2020-2021 Wake Forest

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Congrats on the acceptances, everyone, if you have any questions feel free to @Orangekiwi or me and we can answer them hopefully! :partyblob::partyblob::partyblob:
Members don't see this ad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Their response time for the 10/5 info session was very quick. 10/15 info session was told we'd hear back around mid-November.
 
I’m a first year student at Wake with @TheDataKing and @Orangekiwi and for the accepted students, it’s our turn to sell the school to you! So please message us with any questions! I have loved Wake, and I definitely think it’s an incredible place to end up.

And for those of you on the WL, I know Wake’s waitlist is very dynamic. We have a lot of classmates who I know got in off of the waitlist.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)
m1redsox said:
I’m a first year student at Wake with @TheDataKing and @Orangekiwi and for the accepted students, it’s our turn to sell the school to you! So please message us with any questions! I have loved Wake, and I definitely think it’s an incredible place to end up.

And for those of you on the WL, I know Wake’s waitlist is very dynamic. We have a lot of classmates who I know got in off of the waitlist.
Click to expand...

Hey, thanks for the input! I took a real interest in WF after the info session and was pretty bummed getting waitlisted today. Any advice on how to convey that interest in a follow-up letter?
 
captainpicard314 said:
Hey, thanks for the input! I took a real interest in WF after the info session and was pretty bummed getting waitlisted today. Any advice on how to convey that interest in a follow-up letter?
Click to expand...
write a letter of interest and then convert it to a letter of intent later on in like February if it's still your top choice
 
captainpicard314 said:
Hey, thanks for the input! I took a real interest in WF after the info session and was pretty bummed getting waitlisted today. Any advice on how to convey that interest in a follow-up letter?
Click to expand...
I never had to write one, but from what I hear, LOI's are taken with a grain of salt anyways. You can always just share what it is that specifically draws you to Wake, but keep in mind that most Adcoms are reading these thinking, "Well this is very generic. They probably sent the same LOI stating we are their first choice to Drexel, Albany, and Quinnipiac." So overall I might suggest using specific research that you have done on the school to make your letter stand out rather than restating the mission statement.

On a somewhat related note, my favorite things about Wake that someone could potentially use in an LOI are:
-18-month curriculum to start clinical rotations a full 6 months before most other programs
-Faculty is constantly reaching out to set up one-on-one meetings for us about finances, emotional/mental health support (free counseling and therapy), and academic support.
-Wake supports a ton of free clinics in the area to get your clinical, intake, and EMR skills up to par. Off the top of my head, there is the DEAC clinic and the Wake Mobile Clinic. I do Spanish Interpretation at one called the Shalom Project, but I don't think it is directly affiliated with the school.
-Even during a pandemic, research is booming at Wake. We receive more NIH funding than places like Georgetown, Brown, Dartmouth, UC Davis, UC Irvine, and other schools that are conventionally "ranked higher" than Wake. Needless to say, interest groups are very good at reaching out and getting you hooked up with faculty members who are looking for med students to do research and publish. I know plenty of my classmates who want Ortho have already published in the ~3 months we've been on campus.
-I really like the diverse ways we learn things. We don't just have a lecture on cardio. It's a lecture, then a dissection in the cadaver lab, then an ultrasound lab, then radiology, then the iCRIT course does a cardio case for case-based learning (I'm a big fan of iCRIT), then we have a microanatomy and pathology lab, and then we learn a cardio exam during clinical skills. If you don't know heart anatomy by the time the test rolls around, you must be actively trying to avoid learning haha.
-Wake has well-regarded residency programs in prettymuch every specialty. This is valuable for matching because you can make connections with the residency board members, and even if you don't match here, they will write you a strong letter for wherever you want to go.
-Wake is big on diversity and sensitivity training stuff so maybe mentioning the MAPS (Medicine and Patients in Society) longitudinal course might make it look like you've done some research on the curriculum
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 4 users
Hi guys, just a few questions for current students: I haven't seen much about this, but is it common for students at WF to have a car? Do you feel that there's a more collaborative than competitive environment/ are students close-knit? (does wake rank internally?) Also, as a URM, I feel pretty strongly about efforts (or lack thereof) schools make to handle diversity and antiracism efforts - how do you feel WF does on that front? I feel like the general vibe I get is that everyone at the school really likes it there, which seems awesome to see! Also if it's easier for me to pm anyone please just lmk! Thanks so much for the help!

