Any news from OHSU?

[swashbuckler]

...Also, I am not sure if they are doing most of their interviews late. I think robh said they had already interview and evaluated half of the interviewees when he last posted.

Interviewing the 2nd half of the candidates after March 20th means that they are doing a lot of interviews late. Compare this to the non-rollings like UPenn who have already filled their class by March.

My only concern is that if "stellar applicants" are put on hold early in the interview process, then equally stellar applicants should be put on hold late in the interview process--until they can all be compared together...

I was just guessing about the early interviewees, I really have no idea. But if an interviewee brings an intangible to the class that no applicant has demonstrated (based on past class selections, etc.), then the admission committee is probably going to offer them a spot early on and show them some interest. Like I said before, there is no way for us to tell who are the stellar applicants without knowing what their interview scores are since the interview is a large part of the post-interview decision. We can make guesses about what the hell is going on during the committee meetings, but that is something we won't know until some of us are actually med students on the committee.

Looking at last year's OHSU thread, a lot of people got in late. There is no need to worry until the actual waitlist positions come out, but I do agree, the system needs to be streamlined.

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[Doctor Bagel]

I'm wondering about the interview thing, though, because some people have mentioned having absolutely horrible interviews and getting admitted. Anyway, I still think it's a poor (and yes, woefully unscientific) way to evaluate candidates. My interview went okay, but I guess I'm not bubbling with enough charisma for them. Instead of doing well in classes and on the mcat, I should have focused on being cooler, I guess. Call me an idealist, but I don't think med schools and marketing companies should use the same criteria to evaluate people.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Looking at last year's OHSU thread, a lot of people got in late. There is no need to worry until the actual waitlist positions come out, but I do agree, the system needs to be streamlined.

Exactly. Other schools manage to interview the same amount of candidates and still get their class filled before mid-May. Look at UW for example -- they use a process very similar to OHSU in that they interview everyone before accepting the bulk of their class. However, they got everything done over a month ago. It's just inconsiderate to make the vast majority of your applicants wait so long for a response.

 

[star22]

I'm wondering about the interview thing, though, because some people have mentioned having absolutely horrible interviews and getting admitted. Anyway, I still think it's a poor (and yes, woefully unscientific) way to evaluate candidates. My interview went okay, but I guess I'm not bubbling with enough charisma for them. Instead of doing well in classes and on the mcat, I should have focused on being cooler, I guess. Call me an idealist, but I don't think med schools and marketing companies should use the same criteria to evaluate people.

 

[wishwash]

I think it may be quick to say they don't have their class full. I suspect that if not already that by next week they will have given all their acceptances to at least fill the class, if not more. Using these forms and MDapps will not give you any sense of how full the class is already. I also think that it may be a hard pill to swallow that people who have gotten in later were simple more qualified in the eyes of OHSU. There are always stories from here of applicants with stand out stats who get shot down, happens at all most every school, sucks but true. To talk about the “fairness” of the whole interview process is just a lost cause and definitely not going to help anybody who is still waiting to hear, except maybe to vent. I believe the adcoms are being very professional through the whole process and aren’t blind to the own subjectivity. Maybe just taking a break from the forms and doing something else for a while until May 15th would be the best solution.

 

[star22]

I think it may be quick to say they don't have their class full. I suspect that if not already that by next week they will have given all their acceptances to at least fill the class, if not more. Using these forms and MDapps will not give you any sense of how full the class is already. I also think that it may be a hard pill to swallow that people who have gotten in later were simple more qualified in the eyes of OHSU. There are always stories from here of applicants with stand out stats who get shot down, happens at all most every school, sucks but true. To talk about the “fairness” of the whole interview process is just a lost cause and definitely not going to help anybody who is still waiting to hear, except maybe to vent. I believe the adcoms are being very professional through the whole process and aren’t blind to the own subjectivity. Maybe just taking a break from the forms and doing something else for a while until May 15th would be the best solution.

Where did you hear this? I think you are trolling.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I think it may be quick to say they don't have their class full. I suspect that if not already that by next week they will have given all their acceptances to at least fill the class, if not more.

If that's true, then they lied to me on my interview day, which wouldn't be too professional. I also disagree that it's professional to drag on the process for so long for the majority of their applicants when virtually every other school can interview and give a definite response beyond hold to all their candidates before mid-May.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Where did you hear this? I think you are trolling.

Considering he/she has never made any other post at SDN, I think that's a possibility.

