Curious pre med SDN data question

[doofenshmirtz it]

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Is there any historical data to indicate what percentage of medical school applicants per cycle are active on SDN?

 

[Lucca]

Is there any historical data to indicate what percentage of medical school applicants per cycle are active on SDN?

To my knowledge no one has attempted to estimate this in the past. If I had to guess, people who actually post (so not counting lurkers) are probably <5% of all applicants in the cycle.

 

[efle]

I'd guess a couple percent post and ten fold more lurk/read

 

[Catalystik]

To my knowledge no one has attempted to estimate this in the past. If I had to guess, people who actually post (so not counting lurkers) are probably <5% of all applicants in the cycle.

This topic was unofficially analyzed by a group of SDNers before Lucca's time and I recall the result was something like 10% of the applicant pool were lurkers or active posters. I don't remember how they estimated the number of lurkers.

 

[efle]

Having done some seminars for traditional UGs the last few years I often surprised to see how few people at least admit to looking at SDN. Considering that SDN is estimated just over being in the top 1,000 websites in US for traffic

Some people read the premed page over on reddit, and I think it depends a lot on the student population. Premeds with a "Top 20 MD or Bust" attitude are definitely more likely to be on here, similar to how College Confidential is packed with "Ivy Plus" hopefuls.

 

[Gilakend]

I have yet to knowingly run into a single pre-med in real life who actively posts on SDN.

 

[btuck]

I have yet to knowingly run into a single pre-med in real life who actively posts on SDN.

That you know of...how often does SDN actually come up in conversations.

 

[Gilakend]

That you know of...how often does SDN actually come up in conversations.

I would say it is the second most interesting thing about myself. First if I'm in the presence of other jugglers.

 

[WingedOx]

similar to how College Confidential is packed with "Ivy Plus" hopefuls.

Man... this takes me back. But only due to the generational gap between the "kids" who were in College Confidential and me from a generation before who were on the Princeton Review forums. The latter of which were like this weird social free for all that still found a way to give me a complex over the fact that I went to a school that was ranked like ~80th in the country.

 

[ExcitatorySynapse]

I know people who read SDN and are on the premeddit lol and I was identified (and also identified other people on CC). Perhaps I know too many neurotic people. My school's premed advising just sent us an email to gtfo SDN lol

 

[Lucca]

I know people who read SDN and are on the premeddit lol and I was identified (and also identified other people on CC). Perhaps I know too many neurotic people. My school's premed advising just sent us an email to gtfo SDN lol

What did it say? I’d be interested, feel free to PM if you want to share if not its fine.

 

[Turkishking]

I know people who read SDN and are on the premeddit lol and I was identified (and also identified other people on CC). Perhaps I know too many neurotic people. My school's premed advising just sent us an email to gtfo SDN lol

I’m curious as well

 

[Fall_of_Dorian_Gray]

I have yet to knowingly run into a single pre-med in real life who actively posts on SDN.

I was a long time lurker before I decided I was informed enough to help other premeds haha. I figure if I don't start giving back now when I don't have anything, why would I think I can give back to younger students when I'm a physician.

 

[kb1900]

I know people who read SDN and are on the premeddit lol and I was identified (and also identified other people on CC). Perhaps I know too many neurotic people. My school's premed advising just sent us an email to gtfo SDN lol

Lol it’s hilarious when UG “premed advising” offices denounce sdn. Had I listened to mine I would have never gotten into medical school. In fact the majority of my classes’ premeds from my large UG institution that swore by the premed offices advice, are still just that - premeds. The committee letter is largely all they’re good for yet they somehow inflated their standing to the point of having over 20 staff and dozens of “advisors” that never went to or applied to medical school.

Mind you, this is an ug institution with a top 10 medical school associated with it.

 

[ExcitatorySynapse]

^It was basically a bullet point that said "stay off SDN!!" But my advisor in person also told me to stay away. Maybe they think the advice is not as relevant and inordinately stressful, because our matriculation to MS stats are 3.64/3.49 and 515 MCAT on average, which certainly differ from conventional wisdom.
I think that the advising office is all right overall, but they pretty much give minimal info out until junior year (when most students think that they will apply), leading many to realize that they have some deficiencies kind of late and should take a gap year, which the office heavily pushes. But 82% of student applicants get into MD and 91% MD/PhD, so maybe it works out? Or maybe we just learn to supplement from the internet. 🙄

Edit: This is a T10 undergrad with a correspondingly good MS.

 

[Lucca]

^It was basically a bullet point that said "stay off SDN!!" But my advisor in person also told me to stay away. Maybe they think the advice is not as relevant and inordinately stressful, because our matriculation to MS stats are 3.64/3.49 and 515 MCAT on average, which certainly differ from conventional wisdom.
I think that the advising office is all right overall, but they pretty much give minimal info out until junior year (when most students think that they will apply), leading many to realize that they have some deficiencies kind of late and should take a gap year, which the office heavily pushes. But 82% of student applicants get into MD and 91% MD/PhD, so maybe it works out? Or maybe we just learn to supplement from the internet. 🙄

Edit: This is a T10 undergrad with a correspondingly good MS.

Yah this is typical for deflationary top school UGs.

 

[efle]

^It was basically a bullet point that said "stay off SDN!!" But my advisor in person also told me to stay away. Maybe they think the advice is not as relevant and inordinately stressful, because our matriculation to MS stats are 3.64/3.49 and 515 MCAT on average, which certainly differ from conventional wisdom.
I think that the advising office is all right overall, but they pretty much give minimal info out until junior year (when most students think that they will apply), leading many to realize that they have some deficiencies kind of late and should take a gap year, which the office heavily pushes. But 82% of student applicants get into MD and 91% MD/PhD, so maybe it works out? Or maybe we just learn to supplement from the internet. 🙄

Edit: This is a T10 undergrad with a correspondingly good MS.

Sounds like you're at one of the more deflating schools like U Chicago. Similar issues at WashU, kids think "I have to get straight As!" and freak the F out over having a 3.5x GPA when that's going to be fine for their state MD schools when paired with the high avg MCAT. I can see how the advisors, who only care about getting students into a med school, would hate SDN for being all about building MD apps for top 20s

 

[DoctorSnow]

I have mentioned SDN multiple times in conversation with other premeds at my school and no one has ever known what that is. It surprises me how many premeds don't even use google (or MSAR for that matter). I owe SDN for everything. I've been on this forum since senior year in high school and the forums have taught me more than any "premed crash course" that my school offers each year.

My good buddy was complaining about writing secondaries and when I said that I prewrote them he said, "How on earth would you know what the essays are before they send them to you?!"

Other few premeds didn't know which medical schools screen. One friend scored a 70th percentile MCAT and was going to apply to Mayo until I told him no one will see his application because they screen <75th percentile MCATs.

One student was bragging that he got a 503 on the MCAT with no studying. I literally face palmed.

 

[deleted804295]

I have yet to knowingly run into a single pre-med in real life who actively posts on SDN.

My school actually recommended SDN so I actually meet quite a bit who read pages. Not any I know of that are active posters though.