Ask LizzyM (Almost) Anything 2012 edition

[LizzyM]

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Hi LizzyM,

I would like to thank you for your time and wish you a merry christmas 😀

question:

Could you elaborate on the difference between a publication into a science journal of possible impact factor between 1-3 and an undergraduate research journal? I have been doing research for several years and I am preparing for a 1st author paper. I have the option to publish into an undergraduate research journal or spend some more time to possibly publish into a peer reviewed science journal. What do you think?

P.s I will be applying next cycle

A high impact science journal is better than an undergrad research journal. I mean, really, do you need me to tell you that?😕

The competition to get into the high impact journal is stiffer and your paper has to be better to make it there than to make it in an undergrad journal. It is like asking if it is more impressive to play first violin in the Princeton Symphony Orchestra or The Cleveland Orchestra.

 

[MelissaThompson]

A high impact science journal is better than an undergrad research journal. I mean, really, do you need me to tell you that?😕

The competition to get into the high impact journal is stiffer and your paper has to be better to make it there than to make it in an undergrad journal. It is like asking if it is more impressive to play first violin in the Princeton Symphony Orchestra or The Cleveland Orchestra.

Or Cleveland Orchestra vs. Vienna Philharmonic

Attended a concert by each by them - the Viennese just blew me away.

 

[food2]

So when we update medical schools and they say it is added to our file, is it used in the decision making process? This is post interview btw. Sorry if I am repeating but I did not catch this question anywhere else on the 11 page thread 🙂 . Also does a research grant from your undergraduate school look impressive to adcoms? Thanks a lot!

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

Hello LizzyM, my name is Fluid and I appreciate your time in reading my question. I have a not-seeking-advice related question for you, so I hope that you might bend your hypothetical rule since this is a philosophical question having nothing to do with current admission procedures.

This is in the context of the probable yet distant future where medical education will become (more) easily accessible, somewhat similar to the way that most higher-Ed degrees have become accessible.

Can you imagine community medical college, with adcoms only for licensing/residency/attending jobs, or do you feel that the MD/DO/etc degree should only be given to those who have been initially scrutinized?

If you do not wish to answer, I will respect your decision. However, i have quite the interest in our educational system (as a whole) and would value greatly your thoughts on the topic.

Thank you again for your time. May peace and blessings be upon you,

-FluidT

 

[Josh7]

Or Cleveland Orchestra vs. Vienna Philharmonic

Attended a concert by each by them - the Viennese just blew me away.

Very neato, Melissa.

 

[LizzyM]

So when we update medical schools and they say it is added to our file, is it used in the decision making process? This is post interview btw. Sorry if I am repeating but I did not catch this question anywhere else on the 11 page thread 🙂 .

Anyone reviewing the application after the interview has the opportunity to seek out that update. Whether they choose to do so is another story.

Also does a research grant from your undergraduate school look impressive to adcoms? Thanks a lot!

It is better than nothing. It shows that you can compete for research dollars which is quite literally the coin of the realm.

 

[LizzyM]

Or Cleveland Orchestra vs. Vienna Philharmonic

Attended a concert by each by them - the Viennese just blew me away.

Well the point of the analogy was to compare a college orchestra to a professional orchestra. 😀

Thanks for playing.

 

[spoonfulofsugar]

Hi Lizzy. Thank you so much for what you do in these forums!

I'm hoping to graduate a semester early, and was wondering how you would view this. I go to an expensive school, and a semester of tuition is very pricey. I have a high GPA, will graduate with the normal amount of credits expected from 8 semesters (through overloading), and will complete an honors thesis. However, my Pre-Med adviser was discouraging because he says undergrad is a unique time of your life. Also, he said it seems as though I'm just checking off boxes on classes to complete, and graduating once everything is done. (Also I worry that this opinion might be mentioned in my committee letter, though it is far from true). Do adcoms, for example at your school, view graduating a semester early from an expensive school unfavorably, as a sign of "box-checking"? Or do you disagree with my adviser?

