My application status

[isidella]

For those who are considering MD/PhD, I wanted to post how my applications are coming along. I know this stuff is in other lists somewhere, but here is the big picture.

April 2002 MCAT (sucked)
August 2002 MCAT (rocked)
Submitted AMCAS mid September
Verified AMCAS mid October
17 schools on AMCAS application $630
17 secondary apps no pre-secondary rejections about $900

The schools/status:
Accepted-MUSC

Rejected-Yale, WashU, U Wash, Dartmouth

Interview offers-UVM, Utah, UConn, Rochester, SUNY Syracuse, Mayo, Colorado, SLU, UIC, KU

Not a peep- OHSU, Hopkins

Random Stuff -MD only interview offered at Wash U, MD only app still under consideration at Yale

Emotional Rollercoaster ride!

I am curious to know how the rest of ya'll are doing. Feel free to share your info!

Isid

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[CaNEM]

I never really broke down my application on SDN, so why not, I'll spill my guts now. Here are all the places I applied and where I stand:

Columbia - interviewed, decision expected in Feb/March
Cornell - interviewed, decision expected Dec 11
Georgetown - interviewed, invited for second look Jan 17
Jefferson - interview scheduled Dec 11
Harvard - no word, not expecting MSTP interview
Hopkins - interviewed, not offered MSTP seat, recommended for MD acceptance
MUSC - applied just recently, no word yet
NYU - app complete just recently, no word yet
Penn State - interviewed, decision expected in ~1 month
Temple - interviewed, accepted MD, MD/PhD decision Dec
U Penn - no word, not expecting MSTP interview
U Pitt - interviewed, invited for second look Jan 10-12
UT-Houston - interview scheduled Dec 5
Wash U - rejected MSTP pre-interview, interviewing MD Dec 16
Yale - applied just recently, no word yet

So there's me. =)

I have a good GPA and MCAT, but I've been having bad luck at some of the top schools because I have less research experience than top applicants, I come from a small-name school, and I do not have publications yet. I'm sure being a white male isn't helping me out much either. =)

 

[exigente chica]

Canem and Isdella are twovery qualified and nicest applicants on SDN, I wish both of you well and good luck in this process..and

You guys rock

 

[marq_bme]

I guess I'll break down my year so far. I would be what you call an average or slightly below average MSTP applicant. I think i've been extremely lucky/fortunate to have been granted the interviews I have so far.

August 2001 MCAT (33Q)
Submitted AMCAS mid July
Verified AMCAS early August
20 schools on AMCAS application $??
18 secondaries sent in $??

The schools/status:

Pre-Secondary Rejection:
Stanford

Pre-Interview Rejection:

UChicago MD
Dartmouth(MSTP + MD)
WashU MSTP
Cornell MSTP
UMich MSTP
UW Madison MSTP
Duke MSTP
UPitt MSTP
Harvard MSTP

Interviews Scheduled at..

Northwestern MSTP
Vanderbilt MSTP
Case Western MSTP
UCSD MSTP
MCW MSTP
UW-Madison MD
Harvard MD
Duke MD
Saint Louis MD

Accepted

Saint Louis MD
MCW MD

Not a Peep from:

UCLA/Caltech
Hopkins
UPenn
WashU MD
Cornell MD
Emory MSTP

 

[isidella]

I guess I can update this now that the story is almost over. Enjoy.

April 2002 MCAT (sucked)-$180

Examkrackers Audio Osmosis and Books-$175

August 2002 MCAT (rocked-at least I think so )-$180

AMCAS submitted mid-sept, verified mid-oct

17 schools on AMCAS $630

17 secondary apps $900

two suits and luggage $300

flight segments-24

minibottles of vodka on flights-17

# times oxygen masks fell in Northwest A319-once (and the bag does not inflate when oxygen is flowing)

hours on greyhound bus from Denver to Kansas City-13 (OMFG)

# times "Bob," (passenger sitting next to me on bus) fondled me-3

# times "Bob" drooled on me-countless

total travel expenses (even with help from many programs)-$1750

Dividend Miles earned-16,000

Grand total expenses-$4115 (probably more like 5K including vices)

The schools/status:
Accepted-MUSC, UVM, Utah, UConn, UIC, KU

Waitlist-Mayo, Rochester

Post Interview Status Unknown-Colorado

Rejected-Yale, WashU, U Wash, Dartmouth

Interviews declined-SUNY Syracuse, SLU

Not a peep- OHSU, Hopkins

Still don't know where I am going. . . But I sure am glad it is over.
Isid

 

[Mozart]

So here's my catharsis:

MCAT: (Aug 2001): 35S

GPA: 3.79 overall, 3.82 science only

Research length (by the time of AMCAS application): 2 years in the same lab

Research area: cardiovascular (nitric oxide, vascular biology)

Ugrad school and major: Stanford '03, Bio (w/ classics minor)

First-author publication: 1

AMCAS primary app submitted on July 22, 2002, verified Aug 15, 2002

AMCAS app submitted to 9 schools total, all MSTP, and got secondaries from all 9 schools by October (Duke is the latest to come)

# of secondaries completed: 7

# of MSTP interviews: 7

Grand total expense ~ $1700
Advice for travel: Go Southwest Airline! Pack food with you to avoid buying the $15 sandwich (only slightly larger than my fist!) offered at most airports.

