MD Applicants.com

[ajs08]

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i don't know if there is a legitmate reason for this, but isn't the whole posting ur gpa, mcat scores, etc. on those mdapplicants.com profiles just a way of bragging about where u got in and how great of a student you are?? I know some of us freak out about getting in and say "oh i got this gpa can i still get an interview" and thats ok, but i feel like many people who post these up do it because they're a tad pretentious.

Its disappointing that people find the need to put themselves on a pedestal when they're about to join a profession which prides itself on humility, leadership skills and cooperation. I mean, putting down all the schools you applied to, interviews, and grades onto one piece of paper is a great tool to keep everything organized, but why the need to share it with the rest of your colleagues?

just thought i'd share my 2 cents about the matter.

 

[MollyMalone]

...a profession which prides itself on humility, leadership skills and cooperation...

You haven't met very many doctors, have you?

[/snark]

I think mdapplicants, if you remember to account for the self-selection bias and a certain amount of untruthfulness, is a useful tool in the application process. I certainly used it to get a better feel for where I might be competitive. I liked being able to see where other non-trads were accepted (the MSAR isn't terribly helpful there).

I posted my own information in order to help other non-trads, and especially other nurses, get a sense of what my application process was like. If you think that posting the facts about my premed journey is bragging or putting myself on a pedestal, then so be it. I think that says a lot more about you than it does about me, actually.

 

[Tribeca]

as someone who'll be applying to MS next year, i enjoy reading mdapplicants.com profiles. i'm aware that they may not be reliable, but i've learned that just because you have a 4.0/40 mcat does not guarrantee an immediate acceptance from all the top schools and that average applicants get in too. I don't think it's all about bragging.

Here's what the website has to say:

"Ever wonder where other applicants with similar MCATs and grades have been accepted?
- Want to check the performance of applicants from undergraduate schools you're considering?
- Curious about what it takes to get into your dream school?

MDapplicants.com is a not-for-profit site designed as a service to premedical
and prospective premedical students. The aim of this site is to share the
experiences of past applicants with current, as a rough guide to what they
may expect or the type of preparation they may require."

 

[kirexhana]

haha, pretentious? i doubt it. although i do admit, i really like the encouragement i get from my peers, it makes me feel like there is good news coming (shallow, yea i know 🙂 ). as for others however, i've noticed many profiles where people list multiple rejections, waitlists, low mcat scores, gpas, and simply have to start over for the next year. why would people put themselves on a pedestal when there's nothing to show off?

the way i see it, it's like a mini diary for my application experience, it's easy to keep track of what stage i'm in at every school.

besides, it's only a matter of time before you're filling one out yourself and parading your 4.0/45 and bajillion interviews nd acceptances and when that time comes, we'll see who's calling who pretentious(i kid 😛 )

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

i don't know if there is a legitmate reason for this, but isn't the whole posting ur gpa, mcat scores, etc. on those mdapplicants.com profiles just a way of bragging about where u got in and how great of a student you are?? I know some of us freak out about getting in and say "oh i got this gpa can i still get an interview" and thats ok, but i feel like many people who post these up do it because they're a tad pretentious.

Its disappointing that people find the need to put themselves on a pedestal when they're about to join a profession which prides itself on humility, leadership skills and cooperation. I mean, putting down all the schools you applied to, interviews, and grades onto one piece of paper is a great tool to keep everything organized, but why the need to share it with the rest of your colleagues?

just thought i'd share my 2 cents about the matter.

Hmm..I guess that's one way of seeing it. I never saw it that way though. If anything mdapps has been extremely useful for me as a pre-med preparing myself for a good application "package". It helps to see what has worked for others, especialy when you find others with similar stats to you.