I agree that I need to stop venting and focus on something more positive. Actually, I'd love to go to the other school I've been accepted at -- I'd probably rather go there than OHSU (I'll concede that sour grapes are involved here ). Unfortunately, my husband really wants to stay here, so I have to think about that.

 

[robh]

From reading robh's previous posts (thanks robh), it appears that they are interviewing most applicants later on in the cycle.

Just to clarify this point, I was told the committee had yet to review 200 applicants. I got the impression that many of those folks had already interviewed, and that the committee had not yet acted on their files. That was more than a month ago now so I'm certain a lot has changed since then.

Also, I saw in the newspaper a couple weeks ago that OHSU has increased the class size to 120. That is good news. Good luck everyone!

 

[Ambs]

Hi everyone.....I'm a first year at OHSU.....

It's a wonderful school......I didn't know they increased the class size....good luck to all of you & maybe I'll see you later this year!!!

 

[Paiger Pie]

My only concern is that if "stellar applicants" are put on hold early in the interview process, then equally stellar applicants should be put on hold late in the interview process--until they can all be compared together. Also, I am not sure if they are doing most of their interviews late. I think robh said they had already interview and evaluated half of the interviewees when he last posted.

I totally agree... I think that the process is unfair and totally biased. I'm sure that my acceptance was probably due to some sort of lottery process, blind luck, or perhaps a group of chimpanzees throughing darts at a board. Thank goodness I was not interviewed untill later in the season; I really pulled a fast one with that coup. Never mind that no one has even mentioned the weight that strong LOR's might be play in the process. Obviously, it was malice on the part of the admission committee that got me this far. I knew it would happen though... a fortune cookie I was served at a Thai restaraunt on Hawthorne Blvd. predicted it.

 

[ruefr]

A dilemma-

I interviewed Mid March. It will be 6 weeks on this coming Tuesday. I'm signed up to retake the MCATs this coming Saturday (in case I'm not accepted this year). I'd really enjoy not subjecting myself to the all day grind on Saturday, not to mention risk messing w/ my score if unnecessary. I've been checking my mailbox daily, in hopes of opening that wonderful thin envelope.

My question-

Has anyone had any luck w/ weasling info out of the Deans office on an acceptance or rejection over the phone. I've talked to a woman last tuesday who said that I'd already been discussed, and that I should hear in a week or less. I've heard that after we've been discussed, that we recieve a score, which is set in stone. Is it worth risking upsetting someone at the admissions office over? Any other incredibly impatiant applicants out there who've had luck w/ getting info out of them over the phone?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I totally agree... I think that the process is unfair and totally biased. I'm sure that my acceptance was probably due to some sort of lottery process, blind luck, or perhaps a group of chimpanzees throughing darts at a board. Thank goodness I was not interviewed untill later in the season; I really pulled a fast one with that coup. Never mind that no one has even mentioned the weight that strong LOR's might be play in the process. Obviously, it was malice on the part of the admission committee that got me this far. I knew it would happen though... a fortune cookie I was served at a Thai restaraunt on Hawthorne Blvd. predicted it.

I've read your mdapplicants profile. Congrats on your acceptance -- you do deserve it. That still doesn't mean the process isn't arbitrary and overly subjective.

 

[wishwash]

Where did you hear this? I think you are trolling.

I don’t get on this site much, but I am not trolling. I don’t mean to be rude if that how it came across. I was just saying that the admissions process has been going on for years with many people on the board being there for well over ten years. They know how applicants can become skewed when it comes to the number of acceptances each month. I think the difference between the number of open spots in the class and acceptances given out is smaller than you might think, also considering that using this form and other sites won’t get you even close to knowing the true amount of acceptances. You will drive yourself nuts trying to extrapolate all that data Yet you have to consider those numbers in reverse too. You don’t know about the many people are rejecting OHSU’s offer compared to what is found on those sites.

To be short I think many people are the harshest critic of there own state school. Everyone knows OHSU’s past and their priority to OR residents, you knew that when you applied. This should be nothing new. So what is four more weeks compare to the whole drawn out process? I was just suggesting instead of checking this form every 15min that people go out and enjoy the next four weeks doing something not involved in the admissions process. The road ahead will come soon enough.

I also realized I may now have started something I really didn’t want too, just wanted to put in a different perspective, that’s all.

