Hell yeah! Didn't pass screen at VCU

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Like I said already; nix the last sentence and there would never have been an issue.

It reminds me alot of my Russian 101 professor after our first test. After he handed them out (I guess the scores were low) he told us "I want you to now go take a long walk around the lake behind the Administration Building and ask yourselves why you are here; not in this class, but at this university."

It's not about "sensitivity"...I hate sensitivity. I don't advocate losing teams getting trophies or grading in blue or purple ink instead of red. It's about professionalism and common courtesy.

coralfangs said:
at least say it nicely like, we've reviewed ur application and we do not think ur profile match our blahblahblah

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coralfangs said:
at least say it nicely like, we've reviewed ur application and we do not think ur profile match our blahblahblah

Isn't that implied enough by the fact that it's a rejection letter?
 
TCIrish03 said:
I love the wording: "The Committee does not send supplemental applications unless they are confident that the candidate will be competitive within our large applicant pool. Our committee does NOT offer reasons for this action but does suggest that a discussion with your pre-med advisor might be worthwhile."

Well, a few people thought it was worthwhile to interview me last year, jacka$$.

Hey OP, sorry for the rough rejection letter. I had one just as bad from one of my state schools AFTER I paid for the secondary and spent over a week writing 3 pages of essays. As you've been through this process already, you know how random it is with so many applicants per seat at all the schools. Today you got a crappy status update. Tomorrow you'll get interview invites. Hope it works out for you in the end. :luck:
 
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yahoo123 said:
There is a time to fight for your principles, I promise you now is not one of them.

This sounds familiar. Van Damme or Seagal movie? Maybe an old Kurt Russell?
 
juiceman311 said:
I'm not judging, but I don't see what's wrong with how the letter is worded. Maybe the OP here doesn't fit the profile for someone who needs to go speak to his/her advisor, but maybe most of the rejected do.

Exactly. Thank you.
 
haha Havarti, your dry sarcastic humor really cracks me up. It must be great to be so glib all the time. Now I wonder, did residency make you to be this sanctimonious or were you born this way?
 
yahoo123 said:
haha Havarti, your dry sarcastic humor really cracks me up. It must be great to be so glib all the time. Now I wonder, did residency make you to be this sanctimonious or were you born this way?

Born, although residency sure adds fuel to the fire, particularly beyond intern year. Don't worry, you'll see.
 
jackieMD2007 said:
There is nothing to support the idea that the OP is a dick in the slightest.

Didn't mean to imply he was, although I understand how you could infer that from my post. What I was attempting to point out was that scorned premeds have a strong tendency to bug the **** out of admission offices.

jackieMD2007 said:
And go get your kicks somewhere else, not at the expense of current applicants's rejections.

Hey, I got nothing against Irish, I was just giving him crap and I sincerely hope he's not sore. God forbid our online personas may not accurately reflect who we really are. That said, I still feel compelled to point out one tiny thing. Here is the correspondence with VCU that he found irritating:

"...a discussion with your pre-med advisor might be worthwhile."

...and here's something he wrote about his unfortunate lack of success during the last cycle (emphasis added):

TCIrish03 said:
"The reason I got so many rejections this year was because I took the August MCAT and didn't get my secondaries in until late November (pretty much every Doc, advisor, and admissions person I've talked to has said as much)."

Clearly I need to find other ways to combat insomnia. If only I could show up to work looking like Hell and smelling like a brewery.
 
Havarti666 said:
...and here's something he wrote about his unfortunate lack of success during the last cycle (emphasis added):



Clearly I need to find other ways to combat insomnia. If only I could show up to work looking like Hell and smelling like a brewery.


No, I'm not sore. But are you stalking me? I don't even remember what thread or when I wrote that response you cited (though I remember writing it in general). And other than that I said the word "advisor", what the hell does that unrelated post have to do with the issue at hand? Last year I applied late. This year I sent all my apps in early, including VCU. Trying to follow your logic, how would consulting my advisor about applying late last year (VCU wasn't one of my schools then) help me WRT VCU or my other applications this year that are pretty much done?
 
