anyone accepted yet?

[doc3341]

Hey everyone, I was just wondering if anyone out there has gotten accepted and if you interviewed. Im in the application process currently to a couple of schools. What types of questions did they ask during the interview. Anything out of the ordinary?

Thanks,

Mike

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[LilyMD]

BUMP bc I'd really like to know.
As for me, Bryn Mawr interview next week.
And I got reject without interview at Goucher.

 

[El Chupacabra]

I'm in the same boat as Lily, those bastards!

 

[Superflyjsc]

Ive applied to all the following post bacc programs: Rutgers, Temple, Upenn, Pennstate and NYU.

I was accepted at Rutgers, Temple and Pennstate.
Rejected from UPenn
and no word from NYU. I dont even know why i applied there. I wasnt even gonna go there if i got accepted so i just wasted my time and money. None the less, they could have at least informed me if i was accepted or rejected still. Its been over 2 months.

I had interviews at Rutgers and Temple. Both went pretty smoothly. It was more of a conversation than an interview actually. In fact, i dont think they even asked me more than a couple questions and they were fairly general as well such as why do I want to go into medicine and when would I like to start the program...
I also had interview at UPenn. This school was the only school that had an official interview process. I met wit the assistand dean to the program or what not and he sat there 1 on 1 and asked me series of core questions such as why medicine? Why did i choose to switch out of my former career? Describe 3 traits that make a good physician? Weakness? Strengths?
My interview went really well but my lack of experience in healthcare field proved to be the deciding factor thus i was rejected.
Pennstate was really easy to get accepted into as well just as long as u have average academic qualifications. No interview required as well.
If you have any other questions, just let me know then

 

[doc3341]

Congrats to all! Im in the "waiting period". The schools Im applying to both told me I needed to take the MCAT to be considered. So I'm stuck until some time after April.

 

[ussdfiant]

Wow, you guys sound like you're applying to medical schools and not postbac programs. Back in '99 I applied to just one program, Temple, and never looked back. I never thought that the application process for postbacs was so vigorous!

 

[ussdfiant]

Originally posted by doc3341
Congrats to all! Im in the "waiting period". The schools Im applying to both told me I needed to take the MCAT to be considered. So I'm stuck until some time after April.

Does that mean that you're going to take the MCAT then apply to a postbac program? I don't know what your situation is, but have you considered other programs that don't require the MCAT? I could see applying if you already took it, but to take it with the intention of fufilling a postbac req seems like a lot of work!

 

[toxin]

which programs are undergrad / grad???

 

[doc3341]

Im applying to med school this summer, to begin fall of 05. So either way I'm gonna have to take the MCAT sooner or later. Either April or August. I have considered other programs, But the two that I am applying for are pretty good, and in my home town. My GPA is less than stellar(3.2) and med school is competitive. im just not sure how competitve these post bac programs are to get into. I have tons of clinical experience (work in a hospital ICU), so Im hoping that plus the post back will help me get in. What do you guys think??????

 

[DocKW]

doc--

What programs are you applying to? Are they grad or ugrad programs?

Thanks!

 

[doc3341]

Two of the programs aree graduate. You graduate with a master in Biomedical Science degree. And the third is a undergraduate program where you take graduate courses that you would encounter in medical school.

 

[LilyMD]

Accepted to Bryn Mawr yesterday
Accepted to post-bacc in University of Northern Florida too, but it's not really a formal program there.

 

[doc3341]

Congrats!!!!! LilyMD

 

[Superflyjsc]

Wheres this Bryn Mawr school ive been hearing alot about lately? Where is it located? And i assume this is a really good school for post-bacc since alot of people have been mentioning it?
By the way, Im starting my post-bacc program this summer at Rutgers University. Anyone else joining me at that school?

 

[LilyMD]

Thanks.

Bryn Mawr is right outside Philadelphia, on the mainline.

Also, got accepted to the U. of Miami post-bacc program, but I probably won't go there.

 

[doc3341]

LilyMD. did you have to interview for the UM post bac? What was the application process like? Do you know how many of their students get accepted once finished with the courses?

 

[LilyMD]

No. You don't interview. Also, they're application requests less than some of the other formal programs (like Bryn Mawr, Goucher, etc.). It don't believe it requires an essay, but I could be forgetting. I think it does request transcripts and recommendation letter(s). I really didn't hear anything from them - then all of sudden I get a letter saying I'm accepted and telling me to fill out a form for course selection (with no advising whatsoever, just a piece of paper that states the typical course load for its post-baccs). I decided that if I was going to shell out $$$ for a post-bacc I want one that has a more supportive structure and a proven track record. Otherwise, I'd go it alone and save my money. I've heard that you're thrown into classes with the undergrad premeds and it can get very competitive. But, if I were you, I'd confirm that with someone who has been there. As far as I know, they do not boast med school acceptance rates - although they name a few schools that other post-baccs have attended in the past (but by no means a comprehensive list).

