2023-2024 Rush

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For the clinical experiences, should I be listing every specific skill I learned in my position as a medical assistant?? Should this be more like a "list", like a job description, or should I format it similarly to the activities section on the primary? I saw someone do 1000 characters and someone do 100 characters, so not sure what is the "right" way to go about it.

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For the clinical experiences, should I be listing every specific skill I learned in my position as a medical assistant?? Should this be more like a "list", like a job description, or should I format it similarly to the activities section on the primary? I saw someone do 1000 characters and someone do 100 characters, so not sure what is the "right" way to go about it.
You should show the skills using anecdotes. They talk about not repeating narratives from the primary and I take that as a hint that you should still use narratives, just not the ones from the primary. I also think in general, its not really helpful to say "I did this this this, learned this this this".

I saved this secondary for last so I had a bunch of anecdotes and very much utilized the unlimited space they gave Lmao
 
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You should show the skills using anecdotes. They talk about not repeating narratives from the primary and I take that as a hint that you should still use narratives, just not the ones from the primary. I also think in general, its not really helpful to say "I did this this this, learned this this this".

I saved this secondary for last so I had a bunch of anecdotes and very much utilized the unlimited space they gave Lmao
Yes makes sense, thank you. The wording is confusing to me, especially the "specific" part of it.

In terms of skills, should I be writing that I can administer lidocaine injections? Or should I be writing more about the communication, teamwork, etc skills I developed through this job? Both? Wish they could be more clear lol. Do you mind sharing what your character count was?
 
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You should show the skills using anecdotes. They talk about not repeating narratives from the primary and I take that as a hint that you should still use narratives, just not the ones from the primary. I also think in general, its not really helpful to say "I did this this this, learned this this this".

I saved this secondary for last so I had a bunch of anecdotes and very much utilized the unlimited space they gave Lmao
Exactly what I did, had around 2000 per experience.
 
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Yes makes sense, thank you. The wording is confusing to me, especially the "specific" part of it.

In terms of skills, should I be writing that I can administer lidocaine injections? Or should I be writing more about the communication, teamwork, etc skills I developed through this job? Both? Wish they could be more clear lol. Do you mind sharing what your character count was?
I focused on stuff like communication, teamwork, etc. and so what is what I would recommend since realistically, you'll probably learn stuff like administering lidocaine injections. The importance thing is the motor skills you develop in administering lidocaine injections, since those are more applicable to everything else in medical school. But that is my take on it, everyone does what works for them.

Character counts for each came out to around ~2000. I had a lot of anecdotes from my other secondaries so it was easy for me to hit these. I think the goal should be ~1000 characters though.
 
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For the clinical experiences, should I be listing every specific skill I learned in my position as a medical assistant?? Should this be more like a "list", like a job description, or should I format it similarly to the activities section on the primary? I saw someone do 1000 characters and someone do 100 characters, so not sure what is the "right" way to go about it.
Personally I listed skills because that’s the exact directions. I didn’t read too much into it.
 
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For the clinical experiences, should I be listing every specific skill I learned in my position as a medical assistant?? Should this be more like a "list", like a job description, or should I format it similarly to the activities section on the primary? I saw someone do 1000 characters and someone do 100 characters, so not sure what is the "right" way to go about it.
I did both, experiences ranged from 800 to 2500 characters. First paragraph with hard skills. Second paragraph more reflective—stuff I learned from the experience. I personally felt like there was space to talk about hard skills (e.g. taking vital signs, administering injections) but also soft skills (e.g. adaptability, teamwork). Don't think there's a right or wrong way. For reference, the prompt was "Instead, focus on detailing the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities you learned and applied during these experiences." It's quite vague and the character count isn't even specified, so I'd trust your instinct. I don't think you can go wrong writing genuinely! My thinking was don't fill it just to fill it, but also put your best foot forward.
 
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Should each course be a new box or can I fit all of my chemistry classes in one box?
 