 

[jsmith1]

Do schools care about the type of research students conduct in undergrad? I am starting research kind of late (currently a junior) and probably won't get a publication. I am picking between doing research in a child psych lab or an insect science lab. The insect science lab involves a lot more "real science" but they both just involve basic data entry for the first semester. They both seem pretty interesting so I am having a hard time choosing one. Would one look better than the other on an application?

 

[LizzyM]

Hello LizzyM, my name is Fluid and I appreciate your time in reading my question. I have a not-seeking-advice related question for you, so I hope that you might bend your hypothetical rule since this is a philosophical question having nothing to do with current admission procedures.

This is in the context of the probable yet distant future where medical education will become (more) easily accessible, somewhat similar to the way that most higher-Ed degrees have become accessible.

Can you imagine community medical college, with adcoms only for licensing/residency/attending jobs, or do you feel that the MD/DO/etc degree should only be given to those who have been initially scrutinized?

If you do not wish to answer, I will respect your decision. However, i have quite the interest in our educational system (as a whole) and would value greatly your thoughts on the topic.

Thank you again for your time. May peace and blessings be upon you,

-FluidT

Interesting question. Way back when (nineteenth century), med school was more accessible. Application standards were not strict and you bought a book of tickets to attend lectures and demonstrations by physicians at a medical school. After attending lectures for 2 years, you would find a physician who would let you shadow him, again for about 2 years, and he would teach you what you needed to know about the practice of medicine. If you had the means to do so, you might sail to Europe and observe physicians practicing in Berlin or London or Vienna. The quality of the education one got in the lectures and as an apprentice was uneven and often left a lot to be desired.

The Flexner Report (you can look it up) proposed a revolution in medical education and it happened over a few decades. There are changes ahead in the 21st century and you can learn more about them here: http://healthprofessionals21.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&Itemid=111

I could imagine a future where the classroom materials would be taught online but ideally they should be combined with clinical exposure which must be in person and which must be in small groups (no way 1000 students can each listen to the heart murmur of a single patient in one session). Integrating clinical training and classroom work runs counter to this idea that open sourcing will make med school available to so many people.

 

[jsmith1]

Do schools care about the type of research students conduct in undergrad? I am starting research kind of late (currently a junior) and probably won't get a publication. I am picking between doing research in a child psych lab or an insect science lab. The insect science lab involves a lot more "real science" but they both just involve basic data entry for the first semester. For the psych lab I watch children and record their response to different stimuli. The insect lab involves characterizing insect behavior and making measurements of the insects. They both seem pretty interesting so I am having a hard time choosing one. Would one look better than the other on an application?

 

[LizzyM]

Hi Lizzy. Thank you so much for what you do in these forums!

I’m hoping to graduate a semester early, and was wondering how you would view this. I go to an expensive school, and a semester of tuition is very pricey. I have a high GPA, will graduate with the normal amount of credits expected from 8 semesters (through overloading), and will complete an honors thesis. However, my Pre-Med adviser was discouraging because he says undergrad is a unique time of your life. Also, he said it seems as though I’m just checking off boxes on classes to complete, and graduating once everything is done. (Also I worry that this opinion might be mentioned in my committee letter, though it is far from true). Do adcoms, for example at your school, view graduating a semester early from an expensive school unfavorably, as a sign of “box-checking”? Or do you disagree with my adviser?

So what are you going to do between Jan and May? If you can work into your personal statement or your experience explanation that graduating early gave you the freedom to do X, and to save $$$$$ then it looks like an excellent move. If you are applying the summer before your last semester, then this shouldn't even come up... if you are applying after graduation, you do need to show that you have used your time wisely and productively.

 

[AOK123]

LizzyM,

Do the top schools expect all of their medical students to be significantly involved in research in their future careers? If so, then why wouldn't they expect their medical students to get MD-PhDs if they want them all to do major research? For me, I feel like getting an MD means that I can be involved in significant patient care and then do research if time permits...

And if these schools are looking for "future leaders in medicine", can't I become a doctor who leads by providing quality patient care instead of only doing research most of the time?

If these schools want academic physicians, I feel like I can become one through patient care and teaching students through association with a medical school.

What's your take?