 

[Trismegistus4]

LilyMD, did you do a lot of volunteering/shadowing before applying to these programs? I'm worried it might not be worth bothering to apply this year at all, since I'm just starting to do some of that stuff next month. I think this attitude that "you're not qualified to say you're interested in medicine yet because you haven't spent 500 hours observing it" is kind of silly, but it seems widespread based on what I've heard.

 

[LilyMD]

Tris,

I do not do a whole bunch of volunteering and/or shadowing, although I did some. I think they want to know that you know what you're getting into. You have to realize that most of these programs are geared towards career-changers and people with no science background...it wouldn't make sense that would demand that engineers or English majors have spent a lot of time in hospitals or labs. But they also want people who have a realistic idea of where the long road ahead will lead them and are committed to that. I think it's worth applying as long as you can make the argument/statement that you know what you're getting into and that it's something your committed to. Maybe someone is your family is a physician or a close friend? Maybe you, yourself, were in the hospital for some medical reasons and that gave you an epiphany. Either way, I think they just want to make sure that it is something that you have thought out and that you have a realistic expectations - not something you did on a whim bc you can't find a job in another field.

 

[Superflyjsc]

Trismegistus4,
thats absolutly true. Some schools look for postbacc student applicants who has had some experience in the healthcare field before being accepted into their post bacc programs while other schools do not.
For instance, I have applied to several post bacc programs and most of the schools didnt care if u have had any healthcare experience but schools such as Pennstate puts students who has had healthcare experience as priority before non-experienced students. Also, Upenn wants students who has had experience in healthcare as a requisite for being accepted to the program. I went in for my interview at Upenn and I felt i did really well in the interview and questions the interviewer has asked however, becuase of my lack of healthcare experience, the interviewer really questioned my reasoning for changing my career to medicine. He told me flat out that becuase i do not have much of a healthcare background, I do not fully realize what I am getting myself into. As it turns out, becuase of that i got rejected from the program and I was a lil dissapointed however that experience really made me think. Did i really know what i was getting myself into?
To make a long story short, after long long consideration, i realized that medicine may not have been best path for me.
So all in all, yes some schools require healthcare experience while others dont. Just becuase u do not have much experience in healthcare right now, u can still apply to other schools that do not require volunteer experience. However, i really hope u do know what u are getting yourself into. If you are just like me, you are prolly coming from a non-science background thus u will need to take ALL the general science requirements and you will have a long long tough road ahead of you. But if its really in your heart to become a doctor and you have the time and fianances and discipline to get there, then by all means do it! However u MUST put in hours of volunteer and research during ur postbacc years to be a qualified applicant to medschools.
One reason why i decided not to purse medicine was becuase since im coming from a non-science backgroun more specifically artschool, I feel I am already really behind in my academics and healthcare experience to be considered anywhere near a competative applicant. If u look around this website and check out the medschool student's profiles, i saw that everyone of them had so much credentials and healthcare experience on top of research and leadership backgrounds. Non of which i have right now. But dont let that deter you from pursing your dreams. That just means u are gonna have to bust you butt alot harder to catch up to their level.
Man now i feel like im just babbling on and losing focus of what my point was hehe.
anyways, good luck and think things through thouroughly before you make your choice.

 

[ussdfiant]

Originally posted by Superflyjsc
However u MUST put in hours of volunteer and research during ur postbacc years to be a qualified applicant to medschools.

I don't know if I agree with that. When I did my postbac at Temple, I had no extracurriculars at all and was still accepted to several schools.

One reason why i decided not to purse medicine was becuase since im coming from a non-science backgroun more specifically artschool, I feel I am already really behind in my academics and healthcare experience to be considered anywhere near a competative applicant.

I graduated from Penn in '94 with a degree in History and worked in insurance until '00 when I started the postbac. I am now in my second year of medical school. I feel as though my postbac program prepared me sufficiently for med school. Will I do as well in Pharm as the PharmDs that are now med students with me? No. Did I do as well in Immuno as the student in my class with the PhD in Immunology? Probably not. I guess my point is that there are people in my class with advanced degrees in the pre-clinical sciences I am taking now and I feel that they are the only people who are at a clear advantage. I'm sure the same will apply over the next 2 years when the PAs and nurses in my class get to shine on the wards. I'm pretty sure the rest of my class are in the same boat and we are separated only by how much blood, sweat, and tears we put into pur studying. I just reread your comment and see that you were talking about being at a disadvantage as an applicant and not as a student, however I like what I wrote so much that I'm leaving it even though it doesn't really apply!