 

[ajs08]

hey everyone.. appreciate the responses. I guess most people do use it as a tooland post their own information to help other applicants. Didn't mean to offend anyone, gues it seemed odd to me since I came from a school where the honor system enforced "no speaking about grades" in hopes of cultivating a cooperative atmosphere. I felt like that system was very supportive compared to some of my other pre-med friends at neighboring institutions where it seemed ultra-competitive.

 

[jeffsleepy]

Wow that seems like an excessively controlled environment to me. What school is this if you don't mind me asking? There is a crapload of pompous pre-meds who turn into a crapload of pompous doctors, but that's how it is in a somewhat competative profession.

 

[ajs08]

kirexhana, i won't be posting at mdapplicants because i'm in the middle of the applicant pool this year. Although i'm wait to hear responses from two schools, I'll more than likely be attending Jefferson. Wish you the best of luck in your admissions quest!

 

[RayhanS1282]

OP,

With the number of rejections and piss-poor stats I got, I seriously doubt my MDapplicants profile is showing anything off. It's basically a guide to "what NOT to do if you want to get inot medical school".

 

[gostudy]

I think the OP's point is not that mdapps is a waste of time, more that including a profile link for all to see on sdn is a little overboard.

For however upwardly skewed mdapps stats are, sdner's mdapps stats are even more skewed. There will always be exceptions such as rayhan, but I am surprised when I click on someone's link and they have less than 30 on their MCAT. Just compare the "Wall of Fame thread" to the "Wall of Shame thread". People are more likely to project their successes in the world, than their failures.

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

I like it, but I only pay attention to veteran SDNer profiles. I feel like there's less fudging there. I have used it to document my progress, vent, etc.

 

[45408]

isn't this thread just a way to whine about people who brag?

 

[drmota]

i made one to keep my shlt organized. i was originally doing it on paper using a computer printout and this red pen but one day the red pen (which was obviousl a lemon) started leaking all over my hands and it looked like i was a murderer or something so i said fock it and got an mdapps profile. i post mine in fairness to others who post theirs. in this process there is a lot of BOREDOM and waiting and checking other people's mdapps gives you something to do with your time (burns ~10 seconds). furthermore it lets you track the progress of fellow SDNers that you have some rapport with and be happy for their successes. and besides, sometimes its nice to see what kind of schools i would have been applying to/getting into if i had actually busted my ass more in college and had a higher gpa. furthermore, i've gotten several PMs from little youngins who aren't in the application process but tell me that they have similar stats, are happy for my successes, and that i gave them hope for getting into med school. does it get any more innocent than that? no harm done, in my opinion.
-mota

 

[GA Girl]

I personally didn't start one, but I think it is a pretty good resource and research tool in this process. It is a bit skewed on the higher side but i find it very helpful. It isn't like these people put their names on it.

i don't know if there is a legitmate reason for this, but isn't the whole posting ur gpa, mcat scores, etc. on those mdapplicants.com profiles just a way of bragging about where u got in and how great of a student you are?? I know some of us freak out about getting in and say "oh i got this gpa can i still get an interview" and thats ok, but i feel like many people who post these up do it because they're a tad pretentious.

Its disappointing that people find the need to put themselves on a pedestal when they're about to join a profession which prides itself on humility, leadership skills and cooperation. I mean, putting down all the schools you applied to, interviews, and grades onto one piece of paper is a great tool to keep everything organized, but why the need to share it with the rest of your colleagues?

just thought i'd share my 2 cents about the matter.

