Evms

[soybean28]

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Last year's class of 23:
16 got into EVMS
2 got into UNC
1 got into George Washington
1 got into Tennessee
1 got into Tufts

I believe that's a record high, 91%.

So the 5 that got into other schools - did they also get into EVMS, or were they rejected? I'm trying to weigh my chances of matriculating into EVMS med.

Do you know the reason why those that did not get in, did not get in?
Do you know if there are any official/unofficial cutoffs?
If it is by gpa or grades, what would that be? And if the grades are curved, what proportion get what grades?

(EVMS responded very fast for me, approximately 2 weeks after the application was completed)

 

[DrMidlife]

So the 5 that got into other schools - did they also get into EVMS, or were they rejected? I'm trying to weigh my chances of matriculating into EVMS med.

Do you know the reason why those that did not get in, did not get in?
Do you know if there are any official/unofficial cutoffs?
If it is by gpa or grades, what would that be? And if the grades are curved, what proportion get what grades?

I will not feed your neurosis. You will thank me later.

Please go outside and play, or smell some flowers or something. That level of worry is going to kill you.

Best of luck to you.

 

[superdoctorman]

Wonder if anyone has been waitlisted yet. It seems like the latest round of applications have been processed but i havent heard anything in terms of acceptance/waitlist/rejection. ahhhh the anticipation!

 

[AntonFreeman]

Is there a way to skip around the parts of online application? I am trying to see if there is a specific form that has to be used for recommendation. Can we just use interfolio to send letters to EVMS?

 

[Agtongue]

You can use interfolio for letters, but not transcripts. Some programs let you use it for both (Tulane ACP, Cinci etc).

 

[DrMidlife]

You can use interfolio for letters, but not transcripts. Some programs let you use it for both (Tulane ACP, Cinci etc).

With transcripts it doesn't matter what Interfolio can do. The requirement for transcripts is that they be sent directly by the school, printed & watermarked & signed & sealed, period, for AMCAS/AACOMAS/TMDSAS, and again for the med school that accepts you.

LORs can be verified with a phone call or an email (not that this happens very often), or a reviewer can look up the recommender with the google, but transcripts are printed data like it's 1972. Adding yet another party (such as Interfolio) to the fraud opportunities there wouldn't be good.

These are the kinds of things I pondered while I waited for one of my undergrad schools to pony up. No online ordering, no credit cards accepted, can't order more than 4 at a time per check or per order, 3 month turnaround. (California public school, 1984 transcript.)

Best of luck to you.

 

[Agtongue]

I was happy that Cincy and Tulane let me send transcripts via interfoio. It saved me $30 each time because I have 5 schools and the UCs ain't cheap lol

 

[nayahrichard]

What should this 500 word essay be focused on? I'm getting different asnwers from different people. From my understanding we are to expand on our research and volunteer and shadowing experience, not why we want to attend EVMS. Thank you.

 

[DrMidlife]

What should this 500 word essay be focused on? I'm getting different asnwers from different people. From my understanding we are to expand on our research and volunteer and shadowing experience, not why we want to attend EVMS. Thank you.

My recommendation: Think of your med masters app essay as a secondary med school app essay. Focus on why you will succeed in an SMP, in general, and why EVMS appeals to you, specifically. Nobody is confused about why you're applying to SMPs: you don't have to spend time explaining your academic indiscretions (unless you have an obviously solid or interesting explanation). Explain why you're going to do well in the first year of med school (which is the med masters curriculum) despite your undergrad GPA. Did you have an upward trend? Have you gotten some A's recently? How have you demonstrated solid study skills?

You should submit a copy of your AMCAS app (if you haven't submitted an AMCAS yet, fill one out anyway, just so you have it for your SMP apps).

Your AMCAS app should show EVMS that you're competitive for med school with the sole exception of your cumulative undergrad GPA. Your AMCAS essay is your marketing push for why you should get to go to med school. Your med masters 500 word essay should show that you're friendly, that you've addressed study skills and focus, and that you're ready to succeed in a heavy load of hard science. Then explain why EVMS appeals to you as an SMP option and as a medical school environment. Hint: you should know what's different between EVMS and Georgetown, for instance, and you should state a non-trivial, informed opinion about why EVMS is where you want to be.

