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Alabama Schools Thread Part 2!!
Started by DoctorPardi
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nah bama, i sure havent...everytime i check the mail and the letter isnt there, it really makes me want to barf...im going crazy here just living from mail time to mail time...it is really hard to start banging away at the mcat when im holding on to the glimmer of hope that i might possibly get on the upper third of south's waitlist...good luck bama, hope we both get some good news by the end of the week
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mine hasnt come either...waiting really blows...guess i better get used to it, though
let's just hope it comes tomorrow! i don't think i can last another weekend with no news...
just got my letter - bottom third at USA. guess i'll be staying in birmingham next year and finding a job... does anyone have any advice on what kind of job i should get to improve my application?
Bottom third for me too. Guess i'll be in birmingham too for another year. Gotta say, my confidence is shattered at the moment, and im pretty frustrated. I'll be looking for some kind of clinically-related job, so i'll let ya know what i find, allicat. Good luck to everyone 👍
i saw earlier on this thread that some who were accepted off of uasom's waitlist found out in june or july.
i'm just curious, does anyone know if they actually start taking people off the waitlist in june? or are there people who get accepted off the waitlist around may 15th when everyone decides on their school? most of the other schools i am waitlisted at begin movement around may 15th, so i'm just wondering if anyone has heard about when the movement for uasom usually starts.
good luck everybody.
i'm just curious, does anyone know if they actually start taking people off the waitlist in june? or are there people who get accepted off the waitlist around may 15th when everyone decides on their school? most of the other schools i am waitlisted at begin movement around may 15th, so i'm just wondering if anyone has heard about when the movement for uasom usually starts.
good luck everybody.
Does anyone know when those who are accepted will be getting their letters in the mail? It seems like they are trying to figure out the campus locations before sending them out.
Hey sa here are my stats (hope it doesnt post this twice; something's f'd up with my connection)
uGPA: 3.78 BCPM:~3.6
mcat: 29N
Extracurriculars: shadowing ~100hrs (surgery, primary, radiology)
volunteered at indigent clinic (60hrs)
habitat for humanity(20hrs), community center(20hrs)
research for 2 yrs
honors: magna cum laude, Dean List (2 yrs), Golden Key (didn't really participate though)
Dr2b: sorry don't really know when people start getting in off the waitlist
uGPA: 3.78 BCPM:~3.6
mcat: 29N
Extracurriculars: shadowing ~100hrs (surgery, primary, radiology)
volunteered at indigent clinic (60hrs)
habitat for humanity(20hrs), community center(20hrs)
research for 2 yrs
honors: magna cum laude, Dean List (2 yrs), Golden Key (didn't really participate though)
Dr2b: sorry don't really know when people start getting in off the waitlist
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I had a 3.85gpa with 3.9bcpm
27Q
around 50hrs shadowing
some research work
bunch of leadership stuff
habitat for humanity and some other stuff
worked at a clinic for the under served
As far as movement on the waiting list I don't know but I don't understand how the process really works. If all accepted students have to declare a school by May 15 doesn't that pretty much mean that the school now knows how many kids are actually going to go there so that they can make a decision about the alternates?
27Q
around 50hrs shadowing
some research work
bunch of leadership stuff
habitat for humanity and some other stuff
worked at a clinic for the under served
As far as movement on the waiting list I don't know but I don't understand how the process really works. If all accepted students have to declare a school by May 15 doesn't that pretty much mean that the school now knows how many kids are actually going to go there so that they can make a decision about the alternates?
my stats:
mcat 29P
gpa 3.75 (about the same or maybe 3.7 for BCPM)
at the time of my interview i had just a few days of shadowing, but i had worked at a camp administering a lot of first aid to kids for two summers.
biology major + theatre minor, graduating in may
mcat 29P
gpa 3.75 (about the same or maybe 3.7 for BCPM)
at the time of my interview i had just a few days of shadowing, but i had worked at a camp administering a lot of first aid to kids for two summers.
biology major + theatre minor, graduating in may
Sorry to beat these questions to death, but does anyone know how many people are on the USA waitlist and how many get accepted? And also, what are the chances of getting off the waitlist?
And do you have a better chance of getting off USA's waitlist than UAB's? I'm actually more interested in going to South (I think i'm in the minority here!). Appreciate the help if anyone knows some of this information!
And do you have a better chance of getting off USA's waitlist than UAB's? I'm actually more interested in going to South (I think i'm in the minority here!). Appreciate the help if anyone knows some of this information!