 

[ifkt355]

Has anyone had any luck w/ weasling info out of the Deans office on an acceptance or rejection over the phone. I've talked to a woman last tuesday who said that I'd already been discussed, and that I should hear in a week or less. I've heard that after we've been discussed, that we recieve a score, which is set in stone. Is it worth risking upsetting someone at the admissions office over? Any other incredibly impatiant applicants out there who've had luck w/ getting info out of them over the phone?

Thanks in advance.

Before I got accepted (back in December), I also called the office and was told the same story as yours - my file has been discussed, but they are still waiting to collect the final score from all members. Although I didn't really get an answer from the office, I don't think you will upset them by asking (as long as you don't call them like everyday), especially if you explain your situation with them, maybe they can even tell you if it is worthy it for you to take the MCAT again.

I heard that MCAT actually only counts a very small portion of the total score. And I believe it is very true, at least in my case. Factors determine your score are: interview, LORs, your extracurriculum experiences, and your academic score. Among your academic score, there are two or three parts: GPA, MCAT, and trend of your academic records. As you can see, MCAT is only a small part. If you are strong in the other parts, it might not make a big difference to your overall score if you retake the MCAT or not. I was worried about my MCAT and etc., but was told that since they decided to interview me, obviously they believed my academic scores are competitive enough.

So my advice will be to call them up, and tell them your dilemma, and see if they can help you or give you a clearer picture of where you are at this point. Good luck!

 

[George_Clooney]

My GF is also on hold at OHSU and hoping to get in there. When she called last week, she was told ~75 acceptances would be offered before May for a class of 118-120. (just to clarify the previous posts that the class is full). The rest would be filled in in May and the waitlist would then be created. The funny thing is that everyone has a score after the interview, but they aren't ranked yet so they can't let you know where you stand. That seems strange, but maybe they are anticipating many people to withdraw??

 

[bootz]

A dilemma-

I interviewed Mid March. It will be 6 weeks on this coming Tuesday. I'm signed up to retake the MCATs this coming Saturday (in case I'm not accepted this year). I'd really enjoy not subjecting myself to the all day grind on Saturday, not to mention risk messing w/ my score if unnecessary. I've been checking my mailbox daily, in hopes of opening that wonderful thin envelope.

My question-

Has anyone had any luck w/ weasling info out of the Deans office on an acceptance or rejection over the phone. I've talked to a woman last tuesday who said that I'd already been discussed, and that I should hear in a week or less. I've heard that after we've been discussed, that we recieve a score, which is set in stone. Is it worth risking upsetting someone at the admissions office over? Any other incredibly impatiant applicants out there who've had luck w/ getting info out of them over the phone?

Thanks in advance.

I called Carolyn and she told me that I had been accepted a week ago right around my six week mark. I know of one other person that has called and gotten an acceptance. As for the letter, it had been sent out on a Wedndesday and I received it on a Saturday, so you might end up taking the MCAT and finding the letter when you get home. Good luck on the letter and the MCAT!

 

[QuikClot]

I got a thin envelope from OHSU . . . the suspense builds . . . heart pounding . . . "the Admissions Committee is pleased to offer" . . . Yaaaaaaaah!!!

 

[QuikClot]

I get to stay in my hometown . . . keep my job, which I love, part-time . . . build on my healthcare relationships, rather than starting from zero . . . wife keeps the job she loves . . . it's Miller Time.

 

[Hassler]

Wow. So, OHSU likes to send acceptance offers by thin envelopes. Fun......

 

[bootz]

I get to stay in my hometown . . . keep my job, which I love, part-time . . . build on my healthcare relationships, rather than starting from zero . . . wife keeps the job she loves . . . it's Miller Time.

Hey, another one, congrats! mad props to happy wives...

 

[TheMightyAngus]

.

 

[robh]

Browsing mdapplicants, it looks like there are a disproportionate amount of people who have been accepted to Case Western but on hold at OHSU. I'm starting to worry cause Case starts in July, the alternate list extends into late summer, and I really would prefer the rain to the snow. Anyone else in a similar position?

Yes. Wonderful isn't it?

 

[swashbuckler]

Browsing mdapplicants, it looks like there are a disproportionate amount of people who have been accepted to Case Western but on hold at OHSU. I'm starting to worry cause Case starts in July, the alternate list extends into late summer, and I really would prefer the rain to the snow. Anyone else in a similar position?

Do both of you have mdapplicants.com profiles?

 

[jillibean]

Hello 2006 applicants!

