2020-2021 UC San Francisco

BU Medical Sciences
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
complete 8/7 for PRIME and silence...not sure if i've been passed over or if PRIME reviews on a different schedule ://
Members don't see this ad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Members don't see this ad :)
Completed Secondary 9/23. Rejected yesterday. Oh well, maybe I'll apply again for residency.
 
  • Care
Reactions: 1 users
Eternal Traveler said:
Pre-II R. It’s cool though, I’m still got my swag 😎

Good luck y’all!
Click to expand...
Damn son. That's some quick turnaround since you said you were complete in late November. I'm sorry they just ran away with your money.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
IHateCARS2020 said:
Damn son. That's some quick turnaround since you said you were complete in late November. I'm sorry they just ran away with your money.
Click to expand...

In their defense, it could be that the team that screens is very different than the team that sends out IIs, so the screener saw something that the II senders didn't.

I think we've gotten too used to UCSF's screening generosity and forget that many schools do not even have the courtesy of doing a preliminary screen before asking for secondary cash. We also forget that some schools drag applicants along until the end of the cycle while knowing that they'd reject them from the beginning.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
If UCSF invites you to submit a secondary, do y’all think it means that they are ok with your stats?
 
10thousndhrs said:
If UCSF invites you to submit a secondary, do y’all think it means that they are ok with your stats?
Click to expand...
I just want to share very useful info posted earlier by @Cole42.
Cole42 said:
I just went to a virtual interview prep session where the guest speaker was Dean Wofsy from UCSF. He gave a lot of insight into how UCSF conducts their process, so I figured it might be helpful to share with those following this thread in case they weren't able to attend. I was typing while he was talking, so there are a lot of sentence fragments, but I tried to capture what he said as best as I could. If anyone has notes from the end when he talked about attitudes toward the MCAT given COVID, feel free to share as I had to deal with a family situation and couldn't take good notes during that time:

General Comments:
  • Remember there are human beings on the other end of this process - often get different answers to the same question
  • Every school does it differently and individuals have different opinions
  • Don’t get thrown by conflicting advice - you will get conflicting advice
  • People on other end of process are more like us than we think - trying to do right thing, looking for things we would value
  • What would I be thinking if I were in their shoes?
  • What weakness should I address or strength I want to shine through?
  • In the end, medical schools have limited information to judge based on
Schools have 5 things in mind: think about where do I stack up on these 5 things?
  1. Academic Work: You can do the academic work when you get there - not a contest or game of who has best GPA/MCAT - know broad range of grades and MCATs can be great doctors and don’t believe you have to score in 99th percentile on MCAT or 3.8+ GPA but need to know you can do the academic work (shown by undergrad GPA - for those people, MCAT doesn’t matter much; MCAT for those who have lower undergrad GPA; for career changers or those who didn’t do well in undergrad, can prove academics in postbacc program but file has to do that)
  2. Something "Extra": Need to do more than just satisfy the academic work - must have something extra (research, community service, or a talent that has nothing to do with medicine but shows devotion to excellence, etc.) - for many people something extra comes from life experience - can be shown during letters, ECs or personal statement
  3. School Mission: At UCSF, they look for graduates to contribute to society in every area that physicians have an impact - like people for different reasons (if they aren’t going to be a great scientist, don’t need to be judged by that metric and can judge them on narrowing healthcare disparities in California or health policy changing way health care is delivered) - at UCSF, looking for different strengths in different people, no formula for getting in - looking for "Who are the good human beings?"
  4. LORs: So important for letter writers to speak to committee not about the highest grade but what we were like and to some degree that interviews give insight into that too
  5. Diversity: every school interest in diversity in a broad sense - includes racial and ethnic diversity (compelling data that if you want to serve all communities, need to train physicians who will go back and care about them) - diversity includes race, ethnicity, geography, etc. and also sexual orientation, SES, gender, and so on
Interview Offer:
  • Offering an interview is where the decision gets made - the decision doesn’t get made at the end after you interview - the reality is that the hard moment is getting the invitation to get interviewed
  • Tables have turned when you get an interview application (though most applicants and committees aren’t conscious of that) - at that point, you’re being recruited, not judged
  • At UCSF, interview 500 people and by the time go down waiting list, have sent 280 acceptances for 160 spots - over 50% chance of getting in if you got an interview
  • The real hurdle is getting invited for an interview
  • By interview, school has already decided you are good enough - if UCSF interviews you, chances are you will go somewhere great (absent really bad luck)
Mistakes applicants make:
  • Biggest mistake - don’t look at it as if they are on the other side of the process - they don’t identify weaknesses
  • Other applicant mistake - they think they have to stand out in the personal statement - very few people who get into medical school get in because of what they wrote in personal statement (but many tried so hard to stand out that it hurts them)
    • Show you can command the English language, write coherent relevant page (why medicine)
    • If personal statement is wonderful and rest of the file isn’t, you’re not getting in
  • Common interview mistake - deciding before interview what you want to say (need to be thinking on feet and responding to the questions)
Other interview tips:
  • Don’t talk for 10 minutes - make it conversational in classic interview
  • Pretend you’ve just sat down to lunch with someone you don’t know (family friend or something) and they are getting to know you and you’re getting to know them - comfortable, relaxed, conversational interaction where genuinely listening and genuinely interested
  • Over-rehearsed interviews are noticed and not liked (still rehearse but to practice comfort, not what you are going to say - need to be able to think on your feet and respond)
  • Other pitfalls: name-dropping, acting too arrogant/big for yourself (especially at schools where you have a prior connection)
How UCSF eliminates people after interviews:
  • Approach is that the interviewers are not decision makers - they write narrative reports like another letter of recommendation
  • Entirely different committee looks at whole file and makes decision (20 people on the committee look at whole file to make decision)
  • Moved to that 5 years ago because before they were basing it on personality of interviewer - prejudiced process too much based on luck of draw on interviewer (who would advocate most strongly for final decision based on personality)
  • Now 20 people who have not met you integrate information in file and those 20 people vote
  • 3 outcomes - accept/reject/alternate list
  • If just voted, everyone would be accepted after interview because you have 500 interviewed people who were chosen because their file is great and had a positive interview
  • At UCSF, what they do is say to the committee, have to divide up your votes into thirds
    • Which third impresses you the most?
    • Which will be waitlist?
    • Which will we decline?
    • Dean tracks it and over course of the season he tries to force the committee to vote 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 in those 3 categories
    • Usually 40% or more accept and 20-25% reject - it’s close enough and they have enough spots for it to be the way it comes out - will be done that way again this year even though Dean Wofsy isn't running it this year
  • They aren’t deciding who is not good enough - it’s not based on weakness or doing something wrong but rather the intensity of the competition
Screening process for secondary applications:
  • There are 3 ways to use data they have to make decision
    • 1. Can have strict numerical cutoffs
    • 2. Can have a formula (what UCSF used to do) - get points for everyone you can think of like are they in-state, GPA, MCAT, etc. and more than a certain number of points got a secondary automatically
      • UCSF threw out this system because they didn't want to throw out an applicant for getting less research points if their "something extra" was community service - because UCSF judges based on different metrics, this system didn't make sense
    • 3. Now they look at every file (but don't read every word in every application)
      • It would take 20-30 minutes to read every word in app, which isn't feasible
      • They look at every file now but stop looking at it if they decide this person has no chance of making it to the end (acceptance) based on something they read
      • Going through files and giving everyone the benefit of a look until it’s obvious the person has no chance or until it’s obvious there is a chance and they should get a secondary
      • Exclude about 1/3 of people through this screening process and don’t exclude anyone in that process who Dean Wofsy thinks ultimately could make it to an acceptance - secondary screening eliminates about 1/3 of candidates - go from 8,000 applicants to 5,000 secondaries
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 7 users
Pre-II R last night, OOS, Completed 9/20, stats are in sig.

