done with this

[Depakote]

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Let's keep the remarks in this thread constructive. I realize the OP is venting, but that isn't any reason for a pile-on.

 

[NotAndrew]

Shame on any school who doesn't realize that a model citizen such as yourself isn't entitled to a spot at their school. You deserve it. You're entitled to it. How could they be so thick? How could they be so short sighted? Shame on them.

👍👍👍

General note: Please guys, let's not try and make light of the situations other people are in. Yes, he's angry, but it doesn't give anyone the right to be completely insensitive.

I disagree, the OP is an ass, he deserves people telling him that.

i've received the last of my rejections, and still waiting on news from the only school that interviewed me. If it doesn't happen, I'm done with this. This system is broken. I don't care how late I applied, I was no later than half of the people accepted to my state schools. I didn't expect anything from OOS schools, but wtf happened to my state schools? I hate all Florida schools now, except for UF who interviewed me. Especially F--- USF. I don't think I've ever hated a school so much. Complete waste of time doing a bunch of random activities and sending them numerous letters of update/interest.

So if you're looking to apply to USF next cycle, reconsider. They're perfectly willing to accept sub-par applicants from their feeder program, and will prefer them over you, no matter how much interest you show them, or how qualified you are.

Oh, and I have no problem accepting responsibility for how ****ty this cycle was. 99% of the blame is with me. But 1% of this was COMPLETE BS.

a) how is the system broken? You didn't get into a school, this does not mean the system is broken.

b) so you applied late and it's the school fault you didn't get in?

c) Why should I reconsider applying to USF? Because you didn't get in? Stop thinking you are God's gift to medical school.

d) I don't think you can accept responsibility, you started and entire thread about how the schools ****ed you over.

 

[ButImLETired]

Point out anything I said that was incorrect, or mind your own ****ing business.

Well, hon, I can't do that, because what you're stating isn't a fact, it's merely an opinion. I could tell you my opinion (as someone who has gone through this process with numbers relatively similar to the OP, mind you) and you could tell me your unfounded one, and we could agree to disagree, all the while knowing that there are no "facts", simply suppositions. Part of Food's frustration is with this "black box" system in which no one knows what a school is looking for. Look at OnlyNeedOneYes: he's the perfect example of why people get frustrated with not knowing what med schools want from us.

The issue here is that you haven't been through this. I know you're a high-GPA type, so you naturally think that's the way to go, but there are plenty of examples of high-MCAT, low-GPA students who have made it in successfully and who have pretty good arguments for why their stats look the way they do. Food's frustration comes from the fact that he knows he wasn't one of those who made it with that particular stat breakdown. It sucks. I totally understand it. Having gone through this, I know how mentally and emotionally exhausting the process is, and I get the need to rant. I also get the feeling that it's all a bit unfair. Many of us low-gpa types could have done better in easier schools or easier majors, but we didn't play the game, and despite the fact that we prove ourselves with the MCAT, we are still not given a whole lot of credit for our efforts. It's frustrating. It sucks. And you don't know any of this because you haven't done it yet.

So, calm down, don't get your panties in a bunch, and reflect a little bit. Try empathy before aggression. And most of all, don't state as facts what are opinions based on what you've seen and not what you've been through, unless you want to be told time and time again "how in the world would you know?".

OP: If you are planning on reapplying and want a tough essay editor, go ahead and send me your essays. I've edited a lot of people's stuff and I think I have a pretty good eye for possible issues with essays.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Point out anything I said that was incorrect, or mind your own ****ing business.

How about saying that one person not getting into med school after applying extremely late is proof that a 3.4 isn't enough to get into med school no matter your MCAT? That's just as ridiculous as me doing the opposite and telling people that a 3.1 GPA with a 2.9 BCPM is plenty to get into med school if you rock the MCAT. N of 1 is proof? I guess that high GPA of yours doesn't include a stats class.

edit for crosspostness:

If you are planning on reapplying and want a tough essay editor, go ahead and send me your essays. I've edited a lot of people's stuff and I think I have a pretty good eye for possible issues with essays.

Ditto that for me. If your essays are strong, it's likely you've been undermined by a bad LOR. You might as well know what tripped you up rather than just be generally frustrated.