 

[LizzyM]

Do schools care about the type of research students conduct in undergrad? I am starting research kind of late (currently a junior) and probably won't get a publication. I am picking between doing research in a child psych lab or an insect science lab. The insect science lab involves a lot more "real science" but they both just involve basic data entry for the first semester. For the psych lab I watch children and record their response to different stimuli. The insect lab involves characterizing insect behavior and making measurements of the insects. They both seem pretty interesting so I am having a hard time choosing one. Would one look better than the other on an application?

I'm up so late, I'm starting to see double. 😀 No worries, SDN has been a little wonky for me these last 2 days, too, with submitted replies being hung up and not directing me back to the page.

Anyway, both sound fun. The one that has more "real science" might be better in the long run but either is fine if you are enthusiastic about it and can describe it well to an intelligent layperson or to a fifth grader (measuring your abililty to take complex ideas and communicate clearly to patients). So, flip a coin if you really can't decide. You can't go wrong.

 

[Josh7]

Interesting question. Way back when (nineteenth century), med school was more accessible. Application standards were not strict and you bought a book of tickets to attend lectures and demonstrations by physicians at a medical school. After attending lectures for 2 years, you would find a physician who would let you shadow him, again for about 2 years, and he would teach you what you needed to know about the practice of medicine. If you had the means to do so, you might sail to Europe and observe physicians practicing in Berlin or London or Vienna. The quality of the education one got in the lectures and as an apprentice was uneven and often left a lot to be desired.

The Flexner Report (you can look it up) proposed a revolution in medical education and it happened over a few decades. There are changes ahead in the 21st century and you can learn more about them here: http://healthprofessionals21.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&Itemid=111

I could imagine a future where the classroom materials would be taught online but ideally they should be combined with clinical exposure which must be in person and which must be in small groups (no way 1000 students can each listen to the heart murmur of a single patient in one session). Integrating clinical training and classroom work runs counter to this idea that open sourcing will make med school available to so many people.

That's very interesting. I remember a news story from Australia about a student who had been attending medical school lectures on his own time for two years of classes (just didn't go to tests). He ended up being punished criminally. It seems as if he was a century too late 👎

 

[baltimoreman]

They don't care. If you do it too many times, they'll wonder if you are trying to protect your gpa.


There is an AMCAS table that shows the proportion of applicants by race who get admitted at each various gpa stratified by MCAT score. Check for and see the lowest gpa but keep in mind that sometimes those applicants are non-trads who had rotten gpas in unrelated fields and then did a post-bac some years later but the undergrad gpa is what goes into that table.
https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/app...mcat-gpa-grid-by-selected-race-ethnicity.html



A semester of tech work in a lab, a semester of "child life" volunteering, a year's membership in a campus club and a single hobby like "running".

Is there something wrong with child life volunteering in a clinical setting? Could it be classified as clinical volunteering?

Also, you mentioned that military service can be worth 5 LizzyM points. Are there other qualities (major, activities, etc.) that come with a quantitative LizzyM bump?

Thank you for doing this.

 

[theherowedeserv]

Why don't admission committees care about the writing score of the MCAT?

 

[sunflower18]

Sorry I've had so many questions! This is just an amazing opportunity.

Do a few activities for all four years look better than trying multiple things, each for about a year? I am currently involved with non clinical volunteering at one location, and while I enjoy it a lot, I have found greater need elsewhere and would like to donate my time in that direction. Is that understandable, or will it look like flighty resume padding?

Thanks so much!!!!

 

[noncon]

This is a great service you are providing although I am sorry for asking many questions. But hopefully my questions and your responses will also benefit other readers.

- How does a 3.5 from schools like Harvard, Columbia, Princeton or Yale compare to a 4.0 from "easy" schools like South-West Montana College, New Hampshire University or Everycity Community College? Is a GPA a GPA or is there mental discounting of grades depending on the tier of the school when making admission decisions and if so, is such discounting conscious or subconscious? How many GPA points are deducted or added based on the tier of the school?

- Is it alright to not provide schools with the date of birth if you are worried about age discrimination?

 

[riseNshine]

Thanks for the great advice so far.

