Did any of you guys buy MSAR?

[bozz]

I always thought it was some very expensive book available for reference only at the library...

but it's $25 ... am I missing something here?

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[BloodySurgeon]

I always thought it was some very expensive book available for reference only at the library...

but it's $25 ... am I missing something here?

I would buy it. It is the Holy Bible for pre-meds.

 

[al112987]

I don't think so?

its published every year... its sort of like the princeton review college guides to medical schools.

anyway, I have a copy, good reading...

 

[justme456]

i didn't buy one

never even looked at one

 

[emcee1109]

It has all the phone numbers of the Admission Offices of the medical schools, so it helps when you want to check the status of your application. It also helps you choose which schools you want to apply to, so I would say it's a good investment.

 

[ZagDoc]

I didn't even look at the MSAR when I applied.

And its probably the #1 thing I would have changed had I had to reapply. I wasted a good amount of money applying to schools I really shouldn't have, and there was probably another acceptance or two waiting for me out there had I known to apply to certain schools.

Note: You don't need to buy it if you know of a way of getting a copy at your university library or such. Mine didn't have it, so I would have had to buy it.

 

[UVABranch]

I got one by participating in a program, but I didn't buy one before this because I was under the impression it was like $80 or $90...

 

[spilledmilk]

You don't have to buy it as you can usually get access to a copy...But I was very glad to own my own copy for a nominal fee (Especially compared to all the other fees associated with applying to med school). I found it to be extremely helpful.

 

[TheRealMD]

Get a used copy off of Amazon. No need to have the latest edition.

 

[nick_carraway]

You don't have to buy it as you can usually get access to a copy...But I was very glad to own my own copy for a nominal fee (Especially compared to all the other fees associated with applying to med school). I found it to be extremely helpful.

Agreed. People on SDN tend to favor looking it up at school or something similar. I bought my own from the school bookstore and it was a great help in choosing schools. I spent weeks going through it, crossing off schools and adding them back onto my list.

It's a great resource just to make sure you know about the more bizarre pre-reqs that some schools have and that you're prepared for the fact that some schools require thesis projects.

I suggest buying it. With your own copy, you won't get in trouble for tearing out the depressing graphs at the front that show previous applicant data. Woe is I.

 

[Maxprime]

Library

 

[Auron]

Yes, its very useful. I've spent many many hours reading that book.

 

[Depakote]

I got one, found it very helpful.

 

[fireflygirl]

I bought one too and found it useful. I am a bit of a organizational psycho so I used it to create a spreadsheet of the pros and cons of each program. Generally, I think it's a very useful reference to have, especially to generate a realistic application list.

But your university library might have a copy and so might your pre-med advisor.

 

[AlaskaGrown]

I bought one too and found it useful. I am a bit of a organizational psycho, so I used it to create a spreadsheet of the pros and cons of each program.

I did the exact same thing for the schools I applied to. My spreadsheet started around fifty and I used all kinds of random criteria to shrink it down to the 20 I finally applied to.

 

[fireflygirl]

I did the exact same thing for the schools I applied to. My spreadsheet started around fifty and I used all kinds of random criteria to shrink it down to the 20 I finally applied to.

**sigh** it's a disease isn't it to be that psychotically organized. I'm sort of the Monica Gellar of my friends