 

[brucecanbeatyou]

Where's my Vespa? Cause this is turning into Mod-ville, hey-o!

 

[Ariadne]

Well, hon, I can't do that, because what you're stating isn't a fact, it's merely an opinion. I could tell you my opinion (as someone who has gone through this process with numbers relatively similar to the OP, mind you) and you could tell me your unfounded one, and we could agree to disagree, all the while knowing that there are no "facts", simply suppositions. Part of Food's frustration is with this "black box" system in which no one knows what a school is looking for. Look at OnlyNeedOneYes: he's the perfect example of why people get frustrated with not knowing what med schools want from us.

The issue here is that you haven't been through this. I know you're a high-GPA type, so you naturally think that's the way to go, but there are plenty of examples of high-MCAT, low-GPA students who have made it in successfully and who have pretty good arguments for why their stats look the way they do. Food's frustration comes from the fact that he knows he wasn't one of those who made it with that particular stat breakdown. It sucks. I totally understand it. Having gone through this, I know how mentally and emotionally exhausting the process is, and I get the need to rant. I also get the feeling that it's all a bit unfair. Many of us low-gpa types could have done better in easier schools or easier majors, but we didn't play the game, and despite the fact that we prove ourselves with the MCAT, we are still not given a whole lot of credit for our efforts. It's frustrating. It sucks. And you don't know any of this because you haven't done it yet.

So, calm down, don't get your panties in a bunch, and reflect a little bit. Try empathy before aggression. And most of all, don't state as facts what are opinions based on what you've seen and not what you've been through, unless you want to be told time and time again "how in the world would you know?".

OP: If you are planning on reapplying and want a tough essay editor, go ahead and send me your essays. I've edited a lot of people's stuff and I think I have a pretty good eye for possible issues with essays.

👍👍👍

So well stated I needed to make a completely non-constructive post just to express my approval.

 

[JeetKuneDo]

Sorry, I realize that my post isn't very specific, and even seems to be saying two different things.

Applying outright, with GPAs below 3.5, already puts you at tough odds. I know this very well, because I had to apply to 35 schools to get 4 acceptances with a ~3.3 GPA and 35 MCAT. It is a numbers-driven process, but you need to really sell yourself in terms of fit. I feel that's responsible for the success that I had. Your MCAT score isn't going to do it for you. But I know that you know this. So I feel that with the improvements that you've made on your application, with a focus on the non-academic aspects of your profile, you can make it in if you retool and reapply again next year.

First things first, research your list of schools that you feel you're a good fit for. Apply to those schools. Add some reaches and all of your state schools. Use the lessons you've learned from this past application cycle to your advantage. It's numbers-driven, but not necessarily to the point where your numbers alone will get you in.

This of course assumes that you still want to pursue medicine if your file at UF is not pursued any further. It all depends on how badly you want to go into medicine. Wait and see how you feel a few weeks later..

Besides are great MCAT score, did you do anything really amazing to set yourself apart, or did you stick with the usual research, volunteer, shadow? (Not trying to be a heckler, but I am quite curious)

 

[fizzle]

Part of Food's frustration is with this "black box" system in which no one knows what a school is looking for. Look at OnlyNeedOneYes: he's the perfect example of why people get frustrated with not knowing what med schools want from us.

What makes this "black box" even worse is that almost all the cost is incurred on the applicant's side. What with application fees ranging in the thousands, plus even more thousands needed for travel and lodging for interviews, is it surprising at all that the ~60% of applicants who don't get into any medical school feel frustrated by what seems like an arbitrary system designed to waste as much of the applicant's money as possible? This means that not only has the applicant wasted a whole year of hopes (hope isn't a tangible or quantifiable term, but it definitely has a significant effect on a person's morale and potential accomplishments), but he/she has also wasted what's probably a year's worth of salary or more on a fruitless prospect. It's far removed from graduate school, where not only do most schools pay for the travel and lodging and meals for interviewees, but they even pay the student a stipend for being in graduate school (of course, it's more of a student/employee synthesis, but even so, the model is far more applicant-friendly). Since medical schools incur relatively little cost for each additional candidate interviewed, they are free to interview three, four, no, five times as many applicants as they accept, which means that a majority of applicants will have just spent money for nothing besides memories of the school. Shouldn't the interview process be itself designed to be more selective to minimize this issue?