My questions:
1) How does 1st author on a review paper compare to 1st author on an actual research paper? Does it matter if the review paper pub is in a journal that is invitation only (PI got the invitation, but you're 1st author?)
2) How do adcoms view research courses taken for letter grade? (especially if multiple semesters of the research courses are taken?)
3) Do adcoms sometimes wonder why a certain course was designated as Science? For instance, if history of Neuroscience or another course that had science content but whose course title was something else is part of the BCPM GPA and AMCAS allowed this, will adcoms wonder if this was done to boost the overall science gpa?
4) I know there's an entire thread on this, but do you have any advice for people retaking the MCAT and how they should retackle the test? (perhaps from speaking to other successful re-takers?)

Thank you!

 

[fudGez14]

Hey LizzyM,

Is there a difference whether I am the 2nd or 5th author of a basic science research paper published in the Journal of Neuroscience? I ask this because I have technically put in the most time (after the first author, who is the graduate student) into this project, but I end up being the fifth author because the other three people who worked on this project are older/more senior than I am.

Also, is conducting clinical research as impressive as doing basic science research? what kind of clinical research do you usually see conducted by undergrads?

Thank you so much!

 

[bltng]

Hi Lizzy!

Merry Christmas! Thank you so much for taking your time answering all of our questions, it is very much appreciated. 🙂 🙂

I'm a post-bacc student that is about 2 quarters away from being entirely finished with my pre-med requirements. So hopefully by summer 2013, I'll be able to get started with my MCAT studying and most likely will take the test January 2014.

I'm starting to get worried because besides classes, MCAT studying, and clinical volunteering - I'm debating on whether I should dedicate my remaining time to taking upper division biology courses or doing clinical research? (I have no experiences in either of these.)

The reason why I'm so apprehensive is because it would've been 3.5 years from my graduation by the time I apply to medical schools, and so I am afraid that the admission committee would frown upon the large amount of time I've taken to complete everything.

Once again, thank you so much Lizzy! 🙂

 

[mrpringles]

Hello LizzyM,
I have around 1 year of ER scribing under my belt for my clinical experience and 1 year of research with some leadership positions as well (both ongoing). I did a few hours of non-clinical volunteering here and there at different locations but did not really settle on 1 place. My question is, Do you think I should find shadowing opportunities or do more non-clinical volunteering consistently at one place?
Thank you, Happy Holidays!

 

[LizzyM]

Is there something wrong with child life volunteering in a clinical setting? Could it be classified as clinical volunteering?

There is nothing wrong with child life volunteering. It is a clinical experience. Having 2 hours/wk for 10-15 weeks as your only clinical experience can be indicative of a box checking mentality when it comes to preparing for medical school.

Also, you mentioned that military service can be worth 5 LizzyM points. Are there other qualities (major, activities, etc.) that come with a quantitative LizzyM bump?

Thank you for doing this.

I have not observed any activity other than military service that comes with a *******tive LizzyM bump. I just noticed the effect of military service last year. I should add that the veterans and active duty military have all served in war zones.

 

[LizzyM]

Why don't admission committees care about the writing score of the MCAT?

Funny you should mention it. We don't care about it and we never seem to talk about the fact that we don't care about it.

 

[LizzyM]

Sorry I've had so many questions! This is just an amazing opportunity.

Do a few activities for all four years look better than trying multiple things, each for about a year? I am currently involved with non clinical volunteering at one location, and while I enjoy it a lot, I have found greater need elsewhere and would like to donate my time in that direction. Is that understandable, or will it look like flighty resume padding?

Thanks so much!!!!

It is fine to try a few different things but do try to find at least one thing that you stay with for a longer duration. It is a way to build experience and move up to greater responsibility within the organization.

 

[LizzyM]

This is a great service you are providing although I am sorry for asking many questions. But hopefully my questions and your responses will also benefit other readers.

- How does a 3.5 from schools like Harvard, Columbia, Princeton or Yale compare to a 4.0 from "easy" schools like South-West Montana College, New Hampshire University or Everycity Community College? Is a GPA a GPA or is there mental discounting of grades depending on the tier of the school when making admission decisions and if so, is such discounting conscious or subconscious? How many GPA points are deducted or added based on the tier of the school?

