Medical School Admission Reform - what would you change?

[Adcadet]

RA - ah, I see. I think I agree with you in that essays are important and should be kept. However, I do think those very short, "in 100 words or less, tell us why you want to be a doctor, what you have done to prepare for a career in medicine, your view on the value of stem cell research, and what you would do to change the current health care system in the US" questions should be eliminated or given more reasonable word restrictions.

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[canadagirl]

I want to echo everyone who said that SECONDARIES SHOULD BE ELIMINATED!

FYI, in Ontario we have five medical schools. (Background: they get about 6.5 applications per spot!!) You apply to all of them through a centralized service called OMSAS, that acts like AMCAS. Three big differences from the American process:
1. You send (three) LOR's to OMSAS directly and they farm them out to the schools.
2. No secondaries. Instead, each school has a section where they can ask any additional supplementary-type applications that they want.
3. One deadline, one application, for all schools.

In the end, the medical schools get as much information from the applicants as American schools do ... but it's about a million times easier. And it works. Obviously there are logistical issues in applying it to many more than five schools (we don't even have one system for all of Canada, just one for all of Ontario), but I really don't see any reason why something like this couldn't scale up. It's sooooooooooooo easy for applicants!! Sigh... Wishful thinking!

 

[cabruen]

I think the most agregious problem in the process is the cost. It is unconciousable that it should cost $1000s and $1000s to apply to medical schoool.


Adcadet -- Your mailbox is full.

 

[Adcadet]

Originally posted by cabruen
I think the most agregious problem in the process is the cost. It is unconciousable that it should cost $1000s and $1000s to apply to medical schoool.


Adcadet -- Your mailbox is full.

Thanks. I think I fixed it.

 

[USeF]

yea, we know you guys are better.. you also have healthcare for all

Originally posted by canadagirl
I want to echo everyone who said that SECONDARIES SHOULD BE ELIMINATED!

FYI, in Ontario we have five medical schools. (Background: they get about 6.5 applications per spot!!) You apply to all of them through a centralized service called OMSAS, that acts like AMCAS. Three big differences from the American process:
1. You send (three) LOR's to OMSAS directly and they farm them out to the schools.
2. No secondaries. Instead, each school has a section where they can ask any additional supplementary-type applications that they want.
3. One deadline, one application, for all schools.

In the end, the medical schools get as much information from the applicants as American schools do ... but it's about a million times easier. And it works. Obviously there are logistical issues in applying it to many more than five schools (we don't even have one system for all of Canada, just one for all of Ontario), but I really don't see any reason why something like this couldn't scale up. It's sooooooooooooo easy for applicants!! Sigh... Wishful thinking!

 

[odelay]

I think the process shouldn't be through AMCAS at all, but through a new organization I shall dub, AMND (for "Accept Me Now, Dammit"). And instead of online paperwork and standardized tests, all applicants would undergo a series of physical challenges not unlike Nickelodeon's old game show "Double Dare." In other words, it'd be SUPER SLOPPY. Even moreso than it already is.

I think I passed the first physical challenge: Before my MCATs, for breakfast I chugged a carton of orange juice. I was hoping the sugars and vitamins in the juice would wake me up and give me some mental stamina for the day. But what really happened was my bladder expanded to triple its normal size. And since there are ABSOLUTELY no entraces or exits during testing time, I had to cross my legs and try to not think of running water for about 100 minutes. It was, singlehandedly, the closest I came to pissing my pants in my entire life. I kid you not.

So I should get 10 points for that feat of strength and determination. The second physical challenge would involve a SCU (or "Sweat Containment Unit") - also known as a "jar." The objective is to see how much sweat you can generate before an interview.

And the third physical challenge, which also, conveniently enough, involves more bodily fluids - is the simplest. The goal is to see how much you crap your pants when a letter arrives in your mailbox from your school. Unfortunately, I haven't yet gotten to this stage, but I sincerely hope I walk back into my apartment with feces all over my lower extremities; it will be a truly good day. No ****. Or "yes ****," actually.



Seriously, though - the process is fine. I sincerely thought AMCAS was a delight. And my only complaint is that some schools don't even bother with a rejection letter / secondary. That happened with two schools for me. I had to call them to find out I had wasted 30 bucks on them. Where does this damn AMCAS money go, then - since they clearly don't have enough to mail me a letter or make a call!

Sheesh. I'm out like jelly shoes.

 

[Adcadet]

Ba-hump

(sorry, I have the hiccups)

 

[deleted4401]

Q:

Does anybody really think that an adcom will grant an interview after reading a secondary to a person that they did not plan on giving an interview?

And, the other way: do you think that someone who was pegged to be interviewed would lose the interview after his/her secondary was read?

I think the answer to the both of the above are 'NO'. And, that's why I think a slightly extended AMCAS with a rec letter function would be the best.

Just an opinion, based on what I've seen from an admissions point of you ... The only time a secondary changes something is if there is a legacy involved. And at that point, all bets are off.

Simul

 

[Adcadet]

Originally posted by SimulD
Q:

Does anybody really think that an adcom will grant an interview after reading a secondary to a person that they did not plan on giving an interview?

And, the other way: do you think that someone who was pegged to be interviewed would lose the interview after his/her secondary was read?

I think the answer to the both of the above are 'NO'. And, that's why I think a slightly extended AMCAS with a rec letter function would be the best.

Just an opinion, based on what I've seen from an admissions point of you ... The only time a secondary changes something is if there is a legacy involved. And at that point, all bets are off.

Simul

I find this hard to believe. Do you really think adcoms will look at the thousands of secondaries, select hundreds to interview and really peg certain people for a particular fate? I'm sure there are a few people who's numbers are so high and essays and LORs so good that the interview is basically to make sure they can talk to another human being. I'm sure most schools have so many people with 3.4-3.7 GPAs and 30-34 MCATs that it's not worth the time and effort for an adcom to rank people pre-interview.

 

[Saluki]

One, I think the schools should stop the secondary forms, and just have us send a letter to each of the schools we have listed simply stating the reasons we are interested in that particular school.
Two, I think all pre-meds should be limited to applying to five schools. A lot of what makes this process so long is people applying to 15 different schools. The schools accept the people and so instead of people getting accepted originally they have to wait until the people with slightly higher stats withdraw their applications from 14 of the 15 schools they were accepted at. Also, it would help the schools know which students were actually interested, and it would help narrow the gap between wealthy and poor students who can't afford to apply to fifteen schools. I think the idea of making it like the residency match is wonderful, but I don't see it happening...