And then there are those cynics who say, "If you don't like it, then don't do it" (aka "my way or the highway"). Is this really the best way to go about trying to improve healthcare and further expand on the diversity that we need for an effective system?

 

[phospho]

OP, I'm not sure if you're still reading this thread or not, but:

I completely agree with you. The process is not only boken, but it is inherently ******ed. I can't imagine what it's like to be in your shoes (put in so much work, and end up with nothing). Anger is good. Honestly, how could you NOT be angry? However, channel that anger towards a reapplication.

There's a lot of luck and randomness in this process. You have a kickass MCAT score and a good GPA (don't listen to the people who say that you have too low of a GPA to get in). Fill out the application as soon as it comes out this year. Do the same thing you did this cycle, and I promise you that you will get in.

Most importantly, don't give up on medicine. The profession needs smart people like you. Just take a look around you at today's premeds - 80% of them are jackasses. This process favors jackasses. You seem like a normal dude. At the end, you will be the better doctor. Yes, the system is broken, but you need to work around it. I really think that things happen for a reason. What's one year in the grand scheme of things? Let this cycle light a fire under your ass so you can nail the next cycle. You'll be reading this thread in a year from now (with an acceptance in hand) thinking how things worked out for the best.

This makes me think of Andy Dufresne's quote from the Shawshank Redemption: "Get busy living, or get busy dying"...

best of luck to you!

 

[flip26]

I don't think it is the content of your posts she's referring to, as much as it is the way you phrase things. Not that I have a problem at all with the way you post though...

Thanks.

I suggested to the OP that he:

1) do a better job of picking schools (he withdrew 16 pre-sec apps, some to schools where he had a good shot, including a state school),

2) apply early (he says he applied late),

3) totally rewrite the PS, and

4) get new letters (if possible).

That is far more "helpful" than most of what has been posted on this thread, particularly those who are validating his anger.

 

[GoSpursGo]

What makes this "black box" even worse is that almost all the cost is incurred on the applicant's side. What with application fees ranging in the thousands, plus even more thousands needed for travel and lodging for interviews, it is surprising at all that the ~60% of applicants who don't get into any medical school feel frustrated by what seems like an arbitrary system designed to waste as much of the applicant's money as possible? This means that not only has the applicant wasted a whole year of hopes (hope isn't a tangible or quantifiable term, but it definitely has a significant effect on a person's morale and potential accomplishments), but he/she has also wasted what's probably a year's worth of salary or more on a fruitless prospect. It's far removed from graduate school, where not only do most schools pay for the travel and lodging and meals for interviewees, but they even pay the student a stipend for being in graduate school (of course, it's more of a student/employee synthesis, but even so, the model is far more applicant-friendly).

And then there are those cynics who say, "If you don't like it, then don't do it" (aka "my way or the highway"). Is this really the best way to go about trying to improve healthcare and further expand on the diversity that we need for an effective system?

You really think running admissions is cheap?

You've got to pay the people to review the primary/secondary apps, pay the director and all of the secretaries in the office somehow. There's a big difference between a grad school that will likely get maybe a hundred or two applications each year and interview a handful vs. a med school that gets THOUSANDS of applications; how on earth could a med school possibly keep the admissions office going if it was paying for several hundred people to come interview each year and have people doing full-time jobs reviewing the applicants and NOT have the applicants throw in some money?

I mean, yeah, it sucks from an applicant's point of view, but an admissions office has to keep the lights on somehow. It's no picnic for them either; they incur a substantial cost reviewing those apps as well.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

 

[ChubbyChaser]

 

[fizzle]

You really think running an admissions is cheap?

You've got to pay the people to review the primary/secondary apps, pay the director and all of the secretaries in the office somehow. There's a big difference between a grad school that will likely get maybe a hundred or two applications each year and interview a handful vs. a med school that gets THOUSANDS of applications; how on earth could a med school possibly keep the admissions office going if it was paying for several hundred people to come interview each year and have people doing full-time jobs reviewing the applicants and NOT have the applicants throw in some money?