Well a 4.0 from a lower tier school is going to catch someone's eye because it is a 4.0. The school may not have a reputation for academic rigor and there may have been little competition in the classroom but this may be someone who had limited choices in where to attend school. So the next question is "what is the MCAT?" If the MCAT is 35 or better, then this applicant is the real deal. If the MCAT is 25, that 4.0 is not going to mean much. (Individual adcom members may vary in where they cut the MCAT as high enough for "no worries" and too low to be viable.) In between there is a lot more work to come to terms with how to interprete the academic record.

A "below our med school's average" gpa from an excellent university is going to be picked apart in a similar way with a look at the MCAT as well as the grades by year, the course loads, the experiences and the LORs (which will often discuss extenuating circumstances -- and the Ivies are particularly good at providing that information in a LOR).

- Is it alright to not provide schools with the date of birth if you are worried about age discrimination?

I suspect that date of birth is a required field on the AMCAS application.

 

[LizzyM]

Thanks for the great advice so far.

My questions:
1) How does 1st author on a review paper compare to 1st author on an actual research paper? Does it matter if the review paper pub is in a journal that is invitation only (PI got the invitation, but you're 1st author?)

Being first author on a research paper is inidcative of a bit of research that has been brought to a successful conclusion. Being first author on an invited review paper shows that you can do the grunt work for the boss in summing up the state of knowledge on a topic. It isn't as highly regarded in research circles as original research. But it is still nice as an adjunct to research.

2) How do adcoms view research courses taken for letter grade? (especially if multiple semesters of the research courses are taken?)

Like courses taken for a letter grade.

3) Do adcoms sometimes wonder why a certain course was designated as Science? For instance, if history of Neuroscience or another course that had science content but whose course title was something else is part of the BCPM GPA and AMCAS allowed this, will adcoms wonder if this was done to boost the overall science gpa?

No, they seldom dig that deep into the application. I've never heard anyone comment on such a thing.

4) I know there's an entire thread on this, but do you have any advice for people retaking the MCAT and how they should retackle the test? (perhaps from speaking to other successful re-takers?)

Thank you!

Use ExamKrackers for the verbal section. Use any resource you choose for the other sections. Have a study schedule and stick to it. Do practice exams under standard test conditions (you've taken the test before so you know what those are) and don't skip the writing section; it is important that you factor in the energy-sapping nature of that portion of the test. Don't retake the exam until you are sure you are doing well enough to score as well as you need to.

 

[LizzyM]

Hey LizzyM,

Is there a difference whether I am the 2nd or 5th author of a basic science research paper published in the Journal of Neuroscience? I ask this because I have technically put in the most time (after the first author, who is the graduate student) into this project, but I end up being the fifth author because the other three people who worked on this project are older/more senior than I am.

There isn't a lot of difference. Almost none at all, in fact.

Also, is conducting clinical research as impressive as doing basic science research? what kind of clinical research do you usually see conducted by undergrads?

Thank you so much!

It is rare to see someone at the undergrad level who is doing the intellectual work involved in a clinical research study whereas it is possible to see that in bench research. Even seasoned attendings on the medical school faculty are often passive receivers of protocols written by sponsors of the research. There is some judgment on the part of attendings who conduct clinical research under those circumstances (assessment of side effects, decisions regarding dose escalation in light of side effects, symptom management, and so forth) but that is beyond the capacity of an undergrad.

When I do see someone who has not yet completed college doing clinical research it is often an unsophisticated "medical record review" (e.g. a look through the records in dad's pediatric practice to determine the proportion of kids who got flu vaccines last season stratified by chronic condition) that may be more "quality assurance" than "research" as it is often not generalizable new knowledge.

 

[LizzyM]

Hi Lizzy!

Merry Christmas! Thank you so much for taking your time answering all of our questions, it is very much appreciated. 🙂 🙂

I'm a post-bacc student that is about 2 quarters away from being entirely finished with my pre-med requirements. So hopefully by summer 2013, I'll be able to get started with my MCAT studying and most likely will take the test January 2014.

