Oklahoma future 2011ers part 01

[Amxcvbcv]

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My kids school is closed again on Friday. I hope Anatomy is cancelled or I may have to bring 3 new students to lecture so I can get my ARS points! I wonder how well that would go over?

They have competitively priced daycare at one of the hospitals there. Plus, Kate Stanton offered to babysit for an hour or so at our last Student Senate meeting. 😉

 

[Jwax]

Ah, nuts, Jwax, I'm sorry to hear that - jeez, after all you've been through. Gotta assume it's for a reason - maybe you would have had an accident coming down from Edmond - did you see the news footage of the Belle Isle bridge last night? Nasty. Not to worry - I'm sure they know it's horrible to get all ready for interviews and then to get let down - there'll be a sympathy factor when they do re-schedule.

Thanks for the sympathy. I'm a big believer in everything that happens happens for a reason, so I'm sure it's all a part of God's plan. So it goes. It's always better to have the interview delayed than to, say.... go in to the interview and bomb it (again). I hope you are right about the sympathy factor - anything would help! 🙂

 

[RachelD]

They have competitively priced daycare at one of the hospitals there. Plus, Kate Stanton offered to babysit for an hour or so at our last Student Senate meeting. 😉

Looks like I lucked out, the hsc is closed (per the news)
What will this mean for our anatomy disection? No ear on the exam (please...!!!!)

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Looks like I lucked out, the hsc is closed (per the news)
What will this mean for our anatomy disection? No ear on the exam (please...!!!!)

I just saw that! Yeah, I wouldn't mind not learning the year. I don't think my education would suffer. 😉

I'm just glad because I don't have to get to school before 10 to stuff mailboxes, which I did not do on Wednesday afternoon. Since school's been closed, I don't think they can fine me. 🙂

 

[Jwax]

Its ok, Jwax, I'm sure that my spot will be available after yesterday. I think I might have completely shot myself in the foot by being 15 minutes late. In fact, if you interviewed yesterday, you probably know exactly who I am now since I stumbled in during the middle of Dean Hall's presentation.

I was coming from Norman, and since I make the trip to Children's every Monday afternoon, I thought I had a pretty good gauge on travel time. Normally, its a 25 minute ride, so I alotted 50 minutes to be safe. I didn't realize that traffic in Moore came to a standstill (maybe there was a wreck). I probably would have been 45 minutes late and thus late for my interview if I had not exited and taken Sooner road. I hate being late, and this was pretty much a nightmare scenario for me. I hoped that I would get a chance to see Dean Hall before lunch and personally apologize, but they had moved off (probably for the admissions meeting/lunch). Anyway, I can't stop kicking myself over this, and I'm hoping that I'll wake up and it is actually Tuesday again. 🙁

Once I got to the interview, I guess one of the physicians noticed that I came in late. She was nice about it, and another interview vouched for the sh*tty traffic in Moore in the mornings. Still, it is something I never wanted to come up in an interview. I think the rest of it went well, but I can't help but think that I just gave them a reason to defer/reject me.

Hey, soonereng, are you by chance 6'5". I think you will be a sure thing with your stellar GPA.

I'm so sorry about all that! That's really rough.... it's definitely one of those things that are very "I could have just dreamed that." Don't worry about it; I'm doubt they will hold it against you. I seriously doubt they will reject you outright, and while deferment is NO FUN (believe me), but worse things could happen (as in, you could have never gotten an interview invite, outright rejection... you could have vomitted on your interviewers, etc.). Good luck with the mailbox ritual next week.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Thanks for the sympathy. I'm a big believer in everything that happens happens for a reason, so I'm sure it's all a part of God's plan. So it goes. It's always better to have the interview delayed than to, say.... go in to the interview and bomb it (again). I hope you are right about the sympathy factor - anything would help! 🙂

Yeah, based on your numbers, if your interview goes well, you'll get in. It doesn't matter if it's in November or January.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

Wiz, is there a one-stop shop somewhere that prospective or current students could seek out a particular study that may interest them, or is it just go door-to-door until you see something interesting?

