MCW Interview for waitlist...

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K

kmpedro

I promise I am not posting this to annoy anyone, so sorry in advance if it does.... :)

I currently hold acceptances at SLU and PSU; I was invited to interview at MCW today for a spot on the alternate list. Just wondering if you all thought I should take the offer or not?? :confused:

I know that in the end I will have to decide including other factors (e.g. money, where I want to live, tuition cost, etc....) but just off reps of schools wondering what you think??

Thanks in advance.... :thumbup:

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I got into MCW and am going to withdraw. You can have my spot. It is a really cool school though, WAY better than PSU or SLU. I'd go to the interview.
 
I too received that email today. I have an acceptance already, and don't plan on making a trip to interview for a waitlist spot at best. But thats just me.
 
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I got into MCW and am going to withdraw. You can have my spot. It is a really cool school though, WAY better than PSU or SLU. I'd go to the interview.

Thanks for the response aardvark. I am curious though, what makes MCW so much better then Penn State??? I was extremely impressed by the gorgeous facilities at Penn State, and the hospital appeared to be state of the art as well...

Again thanks for the reply, I was just curious as to what made MCW shine so much brighter. :cool:
 
hey bigkurz, when were you complete at mcw?
 
haha..thanks for the info..
 
here's what I wrote for another thread, if it interests you:

I live in a pretty big 2BR apartment not far from campus (about 1.5 miles), and there are places next to the school parking lot, for about $675 a month. It's in a really middle-class, friendly suburban area with everything you need in very close proximity. Or, if you're so inclined, the downtown Third Ward is a really trendy area for young professionals, and the East Side is like a college town (right by UWM) turning into a hip/alternative living scene with great music/arts. MCW is on the Milwaukee Regional Medical Campus (about 100 acres?), which has Milwaukee Mental Health Complex, the Eye Institute, the Blood Research Center (brand-new, beautiful building just outside MCW's front door), Children's Hospital (#3 in the nation with the #1 pediatric level 1 trauma), and Froedtert Memorial Hospital. You can do all your rotations on the MRMC. MCW just built a huge biomedical research building (the open house is tomorrow) that should significantly increase the research funding coming here ($126 million = #42 in the country). The students are friendly and attractive, and we've probably got the longest-teaching anatomy prof in the country (59 years and counting). He's awesome. MCW is known for having very good clinical instruction.
 
we've probably got the longest-teaching anatomy prof in the country (59 years and counting). He's awesome. MCW is known for having very good clinical instruction.

He even gives you all the answers to his test questions during the lecture. Too bad he only teaches one or two lectures per test block.

We're also conveniently located not-too-far from Chicago.
 
Thanks for the response aardvark. I am curious though, what makes MCW so much better then Penn State??? I was extremely impressed by the gorgeous facilities at Penn State, and the hospital appeared to be state of the art as well...

Again thanks for the reply, I was just curious as to what made MCW shine so much brighter. :cool:

I think aardvark just had a poor interview experience at PSU.
 
MCW is already interviewing for the alternate list??????????????? Does that mean all the spots are full? ****
 
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Thanks for the response aardvark. I am curious though, what makes MCW so much better then Penn State??? I was extremely impressed by the gorgeous facilities at Penn State, and the hospital appeared to be state of the art as well...

Again thanks for the reply, I was just curious as to what made MCW shine so much brighter. :cool:

Well personally, I did not care for Penn State. It really is in the middle of nowhere. And my experience at MCW was great. The facilities are the best Ive seen (I have had 8 interviews so far), and the students really seem happy. If I didnt have an offer in the city that I really want to be in, I would not hesitate to attend MCW. Also, it has the 3rd ranked children's hospital in the country. It may not be too well known to the lay-person, but all the docs I have talked to say that MCW is a really repsected school. I hope this helps!
 
MCW is already interviewing for the alternate list??????????????? Does that mean all the spots are full? ****
if not already, I would think that this Friday is definitely the last round of interviews for an outright acceptance.
 
I just got an invitation to interview for the alternate list as well. I'm definitely going, but I don't have any acceptances yet, so my situation is different from that of the OP.