I'm starting to get worried because besides classes, MCAT studying, and clinical volunteering - I'm debating on whether I should dedicate my remaining time to taking upper division biology courses or doing clinical research? (I have no experiences in either of these.)

The reason why I'm so apprehensive is because it would've been 3.5 years from my graduation by the time I apply to medical schools, and so I am afraid that the admission committee would frown upon the large amount of time I've taken to complete everything.

Once again, thank you so much Lizzy! 🙂

Upper division bio courses are useful for the information acquired by those that take them and to keep your brain engaged.

Clinical research at the level that can be done by a post-bac can (and should) be a paying job at this point in your career but it isn't really an intellectual exercise but more often the paperwork and grunt work necessary for the research enterprise to move forward. So, you might be handling regulatory documents (mostly electronic these days so there is little "paper"work), scheduling subjects, handling samples headed for the lab (which may involve packaging shipments to an outside lab). Generally, this is the research equivalent of volunteering in the ER.

 

[LizzyM]

Hello LizzyM,
I have around 1 year of ER scribing under my belt for my clinical experience and 1 year of research with some leadership positions as well (both ongoing). I did a few hours of non-clinical volunteering here and there at different locations but did not really settle on 1 place. My question is, Do you think I should find shadowing opportunities or do more non-clinical volunteering consistently at one place?
Thank you, Happy Holidays!

If you have been an ER scribe for a year, you have a pretty good idea of what doctors do all day, at least in the ER. Arranging to spend a work day with 2-3 other specialties shouldn't be too difficutl given your connections to the ER and it shouldn't preclude an ongoing effort at serving the poor in your community -- maybe the equivalent of one day per month for the rest of your life? Some people make this a priority because they want to be among the people who work to improve the plight of those in need.

 

[Bearhugs]

I have a friend who was an olympic medalist and he is considering medical school. Just curious if that would count for any LizzyM points?

 

[SaintJude]

Dear LizzyM,

January is the beginning of FAFSA. I met an applicant who confided that she would like to release her deposit ASAP, but is waiting on discovering how much financial aid/scholarship she will receive.

Suppose an applicant is holding multiple acceptances, how does that applicant inquire politely about the maximum merit scholarship at the school?

Also, I've heard a med school student saying that it's possible "to change your aid once schools know you're holding multiple deposits". What does this mean?

THANK YOU!

 

[augeremt]

Thank you so much for answering these questions for us again! They help immensely.

I have a question about what kinds of activities I should be picking up/expanding on if I have to reapply this upcoming season. I have heavy GPA repair from a lackluster undergrad (3.9+ post-bacc GPA) and scored 35+ on the MCAT.

My current activities include both clinical volunteer work (4 hrs/wk at a hospital for the past 2 years, which I'm still doing) as well as non-clinical volunteering that I've been involved with continuously since high school. My current job is research in a non-medical science and I recently presented a poster at a major conference and have a couple papers submitted for publishing but they're not published or even approved yet (been at the job for several years).

My cycle hasn't been all that successful, partially because I submitted my secondaries fairly late and also because my total GPA is low due to my undergraduate forays. But I need something to say under the "What have you done to improve your application?" section other than I applied late. So what should I be doing?

Thanks in advance!

ETA: I've also shadowed a few specialists in the last couple of years, but no primary care doctors (wasn't able to get hooked up with them before my application was submitted).

 

[heartshaped box]

Do you actually receive any applications in December/January? (for those schools that have an early January deadline...)

 

[Nobodyspecial11]

Or it means you rose to the top of the heap quickly by luck or because there was something about your application that caught someone's eye (it could be something as minor as being a graduate of an adcom's sibling's alma mater). You reallly can't read too much into these things.


Start thinking and doing now to improve your application in the event that you need to reapply (and this time you will apply in June, not later).

I think that you need to wait unitl June 15, particularly if you have only waitlists.... It becomes a horrible waiting game at that point as you fill out secondaries still hoping to get a call and start medical school that summer. No one said this would be easy.

