Interviews Three, A Doctor You'll Be?

[LizzyM]

It's an old saying. Does it hold up in the twenty-first century? Please respond to the poll only if you were a first time applicant in the cycle that ended with matriculation in 2016.

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[NotASerialKiller]

I thought it was 'Interviews four, you're in the door'. Or maybe 'Interviews five and you're going to thrive'? It's hard to tell which is correct when they all rhyme.

 

[BeachBlondie]

I've seen some cases of "Interviews ten, apply again."

 

[JustAPhD]

I thought it was 'Interviews four, you're in the door'. Or maybe 'Interviews five and you're going to thrive'? It's hard to tell which is correct when they all rhyme.

It's the rhyming that really throws people off. I've seen "interviews eight, you'll matriculate."

 

[LizzyM]

Answer the poll and leave a comment about how many interviews you attended before you received your first offer, regardless of how many interviews you eventually attended.

 

[mcatjelly]

I attended 4 MD interviews (with 5 IIs) and was accepted off my first waitlist mid-April.

 

[Cotterpin]

I attended 4 interviews and didn't get accepted anywhere despite being on three wait lists. Should I assume I suck at interviews?

 

[LizzyM]

I attended 4 interviews and didn't get accepted anywhere despite being on three wait lists. Should I assume I suck at interviews?

If you really sucked at interviewing, you'd have been turned down rather than waitlisted. Unless you are related to a VIP that no one wants to offend, it is most likely that you are second string when only the first string is able to take the field. I hope you have upped your game for this new cycle and you go on to victory!

 

[Whyamionhere]

^ jealous of that 1.4% that miraculously got accepted without a SINGLE interview invite

 

[musicalfeet]

I'm assuming this poll is MD only? For my MD cycle, I went on 5 MD interviews before my first acceptance. Not sure if it's important though, but 2 of the schools specifically said they weren't giving a response until the new year, which was after I had gotten my first acceptance in December. I did, however, get an acceptance out of 1/2 of those schools in January.

 

[LizzyM]

While 3 interviews being the median for successful applicants, it varies widely
https://www.aamc.org/download/450608/data/msq2015report.pdf (p26)
2015 Matriculating Student Questionnaire (MSQ)
(https://www.aamc.org/data/msq/)

View attachment 207437

But this tells us only of matriculants... What is the median number of interviews for those who got no acceptances... I would bet the median is zero or one with a long right tail.

It would also be fun to know how many applicants eventually got admitted to the first (or only) place they interviewed, how many were admitted to the second but not the first, the third but not the first two and so forth... how many interviews were needed to garner an acceptance?

 

[Alienman52]

I'm assuming this poll is MD only? For my MD cycle, I went on 5 MD interviews before my first acceptance. Not sure if it's important though, but 2 of the schools specifically said they weren't giving a response until the new year, which was after I had gotten my first acceptance in December. I did, however, get an acceptance out of 1/2 of those schools in January.

I believe it would be for MD and DO as per the first question in the poll. Grats on your acceptances.

 

[CyrilFiggis]

My first time around in the 2014-2015 cycle, I received 3 interviews and was waitlisted with 2 and medically disqualified from the third.

 

[wagonwheel23]

I had 4 interviews. I received my first acceptance in December from a mid-October interview date. I ultimately walked away with 2 acceptances.

 

[Dro133]

One interview, one acceptance (MD)

 

[NimbleNavigator]

Wow at nearly 50% of respondents saying "Yes, I had three interviews (or fewer) and received an offer of admission (MD or DO)"

Also, why do we still have separate pre-allo and pre-osteo forums? It's stupid to separate the two forums and then make topics that include both MD and DO schools. Why not just unify them?

 

[CyrilFiggis]

Also, why do we still have separate pre-allo and pre-osteo forums?

Because they have two separate applications not to mention some fundamental differences in pedagogy.

 

[NimbleNavigator]

Because they have two separate applications not to mention some fundamental differences in pedagogy.

Ok then why include MD & DO in the poll option?

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

I had 6 interviews with 2 acceptances, so maybe there is a linear relationship between interviews and acceptances with a scaling factor of 0.33

 

[Lawpy]

@LizzyM @gonnif @Goro @gyngyn @Catalystik

What is the ratio of accepted applicants to matriculants? Is it usually greater than 1? What about after April 30 deadline?

 

[Alienman52]

@LizzyM @gonnif @Goro @gyngyn @Catalystik

What is the ratio of applicants to matriculants? Is it usually greater than 1? What about after April 30 deadline?

Lol I would definitely assume so


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[Lawpy]

Lol I would definitely assume so


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Sorry i meant accepted applicants!

Trying to understand more about overenrolled schools

 

[NimbleNavigator]

Lol I would definitely assume so


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Haha yeah I think that's a typo. I'm almost certain he meant accepted students, not applicants.

 

[LizzyM]

@LizzyM @gonnif @Goro @gyngyn @Catalystik

What is the ratio of applicants to matriculants? Is it usually greater than 1? What about after April 30 deadline?

Ratio of applicants to matriculants at my school is >20:1. Ratio of interviewees to offers is about 2:1 (half of those who interview get an offer).

 

[LizzyM]

Ok then why include MD & DO in the poll option?

if you get an offer to MD or DO, a doctor you'll be!

 

[masnerj]

It would also be interesting to dive deeper and look at state residency. Look at how interviews to acceptances is different among different states.

 

[Goro]

At my school
We get ~6000 apps
We interview ~500
We accept ~250
We seat ~100.