Little disappointed, but not shocked, hope y'all get in!
 
  • Care
Reactions: 3 users
SnoBerry Peace Tea said:
Pre-II R last night, OOS, Completed 9/20, stats are in sig.

Little disappointed, but not shocked, hope y'all get in!
Click to expand...
don't get disappointed, California medical schools all are In-State biased , OOS candidates chance are very less , I received sec. Oct mid week and I am still waiting . I will also be rejected very soon as I am not expecting anything from this school .
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)
CowBoy98 said:
don't get disappointed, California medical schools all are In-State biased , OOS candidates chance are very less , I received sec. Oct mid week and I am still waiting . I will also be rejected very soon as I am not expecting anything from this school .
Click to expand...
Even california med schools are v hard for IS applicants to receive acceptance as well compared to other IS-biased state schools😢 As of now UCSF seems to be my only chance to stay in CA.
 
Cole42 said:
Same situation here: complete 8/13 for PRIME and still no word either way. I've heard of IIs and Rs that have gone out for PRIME candidates who applied after us, so maybe we're in some sort of hold pile?
Click to expand...
Yeah that seems likely. I'm still bracing myself for a rejection thought because it's been so long
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Cole42 said:
Same situation here: complete 8/13 for PRIME and still no word either way. I've heard of IIs and Rs that have gone out for PRIME candidates who applied after us, so maybe we're in some sort of hold pile?
Click to expand...
You were able to go to a virtual interview prep session without a II?
 
wstand said:
Even california med schools are v hard for IS applicants to receive acceptance as well compared to other IS-biased state schools😢 As of now UCSF seems to be my only chance to stay in CA.
Click to expand...
CA always more qualified applicants every year that's the reason its very difficult for IS folks to get admission. Other States have only 1 medical schools (except TX, few NE states) makes sense they are more IS biased . USC is also more IS students as per MSAR statistics .So don't give up . Good luck
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
CowBoy98 said:
CA always more qualified applicants every year that's the reason its very difficult for IS folks to get admission. Other States have only 1 medical schools (except TX, few NE states) makes sense they are more IS biased . USC is also more IS students as per MSAR statistics .So don't give up . Good luck
Click to expand...
best CA school for IS students is UC riverside i think. they take 100% IS every year
 