Not that I know of. The university has a few summer programs for research where you can get a little bit of exposure though I don't believe you have any choice over what you are doing in them. They pay something like $4500.

The hummingbirds who whisper in my ear say to start worrying about it only as a third year as most clinical researchers aren't that interested in chatting with young-uns. Everyone says to put all of your energy in your first two years to seal a good step 1 score.

I'm there with ya, and just don't feel motivated to do research. So how critical is it if you just want to do something like IM, psych or maybe PM&R?

I don't think it's critical at all. Those are all fields that have tons of IMG's matching and I am inclined to endorse you for kicking my arse in anatomy.

Also, does anyone have any speculation for why all the psych matches for 2006 were at OU? Psych is traditionally not a competitive match so it seems a little odd that no one would go to a nifty oos place.

Hey do you have a copy of that match? I have 2003 and 2004, but they took the 2006 one off of the web before I could snare it.

You are right, but my money is on it being because the grads wanted to stay. I do know that Tulsa has the pink Laureate psych place that was good enough for Paula Abdul (gasp, a HIPAA violation, sorry Paula) to visit for her eating disorder.

Yeah most people probably aren't elated to see a 9 on the Biological Sciences part of the test, although I had some 10s and 11s in my practice exams. My actual MCAT was heavy on genetics which I had studied very little since it hadn't been a factor at all on the practice exams from AAMC.😡

They didn't have genetics questions when I first took the MCAT in 2000. Methinks they added them in 2002 give or take a year. It may explain the lack of them on your old forms. They also switched around the order of the tests.

FYI there are often many warm rumps around me in the west lecture hall connected to people who would be elated by a 9 biological on the MCAT. Our composite average is a 9.6.

As far as retaking it and applying next year and hoping for full-rides...that is the plan if I don't get in this year. Although I was really impressed by OU yesterday and don't plan to turn down an acceptance offer. I love the ability for independent study with all of the resources that are available.

I seriously wouldn't worry about admissions unless you exposed yourself during the interview or something.

Yeah the traditional curriculum was a draw for me.

Speaking of money, I am leaving a career in engineering, and after introductions the first question in my interview was: "Do you realize that, when taking into account tuition and lost salary, going to medical school will cost you over half a million dollars?"

You and me both man. I think Non-TradTulsa is getting hit harder than either of us since I think he kept his house in T-Town in addition to OKC rent.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Hey do you have a copy of that match? I have 2003 and 2004, but they took the 2006 one off of the web before I could snare it.

You are right, but my money is on it being because the grads wanted to stay. I do know that Tulsa has the pink Laureate psych place that was good enough for Paula Abdul (gasp, a HIPAA violation, sorry Paula) to visit for her eating disorder.

There's a copy of the 2006 match list in the latest edition of the Oklahoma Medicine (or whatever it's called) magazine. They distributed copies in our mod, so you can probably find it there. I was really bored, so I read it. 😉 Anyway, it wasn't too shabby. Only one derm match last year -- it was at Mayo in Arizona. A decent amount of orthopedic surgery, surgery and of course anesthesiology, some rads, etc.

You're probably right about the psych thing.

We'll see about the anatomy arse kicking after our next tests. Man, I need to study. 😱

 

[Jwax]

*double post*

 

[Mr. Freeze]

AG, how did you get to be a TA? Was it based on GA total grade, just practical, or was there some extra-curricular activity 😉 needed?

Rachel I'd say hypothetically someone could get seconds in the zapper line, but apparently the school closed while I was typing this...

Wiz, I just haven't ever done any, and don't want to get left behind. The micro or chem stuff doesn't interest me as much as clinical studies and the like, or patient outcomes, etc...My app to school was very much steeped in the clinical side of things, so I think I'll kind of stretch that out a little to dabble in that brand of research.

 

[Jwax]

It looks like they are going to reschedule our interviews for Jan. 9 & 10th🙁 ...just got the info. I am really not very happy about it, but I guess as long as we get an interview I can't complain.

