My Rant Against Med School Admissions

[albie1988]

In particular, my rant against how the med school admissions process selectively discriminates against Caucasians and Asians. First, a little bit about myself: I am an Asian male attending Columbia University. My GPA is 3.9+, and I got a 39S on my MCAT. I have 2 years of research, countless hours of volunteer experience, work experience in both medical and non-medical fields, and leadership positions in school clubs and student organizations. My recommendation letters were written by professors who really knew and liked my work, so I presume that they wrote great letters. And I live in South Jersey.

So far, I have gotten into four medical schools: Tufts, UMDNJ-NJMS, NYU, and Temple. Let me first say that I am thankful for receiving these four acceptances, and I am glad that I will be able to pursue my dream of becoming a physician. However, the number of waitlist and rejection decisions that I have received really bothers me. I was waitlisted at Mount Sinai, the University of Chicago, and even Robert Wood Johnson as an in-state NJ resident, which is extremely perplexing. I was rejected without even receiving an interview invite at Cornell and Johns Hopkins, was deferred at Penn, and have not heard back at all from Harvard or Columbia. Granted, I know that these are all top-notch schools, and I would never expect to receive positive news from all of them. However, I find it incomprehensible that I should have received negative news from all of these schools, considering the strength of my application. And then as I peruse MDapplicants, I see people with significantly lower scores and less impressive applications than mine getting acceptances to these schools, and these applicants are almost all URMs. Okay, so I know that scores don't mean everything, and I'm not going to say a kid with a 39 on the MCAT is much better than one with a 35. But when I see kids with a 30 on the MCAT getting accepted to schools I got waitlisted or rejected at, and the only distinguishing feature about them is that they are a URM, do you know how frustrating that is? I don't care how "unique" or "amazing" your life experiences are, but unless they've cured cancer or mapped the human genome, there is no reason why someone with a 30 should be getting accepted over me. There is a significant difference between a 39 and a 30 on the MCAT, and it's a joke that applicants with scores so much lower than mine are getting interviews and acceptances when I'm getting neither. I have seen URM applicants getting interviews at Harvard and Penn and Johns Hopkins with a 30, 31 on the MCAT and 3.5 GPAs. And then there's me, sitting here with a 39 and 3.9+ from Columbia, getting rejected. Me, getting waitlisted at Robert Wood Johnson and Mount Sinai. Really, Robert Wood Johnson??? Are you s****ing me??? It is called the Medical College Admissions Test for a reason; it's not the be-all, end-all, but what is the point of having an admissions test if you are going to disregard it for certain applicants while holding others to higher standards? I saw an African American applicant's MDapps page; with a 30, she got interviews at Harvard, Yale, and Penn, got waitlisted at Johns Hopkins, and was accepted at Robert Wood. As for me, I haven't heard back from Harvard or Yale, got deferred from Penn, got rejected pre-interview from Johns Hopkins, and was waitlisted at Robert Wood. You know what would happen if I got a 30 on the MCAT? I'd be lucky just to get into any med school and would have absolutely no shot of getting into any top school. But if a URM gets a 30, suddenly all of the top schools are falling over themselves to get that student. What the f***?! I feel so frustrated knowing that all of the effort I put into studying for the MCAT, maintaining a good GPA, and participating in all of my activities means nothing in the grand scheme of things, because it just makes me an average Asian applicant, whereas if I were a URM with the same exact application, I'd have my pick of any med school in the country. The American medical school application system is a joke, and I am so fed up with dealing with all of this bs discrimination against Asians. We're basically getting penalized for being smart and successful, while other groups are getting special treatment.

So there, that's my rant against med schools admissions. Am I frustrated? Yes. Am I bitter? Yes. Am I pissed off? Hell yes. I know that the med school application process is somewhat unpredictable and that I can't expect to get into all of the schools I apply to. But seeing URM applicants with significantly less impressive applications getting into the schools I have already gotten rejected or waitlisted at just makes me want to punch something. I can't wait for this whole application process to be done and over with so that I don't have to deal with anymore of this bs.

[/rant]

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[Dreaming big]

In particular, my rant against how the med school admissions process selectively discriminates against Caucasians and Asians. First, a little bit about myself: I am an Asian male attending Columbia University. My GPA is 3.9+, and I got a 39S on my MCAT. I have 2 years of research, countless hours of volunteer experience, work experience in both medical and non-medical fields, and leadership positions in school clubs and student organizations. My recommendation letters were written by professors who really knew and liked my work, so I presume that they wrote great letters. And I live in South Jersey.