As for expanding on your activities, that's fine if there's a point to it. What isn't covered in your AMCAS activities section or in your AMCAS essay that still needs to be said? Are you involved in activities that fit particularly well at EVMS? Do you have a killer EC that justifies being highlighted in multiple places? If not, what's your point in re-emphasizing or expanding on activities? Point being: have a point.

Best of luck to you.

 

[nayahrichard]

Thank you. Makes sense.

 

[TChapmanwvu1]

Anyone applying to the Commonwealth Medical College MS program, in Pennsylvania. This is a degree offering program. The whole school is rather new and the MS program even more so. It seems that UC, EVMS and GTown are the places to be but are more competitive. I'm in the process of applying. My SGPA is a 3.0 but over the past two years has been straight A's even with classes like Biochem, Advanced Molecular Cell Biology etc. Its the general chem that is keeping me out of Med School right now but that was 3 years ago so Im fairly confident I can get into a post bac somewhere.

 

[oyvey1989]

I just received an acceptance to this! They had a very quick turnaround time of less than two weeks. I'll be putting down my deposit very very soon 🙂 IDK what this "tell why EVMS is for you" business is all about.. there are about a dozen programs like this one and most people just want to go to medical school afterwards. Why perpetuate unnecessary formalities? 🙄 I wrote a sentence about the program and it was not EVMS specific.

 

[superdoctorman]

Was I rejected? I was notified I was being reviewed over 2 months ago and haven't heard anything since. If you are wait listed would they notify you?

 

[positron2296]

Hey, everyone! All of my transcripts and recommendations have finally been sent to EVMS, so I have just been marked complete today. While I was browsing this thread, I saw somewhere that in March/April, they are only really reviewing for waitlist spots. Does anyone know if there is any truth to this claim? I would really love to attend this program.

 

[DrMidlife]

Was I rejected? I was notified I was being reviewed over 2 months ago and haven't heard anything since. If you are wait listed would they notify you?

2 months is plenty long to wait. Give Leah a call and see if she has any info.

Best of luck to you.

 

[DrMidlife]

Hey, everyone! All of my transcripts and recommendations have finally been sent to EVMS, so I have just been marked complete today. While I was browsing this thread, I saw somewhere that in March/April, they are only really reviewing for waitlist spots. Does anyone know if there is any truth to this claim? I would really love to attend this program.

A waitlist spot in March/April is a much better thing with the med masters than an MD waitlist spot would be. Come May 15, people holding multiple MD acceptances have to give up all but one, so there's a big ripple across MD and SMP waitlists as folks start trading up. There's a LOT of flux in the incoming class after May.

It's fairly common for people to get a med masters spot as late as August.

Or maybe you'll just get accepted now. 🙂

Best of luck to you.

 

[positron2296]

Thanks for the reassuring words/info, DrMidlife. I appreciate it!

 

[bjjmd]

Latest addition to the applicant list here. I am a native to VB if anyone has any questions. I applied early to the program but was just sent for review yesterday because I waited for the January MCAT. Didn't do was well as I did on practice tests but met the minimum for Med Masters. I plan to take it again in another 90 days and apply with the June MD cycle for fall 2013.

 

[futurchirurgien]

So, I'm contemplating whether or not to apply to EVMS. I like the program and would likely be able to get my app in my April 1st. However, I won't be taking my MCAT until May 12, which means they would receive my scores until June and my application will be complete in June. Should I forget about applying here, especially with a small acceptance class of about 20 and focus my attention on the other SMPs I'm applying to?

 

[DrMidlife]

So, I'm contemplating whether or not to apply to EVMS. I like the program and would likely be able to get my app in my April 1st. However, I won't be taking my MCAT until May 12, which means they would receive my scores until June and my application will be complete in June. Should I forget about applying here, especially with a small acceptance class of about 20 and focus my attention on the other SMPs I'm applying to?