Given the choice, I can almost guarantee you that I would choose MCW over PSU. Milwaukee is not exactly glamorous, but it is a city with plenty to do, and it's close to other cool cities. Hershey is, in so many ways, perhaps the single worst place I have ever visited in my life. The countryside is beautiful and great for biking, but the pueblo itself is not. I *love* MCW's program too. On paper it is one of my favorites, in fact, better than the programs of many bigger-name schools. The PSU folks are earnest and sweet, and their program is trying hard to be different, interesting and great. I don't think that they balance PBL and other forms of learning very well, however, and I don't like their 3rd-year clinical options or ambulatory-care options as well as those at MCW. The Patient Project, while innovative and unusual, seems to work out poorly for students as often as not. I could go on, but the point is that I have some very real misgivings about the PSU program. The facilities of the medical center itself are quite nice at PSU, but I've heard the same of MCW from several people (not least of whom the Prowler, who appears to be a student there). All said, though it isn't my first choice overall, MCW is amongst my top schools and I would be thrilled to attend there, whereas I'm considering going through the entire application process again if PSU is the only school to accept me this year. I should hasten to stress that this is a very personal reaction. I've met many people who felt very strongly that PSU is a fantastic school, including the current students I met while I was there.
 
I am in the same spot as some of you... I have an acceptance at Temple School of Medicine and I am still trying to decide whether interviewing for the 'alternate' list is worth money and time. I think MCW is probably a much better school, but still... ugh I dunno.
 
I am in the same spot as some of you... I have an acceptance at Temple School of Medicine and I am still trying to decide whether interviewing for the 'alternate' list is worth money and time. I think MCW is probably a much better school, but still... ugh I dunno.

for those of you who received the email, when were you complete?
 
for those of you who received the email, when were you complete?

Hmmm, late August, I believe. I received the follow-up e-mail saying that I had passed the first stage of evaluation and made it to a smaller pool of potential interviewees on September 19th.
 
anyone that got the recent invite know their exact completion date?? i was complete on 8/31 and also received the email a couple weeks later about being favorably reviewed. i'm waiting for an interview there but wasn't sure when it will come. thanks for the help.
 
... and was complete 8/10, placed in the smaller pool, etc. We were told that this Friday we will be interviewing for the final spots and some potentially for the waitlist.
 
i think MCW's waitlist seems to move pretty quickly. i had an old roommate who applied there (not this cycle) and interviewed pretty late..maybe even later on this year. she heard back with a waitlist and eventually got in. so unlike some schools where waitlists don't move, interviewing for a waitlist spot can eventually turn into an acceptance.
 
Someone I know is interviewing here on Feb 2nd and he didn't say that it was specifically for the alternate list.
 
Someone I know is interviewing here on Feb 2nd and he didn't say that it was specifically for the alternate list.
I am also interviewing on Feb. 2nd and it was never mentioned it is going to be the final spot or for waitlist!
 
To any one with inside knowledge:
How does the process operate... i thought schools send invites out hoping to accept the really really good candidates and the not so good enough are waitlisted? so what is the deal with MCW specifically sending invites out for waitlist?
 
Well, they know many of the people accepted will end up going elsewhere. They accept enough students to fill a class after the 15th of march or may or whatever it is and they also interview people who they will put in the contingency list in case more people withdraw than they expected. Other than that, I don't know anything else.
 
well, what do u guys think about this....

i called mcw the other day and asked them to check the status of my application. the nice lady asked me to hold and when she came back she told me that my file didnt say anything but that i should hear from them VERY shortly, she stressed the very. what do you guys make of that???

personally, i think its a rejection. id doubt its going be an interview invite(i was complete in early december and my stats are only average) either way, what should i expect an email or snail mail decision???
 
I am in the same spot as some of you... I have an acceptance at Temple School of Medicine and I am still trying to decide whether interviewing for the 'alternate' list is worth money and time. I think MCW is probably a much better school, but still... ugh I dunno.
Again, a significant people get in from the waitlist. One of my good friends here at MCW was the next-to-last guy to get in off the waitlist, two weeks before school started.

Provided it won't prevent you from eating or something dire, I'd spend the money. You'll probably like it here, and you'll be spending 4+ years in med school and spending $100,000+, so a little time and money now is well spent.
 
I have a friend who was accepted and is an M1 at MCW. She loved the interview and general atmosphere of the school. She interviewed at Madison as well and hated it. Her app was submitted very early, interviewed early and was accepted in December '05 at MCW. I applied but wayyyyyy toooooo late. Better luck next time, right?! Good luck to all!
 