What did people do for coursework? Did you only put the minimum recommended courses that Rush had on the website? Did you put every course that could possibly satisfy the recommendation? Also, did people put organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry etc even though the recommendations only mention biochemistry?
 
What did people do for coursework? Did you only put the minimum recommended courses that Rush had on the website? Did you put every course that could possibly satisfy the recommendation? Also, did people put organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry etc even though the recommendations only mention biochemistry?
I emailed admissions with the same questions and this was their response

"Thank you for your email and interest in Rush Medical College. As the committee has access to your transcript, the Admission Selection Committee would prefer that you input the courses taken in the recommended categories until you have met the committee’s recommended number of courses (Rush has a total of 11 semesters of coursework that are recommended to applicants). You can find the list of recommended courses on our Admission Requirements website."
 
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same but with the descriptions. I couldn't even search for the specific courses that were offered in the past. I just went with the most relevant description/semester and hoped for the best lol. GL!
same! i was stressing out about that
 
For uploading the document for proof of citizenship, do we just take a picture of the birth certificate or passport and then upload it? I don't want to mess that part up!
 
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My primary was verified 7/24 and I still haven't heard anything yet from them. Did anyone else have this long of a wait before receiving a secondary?
 
Did anyone not take Genetics? I never took genetics because I skipped all the core biology classes, but was a neuro major. I only just realized it's a requirement as I was going through the secondary and don't know if it's a hard screen out or just recommended as it says on their site..
 
Did anyone not take Genetics? I never took genetics because I skipped all the core biology classes, but was a neuro major. I only just realized it's a requirement as I was going through the secondary and don't know if it's a hard screen out or just recommended as it says on their site..
These aren't required until next cycle; for this cycle, those classes are just recommendations.
 
If I have around 350 hours of non-clinical and 400 hours of clin volunteering, am i likely to not get an II due to my service hours? Considering applying to rush but not sure
 
If I have around 350 hours of non-clinical and 400 hours of clin volunteering, am i likely to not get an II due to my service hours? Considering applying to rush but not sure
The average is around 1400 hours of community service, some people can slip through if they have something extra or URM.
350 is definitely on the low side.
 
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The average is around 1400 hours of community service, some people can slip through if they have something extra or URM.
350 is definitely on the low side.
One thing about this is that the official figure of 1400 is quoted as the average MATRICULANT number. If this means at the time of matriculation- that may make a significant difference. You may be alright as long as you have a decent base to start from.
 
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One thing about this is that the official figure of 1400 is quoted as the average MATRICULANT number. If this means at the time of matriculation- that may make a significant difference. You may be alright as long as you have a decent base to start from.
This is always something I wondered about. But how do they know about matriculation numbers?
 
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OOS secondary. 150 hrs of volunteering, ≈10k clinical hours, 500 research hours (two pubs, two projects)
 
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Was hoping to get some advice on what to write for the additional information prompt on the secondary - my undergraduate research experience is a pretty big part of my application, but I was unable to get a letter of recommendation from my PI due to her passing earlier this year. I've heard some people say that it's a red flag if you did research but didn't get a letter from your mentor, so I was wondering if it's a good idea to use this space to explain the situation/how much of it I should explain. thanks in advance!
 
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Was hoping to get some advice on what to write for the additional information prompt on the secondary - my undergraduate research experience is a pretty big part of my application, but I was unable to get a letter of recommendation from my PI due to her passing earlier this year. I've heard some people say that it's a red flag if you did research but didn't get a letter from your mentor, so I was wondering if it's a good idea to use this space to explain the situation/how much of it I should explain. thanks in advance!
Yo that is tragic im so sorry
 
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Was hoping to get some advice on what to write for the additional information prompt on the secondary - my undergraduate research experience is a pretty big part of my application, but I was unable to get a letter of recommendation from my PI due to her passing earlier this year. I've heard some people say that it's a red flag if you did research but didn't get a letter from your mentor, so I was wondering if it's a good idea to use this space to explain the situation/how much of it I should explain. thanks in advance!
I would say this is the perfect place to explain the situation, no need to go into a lot of detail, just the basic facts. I'm sorry to hear about your PI :(
 
