Email from U of Utah M2-did anyone else get one?

[Zut Alors]

For all those who are applying to Utah-

Yesterday I got an unsolicited e-mail from an M2 which was very unexpected. I interviewed there at the end of October and haven't heard anything since (like 99% of you). Anybody else get this e-mail detailing this student's day-to-day life? As far as I can tell, it is Utah's first attempt to actually make an effort towards making me feel like they want me to go there, although the e-mail was a bit discombobulated. Just wanted to know if anybody else had the same "What the heck is this" when they opened up their inbox and what you think it means.

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[humuhumu]

Can you share the text of the message or would that be inappropriate?

 

[Zut Alors]

I don't feel it is inappropriate to share the message. Obviously I'll be changing names. Also, I want to make it clear that I have absolutely no qualms about this e-mail in case the letter writer might read it. I rather appreciated receiving it--I just want to know why it was sent to me rather than one of those who have already been accepted (that's you isn't it humuhumu?). After all, what is any of this information worth to me if I'm not even accepted at the end of the day?

Hello xxx,

My name is xxx I am a second year medical student at the UUSOM. I wasn't quite sure how to begin so I figured I would tell you about my typical day* First of all, you should know that I feel like the entering white coat ceremony was yesterday. It goes so fast. I usually wake up late and I am rushing to get to school. I live in the 9th & 9th area, which is about a ten-minute drive and park from the SOM. I car pool with my best friend, which is great because then I get dropped off at the front door every other week. I either have five minutes to grab a drink and some food to ensure that I stay awake through that first "long haul" or I am five minutes late to the lecture and I have to sneak in. Some people don't go to class. I had my phase. In fact last year after I got back from the Amazon and ended up sick as a dog I didn't go to class for three weeks straight and I ended up doing the best on those exams. I believe that no matter what type of student you are there will be times when you will get up early and study rather than go to class or will get up late and not go to class because we had our usually poker night the night before. Class usually lasts until noon with a break for lunch---actually a break to hunt for the best luncheon meetings with the best free food. Class will then last for a couple more hours or is done for the day. I usually drive to the Coffee Garden and attempt to study without interruption for 4 hours at least. If it is a day before an exam then I will study when class gets out until at least 11 pm. I am not a library study person---I like coffee shops. I study well with the background noise and if I can't take it I usually put on some tunes. I will go back to my apartment and scrounge for some food unless my classmates are meeting for a drink and some grub. Eventually I crawl into bed around midnight---usually 1 am and start the whole thing over again. There is always a study group available to jump in on. There are always your classmates to hang out with. You will see them everyday and usually every night. If you are married the married crowd always has something going on and sometimes they invite the single people. When I miss class I get the notes from someone else or call and bug people while they are at class to see if I actually need to come or could manage to study at the coffee shop alone. I actually started to date a little, which makes things more interesting, but also more stressful in regards to time. Please e-mail or call @ xxx (8:30am-1am) or (email) with all your insightful questions.

XXX MSII

 

[humuhumu]

Interesting -- thanks for posting it. I haven't received any messages from students at Utah, and yes, I've been accepted. I happen to know several recent graduates (currently in residency) from Utah, but it would still be nice to have a "pen pal" who is currently a student there....

Edit: On second thought, it would be a little odd to have a pen pal if I hadn't been accepted yet. Clearly the individual who wrote the message to you has ties to the admissions committee. Would he/she forward your messages to them? You probably couldn't help wondering if the committee is trying to learn more about you or test your commitment to the school, etc.

 

[Zut Alors]

Interesting -- thanks for posting it. I haven't received any messages from students at Utah, and yes, I've been accepted. I happen to know several recent graduates (currently in residency) from Utah, but it would still be nice to have a "pen pal" who is currently a student there....

Edit: On second thought, it would be a little odd to have a pen pal if I hadn't been accepted yet. Clearly the individual who wrote the message to you has ties to the admissions committee. Would he/she forward your messages to them? You probably couldn't help wondering if the committee is trying to learn more about you or test your commitment to the school, etc.

Yeah I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I do, however, think it would be a bit unethical for the admissions committee to attempt to secretely elicit information from me. I am hoping that maybe I am one of those lucky December acceptances and that the acceptance is in the mail, but I am not counting on it at all. I just can't understand why the admissions committee would ask a student to write me and no one else. I was expecting this to be a mass mailing (even though I was the only listed recipient in my specific e-mail) to let applicants get an insight on what life is like at the U of U despite the fact that the introduction was awkwardly handled.

I haven't responded and don't know if I will right now--I'm not quite sure what to say.

 

[bgtati]

Yeah I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I do, however, think it would be a bit unethical for the admissions committee to attempt to secretely elicit information from me. I am hoping that maybe I am one of those lucky December acceptances and that the acceptance is in the mail, but I am not counting on it at all. I just can't understand why the admissions committee would ask a student to write me and no one else. I was expecting this to be a mass mailing (even though I was the only listed recipient in my specific e-mail) to let applicants get an insight on what life is like at the U of U despite the fact that the introduction was awkwardly handled.

I haven't responded and don't know if I will right now--I'm not quite sure what to say.

Hey I got a phone call from an MS2. Pretty much follwoing along the lines of what you said. He asked me if I had any questions etc.... They did this because we signed up for it at our interviews, when we had lunch with them. Do you remeber signing up?

 

[Zut Alors]

Hey I got a phone call from an MS2. Pretty much follwoing along the lines of what you said. He asked me if I had any questions etc.... They did this because we signed up for it at our interviews, when we had lunch with them. Do you remeber signing up?

Oh okay. Yeah I do remember signing up. I guess I had just totally forgotten and it came as a total surprise. I'm probably just reading too much into it looking for some glimmer of hope as I wait for March/April/forever.

 

[Jaider]

I am hoping that maybe I am one of those lucky December acceptances and that the acceptance is in the mail, but I am not counting on it at all.

I already gave up hope for a December acceptance. I figure they have already been sent out and the admissions peeps are celebrating the holidays by now. But I'm also surprised that no one has excitedly posted on SDN saying they were accepted this month. Hmm.

 

[humuhumu]

Hey I got a phone call from an MS2. Pretty much follwoing along the lines of what you said. He asked me if I had any questions etc.... They did this because we signed up for it at our interviews, when we had lunch with them. Do you remeber signing up?

Yes, you're right. So I was wrong -- the student who wrote the message probably doesn't have any connection to the adcom. I think I signed up but then the paper was somehow misplaced and I didn't bother to sign up again.

 

[shminger]

I got a phone call the other night from an MS II. Pretty low-key, just asking if I had any questions.... Nothing to go out and celebrate about, although I do appreciate the gesture and the thought of knowing that the U has not totally forgotten about me.... But come to think of it, I did put my info on a paper during my post interview drunkenness at lunch. Oh well.

 

[bgtati]

I just want this waiting game to end. Do you guys know if and when the U sent out any acceptances in december? It would be a nice x-mas present to get one.