Applying for 2012!

[aaj117]

Hey,
Is anyone else getting sick of hearing that they only have interviews because they are a URM? as though the rest of your application has nothing to do with it and you don't deserve it? and people saying (and i actually quote) "look at my mdapps, if i were a URM i'd be cleaning up with interviews!!" even though really they have no idea because there is no way to tell how much it actually impacts any individual decision on an interview invite??? ahhh i'm really just letting people get to me and I know i shouldn't but it's hard not to when you hear things like this your whole life. it's not enough to make me doubt myself right now, just enough to make me angry. I am trying to be proud of myself and happy because i have gotten so many interviews, and when people ask for encouragement asking if peopel with my gpa have gotten interviews i try to give them that encouragement, and i get attacked. People are so dumb, they keep asking me "if you don't think it matters that much, then why did you apply URM?" as though that was an option, to apply urm, when all i did was check the checkboxes that asked me my ethinicities. Was i supposed to lie and put white to make them happy? AHHHHHHH okay i'm sorry about my rant, i'm done now, i just needed to get it out before my biochem exam. Calming down. Thanks for any of you that actually read this.

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[LovelyMD]

Hey,
Is anyone else getting sick of hearing that they only have interviews because they are a URM? as though the rest of your application has nothing to do with it and you don't deserve it? and people saying (and i actually quote) "look at my mdapps, if i were a URM i'd be cleaning up with interviews!!" even though really they have no idea because there is no way to tell how much it actually impacts any individual decision on an interview invite??? ahhh i'm really just letting people get to me and I know i shouldn't but it's hard not to when you hear things like this your whole life. it's not enough to make me doubt myself right now, just enough to make me angry. I am trying to be proud of myself and happy because i have gotten so many interviews, and when people ask for encouragement asking if peopel with my gpa have gotten interviews i try to give them that encouragement, and i get attacked. People are so dumb, they keep asking me "if you don't think it matters that much, then why did you apply URM?" as though that was an option, to apply urm, when all i did was check the checkboxes that asked me my ethinicities. Was i supposed to lie and put white to make them happy? AHHHHHHH okay i'm sorry about my rant, i'm done now, i just needed to get it out before my biochem exam. Calming down. Thanks for any of you that actually read this.

HAH. It seems that the new month has brought in lots of angst on SDN. I definitely know what you're talking about. I've dealt with this since high school, so it's nothing new to me. I went to a nationally known high school where tons of people apply to ivies, so you KNOW I got some ish when I was accepted. (aaj, you should friend me on facebook if you're on it, I wrote a whole long note on this...)


Quite frankly, I don't care at all HOW I got my invites, as long as I HAVE invites, but it seems that I'm supposed to feel bad about 'taking these invites away from someone else.' Whatever. I don't feel bad about getting invites. I'm proud of how far I've come over the years. A few years ago, so much was going on in my life that I wasn't even sure I'd be able to apply to med school, or even be able to go to school the next semester. Given all the mysteriousness associated with med school admissions offices, there is NO point in me trying to guess what was going through the adcom's mind, and there is NO point in anyone else trying to guess either. However, if I didn't have invites, I could see how I'd be trying to analyze why so-and-so got an invite and not me. (BUT I wouldn't be focusing on one ethnic group; I'd be looking at everyone who got invites at the schools I'm interested in). So let's hope these people get invites soon... it may steer them away from focusing on ours.


I can't tell you how many times I've written the phrase "There is no such thing as a URM checkbox on AMCAS." But no one seems to get it! And people don't seem to realize that even if you don't check a race category, many secondaries still require a picture... and even if you're light skinned, it's usually pretty obvious.


So in summary, DO NOT feel bad about your invites. What I have to say next is rather unfortunate: I actually suggest that you don't try to give people encouragement about invites because, unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished.