I am gearing up to apply in the next cycle and I was wondering about your OHSU application experiences. I am an oregon resident and everyone has told me OHSU really looks for life experience and clinical experience. I have about 6 months of hospital volunteer work and I played varsity volleyball in college (which consumed a lot of my time out of class, so I don't have a lot of other activities). Any suggestions before I apply?

Thanks for your help and good luck to you all!!!

 

[Dr. Weebs]

OHSU is a sorry excuse for a state medical school, in terms of how it handles it's in-state preference. They can spend $55million on a tram, but can't accept more in-state's who only pay 10k less in tuition. The total loss of accepting 30 more in-states would be $300k. It makes NO sense. I know the money comes from different budgets, but they seem to be able to pull money they didn't have before out of nowhere to pay for the rising cost of the tram. Why not find $300k somewhere to train more local doctors (which the state needs)? I'm also personally bitter, because I BARELY missed getting in last year, had an exit meeting, did everything they told me to (even shadowed a family doctor who is on faculty there, and who helped write the textbook for the 2 year mentorship class. He trusted me enough to do full medical histories on his patients with him out of the room, and allowed me to present them to him.) and I'm probably not going to get in. What kind of sense does that make? I also have improved my app even more in the FIVE MONTHS since my interview, and they told me it doesn't matter because my score is set in stone. I guess travelling to a poor eastern european country, living in the villages, and doing free medical care with a group of doctors for 2 weeks wouldn't help improve my application. What a bunch of BS. It feels like I've been penalized for having my stuff together, and interviewing very early. People who interview late do get an advantage in the OHSU system. Some of them have 7 more months to improve their EC's!!! That's a HUGE advantage! I also think they had the worst interview-day setup of any school I've been to. I'm very unimpressed with how they have handled everything in the admissions process. I got in to two out of state schools very quickly (one of them just as quality a school as OHSU, with even more strict academic entrance standards), am waitlisted at Colorado, was interviewed at half of the schools I applied to, but I can't get into my own state school. Stories like mine are the reason Oregon residents often times have a very negative attitude towards OHSU. They need out of state tuition to survive, and this is why too many very qualified in-state applicants do not get in there. Oregon is the worst state to live in for getting into medical school. Yes, we're worse then California, believe it or not. Only 17.6% of our applicants were accepted in-state last year (and that was a BIG year). The year before, it was 10.9%!!!! That was by far the worst in the entire nation. By far. California was at 18.9% last year, and they have a reputation for being one of the worst states to live in for getting into medical school. The average for all states is 28.6%. The only states lower than Oregon last year were (And last year was the most in-state applicants accepted at OHSU in 4 years): Utah, Washington, Maryland, and Rhode Island. Those states were around 15-16%. Many states are well above 30%. It is not that we don't have the seats, but that OHSU chooses to accept an inordinate amount of out-of-state students (between 40-60%). I'm sure anyone would agree, that any state with an in-state acceptance rate of 10% (as stated for the class of 2008) is completely unacceptable. If you want to check them out for yourself, all of these statistics are publicly available from AMCAS on their website.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Yeah, I think Dr. Weebs tells it like it is. I was really puzzled at my interview when everyone kept on talking about OHSU's mission to serve Oregon -- if they were really interested in serving Oregon, they wouldn't be so picky about accepting Oregon residents. As it is, only 30% of OHSU grads stay in state, and I'm betting pretty much none practice in underserved areas of Oregon. I agree, too, that their interview day was pretty lame -- it's like they weren't even trying.

Since their process is so subjective, I don't think anybody can give good advice to instate applicants wanting to get admitted. Obviously don't sweat the mcat or your gpa and try to find whatever intangible they're looking for.

 

[Paiger Pie]