I was in this boat. Do you have to wait? the original poster should just do as you recommended by starting to improve a future application but still apply at the earliest opportunity ( June 1 or w/e...assuming that is, in fact, the best way to go). I did this and had two applications in to the same school at the same time.

I guess do schools necessarily close the earlier application if they see another one coming? In my mind they should treat them like "separate" people.

 

[tomhaverford]

Let me see if I can explain this with some made-up numbers.

Let's say a school is going to interview 600 applicants, 100 per month from September through February.

Let's say that there are 6000 applications and that the secondaries arrive as follows:

July: 2000
August: 2000
Sept.: 1000
Oct 500
Nov 500

Interview invites go out ~ 4 wks in advance.

September interviews, 100, are extended to 100 of the 2000 July applicants, leaving 1900 uninterviewed.

October interviews, 100, are extended to the best of the 3900 applicants that came in by the end of August.

November interviews are extended to the best 100 of the 4800 applicants in the queue.
December interviews go to the best 100 of the 5200 applicants who are still waiting for interview invites.

January interviews go to the best 100 of the 5600 applicants still waiting.

February interviews go to the best 100 of the 5500 still waiting.

Someone who is amazing may get interviewed even if they apply on the last day but most people are going to be at a disadvantage competing against 5500 others for one of those last 100 slots.

Given this scenario, is it a good sign at non-rolling schools to be invited for an interview if you applied late? (the thought would be that you must be particularly well suited for the school if you were invited at a later date because you had to stand out from a larger pool of applicants)

 

[LizzyM]

I have a friend who was an olympic medalist and he is considering medical school. Just curious if that would count for any LizzyM points?

There really haven't been enough olympic medalists who applied to medical school to know how that influences med admissions. At least in my experience. Combat veterans are a dime a dozen compared with olympic medalists. 🙁 A sad state of affairs.

 

[LizzyM]

Dear LizzyM,

January is the beginning of FAFSA. I met an applicant who confided that she would like to release her deposit ASAP, but is waiting on discovering how much financial aid/scholarship she will receive.

Suppose an applicant is holding multiple acceptances, how does that applicant inquire politely about the maximum merit scholarship at the school?

Also, I've heard a med school student saying that it's possible "to change your aid once schools know you're holding multiple deposits". What does this mean?

THANK YOU!

First, merit scholarships don't depend on the FAFSA. They are given for merit, not need. That said, I do think that some schools will offer a blend of merit scholarships and need based aid (including loans) up to the cost of attendance and so will wait until the FAFSA is submitted before assembling a financial aid package.

I don't know how one would ask about how big a scholarship might be offered? Keep in mind that the maximum possible and what you have any likelihood of getting might be two very different things and they don't want to anger anyone by saying we give up to 100% of cost of attendance and then turn and offer your friend a 10% scholarship.

I have heard, on rare occasion, for a school to sweeten the pot after an applicant indicates that they can't afford the school with the aid package that was offered. (The instance I'm familiar with, the applicant had a baby in day care that was putting the family over the usual cost of attendance and beyond their budget despite the spouse's job.) It also helps to have offers from 5 top 10 schools.😉

 

[lime720]

I already recieved a acceptance to med school this cycle. But I just recieved my fall grades, and I got a C+ in genetics. Can my acceptance be rescinded when I send in my final transcript?

 

[LizzyM]

Thank you so much for answewring these questions for us again! They help immensely.

I have a question about what kinds of activities I should be picking up/expanding on if I have to reapply this upcoming season. I have heavy GPA repair from a lackluster undergrad (3.9+ post-bacc GPA) and scored 35+ on the MCAT.

My current activities include both clinical volunteer work (4 hrs/wk at hospital for past 2 years, which I'm still doing) as well as non-clinical volunteering that I've been involved with continuously since high school. My current job is research in a non-medical science and I recently presented a poster at a major conference and have a couple papers submitted for publishing but they're not published or even approved yet (been at the job for several years).

My cycle hasn't been all that successful, partially because I submitted my secondaries fairly late and also because my total GPA is low due to my undergraduate forays. But I need something to say under the "What have you done to improve your application?" section other than I applied late. So what should I be doing?