TCIrish03 said:
No, I'm not sore. But are you stalking me? I don't even remember what thread or when I wrote that response you cited (though I remember writing it in general). And other than that I said the word "advisor", what the hell does that unrelated post have to do with the issue at hand? Last year I applied late. This year I sent all my apps in early, including VCU. Trying to follow your logic, how would consulting my advisor about applying late last year (VCU wasn't one of my schools then) help me WRT VCU or my other applications this year that are pretty much done?

I'm just pointing out that seeing an advisor isn't a bad suggestion for many people. Since VCU barely knows you from Adam then perhaps they weren't being patronizing, condescending A-holes when they included it in their letter, particularly since it's a course of action that you had already taken during last cycle's disappointing turnout.
 
I'm not commenting on the back and forth about who is rude and so forth.

But my take on the letter is that there is really no nice way to just come and and say: "We don't want you to continue the application process at our school". Even saying it like that is still pretty harsh. Like was posted earlier, it is a blanket rejection letter sent to all the rejected candidates. So they really wern't be trying to make a negative personal statement or career advice directed at any individual by suggesting to meet with a pre-med advisor. But if I were to receive it, perhaps I would feel differently. I feel badly that another SDNer has recieved bad news nonetheless.
 
>>There is nothing to support the idea that the OP is a dick in the slightest.

JackieMD, maybe you didn't notice how TC was the first to go to the always classy questioning of the other person's penis size. He definately got my sympathy there. Nope, my first thought was, "what a d***", he needs to grow up.

As for the letter, it sounded just like my first rejection letter, and the second, and the rest. So I took some more challenging classes, worked my ass off, and applied early decision the next year to where I wanted to go. Don't get weepy over one lousy rejection letter, be a man.

You want sympathy, post some stats. If you have a good MCAT, GPA, ECs, etc I'll be first in line to say that VCU screwed up.
 
And you aparently didn't notice that I have since apologized.

Whatever, this thread needs to die. The point I tried to make the whole time keeps flying over your and Havarti's heads. I am not upset I got rejected...I believe VCU should word their rejection eltters differently so as not to say "you need to rethink what you're doing with your life, because you can't be a doctor." I'm not "weepy", and I havent sat on my a$$ last year after all my rejections. Good for you for doing likewise, but I wasn't trolling for internet sympathy.

Either the 2 of you are completely obtuse, or you are just so damn stubborn that you can't back away from an argument. Either way, I am done with this thread.

Church said:
>>There is nothing to support the idea that the OP is a dick in the slightest.

JackieMD, maybe you didn't notice how TC was the first to go to the always classy questioning of the other person's penis size. He definately got my sympathy there. Nope, my first thought was, "what a d***", he needs to grow up.

As for the letter, it sounded just like my first rejection letter, and the second, and the rest. So I took some more challenging classes, worked my ass off, and applied early decision the next year to where I wanted to go. Don't get weepy over one lousy rejection letter, be a man.

You want sympathy, post some stats. If you have a good MCAT, GPA, ECs, etc I'll be first in line to say that VCU screwed up.
 
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TC, if nothing else, know that the rest of your new applicant class is right there with you. :luck: We're the best, f-the rest! :hardy:
 
TCIrish03 said:
I believe VCU should word their rejection eltters differently so as not to say "you need to rethink what you're doing with your life, because you can't be a doctor."

I still can't discern how you have extracted this from the text of the letter they sent you. If the rest of your application process is going fine then f*ck their suggestion. If someone is having trouble getting secondaries then yes, perhaps it's time to have a sit down with an advisor, review the application, identify weaknesses and find ways to address them.

At least they didn't pull a BU, take your check and send you a thin white envelope without any secondary whatsoever.
 
Havarti666 said:
I still can't discern how you have extracted this from the text of the letter they sent you. If the rest of your application process is going fine then f*ck their suggestion. If someone is having trouble getting secondaries then yes, perhaps it's time to have a sit down with an advisor, review the application, identify weaknesses and find ways to address them.