OHSU is a sorry excuse for a state medical school, in terms of how it handles it's in-state preference. They can spend $55million on a tram, but can't accept more in-state's who only pay 10k less in tuition. The total loss of accepting 30 more in-states would be $300k. It makes NO sense. I know the money comes from different budgets, but they seem to be able to pull money they didn't have before out of nowhere to pay for the rising cost of the tram. Why not find $300k somewhere to train more local doctors (which the state needs)? I'm also personally bitter, because I BARELY missed getting in last year, had an exit meeting, did everything they told me to (even shadowed a family doctor who is on faculty there, and who helped write the textbook for the 2 year mentorship class. He trusted me enough to do full medical histories on his patients with him out of the room, and allowed me to present them to him.) and I'm probably not going to get in. What kind of sense does that make? I also have improved my app even more in the FIVE MONTHS since my interview, and they told me it doesn't matter because my score is set in stone. I guess travelling to a poor eastern european country, living in the villages, and doing free medical care with a group of doctors for 2 weeks wouldn't help improve my application. What a bunch of BS. It feels like I've been penalized for having my stuff together, and interviewing very early. People who interview late do get an advantage in the OHSU system. Some of them have 7 more months to improve their EC's!!! That's a HUGE advantage! I also think they had the worst interview-day setup of any school I've been to. I'm very unimpressed with how they have handled everything in the admissions process. I got in to two out of state schools very quickly (one of them just as quality a school as OHSU, with even more strict academic entrance standards), am waitlisted at Colorado, was interviewed at half of the schools I applied to, but I can't get into my own state school. Stories like mine are the reason Oregon residents often times have a very negative attitude towards OHSU. They need out of state tuition to survive, and this is why too many very qualified in-state applicants do not get in there. Oregon is the worst state to live in for getting into medical school. Yes, we're worse then California, believe it or not. Only 17.6% of our applicants were accepted in-state last year (and that was a BIG year). The year before, it was 10.9%!!!! That was by far the worst in the entire nation. By far. California was at 18.9% last year, and they have a reputation for being one of the worst states to live in for getting into medical school. The average for all states is 28.6%. The only states lower than Oregon last year were (And last year was the most in-state applicants accepted at OHSU in 4 years): Utah, Washington, Maryland, and Rhode Island. Those states were around 15-16%. Many states are well above 30%. It is not that we don't have the seats, but that OHSU chooses to accept an inordinate amount of out-of-state students (between 40-60%). I'm sure anyone would agree, that any state with an in-state acceptance rate of 10% (as stated for the class of 2008) is completely unacceptable. If you want to check them out for yourself, all of these statistics are publicly available from AMCAS on their website.

Hang in there man. Despite all the quirks, OHSU still has a fantastic curriculum and a wonderful program; one that I have no doubt you will be a part of if you can stick it out. Yes the process is painful and demoralizing, but you are an outstanding IN-STATE candidate, and given the last years reversal in state funding policies (and resulting increase in Oregon resident matriculants) you are sitting in a very good position. I wish you the best, but I'm pretty sure you'll do fine without it!

 

[ifkt355]

Hi, for those who have been accepted, have you got any idea where you will live? SW Portland, Beaverton, and etc? Anyone interested in car-pooling? The parking situation is pretty bad at OHSU, for first year med students, you can only car-pool with someone if you want to drive to campus. Thanks.

 

[star22]

I'm also personally bitter, because I BARELY missed getting in last year, had an exit meeting, did everything they told me to (even shadowed a family doctor who is on faculty there, and who helped write the textbook for the 2 year mentorship class. He trusted me enough to do full medical histories on his patients with him out of the room, and allowed me to present them to him.) and I'm probably not going to get in.

I am pretty fearful that I am not going to get in either. I think you said somewhere (maybe a different thread?) that you found out where you were on the list. do you remember who you talked to? Everyone I have spoken with has told me that they haven't ranked people yet.

 

[Dr. Weebs]

I am pretty fearful that I am not going to get in either. I think you said somewhere (maybe a different thread?) that you found out where you were on the list. do you remember who you talked to? Everyone I have spoken with has told me that they haven't ranked people yet.

They didn't tell me a "ranking", but I got them to tell me i was in the "middle of the pack" on the hold list. They said they couldn't tell me anything more, because i could move up or down quite a bit, depending on how the rest of the people scored after their interviews. They said they had about 150 left to score at that time, and had scored at least 250 already. To assume I was right in the middle would put me at #125, with 150 people left to score. If I kept on that pace, I'd be #200 overall, which would put me at #80 on the waitlist. So, I've been crossing my fingers that the late interviewees are not very good applicants. The other thing that is just so rude about their process is that every other school is done filling their class before them. I am watching apartments fill up in Charlottesville (I'm accepted and holding a spot at U. Virginia) while I wait to plan my life because OHSU can't follow deadlines like AMCAS wants them to. All schools are supposed to have at least filled their class by the end of March. I guess OHSU feels that they are above the rules.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

The other thing that is just so rude about their process is that every other school is done filling their class before them. I am watching apartments fill up in Charlottesville (I'm accepted and holding a spot at U. Virginia) while I wait to plan my life because OHSU can't follow deadlines like AMCAS wants them to. All schools are supposed to have at least filled their class by the end of March. I guess OHSU feels that they are above the rules.

