Arkansas Secondary??

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Has anyone sent in an update letter and transcripts from the fall semester? I am trying to figure out what to include in my letter.
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MilkmanAl said:
Did I talk to any of you today? I was wearing a melon shirt and khakis and was in a tour group with Tommy (tall blond guy) and Allison (red-head). I didn't realize how woefully incomplete the tours are. If there's anything else you need to know, ask away.
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I saw no such cartons of milk, your avatar is deceiving!!!!:eek:

Is there anything really worth bringing into account that wasn't covered? It seemed like we couldn't really get into the new hospital to check it out since it wasn't completely complete, but that would have been sweet to see.
 
Hey milkman, you seem to have plenty of good information. What do you think about the student housing? How many med students live there? And would you live in it again? I know all the prices and everything, but I don't want to feel like I am living in a college "dorm" again. But the apartments there and studios dont look like dorms on the website. I am just looking at my various options for when I get down there. Thanks.
 
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So seriously, that was the most chill interview that I've ever had, hopefully I get in, if not, I still got OU and UofU to look forward to.
 
Is there anything really worth bringing into account that wasn't covered?
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That depends on how much info your tour guides gave you. I tried to gush as much reality as possible, but it's entirely possible you got someone who didn't do much other than the bare essentials. I couldn't believe they didn't take you by the main classroom, the cafeteria, or the gross lab. It seems like a woefully incomplete tour. I offered to take some of the group I was helping lead around for more info, but I think everyone was spent. Anyway, her's some info on those fronts:

The cafteria food is pretty good. I mean, it's not spectacular, but it's probably the best cafeteria food I've had outside of UNC and certainly the best hospital food by a long shot. It's also fairly cheap, and you get a 20% discount. I usually pay $5-6 for an entree, 2 side dishes, a fruit cup, and a roll/corn bread.

The main classroom is old and needs updating. The chairs are decidedly "meh," as far as comfort goes - not terrible, but it's not like you'd be in there to luxuriate. that said, I believe all med school classes will be in the new Ed West (I. Dodd) building next year. The 2nd years are already there. Don't quote me on that, though. You might still be stuck in the basement where we are.

The gross lab is decidedly low-tech. You get a body on a drain table, and that's about it. The ventilation is merely adequate, and the locker rooms are a bit cramped. However, you do get 4 people to a body, and there are plenty of professors roaming around to help you out if you're lost. It's also VERY nice to have the guy who wrote the dissector that pretty much everyone uses, Dr. Tank, in the room if you need him. I'm not gonna lie: I hate gross lab with every fiber of my being, but at least you have a low-ish student:cadaver ratio and plenty of help.

A couple people asked what a typical day consists of. For the first 8 weeks, I was in class from 9-2 (with a lunch break, of course) and studied maybe 3 hours outside of class. After that - when gross started - we're usually in class from 9-2, and gross starts at 2. That usually lasts anywhere from 1.5-2.5 hours but can go as long as 4 hours or as short as 1. Count on being there til 4. That'll vary based on how much class you attend and how quickly you dissect, but that's a a fairly typical schedule.
It seemed like we couldn't really get into the new hospital to check it out since it wasn't completely complete, but that would have been sweet to see.
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The hospitals are exceptionally nice since they're all brand-new. I'm told the spine center is one of the best in the world and that the children's center is also exceptional. The facilities around here really are great with a couple exceptions that are to be updated soon.

What do you think about the student housing? How many med students live there? And would you live in it again?
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I like the dorms. It's incredibly nice to be close to classes, the gross lab, and a workout facility (which you might have seen on the tour of the College of Public Health - not sure). The rooms aren't huge or anything, but the price is fair, and having a place to park all the time is a freaking miracle around here. There are 6 people in my class on my floor alone, and there are 4 more M2's. Plenty of med students live in the dorm, so there's it's a great way to get to know your classmates. You sort of have a built-in set of friends and can network from there.

I'm certainly considering living in the dorm again. My neighbor and I...uh...don't get along as well as we could, so that's sort of diminishing my drive to come back, but it really is a sweet deal to be here. You lack the ability to host parties or just have lots of people over, but opportunities to do so will be few and far between, and it's pretty likely someone else is throwing that party for you.

Also, if you live in the dorm, make sure you get one of the "big" rooms. Architects are dickheads, so instead of making all the rooms the same size, half of them are about 2.5 feet longer than the others to make the outside of the building reticulated and supposedly more interesting. It makes a big difference, and the cost is the same. All of the apartments are the same size since they include both of the spaces.

Good luck to all of you. If you don't mind spilling the beans, who interviewed you, and who took you on your tours?
 