At least they didn't pull a BU, take your check and send you a thin white envelope without any secondary whatsoever.

Didn't read this whole thread, so apologize if someone has made this point ... but ... Havarti666 is a physician??? With over a 1000 posts on an internet site for pre-meds and med students??? I guess it makes him feel good to read about so many people struggling to achieve what he has already achieved. Trying to compensate for some serious inadequacy issues??? Get a life, dude. Do something more productive with your time and talents.
 
In defense of VCU (and all other adcoms), the rejection letter is something that is very difficult to write without offending people. To give VCU credit, they said a discussion with an advisor "might" be worthwhile. Had they said a discussion "is definitely worthwhile," I could understand this situation a little bit better.

On a more general note, if you continue to take rejection letters this personally, you are going to drive yourself crazy. They are impersonal letters sent to everyone that does not meet a particular set of criteria. I found my first rejection letter to be very insulting in a sense that I felt I had spent the past 7 years or so building an application of which I could be proud. The school bringing up the possibility of meeting with an advisor is their way of saying that you need to search for ways in which you can improve your application, because they are not willing to go through that with each and every applicant. This is not the time to be hypersensitive to something that is, in essence, a mass mailing of some sort.

It sucks that you received that email and I acknowledge that SDN is a place where one can come and get support, but complaining about a rejection letter does not merit any substantive support on an anonymous forum. All you will get in return is something along the lines of, "Don't worry about it - you'll get plenty of interviews" and "So sorry to hear about that." If you know you've done everything within your power to improve upon your application, then don't worry about what one school says in their rejection letter. VCU sent that letter to everyone that received a rejection, and it is common sense that a standardized letter would include a recommendation to discuss your options with your advisor. My first year applying, I received a rejection letter from Creighton and a letter asking me to consider doing their post-bacc program. Apparently, this was standard procedure - I had already completed a post-bacc program elsewhere! The schools run so far behind during this time of year that they cannot possibly cater to the needs of every individual.
 
VPDcurt said:
In defense of VCU (and all other adcoms), the rejection letter is something that is very difficult to write without offending people. To give VCU credit, they said a discussion with an advisor "might" be worthwhile. Had they said a discussion "is definitely worthwhile," I could understand this situation a little bit better.

On a more general note, if you continue to take rejection letters this personally, you are going to drive yourself crazy. They are impersonal letters sent to everyone that does not meet a particular set of criteria. I found my first rejection letter to be very insulting in a sense that I felt I had spent the past 7 years or so building an application of which I could be proud. The school bringing up the possibility of meeting with an advisor is their way of saying that you need to search for ways in which you can improve your application, because they are not willing to go through that with each and every applicant. This is not the time to be hypersensitive to something that is, in essence, a mass mailing of some sort.

It sucks that you received that email and I acknowledge that SDN is a place where one can come and get support, but complaining about a rejection letter does not merit any substantive support on an anonymous forum. All you will get in return is something along the lines of, "Don't worry about it - you'll get plenty of interviews" and "So sorry to hear about that." If you know you've done everything within your power to improve upon your application, then don't worry about what one school says in their rejection letter. VCU sent that letter to everyone that received a rejection, and it is common sense that a standardized letter would include a recommendation to discuss your options with your advisor. My first year applying, I received a rejection letter from Creighton and a letter asking me to consider doing their post-bacc program. Apparently, this was standard procedure - I had already completed a post-bacc program elsewhere! The schools run so far behind during this time of year that they cannot possibly cater to the needs of every individual.

Interesting information. :thumbup:
 
Although I try to stay away from controversy on this board, I think it's time for me to state the obvious - OP (TC) - ignore Havarti - because for lack of a better word, (and yes, this is unprofessional of me, and maybe I"m even being a bit mean, but I am going to stick up for a fellow applicant, tc, who was just trying to vent and get some support) Havarti is a loser!!!