This is the part that I find exceptionally irritating. They don't interview more applicants than other schools that manage to get everything done by March. Why do they have to take so long? Is there any other school out there that's still making the majority of their applicants wait? From what I've seen, University of Colorodo and University of Washington have very similar admissions schemes in that they interview everyone before admitting the bulk of their class. The big difference is that both these schools made all their non-waitlist offers in March.

 

[star22]

They didn't tell me a "ranking", but I got them to tell me i was in the "middle of the pack" on the hold list. They said they couldn't tell me anything more, because i could move up or down quite a bit, depending on how the rest of the people scored after their interviews. They said they had about 150 left to score at that time, and had scored at least 250 already. To assume I was right in the middle would put me at #125, with 150 people left to score. If I kept on that pace, I'd be #200 overall, which would put me at #80 on the waitlist. So, I've been crossing my fingers that the late interviewees are not very good applicants. The other thing that is just so rude about their process is that every other school is done filling their class before them. I am watching apartments fill up in Charlottesville (I'm accepted and holding a spot at U. Virginia) while I wait to plan my life because OHSU can't follow deadlines like AMCAS wants them to. All schools are supposed to have at least filled their class by the end of March. I guess OHSU feels that they are above the rules.

I agree that their admissions policy is pretty crappy, but that seems like a fairly competetive position when you consider that they increased the class size a little this year and many people will withdraw.

 

[Paiger Pie]

I agree that their admissions policy is pretty crappy, but that seems like a fairly competetive position when you consider that they increased the class size a little this year and many people will withdraw.

I believe the waitlist went somewhere into the mid-nineties last year, despite the upward trend towards in-state applicants. Hopefully, the same movement will occur this year.

 

[Paiger Pie]

BTW, I'm just about to begin rennovation on a 1 bedroom apartment (670 sq. feet) in the SE Belmont District. The unit should be ready by the end of July, so if anybody is interested...

 

[notdeadyet]

Oregon is the worst state to live in for getting into medical school. Yes, we're worse then California, believe it or not. Only 17.6% of our applicants were accepted in-state last year (and that was a BIG year). The year before, it was 10.9%!!!! That was by far the worst in the entire nation. By far. California was at 18.9% last year, and they have a reputation for being one of the worst states to live in for getting into medical school.

Not sure where the California stat comes from but the acceptance rate for california state schools are between 5-9%. I think some of the private's and osteopathics was higher, but the best acceptance rates for any of the UCs is 9% at UCI. Oregon's last year was 18.1%, no?

Sorry to hear about your problems, though. I definitely feel your pain when it comes to being disgruntled about competiveness at your state school.

 

[star22]

Not sure where the California stat comes from but the acceptance rate for california state schools are between 5-9%. I think some of the private's and osteopathics was higher, but the best acceptance rates for any of the UCs is 9% at UCI. Oregon's last year was 18.1%, no?

Sorry to hear about your problems, though. I definitely feel your pain when it comes to being disgruntled about competiveness at your state school.

I think it is calculated as the number of californians accepted to any california school vs. total number of california applicants. I am sure the acceptance rate for each individual school is lower. So although OHSU might have a higher acceptance rate than any one CA school, it is our only state school.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I think it is calculated as the number of californians accepted to any california school vs. total number of california applicants. I am sure the acceptance rate for each individual school is lower.

Right, and it only includes allopathic schools since the data is from aamc.

 

[Dr. Weebs]

Not sure where the California stat comes from but the acceptance rate for california state schools are between 5-9%. I think some of the private's and osteopathics was higher, but the best acceptance rates for any of the UCs is 9% at UCI. Oregon's last year was 18.1%, no?

Sorry to hear about your problems, though. I definitely feel your pain when it comes to being disgruntled about competiveness at your state school.

The data from AAMC, on their website said Oregon was 17.6% and California was 18.9%. Exlawgrrl is correct. The data is from any California applicant getting into any California medical school. The individual acceptance rates are lower (and I'm not sure if your data is for in-state applicants only, or total), but when you look at it on the whole, the chance of getting into ANY california medical school as a california resident, is higher than an oregon resident getting into OHSU, and OHSU is our only school. Pretty crazy isn't it?