 

[pnasty]

to account for the self-selection bias

I think there is a LOT of self-selection bias with mdapplicants...and SDN as well for that matter. I am hesitant to say so, but I would think its skewed towards the most competitive applicants too. From looking at everyone's MCAT scores I hope this is true. It's funny because above a 36 on the MCAT is only about 3 percent (I think)...and there are about 45,000 test takers a year. That is only 1350 people....seems like everyone on this site has a 39. (Admittedly, the high scores leave a lasting impact hahahaha)

 

[jebus]

Meh, I say get used to it. I don't like the braggart part about it either (which I really think you're overestimating. It happens but not as much as you think. See my profile if you don't believe it!) but I think it serves a valuable function and others have described it well.
I think it's sort of a bareboned site, though. They have all these numbers and not much analysis available. Maybe it's not popular enough to have valuable analysis. (I've also noticed that SDN is frequented by a huge number of guests at any given time - almost as many as the registered users. Why are they so scared to post? Why don't you all tell them you love them?) See www.lawschoolnumbers.com for a better site that has nice graphs and lets you see statistical outliers and all that other goodness - you can even click on those positions on the graph and easily see all the craptacular law school related ECs they do. (guess what, people brag/help in all sorts of professions!) I don't like the colours and the aesthetic of it but their site has some pretty slick code in there. (the law school analog of SDN isn't nearly as good as SDN, though. Everyone has proper grammar and sh|t. **** that! It's like looking into the bizarro world. And it makes me uncomfortable.)

 

[RayhanS1282]

Meh, I say get used to it. I don't like the braggart part about it either (which I really think you're overestimating. It happens but not as much as you think. See my profile if you don't believe it!) but I think it serves a valuable function and others have described it well.
I think it's sort of a bareboned site, though. They have all these numbers and not much analysis available. Maybe it's not popular enough to have valuable analysis. (I've also noticed that SDN is frequented by a huge number of guests at any given time - almost as many as the registered users. Why are they so scared to post? Why don't you all tell them you love them?) See www.lawschoolnumbers.com for a better site that has nice graphs and lets you see statistical outliers and all that other goodness - you can even click on those positions on the graph and easily see all the craptacular law school related ECs they do. (guess what, people brag/help in all sorts of professions!) I don't like the colours and the aesthetic of it but their site has some pretty slick code in there. (the law school analog of SDN isn't nearly as good as SDN, though. Everyone has proper grammar and sh|t. **** that! It's like looking into the bizarro world. And it makes me uncomfortable.)

Nice start to an observation about "guests" not posting but ending disintegrates to complaints about grammar and color.

This reminds me of a Simpsons's quote when Homer tried to work as a food critic and his editor says: "you make several threatening refereces to the UN and write "Screw Flanders" over and over again".

 

[Conqueror]

i don't know if there is a legitmate reason for this, but isn't the whole posting ur gpa, mcat scores, etc. on those mdapplicants.com profiles just a way of bragging about where u got in and how great of a student you are??

How could it possibly be bragging when it's anonymous? Sure, some people (self included) put links in their profiles/sigs, but 95% of the profiles on mdapplicants are anonymous. It's not bragging if the braggart is anonymous and can receive no credit, is it?

I put my link in my sig for two reasons: 1) So my friends on SDN can check on my progress, and 2) Because I get tired of retyping certain credentials every time some poster asks "where can I go with a 3.4?" I can just say "see my profile" and they'll be able to deduce for themselves exactly what I would have told them.

CQ

 

[.edu-MD]

I used it for the dates. I wish it was mandatory for profiles to include all dates. It was a good way to know when to expect a complete notice (or if one would come at all), how long schools were taking to review applications, lead time for interviews, turnaround times post-interview, etc. And how all those notifications were being sent (email, phone, USPS). It sure would cut down on a lot of those "how does X notify" or "how long before Y sends a decision post-interview" type questions.

 

[Sundarban1]

The reason why it is unrealiable is because only those with above average stats post a profile. If you are below average who is going to brag?? This is why if you search a particular school, all the stats are way above the averages reported by the school.

 

[Rafa]

Aside from school websites and aamc.org, SDN and MDapplicants are the two most useful websites a pre-med can have.

And desiredusername, the number of guests almost always exceeds the number of registered users here at SDN (and at almost any other public forum). People are more likely to stop in for information (or become frequent readers) than actually register for the same reason SDN members are far more likely to respond to a poll on a thread than to the actual thread itself.