@TheDataKing @Orangekiwi @m1redsox
 
Last edited:
have they already sent out the majority of IIs?
 
  • Hmm
  • Wow
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
doingmybest10 said:
Hi guys, just a few questions for current students: I haven't seen much about this, but is it common for students at WF to have a car? Do you feel that there's a more collaborative than competitive environment/ are students close-knit? (does wake rank internally?) Also, as a URM, I feel pretty strongly about efforts (or lack thereof) schools make to handle diversity and antiracism efforts - how do you feel WF does on that front? I feel like the general vibe I get is that everyone at the school really likes it there, which seems awesome to see! Also if it's easier for me to pm anyone please just lmk! Thanks so much for the help!

@TheDataKing @Orangekiwi @m1redsox
Click to expand...
I would say most people have a car for sure. I know a few people who don’t, and that’s fine if you live close to the school (which is in the downtown area), but public transportation is not super big, and I can’t think of a grocery store within walking distance. That being said, downtown does have a lot going on, so maybe you could get by. I know most people room with other students (a big google doc gets sent out to get a roommate) so if you don’t have a car, your roommate probably will.

In terms of student cohesion, I don’t know how well current M1s can speak to that with the unique covid situation—meaning that outside our class groups and roommates, we don’t really know everyone. But there is no internal rank and classes are true pass/fail with tons of chances for remediation. Because of that, it is extremely non-competitive. I don’t know how my friends have done on past tests, and I don’t particularly care. But I feel like I can ask anyone for help or to study together. On top of that, tons of students get together to play sports if you’re into that. Frisbee is popular, there’s soccer, tennis, basketball, and some gym rats.

As an ORM, I feel like there is an emphasis on social justice and anti-racism efforts in classes (like I said, the MAPS course is almost completely dedicated to social issues and how they pertain to medicine), but I’m not sure how that story would look coming from a URM student’s perspective. It doesn’t get super “arrest the cops that killed Breonna Taylor”, but they certainly discuss issues facing black patients, immigrants, the LBGTQ+ community, etc and how we can help them as future physicians.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 3 users
doingmybest10 said:
Hi guys, just a few questions for current students: I haven't seen much about this, but is it common for students at WF to have a car? Do you feel that there's a more collaborative than competitive environment/ are students close-knit? (does wake rank internally?) Also, as a URM, I feel pretty strongly about efforts (or lack thereof) schools make to handle diversity and antiracism efforts - how do you feel WF does on that front? I feel like the general vibe I get is that everyone at the school really likes it there, which seems awesome to see! Also if it's easier for me to pm anyone please just lmk! Thanks so much for the help!

@TheDataKing @Orangekiwi @m1redsox
Click to expand...
On the car front: Winston-Salem is a pretty spread out city with poor public transportation. It'll be best to have a car or have a roommate with one. And IIRC, Wake Med has free parking for students. If you're not a NC resident, switching your car insurance to NC will probably save you a lot of money. It has the second cheapest car insurance in the nation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
m1redsox said:
I would say most people have a car for sure. I know a few people who don’t, and that’s fine if you live close to the school (which is in the downtown area), but public transportation is not super big, and I can’t think of a grocery store within walking distance. That being said, downtown does have a lot going on, so maybe you could get by. I know most people room with other students (a big google doc gets sent out to get a roommate) so if you don’t have a car, your roommate probably will.