 

[oldprospector]

Hi, for those who have been accepted, have you got any idea where you will live? SW Portland, Beaverton, and etc? Anyone interested in car-pooling? The parking situation is pretty bad at OHSU, for first year med students, you can only car-pool with someone if you want to drive to campus. Thanks.

ifkt -- i've been having a pretty hard time finding affordable places on the #8 bus line (either in SW or NE), so i'd definitely be interested in carpooling. i have a pretty sweet rig: large, brown, and dented. as for where i'm living, i'd like to be in SW but like i said the places close to 5/6th ave spendy...i heard closer to PGE park is better, though. where are you looking?

 

[notdeadyet]

The data is from any California applicant getting into any California medical school. The individual acceptance rates are lower (and I'm not sure if your data is for in-state applicants only, or total), but when you look at it on the whole, the chance of getting into ANY california medical school as a california resident, is higher than an oregon resident getting into OHSU, and OHSU is our only school. Pretty crazy isn't it?

Ah, gotcha. When I read state school, I read it as a "state school", meaning public state university. Didn't realize you meant a school in a given state.

Yeah, it's pretty bad. Well, I'll see you at the Exodus...

 

[ifkt355]

OldProspector, I am looking at houses at SW Portland area, near Multanomah villege (along Barbur Blvd), since there are two bus lines go to that area. Driving from there is about 15 minutes, but it will take about 45 minutes by bus, sucks! But this area, the houses are old and expensive. For the same amount of money, you can get a much newer and better house in Beaverton/Bethany area, but it is almost impossible to take the bus (~1.5 hr each way according to trimet). That's why I am wondering if anyone is interested in car-pooling. I am open to Beaverton/Bethany area, as long as I can find someone to car-pool with. As far as SW Portland, at least, taking the bus is possible.

Anyone else has any other information or suggestions regarding the housing and transportation situation to OHSU?

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Anyone else has any other information or suggestions regarding the housing and transportation situation to OHSU?

Hi ifkt,
If you lived in Beaverton, you could take the max into downtown and then catch the bus to OHSU. There are lots of park and rides out there, so you can drive to the max station.

 

[nyc525]

I got my hold letter a couple of days ago (3/16 interview). This school is ridiculous, what they need to interview the last 2 people before they can tell me anything??

 

[Paiger Pie]

For all of those people trying to figure out where they are going to live in PDX next year, I thought I might offer some advice. I moved here from Los Angeles 4.5 years ago, and I was in your exact situation my fiancee' at the time (then wife, now ex... not really interesting) was enamored with the quiet serenity of SW Portland and Beaverton. She even managed to find an apartment complex replete with a babbling brook and ducks! Needless to say, that was not going to fly with me, and for good reasons: when moving to a new city, I believe it is imperative that one live as close to the city center as possible (unless it is a desolate wasteland... sorry L.A.) in order to survey out the surrounding areas and best formulate an opinion. Now this does not mean that you should rent a room in a hotel room with daily rates and soak up Portland life like Bukowski, but the closer you can get to downtown (hence the real estate term "close-in PDX... very important, not to be confused with Gresham), the greater access you will have to all the city has to offer.
The public transit system, as mentioned before, is quite excellent in Portland, so much so that you aren't required to live off the 8 line to get up the hill to OHSU. With the exception of suburban SW (don't know it very well, and the following advice makes no sense logistically for that area), you can find and easy connection to the 8 line from the downtown transit center. While in "Fare-less Square" (thing bus-line hub), you can easily get off your bus-line and find a connecting 8... no really, it is quite easy, un-supervised grammar school students do it all the time.
Here is why I've been suggesting the afforementioned approach to P-town living. Portland is a city of unique, interesting, and varied neighborhoods, all of which should be entertained thoroughly before settling down with one. Now I know what you are thinking, we are going to be medical students next year, with very little time to do anything other than study, so why do I have to live anywhere but up on Marquam Hill? If that is your take on your first year in Portland, then please introduce yourself to me at orientation (I'll be the relatively old guy, big smile, bigger head, fond of hyperbole), because I'm really going to want to share notes with you. If however, you are currently entertaining any thoughts on venturing outside on say a friday night or a sunday morning, then you might want to take heed of my advice. Hawthorne (boutiques, hacky-sac, the Bagdhad Theater, and good food), Belmont (veggie restaraunts, Movie Madness, good Theaters (plays), better coffee), Division (up-and coming dining establishments), Mt. Tabor (only volcano within city limits in the continental US, hiking, go-cart races), Sellwood (old Portland, food, antiques, waterfront trails, amusement park), Brooklyn (families, close to the ( line into downtown, city views, concert venues), South Waterfront/Macadam(the soon-to-be tram, waterfront activites, small town feel), Multnomah Village ( even smaller town feel, close to OHSU, brew Pubs, convenient access to sundrie goods), Downtown (food, nightlife, pan-handling, live music, pioneer square at twilight, Park Blocks), NW 23/Alphabet Blocks/Snob Hill (shopping, hiking/adventure at forest park, close to zoo, IMO best restaraunts in town) The Pearl (yuppie-lofts, East-Village vibe, Powells Books, great food, First Thursdays, More Brew-Pubs), ... etc. This list merely scraped the surface regarding the superlatives used to describe but a fraction of Portlands neighborhoods. I've learned about them by getting in a car, driving to a new area, and getting lost on a Sunday afternoon. If I liked its vibe, I made sure to come back with my dog... I'd invite you to do the same (not with my dog though). So there are my 2 cents, and I can't wait to meet all of you when you get to Portland, whatever neighborhood you decide to settle down in.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I got my hold letter a couple of days ago (3/16 interview). This school is ridiculous, what they need to interview the last 2 people before they can tell me anything??