There are 28 students in EVMS med masters now. (This increase corresponds with the increased med student class size, something like 130 to 150, for the 2011-2012 year.) The last several classes had 23 students.

Without an MCAT score, there's no point in applying to the EVMS med masters. When EVMS accepts a med masters student, they're all but certifying you as an acceptable med student. That's not a decision that EVMS can make without an MCAT score. Gtown & Cincinnati are the same in that regard.

I think you can get into Tufts, Boston, Drexel and a few others without an MCAT.

Don't hurry your MCAT, regardless. Plan on taking it once with your best possible prep effort.

Best of luck to you.

 

[futurchirurgien]

Thanks for the info. Well with Georgetown, they have an application deadline, but will allow you take send in additional info after (like MCAT scores, LORs, etc.) I just wondered if EVMS was the same way.

 

[oyvey1989]

A question for people who are in this program or have finished it:

To which medical schools did you apply the summer before the program? From reading this thread, I can tell most out-of-staters apply to their state schools in hopes of getting a better tuition deal, and I think I will follow that route as well. Don't get me wrong, if I were to start this program this fall (very likely happening), I would love to just get into EVMS given my lackluster science grades in college, but we are talking thousands of dollars, so I think that's only understandable. Besides state schools and EVMS, where else do people apply? Do people have an application season with EVMS+state schools only (~5 schools)? That sounds tricky. At the same time, this thread is a testament to the fact that EVMS med masters program does not polish people for other, more competitive programs, and that's fine with me as well. I just feel uneasy applying to so few. Are there medical schools that look more favorably on students who go through SMP programs?

I am also curious to hear from others who have been accepted to med masters for Fall 2012. Will you apply to a broad range of schools this coming application season?

 

[DrMidlife]

To which medical schools did you apply the summer before the program?

My home state only has one public school. I also applied to schools that host SMPs. But my stats weren't going to get me in anywhere other than EVMS, unless I waited to apply after finishing the med masters...which would have meant giving up an EVMS acceptance.

From reading this thread, I can tell most out-of-staters apply to their state schools in hopes of getting a better tuition deal, and I think I will follow that route as well. Don't get me wrong, if I were to start this program this fall (very likely happening), I would love to just get into EVMS given my lackluster science grades in college, but we are talking thousands of dollars, so I think that's only understandable.

Not thousands. More like $100k. EVMS OOS COA (out of state cost of attendance) for 4 years is almost $320k. In state public school COA averages around $200k.

Nobody at EVMS is going to begrudge you an acceptance to another school. Not the students, not the faculty, not the staff. You don't have a responsibility to EVMS after the med masters. At the start of the med masters, there's a ton of attention on what to expect for getting EVMS letters and transcripts to send to your other schools, to help you get accepted elsewhere if that's you want.

Staying at EVMS for med school has non-financial advantages. The returning med masters have significant advantages over fresh M1's.

Do people have an application season with EVMS+state schools only (~5 schools)?

Yes. Or fewer.

That sounds tricky.

Compared to what?

At the same time, this thread is a testament to the fact that EVMS med masters program does not polish people for other, more competitive programs, and that's fine with me as well.

I think you're over analyzing. EVMS sells an opportunity. It's up to you to turn that opportunity into an acceptance.

I just feel uneasy applying to so few.

The bet you're making when you apply to EVMS med masters is that you're going to do well and get into EVMS. Getting into another school is frosting on that cake. It's not the same situation as a vanilla MD app where you're supposed to apply to 25 schools.

Only apply to schools where you have a chance in hell.

Are there medical schools that look more favorably on students who go through SMP programs?

SMPs have been around for decades - even Mayo & WUSTL know what they are.

SMPs are not standardized, so you can't assume that if Mayo takes a Gtown SMP grad that then Mayo loves grads of all SMPs. That Gtown admit just helps Gtown.