I mean, yeah, it sucks from an applicant's point of view, but an admissions office has to keep the lights on somehow. It's no picnic for them either.

Yes, so that all goes back to the point: Why not make the interview process even more selective? I can see the practical reasoning for why schools need a smaller interview screening committee versus the full adcom, but it seems that for many schools, the interview is just one additional cog in the larger application; surely they can improve a 25% interview/acceptance rate by raising the standards for the paper application?

This would not only save the adcom the time required to interview more applicants, but it would also give much more rapid closure to those applicants who have a slim chance going into the interview anyway, rather than being placed on the waitlist/rejected and being dragged out for the full year.

I don't profess to understand the application process and its sources of funding (which then goes back to the problem of the whole process being a "black box"), so I'm just rebounding ideas here...I by no means intend to denigrate the admissions system but rather seek ways that it can be improved.

 

[flip26]

Yes, so that all goes back to the point: Why not make the interview process even more selective? I can see the practical reasoning for why schools need a smaller interview screening committee versus the full adcom, but it seems that for many schools, the interview is just one additional cog in the larger application; surely they can improve a 25% interview/acceptance rate by raising the standards for the paper application?

But then they would be open to (fair) criticism that the process is too focused on numbers and not the person...

No matter what you propose, so long as 40k+ applicants vie for 17k seats, there will be a majority of people who don't get accepted anywhere.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I think the problem is that there are so many socially incompetent people who can beast good grades and MCAT scores and even write great essays with enough time but can't talk to another human being to save their lives. Weeding out the freaks is a big part of why people are interviewed, I'd imagine.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I think the problem is that there are so many socially incompetent people who can beast good grades and MCAT scores and even write great essays with enough time but can't talk to another human being to save their lives. Weeding out the freaks is a big part of why people are interviewed, I'd imagine.

I disagree..I think the good grades/antisocial ones are by far the minority. Granted there are some, but most arent.

 

[fizzle]

But then they would be open to (fair) criticism that the process is too focused on numbers and not the person...

No matter what you propose, so long as 40k+ applicants vie for 17k seats, there will be a majority of people who don't get accepted anywhere.

But the paper application already includes the personal statement, the LORs, and the ECs, too, which are not easily quantified. Is the interview enough of a game-changer in enough cases to make the rest of the application moot for a borderline candidate? I'm not referring to those rare out-of-this-world interviews that get an applicant in; I'm talking about the typical applicant who gets an interview here.

 

[Siverhideo1985]

This makes me think of Andy Dufresne's quote from the Shawshank Redemption: "Get busy living, or get busy dying"...

That you have the audacity to waste such an excellent quote from such an excellent movie in a thread like this, it makes me sick.

I am deeply dissapointed, phospo.

P.S.: Let's encourage people who punch holes in wall to seek help before encouraging them to attend med school. If not getting in during one application cycle induces such anger, what will a failed residency placement cause? or an annoying patient? or working in the "broken" field of medicine for 40 years? Oh boy, I don't think they make enough dry wall for that...

 

[fizzle]

I think the problem is that there are so many socially incompetent people who can beast good grades and MCAT scores and even write great essays with enough time but can't talk to another human being to save their lives. Weeding out the freaks is a big part of why people are interviewed, I'd imagine.

I agree with ChubbyChaser; socially incompetent people are most likely not going to make up ~75% of the interviewed pool. If anything, they're probably in a small minority for those who are qualified enough on paper with their LORs and essays and ECs to get an interview.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Oof, I dunno about that, guys. There are some pretty weird people in med school. I don't think they make up anywhere near 75% of the applicant pool, but they're a significant presence. Stereotypes would indicate that the weirdness/social ineptitude increase with higher numbers, and that doesn't seem to be far off, in my experience.

 

[191159]

I know the pic is horrible but I think that's the first time I've lol'd on this site.

 

[fizzle]

Oof, I dunno about that, guys. There are some pretty weird people in med school. I don't think they make up anywhere near 75% of the applicant pool, but they're a significant presence.

So not only does the school offer far more interviews than acceptances, but the interview doesn't even effectively screen out the very personalities that they're supposed to?