Waitlisted: UCSF (February 20, 2003)

Rejected for MSTP: Duke (March 17, 2003)

Accepted MSTP:
U. of Pittsburgh (Jarnuary 11, 2003)
Stanford (February 7, 2003)
UC San Diego (February 12, 2003)
Harvard (March 9, 2003)
UCLA (March 13, 2003)

Advice for those who interview during their senior year: Avoid taking even normal courseload during the quarter of interview; it was a frustrating disaster for me to take just 3 classes...

Congrat everyone, and good luck for all the prospective applicants! I sincerely hope to meet you sometime along our medical career

 

[badger03]

Adding another profile:

April 2002 MCAT (35R)
GPA: 3.9+

AMCAS submitted late July
# of primaries: 11
# of secondaries received: 11
# of secondaries completed: 8 (7 MSTP, 1 non-MSTP MD-PhD)
# of interviews: 7

Undergrad: University of WI-Madison
Major: pharmacology & toxicology
Research: 2+ yrs of systems and molecular neuroscience (epilepsy) in the same lab
Publications: 2 in press (one as first author)

No word whatsoever:
Johns Hopkins (MSTP or MD)

Interviewed, waitlisted:
University of WI MSTP (withdrew both MSTP and MD)
Cornell MSTP (no word on MD)
Harvard MSTP (accepted MD)

Intervied, still waiting:
Stanford MSTP

Intervied, accepted:
University of MN-Twin Cities MSTP
Tufts MSTP
Boston University MD-PhD (will withdraw)
Harvard (MD only)

Total expenses: ~ $3500-4000 (a low estimate)

Advice for future applicants: I agree with Mozart concerning the appropriate courseload for the interview season. If you are still taking classes, be sure that you can handle missing lectures and having weekends in which little or no homework can be completed. Most of my interviews were during this current semester in which I have six classes. Way too much if you want to keep decent grades and have a life! I applied to schools at quite different levels just to increase my chances of acceptance (I had no idea how competitive my application would be for MD-PhD because most schools don't broadcast stats). In retrospect, I should have applied to more top tier schools to improve my chances of acceptance at that level. If the expenses seem high, realize that I flew to most interviews and often stayed a few days extra to see the city surrounding the school. I stayed with a friend once in Boston, but all the rest were nights spent at hotels (some were paid for, others not). I tried to stay with students, but never received notification in time.

I hope to meet more of you in the future.

 

[nooreen]

undergrad: USC (Biophysics & Biomedical Eng)
research: 3 summers (los alamos, NIH, Mayo) + extracurricular
no publications

GPA: 3.9
MCAT:11/13/11(R) April 2001

Interviewed, rejected:
Cornell
Hopkins
Harvard (accepted MD)
Stanford(waitlisted MD)
UCSD (waitlisted MD)

Interviewed, rejection pending:
UCLA
Northwestern

Will Interview:
U Chicago, next week

Interviewed, waitlisted:
U Penn
Mayo

Withdrew:
UIC (post-interview)
UIUC (post-interview)
Einstien (pre-interview)

Interviewed, accepted:
NYU
U Pitt
Wash U (Note: waitlisted for an MSTP interview)

Amount Spent: $5500 (consider flights from the west coast and also postage for letters proclaiming my love to Dr. Skip Brass)

It could be better, but it could be worse. I think there are some weaknesses in my application because I don't do very many extracurricular activities. Also, I am half-epygtian. I don't think there is discrimination, but it isn't a subject that I am comfortable discussing. This doesn't help during interviews. Future applicants should read the guide on jot's web page.

 

[surge]

Originally posted by nooreen

Interviewed, accepted:
NYU
U Pitt
Wash U (Note: waitlisted for an MSTP interview)

Hey, nooreen, so you're saying that you're in for MD at WashU, right? Do you think you'll go?

 

[bahraini]

Adding yet another applicant profile . . I guess I am curious to know how you guys interpret this particular profile.

Adding another profile:

April 2002 MCAT (36R)
GPA: 3.9+

F1 Student

AMCAS submitted JULY
# of primaries: 16
# of secondaries received: 16
# of secondaries completed: 16 (13 MSTP, 3 non-MSTP MD-PhD)
# of interviews: 11

Undergrad: New York University
Major: Chemistry, Neuroscience
Research: 3+ years of visual psychophysics, molecular neuroscience and behavioral neurosience
NO Publications

Waitlists:
Jefferson MDPHD
Penn State MDPHD
Columbia MD
Emory MD

Accepted:
TUFTS MDPHD
Southwestern MDPHD

Rejected Pre-Interview
Cornell
Baylor
Upenn
Northwestern

Rejected Post-Interview MSTP
Wash U
Duke
Yale
Emory MSTP
Columbia

EINSTEIN: Rejected MD, Waitlisted MDPHD
(whatever that means)

Waiting on SINAI

Total expenses: ~ $3500-4000

Somehow, I think the fact that I am an F1 played into this whole mess . . I don't know, I guess I need to blame something/someone . .