Ideally your home state schools have accepted one or more EVMS med masters grads, so that the skids are greased. Regardless, just be aggressive (and polite!) about getting EVMS letters out to your other schools. You get one EVMS letter at the beginning of the med masters, which explains the program to your other schools, and then you get one letter after first semester grades are out. I suggest adding your own update letter at the first of the year, to precede the EVMS assets.

Best of luck to you.

 

[bjjmd]

Thank you for accepting a seat in the Medical Master's, M.S. (Post-Baccalaureate Program) Program at Eastern Virginia Medical School.

Accepted today. Thank you for all of you that contribute to this board.
Feel free to PM me with questions.
DM

 

[positron2296]

I was accepted today as well and will definitely be attending! I was so excited to get the e-mail, as I was only marked complete a week ago. 🙂

 

[oyvey1989]

Thanks for the thorough reply.

 

[soybean28]

I was wondering if anyone knew the exact/ approximate start AND end dates of the program. When would the start date be for medical school?

 

[DrMidlife]

I was wondering if anyone knew the exact/ approximate start AND end dates of the program. When would the start date be for medical school?

Start date is Monday Aug 13 for med masters and for M1s. Orientation is 2-3 days, then classes start.

End date for med masters is graduation on Saturday May 18. Attendance is mandatory.

http://www.evms.edu/images/stories/academic-calendar-2012-2013.pdf

 

[soybean28]

Thanks!! I was wondering what most med masters students do during the summer before M1?

 

[DrMidlife]

Thanks!! I was wondering what most med masters students do during the summer before M1?

Flee home, work at jobs, get married, stay in Norfolk, play video games, travel, act smug about the upcoming M1 year because most of it's a known now, worry about new things, etc. For a few, there's extended wringing of hands waiting for an acceptance into June-July-and-occasionally-gulp-August.

If you're anticipating wanting to do a competitive specialty, and you want to gun it out, you can use your med masters year to get yourself into research & stuff. You don't really have time during med school (except the M1-M2 summer break) to do research, so one advantage for med masters is extra M1 time for research. The more classes you honor in the med masters, the more free time you have in M1.

Best of luck to you.

 

[DrFLAGATORS]

Thanks!! I was wondering what most med masters students do during the summer before M1?

Hey I'm a current med masters and I completely agree with Dr. Midlife.

During the year you want to do as well as possible in your classes, come Spring time you can think about Summer plans. If you're looking for a competitive residency, research over the summer at EVMS will be beneficial. There are many opportunities. Additionally, you can start in the summer and, if you honored classes as a Med Masters, continue in the fall as an M1. You really have a great opportunity to build your CV.

 

[medschoolpleez]

Has anyone else decided to defintely go to this program in the fall? I applied to UCinci as well, but I'm pretty sure I'm still gonna go to EVMS even if I get in there

 

[kmc3830]

I will definitely be attending! I also applied to UCinci and am on the waitlist there, but still think I'll likely go to EVMS. When do most people start looking for housing?

 

[DrMidlife]

I will definitely be attending! I also applied to UCinci and am on the waitlist there, but still think I'll likely go to EVMS. When do most people start looking for housing?

Congrats!

Search this thread for "craigslist" and/or "ghent" for housing discussions. Several of us did detailed writeups over the last couple years.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Aliko]

Hey DrMidlife,
First of all, thanks for all the info, they were extremely helpful. But I have a couple of more questions for you. I do currently hold a spot in the med masters program at evms, what else can I do during the program to have the absolute best chance to get into the evms medical school the following year? I also read that you are guaranteed an interview if you go to medical masters and that you are automatically put on a waitlist after. So basically if no spot opens up while you are on the waitlist due to whatever reason (too many other applicants for example), then no matter how great you do in the program, you still wont get in. Is that the case or do they have a separate waitlist for the med masters students? (in which case they will be holding a spot for you to see if you do well in the progam)
Thank you very much and sorry if I asked too many questions.

 

[DrMidlife]

I do currently hold a spot in the med masters program at evms, what else can I do during the program to have the absolute best chance to get into the evms medical school the following year?