I'm complaining. This means shelling out another at least $300 for DO applications & secondaries that I was *hoping* to not fill out due to getting an acceptance letter next week. 🙁 I'm so frustrated that I can't even cry. Just imagine I said a bunch of explicitives.


*Edit* To be fair, if there were any OOS'ers that flew in last night & spent all that $$$ on airfare & hotel... I'd say they are getting the worse deal. Still. I've been going through this G.D. thing since I started prepping for the MCAT in mid-November of 2004. That would be two straight, endless years of this BS. I'm so tired of it I could just SCREAM. Seriously. I know things could always be worse (I could have done worse on the MCAT; I could have a brain tumor; my fiance could have died when he had surgery in Sept., etc.) But SERIOUSLY.

 

[Mr. Freeze]

Sorry for posting like a thousand times in a row...

I *think* that the reason they don't have one has something to do with how they staff their ER... I don't think that they are professors or actually affiliated with the HSC... they are hired through some big physician management thing? I don't know... it was explained to me by one of Mercy's ER docs, but I didn't entirely get it.

I also find it REALLY lame that there isn't an ER rotation. Boo to that. At least some MD residencies opened up (starting 2008 I think? or maybe it's now? I dunno) in Tulsa. Hooray on that (since that is what I'm most interested in).

As Amxcvbcv (which is funny when you try to say it...) said, you may be confusing rotation with residency; I know what you mean though. We do have rotations (3rd or 4th, one) but not a res, yet. See above. The EM (ER is a location, EM is a field, I know it's subtle 😉 ) docs at OU, so Presby, where the new trauma center is located, work for Morningstar. Or did, I don't know if they still have the contract. Regardless, they aren't faculty of the U. They are "contractors". In fact, I think Morningstar is a DO owned company, not that it matters, but that's why many of the EM physicians you'll come across there are DO's, even in the din of the "OU Medicine" lights of the BMSB. That and we haven't had an MD program for awhile.

I would imagine most non-academic ED's, or even like OU's where it isn't EM-academic, are staffed in a similar manner. I know Stillwater is, where 4-5 docs own a group that has the contract for providing care. But there are docs working there that aren't part of the "group", they just don't get a paycheck as large as those who pool their billing income and split it according to percentage of the group they own. That's why you get two bills just about every time you go to the hospital. A lot of fields are like this...

 

[Antigunner]

AG, how did you get to be a TA? Was it based on GA total grade, just practical, or was there some extra-curricular activity 😉 needed?

I had to wash Chung's car at least a dozen times...

Actually, they just send out a mass email to the entire class asking if anybody is interested in doing it, then they take the 8 with the highest final grades in anatomy (at least that's my understanding). This year included 8 of the top 11 grades.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

You are right, but my money is on it being because the grads wanted to stay. I do know that Tulsa has the pink Laureate psych place that was good enough for Paula Abdul (gasp, a HIPAA violation, sorry Paula) to visit for her eating disorder.

You and me both man. I think Non-TradTulsa is getting hit harder than either of us since I think he kept his house in T-Town in addition to OKC rent.

LOL... Paula Abdul's stay at Laureate was probably the worst-kept secret in the history of Saint Francis Health System. But, she wanted to help other people recover from eating disorders and she wasn't really concerned about her privacy (lucky for us, since nobody could keep a closed mouth about it). I didn't realize how serious eating disorders were until I spent some time around Laureate... a lot of those patients have permanent heart damage and a number of patients have died of cardiac failure while in treatment. It's a complex disease and incredibly sad. Laureate does have a national reputation in eating disorders.

I did the half-million-dollar calculation and got depressed. It's really irrelevant... I could have stayed at Saint Francis for another 20 years and retired with a very comfortable 401(k) - but I'd still be regretting not chasing my dream. Having said that, though - you have to be realistic - at least you do when you're over 40. If SFHS didn't have a very generous 401(k) plan, I wouldn't have enough retirement savings to be able to afford four years of no contributions - and I am eternally grateful to them for that. All things considered, the Warren family was very good to me for the 10 years I worked for the hospital. (The hospital is P.O.'d with me right now because I didn't pick up my 10-year-pin with the two phonograph-needle diamonds - it'll be in addition to my 5-year-pin, which has only *one* phonograph needle diamond. I'll pick it up at the Christmas party since I'm still an "on-call" employee.)