So far, I have gotten into four medical schools: Tufts, UMDNJ-NJMS, NYU, and Temple. Let me first say that I am thankful for receiving these four acceptances, and I am glad that I will be able to pursue my dream of becoming a physician. However, the number of waitlist and rejection decisions that I have received really bothers me. I was waitlisted at Mount Sinai, the University of Chicago, and even Robert Wood Johnson as an in-state NJ resident, which is extremely perplexing. I was rejected without even receiving an interview invite at Cornell and Johns Hopkins, was deferred at Penn, and have not heard back at all from Harvard or Columbia. Granted, I know that these are all top-notch schools, and I would never expect to receive positive news from all of them. However, I find it incomprehensible that I should have received negative news from all of these schools, considering the strength of my application. And then as I peruse MDapplicants, I see people with significantly lower scores and less impressive applications than mine getting acceptances to these schools, and these applicants are almost all URMs. Okay, so I know that scores don't mean everything, and I'm not going to say a kid with a 39 on the MCAT is much better than one with a 35. But when I see kids with a 30 on the MCAT getting accepted to schools I got waitlisted or rejected at, and the only distinguishing feature about them is that they are a URM, do you know how frustrating that is? I don't care how "unique" or "amazing" your life experiences are, but unless they've cured cancer or mapped the human genome, there is no reason why someone with a 30 should be getting accepted over me. There is a significant difference between a 39 and a 30 on the MCAT, and it's a joke that applicants with scores so much lower than mine are getting interviews and acceptances when I'm getting neither. I have seen URM applicants getting interviews at Harvard and Penn and Johns Hopkins with a 30, 31 on the MCAT and 3.5 GPAs. And then there's me, sitting here with a 39 and 3.9+ from Columbia, getting rejected. Me, getting waitlisted at Robert Wood Johnson and Mount Sinai. Really, Robert Wood Johnson??? Are you s****ing me??? It is called the Medical College Admissions Test for a reason; it's not the be-all, end-all, but what is the point of having an admissions test if you are going to disregard it for certain applicants while holding others to higher standards? I saw an African American applicant's MDapps page; with a 30, she got interviews at Harvard, Yale, and Penn, got waitlisted at Johns Hopkins, and was accepted at Robert Wood. As for me, I haven't heard back from Harvard or Yale, got deferred from Penn, got rejected pre-interview from Johns Hopkins, and was waitlisted at Robert Wood. You know what would happen if I got a 30 on the MCAT? I'd be lucky just to get into any med school and would have absolutely no shot of getting into any top school. But if a URM gets a 30, suddenly all of the top schools are falling over themselves to get that student. What the f***?! I feel so frustrated knowing that all of the effort I put into studying for the MCAT, maintaining a good GPA, and participating in all of my activities means nothing in the grand scheme of things, because it just makes me an average Asian applicant, whereas if I were a URM with the same exact application, I'd have my pick of any med school in the country. The American medical school application system is a joke, and I am so fed up with dealing with all of this bs discrimination against Asians. We're basically getting penalized for being smart and successful, while other groups are getting special treatment.

So there, that's my rant against med schools admissions. Am I frustrated? Yes. Am I bitter? Yes. Am I pissed off? Hell yes. I know that the med school application process is somewhat unpredictable and that I can't expect to get into all of the schools I apply to. But seeing URM applicants with significantly less impressive applications getting into the schools I have already gotten rejected or waitlisted at just makes me want to punch something. I can't wait for this whole application process to be done and over with so that I don't have to deal with anymore of this bs.

[/rant]

I see.............

 

[BestDoctorEver]

In particular, my rant against how the med school admissions process selectively discriminates against Caucasians and Asians. First, a little bit about myself: I am an Asian male attending Columbia University. My GPA is 3.9+, and I got a 39S on my MCAT. I have 2 years of research, countless hours of volunteer experience, work experience in both medical and non-medical fields, and leadership positions in school clubs and student organizations. My recommendation letters were written by professors who really knew and liked my work, so I presume that they wrote great letters. And I live in South Jersey.

So far, I have gotten into four medical schools: Tufts, UMDNJ-NJMS, NYU, and Temple. Let me first say that I am thankful for receiving these four acceptances, and I am glad that I will be able to pursue my dream of becoming a physician. However, the number of waitlist and rejection decisions that I have received really bothers me. I was waitlisted at Mount Sinai, the University of Chicago, and even Robert Wood Johnson as an in-state NJ resident, which is extremely perplexing. I was rejected without even receiving an interview invite at Cornell and Johns Hopkins, was deferred at Penn, and have not heard back at all from Harvard or Columbia. Granted, I know that these are all top-notch schools, and I would never expect to receive positive news from all of them. However, I find it incomprehensible that I should have received negative news from all of these schools, considering the strength of my application. And then as I peruse MDapplicants, I see people with significantly lower scores and less impressive applications than mine getting acceptances to these schools, and these applicants are almost all URMs. Okay, so I know that scores don't mean everything, and I'm not going to say a kid with a 39 on the MCAT is much better than one with a 35. But when I see kids with a 30 on the MCAT getting accepted to schools I got waitlisted or rejected at, and the only distinguishing feature about them is that they are a URM, do you know how frustrating that is? I don't care how "unique" or "amazing" your life experiences are, but unless they've cured cancer or mapped the human genome, there is no reason why someone with a 30 should be getting accepted over me. There is a significant difference between a 39 and a 30 on the MCAT, and it's a joke that applicants with scores so much lower than mine are getting interviews and acceptances when I'm getting neither. I have seen URM applicants getting interviews at Harvard and Penn and Johns Hopkins with a 30, 31 on the MCAT and 3.5 GPAs. And then there's me, sitting here with a 39 and 3.9+ from Columbia, getting rejected. Me, getting waitlisted at Robert Wood Johnson and Mount Sinai. Really, Robert Wood Johnson??? Are you s****ing me??? It is called the Medical College Admissions Test for a reason; it's not the be-all, end-all, but what is the point of having an admissions test if you are going to disregard it for certain applicants while holding others to higher standards? I saw an African American applicant's MDapps page; with a 30, she got interviews at Harvard, Yale, and Penn, got waitlisted at Johns Hopkins, and was accepted at Robert Wood. As for me, I haven't heard back from Harvard or Yale, got deferred from Penn, got rejected pre-interview from Johns Hopkins, and was waitlisted at Robert Wood. You know what would happen if I got a 30 on the MCAT? I'd be lucky just to get into any med school and would have absolutely no shot of getting into any top school. But if a URM gets a 30, suddenly all of the top schools are falling over themselves to get that student. What the f***?! I feel so frustrated knowing that all of the effort I put into studying for the MCAT, maintaining a good GPA, and participating in all of my activities means nothing in the grand scheme of things, because it just makes me an average Asian applicant, whereas if I were a URM with the same exact application, I'd have my pick of any med school in the country. The American medical school application system is a joke, and I am so fed up with dealing with all of this bs discrimination against Asians. We're basically getting penalized for being smart and successful, while other groups are getting special treatment.

