that for this essay instead.
I'm also gonna focus on volunteer work in the essay. We'll see how it goes, I suppose
 
MSAR says community college courses are accepted case by case. Has anyone who has applied been able to use them?

The website says "College or University". Unsure what the "case by case" on MSAR means. I had not noticed that but just submitted my application. I started community college before attending uni because I didn't go to college out of high school and didn't start until I was nearly 30. Hopefully that's a "case" that qualifies?
 
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I don’t feel like it’s solely about that. I picked up volunteering for Meals on Wheels in my area as soon as the pandemic started and feel like I will be using that for this essay instead.

That’s awesome, and that’s a wonderful experience to write about! I feel that the way the question is posed tho, it’s sort of implying that you SHOULD have been doing something during the pandemic “to better prepare you to be a Med student and physician”... which is ridiculous because obviously not every single person has had the opportunity to do something like that the past few months.
 
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the email with a big huge "INVITATION" gave my heart a jump, not great for the springtime of youth
 
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I'll pay someones application fee if they talk about how the MCAT is a source of systemic discrimination. (because it is)
 
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That’s awesome, and that’s a wonderful experience to write about! I feel that the way the question is posed tho, it’s sort of implying that you SHOULD have been doing something during the pandemic “to better prepare you to be a Med student and physician”... which is ridiculous because obviously not every single person has had the opportunity to do something like that the past few months.

Completely agree! I wonder if you could even talk about things you did while quarantining such as staying up to date on the research taking place about COVID-19 or reading or educating yourself/others about social justice and the BLM movement. Just some thoughts of things that don’t involve leaving the home to try to help out anyone who may be struggling with this question :) I think educating yourself about current events is a great way to better prepare yourself to be a medical student and future physician!
 
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ok am i missing something or can anyone else not find a picture upload link? "1. Use the link in the secondary application to upload a photograph of yourself (showing from the waist or shoulders up)"
 
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Where do we submit our photo? I didn't see anywhere to upload it
 
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Where do we submit our photo? I didn't see anywhere to upload it
There doesn't seem to be anywhere to upload it (but I know that happened at one other school - Einstein or Sinai I think? - and they just emailed out a link to submit the photo after you'd submitted your application). I also can't get back into the application portal after submitting so I can't check my status or anything...
 
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ok am i missing something or can anyone else not find a picture upload link? "1. Use the link in the secondary application to upload a photograph of yourself (showing from the waist or shoulders up)"
Where do we submit our photo? I didn't see anywhere to upload it
There doesn't seem to be anywhere to upload it (but I know that happened at one other school - Einstein or Sinai I think? - and they just emailed out a link to submit the photo after you'd submitted your application). I also can't get back into the application portal after submitting so I can't check my status or anything...

After you submit the secondary, on the status page, there is a section for photo upload.
 
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After you submit the secondary, on the status page, there is a section for photo upload.
How are you getting into the status page? When I enter my AMCAS ID and birthday it just refreshes and doesn't take me anywhere.
 
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How are you getting into the status page? When I enter my AMCAS ID and birthday it just refreshes and doesn't take me anywhere.

After I submitted, it brought me to the status page. I bookmarked it and it brings me to a list of the pending items (LOR as of right now). I had to enter the AMCAS ID and DOB when I first accessed the portal but I have not since that first time.
 
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How are you getting into the status page? When I enter my AMCAS ID and birthday it just refreshes and doesn't take me anywhere.

ME!!!! and I tried it like 3 times and it locked me out for an hour, haven't even been able to start my secondary yet
 
If you're having trouble logging back into your portal, go to your browser history and click on the Application page. It should bring it back up. Bookmark that page if you need to revisit your application.
 
They require 2 semesters/3 quarters of chemistry. I go to a quarter-system school, and I thought I would be okay because I took two quarters of chemistry lectures and one quarter of chemistry lab. However, they say that you shouldn't list lab courses on the pre-req section. Does that mean I'm missing a chemistry course according to their requirements?
 