Make it easy for them to admit you. Act like a doctor. Get good grades. Don't get anything lower than a B. Make yourself known to faculty. Participate in community service (required at EVMS).

I also read that you are guaranteed an interview if you go to medical masters and that you are automatically put on a waitlist after.

Interview is guaranteed. Waitlist is not guaranteed. If you haven't performed well enough in the med masters, you get nothing.

Now let me be clear: med masters are the most pathologically neurotic people on the planet, and if somebody says "badness can happen" you'll be convinced that this badness is aimed at your head. You have to invite that badness by performing badly, or the badness doesn't apply to you. How to avoid badness: perform well. Very, very simple.

So basically if no spot opens up while you are on the waitlist due to whatever reason (too many other applicants for example), then no matter how great you do in the program, you still wont get in.

To my knowledge, this has never happened to med masters who did well in the program. The EVMS MD waitlist moves a lot, because EVMS isn't a big name prestigious school. As accepted students get other acceptances, they give up EVMS acceptances. In particular, after May 15, when you're only allowed to hold a single MD acceptance, the waitlist moves like a flood.

But be aware that the waitlist is ranked. You need to be high on the waitlist, by doing well in the med masters. If you get a C in biochem (graveyard of champions) but somehow you get waitlisted anyway (because you're otherwise impressive), you would land low on the waitlist...and maybe not get off it. In that case, you can regroup and reapply, and EVMS will be very happy to see your improved app. (Or you can decide to be pissed off and throw your expensive EVMS asset in the toilet and go elsewhere.)

...do they have a separate waitlist for the med masters students? (in which case they will be holding a spot for you to see if you do well in the progam)

There's no separate waitlist for med masters. EVMS has used ratios very heavily, to maintain 50:50 women:men, and to have a specific percentage of out-of-staters based on how much money Virginia does or doesn't pony up to subsidize instaters. So there are basically 4 waitlists: female instate, female OOS, male instate, male OOS.

Last year, med masters who did well started getting waitlisted in March/April. During finals in May, med masters started getting accepted, which is a HUGE MASSIVE DISRUPTION (hello, finals?). By graduation, about 3/4 of the class was in.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Aliko]

Thank you so much, I'm waitlisted at the medical school as well, hopefully I'll just get in, if not I'll def be attending the medical masters. I liked the school alot, and I'm 28 so I can't wait any longer lol.

 

[DrMidlife]

I'm 28 so I can't wait any longer lol.

Yeah you can lol.

 

[soybean28]

Hey Dr. Midlife,

I have noticed that a number of the courses are similar to those required for medical school. How do these courses compare to those taken as an undergraduate? You mention that biochemistry is the "graveyard of champions." Is this and the other classes (eg. physiology, cell bio) similar in difficulty and information as those taken as an undergraduate? I guess I am asking: if I have done well in those classes as an undergraduate, should I expect to do similarly?

 

[DrMidlife]

Hey Dr. Midlife,

I have noticed that a number of the courses are similar to those required for medical school. How do these courses compare to those taken as an undergraduate? You mention that biochemistry is the "graveyard of champions." Is this and the other classes (eg. physiology, cell bio) similar in difficulty and information as those taken as an undergraduate? I guess I am asking: if I have done well in those classes as an undergraduate, should I expect to do similarly?

In my experience, even the med masters who majored in biochem have to work really hard in biochem. The med masters who majored in neuroscience have to work really hard in neuro. My point: you still have to work really hard, if you've seen the material before.

Does it help to have seen the material before? Absolutely. Does it save you any time, or gain you any exam points? Maybe.

Let me try to bring up 3 things that are key differences vs. undergrad for me, and maybe other folks will chime in with their key differences.