Hey guys, bottom third for myself also.......
mcat: 28 N
G.P.A: 3.45 (but I really screwed up my first 2 years of college and my grades have been pretty solid since then and I took some xtra higher level courses to prove I could handle the load so I don't think its an issue)
xtra curriculars: 2 years of research, 3 months worth of shadowing (summer) 3 different doctor, (OB/GYN, dermatologist and internal med) and a pretty good amount of volunteer.....
so what the heck do I do this year? I def. don't want to take any more classes!
mcat: 28 N
G.P.A: 3.45 (but I really screwed up my first 2 years of college and my grades have been pretty solid since then and I took some xtra higher level courses to prove I could handle the load so I don't think its an issue)
xtra curriculars: 2 years of research, 3 months worth of shadowing (summer) 3 different doctor, (OB/GYN, dermatologist and internal med) and a pretty good amount of volunteer.....
so what the heck do I do this year? I def. don't want to take any more classes!
I can't decide what to do either...I'm definitely going to find some volunteer work and clinical stuff to do, but I just can't decide whether that will be enough or if I need to retake the mcat. I went ahead and registered for the july 10 mcat, just in case...but I want to apply this year in June, and waiting until August to get my results back will definitely delay the process for me. And then, what if I do worse? I just don't know what to do. Sure wish I had been preparing to get shafted all this time...
Donkey, honestly I wouldn't take the mcat again, the avg for both uab and south is a 30 (which I'm sure u already know) and i really doubt ur mcat score was an issue, so unless you know you can really pump it up a couple of points i don't think a single point or so will make a big difference, and the risk may out weigh the reward so I would spend your time on something more meaningful that you get a really great experience/knowledge out of and can talk about in your next interview rather than taking such a big chance (p.s. this is exactly what my pre-health advisor said and i agree, but to each his own)
You know, I would agree with you in most cases, but here I might disagree. Like you said everyone is different and you never know how this process works. From looking at his stats though it looks like everything else he has is solid.
He couldn't improve his GPA significantly, doing more ECs might not be very helpful, the one measureable thing he could increase in a relatively short period of time is his MCAT. The only question is does he have reasons to believe he can increase his MCAT. If for example he didn't hardly study, or didn't take it seriously then taking a course and dedicating to do the best he can could increase his score significantly. However if he took the course and busted his butt and got a 29 then that is different.
I made a 27Q and knew that was what I had to improve, of course mine is a bit lower than his and it is true UAB's medican MCAT is about 30-31, but having a 30+ can only help you.
I took the Kaplan course and studied pretty f'n hard for the mcat. I do, however, wonder if I could have done more. I'm just worried that 2 months is not enough time for me to relearn the physics and chemistry. I took the mcat in August of 2006 (at which time I had already finished all the prereqs), so it has been a while since i've had the material. The biology, organic, and verbal don't worry me so much, but I still need to study them hard too. I really want to feel like I don't need to take it again, but I just hate applying again with the same old dusty score. Then again, I just don't feel like my score is really hurting me; i know it isnt helping, though.
So yeah, i'm pretty back and forth here. One minute I feel insane for not retaking it, and the next minute I feel like my efforts might be better spent elsewhere. What to do, what to do....
So yeah, i'm pretty back and forth here. One minute I feel insane for not retaking it, and the next minute I feel like my efforts might be better spent elsewhere. What to do, what to do....
Well if that is the case then I reverse my decision. With only 2 months to study and having already taken a class and studied hard it is difficult to imagine you could improve upon a pretty good score that you did a lot of studying to get.
Things you can do:
1) Call UAB and ask to have a meeting with someone about how you can improve your application
2) Think about what you talked about in your interview. Did you feel like you were selling yourself, were they interested? Maybe you did research but are you maybe not confident or proud of it?
3) Improve your application immediately by doing some kind of new volunteer work, look for an interesting job in healthcare, try to get a paid research position somewhere doing something you like. Look online for volunteer opportunities around town and find something unique but also of interest to you.
I think my interviews went really well because I was very excited about the research I did and I got the feeling they liked it too. Also they were all intrigued by my volunteering with SDN. So maybe having something unique about your application is useful as well?
Mainly I would ask UAB what you could do and that will be a good start.
Thanks for your help doctorpardi.
I felt great about all of my interviews. They seemed to really be interested in my research; it came up in every single interview. I really loved my research, and feel like my enthusiasm showed when I talked about it. That is not to say that my interviews couldn't possibly be improved, however.
This really cracked me up...I emailed UAB to get some feedback, and they emailed me back saying "We cannot offer you feedback at this time by personal meeting or email since you are on the waitlist. Please keep in mind that it may be July 28 before you are cleared from the waitlist, since this is the first day of class." That would just be too late...
I felt great about all of my interviews. They seemed to really be interested in my research; it came up in every single interview. I really loved my research, and feel like my enthusiasm showed when I talked about it. That is not to say that my interviews couldn't possibly be improved, however.
This really cracked me up...I emailed UAB to get some feedback, and they emailed me back saying "We cannot offer you feedback at this time by personal meeting or email since you are on the waitlist. Please keep in mind that it may be July 28 before you are cleared from the waitlist, since this is the first day of class." That would just be too late...