 

[phospho]

That you have the audacity to waste such an excellent quote from such an excellent movie in a thread like this, it makes me sick.

I am deeply dissapointed, phospo.

P.S.: Let's encourage people who punch holes in wall to seek help before encouraging them to attend med school. If not getting in during one application cycle induces such anger, what will a failed residency placement cause? or an annoying patient? or working in the "broken" field of medicine for 40 years? Oh boy, I don't think they make enough dry wall for that...

I thought that quote was PERFECT for this thread!

But seriously, I know I would be really pissed if I didn't get in somewhere. I'm not sure I would have the energy to reapply if I hadn't been accepted this cycle. I'm not sure if that makes me not good enough to be a doctor, even though I'm still going to be a doctor (unlike the OP if he goes along with his line of thinking). I was accepted back in October (i.e. this bitch of a process was technically only a few months long for me), and I still feel like it sucked the life out of me.

 

[flip26]

But the paper application already includes the personal statement, the LORs, and the ECs, too, which are not easily quantified. Is the interview enough of a game-changer in enough cases to make the rest of the application moot for a borderline candidate? I'm not referring to those rare out-of-this-world interviews that get an applicant in; I'm talking about the typical applicant who gets an interview here.

Admissions is competitive for applicants, and for all but a handful of schools, it is also competitive for them. Most med schools have to offer admissions at a rate of 3 or 4 acceptances to each seat...if they are filling a 150 seat class, that could easily be 500 total offers...to find 500 people worthy of offering a seat, how many interviews do you propose they should hold? Clearly at least 500 interviews are necessary, but seriously more like 1,000 minimum, I suppose...it is a vicious cycle - the average applicant applies to something like 14 med schools...med schools are drowning in applications (some with over 10k apps for a class)...I am not sure how you could pare down the interview process any more than it currently is done.

 

[MilkmanAl]

No, what I mean is that they screen out the people who are even weirder than the ones already here. Scary thought.

edit: By the way, you guys read these forums and are disagreeing that there are a bunch of social idiots applying to med school? Some people can't even hold it together when they have time to think about what they're saying. Man, no wonder MCAT verbal scores are so low.

 

[NotAndrew]

But then they would be open to (fair) criticism that the process is too focused on numbers and not the person...

No matter what you propose, so long as 40k+ applicants vie for 17k seats, there will be a majority of people who don't get accepted anywhere.

I agree, this does not make the system or the process broken. Also with only 1 school interviewing you there was clearly a red flag or two on you app.

 

[fizzle]

Admissions is competitive for applicants, and for all but a handful of schools, it is also competitive for them. Most med schools have to offer admissions at a rate of 3 or 4 acceptances to each seat...if they are filling a 150 seat class, that could easily be 500 total offers...to find 500 people worthy of offering a seat, how many interviews do you propose they should hold? Clearly at least 500 interviews are necessary, but seriously more like 1,000 minimum, I suppose...it is a vicious cycle - the average applicant applies to something like 14 med schools...med schools are drowning in applications (some with over 10k apps for a class)...I am not sure how you could pare down the interview process any more than it currently is done.

Well, the end result is that about a third or so of interviewees get accepted, including waitlists and everything. That ratio already takes into account the fact that schools over-accept to account for applicants who withdraw.

 

[fizzle]

No, what I mean is that they screen out the people who are even weirder than the ones already here. Scary thought.

Well, to be honest, I've never met a "normal" person...I've always thought everyone was weird in his/her own way. It's just the way that I see the world 🙂

 

[fizzle]

edit: By the way, you guys read these forums and are disagreeing that there are a bunch of social idiots applying to med school? Some people can't even hold it together when they have time to think about what they're saying. Man, no wonder MCAT verbal scores are so low.

No one disagreed that "there are social idiots applying to medical school." We disagreed on the scale of the issue, not the presence. But wait, we didn't even disagree on that. So you're making a disagreement out of thin air? 😕

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Oof, I dunno about that, guys. There are some pretty weird people in med school. I don't think they make up anywhere near 75% of the applicant pool, but they're a significant presence. Stereotypes would indicate that the weirdness/social ineptitude increase with higher numbers, and that doesn't seem to be far off, in my experience.

wait, ive had a school reject me post-interview!!! Does that mean im a social freak?😱

 

[chessknt]

no, it does not offer any kind of "proof". That you can be so *****ic to suggest so, is pretty surprising. There is no "proof" because you cannot predict this process. You're making it sound like you can assign a pattern to the way this works. You can't.