#1: Exam questions in med school are supposed to be like board exams. Highly mistake-prone wordings, very similar answers. The setup might be a long paragraph, and then the question is very specific, and you have to not be distracted by all the other red flags in the paragraph. All five of the answers might look right, or they might all look wrong, or you're convinced one is obviously right so you miss an adjective that makes it wrong. Or you deprioritized that lecture and you have to guess. Even on exams I killed, it felt like psychological torture. On exams where I did poorly, I might get a whole page wrong (with 5-7 questions per page) in addition to odds and ends wrong.

#2: The volume of material within a course is a LOT. An hour of lecture might have 60 slides, and there might be 10 lectures for an exam, 50 to 100 questions per exam, maybe 5 exams for the course, plus a final. Also small groups, sometimes labs, sometimes a writing assignment. If I get completely caught up on a Friday, I can get completely behind again by Wednesday.

#3: The overall volume is a LOT. In one week you might have 2 labs and 10 lectures and a couple small groups and an exam, across 4 classes. You also have to make progress on your seminar presentation or your library thesis.

In undergrad science, the guideline was to study 2-3 hours outside lecture for every hour in lecture. I never, ever needed to study that much to do well on exams. But in med school, 2-3 hours outside for every hour in is about right. That much studying isn't studying, beyond a certain point. It's discipline and endurance and not having too much ADHD and not just completely losing your **** too often.

Another thing: there's no homework. In undergrad prereqs, when I had to turn in homework for a grade, I did great. Work a million problems for points? No problem, I'll be that solitary 100 on the histogram, thank you very much. Now there are no bite size evaluations on the way to an exam, just full evaluations of everything in one sitting. And again. And again.

Depressing? Hmm. Just keep in mind that almost everybody makes it to the other side, and EVMS is a a highly collegial environment. Former med masters, in particular, will look out for you and help you out.

Best of luck to you.

 

[DrMidlife]

For those expecting to start the med masters this August, I have a book suggestion.

Usually, there's no prep that's worth it. Studying ahead won't get you any exam points.

But one class you'll be taking is MMCB (medical molecular & cell bio), which has a heavy focus on cancer.

I recently finished Emperor of all Maladies, which is a history of cancer. I really wish I'd read this book before MMCB, because then the cancer section would have had some context, and I could have asked good questions of the researchers who do the lectures.

It's a big book, but a good read.

Best of luck to you.

 

[positron2296]

Hey, I have some questions for the med masters students since I will be starting in August. How do people usually study for the exams? Also, are the lectures recorded? Will there be lab reports to write? Other than the book recommended by DrMidLife, is there anything I should do the summer before to prepare for the program? I was thinking of just reviewing my notes from upper division bio classes, but any recommendations are welcome =)

 

[Hoya2011]

Hey, I have some questions for the med masters students since I will be starting in August. How do people usually study for the exams? Also, are the lectures recorded? Will there be lab reports to write? Other than the book recommended by DrMidLife, is there anything I should do the summer before to prepare for the program? I was thinking of just reviewing my notes from upper division bio classes, but any recommendations are welcome =)

Hey I'm a current MedMaster...With regards to exams, I think it depends on the class you are studying for whether you will use practice tests, lecture slides, or textbooks. The lectures are recorded (with audio/video/slide sync'ed). There will be no "lab reports," per se, but there are some post-histo lab discussion questions. I wouldn't worry too much about preparing beforehand, as you are re-taught nearly everything (although at a faster pace than undergrad). If anything, just make sure your AMCAS/secondaries are finished by August so they don't become a distraction/obligation later in the year. Good Luck!

 

[maxb229]

Any recommendations as far as housing is concerned? I'm OOS and not really familiar with the area.

 

[DrMidlife]

Any recommendations as far as housing is concerned? I'm OOS and not really familiar with the area.

Search this thread for "ghent". I did an exhaustive writeup last year.

 

[alsaire]

Hi Dr Midlife,

I know I'm applying super late, but in the past day or so I have pretty much completed my app for EVMS, although the supplemental materials (the letters of rec) won't be in until after the 1st of April.

I noticed earlier you said that people should submit their AMCAS app at the same time. How beneficial is that? I have not filled an AMCAS app out so I'm wondering how much *more* of a disadvantage that would put me in.