He talks of how he's now a second year resident, and he's wasting his time being critical of pre-meds responses to potentially harsh rejection letters? Seriously? And I know, now he'll come on here and tell us how he has a great girlfriend, and spends plenty of time going out when he can, etc, etc, etc..........I can tell you that during my residency, and spending 80 hrs/week in the hospital, and atleast 5-10 hrs/week on chores (cleaning, bill paying, etc...), and of course eating and sleeping, if I spend any time on a message board chastising current applicants, please, please, please, SLAP ME.

And by the way, I just got the chance to read the post before mine, and it seems like someone else (whichdoctor) agrees with me - get a life dude!!

If you have such strong opinions, and like forming strong opinions, go join your local city council, or your university's internal review board - but considering how much every resident i've ever met, including my sisters, complain about not having time to do stuff...this is what you spend your time on?
 
Whichdoctor said:
Didn't read

Clearly. Tell you what, after you've examined my posting history for the last three years do get back to me. In the meantime STFU.
 
The problem with the way VCU worded the rejection letter is that it can be interpreted a couple ways. I just read it as them saying, "meeting with an advisor might help you determine any weaknesses in your application," so I didn't think it was anything offensive. However, after reading how you read it, TC, I can understand why you posted. Good luck with everything...we're all hoping for the best for you this time around!
 
Havarti666 said:
Sure thing, buddy. It's okay, there's no need to be ashamed. We all expose our failures to anonymous strangers from time to time.

:thumbdown:

normally people who make comments are in need of some comforting themselves...pobre sito, quiere una baba con leche?
 
Havarti666 said:
Clearly. Tell you what, after you've examined my posting history for the last three years do get back to me. In the meantime STFU.

Examine your posting history for the last three years??? Please! Even I, a lowly med school hopeful, have better things to do with my time.

STFU??? My, a little sensitive to the truth, aren't we?
 
The rejection letters from VCU are always very straight forward to the point of being curt. This one is no different. You would feel worse if they lead you on for a long time only to reject you.

Irish and everyone else, your comments about the VCU adcom are way off. VCU probably has the nicest and most thoughtful committee of all the med schools on the east coast. If you got rejected, especially before the secondary you should take their advice and go talk to your advisor. Clearly there must be a major weakness in your app. Funny you stooped to the 'penis-size comment.' Ever hear of the curse of the Irish?

Havarti- seriously man, you are a pgy-2 what are you doing posting here. Make some friends and go hang out with them.
 
Erina said:
The problem with the way VCU worded the rejection letter is that it can be interpreted a couple ways.

That's not the problem...that's the point. In my opinion, a standardized letter that allows people to interpret it based on their own application is a well-written letter. If the OP believed that he/she need not speak with an advisor, then why is it such a big deal? This whole thread is the direct result of an overreaction to one line in a rejection letter. The letter innocently states that the applicant "might" want to speak with an advisor. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. According to the VCU adcom, this person does not meet one/some of the criteria for that school; therefore, they have every right to say what they feel might point the applicant in a direction that may eventually lead to admission at THAT school. This does not mean that there is a general and overwhelming problem with the application.
 
VPDcurt said:
That's not the problem...that's the point. In my opinion, a standardized letter that allows people to interpret it based on their own application is a well-written letter. If the OP believed that he/she need not speak with an advisor, then why is it such a big deal? This whole thread is the direct result of an overreaction to one line in a rejection letter. The letter innocently states that the applicant "might" want to speak with an advisor. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. According to the VCU adcom, this person does not meet one/some of the criteria for that school; therefore, they have every right to say what they feel might point the applicant in a direction that may eventually lead to admission at THAT school. This does not mean that there is a general and overwhelming problem with the application.
well i guess "problem" wasn't the right word to use. all i was saying is that i understand why the OP might have felt a little offended, even though i interpreted it differently. who knows exactly how VCU intended it, but it's too bad if the wording resulted in people interpreting the sentence the wrong way. i was just trying to make the OP feel better... :confused:
 
Instatewaiter said:
Havarti- seriously man, you are a pgy-2 what are you doing posting here. Make some friends and go hang out with them.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
 
wizeguy said:
Although I try to stay away from controversy on this board, I think it's time for me to state the obvious - OP (TC) - ignore Havarti - because for lack of a better word, (and yes, this is unprofessional of me, and maybe I"m even being a bit mean, but I am going to stick up for a fellow applicant, tc, who was just trying to vent and get some support) Havarti is a loser!!!