So there, that's my rant against med schools admissions. Am I frustrated? Yes. Am I bitter? Yes. Am I pissed off? Hell yes. I know that the med school application process is somewhat unpredictable and that I can't expect to get into all of the schools I apply to. But seeing URM applicants with significantly less impressive applications getting into the schools I have already gotten rejected or waitlisted at just makes me want to punch something. I can't wait for this whole application process to be done and over with so that I don't have to deal with anymore of this bs.

[/rant]

You already had 4 acceptances. There are people who would be thrill to have one. Please stop this non sense.

 

[VTBuc]

The logic behind it(whether faulty or not) is that you come from a much better socioeconomic situation than a lot of URMs and have had more opportunity in education than them.

On average, an Asian family makes $27,000 more yearly than a Black family and $23,000 more yearly than a Hispanic family.

 

[ITreat]

Can you all the admission office and ask why? I really hope it isnt as bad as you described because I have the same stats as you and I am Asian. Well actually the average Asian matriculates doesn't have that much higher of stats (maybe URM status become much more important for higher ranked school).

VTBuc where did you get that stats? last time I check Asian still on average make much less than Caucasians. It is just culture wise Asian value education more and work much harder (especially in high school), so much lower dropout rate.

 

[TaylorMDhopeful]

In particular, my rant against how the med school admissions process selectively discriminates against Caucasians and Asians. First, a little bit about myself: I am an Asian male attending Columbia University. My GPA is 3.9+, and I got a 39S on my MCAT. I have 2 years of research, countless hours of volunteer experience, work experience in both medical and non-medical fields, and leadership positions in school clubs and student organizations. My recommendation letters were written by professors who really knew and liked my work, so I presume that they wrote great letters. And I live in South Jersey.

So far, I have gotten into four medical schools: Tufts, UMDNJ-NJMS, NYU, and Temple. Let me first say that I am thankful for receiving these four acceptances, and I am glad that I will be able to pursue my dream of becoming a physician. However, the number of waitlist and rejection decisions that I have received really bothers me. I was waitlisted at Mount Sinai, the University of Chicago, and even Robert Wood Johnson as an in-state NJ resident, which is extremely perplexing. I was rejected without even receiving an interview invite at Cornell and Johns Hopkins, was deferred at Penn, and have not heard back at all from Harvard or Columbia. Granted, I know that these are all top-notch schools, and I would never expect to receive positive news from all of them. However, I find it incomprehensible that I should have received negative news from all of these schools, considering the strength of my application. And then as I peruse MDapplicants, I see people with significantly lower scores and less impressive applications than mine getting acceptances to these schools, and these applicants are almost all URMs. Okay, so I know that scores don't mean everything, and I'm not going to say a kid with a 39 on the MCAT is much better than one with a 35. But when I see kids with a 30 on the MCAT getting accepted to schools I got waitlisted or rejected at, and the only distinguishing feature about them is that they are a URM, do you know how frustrating that is? I don't care how "unique" or "amazing" your life experiences are, but unless they've cured cancer or mapped the human genome, there is no reason why someone with a 30 should be getting accepted over me. There is a significant difference between a 39 and a 30 on the MCAT, and it's a joke that applicants with scores so much lower than mine are getting interviews and acceptances when I'm getting neither. I have seen URM applicants getting interviews at Harvard and Penn and Johns Hopkins with a 30, 31 on the MCAT and 3.5 GPAs. And then there's me, sitting here with a 39 and 3.9+ from Columbia, getting rejected. Me, getting waitlisted at Robert Wood Johnson and Mount Sinai. Really, Robert Wood Johnson??? Are you s****ing me??? It is called the Medical College Admissions Test for a reason; it's not the be-all, end-all, but what is the point of having an admissions test if you are going to disregard it for certain applicants while holding others to higher standards? I saw an African American applicant's MDapps page; with a 30, she got interviews at Harvard, Yale, and Penn, got waitlisted at Johns Hopkins, and was accepted at Robert Wood. As for me, I haven't heard back from Harvard or Yale, got deferred from Penn, got rejected pre-interview from Johns Hopkins, and was waitlisted at Robert Wood. You know what would happen if I got a 30 on the MCAT? I'd be lucky just to get into any med school and would have absolutely no shot of getting into any top school. But if a URM gets a 30, suddenly all of the top schools are falling over themselves to get that student. What the f***?! I feel so frustrated knowing that all of the effort I put into studying for the MCAT, maintaining a good GPA, and participating in all of my activities means nothing in the grand scheme of things, because it just makes me an average Asian applicant, whereas if I were a URM with the same exact application, I'd have my pick of any med school in the country. The American medical school application system is a joke, and I am so fed up with dealing with all of this bs discrimination against Asians. We're basically getting penalized for being smart and successful, while other groups are getting special treatment.