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Did y’all include brief descriptions for community service and employment?
 
this graphic in the email is embarrassingly bad
 
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wow didnt realize this school required 2 quarter classes of biochemistry.... only have 1
is it even worth applying now?
 
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wow didnt realize this school required 2 quarter classes of biochemistry.... only have 1
is it even worth applying now?
You took one quarter or one semester? One semester is all they need.
 
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You took one quarter or one semester? One semester is all they need.
I think they mean one quarter. I'm in the same boat. At my quarter-system school, they only require one quarter, and Miami is the only medical school I've seen so far that asks for more than that. Trying to decide whether it's worth submitting the application and potentially subjecting myself to summer school at the local CC before I matriculate.
 
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Does anyone know if the "describe how you have strengthen your candidacy..." only applies for those who have applied to UM previously or for all reapplicants in general?
 
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I think they mean one quarter. I'm in the same boat. At my quarter-system school, they only require one quarter, and Miami is the only medical school I've seen so far that asks for more than that. Trying to decide whether it's worth submitting the application and potentially subjecting myself to summer school at the local CC before I matriculate.
Cali fam and this forsaken quarter system :bang:
 
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"What have you done to help identify, address and correct an issue of systematic discrimination?"
Anyone else kind of dumbfounded by this question? I feel like nearly all if not most applicants have not "solved" an issue of systematic discrimination.
 
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"What have you done to help identify, address and correct an issue of systematic discrimination?"
Anyone else kind of dumbfounded by this question? I feel like nearly all if not most applicants have not "solved" an issue of systematic discrimination.

This is hands down the most illogical secondary question I have seen on any of my secondaries. How are individuals, most of whom are not even out of college yet, or held a job in the real world, supposed to go around not only identifying systemic racism, but correcting it. I don't think i'm going to be completing my secondary for Miami now. It's a question that is obviously pandering to current events in the U.S, but it isn't even well thought out.
 
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I think they mean one quarter. I'm in the same boat. At my quarter-system school, they only require one quarter, and Miami is the only medical school I've seen so far that asks for more than that. Trying to decide whether it's worth submitting the application and potentially subjecting myself to summer school at the local CC before I matriculate.

Also in the same boat. On the website it states:
"A course in biochemistry is now required. A biochemistry lab. will be recommended, but will NOT be required" which makes me think 1 quarter should be okay.

It is for 2019-2020 so not sure if anything has changed. Might be worth a call to the admissions office.
 
I don't think the question is a big deal. There are many college students who are active participants in social justice organizations that try to address problems (whether that be racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, poverty/homelessness, Islamophobia, environmental justice, etc) in our society or even on campuses via community engagement or specific initiatives.

Protesting can fit under this category.
 
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If we're using AP credit for some of the prerequisites, what do we put in the "Grade" column?
 
Just curious, is there a difference between systemic discrimination and systematic discrimination? Did they use systematic for a reason?
 
And what if you were following guidelines quarantining and not protesting? I’m immunocompromised and don’t have social justice org experience either
Be honest then and say that you never took part in anything like this. But talk about the insights you may have gained from any movements addressing social issues over the years and also talk about how it would be relevant when you are in medical school / as a physician.

Do you want to incorporate activism into your career as a physician? Do you want to do research in areas that analyze clinical issues that are related to systemic discrimination? How about acknowledging the context of patients may be facing daily lives that impacts their health?
 
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Just curious, is there a difference between systemic discrimination and systematic discrimination? Did they use systematic for a reason?

Systemic is the correct word. Not sure why they used systematic...
 
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This is hands down the most illogical secondary question I have seen on any of my secondaries. How are individuals, most of whom are not even out of college yet, or held a job in the real world, supposed to go around not only identifying systemic racism, but correcting it. I don't think i'm going to be completing my secondary for Miami now. It's a question that is obviously pandering to current events in the U.S, but it isn't even well thought out.
I agree, I'm completely dumbfounded that they added this question. Not everyone is able to go to protests or has the time to join a social justice organization. I definitely educated myself a lot on social justice issues during quarantine (and shared infographics / donated and the like), but I feel like it's pompous to call that "correcting" systematic discrimination issues. Even a student social justice org is unlikely to "correct" issues, although they do great work.
 