What about simulations? Do you all have the false patients that can have controlled symptoms from a computer that you then work with (i.e. a plastic body that will have a history displayed on a monitor that you then perform a physical on and diagnose?)

What about student spaces to study, and are there any set groups of students (like OU's modules) to work with.

What about stats, do you think you can get any on how the recent performances on step 1 and 2 have been.

Lastly, whats your biggest gripe(s) about the program?
 
What about simulations? Do you all have the false patients that can have controlled symptoms from a computer that you then work with (i.e. a plastic body that will have a history displayed on a monitor that you then perform a physical on and diagnose?)
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Yep, we have all the standardized patients and SimMan exercises you could possibly stand. We learn a physical exam on a standardized patient once every 1-2 weeks.
What about student spaces to study
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There are plenty of places to study. The library has lots of little nooks and crannies you can hide away in, and there's a room in which no sound is allowed if you'd like to be around other people but still silent. In the afternoon and evening, there are tons of empty classrooms available. Lots of people just find one and shut themselves in there. I guess it's nice to have the quiet as well as a black/white board to use if necessary.

are there any set groups of students (like OU's modules) to work with.
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I'm not really sure what you mean, but I'm going to say "no" since nothing I've never heard of anything similar to that.

What about stats, do you think you can get any on how the recent performances on step 1 and 2 have been.
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I don't know about Step 2, but the average Step 1 score last year was 218. Someone told me that UAMS has never averaged above the national average, but I don't know if that's true or not. To be quite honest, I think that's largely a product of the admissions policies here, not the education.

Lastly, whats your biggest gripe(s) about the program?
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Well, the integrated curriculum is still new, and they're working the bugs out. There are some very specific things that seem incredibly stupid to me. For instance, our first gross exam was worth over a fifth of our grade for the class, and it was far harder than the exams we've had since. Half the class made a D or F. There are also a few old-school professors that definitely need to go but are tenured and managed to hang on through all the changes. Last year, one such professor had nearly a quarter of his test questions thrown out post-test, and he was the only professor teaching anything other than gross that test. For us, about 1/6 his questions got tossed.

UAMS is also modestly trying to work in PBL since I guess it's fashionable these days, but I get the sense that 1) PBL is definitely not for me, and 2) it's implemented very poorly here. It's a waste of your time. Fortunately, you only have regular PBL sessions (3 a week) for the first 8 weeks, and you'll maybe have one every 2-3 weeks thereafter.
 
I don't know about Step 2, but the average Step 1 score last year was 218. Someone told me that UAMS has never averaged above the national average, but I don't know if that's true or not. To be quite honest, I think that's largely a product of the admissions policies here, not the education.
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Are you referring to the congressional districts policy or just the fact that Arkansas' stats are lower than most other schools (wasn't the matriculant average something like a 28 last year?).
 
Mostly the congressional thing. The OOS numbers are pretty dang high in my class - something like a 3.6/33, if I remember correctly. That's with my whopping 3.1 bringing things down, too. And yes, my class's overall stats are like a 3.55/28.3.
 
MilkmanAl said:
Mostly the congressional thing. The OOS numbers are pretty dang high in my class - something like a 3.6/33, if I remember correctly. That's with my whopping 3.1 bringing things down, too. And yes, my class's overall stats are like a 3.55/28.3.
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So are most of the students against it? From what I've heard, it doesn't make as much of a difference as people think, have you heard any stories of people not getting in presumably because of the district thing?
 
I don't think any students are against it. If anything, the it's the administrators who don't like it. There are plenty of people who get in because of the lack of competition. I heard one of the districts has something absurd like a 70% acceptance rate and another has ~40%. That's ludicrous. From what I understand, there are plenty of qualified people left out from the northwest and central districts because of the congressional selection rules. Those students are probably not too thrilled with the laws, but the people who're already here don't seem to have a problem with them.
 
One more day til the next letters go out. Good luck everybody!
 
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Hey I was offered a scholarship for my first year (not a full ride). I was wondering if I would still be able to get financial aid on top of that or is this all I'll be getting? Anyone know?

Edit: Also, I just wrote them to tell them I was accepting it, because they gave me two weeks to decide. I'm still not sure if I'm going here yet because I have other interviews. Ms. Dupuy just emailed me saying "We are so pleased you will be with us in the fall". Did I jsut make a huge mistake by accepting it without knowing if I'll be attending yet?
 
I don't see why you couldn't get additional financial aid. You can probably still get as much as everyone else in total. It doesn't sound like you've done anything binding by saying you accept the scholarship, but I wouldn't go asking too many questions until they send you something to sign saying you'll attend.