So there, that's my rant against med schools admissions. Am I frustrated? Yes. Am I bitter? Yes. Am I pissed off? Hell yes. I know that the med school application process is somewhat unpredictable and that I can't expect to get into all of the schools I apply to. But seeing URM applicants with significantly less impressive applications getting into the schools I have already gotten rejected or waitlisted at just makes me want to punch something. I can't wait for this whole application process to be done and over with so that I don't have to deal with anymore of this bs.

[/rant]

Nice first post *ehmm...troll...cough*

39 and 3.9+ is way above average for Asians, Caucasians, etc. If you are getting waitlisted and rejected with those stats then you have a problem with your application. Maybe the sense of entitlement that screams out in this rant of yours was present all over your app and your words during your interview. You have acceptances, get over yourself. Good luck on the rest of your interview season (as there are many more interviews left to go out).

Peace

 

[Tutmos]

Is it possible that there was something they didn't like about your personal statement? Perhaps you came across as arrogant or some other characteristic they don't think will make for a good physician? I'm just throwing out ideas so don't assume I'm suggesting anything about you.

 

[mmmcdowe]

In particular, my rant against how the med school admissions process selectively discriminates against Caucasians and Asians. First, a little bit about myself: I am an Asian male attending Columbia University. My GPA is 3.9+, and I got a 39S on my MCAT. I have 2 years of research, countless hours of volunteer experience, work experience in both medical and non-medical fields, and leadership positions in school clubs and student organizations. My recommendation letters were written by professors who really knew and liked my work, so I presume that they wrote great letters. And I live in South Jersey.

So far, I have gotten into four medical schools: Tufts, UMDNJ-NJMS, NYU, and Temple. Let me first say that I am thankful for receiving these four acceptances, and I am glad that I will be able to pursue my dream of becoming a physician. However, the number of waitlist and rejection decisions that I have received really bothers me. I was waitlisted at Mount Sinai, the University of Chicago, and even Robert Wood Johnson as an in-state NJ resident, which is extremely perplexing. I was rejected without even receiving an interview invite at Cornell and Johns Hopkins, was deferred at Penn, and have not heard back at all from Harvard or Columbia. Granted, I know that these are all top-notch schools, and I would never expect to receive positive news from all of them. However, I find it incomprehensible that I should have received negative news from all of these schools, considering the strength of my application. And then as I peruse MDapplicants, I see people with significantly lower scores and less impressive applications than mine getting acceptances to these schools, and these applicants are almost all URMs. Okay, so I know that scores don't mean everything, and I'm not going to say a kid with a 39 on the MCAT is much better than one with a 35. But when I see kids with a 30 on the MCAT getting accepted to schools I got waitlisted or rejected at, and the only distinguishing feature about them is that they are a URM, do you know how frustrating that is? I don't care how "unique" or "amazing" your life experiences are, but unless they've cured cancer or mapped the human genome, there is no reason why someone with a 30 should be getting accepted over me. There is a significant difference between a 39 and a 30 on the MCAT, and it's a joke that applicants with scores so much lower than mine are getting interviews and acceptances when I'm getting neither. I have seen URM applicants getting interviews at Harvard and Penn and Johns Hopkins with a 30, 31 on the MCAT and 3.5 GPAs. And then there's me, sitting here with a 39 and 3.9+ from Columbia, getting rejected. Me, getting waitlisted at Robert Wood Johnson and Mount Sinai. Really, Robert Wood Johnson??? Are you s****ing me??? It is called the Medical College Admissions Test for a reason; it's not the be-all, end-all, but what is the point of having an admissions test if you are going to disregard it for certain applicants while holding others to higher standards? I saw an African American applicant's MDapps page; with a 30, she got interviews at Harvard, Yale, and Penn, got waitlisted at Johns Hopkins, and was accepted at Robert Wood. As for me, I haven't heard back from Harvard or Yale, got deferred from Penn, got rejected pre-interview from Johns Hopkins, and was waitlisted at Robert Wood. You know what would happen if I got a 30 on the MCAT? I'd be lucky just to get into any med school and would have absolutely no shot of getting into any top school. But if a URM gets a 30, suddenly all of the top schools are falling over themselves to get that student. What the f***?! I feel so frustrated knowing that all of the effort I put into studying for the MCAT, maintaining a good GPA, and participating in all of my activities means nothing in the grand scheme of things, because it just makes me an average Asian applicant, whereas if I were a URM with the same exact application, I'd have my pick of any med school in the country. The American medical school application system is a joke, and I am so fed up with dealing with all of this bs discrimination against Asians. We're basically getting penalized for being smart and successful, while other groups are getting special treatment.

So there, that's my rant against med schools admissions. Am I frustrated? Yes. Am I bitter? Yes. Am I pissed off? Hell yes. I know that the med school application process is somewhat unpredictable and that I can't expect to get into all of the schools I apply to. But seeing URM applicants with significantly less impressive applications getting into the schools I have already gotten rejected or waitlisted at just makes me want to punch something. I can't wait for this whole application process to be done and over with so that I don't have to deal with anymore of this bs.

