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Has any GEMS alumni commented on this thread? I would love to hear about their experience.
GEMS Georgetown 2009-2010
- Thread starter MeDMERgency
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Good morning prospective GEMS 2009-2010:
I have been a long time poster on Student doc. I am current GEMS, who has a few words of wisdom, since i know EXACTLY how you are feeling. The long awaited phone call for the interview has you checking your phone every 5 seconds..haha yes i was there. I remember the elation that i felt when i was contacted about an interview date. That is where most of you are today. Congratulations on getting interviews, first of all. That is the first major step, now onto interview day.... I have gotten a few questions from some of you about the best way to prepare/ what to do etc....
First off...you will/ may have gotten this info already but the day breakdown is as follows...
8-10ish---meet and greet
10-12 --either you are taking the LASSI (assesses your study skills, no RIGHT answers) or another science skills exam (there is no way to prepare for this so, it would be a waste of time to try and study for it)
**NOTE- some of you may interviews around this time because the interviews are staggered since an interviewer may interview more than 1 person.. Also be flexible because some of you may have an interview after lunch.
12-1- Lunch, provided for you, with current GEMS 2008-2009 (yay!), past GEMS and some of the people on the admissions team
1-3-either you will be in a financial aid workshop or an interview (2 interviews for each applicant)
3-4 --you all will be placed in a mock facilitated session --basically this is HOW GEMS students spend about 75% of the time outside of lecture, so LOVE ON IT
4-6 ish...more group activities... if i remember correctly.
**HINTS--
1. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE and PLEASE....be yourself..it is so cliche to say it, but people can tell if you are putting on aires, or can pick out inconsistencies in your behavior
2. Be able to clearly elucidate HOW you are disadvantaged and how this affected you in life.
3. BE able to clearly elucidate your MOTIVATIONS for medicine and helping the underserved.
4.It may sound counterintuitive but have FUN, seriously, if you can mesh well and relate with people it can be helpful
5. Let your stengths shine through, without seeming like a bully, (there is no I in TEAM)
6.the most important factor for anything in life (does this sound like your parents?..haha..) INTEGRITY..let this show through in everything that you do
7. since seven is my lucky number i will stop with this one, i will end on this one, and re-iterate-- BE YOURSELF.
I can't wait to meet you guys. Hang in there, stay strong...with faith in God all things are possible. If you have any more questions or just need some words of encouragement PM anytime.
peace
I have been a long time poster on Student doc. I am current GEMS, who has a few words of wisdom, since i know EXACTLY how you are feeling. The long awaited phone call for the interview has you checking your phone every 5 seconds..haha yes i was there. I remember the elation that i felt when i was contacted about an interview date. That is where most of you are today. Congratulations on getting interviews, first of all. That is the first major step, now onto interview day.... I have gotten a few questions from some of you about the best way to prepare/ what to do etc....
First off...you will/ may have gotten this info already but the day breakdown is as follows...
8-10ish---meet and greet
10-12 --either you are taking the LASSI (assesses your study skills, no RIGHT answers) or another science skills exam (there is no way to prepare for this so, it would be a waste of time to try and study for it)
**NOTE- some of you may interviews around this time because the interviews are staggered since an interviewer may interview more than 1 person.. Also be flexible because some of you may have an interview after lunch.
12-1- Lunch, provided for you, with current GEMS 2008-2009 (yay!), past GEMS and some of the people on the admissions team
1-3-either you will be in a financial aid workshop or an interview (2 interviews for each applicant)
3-4 --you all will be placed in a mock facilitated session --basically this is HOW GEMS students spend about 75% of the time outside of lecture, so LOVE ON IT
4-6 ish...more group activities... if i remember correctly.
**HINTS--
1. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE and PLEASE....be yourself..it is so cliche to say it, but people can tell if you are putting on aires, or can pick out inconsistencies in your behavior
2. Be able to clearly elucidate HOW you are disadvantaged and how this affected you in life.
3. BE able to clearly elucidate your MOTIVATIONS for medicine and helping the underserved.
4.It may sound counterintuitive but have FUN, seriously, if you can mesh well and relate with people it can be helpful
5. Let your stengths shine through, without seeming like a bully, (there is no I in TEAM)
6.the most important factor for anything in life (does this sound like your parents?..haha..) INTEGRITY..let this show through in everything that you do
7. since seven is my lucky number i will stop with this one, i will end on this one, and re-iterate-- BE YOURSELF.
I can't wait to meet you guys. Hang in there, stay strong...with faith in God all things are possible. If you have any more questions or just need some words of encouragement PM anytime.
peace
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Amen. Can't wait. Thanks Migs.
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Thanks! Very helpful advice!
Thank you very much migs22 for the information and thank you very much for taking the time to help us. See you at the interview!
🙂
🙂
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Lol, yeah, I can't get enough of it. I thought to myself that if I were a hip-hop artist, then Flownominal would be the perfect name, haha.