However, there's data that confirms what you are saying.

You don't need to come on here and give "anecdotal" evidence. You can look at AAMC's matrix of acceptances and see that people in my bracket have a 66% acceptance rate, whereas people in a 32-33 range / 4.0 GPA have a 90% acceptance rate (or something). So thanks for contributing nothing, *****.

Also, good job referring to me in third person. That really completed the effect.

Hey, someone had to be in the 34%, why not you?

 

[Siverhideo1985]

I thought that quote was PERFECT for this thread!

But seriously, I know I would be really pissed if I didn't get in somewhere. I'm not sure I would have the energy to reapply if I hadn't been accepted this cycle. I'm not sure if that makes me not good enough to be a doctor, even though I'm still going to be a doctor (unlike the OP if he goes along with his line of thinking). I was accepted back in October (i.e. this bitch of a process was technically only a few months long for me), and I still feel like it sucked the life out of me.

Naturally you would...since I thought it was totally misplaced.

You would be too thickheaded to give up on medical school. All it would have taken to get you back in the game was for me to tell you that you aren't good enough. Ha!

Overall, I think with the application being as competitive as it is, the bottom line says that alot of people will not get in. For the most part admissions are not transparent enough to say why someone got in over another person. In my case, I got into one of my reach schools (*stroking ego*) but got rejected or waitlisted from schools that I thought were a safe bet (*punching ego*).

In the end if you don't get in you can quit and do something else or you can get back up, dust off, and try again. Just don't piss and moan the whole time, hmm k?

I guess it comes down to a simple choice afterall: Get busy reapplying, or get busy deleting your SDN profile.

 

[MilkmanAl]

No one disagreed that "there are social idiots applying to medical school." We disagreed on the scale of the issue, not the presence. But wait, we didn't even disagree on that. So you're making a disagreement out of thin air? 😕

wait, ive had a school reject me post-interview!!! Does that mean im a social freak?😱

Oh come on. You know what I mean. If you don't, I refer you back to my VR comment earlier.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Oh come on. You know what I mean. If you don't, I refer you back to my VR comment earlier.

lol i was kidding. Come to think of it though, alot of the ppl at second look only talked about medical schools. "Yeah either hopkins or here"

 

[GoSpursGo]

wait, ive had a school reject me post-interview!!! Does that mean im a social freak?😱

No, the fact that you're a social freak makes you a social freak 😉

 

[ChubbyChaser]

No, the fact that you're a social freak makes you a social freak 😉

Your mom sleeps with one eyed midgets.

 

[MilkmanAl]

lol i was kidding. Come to think of it though, alot of the ppl at second look only talked about medical schools. "Yeah either hopkins or here"

Ohh, dude, I thought you were serious! I certainly would've thought I was a freak if I'd gotten rejected post-interview. Good thing all of my rejections came pre-interview and even pre-secondary from the schools that really wanted to make sure I knew I was one of the cool kids.

 

[pianola]

wait, ive had a school reject me post-interview!!! Does that mean im a social freak?😱

No, the fact that you're a social freak makes you a social freak 😉

Your mom sleeps with one eyed midgets.

You be nice to Spurs!!! 😡😡😡

 

[GoSpursGo]

Your mom sleeps with one eyed midgets.

PLURAL? How many of those can there be in the world?

Thanks P! 🙂

 

[cpants]

I guess the OP has abandoned ship, but I really don't see why he was so angry. On the one hand he assumes responsibility for applying late, withdrawing from many promising schools, and achieving a low GPA. Yet he is furious at a few schools for not accepting him. Yes his stats are good enough that he should be able to get a med school spot. That doesn't just happen on its own though. He needed to maximize his chances by applying early and widely. He shot himself in the foot.

The system is not broken. It is expensive and inconvenient for applicants. That doesn't mean broken. It is extremely competitive. That doesn't mean broken either. Each school has their own qualifications which they emphasize. This may seem arbitrary to applicants, but regardless, it is not unfair or broken.