 

[Superflyjsc]

Hi ussdfiant

So u did ur post baccs at Temple and had no volunteer or research experience in healthcare yet u were still accepted to several schools?
Did u apply to MD schools or the other?
Thanks~

 

[LilyMD]

I agree with most of what Superflyjsc said. Some do, some don't. But it's difficult to know which one does and which one doesn't - and what is enough for each. I'm saying that if you can afford it, I would not take myself out of the running for this year's post-baccs just because you don't have sufficient clinical experience. Let the post-baccs decide for you. I didn't even get an interview at Goucher - maybe it's because of my lack of clinical experience, my SAT scores or even my high school grades...who knows? I almost didn't apply to Bryn Mawr (probably where I'll end up) because I was somewhat intidimated by the name and didn't think I would get accepted. I thought that Goucher would be a safer bet. It's a good thing I didn't listen to myself.

There's a good reason post-baccs want to see some sort of exposure to health care --- because they want to make sure that you're committed to medicine because if you're not it will be difficult to make through this arduous weeding-out process. If you don't have the clinical experience, but have some other exposure then it is certainly worth a try. There are many ways to go about doing a post-bacc (local/state college, community college, formal competitive programs, formal less competitive programs) - look around and find one that's for you. The fact that you're a post-bacc means that you're somewhat "behind" in terms of average age/years, so you don't have a year to sit around and volunteer at hospitals. If you do want to volunteer before you can say you're committed, at least start taking classes at your local university. That way if after the exposure you decide it's right for you, then you have already started the process.

Many of these programs pride themselves and boast of high med. school acceptance rates, while I'm sure the supportive atmosphere has something to do with it, I suspect that the real success lies in only accepting those who probably have backgrounds and academic experiences that would probably get them into medical school anyway. But they're many non-trad M.D. walking around who had a horrid undergrad record but 10 years later aced their pre-reqs...now some of these competitive post-baccs wouldn't have looked at them twice because it's too much of gamble - but when it's all said and done they end up in the same place.

All I'm saying is that if you're committed to this or have a really good feeling that this is your calling, then I wouldn't give up on the dream just because some post-bacc programs may not deem you "competitive" enough for their program.

 

[Febrifuge]

I've also noticed that some of the postbacs that brag about high med school acceptance rates seem to be the ones that weed out in favor of people who are already academic superstars, and/or EC superstars. I'm choosing to apply at Bennington, for example, because of the supportive environment and the arts atmosphere, and gambling that my arts background and overall premed kick-ass-ability will overcome my academic mediocrity. Goucher, to use another example, seems as though they wouldn't be interested in me just by virtue of that 3.something GPA.

And I heartily agree with Lily that you should not give up just because the odds look stacked against you. However, I'm going to be a little provocative here.

I also believe that volunteer and/or job experience is vital to a solid application. Last year, while holding down the full-time job I've had for the past six years, I found the time to volunteer four hours a week at the local hospital. Then I found the time to get EMT certification as a night class. Then I found the time to get hired in a second job at that same hospital -- one that happens to have a competitive EM residency, by the way. I work the occasional sixteen-hour day, and that's a sacrifice I'm glad to make. I didn't feel comfortable applying until now, one year after starting as a volunteer, because it's now that I've satisfied myself that I can hack the workload and the schedule. Convincing a committee just became that much easier, in my book.

I think postpacs are right to challenge anyone who says they know what it means to work in healthcare, without having some sort of first-hand perspective. Otherwise, how do we really know we're not those people who just pick up on the idea of pursuing medicine?

 

[ussdfiant]

Originally posted by Superflyjsc
Hi ussdfiant

So u did ur post baccs at Temple and had no volunteer or research experience in healthcare yet u were still accepted to several schools?
Did u apply to MD schools or the other?
Thanks~

Did my postbac at Temple and am at Temple now for medical school. Had zip for volunteering/research experience in healthcare, etc. I applied MD and DO (I have a family so I only applied to schools within commuting distance). Had several acceptances and chose Temple for its rep and its cost!

 

[Superflyjsc]

hum, thats interesting.

Did u have any other credentials that may have helped u to get accepted to those schools despite having no healthcare experience?

 

[Trismegistus4]

I've started another thread on the topic of the necessity of medically-related ECs here.

Originally posted by ussdfiant
Did my postbac at Temple and am at Temple now for medical school. Had zip for volunteering/research experience in healthcare, etc. I applied MD and DO (I have a family so I only applied to schools within commuting distance). Had several acceptances and chose Temple for its rep and its cost!

ussdfiant, would you mind listing the other schools you got into?

 

[ussdfiant]

Originally posted by Trismegistus4

ussdfiant, would you mind listing the other schools you got into?

Let's just say that the schools were within driving distance of Temple.

 

[Febrifuge]

Thanks for starting the other thread, Trismeg. It looks like it could be a really good discussion.

 

[cupcake_queen]

Has anyone heard from BU about Fall 2004 entry for the Medical Sciences program?

 

[wclubin]

lkajsdfasfs

 

[aec563]

Hi everyone,

I'll be attending the City College of NY, part of the CUNY system. Is anyone else going to start this program either in the summer or fall of this year?
I'd love to get feedback/opinions as to why other people decided to apply to, and/or attend this program!

Alice