ThatSerb said:
best CA school for IS students is UC riverside i think. they take 100% IS every year
Click to expand...
Isn't UCR not only strongly IS-biased, but also strongly IE-biased? I heard you need a tie to the inland empire to increase A chance at UCR lol.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Pre-II R. I was waiting for this one. This week has been so brutal :dead:
 
  • Care
Reactions: 3 users
Also got the pre II R. Complete 9/17. Was hoping earlier to get some news back from schools in general. Prayers were answered but uh........... :rolleyes:
 
  • Care
Reactions: 3 users
Complete 9/3 IS ORM and low stats. still haven’t heard anything
 
  • Like
  • Care
Reactions: 2 users
Pre II R. Complete 9/27, IS. Thought I had a pretty good chance so kinda disappointed on this one, but I guess I can't be too surprised
 
  • Care
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Ok y'all, looking through this thread I've done some investigations, and looks like the admissions process is all rigged. People don't hear back, then suddenly get Rs in a big WAVE?? Around the same TIME!? With MCAT scores that came in later in the CYCLE!!?? Shady... The AAMC is covering it up tho, but believe me, we can still get an A without an II, don't let the FAKE NEWS ADCOMS tell you otherwise. Donate to my onlyfans to keep up the fight, god bless.
 
  • Haha
  • Like
  • Hmm
Reactions: 7 users
Seems as though I manifested an II from another school by being neurotic on SDN, so therefore here I am again being neurotic over the fact that I was complete 9/27 and haven’t heard anything back...... okay UCSF I’ll be expecting my II in a few, thanks 😘
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Also got a pre-II R last night, OOS, complete mid september
 
  • Care
Reactions: 1 user
It's our turn September babies let's gooooooo got hit by that NYU R so pls UCSF
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
JMP II Last night. OOS. Complete Early august.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 7 users
purpleaux3 said:
Ooh congrats! glad they're going out. Did they say anything about regular program, like do you automatically get a II for the normal UCSF program too or are they totally separate?
Click to expand...
Email said it had been reviewed by the UCSF and JMP admissions committees and "both would like to meet you" or something along those lines which makes me think I'll be considered for both but not 100% sure
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Pre-II R just 10 mins ago. Complete 8/19. Best of luck to everyone!
 
  • Care
Reactions: 1 users
Pre-II R just now, Complete 9/2 Good luck to everyone else waiting to hear back!
 
  • Care
Reactions: 1 user
Pre-II R just now. Complete 10/5. Good luck everyone! Wishing you all the best!
 
  • Care
Reactions: 1 users
Pre-II R as well Complete 9/22 Good Luck to everyone else for this cycle!!!!
 
  • Care
Reactions: 1 users
I dont see the withdraw option on my app anymore. does that mean the R is coming?
 
anon321123anon said:
I dont see the withdraw option on my app anymore. does that mean the R is coming?
Click to expand...
yikes I don't have the withdraw option either - I'll also note that it says on the portal that it can take up to 12 weeks to decide whether you'll be given an interview and it has been 12 weeks to the day I was complete
 
Last edited:
  • Wow
  • Care
Reactions: 2 users
absolutewasteman said:
yikes I don't have the withdraw option either - I'll also note that it says on the portal that it can take up to 12 weeks to decide whether you'll be given an interview and it has been 12 weeks to the day I was complete
Click to expand...
i wonder if they forgot my app. im on week 14 now
 
  • Care
Reactions: 1 user
Joining that R wave, I was complete on 9/26. best of luck to all of you!
 
  • Care
Reactions: 1 users
absolutewasteman said:
yikes I don't have the withdraw option either - I'll also note that it says on the portal that it can take up to 12 weeks to decide whether you'll be given an interview and it has been 12 weeks to the day I was complete
Click to expand...
It's been over 16 weeks for me... lol
 
  • Wow
Reactions: 1 user
anon321123anon said:
i thought there was under status. but maybe Im misremembering
Click to expand...
absolutewasteman said:
yikes I don't have the withdraw option either - I'll also note that it says on the portal that it can take up to 12 weeks to decide whether you'll be given an interview and it has been 12 weeks to the day I was complete
Click to expand...
My application portal never had an option to withdraw, so I believe you both are fine 😊
 
  • Care
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 2 users
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

wysdoc
2023-2024 UC San Francisco
35 36 37 38 39
Replies
2K
Views
410K
ankaraMessi
A
wysdoc
2022-2023 UC San Francisco
23 24 25 26 27
Replies
1K
Views
346K
Idkidkidkidkidkidk
I
wysdoc
2021-2022 UC San Francisco
22 23 24 25 26
Replies
1K
Views
403K
Poochie
P
wysdoc
2023-2024 UC San Diego
28 29 30 31 32
Replies
2K
Views
290K
huas1234
H
wysdoc
2022-2023 UC - San Diego
19 20 21 22 23
Replies
1K
Views
261K
Woop99
Woop99
Top