All the rest of you can now officially start worrying. The adcom was meeting today. Be afraid. Be very afraid!
 
So, has anybody heard from UAMS yet this month? The letters were supposed to go out Saturday the 17th, but nobody has posted anything yet. I'm just asking because I'm holding on to the hope that maybe I was sent one, but it just hasn't arrived yet.

I guess if I didn't get one I can wait until February 20th, but like a kid waiting on Christmas I find this is excruciating!!!
:scared:
 
MilkmanAl said:
I don't see why you couldn't get additional financial aid. You can probably still get as much as everyone else in total.
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From what I understand the government takes into account the scholarship that you got when doling out aid, so $5,000 scholarship = $5,000 less government loans.

That said; MilkmanAl how much money do students get in loans per year? I'm assuming you have no other income/money stream, just living on loans. Not counting private loans.

*edit*

Also I don't know if the district thing matters much anymore - I've heard that it didn't factor into any acceptances last year and it has been used decreasingly when considering who to accept. But that's just hearsay.

I'm from district 1 and was accepted. My scores are a little over the average (3.88 or so and 35) so I'm not sure I'd be a good case study regardless. I don't think hardly anyone applied from my district.

Side note: I now live in district 4 in the same town as Chemist0157 and we met at Dairy Queen on Sunday night. He and his wife were sitting in a booth and I recognized them from my interview group and told my friend next to me that I thought I knew who he was. He asked me what the guy's name was and I said "He's Chemist0157 on the internet." My wife and his wife talked for a bit and I got caught up in a conversation from a co-worker for a minute and entered the conversation. If you see this: It was really cool getting to meet ya Chemist0157! See you around "Tha' 'Nolia" as they say.

Young married southern Arkansans will soon be setting the standard for doctors everywhere, mark my words! ;-)
 
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LittleRocker said:
Hey I was offered a scholarship for my first year (not a full ride). I was wondering if I would still be able to get financial aid on top of that or is this all I'll be getting? Anyone know?

Edit: Also, I just wrote them to tell them I was accepting it, because they gave me two weeks to decide. I'm still not sure if I'm going here yet because I have other interviews. Ms. Dupuy just emailed me saying "We are so pleased you will be with us in the fall". Did I jsut make a huge mistake by accepting it without knowing if I'll be attending yet?
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Did you apply for a scholarship, or did they just offer you one because you're awesome?
 
MilkmanAl said:
All the rest of you can now officially start worrying. The adcom was meeting today. Be afraid. Be very afraid!
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So am I correct in assuming you meant that everyone who hasn't received letters of acceptance were reviewed at this meeting? Man it sucks it takes so long for the letters to arrive. I interviewed in September and I am so ready to hear my fate.
 
I applied for a scholarship and I got one...

And....I saw the girl from our interview group (the one who kept talking @ the elevator) working over Christmas break when I went back home
 
MilkmanAl how much money do students get in loans per year?
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I can't remember the exact amount, but you can get tuition plus roughly $14k to live for the year and some more for fees and junk. I think my loan package came out somewhere around $48k this year in total. I could probably have gone with about $40k or so. Living around here is extremely cheap.

Also I don't know if the district thing matters much anymore - I've heard that it didn't factor into any acceptances last year and it has been used decreasingly when considering who to accept. But that's just hearsay.
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No, it definitely factors in. It makes a huge difference. The acceptance rates from the 2 more rural districts - don't know the numbers - are still absurdly high.

Young married southern Arkansans will soon be setting the standard for doctors everywhere, mark my words!
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I don't doubt that. There are tons of married people in my class. It's crazy.
So am I correct in assuming you meant that everyone who hasn't received letters of acceptance were reviewed at this meeting?
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Beats me, but I doubt it. I have to imagine there'll be at least one more meeting before the February deluge of decisions.
 
Ok I'm an in state applicant. 3.91 GPA 31 MCAT 6 months of volunteering at an Emergency room. I now work at that ER. Very active in school several clubs, resident assistant, hall government all that. I did research at UAMS for a summer in their SURF program. I did research at my school. TA for a year, and good letters of reccomendation...

But I got an e-mail from Mr. South today, I forgot to answer a letter K on page 5 of the secondary application. The question concerning whether I gave my consent for them to send my info to other schools.
He let me send in the answer via e-mail, but do you guys know of people getting in after not filling out the application correctly? Do they just overlook this sort of thing?

I'm so freaking frustrated right now. I feel like all my hard work may be for nothing.
 
I really can't imagine them not accepting you just because of something you missed on the application. They called you to get the answer so apparently they care enough to help you get your paperwork in order. If it did matter, they would just throw your application away.
 