I did keep my house in Tulsa - after 17 years, I couldn't let it go - and since I plan to do Internal Medicine, I want to go back for MS-3/4 and residency - I used to work for the Internal Medicine program and it's a good one that's getting better, even if it's a poor place to launch an academic career (I'd agree with that one). If I match somewhere else, I'm going to regret the extra debt - but it's a long story, my Mom is quite a bit older and in a senior apartment - my house is the only "home base" left for the family. But that's why I live in the "hood" in OKC...

Can you believe they closed campus for tomorrow? I really didn't think they'd do it! OSU-OKC says they're opening at 9:00am (last time I checked). I just spent over an hour getting ready for tomorrow's dissection (I cut like an internal medicine doc, so I generally do the "road map" for the dissections.) Even though I just finished the work, I hope they don't try to re-schedule the dissection for next week - that's a bum deal in pre-block week, and I didn't realize how far behind I was in Gross until I tried to read more pages out of Chung's. If they try to reschedule the nutrition part II lecture in addition to Hanas Part II, next week is going to be a nightmare - and a little unfair, IMHO.

 

[glp]

But that's why I live in the "hood" in OKC...

at least your house is not on the walking path of a section 8 apartment complex and byron's liquor store. my sidewalk can be quite a busy thoroughfare. that sound in the outside as i study... a homeless person pushing his/her shopping cart in the street.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

at least your house is not on the walking path of a section 8 apartment complex and byron's liquor store. my sidewalk can be quite a busy thoroughfare. that sound in the outside as i study... a homeless person pushing his/her shopping cart in the street.

True... I pass your part of town on the way in to school and I always see the homeless and think - "that's your future if you bomb." Bad way to get inspired, I suppose. Nobody should be outside on a night like tonight.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

I'm still an "on-call" employee.

I am too, and my butt just got on-called in to work graveyard Friday night since the normal person is stranded in Texas. 😱

If I match somewhere else...

I don't think you'll have any difficulty matching there if you are there for MS 3/4. They like homegrown talent.

 

[poppytart]

Hello everyone...I was just wondering if anyone knew the answer to this. I recieved a letter last year before Thanksgiving saying that I wouldn't get an interview (I had a low MCAT score). One of my friends got that letter this year at the same time again, but I didn't get it! Does that mean that I will get an interview? Or are they gonna send out another batch of those no interview letters? I figured that they would have all the MCAT scores in by now. I am praying that I get an interview...I am a really bad standardized test taker, but I hope the rest of my app makes up for it! Thanks for your help!

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

Hello everyone...I was just wondering if anyone knew the answer to this. I recieved a letter last year before Thanksgiving saying that I wouldn't get an interview (I had a low MCAT score). One of my friends got that letter this year at the same time again, but I didn't get it! Does that mean that I will get an interview? Or are they gonna send out another batch of those no interview letters? I figured that they would have all the MCAT scores in by now. I am praying that I get an interview...I am a really bad standardized test taker, but I hope the rest of my app makes up for it! Thanks for your help!

I hate to be of so little help, but none of us are going to know anymore than you do this year. They've completely restructured the admissions process, so we have no idea what they're doing when. The best advice I can offer is to be cautiously optimistic. I hope you get an interview invite soon!

 

[Wizard of Oz]

Hello everyone...I was just wondering if anyone knew the answer to this. I recieved a letter last year before Thanksgiving saying that I wouldn't get an interview (I had a low MCAT score). One of my friends got that letter this year at the same time again, but I didn't get it! Does that mean that I will get an interview? Or are they gonna send out another batch of those no interview letters? I figured that they would have all the MCAT scores in by now. I am praying that I get an interview...I am a really bad standardized test taker, but I hope the rest of my app makes up for it! Thanks for your help!

Welcome, and please feed us more questions so that we (or at least I) have something to do while we're snowed in for the second consecutive day.