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I am soooo glad to have an idea of what is going to happen on that day!! I am also glad that there was no mention of an essay!! I greatly anticipate meeting current GEMS students and I am excited to meet other prospective GEMS students
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Do they know who they give the study skills test to and who they give the science test to, or does each interviewee have to take both tests? Also, what kind of questions do the interviewers ask?
If accepted, I will probably quit two weeks before classes start.
So there is no essay?
I think we will all take both tests.
Just going off of migs22's post, I am expecting them to just ask about our background and motivation??
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migs22 says that there is no real way to prepare for the science tests, so does that mean it might be basic stuff or what? I'm still afraid of that test...
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It's gonna be hard to tell my employer that I will be leaving cause these guys have been so good to me. YEah, 4 weeks in advance seems like a nice period to hand in your resig.
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I'm probably going to quit too... I think my employers will understand. I'm just really praying that I do well in this interview.
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Nothing here either.
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hey guys i just recieved the letter from GEMS.. it includes a congrats letter, a agenda for the interview day (seems very tentative)and some discounts rates for hotels The best deal seems to be at the G-town Conference Center and guest House. Its 164 +tax for a single or double,rate code: school of med applicant..and its right on campus!!!
the #number is 8883242111
i thought i'd give the heads up for anyone who wants to call
the other deal is at Holiday Inn-Rosslyn key. use code :ILCORGUH
its 139+ tax but in Arlington,VA
See you guys on the 20th ...good luck
the #number is 8883242111
i thought i'd give the heads up for anyone who wants to call
the other deal is at Holiday Inn-Rosslyn key. use code :ILCORGUH
its 139+ tax but in Arlington,VA
See you guys on the 20th ...good luck
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i'm sad to say that it's very likely that all calls have been made. but i'm wondering whether or not they have like a backup list of people to call in the event that others declined to interview due to an acceptance at another school.
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Yeah, I'm not feeling those prices either. Back to the search engines, or not sleeping at all when I get there...
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is this correct so far?
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It looks pretty accurate to me.
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Hey GEMS applicants:
The 2 tests, EVERYONE takes are 1. the LASSI (which assesses your study habits and skills) and 2. a basic science exam (to assess where you are in your training/ strength). Again there is no way to study for it, because you have had all of the classes and knowledge in your head at this point 😉. I stayed at the hotel right on campus which was great, because they give you a discount and plus you are literally about 100 yards away from where you will spend the whole interview day. Nice to know you can't get lost on the way there!
Also, if you are driving, the parking situation is absolutely atrocious in DC, so beware of tickets/ towing etc...The rent-a-cops are very tenacious here...
Peace and God bless,
~migs22
The 2 tests, EVERYONE takes are 1. the LASSI (which assesses your study habits and skills) and 2. a basic science exam (to assess where you are in your training/ strength). Again there is no way to study for it, because you have had all of the classes and knowledge in your head at this point 😉. I stayed at the hotel right on campus which was great, because they give you a discount and plus you are literally about 100 yards away from where you will spend the whole interview day. Nice to know you can't get lost on the way there!
Also, if you are driving, the parking situation is absolutely atrocious in DC, so beware of tickets/ towing etc...The rent-a-cops are very tenacious here...
Peace and God bless,
~migs22
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Well, we haven't heard much from eefdaman yet, lol.
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About the science test, how in depth is it? What kind of stuff does it cover. I ask because I feel sometimes like I forget everything sometimes. Does the committee base your acceptance strictly on these tests? Do they reject you if you didn't do well on the tests?
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Flow, I feel like that exactly. I took chem and physics years ago and haven't touched it since. I really feel like I need to refresh before heading to the interview. Would you recommend that migs22?
FACT. The calls for interviews have NOT all gone out.
The spirit of GEMS is to be helpful/positive to one another. You may want to think about how you'd feel if you were one of the ones who hadn't received a call yet.
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which is why i mentioned the words SAD and VERY LIKELY to express sympathy and uncertainty. i only considered the idea that the first round of interviews are about a week away. and we all know how it feels to wait around for a call, that's why we're here. but thanks for enlightening me. how do you know that for a fact though??
Getting a call next week for a May 4th interview is completely reasonable which is why interviews have NOT all gone out yet. It's especially reasonable if the applicant lives near DC.
Public internet forums can be read by anyone and info seen here can be passed on to anyone. Keep that in mind.
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many of us thought that maybe they would offer the earlier interviews for people closer to the school. so it stands to reason that people on the west coast should receive calls early on so that adequate time is given to make travel arrangements. truthfully, i hadn't considered how that would make someone feel, but at the same time, i reiterate that i was in no way trying to be insensitive to the anxiety many are experiencing right now as they await their phone call.
DrKMD: Although I do not know if all the interview invitations have gone out yet, I am still praying for everyone who have not yet heard. For what is worth, I personally think they are still reviewing applications (although this is really just my opinion).