P.S.: You're awesome! hahaha

 

[BigRedPremed]

Hey,
Is anyone else getting sick of hearing that they only have interviews because they are a URM? as though the rest of your application has nothing to do with it and you don't deserve it? and people saying (and i actually quote) "look at my mdapps, if i were a URM i'd be cleaning up with interviews!!" even though really they have no idea because there is no way to tell how much it actually impacts any individual decision on an interview invite??? ahhh i'm really just letting people get to me and I know i shouldn't but it's hard not to when you hear things like this your whole life. it's not enough to make me doubt myself right now, just enough to make me angry. I am trying to be proud of myself and happy because i have gotten so many interviews, and when people ask for encouragement asking if peopel with my gpa have gotten interviews i try to give them that encouragement, and i get attacked. People are so dumb, they keep asking me "if you don't think it matters that much, then why did you apply URM?" as though that was an option, to apply urm, when all i did was check the checkboxes that asked me my ethinicities. Was i supposed to lie and put white to make them happy? AHHHHHHH okay i'm sorry about my rant, i'm done now, i just needed to get it out before my biochem exam. Calming down. Thanks for any of you that actually read this.

Your reaction is totally understandable. You should just be aware of 2 things: 1) that your race may have helped you get those interviews and 2) you shouldn't be ashamed to take advantage of everything that's offered to you in order to secure your dream. Those people's beef is with med schools and their policy of AA. They shouldn't be taking out their anger on you.

 

[LovelyMD]

You guys are both going to clean up, and well deserved. Keep us posted and lots of to everyone applying.

Whoops, I missed this post, thanks, I appreciate your support!

 

[RandomBlackManX]

You guys are both going to clean up, and well deserved. Keep us posted and lots of to everyone applying.

Thanks Q! I'll definitely keep everyone updated! My interviewing season officially began Monday .

 

[flaahless]

Hey,
Is anyone else getting sick of hearing that they only have interviews because they are a URM? as though the rest of your application has nothing to do with it and you don't deserve it? and people saying (and i actually quote) "look at my mdapps, if i were a URM i'd be cleaning up with interviews!!" even though really they have no idea because there is no way to tell how much it actually impacts any individual decision on an interview invite??? ahhh i'm really just letting people get to me and I know i shouldn't but it's hard not to when you hear things like this your whole life. it's not enough to make me doubt myself right now, just enough to make me angry. I am trying to be proud of myself and happy because i have gotten so many interviews, and when people ask for encouragement asking if peopel with my gpa have gotten interviews i try to give them that encouragement, and i get attacked. People are so dumb, they keep asking me "if you don't think it matters that much, then why did you apply URM?" as though that was an option, to apply urm, when all i did was check the checkboxes that asked me my ethinicities. Was i supposed to lie and put white to make them happy? AHHHHHHH okay i'm sorry about my rant, i'm done now, i just needed to get it out before my biochem exam. Calming down. Thanks for any of you that actually read this.

Word. People look at GPA and MCAT and assume that those are the sole criteria that determine the strength of an applicant. They completely disregard the personal statement, the secondary essays, the letters of recs, major, courseload and personal qualities that distinguish an applicant and makes them unique. And it's upsetting because they completely write off your other accomplishments and base your success solely on pigment. That's ridiculous. But whatever. I won't even trip. This is just more motivation for me to light it up in med school. Congrats on your success and keep doing what you do.

 

[DoctaJay]

When i first joined SDN I got into alot of heated arguments over AA and how qualified we were for medical school, etc. I really encourage you all not to be drawn into these conversations. In medical school, everyone starts from square 1:

-20 people (from last year's class) had to repeat their 1st year at LLU (not common, but it happened). None of them were URMs.
- I along with most of the URMs in our class scored higher than the class average on almost every test we took our in our first test block.

I say these things not to boast but to encourage you all that if you are accepted, YOU CAN MAKE IT, and not only that, but you CAN EXCEL. Don't get into petty discussions about AA, especially on SDN.

 

[flaahless]

When i first joined SDN I got into alot of heated arguments over AA and how qualified we were for medical school, etc. I really encourage you all not to be drawn into these conversations. In medical school, everyone starts from square 1:

-20 people (from last year's class) had to repeat their 1st year at LLU (not common, but it happened). None of them were URMs.
- I along with most of the URMs in our class scored higher than the class average on almost every test we took our in our first test block.

I say these things not to boast but to encourage you all that if you are accepted, YOU CAN MAKE IT, and not only that, but you CAN EXCEL. Don't get into petty discussions about AA, especially on SDN.

Yeah man, I feel you. See, I'm not trying to get involved in the AA debates. I just have a problem with people that assume my success is because of my skin color when they don't know ANYTHING about me. They couldn't tell you where I grew up, how I grew up, my political views, or the most important question, why I want to be a doctor. They know nothing about me, yet the only thing they think they know is that i'm a product of AA. That's upsetting. It's pitiful how prejudice some people are on here.