I saw your MCAT, and it was higher than the average for those accepted and matriculated this year, so are you out-of-state? They are usually pretty liberal with in-staters and those with state ties, so your letter sounds like the one that they used to give to people who weren't from here.

Like WIJG said, a lot of us have been out in the cold this cycle since they changed the schedule up on us a little.

Best of luck in your endeavors, and hopefully we'll see you getting a crack at a different flavor of standardized tests (USMLE I, II, III, specialty boards, subspecialty boards, etc.) in the future.

 

[poppytart]

Welcome, and please feed us more questions so that we (or at least I) have something to do while we're snowed in for the second consecutive day.

I saw your MCAT, and it was higher than the average for those accepted and matriculated this year, so are you out-of-state? They are usually pretty liberal with in-staters and those with state ties, so your letter sounds like the one that they used to give to people who weren't from here.

Like WIJG said, a lot of us have been out in the cold this cycle since they changed the schedule up on us a little.

Best of luck in your endeavors, and hopefully we'll see you getting a crack at a different flavor of standardized tests (USMLE I, II, III, specialty boards, subspecialty boards, etc.) in the future.

Hi Wizard of Oz and WIJG!

Wizard- I think you read someone else's information...lol. I wish my mcat scores were higher than average! They are actually on the other side of the spectrum I'm afraid. I am an in-state student too.

Everytime I call the office they tell me that they don't know the cutoff scores for interviews yet. But, it has been a 24 in the past with a 25 one year in 2005...which is weird because I know someone that got in with a 24 that year.

I am a reapp this year with a bare minimum mcat score and high gpa. The mcat is the major blemish in my app. I am praying that I get an interview!! Have you guys heard of the cutoffs?

 

[Wizard of Oz]

Hi Wizard of Oz and WIJG!

Wizard- I think you read someone else's information...lol. I wish my mcat scores were higher than average! They are actually on the other side of the spectrum I'm afraid. I am an in-state student too.

Everytime I call the office they tell me that they don't know the cutoff scores for interviews yet. But, it has been a 24 in the past with a 25 one year in 2005...which is weird because I know someone that got in with a 24 that year.

I am a reapp this year with a bare minimum mcat score and high gpa. The mcat is the major blemish in my app. I am praying that I get an interview!! Have you guys heard of the cutoffs?

Oh yeah I think I was reading something about practice tests. I'm not an attentive reader. It would be nice if the adcom would be more blunt about what they are looking for, but if you do the math on how much money they make from those supplemental application fees, keeping people properly informed wouldn't make much economic sense. I think that they are intentionally vague.

In my experience, though, there are 27's who don't get in, and the last interviewing round is usually held specifically to populate the wait list. That's not meant to be a knock on those folks because I think about a quarter of our class comes in off the wait list, and I'm certain that plenty of those folks are doing better than me. They are doing something new this year by putting the number of interviews/offers made on their website.

They do like it when people reapply, so maybe no news is good news at this stage in the game. We have a lot of students who got in as reapplicants.

 

[JohnnyOU]

True... I pass your part of town on the way in to school and I always see the homeless and think - "that's your future if you bomb." Bad way to get inspired, I suppose. Nobody should be outside on a night like tonight.

Non-Trad,
You should be in our mod... the "spongebobs"...you'd fit in great...

You know what spongebob's best friend's name is?
Patrick ! 😀

 

[RachelD]

Oh yeah I think I was reading something about practice tests. I'm not an attentive reader. It would be nice if the adcom would be more blunt about what they are looking for, but if you do the math on how much money they make from those supplemental application fees, keeping people properly informed wouldn't make much economic sense. I think that they are intentionally vague.

In my experience, though, there are 27's who don't get in, and the last interviewing round is usually held specifically to populate the wait list. That's not meant to be a knock on those folks because I think about a quarter of our class comes in off the wait list, and I'm certain that plenty of those folks are doing better than me. They are doing something new this year by putting the number of interviews/offers made on their website.

They do like it when people reapply, so maybe no news is good news at this stage in the game. We have a lot of students who got in as reapplicants.