Have faith and hang in there. Unless GEMS Program begins to notify all of us of our status as applicants, keep positive and don't lose hope. Here are many Lucky Charms for you and everyone who is still waiting.
ragstoMD: In reference to your question about what you should do for the next year, well my opinion is to do what you enjoy. I have spoke with many academic counselors both at my undergraduate and graduate institution and each have advise me to do something that I enjoy. For me, I volunteered, researched, and worked (helped support my family and pay for expenses when I can).
If you are into researhing, I advise you to see if the Professor will allow you to work in his lab for a week or two to see if you enjoy the work. I was fortunate enough and that really worked out for me.
Finally, I just want to say that what I found to be helpful may or may not be helpful for you. I would really suggest that you speak with your univeristy and see what they think is the best approach and research about what you can do for your community. Feel free to ask me for more details if you need it. 🙂
To Everyone: I started looking at airfairs and hotels as soon as I found out I was extended an invitation for the interview. When I realized that the prices were increasing in increments of $50 -$100 dollars per day, I booked right away. I hope I was able to help some of you by posting about my find in the earlier post (a few days ago). Let me know if you guys want to know where I searched. As said before, I was probably able to get a good deal because I am coming from the West Coast and I booked my hotel and flights together. I also called the hotels to get an idea of where each location was geographically located with respect to Georgetown University Medical School.
As with everyone, I am also just as nervous about the interview and the tests that will be administered. For what is worth, I wish everyone success and luck! Perhaps, those of us who are arriving at Georgetown a day early can all get together and get to know each other. Who knows, it may become a life long friendship. 🙂
The fact is we are all from a background where we know what it means to have to struggle and work hard to get to where we are today. All of us knew our path was not a guarantee and yet we embarked on this long journey with just hope and faith. Considering how far we have come, we can all help each other out and provide support for each other during this application process. What do you guys think? I really think this can benefit everyone!
Spoken like a true GEM, pun intended. 👍DrKMD: Although I do not know if all the interview invitations have gone out yet, I am still praying for everyone who have not yet heard. For what is worth, I personally think they are still reviewing applications (although this is really just my opinion).
Have faith and hang in there. Unless GEMS Program begins to notify all of us of our status as applicants, keep positive and don't lose hope. Here are many Lucky Charms for you and everyone who is still waiting.
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I think that's an excellent idea! I would love to get to know everyone here. I actually do plan to get here a day early, as soon as I can find a hotel that I can afford.
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people, there is no need for any bickering or arguing or debating, or whatever you wana call it. tachy, although you tried to be insightful, it was not very encouraging...but md2b2014 you were wrong for publically trying to embarrass tachy. that's something you two couldve easily settled through private messaging. if you are truly out to preserve the integrity of what GEMS is all about then take care of it in a manner that shows us that you believe that. your sarcasm (both of you) is not what we need at this point in time. we are a group of terrfied applicants/interviewees and the last thing i want to see is a peaceful getaway from the stress turned into a "pissing contest". so please be an example for future and current GEMS posters.
i have not yet received a call and although i anticipate one still, i am being rational as well. thanks for your support to all who have prayed for those of us still waiting and i hope that if/when you guys become GEMS that you will not forget to offer your advice in the event that we find ourselves reapplying next year.
good luck to all who are interviewing
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Anyone else interested? We can catch a cup of coffee or just relax and get to know each other. I know that there will probably be a lot of meet and greet at the GEMS Interview, but for those of us who are more nervous than others, getting in touch with our social side on the day before the actual interview may help us calm down more. 🙂
Being out of town and far away from our natural surrounding can be more stressful as well.
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But where would we meet?
Flownominal: Well, I am hoping more people will be interested and respond. So in summary, I am just trying to see if anyone is interested before working out the logistics. 🙂
FYI: After checking with Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center, they have said a cab cost around $50 dollars going from Dulles International (IAD) to Georgetown. I am arriving late at night and might actually need to take a cab. The last thing I need is to get ripped off by the cab driver (had a bad experience when I visited my sister in New York). I hope this will help everyone on arrival day. =)
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i heard that the Ronald Reagan airport (DCA) is extremely close to the university..cab fare should be a lot cheaper
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makes sense, but $50 for a cab ride? man, if I get there early enough, I would definitely give you a ride from the airport.
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Thanks for the offer. =)
Yeah, $50 dollars is a lot, but from my understanding, the shuttle service stops operating a quarter to 12am. Although I arrive hours before that, I am anticipating for flight delays. As a last resort, $50 cab expense might be what I am stuck with.
I went with Dulles (IAD) because it was cheapest by over $130 dollars. So in all, I am still up. 🙂
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Oh, ok, that makes sense. Usually if I have to travel far, I'd learn the public transit schedules and maps beforehand so that I would know exactly how to get somewhere when I arrive at the city or town. It's worked pretty well for me so far.