In terms of student cohesion, I don’t know how well current M1s can speak to that with the unique covid situation—meaning that outside our class groups and roommates, we don’t really know everyone. But there is no internal rank and classes are true pass/fail with tons of chances for remediation. Because of that, it is extremely non-competitive. I don’t know how my friends have done on past tests, and I don’t particularly care. But I feel like I can ask anyone for help or to study together. On top of that, tons of students get together to play sports if you’re into that. Frisbee is popular, there’s soccer, tennis, basketball, and some gym rats.

As an ORM, I feel like there is an emphasis on social justice and anti-racism efforts in classes (like I said, the MAPS course is almost completely dedicated to social issues and how they pertain to medicine), but I’m not sure how that story would look coming from a URM student’s perspective. It doesn’t get super “arrest the cops that killed Breonna Taylor”, but they certainly discuss issues facing black patients, immigrants, the LBGTQ+ community, etc and how we can help them as future physicians.
Click to expand...
Thanks so much! This is awesome!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)
MS1s here: when did you get your interview/when did you interview here last year?
 
SouthernGeorgiaPines said:
MS1s here: when did you get your interview/when did you interview here last year?
Click to expand...
Completed secondary 7/6/19.
Invited for interview on 9/9/19 for 10/2/19.
Accepted 10/15/19.
Take this with a grain of salt, though, because I would say probably half of our class was accepted off of the waitlist, and I have a friend who interviewed in February and was accepted two weeks later. Wake accepts a lot of students (we were told ~60% of interviewees), so interviewing late is not a huge disadvantage. That being said, Wake receives a TON of applications, so don't put all your hope in one basket (haha) if you still don't have an II here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 users
Have information session today (19th), does anyone have a rough idea when I could expect to hear back? Seems like some of y'all have had a turnaround of less than two weeks.
 
poijum2 said:
Have information session today (19th), does anyone have a rough idea when I could expect to hear back? Seems like some of y'all have had a turnaround of less than two weeks.
Click to expand...
I was on October 15th and during our session we were told to expect to hear back by mid November.
 
Last edited:
Do any of you know anything about merit scholarship information? If you were to be offered one...when would that likely occur? If you are interviewed and accepted early...is that a good sign for a robust offer? For those who are attending Wake Forest instead of UNC...how did you make that $30,000 a year leap for tuition?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
m1redsox said:
I never had to write one, but from what I hear, LOI's are taken with a grain of salt anyways. You can always just share what it is that specifically draws you to Wake, but keep in mind that most Adcoms are reading these thinking, "Well this is very generic. They probably sent the same LOI stating we are their first choice to Drexel, Albany, and Quinnipiac." So overall I might suggest using specific research that you have done on the school to make your letter stand out rather than restating the mission statement.

On a somewhat related note, my favorite things about Wake that someone could potentially use in an LOI are:
-18-month curriculum to start clinical rotations a full 6 months before most other programs
-Faculty is constantly reaching out to set up one-on-one meetings for us about finances, emotional/mental health support (free counseling and therapy), and academic support.
-Wake supports a ton of free clinics in the area to get your clinical, intake, and EMR skills up to par. Off the top of my head, there is the DEAC clinic and the Wake Mobile Clinic. I do Spanish Interpretation at one called the Shalom Project, but I don't think it is directly affiliated with the school.
-Even during a pandemic, research is booming at Wake. We receive more NIH funding than places like Georgetown, Brown, Dartmouth, UC Davis, UC Irvine, and other schools that are conventionally "ranked higher" than Wake. Needless to say, interest groups are very good at reaching out and getting you hooked up with faculty members who are looking for med students to do research and publish. I know plenty of my classmates who want Ortho have already published in the ~3 months we've been on campus.
-I really like the diverse ways we learn things. We don't just have a lecture on cardio. It's a lecture, then a dissection in the cadaver lab, then an ultrasound lab, then radiology, then the iCRIT course does a cardio case for case-based learning (I'm a big fan of iCRIT), then we have a microanatomy and pathology lab, and then we learn a cardio exam during clinical skills. If you don't know heart anatomy by the time the test rolls around, you must be actively trying to avoid learning haha.
-Wake has well-regarded residency programs in prettymuch every specialty. This is valuable for matching because you can make connections with the residency board members, and even if you don't match here, they will write you a strong letter for wherever you want to go.
-Wake is big on diversity and sensitivity training stuff so maybe mentioning the MAPS (Medicine and Patients in Society) longitudinal course might make it look like you've done some research on the curriculum
Click to expand...