[/rant]

http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php...:0,search_areaofstudy:0,psr:0,orderby:,order:

Have faith and play the cards that you are dealt.

 

[Tatastrophy]

I have seen URM applicants getting interviews at Harvard and Penn and Johns Hopkins with a 30, 31 on the MCAT and 3.5 GPAs. And then there's me, sitting here with a 39 and 3.9+ from Columbia, getting rejected. Me, getting waitlisted at Robert Wood Johnson and Mount Sinai. Really, Robert Wood Johnson??? Are you s****ing me??? It is called the Medical College AdmissionsTest for a reason; it's not the be-all, end-all, but what is the point of having an admissions test if you are going to disregard it for certain applicants while holding others to higher standards? I saw an African American applicant's MDapps page; with a 30, she got interviews at Harvard, Yale, and Penn, got waitlisted at Johns Hopkins, and was accepted at Robert Wood. As for me, I haven't heard back from Harvard or Yale, got deferred from Penn, got rejected pre-interview from Johns Hopkins, and was waitlisted at Robert Wood. You know what would happen if I got a 30 on the MCAT? I'd be lucky just to get into any med school and would have absolutely no shot of getting into any top school. But if a URM gets a 30, suddenly all of the top schools are falling over themselves to get that student. What the f***?! I feel so frustrated knowing that all of the effort I put into studying for the MCAT, maintaining a good GPA, and participating in all of my activities means nothing in the grand scheme of things, because it just makes me an average Asian applicant, whereas if I were a URM with the same exact application, I'd have my pick of any med school in the country. The American medical school application system is a joke, and I am so fed up with dealing with all of this bs discrimination against Asians. We're basically getting penalized for being smart and successful, while other groups are getting special treatment.

[/rant]

I understand that you are frustrated that scores don't necessarily mean admission. I thank God that this is the case, actually.
Yes, MCAT score is probably one of the better indicators of quality of education one receives and is probably the only standardized way to compare applicants. However, here is what I noticed from your...rant- that bolded text up there is the only time you mention ECs. Here is what it says to me (although I am no ad com member)-it says to me that you did very little to give back to your community or cared very little about it. And you know what-lack of passion for creating change around you shows. While I've been interviewing-I met so many amazing people of ALL races who are passionate about medicine and people and music. I feel none of that from you.
So, at the risk of receiving hate mail for eternity-I will say that the problem is not who your parents are or where you are from but your lack of personal growth. Good news is that while you cannot change the former, the latter just requires a little time...perhaps 4 years at Tufts, UMDNJ-NJMS, NYU, or Temple.

 

[xanthomondo]

Where in South Jersey?

 

[RogueUnicorn]

wahhh wahhhh wahhhh

 

[235009]

how were ur essays and your interviewing skills. from the looks of it i'm sure you'll say they were spectacular because you clearly think really highly of yourself but those might have been holding you back.

anyway, point is that you need diversity in medical school because asian or caucasian future physicians will likely have no interest in serving certain populations or working in certain neighborhoods. at the end of the day, despite lowering the bar for underrepresented minorities you only have ~10% of med students from underrepresented minorities.

bottom line though is that it sounds that you care more about prestige than you do about becoming a doctor. maybe this lack of passion showed in your application. i'm very disappointed that this immature and entitled rant was from a fellow CU alum.

 

[brooklynblunder]

i guessed that this thread would be predictable and i was right. what do i get?

 

[Law2Doc]

...However, I find it incomprehensible that I should have received negative news from all of these schools, considering the strength of my application.

Hate to break it to you but at these top schools, folks with your credentials and application "strength" are a dime a dozen. You really need to set yourself apart to get into some of those places, with things in addition to the usual premed good grades, MCAT scores, and research/volunteering. I think you have to shake this sense of entitlement that comes across in your post. You got into 4 very solid med schools. I'm willing to bet that you are going to have to work very hard to keep up with a lot of your classmates at those programs. Don't kid yourself into thinking you deserve something better. Half the med school applicants don't get any acceptances, and of those who do get in, most aren't getting 4. Getting into any US allo med school is quite competitive these days, and kudos for having the success you did. But to whine that you weren't in the 150 people who got past the other 9000 applications that Cornell, Penn or Hopkins gleaned through is pretty darn petty. I think you will do very well for yourself if you get happy about one of your acceptances and do well there. No doors are closed to you with any of these places, all have decent opportunities for research, and should be suitable launching pads for any specialty. So just decide where you want to spend the next 4 years and get psyched. Nobody likes a whiner, and they like one even less when he really has nothing to whine about. Blaming minorities because you are "stuck" going to a great med school that doesn't have the cache of a Hopkins is pretty lame. I think if you could stand back and read your post with the objectivity of a third person, you would probably not think so highly of your post.

 

[FallenHero]

yeah ok buddy, even with this 'discrimination', your asian/caucasian brethren still make up the majority of medical students and many asian/caucasian applicants have already gained acceptance to top-tier universities which you are waitlisted at. so im pretty sure its YOU and not the system bro keep up the rant

 

[Zona Pellucida]

I want one.

Bye.