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uhm hi so I got my secondary today and I can not get onto the application for the life of me....I've tried different browsers, different computers, iPad, iPhone, carrier pigeon...
I enter my AMCAS ID and birthdate and every single time when I click enter the page refreshes and clears my birthdate ... I've already emailed them but no answer
 
uhm hi so I got my secondary today and I can not get onto the application for the life of me....I've tried different browsers, different computers, iPad, iPhone, carrier pigeon...
I enter my AMCAS ID and birthdate and every single time when I click enter the page refreshes and clears my birthdate ... I've already emailed them but no answer
Same exact thing for me. If anyone has a solution that has worked, please let us know!
 
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I think we can assume it's not meant to be literal. I'm sure none of us can think of a politician, social activist, judge, etc who has actually eliminated issues caused by structural forces either. But the contributions that they may have made towards addressing issues, advocacy, or community work are valuable and can help lead to correcting the issue.
 
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According the instructions PDF, should we still be providing descriptions for community service and employment even though the prompts don't explicitly state? I'm confused since only they only clinical experience descriptions, but in the email PDF it says "6. When asked for a chronologic list, please list start and stop dates along with a brief description of the activity"

Was wondering the same thing! I think im going to end up putting descriptions for all of them.
 
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Kinda odd they're asking about Fine Arts or Sports and then ask about hobbies. Now I can't elaborate on why I played sports as a way to get away from the hexagons.

1596484792008.png
 
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I agree, I'm completely dumbfounded that they added this question. Not everyone is able to go to protests or has the time to join a social justice organization. I definitely educated myself a lot on social justice issues during quarantine (and shared infographics / donated and the like), but I feel like it's pompous to call that "correcting" systematic discrimination issues. Even a student social justice org is unlikely to "correct" issues, although they do great work.

even for the people who had the time during the springtime of their youth to attend protests (myself included) it feels so cringey/"fake woke" to write about something so recent and feels weird and demonstrative, as if the only purpose was to talk about how you attended them. i have another topic i can probably write about but miami is super wrong for this.
 
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relevant to the springtime of youth
1596484943985.png
 
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For the research question: I spent about 1.5 years in an astrophysics research lab but the research was not published. Should bring up the fact that our research was not published or just not even mention it?
 
For the research question: I spent about 1.5 years in an astrophysics research lab but the research was not published. Should bring up the fact that our research was not published or just not even mention it?
Don't mention it. Most people don't have pubs anyways.
 
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Are you guys reaching the 500 word limit for the two new prompts?
 
even for the people who had the time during the springtime of their youth to attend protests (myself included) it feels so cringey/"fake woke" to write about something so recent and feels weird and demonstrative, as if the only purpose was to talk about how you attended them. i have another topic i can probably write about but miami is super wrong for this.
Totally agree. The prompt seems to trivialize the actual issues at hand. How can one person claim to have "corrected" these things, even a tiny piece? I'm not sure whether Miami didn't totally think through the inclusion of the question, or was brilliant to include it to see who discusses the topic with humility and tact, without being self-congratulatory (often for doing the bare minimum). As a white person, I am not writing about BIPOC topics for this prompt because it does not feel at all appropriate to sing my own praises, no matter how involved I may be in social justice. I hope it's okay to talk about systematic discrimination of other groups.
 
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some things to ponder for y'all freaking out about the systemic discrimination question, prefaced with my usual "not at all involved in admissions" warning:

- They know that none of you will have solved racism
- Big protests are not the only way to make change, and small actions can mean a lot
- Have you ever witnessed an incident of discrimination (racial, gender, sexual orientation, language, something else...)? Were you able to intervene or help in anyway? If so how? if not, did you learn anything you would do next time?
- Has a friend ever come to you to discuss their experience with discrimination? were you able to support them somehow?
- Have you ever challenged a family member or friend who was saying something ****ty?
- Have you ever realized that YOU were contributing to a systemic problem, and taken steps to correct that?
- How have you educated yourself or others about injustices in society?
 
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