Ask LizzyM (Almost) Anything 2012 edition
Started by LizzyM
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Do you feel that it is worth it to join and invest time in AED? (If you're not president or vp that is)
I don't know what you mean by professional school. In grad school, 98% of grades are going to be between 3.0 and 4.0. In undergrad ,you certainly see 1.0s and 2.0s. See what I mean?
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This thread is great!
I have a question: How important is it to demonstrate some kind of leadership in undergrad? I know you touched on it in a post a few pages back, but I am curious as to how vital it is to compared to everything else. By the time I apply, I'll have years of volunteering (clinical and non-clinical), strong grades (hopefully >3.9), research, shadowing, interesting hobbies (not that I'm doing these to spice up my application, of course), blah blah blah. However, I don't know if I should actively seeking a leadership position somewhere if I want a shot at some of the more competitive schools. In your opinion, would lack of leadership be a deal-breaker?
As college juniors, many people step up to help organize and lead the groups that they've belonged to since freshman year. It is a means of serving others and leading others toward a common goal. If it happens for you, great, but it isn't necessarily something that you should seek out. Do seek out the opportunity to be of service to the members of groups to which you belong.
Doing something productive is always better than doing nothing. God forbid you should have to reapply the following year, it is nice to have something productive listed for the previous summer.
That does seem more "volunteer, non-clinical" because they are poor people, not patients, when you see them. If you were seeing them in the exam rooms, I'd say yes but not if they are directed to your room or area on their way out.
LizzyM has just given away the school she is at.
Based on the MSAR data,
She is either from:
Harvard, Yale, or Brown.
Not really... Those numbers could have easily came from other schools like Hopkins, UCSF, UChicago... WashU 🙂 the list goes on
I am not a fashionista and I tend to be rather liberal in what I consider acceptable interview attire but not everyone holds the same view point as I've discovered in reading other interviewers commentaries and the reactions that fellow adcom members have had to those commentaries.
It wouldn't surprise me that a school found your garb to be unacceptable and may have even considered you to be disrespectful by your dress. It is one of those cultural competency sorts of things; you are expected to conform to the standards at the school where you are interviewing although you may not know the standards or have an easy way of finding that information.
Now you know.
They knew when they received the application that the applicant was "international". Why interview her if internationals are unacceptable? I think someone took one look at those black jeans and said, "Unacceptable!"
🙁
Hi Lizzy,
Someone asked you if UCB Extension a favorably looked upon post bacc program by top tier schools you wrote you can't remember ever seeing anyone from that program. That is good to know because I am considering Berkeley Extension. But how about Harvard Extension - is it favorably looked upon by top tier schools? Happy Holidays to you!
Someone asked you if UCB Extension a favorably looked upon post bacc program by top tier schools you wrote you can't remember ever seeing anyone from that program. That is good to know because I am considering Berkeley Extension. But how about Harvard Extension - is it favorably looked upon by top tier schools? Happy Holidays to you!
It could hurt... fortunately, you will have some clinical activities in your application. You could always work a comment about looking forward to shadowing in Fall 2013 into your personal statement so that the information is there for what it's worth.
The school suspects that most/all interviewed candidates will have multiple offers and they'd like many/most of the offers they make to be accepted. That said, how much enthusiasm you show toward the school, your humility (not arrogance), your communication skills both verbal and non-verbal are all being judged during that short interiew.
I have not yet formed an opinion on the MMI.
Isn't PA school more than one year? So someone who was admitted to start PA school in Fall 2012 applies in MD school for Fall 2013? My school requires applicants to complete degree programs that are currently underway so we would not entertain an applicant in such a situation.
The other thought is, what is wrong? can't this applicant make up his/her mind? Why are they jumping from one thing to another? Next they will want to go to clinical psychologist school! Degree collectors are frowned upon.
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Expanding on the idea of AED and committee letters, all premeds at my university are REQUIRED to get a committee letter from the premed advisor, who happens to be the sponsor for AED. The problem comes where most premeds do not get to know the premed advisor well enough (not many people are a part of AED, it is quite stupid here) although the advisor is the one writing all the committee letters. Would this hurt all the premeds' when it comes to letters of references/committee letter?