Here was the e-mail we received (direct quote):

Dear Candidate:

We have reserved your space to interview with us on January 19th. Thank you for your continuing interest in the Medical College.

I’m writing to update you on the status of the entering class of 2007 and its impact on the interviewing process. The admissions committee has determined that it is fast approaching the maximum number of offers to be made to the class. It further anticipates that those candidates interviewing on January 19th will be doing so for the remaining spaces in the class and for placement on our alternate list. We wanted to make sure you were aware of this prior to the interviews.

Again, thank you.

Michael Istwan
Director of Admissions
 
Here was the e-mail we received (direct quote):

Dear Candidate:

We have reserved your space to interview with us on January 19th. Thank you for your continuing interest in the Medical College.

I’m writing to update you on the status of the entering class of 2007 and its impact on the interviewing process. The admissions committee has determined that it is fast approaching the maximum number of offers to be made to the class. It further anticipates that those candidates interviewing on January 19th will be doing so for the remaining spaces in the class and for placement on our alternate list. We wanted to make sure you were aware of this prior to the interviews.

Again, thank you.

Michael Istwan
Director of Admissions


what date?
 
It was titled "Status of Class & Interviews"
 
I'm special ... that's a very logical explanation. I also received one called "Confirmation of Medical College Interveiws" on that same day ... might that be what you are referring to? The aforementioned e-mail was from Istwan, whereas the confirmation e-mail was from the general address.
 
I'm special ... that's a very logical explanation. I also received one called "Confirmation of Medical College Interveiws" on that same day ... might that be what you are referring to? The aforementioned e-mail was from Istwan, whereas the confirmation e-mail was from the general address.

we only received the confirmation e-mail from Istwan.... not from genral address. so why did you receive the special e-mail?
 
But I would imagine the Feb 2nd people are likely in the same boat as the Jan 19th people, given the two interview days were offered at the same time in the original e-mail (unless those were different too). You can refer to previous posts, but I think the e-mail I received is not that far out of line with what other people have heard, so I doubt I'm the exception as opposed to the norm. But good luck to you either way.
 
But I would imagine the Feb 2nd people are likely in the same boat as the Jan 19th people, given the two interview days were offered at the same time in the original e-mail (unless those were different too). You can refer to previous posts, but I think the e-mail I received is not that far out of line with what other people have heard, so I doubt I'm the exception as opposed to the norm. But good luck to you either way.


Please can you update us, especially me, after your interview tomorrow? just want to be sure the Feb 2nd is for waitlist or not?.... thanks
 
But I would imagine the Feb 2nd people are likely in the same boat as the Jan 19th people, given the two interview days were offered at the same time in the original e-mail (unless those were different too). You can refer to previous posts, but I think the e-mail I received is not that far out of line with what other people have heard, so I doubt I'm the exception as opposed to the norm. But good luck to you either way.

any update
 
I promise I am not posting this to annoy anyone, so sorry in advance if it does.... :)

I currently hold acceptances at SLU and PSU; I was invited to interview at MCW today for a spot on the alternate list. Just wondering if you all thought I should take the offer or not?? :confused:

I know that in the end I will have to decide including other factors (e.g. money, where I want to live, tuition cost, etc....) but just off reps of schools wondering what you think??

Thanks in advance.... :thumbup:

Can I ask what date your interview is on? I have an interview there on Feb. 2nd, and I hope I'm not just interviewing for a waitlist spot. I hope to get accepted there.
 
any update

There was no mention/direct questions asked at the interview this past Friday regarding the "potentially interviewing for the waitlist" e-mail that I received. However, I can tell you that all the people I talked to on my day received that e-mail as well (some of which were also offered Feb. 2 as an alternate date). Also our final admissions decisions will be made on different days (the Jan. 19 date will be decided on Feb 1), so it's really tough to tell regarding Feb. 2. Hope this helps somewhat, but I doubt it does.
 
I interviewed this past Friday. At the very end of the interview they bring everyone into a room for closing remarks. Dr. Istwan spoke and said that they still had enough spots available to accept everyone that interviewed on the 19th. I'd say there were roughly 40-50 applicants there. I also received the e-mail in December saying that the applicants interviewing on the 19th were interviewing for the 'final spots in the class' and the waitlist. Take it for what it's worth. I loved MCW, personally.