 

[Aladdin]

i've received the last of my rejections, and still waiting on news from the only school that interviewed me. If it doesn't happen, I'm done with this. This system is broken. I don't care how late I applied, I was no later than half of the people accepted to my state schools. I didn't expect anything from OOS schools, but wtf happened to my state schools? I hate all Florida schools now, except for UF who interviewed me. Especially F--- USF. I don't think I've ever hated a school so much. Complete waste of time doing a bunch of random activities and sending them numerous letters of update/interest.

So if you're looking to apply to USF next cycle, reconsider. They're perfectly willing to accept sub-par applicants from their feeder program, and will prefer them over you, no matter how much interest you show them, or how qualified you are.

Oh, and I have no problem accepting responsibility for how ****ty this cycle was. 99% of the blame is with me. But 1% of this was COMPLETE BS.

Not to be too harsh, but giving up just shows that you didn't want to be a doctor that bad to start with...

Something to think about.

 

[Riboflavin]

Part of the process is to weed out those that don't want it enough to jump through the hoops. Personally I spent 10 years and applied 4 different cycles before being accepted this year. Nothing worth doing is ever easy.

One of my favorite quotes from Scrubs: Dr Kelso, "Nothing worth having comes easy." 👍

 

[student1799]

The system is not broken.

Beg to differ: I say it IS broken, and I'm one of the lucky ones who got in somewhere.

Let me give you some examples of things that happened to me that make no ****ing sense:

1. Originally had an unbalanced MCAT (31S: 7 PS-13 VR-11 BS), due to bad nerves while taking the test. Retook the MCAT in Jan and did much better (33R: 12 PS-11 VR-10 BS), but even the schools which hadn't decided on my app yet REFUSED to look at the new score. Even the schools where I had interviews wouldn't take the new score into account pre-decision. So you can crucify me for a bad score, but refuse to acknowledge that I've improved it?

2. Have lived in NYC for 45 years. Want to work with underserved urban populations, said so in essays. Yet was rejected pre-interview by both NYC-area SUNYs, and got interviews at both upstate SUNYs, while I've never lived near either one. Similarly, got interviews at state schools in VT and VA, despite lack of ties to either state.

3. Ended up with low WL positions at both upstate SUNYs, because of my stats. (They use a scoring system that includes stats, and refused to adjust my score for the new MCAT, as in #1.) Based on what I've learned about their system, they invited me for interviews when there was virtually no chance I would be admitted, regardless of how well I did on the interviews. In other words, they totally wasted my time and money.

Yet I have HIGH WL positions at 2 state schools where I'm OOS, even though it's FAR more competitive for OOS in these states than IS at the SUNYs. Hold on a minute here: aren't state schools supposed to like their OWN residents? (Not in NY, I guess.)

4. Rejected by SUNY Downstate, but got an interview at Mount Sinai. Just TRY to tell me there isn't something ****ed up about that.

This whole process is totally arbitrary and capricious. It's based on numbers because adcoms are by and large too lazy to actually spend 5 minutes thinking about the PERSON who has applied to their school. Thought is bad, and the more thought your app demands, the more likely you are to be rejected.

OP, you're right to be angry with the utter horse**** that medical admissions really is. But you CAN beat the system--you just have to get back on the horse and try again. And you really should, because medicine really needs more people who understand that it IS broken and desperately needs to be fixed.

Good luck.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Ohh, dude, I thought you were serious! I certainly would've thought I was a freak if I'd gotten rejected post-interview. Good thing all of my rejections came pre-interview and even pre-secondary from the schools that really wanted to make sure I knew I was one of the cool kids.

No need to be a smart ass.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Is there any other way? 😛

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Beg to differ: I say it IS broken, and I'm one of the lucky ones who got in somewhere.

Let me give you some examples of things that happened to me that make no ****ing sense:

1. Originally had an unbalanced MCAT (31S: 7 PS-13 VR-11 BS), due to bad nerves while taking the test. Retook the MCAT in Jan and did much better (33R: 12 PS-11 VR-10 BS), but even the schools which hadn't decided on my app yet REFUSED to look at the new score. Even the schools where I had interviews wouldn't take the new score into account pre-decision. So you can crucify me for a bad score, but refuse to acknowledge that I've improved it?