Is it frowned upon to take course credit for research? Doing this semesterly would rack up a good 12+ credit hours in 2 years. Could it look like grade inflation? Our program requires an X amount of research credit hours...
Is it bad to take 3 seminars during one semester from 3 different departments? Just trying to get rid of some requirements to graduate but it might look like boosting credit hours for that semester?
You know you're a pre-med when you are on SDN on Christmas morning!! 😀
Is it frowned upon to take course credit for research? Doing this semesterly would rack up a good 12+ credit hours in 2 years. Could it look like grade inflation? Our program requires an X amount of research credit hours...
Is it bad to take 3 seminars during one semester from 3 different departments? Just trying to get rid of some requirements to graduate but it might look like boosting credit hours for that semester?
You know you're a pre-med when you are on SDN on Christmas morning!! 😀
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No. I don't. It can be a challenge to fit a year of science classes (up to 90 contact hours, plus labs) into a 6-8 week summer session.
It includes summers.
No. I don't. It can be a challenge to fit a year of science classes (up to 90 contact hours, plus labs) into a 6-8 week summer session.
It includes summers. Or I should say, the summer classes are included when AMCAS shows credits per year. Adcoms can comb through and see which courses and how many credits were taken each term but it is tedious and usually not worth the effort.
So that looks like the typical J shaped curve that is very common among students. No big deal.
Letters from supervisors in volunteer settings, or people with whom you served in a volunteer capacity tend to be relatively weak letters in terms of being informative. Include it if you wish but it does not take the place of letters from classroom professors and PIs.
It is considered not as difficult as Harvard College. I don't recall seeing anyone doing an entire post-bac there; mostly college grads working at Harvard & taking a few classes. The post-bacs I most admire are Columbia, Bryn Mawr, and Mills College.
I am involved with cognitive neuroscience research with a psychology professor -- she is my PI. I will also have had her as a professor for a class. Would a LOR from her count as a nonscience professor, or would it be in its own PI category?
Automated External Defibrillator?? 😕
Obvious things are obvious. You'll get a better letter from someone who knows you well than from someone who does not.
No
No
No
Or an insomniac
Now, to all, a Good Night! Merry Christmas!
Melissa, I am saying this respectfully, so no offense is intended. But maybe we need to give LizzyM her privacy. If she does not feel comfortable mentioning which school she is from, maybe we need to respect that and stop trying to guess where she is from. After all, why "out" someone who is only trying to help us? Once again, I don't mean any disrespect to anyone.
Is there a place where I can view this summary with the breakdown..the web page? This is different from the AMCAS pdf itself right?
Hi LizzyM,
How is the best way for an applicant who was waitlisted to get off the waitlist? Is there anything in particular a student can do? How does the adcom decide on who gets off the waitlist? Also, after interviewing to a school, especially your #1 choice, is there anything an applicant can do in order to help themselves? How important is the interview in the application process? If one feels that they did not do good in an interview is there anything they can do? Does the interview essentially decide whether a person is waitlisted or accepted? What are adcoms looking for in the interviews?
Thank you
How is the best way for an applicant who was waitlisted to get off the waitlist? Is there anything in particular a student can do? How does the adcom decide on who gets off the waitlist? Also, after interviewing to a school, especially your #1 choice, is there anything an applicant can do in order to help themselves? How important is the interview in the application process? If one feels that they did not do good in an interview is there anything they can do? Does the interview essentially decide whether a person is waitlisted or accepted? What are adcoms looking for in the interviews?
Thank you
The data is pulled from the AMCAS application itself using proprietary software. You can see your own gpa by year in that nifty table that preceeds your transcribed transcript. We don't have anything on that front page that isn't on your AMCAS.
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Go to all the threads asking "should I choose x or y" and recommend that they choose the school where you aren't on the waitlist.
/jkSend updates by email or phone to the school every 4-6 weeks expressing your interest.
Some schools have ranked lists and they go down the list in order. Others favor those who have recently expressed interest to avoid making an offer to someone who no longer desires to attend that school but just forgot to withdraw from the waitlist. In some cases, schools will preferentially choose students who will help balance the class --If a class is usually evenly divided by men and women, but comes out very uneven, then one gender may be favored over the other when choosing from the waitlist that year.