Do what I did. Go ahead and secure yourself a job, not to mention some volunteer opportunities. Ask to start after August 1. That way, you'll be prepared either way. Also, if you have to interview with UASOM in early fall (even sept.), make it clear to them that you plan on continuing your job and/or volunteer activities throughout the rest of the academic year. Believe me, they'll understand. At least, they did for me. Hang in there, and good luck with the waitlist. If it doesn't work out, just stay positive. Eventually, you'll make it. 🙂
I talked to Mark Scott about the waitlist yesterday. He said there are usually about 40 people on the waitlist. I do not know how many people exactly there are on the waitlist this year. About the movement, last year they picked people even from the middle third..so hopefully, they will do that again this year. He said that many of the students that were offered a seat had multiple acceptances...so we will c...we just have to wait which I am soo hating right now. grrrrrrr😡
Thanks so much for that information, desidoctor! 🙂 So that's roughly 13 people per upper, middle, and lower third, which isn't so bad I guess. Better than UAB's waitlist, at any rate. I really hope we can both get in USA. I know what you mean...I'm so irritated that I can't even look at a MCAT book much less open it right now because I'm in such a nervous state. My whole future is in freakin' limbo right now!
Which "third" are you in, by the way?
Hey bama, i submitted my amcas in early august, which i am now figuring out is not all that early. Interviewed second week in November. Bottom third...
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I don't think it matters too much when you submit it. My friend did the same thing - took MCAT in August, waited for her score, submitted applications in September/October, got a interview in March, and got in to USA. But it's still probably better to get the stuff in as early as possible.
I am just going to tell you submitting early is hugely important. Think about it, all year these schools are giving out acceptances and interviews. So would you rather be applying for 1 out of 200 spots or 1 out of 50? Also depending on how the adcom works it can be to your advantage to be an early interview because there will be more time they have to consider your application for an acceptance versus someone interviewing in march who the adcom may only give one post-interview look.
I agree.
I agree to some extent, but I think I'm going to wait a little bit later to submit mine when I reapply next year. I submitted mine really early this year (amcas in June, secondaries in August) and got Sept. and Oct. interviews, but I'd really like to have a later interview so I can have more job experience/shadowing/whatever under my belt to talk about. Do y'all think that's an okay idea? I'm not going to be able to start working until August, and if I have another September interview, I won't have improved much at all from this year.
I'm in the middle third...what about u??
Have you been doing anything this year that is different than last? I don't know, but I think the most important thing is getting an interview, and that is never a sure thing. Banking on being able to get a later one to improve what you have to talk about seems like a bad idea to me.
Plus you can always write an update letter explaining your recent exploits.
Oh that's good! So you have a pretty good chance of being accepted into USA from what you posted before about a lot of people from the middle third being accepted last year. I'm in the upper third at USA which I'm hopeful about since I really want to go there rather than UAB. And this is random, but I'm desi too, by the way! 🙂
wow...that's awesome...you have a pretty good darn chance of getting in then...i don't think u should worry bout a thing...i am almost postive that u will get in from what mark scott was saying...well...good luck...i hope i get in too cuz i really want to go there too...yeah..i figured u were desi from ur screen name..hopefully we will meet in USA this year..that would be just down right awesome...
Thanks for making me feel better! Keep me updated! I'm wishing us both loads of luck! 🙂
I see there is a Facebook group for people accepted to UAB for next year, but is there one for USACOM? I've been trying to find a group like this for USA, but I haven't been able to find anything.
There is a group with just one person in it here:http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12274775889
You could join it and try to help build it up lol. Only reason I know about it is the creator went to school with me so I saw when she made it.
Thanks! I went ahead and joined the group. Hopefully more people will find it and join.
Just got my campus assignment from UAB, Birmingham! That is good news because I didn't really want to move third year for only a year.
By the way, I didn't get a letter or anything, I just checked the UASOM secondary page where they have your status.
By the way, I didn't get a letter or anything, I just checked the UASOM secondary page where they have your status.
Any word on waitlist movement at UASOM??
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I called down to South and they don't expect any waitlist movement until well after May 15th. I expect the same thing is going on in Birmingham.
Does anyone really understand how the May 15th rule works? I'd love someone to shed some light on it...can people hold more than one acceptance while forfeiting their deposit?
Any news on anybody's end?
Does anyone really understand how the May 15th rule works? I'd love someone to shed some light on it...can people hold more than one acceptance while forfeiting their deposit?
Any news on anybody's end?
No movement yet but I hope it begins soon. One of my friends told me that the waiting list situation basically happens like this. When a person is accepted from the waiting list, he/she has two weeks whether to accept or decline the invitation. After that period the next person is taken from the list. So it takes so long for the waiting list to move is because people usually wait until the last day to accept or decline because they may be on a bunch of waiting lists and hoping their top choice pans out.
Just dropped my USA spot. Good luck everyone 🙂
May 15th is the AAMC quasi-enforced deadline for people to choose a school and drop all other acceptances. Then as people with acceptances withdraw, new people are accepted, but as someone mentioned above it takes a long time because each new acceptance has two additional weeks to make a decision.