2. Have lived in NYC for 45 years. Want to work with underserved urban populations, said so in essays. Yet was rejected pre-interview by both NYC-area SUNYs, and got interviews at both upstate SUNYs, while I've never lived near either one. Similarly, got interviews at state schools in VT and VA, despite lack of ties to either state.

3. Ended up with low WL positions at both upstate SUNYs, because of my stats. (They use a scoring system that includes stats, and refused to adjust my score for the new MCAT, as in #1.) Based on what I've learned about their system, they invited me for interviews when there was virtually no chance I would be admitted, regardless of how well I did on the interviews. In other words, they totally wasted my time and money.

Yet I have HIGH WL positions at 2 state schools where I'm OOS, even though it's FAR more competitive for OOS in these states than IS at the SUNYs. Hold on a minute here: aren't state schools supposed to like their OWN residents? (Not in NY, I guess.)

4. Rejected by SUNY Downstate, but got an interview at Mount Sinai. Just TRY to tell me there isn't something ****ed up about that.

This whole process is totally arbitrary and capricious. It's based on numbers because adcoms are by and large too lazy to actually spend 5 minutes thinking about the PERSON who has applied to their school. Thought is bad, and the more thought your app demands, the more likely you are to be rejected.

OP, you're right to be angry with the utter horse**** that medical admissions really is. But you CAN beat the system--you just have to get back on the horse and try again. And you really should, because medicine really needs more people who understand that it IS broken and desperately needs to be fixed.

Good luck.

1) schools look for different things
2) Some ppl get in everywhere they apply, so how do you explain that?

 

[cpants]

You haven't offered evidence of a broken system. You knew, or at least you should have known that your new MCAT scores would not be considered. They set a final date by which the MCAT must be taken, and after that, they aren't considered. Why? Schools can't constantly be updating all your statistics and re-reviewing your application. It would be tremendously time consuming and expensive to conduct admissions this way. Furthermore, by the January MCAT date, most of the schools had already reviewed your application and decided whether or not to interview you. Your scores probably weren't resubmitted until weeks after that. Even if they were willing to reconsider your application with the new stats, most schools have their classes nearly filled by February. Similar to the OP, you disregarded admission policy and common sense, and then got angry at the system when it didn't work out for you.

As far as the schools which showed you interest not being the ones you expected or desired, I don't know what to tell you. As I already explained, each school is looking for specific and different attributes. Just because they don't explain their logic to you, doesn't make it unfair or arbitrary.

Anyway, congrats on getting in.

 

[student1799]

1) schools look for different things

They look for numbers.

2) Some ppl get in everywhere they apply, so how do you explain that?

They have the numbers.

 

[NotAndrew]

You haven't offered evidence of a broken system. You knew, or at least you should have known that your new MCAT scores would not be considered. They set a final date by which the MCAT must be taken, and after that, they aren't considered. Why? Schools can't constantly be updating all your statistics and re-reviewing your application. It would be tremendously time consuming and expensive to conduct admissions this way. Furthermore, by the January MCAT date, most of the schools had already reviewed your application and decided whether or not to interview you. Your scores probably weren't resubmitted until weeks after that. Even if they were willing to reconsider your application with the new stats, most schools have their classes nearly filled by February. Similar to the OP, you disregarded admission policy and common sense, and then got angry at the system when it didn't work out for you.

As far as the schools which showed you interest not being the ones you expected or desired, I don't know what to tell you. As I already explained, each school is looking for specific and different attributes. Just because they don't explain their logic to you, doesn't make it unfair or arbitrary.

Anyway, congrats on getting in.

I usually disagree with everything that cpants says, however he is 100% right in this thread. Just because you got into one school and got rejected from another it does not mean the system is broken. 40,000 people apply to med school, 19,000 matriculate to med school. With such a large discrepancy in the amount of applicants and the number of spots, some qualified people are going to be rejected. This does also not make the system broken.

They look for numbers.
They have the numbers.

You need to get out of your numbers are everything box.