Some people say thank you notes don't help but I've seen people mention that they had a nice note from the applicant during our discussions (this is rare and for the most part they don't help).
If you misbehave, it can kill what would have been a good shot. If you greatly impress the interviewers, you can greatly increase what would have been average likelihood of admission.
Hope that you don't have very good insight about how well you did.
No, everything plays into the decision. Go back and look at post #23 in this thread.
Look at #347 in this thread.
Let's try to be a little less disrespectful, noncon. This is the internet.
Hi LizzyM,
Does it look bad to take too many BCPM courses over the summer? I was planning on taking some BCPM courses (they're not premed requirements) over this summer, but my premed advisor told me that it would be a bad idea. She said that since I have already I have taken BCPM courses over the summer in the past, it would look like I was extracting all of the difficult work to the summers. I disagree because I have been taking 2 - 3 BCPM courses plus 3 - 4 non BCPM courses for a total of 17 - 18 credits every fall and spring. Also, when I take courses over the summer, I don't just take courses, I also do research and volunteering. Do you think it would look bad to take BCPM courses this summer? (I would take the courses at my own university. I will be applying this coming cycle, so my grades from the summer wouldn't appear on my AMCAS. My GPA is ~3.8, if that has any relevance.)
Does it look bad to take too many BCPM courses over the summer? I was planning on taking some BCPM courses (they're not premed requirements) over this summer, but my premed advisor told me that it would be a bad idea. She said that since I have already I have taken BCPM courses over the summer in the past, it would look like I was extracting all of the difficult work to the summers. I disagree because I have been taking 2 - 3 BCPM courses plus 3 - 4 non BCPM courses for a total of 17 - 18 credits every fall and spring. Also, when I take courses over the summer, I don't just take courses, I also do research and volunteering. Do you think it would look bad to take BCPM courses this summer? (I would take the courses at my own university. I will be applying this coming cycle, so my grades from the summer wouldn't appear on my AMCAS. My GPA is ~3.8, if that has any relevance.)
No, a thousand times, no! This is one of those times when your pre-med advisor is ill-informed. (What else is new? )
😱
I didn't see any disrespect from noncon. 😕
And I appreciate those who remind everyone else that "outing" a member of this community is contrary to the terms of service.
Peace out, y'all.
Hi LizzyM 🙂
I am about two years from applying to medical school and this thread has been very informative!
I did not know that GPA is broken down by year, so I had a quick question about that. If a student had a 2.8 in the fall, but a 4.0 in the spring (taking an equal number of science classes), would anyone take notice? Or would they just see the average
?
I am about two years from applying to medical school and this thread has been very informative!
I did not know that GPA is broken down by year, so I had a quick question about that. If a student had a 2.8 in the fall, but a 4.0 in the spring (taking an equal number of science classes), would anyone take notice? Or would they just see the average
?
Hi LizzyM 🙂
I am about two years from applying to medical school and this thread has been very informative!
I did not know that GPA is broken down by year, so I had a quick question about that. If a student had a 2.8 in the fall, but a 4.0 in the spring (taking an equal number of science classes), would anyone take notice? Or would they just see the average
Only the average for the entire year would be calculated and shown on the application but every course and every grade and the term in which it was taken will be displayed on the application, too.
Heh, I know...just playing with him since he was clearly trying very hard to make sure he wasn't coming off as disrespectful (something frequently lacking in this forum). I thought his comments were very kind-hearted.
By the way, thanks for taking all of this time out of your schedule! I haven't asked any questions, but I've been reading through your responses to others, and they have been very insightful.
I have heard that once you reach the interview stage, stats become less important. If one has a very good or better interview (by his/her reckoning and behavior of the interviewer) why are such applicants still sometimes rejected? Iike I have heard students say the interviewer said they have "nothing to worry about" but some still get waitlisted/denied.
I see several 80 and 80+ every year. That's usually a MCAT of 40+ and gpa of 3.8+.