I challenge anyone on this site who thinks my melanin was key to me getting interview invites to read my personal statement and/or autobiographical sketch, and then form their opinion. I'm damn sure most if not all of them will change their minds. And I'm not even mentioning my letters of rec (one from the Chair of the California State Assembly Committee on Health) research presentations/conferences, etc.

 

[trinitee501]

I hope interview season is going well! Okay back to work!

 

[aaj117]

Thank you so much everyone for the replies!!! I feel much better today. It's so funny how critical people are on SDN because they are so insecure. A while ago, someone posted asking whether or not it was okay to write about their queer identity in an application and people berated them telling them that there was no need, it was never appropriate, etc. One person, who i won't name even though they drive me crazy, specifically wrote "yeah you should write about it, that way you're less competition and i get more interviews". I applied to a couple of the same schools as that person, and on those applications i was very out, writing about queer rights activism i've done over the past few years...and i got an interview at every single one of those schools, and that person still has not gotten a single one at those schools, and only one MD interview overall. I find it so strange that these are the people who are judging me, criticizing me when i try to give them encouragement, even though they clearly know so little about the admissions procedure themselves; we're all premeds, we're all in the same boat, and i hate how people assume that they know for sure what will and won't get someone else in.
Anyway back to the point of this post, thank you guys!!! i'm pretty sure the underrepresented in healthcare forum is the only one i've ever enjoyed reading in sdn. everyone here is much more down to earth and non-judgemental, and i appreciate all of you. have a nice afternoon and i'm wishing you all lots of luck.

 

[QofQuimica]

Hey,
Is anyone else getting sick of hearing that they only have interviews because they are a URM? as though the rest of your application has nothing to do with it and you don't deserve it? and people saying (and i actually quote) "look at my mdapps, if i were a URM i'd be cleaning up with interviews!!" even though really they have no idea because there is no way to tell how much it actually impacts any individual decision on an interview invite??? ahhh i'm really just letting people get to me and I know i shouldn't but it's hard not to when you hear things like this your whole life. it's not enough to make me doubt myself right now, just enough to make me angry. I am trying to be proud of myself and happy because i have gotten so many interviews, and when people ask for encouragement asking if peopel with my gpa have gotten interviews i try to give them that encouragement, and i get attacked. People are so dumb, they keep asking me "if you don't think it matters that much, then why did you apply URM?" as though that was an option, to apply urm, when all i did was check the checkboxes that asked me my ethinicities. Was i supposed to lie and put white to make them happy? AHHHHHHH okay i'm sorry about my rant, i'm done now, i just needed to get it out before my biochem exam. Calming down. Thanks for any of you that actually read this.

Hon, your MCAT puts you in the top 5% of all test-takers. I don't think you need to worry about a few anonymous malcontents ranting on SDN that you're only getting invites because you're black. Just let it roll off you, and keep doing great things.

Quite frankly, I don't care at all HOW I got my invites, as long as I HAVE invites, but it seems that I'm supposed to feel bad about 'taking these invites away from someone else.' Whatever. I don't feel bad about getting invites. I'm proud of how far I've come over the years. A few years ago, so much was going on in my life that I wasn't even sure I'd be able to apply to med school, or even be able to go to school the next semester. Given all the mysteriousness associated with med school admissions offices, there is NO point in me trying to guess what was going through the adcom's mind, and there is NO point in anyone else trying to guess either. However, if I didn't have invites, I could see how I'd be trying to analyze why so-and-so got an invite and not me. (BUT I wouldn't be focusing on one ethnic group; I'd be looking at everyone who got invites at the schools I'm interested in). So let's hope these people get invites soon... it may steer them away from focusing on ours.

You shouldn't feel bad about your invites; with your credentials, you'd be doing well no matter what color you were.

 

[bellacnella]

When i first joined SDN I got into alot of heated arguments over AA and how qualified we were for medical school, etc. I really encourage you all not to be drawn into these conversations. In medical school, everyone starts from square 1:

-20 people (from last year's class) had to repeat their 1st year at LLU (not common, but it happened). None of them were URMs.
- I along with most of the URMs in our class scored higher than the class average on almost every test we took our in our first test block.