 

[stevesavi]

Hey man (OP), you are absolutely right but you cant say this sort of stuff or you get banned for being a troll. We all have to accept that its important what you look like and that if 15% of our country looks a certain way than there is a moral imperative for 15% of our physicians to look that way. And also something about if your demographic tends to make less money than of course you wouldn't score well on a standardized test even though you have taken all of the prerequisites necessary to succeed on said test.

 

[tkim]

blah. blah. blah.

Great stats. Good ECs. Did your PS give any hint that you are a tool? This rant does. It's tough being a perfect paper Asian applicant. But that's what you are. Because, even if you're one in a million, there's a thousand guys, just like you.

 

[NickNaylor]

I do think the OP is being a bit entitled, but I think most everyone can agree that the URM system is... flawed at best. I know several friends that are "minorities" that are intending to apply as URM, despite the fact that they are socioeconomically above average and have probably never experienced any sort of racial prejudice in their lives. How does that make sense?

I'm sure there are people that have been dealt a bad hand, and they should definitely receive some sort of compensation. But the URM program seems to be a silly "get into med school free card" that only certain people get to use, regardless of whether or not they actually DESERVE such a program.

I will go play some Civilization IV now.

 

[Techmed07]

 

[mmmcdowe]

Something that I have found more and more that medicine is much more about doing what is necessary, rather than what is right. I don't think that affirmative action is right, but I also don't think that health care disparities are right either. So, it is necessary that affirmative action exists until something else can be done. I also would like to echo what other people have said about URMs being exactly that, minorities. They really don't "steal" that many spots regardless of whether or not they are favored unfairly. I would also have to agree that top tier medical schools do struggle to recruit URMs. The number of applicants is a lot lower, so there is a lot of fighting among schools in order to get a balanced number of them. A lot of schools are left out of the rat race due to the fact that it often comes down to having a lot of prestige or a lot of scholarship money. If you don't have either, you are crunched.

 

[298609]

3.9 and 39 are confusing to adcoms and make it look like you're making **** up. just like a 3.8 and 38, 3.7 37, etc. maybe bump that 39 up to a 40 and you'll get those acceptances.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

3.9 and 39 are confusing to adcoms and make it look like you're making **** up. just like a 3.8 and 38, 3.7 37, etc. maybe bump that 39 up to a 40 and you'll get those acceptances.

 

[albie1988]

You already had 4 acceptances. There are people who would be thrill to have one. Please stop this non sense.

Second paragraph, second sentence: read it. I already said that I'm thankful for my acceptances. But if all of the work and effort that I put in to having such a strong application, one that would give me the best chance of getting into my favorite school, doesn't matter, then yes, I feel like I have a right to be frustrated.

And before you say something about me being elitist, my favorite school was Mount Sinai, which wasn't the highest-ranked school I interviewed at.

Nice first post *ehmm...troll...cough*

39 and 3.9+ is way above average for Asians, Caucasians, etc. If you are getting waitlisted and rejected with those stats then you have a problem with your application. Maybe the sense of entitlement that screams out in this rant of yours was present all over your app and your words during your interview. You have acceptances, get over yourself. Good luck on the rest of your interview season (as there are many more interviews left to go out).



Peace

First post, yes, because I finally made an account just to express my frustrations. I've visited this site quite frequently in the past to read the School Specific threads.

Anyway, I'm not some socially inept person or an outwardly cocky a**hole. Though I'm sure you'll have a hard time seeing me as such based on my rant above, I can assure you that I am a humble and down-to-Earth type of person. Personally, I feel that I do have a right to feel entitled to getting accepted to a top school, what with my grades, scores, and experiences. Who doesn't feel entitled to receiving the rewards which they deserve?

Finally, yes, as I said in my second paragraph, I'm thankful for my four acceptances. But with my application, yeah, I feel like I should have gotten more positive news than I've gotten to this point.

Is it possible that there was something they didn't like about your personal statement? Perhaps you came across as arrogant or some other characteristic they don't think will make for a good physician? I'm just throwing out ideas so don't assume I'm suggesting anything about you.

I understand that my rant above screams arrogance and entitlement, but I can assure you that my personality is anything but. I am definitely never that guy.

I understand that you are frustrated that scores don't necessarily mean admission. I thank God that this is the case, actually.
Yes, MCAT score is probably one of the better indicators of quality of education one receives and is probably the only standardized way to compare applicants. However, here is what I noticed from your...rant- that bolded text up there is the only time you mention ECs. Here is what it says to me (although I am no ad com member)-it says to me that you did very little to give back to your community or cared very little about it. And you know what-lack of passion for creating change around you shows. While I've been interviewing-I met so many amazing people of ALL races who are passionate about medicine and people and music. I feel none of that from you.
So, at the risk of receiving hate mail for eternity-I will say that the problem is not who your parents are or where you are from but your lack of personal growth. Good news is that while you cannot change the former, the latter just requires a little time...perhaps 4 years at Tufts, UMDNJ-NJMS, NYU, or Temple.

Actually, most of my ECs were community-based. I volunteered at a hospital for 2 years and worked with high school students who were struggling in their classes while at Columbia. I've got 2 years of research experience and worked at a physician's office for a summer. So it's not like I have no community volunteer experiences...

 

[298609]

sux2bu i guess

 

[jckut10]

.