Well, a school shouldn't interview you if it thinks that your stats are too low to be admissible. But between that and "these applicants are our top choices" there are a wide range of candidates. There may be people with better stats who had interviews that were as good or better than yours. The school may think that you are not a good fit with their misison although you are a good candidate (and if that is so and if you've applied wisely, you will have an offer somewhere at the end of the cycle). I've heard that some schools don't read letters until after the interview and in that case a bad letter could hurt you after the interview. And, at schools where there is more than one interview, it can be that one person loved you but the other found fault. I have had instances of people with great interviews who might have been told encouraging words by the interviewer but who were observed being rude to the office staff, food service workers, or other people on campus and that is a deal breaker even though the "interview" portion of the day was fine. Some schools interview far more applicants than they can accept and it is with heavy hearts that some are denied or waitlisted.
To what extent would graduate level courses in physiology and human anatomy at a top 25 school help prepare me for medical school? I have no experience with the biological sciences beyond the very basic pre reqs for medical school.
My sister likes to take interesting courses many of which are not available at her own Harvard Extension. She took one class at Berkeley Extension one summer, another at Northwestern Extension another summer, a few classes from UCLA Extension, a few from UNC Chapel Hill's Friday Center for Continuing Education, a few from U-Penn's Extension and will be graduating with an ALB from Harvard Extension.
One advisor told her that she has taken courses from many different schools and medical schools don't like such transcripts - it confuses them, plus they are all at Extension schools.
Another advisor said she has taken classes at Harvard, UCLA, Berkeley, Northwestern, UNC Chapel Hill and UPenn - all excellent schools - and has excelled at every course no matter where it was taken, so medical schools will look favorably at one such person.
Which advisor should we believe?
One advisor told her that she has taken courses from many different schools and medical schools don't like such transcripts - it confuses them, plus they are all at Extension schools.
Another advisor said she has taken classes at Harvard, UCLA, Berkeley, Northwestern, UNC Chapel Hill and UPenn - all excellent schools - and has excelled at every course no matter where it was taken, so medical schools will look favorably at one such person.
Which advisor should we believe?
Hi LizzyM,
First of all Merry Christmas and thank you for taking your time and answer all of our questions.
I finished all my application mid September - beginning October. ( I know it was kind of late). I applied to fourteen schools and I have two II so far for schools that I applied in October. I have been reading the forums for those two schools and there are applicants that have been waiting for interviews on these schools for a while.
Do you think that getting a fast interview means that they consider you a good fit for the school?
I'm asking because If don't get acceptance on any of these schools, lets say by March, I was wondering if I should start to get ready to apply for the next cycle.
Thanks
First of all Merry Christmas and thank you for taking your time and answer all of our questions.
I finished all my application mid September - beginning October. ( I know it was kind of late). I applied to fourteen schools and I have two II so far for schools that I applied in October. I have been reading the forums for those two schools and there are applicants that have been waiting for interviews on these schools for a while.
Do you think that getting a fast interview means that they consider you a good fit for the school?
I'm asking because If don't get acceptance on any of these schools, lets say by March, I was wondering if I should start to get ready to apply for the next cycle.
Thanks
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I have no idea. I've never been to medical school (as a student). 😳
Start a thread and hope some current med students and residents give their opinions.
Both may be right depending on which schools and even which adcom members review the file. That's a reason why "apply broadly" is a mantra around here.
I'm hoping you can clarify the importance of prestige in undergraduate schools. I am a high school senior. I was accepted to Stanford University a few weeks ago, and have also been offered a full tuition scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh. I know that Pitt's medical center is phenomenal, but its undergrad really doesn't compare to Stanford. In terms of medical school admissions, ignoring other factors (which I will consider separately), is Stanford the clear choice despite about 50k of debt I would accrue?
I'm really sorry if this has already been asked - I haven't read the whole thread.
I'm really sorry if this has already been asked - I haven't read the whole thread.
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.
Pitt offers a full tuition scholarship to you because Pitt wants to attract high quality students who might otherwise go to Stanford and similar top tier schools. That increases the caliber of students at Pitt. Don't discount the burden of a $50k debt ... it can really keep you from doing what you want to do and may hamper your abililty to borrow more money down the road for a house, etc.
Stanford exists in a bubble and while I don't see a great many Pitt students, it is in a city that provides more opportunities for volunteerism/service to those in need.
So, no, Stanford is not the clear choice. Talk to a financial counselor or a relative who knows about lending and borrowing to determine how much you would be paying back per month if you deferred paying that $50K debt until 2022.
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