I say these things not to boast but to encourage you all that if you are accepted, YOU CAN MAKE IT, and not only that, but you CAN EXCEL. Don't get into petty discussions about AA, especially on SDN.

Yeah you're right. I used to be drawn in to the stuipidity, but now I realize a lot of peopl eon here are just frustrated by their own inadequacies. (It was the same with undergrad admissions.)

Its just kind of funny when you look at how many URM are in healthcare...puts it into context...there just arent that many.

I just hope that I get into a school where my future classmates are tolerant!

 

[QofQuimica]

Yeah you're right. I used to be drawn in to the stuipidity, but now I realize a lot of peopl eon here are just frustrated by their own inadequacies. (It was the same with undergrad admissions.)

Its just kind of funny when you look at how many URM are in healthcare...puts it into context...there just arent that many.

I just hope that I get into a school where my future classmates are tolerant!

Speaking as a non-URM, I would guess that most of them will be. Shared misery seems to overcome stereotypes like nothing else I've ever seen, actually.

 

[aaj117]

I just got an email that totally stressed me out from howard lol.
THIS IS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOUR FOLDER WILL BE GOING TO THE ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE ON THURSDAY MORNING. (OCTOBER 11)

IF THE COMMITTEE DECIDES TO ACT ON YOUR FOLDER AT THIS TIME, YOU CAN EXPECT A LETTER TO BE GENERATED ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 15.

BEST OF LUCK,

JUDITH WALK
DIRECTOR

while i appreciate them keeping us informed, knowing the exact time they are going to be talking about me and making decisions regarding my entire future makes it the only thing i will be ablew to think about. i know that there is nothing i can do at this point to change the outcome, but that won't stop me from thinking about it. haha i love that someone tries to be nice and inform us, we all think we want to know every step an adcom takes, and then they tell us, and well i don't know about you guys, but i think it drove me crazier. good luck to anyone else who got this.

 

[LovelyMD]

I just got an email that totally stressed me out from howard lol.
THIS IS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOUR FOLDER WILL BE GOING TO THE ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE ON THURSDAY MORNING. (OCTOBER 11)

IF THE COMMITTEE DECIDES TO ACT ON YOUR FOLDER AT THIS TIME, YOU CAN EXPECT A LETTER TO BE GENERATED ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 15.

BEST OF LUCK,

JUDITH WALK
DIRECTOR

while i appreciate them keeping us informed, knowing the exact time they are going to be talking about me and making decisions regarding my entire future makes it the only thing i will be ablew to think about. i know that there is nothing i can do at this point to change the outcome, but that won't stop me from thinking about it. haha i love that someone tries to be nice and inform us, we all think we want to know every step an adcom takes, and then they tell us, and well i don't know about you guys, but i think it drove me crazier. good luck to anyone else who got this.

HAHA... Michigan puts it's entire schedule online, so I know that I'm going under review October 10th at 11am....

WAIT! that's tomorrow!!

 

[aaj117]

HAHA... Michigan puts it's entire schedule online, so I know that I'm going under review October 10th at 11am....

WAIT! that's tomorrow!!

Oh my gosh the exact minute...i can't deal. lol. GOOD LUCK LOVELY!!! I can't imagine you getting rejected anywhere...like i know that sounds ridiculous because no one gets into every school they apply to, but if someone were to...i would imagine it would be you. ps what did you think of downstate? (besides it being great because i was there, of course-haha)

 

[LovelyMD]

Oh my gosh the exact minute...i can't deal. lol. GOOD LUCK LOVELY!!! I can't imagine you getting rejected anywhere...like i know that sounds ridiculous because no one gets into every school they apply to, but if someone were to...i would imagine it would be you. ps what did you think of downstate? (besides it being great because i was there, of course-haha)

awww, thank you!!

I'll PM you about Downstate... this could get long. haha

 

[DoctaJay]

I"m really really happy for all of you all and your success in the application cycle. There is nothing like sitting pretty on an acceptance by Oct. 15, it truly makes your senior year a little more carefree.

 

[freelove]

I"m really really happy for all of you all and your success in the application cycle. There is nothing like sitting pretty on an acceptance by Oct. 15, it truly makes your senior year a little more carefree.

Lol... honestly, I do not need my senior year anymore carefree than it already is. I'm graduating in December and I am ready to be out. I'm slacking on my classes enough as it is! Lol!!!