 

[brooklynblunder]

you won't get what you always deserve though and you can't blame your country every single time that happens. with experience, i think you'll learn to deal with these situations.

 

[VTBuc]

Can you all the admission office and ask why? I really hope it isnt as bad as you described because I have the same stats as you and I am Asian. Well actually the average Asian matriculates doesn't have that much higher of stats (maybe URM status become much more important for higher ranked school).

VTBuc where did you get that stats? last time I check Asian still on average make much less than Caucasians. It is just culture wise Asian value education more and work much harder (especially in high school), so much lower dropout rate.

Look at any United States census. Asians by far make much more than any other racial group, followed by Whites, Hispanics, and then Blacks.

 

[Tatastrophy]

Actually, most of my ECs were community-based. I volunteered at a hospital for 2 years and worked with high school students who were struggling in their classes while at Columbia. I've got 2 years of research experience and worked at a physician's office for a summer. So it's not like I have no community volunteer experiences...

That is all very nice but my statement about lack of passion stands. Seriously, though-whether you mean to or not- your sense of entitlement is probably the most visible feature of your complaint. That is your issue.
The season is not over yet, top schools are still giving out interviews. Regardless of how season ends up for you-I would really think about what you want out of this profession and life in general. I think that should help you focus your energies in the right directions for the right reasons.

 

[albie1988]

how were ur essays and your interviewing skills. from the looks of it i'm sure you'll say they were spectacular because you clearly think really highly of yourself but those might have been holding you back.

anyway, point is that you need diversity in medical school because asian or caucasian future physicians will likely have no interest in serving certain populations or working in certain neighborhoods. at the end of the day, despite lowering the bar for underrepresented minorities you only have ~10% of med students from underrepresented minorities.

bottom line though is that it sounds that you care more about prestige than you do about becoming a doctor. maybe this lack of passion showed in your application. i'm very disappointed that this immature and entitled rant was from a fellow CU alum.

Hate to break it to you but at these top schools, folks with your credentials and application "strength" are a dime a dozen. You really need to set yourself apart to get into some of those places, with things in addition to the usual premed good grades, MCAT scores, and research/volunteering. I think you have to shake this sense of entitlement that comes across in your post. You got into 4 very solid med schools. I'm willing to bet that you are going to have to work very hard to keep up with a lot of your classmates at those programs. Don't kid yourself into thinking you deserve something better. Half the med school applicants don't get any acceptances, and of those who do get in, most aren't getting 4. Getting into any US allo med school is quite competitive these days, and kudos for having the success you did. But to whine that you weren't in the 150 people who got past the other 9000 applications that Cornell, Penn or Hopkins gleaned through is pretty darn petty. I think you will do very well for yourself if you get happy about one of your acceptances and do well there. No doors are closed to you with any of these places, all have decent opportunities for research, and should be suitable launching pads for any specialty. So just decide where you want to spend the next 4 years and get psyched. Nobody likes a whiner, and they like one even less when he really has nothing to whine about. Blaming minorities because you are "stuck" going to a great med school that doesn't have the cache of a Hopkins is pretty lame. I think if you could stand back and read your post with the objectivity of a third person, you would probably not think so highly of your post.

Hey man (OP), you are absolutely right but you cant say this sort of stuff or you get banned for being a troll. We all have to accept that its important what you look like and that if 15% of our country looks a certain way than there is a moral imperative for 15% of our physicians to look that way. And also something about if your demographic tends to make less money than of course you wouldn't score well on a standardized test even though you have taken all of the prerequisites necessary to succeed on said test.

Great stats. Good ECs. Did your PS give any hint that you are a tool? This rant does. It's tough being a perfect paper Asian applicant. But that's what you are. Because, even if you're one in a million, there's a thousand guys, just like you.

I do think the OP is being a bit entitled, but I think most everyone can agree that the URM system is... flawed at best. I know several friends that are "minorities" that are intending to apply as URM, despite the fact that they are socioeconomically above average and have probably never experienced any sort of racial prejudice in their lives. How does that make sense?

I'm sure there are people that have been dealt a bad hand, and they should definitely receive some sort of compensation. But the URM program seems to be a silly "get into med school free card" that only certain people get to use, regardless of whether or not they actually DESERVE such a program.

I will go play some Civilization IV now.

Of course my rant comes off as a sense of entitlement. How else can a rant come out as? Humble???

But to everyone who keeps saying it, no, I am NOT a cocky, arrogant, entitled a**. You'd have to be an idiot to talk like that during an interview. But I think most people can relate to the feeling of not getting back what they deserve. I don't expect to get into Harvard, Yale, Penn, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and Cornell. But to not get even ONE interview out of all of these schools?? Yeah, I'm a bit pissed off.

 

[chocolaterie]

Well you wrote and ranted. I hope this helps to alleviate some of the frustration that you feel. But the system is in place for a reason.
I'm Asian as well, with a 3.9+ gpa, but I have a sorry ass mcat score. I'm on a pre-interview hold, and if I don't get in this cycle, I know I only have myself to blame. I have seen other students with my mcat score and lower gpa's getting accepted... with less meaningful activities and some not so great personal statements...but you know what? It doesn't matter. In the end you'll be a physician. Stop comparing yourself to the other applicants, it will only make you crazy. Focus on what you have and if you haven't made a decision with the four that you've been accepted too, re-evaluate/revisit them. Get excited about being accepted, don't dwell on the things you can't change.

