I'm just curious if anyone on the forum applied to Harvard. They don't screen primary AMCAS apps do they?
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Harvard Medical School applicants
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No, they don't screen primary AMCAS apps and I received my secondary a month ago. I haven't filled the secondary and don't really intend to (why I even bother applying I don't even know since it costs $$).
No, they don't screen your AMCAS, but the secondary is really easy to complete if you are actually interested in them. I don't know, at this point, I think it is too early to rule anyone out. You just never know how you might come off to the AdCom people.
I
imtiaz
How much $$ is the secondary? Did they send it to you fast?
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Actually, you can just go to the Harvard Med website and download the PDF form of their secondary. Just fill it out and print it from your computer. Makes life a heck of a lot easier and it looks much nicer. Last year the secondary fee was $75. And you're lucky, this year you are able to save your work in progress--last year there was no capability of saving the pdf file with your info... you had to finish the secondary in one sitting or never shut off your computer... otherwise, you had retype the info again the next day.
http://www.hms.harvard.edu/admissions/application/
Carolyn:
Thank you so much for the information about Harvard's PDF secondary application, and for the link you provided to it. I don't recall the Harvard brochure ever mentioning that this option was available. They sent me a paper secondary, which I was about to sully and mangle with the antique typewriter at the local public library. Would have been very messy indeed.
Thanks again for taking the time to let us know.
Thank you so much for the information about Harvard's PDF secondary application, and for the link you provided to it. I don't recall the Harvard brochure ever mentioning that this option was available. They sent me a paper secondary, which I was about to sully and mangle with the antique typewriter at the local public library. Would have been very messy indeed.
Thanks again for taking the time to let us know.
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From MedSchool.com School profiles:
1999 they had 3,463 applicants for 165 seats
Average GPA = 3.8
Average MCAT: 10.8V, 12.0P, 11.9B
Tuition = 26K
1999 they had 3,463 applicants for 165 seats
Average GPA = 3.8
Average MCAT: 10.8V, 12.0P, 11.9B
Tuition = 26K
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Comments about Harvard Med (neither here nor there):
Point- Apparently, the first two years are rather easy and laid back...not the stress-fest as at other places. You have things such as free time. Opinion gleaned from students there.
Counterpoint- With high GPAs and MCATs probably you are ready to handle the work in any case. Or you have been schooled all your life in highly competetive institutions and are trained to always say "Oh, that's easy."
Point- Harvard produces lousy clinicians with poor social skills and bedside manners. Researchers that come out of there, on the other hand, are great. But you wouldn't want them at a cocktail party. This is an accepted 'truism' at the hospitals in Boston.
Counterpoint- All the medstudents I've met at Harvard seemed pretty sociable to me. Ugly, but sociable. Then again, social ******ation is rather rampant there in general, all around.
But, what it does draw, Harvard, is great residents. To a man, all the residents I've encountered, who were educated elsewhere but through superior scores and grades matched at Harvard hospitals, were great. Well balanced, very interesting and unusual, and quite caring folks.
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KWBum, I think your ideas are right on target. I've heard many people talk about thier reactions after interviewing there, and none were good. Most of them felt that the environment was cold, unfeeling, and VERY research oriented. There was also a huge concensus that Harvard does not prepare students for the boards, that they leave it entirely to the student to learn much of the pertinent information. They instead focus on more advanced and current topics that are useless for the boards. This is just what I've heard, I'm sure they produce feeling clinicians every day, even if they are "ugly"
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Don't fall in love with Harvard until you go visit. Their curriculum is very unusual and definitely isn't for everyone. I was accepted to the New Pathway, but declined for a MSTP slot at another school. My impression of Harvard was that the faculty expects you to teach yourself medicine and isn't very helpful in actually giving guidance to students. Since boards provide some measure of how well a school prepares its students, I found it troubling that Harvard's average board scores were rather low.
Choose a school because it will provide the best training, not because of its name. A famous name is not necessarily a great comfort if you're miserable for four years.
[This message has been edited by MSTP I (edited 08-30-2000).]
Hint-don't kid yourselves...unless you have an exceptional resume and perfect scores, don't bother applying to Harvard Medical school.
Thought du jour- I think it rather shallow the need and urge to get into Harvard when there are other perfectly good schools to go to.
Reality- premeds still strive to get into an institution with a reputable name not necessarily with a good learning environment. That itself speaks volumes about the underlying intentions some premeds have for getting into medicine.
Thought du jour- I think it rather shallow the need and urge to get into Harvard when there are other perfectly good schools to go to.
Reality- premeds still strive to get into an institution with a reputable name not necessarily with a good learning environment. That itself speaks volumes about the underlying intentions some premeds have for getting into medicine.
Sorry, but I think you are taking a rather narrow viewpoint. I personally know several people accepted at Harvard Med with somewhat below average numbers (MCAT ~ 28-30, GPA ~ 3.4-3.6), who DID NOT come from disadvantaged backgrounds, ARE NOT underrepresented minorities, and DID NOT have an amazing volunteer or research background. They managed to stand out through their essays, their interviews, or other extracurriculars. Ave. scores are a guide, not an absolute rule. That being said, if you are applying to a school with scores well below their ave. numbers, don't delude yourself and be realistic about your chances. Also keep in mind that a lot of the admissions process is about fitting into a certain niche, and each school is different about what exactly they are looking for. Numbers are not the only part of this equation.
As far as the reputation of a school is concerned, it does play a part in residency match, but only a small part. Your actual performance in med school is far more important. In conversations with numerous doctors, admissions counselors, etc., I've always heard that it looks much better to be top of your class at a "second-tier or third-tier" school, than middle of your class at say, Harvard. Just something to keep in mind, but I'm sure there are lots of people out there who will disagree with this.
As far as the reputation of a school is concerned, it does play a part in residency match, but only a small part. Your actual performance in med school is far more important. In conversations with numerous doctors, admissions counselors, etc., I've always heard that it looks much better to be top of your class at a "second-tier or third-tier" school, than middle of your class at say, Harvard. Just something to keep in mind, but I'm sure there are lots of people out there who will disagree with this.