He talks of how he's now a second year resident, and he's wasting his time being critical of pre-meds responses to potentially harsh rejection letters? Seriously? And I know, now he'll come on here and tell us how he has a great girlfriend, and spends plenty of time going out when he can, etc, etc, etc..........I can tell you that during my residency, and spending 80 hrs/week in the hospital, and atleast 5-10 hrs/week on chores (cleaning, bill paying, etc...), and of course eating and sleeping, if I spend any time on a message board chastising current applicants, please, please, please, SLAP ME.

And by the way, I just got the chance to read the post before mine, and it seems like someone else (whichdoctor) agrees with me - get a life dude!!

If you have such strong opinions, and like forming strong opinions, go join your local city council, or your university's internal review board - but considering how much every resident i've ever met, including my sisters, complain about not having time to do stuff...this is what you spend your time on?

Yeah yeah yeah, and I'm sure you walked five miles to get to the hospital, through snow, up hill, both ways.

It's called a research rotation, and all I have to do for about 20 hours a day is tend my incubators, read papers and occasionally kill some time here. I'm not exactly carpet bombing the pre-allo forum, my friend. If y'all REALLY must know, I rarely come in here anymore since I'm getting rather long in the tooth and the discussions are mostly repetitive. This thread caught my eye, however, because I know most of the MCV admissions staff (even though I don't live there anymore) and they're the antithesis of jacka$$. I called TC a whiner, he said I have a small penis, I'm hoping for some makeup sex, no big deal.

Since you brought it up, I reckon being an attending isn't necessarily either, since you have time to ride in here and save all the poor, helpless little premeds from the Big Bad Resident, who is telling them all such awful, horrible things. Perhaps your ego should be thanking me.
 
Instatewaiter said:
Havarti- seriously man, you are a pgy-2 what are you doing posting here. Make some friends and go hang out with them.

I'd love to, Instate, but my Mandarin sucks and my Bengali isn't much better. Wednesdays are pint night, though, so hope does indeed spring eternal.
 
Whichdoctor said:
Examine your posting history for the last three years??? Please! Even I, a lowly med school hopeful, have better things to do with my time.

Yeah, that is a lot to ask. So, since you're content to pigeon hole me based on a single thread I'm going to do the same to you:

You make decisions based on cursory and emotionally tained examination of limited information. You will be a bad doctor. I will pray for your patients.
 
riceman04 said:
pobre sito, quiere una baba con leche?

translation: "poor site, do you want a dribble with milk?"

LMFAO. Eh, Riceman, you may wish to stick to commenting in languages you are fluent in :laugh:
 
Havarti666 said:
Yeah, that is a lot to ask. So, since you're content to pigeon hole me based on a single thread I'm going to do the same to you:

You make decisions based on cursory and emotionally tained examination of limited information. You will be a bad doctor. I will pray for your patients.

Wow! What can I say? You captured my essence in one short sentence. You are amazing! It was the part about "emotionally tained" examinations that got to me. I simply can't subject people to emotionally tained examinations. I am withdrawing all my med school applications and will be content to spend my life as a short-order cook.

P.S. Showing my inferior intellect, no doubt, but what does "tained" mean?
 
Whichdoctor said:
Wow! What can I say? You captured my essence in one short sentence. You are amazing! It was the part about "emotionally tained" examinations that got to me. I simply can't subject people to emotionally tained examinations. I am withdrawing all my med school applications and will be content to spend my life as a short-order cook.

P.S. Showing my inferior intellect, no doubt, but what does "tained" mean?

It's an uncommon contraction of "tainted," usually reserved for hypercaffeinated states of typing.

So you agree that ripping on people you don't even know is inherently absurd?
 
stop it already
 
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