I'm probably going to re-apply to SMPs next year, but I was just curious.

Additionally, I have a couple of other questions which I have e-mailed the admissions office about, but they haven't responded.

1) My school uses a quarter system (UCLA), but the submission on the 2nd page for prereqs uses the semester system, and there's no way to input 3 quarters into 2 spaces for all of the prereqs. What do I do about this?

2) UCLA has a letter of rec service that they use to send to schools, but EVMS uses some sort of online direct-email-to-the-recommender type thing. Should I just tell UCLA to mail the letters to EVMS?

3) Lastly, do I even have a chance because of how late I am? Especially considering I may not get the letters of rec in before the deadline of April 1st? Or should I just stop now, before paying the fee? My stats are as such:

cGPA: 3.2
MCAT: 36R
lots of research/volunteer/shadowing experience
with one paper published in an engineering journal (although that was early 2009)

Thanks so much...I didn't really think seriously about post-bacs until now, and I never even tried to apply to med schools because of my low gpa. Now I'm worried I won't be able to make it for post-bac submissions either 🙁

 

[soybean28]

Hello,

I was wondering if I would need to bring my own laptop for personal use, or would the Dell be fine? Does anyone know what model type it is and when we would receive them?

 

[DrMidlife]

I know I'm applying super late, but in the past day or so I have pretty much completed my app for EVMS, although the supplemental materials (the letters of rec) won't be in until after the 1st of April.

Gotta do what you gotta do. I think the website says you can get on the waitlist if you have late items.

I noticed earlier you said that people should submit their AMCAS app at the same time. How beneficial is that? I have not filled an AMCAS app out so I'm wondering how much *more* of a disadvantage that would put me in.

Don't sweat it. A lot of SMP applicants have had unsuccessful MD app years, so they have their AMCAS PDF available. It's convenient for the EVMS admissions folks if it's available, but it's not a requirement.

1) My school uses a quarter system (UCLA), but the submission on the 2nd page for prereqs uses the semester system, and there's no way to input 3 quarters into 2 spaces for all of the prereqs. What do I do about this?

I had prereqs on the quarter system and I made it work. Unfortunately I don't remember what I did. Is it an online app now, with semesters forced? Just make it work so that they can see you have a year each with labs of bio/genchem/ochem/physics, and so they know what to go look at on your transcript.

2) UCLA has a letter of rec service that they use to send to schools, but EVMS uses some sort of online direct-email-to-the-recommender type thing. Should I just tell UCLA to mail the letters to EVMS?

Ignore the EVMS letter request form if you have other means to get letters submitted.

3) Lastly, do I even have a chance because of how late I am? Especially considering I may not get the letters of rec in before the deadline of April 1st? Or should I just stop now, before paying the fee? My stats are as such:

cGPA: 3.2
MCAT: 36R
lots of research/volunteer/shadowing experience
with one paper published in an engineering journal (although that was early 2009)

You can get on the waitlist, and that tends to move quickly, particularly for out-of-state.

Careful what you wish for though. You can't apply to any UCs while you're in the EVMS med masters program (because UCs require you to have finished an SMP before you try to use it as an app asset). But you should get an EVMS acceptance at the end of the med masters. So you'll be sitting on an EVMS acceptance with a cost of attendance of about $320,000, which you have to give up for a potential future UC acceptance with a cost of attendance of about $240,000. (Also, the EVMS med masters costs about $57,000, tack that on.) (Also: interest accrues on all of this during med school & residency.)

I recommend being very worried about this cost.

In your shoes, to get into a UC, I'd do at least another year of undergrad (at least full time, lots of science, straight A's) followed by either Gtown or Loyola, and I'd plan on finding a job for the gap year. Or I'd move to another state like Texas (lots of cheap public schools), work for a couple of years to establish residency, and then do at least another year of undergrad followed by an SMP. Your MCAT would expire, but then you'd have the opportunity to show your 36 isn't a fluke.

Best of luck to you.