So the day to find out my fate at UAMS is coming up. Does anyone know exactly when the letters go out? I am getting pretty anxious now. Hopefully I hear some good news
 
bleeker10 said:
So the day to find out my fate at UAMS is coming up. Does anyone know exactly when the letters go out? I am getting pretty anxious now. Hopefully I hear some good news
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Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure they will be snail mailing everyone their decisions on February 20th... Almost there!
 
Anybody else excited to hear soon? Thread is a little quiet :)
 
Yea I would agree there is probably a lot of tension in the minds of UAMS hopefuls. I have a feeling I'm gonna get waitlisted due to my low MCAT and GPA but hopefully I'm wrong. Does anyone know when our class starts in the fall?
 
This is worse than the last weeks of pregnancy. At leat then I knew something postive was happening. Now I can only hope and pray.... Good luck everyone. :xf:
 
Didn't someone say that last year they sent it out a little early? Or did they send it literally on the 20th?
 
I think they sent everything out about a day ahead of time last year, but you can count on getting your decision on or shortly after the 20th. I remember how I felt at this point last year, so I definitely don't envy you guys. Good luck, though. Hopefully you'll have the distinct pleasure of performing male and female GU exams around this time next year.
 
MilkmanAl said:
I think they sent everything out about a day ahead of time last year, but you can count on getting your decision on or shortly after the 20th. I remember how I felt at this point last year, so I definitely don't envy you guys. Good luck, though. Hopefully you'll have the distinct pleasure of performing male and female GU exams around this time next year.
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Well everyone this is the week! May it pass quickly!! :)
 
Chemist0157 said:
Did you apply for a scholarship, or did they just offer you one because you're awesome?
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hey sorry for the late response, just noticed this post. I only filled out that one page application that came with the secondary. it just asked for your extra curriculars, awards, groups, etc. I basically repeated what was on my amcas app in a much abbreviated form.
 
Good luck everyone. I am hoping to hear some great, albeit surprising, news this week.
 
OK everybody. As soon as you get off the phone with your friends/family/loved ones, drop the rest of us a line and let us know about your good news.

I have vowed to remain calm this week, at least until someone else receives news. Then full fledge panic will likely set in. :eek:
 
Yea I am gonna be the same way. I've talked to a few friends on campus and no one has heard anything yet. I'm betting it will be Friday or Saturday before we hear anything.
 
I just withdrew my acceptance so hopefully one of you guys will get my spot! Good luck!
 
dally1025 said:
I just withdrew my acceptance so hopefully one of you guys will get my spot! Good luck!
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Congratulations on your acceptance to a school that you'd rather attend! :)

I'm sure that all of us who may get placed on the waitlist in the next couple days will be extremely thankful!!

So, they very well could be mailing them out today... exciting!!!
 
I received an email from AAMC this morning saying that one of my schools requested a background check on me. If I'm not mistaken, they only request background checks on accepted applicants. Is this correct? Pretty interesting I get the letter the day before they send decisions.
 
ArkansasHogMD said:
I received an email from AAMC this morning saying that one of my schools requested a background check on me. If I'm not mistaken, they only request background checks on accepted applicants. Is this correct? Pretty interesting I get the letter the day before they send decisions.
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Is this the only school that you've applied/interviewed at that performs background checks? If it is, then you are golden!! Congrats!

That means they have either already mailed the letters, or they are processing them through AMCAS now even though they haven't actually dropped them in the mail yet.
 
Sounds like good news heading your way ArkanasasHogMD. Way to go. :highfive:

So, how many of us rushed to check our email to see if we got a similar statement? :laugh:
 
Loralee said:
Sounds like good news heading your way ArkanasasHogMD. Way to go. :highfive:

So, how many of us rushed to check our email to see if we got a similar statement? :laugh:
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I know unfortunately (fortunately) I was already accepted to a place that does background checks a while back so no matter the decision on Arkansas part I won't find out via that e-mail... Blast!!! I really want to go to Arkansas!! :xf:

Hopefully a lot more of you will get the background check e-mail though!
 
I guess it could be that they put me on their alternate list also. But its better than nothing
 
ArkansasHogMD said:
I guess it could be that they put me on their alternate list also. But its better than nothing
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AAMC has initiated an AMCAS-facilitated national background check service, through which Certiphi Screening, Inc. (a Vertical Screen® Company) will procure a national background report on applicants at the point of acceptance. In addition, beginning in May of each year, a national background report will be procured for a subset of applicants who are on a participating school's alternate list
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They don't do background checks for waitlist until May... You're good to go!!
 
UAMS is the only school I applied to due to low mcat scores but hopefully it will be good news. Good luck to everyone!
 
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