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Was hoping to get some advice on what to write for the additional information prompt on the secondary - my undergraduate research experience is a pretty big part of my application, but I was unable to get a letter of recommendation from my PI due to her passing earlier this year. I've heard some people say that it's a red flag if you did research but didn't get a letter from your mentor, so I was wondering if it's a good idea to use this space to explain the situation/how much of it I should explain. thanks in advance!
I am so sorry. Yes, I think that would be an appropriate space to explain the situation.
 
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Anyone know if for service hours, they count gap year positions?

I have ~400 service hrs completed as of now. Over this next year, I'm dedicating full time to service so will have 2000 hrs more. Is that going to count?
 
Must be a mistake because their website definitely says that Casper is required.
Same, Casper score not released yet but received an email that my application was complete. Will it cause issues if my application is reviewed before my score is released?
 
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Is anyone else frustrated/infuriated that they made human physio & cell bio requirements for a single cycle and now they're making genetics a requirement next cycle? I literally took human physio and cell bio just for them, whereas I could have taken genetics which looks good for many other schools. Now I'll have to take genetics if I'm a reapplicant
 
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Is anyone else frustrated/infuriated that they made human physio & cell bio requirements for a single cycle and now they're making genetics a requirement next cycle? I literally took human physio and cell bio just for them, whereas I could have taken genetics which looks good for many other schools. Now I'll have to take genetics if I'm a reapplicant
The cynical part of me has wondered if they’re doing this to reduce the volume of applications they have to read. Realistically though, I'm sure they have good reasons for it.
 
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The cynical part of me has wondered if they’re doing this to reduce the volume of applications that they have to read.
Maybe they see those subjects as areas of weakness in their current students, or another possibility is they don’t have the instruction time to cover them fully?
 
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Maybe they see those subjects as areas of weakness in their current students, or another possibility is they don’t have the instruction time to cover them fully?
This is what the more logical part of me decided was likely the case!
 
I thought Rush didn’t have required courses, only recommended.
 
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I thought Rush didn’t have required courses, only recommended.
i'm pretty sure human physiology and cell biology are REQUIRED this cycle and genetics will be REQUIRED next cycle

edit: human physio and cell bio were going to be required this cycle but they are only recommended.
 
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I thought Rush didn’t have required courses, only recommended.

Recommended Courses​

RUSH Medical College recommends the below courses to better prepare you for the MCAT exam and our preclerkship curriculum.

*Beginning in the 2025 application cycle, these courses will be required.

  • Two semesters of biological sciences (higher than an intro course), including one semester of Cell and Molecular Biology
  • One semester of Genetics
  • Two semesters of Biochemistry
  • Two semesters of Physics (higher than an intro course)
  • Two semesters of Algebra or a higher-level math
  • Two semesters of English
Additionally, we recommend applicants seek exposure and engagement in the humanities and social sciences.

Source: Admission Requirements - Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program | Rush University

How the heck does one take TWO semesters of biochemistry??
 
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Recommended Courses​

RUSH Medical College recommends the below courses to better prepare you for the MCAT exam and our preclerkship curriculum.

*Beginning in the 2025 application cycle, these courses will be required.

  • Two semesters of biological sciences (higher than an intro course), including one semester of Cell and Molecular Biology
  • One semester of Genetics
  • Two semesters of Biochemistry
  • Two semesters of Physics (higher than an intro course)
  • Two semesters of Algebra or a higher-level math
  • Two semesters of English
Additionally, we recommend applicants seek exposure and engagement in the humanities and social sciences.

Source: Admission Requirements - Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program | Rush University

How the heck does one take TWO semesters of biochemistry??
That's for next cycle, doesn't matter rn.
 
doesn't say anywhere on their website that they have any course requirements UNTIL next cycle...
 
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