 

[alsaire]

Thanks so much for the quick and detailed response, a couple of things though.

In your shoes, to get into a UC, I'd do at least another year of undergrad (at least full time, lots of science, straight A's) followed by either Gtown or Loyola, and I'd plan on finding a job for the gap year. Or I'd move to another state like Texas (lots of cheap public schools), work for a couple of years to establish residency, and then do at least another year of undergrad followed by an SMP. Your MCAT would expire, but then you'd have the opportunity to show your 36 isn't a fluke.

What exactly do you mean by doing another year of undergrad? I'm a graduating senior at the moment (Spring 2012 graduation date), so are you saying that you recommend I do UCLA extension for another full year and retake the classes I performed poorly in?

Also, I have been gifted with a rather generous financial situation from relatives which means that I would have a little over half of my med school costs covered, so I am planning to apply to mainly out-of-state schools anyway. Would that change my situation in any way? I'm applying to a bunch of other SMPs/post-bacs too which have later deadlines.

Essentially what I am asking now has turned into a more general question: should I continue to apply to my list of SMPs/post-bacs with the goal of getting into one of them? Or should I stop now and start preparing for that extra year of undergrad/extension (not sure if you're referring to the same thing)? I was hoping for minimal downtime, but it's seeming less and less likely.

What I hope might factor in (for an upswing in grades) is that I received a 3.7 in the fall, and I'm hoping to get something similar for the winter quarter (finals were just this past week).

For reference, these are the schools I'm planning to apply to, and the associated deadlines (I'm going to try to bang out all the apps within a week or two):

Boston University: rolling admissions until July 1, 2012
Georgetown University: May 15th, 2012
GeorgeSquared: June 15th, 2012
Cincinnati: June 1, 2012
EVMS (Virginia): April 1, 2012
Tufts Deadline: July 15, 2012
Temple University: May 15, 2012
Drexel IMS: applications accepted year-round
VCU: July 1, 2012
RFU: June 1, 2012
NYMC: July 1, 2012?
Toledo: May 1, 2012
UMDNJ Masters in Biomed Sciences: June 1, 2012
USC: June 15, 2012

--Non SMPs--
Loyola (Chicago): July 15, 2012 (May 15 soft deadline)
UPenn: July 15
UMich Physiology: April 30, 2012
Case Western Masters in Med Phys.******: June 1, 2012
Mt. Sinai: June 1, 2012
Lincoln Memorial: May 1, 2012
Columbia: June 15, 2012

EDIT: additional question, I apologize: I know this might be a rather dumb question, but I've been trying to research what the strengths are of each SMP program, but it seems rather difficult.

Are these strengths going to be the same as what the medical schools offer? (like...strong cardiovasc background or strong research programs)

Or would their strengths be something different...as I'm looking into more and more SMPs/post-bacs, I'm realizing that I can't apply to all of them and I want to choose which ones that I would like the most. (The main reason is obviously to boost my chances for med school, but the secondary reason is the one I'm drawing a blank at). I can't point-blank tell an admissions officer that I want to use them as a stepping stone, but sometimes the only thing differentiating schools for me is something like their location, or the environment (whether the faculty is helpful or not, etc.), and I'm not sure whether or not those are valid enough reasons.

 

[DrMidlife]

...

More undergrad would be required, imho, to get into a UC. Yhe EVMS med masters who are now at UCs had 3.4+ to begin with.

If you don't care about getting into a UC, then more undergrad is overkill.

If you don't have to care about cost of attendance, then it doesn't matter what OOS COA is.

Understand that choosing a good SMP means being a smart consumer. Your list is terrific for program deadlines, but you haven't done your homework yet. Such as, what is different about Drexel and Georgetown...they have the same number of SMP students, why does one have a better reputation? What key factor are you missing for Temple? What is unique, in your list, about LMU? What activity are you supposed to be interested in for Mt. Sinai? Would you be the first Californian ever to get into any of these programs? (I'm not sure the last one has an answer. The rest do.)

Best of luck to you.