Thanks in advance!

ETA: I've also shadowed a few specialists in the last couple of years, but no primary care doctors (wasn't able to get hooked up with them before my application was submitted).

Shadow some primary care docs and apply early. Sometimes we see a good application and wonder why the person didn't get an offer the first time around and "maybe s/he was late" is always a plausible explanation and it is verifiable if you are applying to the same schools the second time around.

 

[LizzyM]

Do you actually receive any applications in December/January? (for those schools that have an early January deadline...)

I won't say when our deadline is but we receive applications right up until the deadline day every year.

 

[LizzyM]

I was in this boat. Do you have to wait? the original poster should just do as you recommended by starting to improve a future application but still apply at the earliest opportunity ( June 1 or w/e...assuming that is, in fact, the best way to go). I did this and had two applications in to the same school at the same time.

I guess do schools necessarily close the earlier application if they see another one coming? In my mind they should treat them like "separate" people.

Well, it is a waste of money to submit earlier than June 15 if you are likely to get off the waitlist in the first 2 weeks of June.

Schools will hold your old application and might even refer to it but for the most part, they don't.

 

[LizzyM]

Given this scenario, is it a good sign at non-rolling schools to be invited for an interview if you applied late? (the thought would be that you must be particularly well suited for the school if you were invited at a later date because you had to stand out from a larger pool of applicants)

It is always good to be invited for an interview. You have to be very good to be chosen this late in the game.

 

[LizzyM]

I already recieved a acceptance to med school this cycle. But I just recieved my fall grades, and I got a C+ in genetics. Can my acceptance be rescinded when I send in my final transcript?

Perhaps... it depends on the terms of the offer of admission. You can't change the grade and you can't change the policy so you might as well call the school on Jan 2 and ask if this is going to be a problem.

 

[LizzyM]

Happy Boxing Day to all my Canadian friends.

I'll be back later to answer more questions.

 

[slz1900]

Hi LizzyM. Thank you for doing this!

I was wondering how disadvantaged status works if your parents are divorced. One parent made less than 20K a year while the other made significantly more (about 60K) and I grew up spending half of my time with each. I went to an inner city high school, got free lunch, had an ecf of 0, etc but we definitely were not poor. Would it be appropriate for me to utilize the disadvantaged section to explain my situation? Also, does it seem weird if a student fills out the disadvantaged section but doesn't apply for a FAP waiver?

 

[regeneration]

Hi LizzyM,

During my first year of college I had a health issue (not because of anything I did) that kept me hospitalized for a few weeks and has affected my life on-and-off (it relapsed recently) since it started a few years ago. I will be applying next cycle, and I was wondering where I could bring this up, or if it be worth bringing up at all? I have several other very productive experiences that I would like to talk about, but I think the struggle that I am going through coping with my new health problem while maintaing my ECs & GPA is significant. It also helped me make the decision to pursue a MD. However, since I have other significant positive experiences that shaped my decision to pursue a MD & that kept me productive, I'm wondering if adding this negative image to my application will help me or hurt me. I don't want to come off as a whiner

I was able to maintain my GPA throughout the ordeal, so I'm not looking to use it as an excuse for that. Thanks!

 

[argama]

I feel like this question was sort of addressed earlier, but I'm not exactly sure so apologies if repeated answer!

I took a class at my school called Behavioral Neuroscience which was like 99% science-based (the other 1% was like one lecture on how it connected with certain psychology theories). However, it's listed under the Psychology department and is taught by a psychology/neuroscience professor. Am I allowed to list it under BCPM and would schools think I'm just trying to raise my sGPA? Would they even notice? It was honestly like an "intro to neurobiology" class because I took neurobiology later and there was a lot of overlap.

Thanks!

 

[Barravel]

Do schools usually announce merit scholarships later in the spring or at the time of acceptance notification? Is there a 'standard' way of doing this or is each school different in their timing? I was wondering if places an applicant is accepted wait to see where else they have been accepted and this then influences scholarship decisions? Thank you!