This is extremely generous! I'll keep this information in mind when I draft a LOI.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
pelotan1 said:
Do any of you know anything about merit scholarship information? If you were to be offered one...when would that likely occur? If you are interviewed and accepted early...is that a good sign for a robust offer? For those who are attending Wake Forest instead of UNC...how did you make that $30,000 a year leap for tuition?
Click to expand...
To be honest with you, I don't think there are very many people who are accepted to BOTH UNC and Wake. Med school is pretty dang competitive and most applicants don't get into a single program--let alone 2 great programs. As an M1, I don't know of any classmates who were accepted to both and chose Wake. That could be because they simply all choose UNC due to the price difference and elevated prestige factor, but who knows. My guess is that they are few and far between. I was accepted on 10/15/19 and did not receive a merit scholarship. However, I have a friend who got one, and he found out pretty early.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
m1redsox said:
To be honest with you, I don't think there are very many people who are accepted to BOTH UNC and Wake. Med school is pretty dang competitive and most applicants don't get into a single program--let alone 2 great programs. As an M1, I don't know of any classmates who were accepted to both and chose Wake. That could be because they simply all choose UNC due to the price difference and elevated prestige factor, but who knows. My guess is that they are few and far between. I was accepted on 10/15/19 and did not receive a merit scholarship. However, I have a friend who got one, and he found out pretty early.
Click to expand...
On their website they talk about how generous the scholarship program is at Wake Forest. Not expecting anything...just curious. Congrats to you! Hope you are enjoying your first year!
 
pelotan1 said:
On their website they talk about how generous the scholarship program is at Wake Forest. Not expecting anything...just curious. Congrats to you! Hope you are enjoying your first year!
Click to expand...
And is UNC more prestigious than Wake Forest??
 
pelotan1 said:
And is UNC more prestigious than Wake Forest??
Click to expand...
UNC is more known for primary care & primary care research. Wake has a lot to offer for all specialties & has 20-30% of each class match into surgery alone. A deciding factor for most people is tuition cost & match rankings, not "prestige" between the two schools. UNC is more NC-focused; Wake has significantly more out-of-state students as a private school.

Although this about to change to pass/fail, Step 1 score averages were last compiled by US News & compared in 2016: 226 @ UNC, 231 @ Wake
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
pelotan1 said:
On their website they talk about how generous the scholarship program is at Wake Forest. Not expecting anything...just curious. Congrats to you! Hope you are enjoying your first year!
Click to expand...

I am an M1 at Wake and chose it over a cheaper program because it is a really good school. You’re going to be in debt pretty much regardless so you might as well go somewhere you will enjoy, will give you the best opportunities and overall where you will thrive the most. Wake is super supportive and everyone is extremely nice and collaborative. As far as scholarships go, I didn’t receive a merit scholarship but did receive a few separate need base scholarships that helped with the cost. I was initially disappointed in the financial aid office cause they messed my application up but when I brought it up they went above and beyond to help me and make sure it got sorted out and are always reaching out to make sure we are aware of changes, other scholarship opportunities and such. Just my 2 cents and experience with it. I’m not sure how many people got scholarships though. I really don’t get in here much but if you have other questions I will answer when I see them lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
BeTheDiva said:
UNC is more known for primary care & primary care research. Wake has a lot to offer for all specialties & has 20-30% of each class match into surgery alone. A deciding factor for most people is tuition cost & match rankings, not "prestige" between the two schools. UNC is more NC-focused; Wake has significantly more out-of-state students as a private school.