It sounds like wiz is talking about me 😛 I got a 27, was a reapplicant, interviewed on the last day and got in off of the waitlist..... miracles do happen.....

 

[JohnnyOU]

It sounds like wiz is talking about me 😛 I got a 27, was a reapplicant, interviewed on the last day and got in off of the waitlist..... miracles to happen.....

You and me both 😀

I spent the first week of class expecting someone to come in and say "ummm sorry...there's been a mistake...you'll need to leave...we don't like bald guys btw"😱

 

[Wizard of Oz]

It sounds like wiz is talking about me 😛 I got a 27, was a reapplicant, interviewed on the last day and got in off of the waitlist..... miracles do happen.....

Completely unintentional! Had no idea. 😎 Probably also true that you are doing better than me. 😉

...they take the 8 with the highest final grades in anatomy (at least that's my understanding). This year included 8 of the top 11 grades.

Here is a question for ya. How does everybody know about these grade ranks and so forth? There are likewise rumors that a third of 2009 had a 4.0 the first year which clashes with some statistic that only a fifth got an A in physiology. Does somebody dissect the grade postings? (and if so, get a life--there are no step I scores on the effing sheet, I'll give you my testing ID if you want to know that bad)

I don't personally care, but I am often queried by individuals who are grade-obsessed, and I wish that they'd hold off on such conversation until we actually start learning some real medicine. Older students I know say that in the long run AOA status comes down to average scores in selected courses, so I'm like screw these stupid cut-offs and leave me alone. I'm too old for the unnecessary stress.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Non-Trad,
You should be in our mod... the "spongebobs"...you'd fit in great...

You know what spongebob's best friend's name is?
Patrick ! 😀

Cool... I wanna be an honorary Spongebob. Our mod has something to do with Pirates of Carribean... which I know nothing about, because I rarely if ever go to the movies.

Poppytart - I hope you'll get some good news soon - although, as stated, we just don't know much about the process this year. I do know that OU's system can be a blessing or a curse - to the best of my knowledge, they don't really review the "soft" factors prior to the interview - it's a GPA/MCAT formula with a cutoff for interviews. Actually, it helped me because they didn't rule me out as an old fart - which I think did happen in some places - I got a chance to get in and give my dog-and-pony show. Once they interview you, they consider all the intangibles.

I understand having poor luck with standardized tests - but they may be disappointed that you didn't re-take the MCAT (or did you?). I had a close pre-med friend in the same situation - great student, rather poor MCAT on 2 or 3 tries. He went osteopathic out-of-state and is doing OK so far. I wouldn't argue for a minute that being good on standardized tests has nothing to do with being a good doc - but, I think you should try to find some way to improve on standardized tests, because you have to pass the USMLE and Lord-only-knows what after that. Your life will be filled with multiple choice questions during school, too!

Keep us posted, and good luck!

 

[poppytart]

If I did get one of the last interviews in February (either 7th or 8th) when do you think they would notify me?

 

[Benoit]

A few weeks in advance. Mine was 3 weeks and my friend got his 2 weeks before his scheduled date.

 

[poppytart]

Cool... I wanna be an honorary Spongebob. Our mod has something to do with Pirates of Carribean... which I know nothing about, because I rarely if ever go to the movies.

Poppytart - I hope you'll get some good news soon - although, as stated, we just don't know much about the process this year. I do know that OU's system can be a blessing or a curse - to the best of my knowledge, they don't really review the "soft" factors prior to the interview - it's a GPA/MCAT formula with a cutoff for interviews. Actually, it helped me because they didn't rule me out as an old fart - which I think did happen in some places - I got a chance to get in and give my dog-and-pony show. Once they interview you, they consider all the intangibles.

I understand having poor luck with standardized tests - but they may be disappointed that you didn't re-take the MCAT (or did you?). I had a close pre-med friend in the same situation - great student, rather poor MCAT on 2 or 3 tries. He went osteopathic out-of-state and is doing OK so far. I wouldn't argue for a minute that being good on standardized tests has nothing to do with being a good doc - but, I think you should try to find some way to improve on standardized tests, because you have to pass the USMLE and Lord-only-knows what after that. Your life will be filled with multiple choice questions during school, too!