Pretty much. I'm right there with ya, so good luck!

 

[Doctor Bagel]

ifkt -- i've been having a pretty hard time finding affordable places on the #8 bus line (either in SW or NE), so i'd definitely be interested in carpooling. i have a pretty sweet rig: large, brown, and dented. as for where i'm living, i'd like to be in SW but like i said the places close to 5/6th ave spendy...i heard closer to PGE park is better, though. where are you looking?

I live pretty close to PGE park -- in SW right by NW 23rd & Burnside. There are lots of high rise apartments and older 3 to 4 story apartments on Vista that are pretty affordable. Also, it's just a nicer place to live than anywhere 5/6th ave stuff because you're in walking distance of grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. From where I live, you could either walk or a take another bus down to get on the 8 -- overall, I think it'd be a pretty short commute.

Just of fyi, but I hate the Pearl!! It's soulless, imo. I'm guessing most of you can't afford to live there anyway unless you have trust fund, but I thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[QuikClot]

Beaverton is a hell-hole. It's an example of what in Russia they call a "sleeping region" -- because there's nothing to do out there but sleep.

There is affordable housing in Multnomah Village; I used to live in some of it.

The easiest fix for most of you is going to be the student ghetto atop the hill itself. They cater to medical school students around there, and the commute issue is nonexistant.

SE is a good choice for those who don't mind public transportation. Personally, I did the bus thing for many years and have developed an allergy. Hawthorne/Belmont/lower Division are definitely the best places in Portland for young people. Unfortunately, lots of young people have discovered this and so housing there is not typically at bargin prices.

For trust fund babies, I recommend the Pearl. It's soulessness will accelerate your natural progress towards total alienation from the hoi polloi.

For true bargins, hit the student center on the PSU campus; it is a couple miles from OHSU, and full of people just as poor as you will be, looking for housemates.

BTW, I don't know why I am offering assistance to a crowd that could only muster one half-hearted congratulations on my acceptance. Where's the love?

 

[Paiger Pie]

Beaverton is a hell-hole. It's an example of what in Russia they call a "sleeping region" -- because there's nothing to do out there but sleep.

There is affordable housing in Multnomah Village; I used to live in some of it.

The easiest fix for most of you is going to be the student ghetto atop the hill itself. They cater to medical school students around there, and the commute issue is nonexistant.

SE is a good choice for those who don't mind public transportation. Personally, I did the bus thing for many years and have developed an allergy. Hawthorne/Belmont/lower Division are definitely the best places in Portland for young people. Unfortunately, lots of young people have discovered this and so housing there is not typically at bargin prices.

For trust fund babies, I recommend the Pearl. It's soulessness will accelerate your natural progress towards total alienation from the hoi polloi.

For true bargins, hit the student center on the PSU campus; it is a couple miles from OHSU, and full of people just as poor as you will be, looking for housemates.

BTW, I don't know why I am offering assistance to a crowd that could only muster one half-hearted congratulations on my acceptance. Where's the love?

I'll gladly stroke your ego; Congratulations on OHSU! Happy Belated-Birthday! Happy KWANZA!

 

[Doctor Bagel]

BTW, I don't know why I am offering assistance to a crowd that could only muster one half-hearted congratulations on my acceptance. Where's the love?

Okay, congratulations! I've got to admit that I'm still too absorbed in my self-pity and anger to offer the hugest congrats around.