 

[ahmcadams]

I don't think you understand how numbers are traditionally viewed by adcoms. Past a certain GPA and MCAT, there are diminishing returns to how much further improvements in stats help your application. The top schools could fill their incoming classes several times over with the applicants that have academic credentials that they view equivalent to yours. Any number of things could be holding you back - a late application, an uninspiring personal statement, or just a lack of something distinguishing besides top numbers that aren't as impressive as you probably believe them to be.

Still, the cycle is far from over, so see how things pan out before you make it rain self-entitlement.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

the most convincing way to get people to believe that you're humble and down to earth is to tell everyone that you are.

 

[glypha1104]

Oh good God!!!!!

 

[298609]

 

[albie1988]

I don't think you understand how numbers are traditionally viewed by adcoms. Past a certain GPA and MCAT, there are diminishing returns to how much further improvements in stats help your application. The top schools could fill their incoming classes several times over with the applicants that have academic credentials that they view equivalent to yours. Any number of things could be holding you back - a late application, an uninspiring personal statement, or just a lack of something distinguishing besides top numbers that aren't as impressive as you probably believe them to be.

Still, the cycle is far from over, so see how things pan out before you make it rain self-entitlement.

Yeah, I know that there are diminishing returns on scores and numbers, which is why I don't consider myself any better than someone with, say, a 35 MCAT and a 3.7 GPA. But there is a BIG difference between a 30 and 39 on the MCAT.

 

[albie1988]

the most convincing way to get people to believe that you're humble and down to earth is to tell everyone that you are.

You're a riot.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

You're a riot.

you're so humble and likable.

 

[Tatastrophy]

bleargh-i really miss your old avatar.
it elevated your point like 1000X lol

 

[Bernoull]

Looks like your sense of entitlement and arrogance reaked through ur essays. First off, u have four acceptances, one deferment, multiple pending decisions and several waitlists. The last two groups can still turn into acceptances. Furthermore it's only december and acceptances do roll in well into next year. How many schools do u plan to matriculate into? How many acceptances does it take for you to be content? Are u an ONLY child?? This whole process doesn't end either, oh URMs took my residency spot, Oh my fellowship spot, Oh that the job I wanted, i'm the best person for it, why why didn't I get it?? U need to get over yourself, count your blessings..

 

[mmmcdowe]

the most convincing way to get people to believe that you're humble and down to earth is to tell everyone that you are.

I love you bleargh. You're the only person I feel worthy of my sig.

 

[tkim]

But I think most people can relate to the feeling of not getting back what they deserve.

I don't expect to get into Harvard, Yale, Penn, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and Cornell.

You deserve but don't expect. Disconnect.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

Yeah, I know that there are diminishing returns on scores and numbers, which is why I don't consider myself any better than someone with, say, a 35 MCAT and a 3.7 GPA. But there is a BIG difference between a 30 and 39 on the MCAT.

Can that person be banned? This thread is a troll....

 

[albie1988]

Hate to break it to you but at these top schools, folks with your credentials and application "strength" are a dime a dozen. You really need to set yourself apart to get into some of those places, with things in addition to the usual premed good grades, MCAT scores, and research/volunteering. I think you have to shake this sense of entitlement that comes across in your post. You got into 4 very solid med schools. I'm willing to bet that you are going to have to work very hard to keep up with a lot of your classmates at those programs. Don't kid yourself into thinking you deserve something better. Half the med school applicants don't get any acceptances, and of those who do get in, most aren't getting 4. Getting into any US allo med school is quite competitive these days, and kudos for having the success you did. But to whine that you weren't in the 150 people who got past the other 9000 applications that Cornell, Penn or Hopkins gleaned through is pretty darn petty. I think you will do very well for yourself if you get happy about one of your acceptances and do well there. No doors are closed to you with any of these places, all have decent opportunities for research, and should be suitable launching pads for any specialty. So just decide where you want to spend the next 4 years and get psyched. Nobody likes a whiner, and they like one even less when he really has nothing to whine about. Blaming minorities because you are "stuck" going to a great med school that doesn't have the cache of a Hopkins is pretty lame. I think if you could stand back and read your post with the objectivity of a third person, you would probably not think so highly of your post.

My bad if it came out wrong, but I'm not upset that I haven't gotten into Harvard, JHU, etc, but rather I haven't even gotten an interview to any of these places.

Nonetheless, I understand what you're saying and, should I not receive any more interviews, look forward to med school, wherever it may be at.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

I love you bleargh. You're the only person I feel worthy of my sig.

please relay your feeling to the admissions office. thanks, that'd be mega. =)

 

[RogueUnicorn]

bleargh-i really miss your old avatar.
it elevated your point like 1000X lol

but it's still a facepalm

 

[albie1988]

You deserve but don't expect. Disconnect.

Rather than "deserve," maybe I should have said "qualified." And the "expect" was in reference to getting into all of the schools, which is why I wrote "and."

So I feel that I am qualified for any of those schools, but I haven't even been given an opportunity to interview at any of them. And never would I expect to get into all of them.

 

[FallenHero]

keep digging buddy

 

[RogueUnicorn]

i dunno how i feel about the ban, as toolish as the OP was...

 

[Tatastrophy]

but it's still a facepalm

i am sorry...totally not the same. lol