Although this about to change to pass/fail, Step 1 score averages were last compiled by US News & compared in 2016: 226 @ UNC, 231 @ Wake
Click to expand...
Thanks for the information! I am impressed by the specialty matches at Wake. UNC is definitely primary care focused. WF seems to want to help their students choose. Thanks for your help.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
For any current applicants who have had the info session, is it a panel where you’re not on camera or is everyone on camera and you’re expected to dress up?
 
Opesmed said:
For any current applicants who have had the info session, is it a panel where you’re not on camera or is everyone on camera and you’re expected to dress up?
Click to expand...
Dress up, everyone is on camera! It is also very interactive.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Opesmed said:
For any current applicants who have had the info session, is it a panel where you’re not on camera or is everyone on camera and you’re expected to dress up?
Click to expand...
It's one where everyone is on camera! I wore a suit, I think most other people did too, though I'm sure no one would be upset if you went slightly less than all out. There was a good amount of interaction between everyone, so you'll probs want to keep ur camera on the whole time.
 
Just coming here to vent. MCAT got moved to July 23 cause of corona. I submitted my secondary for Wake in July, but didn’t take Casper til mid august, not totally realizing that my file wouldn’t be considered complete until my Casper score was sent to them. File was complete early September now just waiting for an II but losing hope. Anyone in a similar situation?
 
  • Care
Reactions: 1 user
anyone know when the next wave of IIs is expected from here?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
rdrozays said:
Just coming here to vent. MCAT got moved to July 23 cause of corona. I submitted my secondary for Wake in July, but didn’t take Casper til mid august, not totally realizing that my file wouldn’t be considered complete until my Casper score was sent to them. File was complete early September now just waiting for an II but losing hope. Anyone in a similar situation?
Click to expand...


Don’t lose hope! I was complete actually late September and received an II! :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 users
rdrozays said:
Just coming here to vent. MCAT got moved to July 23 cause of corona. I submitted my secondary for Wake in July, but didn’t take Casper til mid august, not totally realizing that my file wouldn’t be considered complete until my Casper score was sent to them. File was complete early September now just waiting for an II but losing hope. Anyone in a similar situation?
Click to expand...
My MCAT score wasn't released until 9/29. So yep in the same boat of being "complete" later than many for all schools I applied to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Complete mid August, hit the 10+ week mark. As a general rule of thumb do we assume pretty much DOA at that point?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
benignradical said:
Complete mid August, hit the 10+ week mark. As a general rule of thumb do we assume pretty much DOA at that point?
Click to expand...
Same boat, and I'm head over heels in love with the school waaaahhhhhh
Don't lose hope! The game's not over yet!
 
  • Care
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
benignradical said:
Dead on Arrival

meaning that I'm pretty much R-bound at this point
Click to expand...
Disclaimer: this is not backed up by any direct knowledge of how WFSOM operates, but I doubt that means an R. Most schools send II at least until February. Still a long ways to go!
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 2 users
random for accepted students: there was no enrollment deposit right? i realized i didn’t see anything about one
 
SouthernGeorgiaPines said:
not sure if you know this! but do you have any idea when the next round of IIs will be sent out?
Click to expand...
I do not know, however, we interview through March. Applicants can hear from us up until then.
 
  • Like
  • Love
  • Care
Reactions: 11 users
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

wysdoc
2022-2023 Wake Forest
9 10 11 12 13
Replies
647
Views
192K
spicyturtles413
S
wysdoc
2021-2022 Wake Forest
7 8 9 10 11
Replies
537
Views
210K
gemsbok01
G
PapaGuava
2019-2020 Wake Forest
21 22 23 24 25
Replies
1K
Views
265K
#wannabemd
W
koffeekween
2021-2022 Ponce-STL
2 3 4
Replies
184
Views
24K
amazinmedicine
A
TheDataKing
2020-2021 Vanderbilt
14 15 16 17 18
Replies
857
Views
300K
srstudent
S
Top