From posts by my other Adcom colleagues on this site, the ratio of accepts to matriculants is ~3:1.

@LizzyM @gonnif @Goro @gyngyn @Catalystik

What is the ratio of accepted applicants to matriculants? Is it usually greater than 1? What about after April 30 deadline?

I think my learned colleague meant "if you get an offer to DO or MD, a doctor you'll be!"

OR

"if you get an offer to MD or DO, into Medicine you go!"

 

[Lawpy]

Ratio of applicants to matriculants at my school is >20:1. Ratio of interviewees to offers is about 2:1 (half of those who interview get an offer).

My bad accidentally forgot the accepted part

Is accepted:matriculant ratio > 1 even after Apr 30 deadline? So are underenrolled schools basically rare?

 

[CyrilFiggis]

Ok then why include MD & DO in the poll option?

Because not everyone applies exclusively to either.

 

[NimbleNavigator]

Because not everyone applies exclusively to either.

Again - then why have separate forums?

 

[LizzyM]

My bad accidentally forgot the accepted part

Is accepted:matriculant ratio > 1 even after Apr 30 deadline? So are underenrolled schools basically rare?

I don't know how each school does it. Some may be generous with the offers pre-Apr 30 and do a lot of praying that they don't end up over enrolled. Others may be stingy with the offers and depend on their high desirability and the waitlist to fill the class. I think that it varies by school.

 

[LizzyM]

Again - then why have separate forums?

Because some people have questions specific to preparing for admission to osteopathic schools.

 

[heebeejeebies]

8 interviews: 6 acceptances, 2 waitlist - one which was "good waitlist" (historically clears, withdrew) another normal (clearly a rejection seeing how it's August).

Schools varied from MMI to traditional.

 

[Alienman52]

I don't know how each school does it. Some may be generous with the offers pre-Apr 30 and do a lot of praying that they don't end up over enrolled. Others may be stingy with the offers and depend on their high desirability and the waitlist to fill the class. I think that it varies by school.

Out of curiosity, why is April 30th the deadline for generosity? Is it just a marker as being late in the cycle?


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[CyrilFiggis]

Again - then why have separate forums?

Because unlike the 2nd law of thermodynamics, SND prefers order over chaos.

 

[redferrari]

Three interviews (invited and attended all I was invited to) and three acceptances. Accepted October 15th to my first interviewed school while attending my second interview, which was my first choice (and where I ended up). Needless to say, I'll never forget the emotions of that day, and the concentration it took to not start jumping around and screaming at lunch out of respect to other interviewees.

 

[futuremdforme]

5 interviews, 4 interviews. The one I didn't get was my first one. I could tell it was rough and bought a book on med interviews after that!

 

[NimbleNavigator]

5 interviews, 4 interviews. The one I didn't get was my first one. I could tell it was rough and bought a book on med interviews after that!

This thread is just full of typos lol

 

[gyngyn]

So are underenrolled schools basically rare?

Nobody has unfilled seats by orientation!

 

[deleted407021]

3 II total -- 2 interviews attended. 2 acceptances. Accepted to first school before second and third IIs.

 

[Doctoblast]

^ jealous of that 1.4% that miraculously got accepted without a SINGLE interview invite

that is about 170 people or, extrapolating to the whole applicant pool about 280. I wonder if that is mostly BS/MD joint programs?

Prior to the 2015-16 cycle, MSU COM did not interview applicants. That could be where that number comes from.

EDIT
I just realized that those stats are probably only from MD matriculants in which case BS/MD programs make the most sense.

 

[LizzyM]

I think my learned colleague meant "if you get an offer to DO or MD, a doctor you'll be!"

OR

"if you get an offer to MD or DO, into Medicine you go!"

You're a poet and you don't know it,
Your toes are Long fellows.

 

[md-2020]

I thought it was 'Interviews four, you're in the door'. Or maybe 'Interviews five and you're going to thrive'? It's hard to tell which is correct when they all rhyme.

I've seen some cases of "Interviews ten, apply again."

I've seen "interviews eight, you'll matriculate."

Judging by SDN I'd always thought it was something like "interviews nine, you're really just borderline"

 

[musicalfeet]

Judging by SDN I'd always thought it was something like "interviews nine, you're really just borderline"

I think the truth is you'll never feel secure about your chances of admission until you're actually holding the acceptance in your hand. Even though statistically I was more likely to get an acceptance than not, it didn't mitigate the feeling deep inside that I wouldn't get in anywhere. It's not something that can be assuaged with facts and logic IMO.

 

[NimbleNavigator]

I think the truth is you'll never feel secure about your chances of admission until you're actually holding the acceptance in your hand. Even though statistically I was more likely to get an acceptance than not, it didn't mitigate the feeling deep inside that I wouldn't get in anywhere. It's not something that can be assuaged with facts and logic IMO.

.

 

[futuremdforme]

This thread is just full of typos lol

My brain is on summer mode!

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

I had five interviews before my first acceptance. However all those interviews were fairly early

 

[jebelali]

4 interviews before first acceptance

 

[terra330]

Didn't vote since I was a reapplicant, but I got 3 IIs and 1 acceptance.

On the note of the poll itself, if you're trying to figure out if 3 is the magic number, shouldn't "3" and "fewer" have been separate options?

 

[Alienman52]

Didn't vote since I was a reapplicant, but I got 3 IIs and 1 acceptance.

On the note of the poll itself, if you're trying to figure out if 3 is the magic number, shouldn't "3" and "fewer" have been separate options?

Agree


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