Also, someone had mentioned Penn State. While I think PSU turns out very, VERY capable doctors and the program there is impressive, Hershey is...well...Hershey. If I did get an acceptance from there, I would have to seriously consider though. Good luck to all.
 
IUHoosier, do you mean that you would consider going to PSU over MCW if you had acceptances from both? In what ways do you think that PSU trumps MCW?
 
IUHoosier, do you mean that you would consider going to PSU over MCW if you had acceptances from both? In what ways do you think that PSU trumps MCW?


I liked both MCW and PSU. My two faculty interviewers at PSCOM were more helpful than those at MCW, but I don't think that I can fault the MCW faculty -- it's just a different 'style' of interview. At MCW, I felt like they did not adequately go over the cirriculum during the interview days. While I have done research on my own regarding the classes, I would have liked to have had a little more detail. At PSU, they go over each year in a pretty thorough manner, which was nice. Including humanities into the science classes is something that is quite interesting, and I personally believe more schools should do the same (but I'll save that for another discussion). Also, PSCOM really encourages students to go outside of the state for their clinical rotation during their last year. During my interview, one of the faculty members said that there is not a lot of diversity in the Hershey area, so you tend to see a lot of the same things. This is probably why they encourage M4's to go out Pennsylvania and even out of the country. While MCW provides these opportunities, I felt like they would rather keep you in Milwaukee (which was fine by me, I loved the city). Each school has its perks. Since I'm interested in pediatrics, both of these schools are front runners for me; however, I'm still without an acceptance (anywhere) so I am going to keep my fingers crossed.
 
I liked both MCW and PSU. My two faculty interviewers at PSCOM were more helpful than those at MCW, but I don't think that I can fault the MCW faculty -- it's just a different 'style' of interview. At MCW, I felt like they did not adequately go over the cirriculum during the interview days. While I have done research on my own regarding the classes, I would have liked to have had a little more detail. At PSU, they go over each year in a pretty thorough manner, which was nice. Including humanities into the science classes is something that is quite interesting, and I personally believe more schools should do the same (but I'll save that for another discussion). Also, PSCOM really encourages students to go outside of the state for their clinical rotation during their last year. During my interview, one of the faculty members said that there is not a lot of diversity in the Hershey area, so you tend to see a lot of the same things. This is probably why they encourage M4's to go out Pennsylvania and even out of the country. While MCW provides these opportunities, I felt like they would rather keep you in Milwaukee (which was fine by me, I loved the city). Each school has its perks. Since I'm interested in pediatrics, both of these schools are front runners for me; however, I'm still without an acceptance (anywhere) so I am going to keep my fingers crossed.

I'm with you there, buddy.
 
Here was the e-mail we received (direct quote):

Dear Candidate:

We have reserved your space to interview with us on January 19th. Thank you for your continuing interest in the Medical College.

I'm writing to update you on the status of the entering class of 2007 and its impact on the interviewing process. The admissions committee has determined that it is fast approaching the maximum number of offers to be made to the class. It further anticipates that those candidates interviewing on January 19th will be doing so for the remaining spaces in the class and for placement on our alternate list. We wanted to make sure you were aware of this prior to the interviews.

Again, thank you.

Michael Istwan
Director of Admissions

I'm interviewing on Feb. 2nd and got the same email. It seems like those that interviewed on Jan. 19th and those that will interview on Feb. 2nd are in the same boat for the final spots. Hope this helps with any confusion.
 
Yep, I interviewed on February 2nd and received the same e-mail. I talked to Mike Istawan while I was there and he said that the waitlist does move pretty quickly, so everyone is right about that. He said the way the waitlist works is that they have three pools of candidates, "high", "middle", and "low". When they start on the waitlist, they begin choosing candidates from the high pool first, and then when that is exhausted they move onto the next. I would definitely consider interviewing there, even if it is only for the waitlist.

I'm nervous about receiving my letter from MCW. It should be coming any day now. (I live in WA and will probably have to wait longer than most applicants from the Midwest/East Coast... dang) They were still offering straightout acceptances on February 2nd and this would be my first acceptance/decision. I loved the school and would be happy there for 4 years (despite the cold). Wish me luck! The same to all other applicants!

(FYI - I completed my secondary at the end of October and was offered an interview in mid-December for January 19th or February 2nd. They get back to you REALLY quickly with decisions, about 1 week later. Hope this helps everyone.)
 
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