Keep us posted, and good luck!

I have retaken that horrible test mutiple times...its the verbal that I actually stuggle with. The other sections I do alright on. I am definitely not looking forward to all the future tests, but I guess its just a rite of passage. My boyfriend also had to take the mcat multiple times and is in med school right now. He is also in the first quartile despite being a bad standardized test taker. So, he's been my inspiration! I also know another friend who got accepted last year after taking the mcat four times too...so there's hope yet!

I am also applying to DO school, even though I would rather go to OU. I am also applying for an MPH program. Thanks for the help!

 

[Wizard of Oz]

I have retaken that horrible test mutiple times...its the verbal that I actually stuggle with. The other sections I do alright on. I am definitely not looking forward to all the future tests, but I guess its just a rite of passage. My boyfriend also had to take the mcat multiple times and is in med school right now. He is also in the first quartile despite being a bad standardized test taker. So, he's been my inspiration! I also know another friend who got accepted last year after taking the mcat four times too...so there's hope yet!

I am also applying to DO school, even though I would rather go to OU. I am also applying for an MPH program. Thanks for the help!

I recommend Examkrackers Verbal. Just keep doing passages until you get the score you want.

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

Completely unintentional! Had no idea. 😎 Probably also true that you are doing better than me. 😉



Here is a question for ya. How does everybody know about these grade ranks and so forth? There are likewise rumors that a third of 2009 had a 4.0 the first year which clashes with some statistic that only a fifth got an A in physiology. Does somebody dissect the grade postings? (and if so, get a life--there are no step I scores on the effing sheet, I'll give you my testing ID if you want to know that bad)

I don't personally care, but I am often queried by individuals who are grade-obsessed, and I wish that they'd hold off on such conversation until we actually start learning some real medicine. Older students I know say that in the long run AOA status comes down to average scores in selected courses, so I'm like screw these stupid cut-offs and leave me alone. I'm too old for the unnecessary stress.

I don't think anyone actually knows what percentage of the class has what GPA (except of course the powers that be, and I don't think they're telling). Everyone knows what THEIR GPA is, and what quartile that puts THEM in (because at the beginning of next year, you'll have a letter in your student mailbox telling you what quartile you're in).

For awhile there was a rumor going around that the 4.0's went into the second quartile, but I know a person who claims to be in the first quartile with a sub-4.0 average. Given that there's really not much reason to lie about that sort of thing (if you're going to lie about being in the first quartile, why wouldn't you lie about your GPA as well), I'm disinclined to believe that 1/4 of the class has a 4.0 (though it probably is nearly that many). The rumor probably started with someone who was unhappy about the quartile they were in. Being in the bottom half myself, I don't stress about it too much 🙂

 

[Mr. Freeze]

Completely unintentional! Had no idea. 😎 Probably also true that you are doing better than me. 😉



Here is a question for ya. How does everybody know about these grade ranks and so forth? There are likewise rumors that a third of 2009 had a 4.0 the first year which clashes with some statistic that only a fifth got an A in physiology. Does somebody dissect the grade postings? (and if so, get a life--there are no step I scores on the effing sheet, I'll give you my testing ID if you want to know that bad)

I don't personally care, but I am often queried by individuals who are grade-obsessed, and I wish that they'd hold off on such conversation until we actually start learning some real medicine. Older students I know say that in the long run AOA status comes down to average scores in selected courses, so I'm like screw these stupid cut-offs and leave me alone. I'm too old for the unnecessary stress.

I'm guilty. I've looked at where I fit in with the herd. I've used study time to do some statistical analysis. I'm really sorry I did, because it kinda brings you down when you add up all the folks that did better...which is funny, because all I ever hear is people moaning about how bad they did or how hard a test was; SOMEBODY is lying!! Either that, or their perception of "bad" is ****ed up...It seems like maybe the people that are the most vocal are the ones who do the best, and those of us that are drifting out to sea don't say near as much...I like the people who are all like, "****, I missed one, that test was SO hard..." One!!?!?! STFU!!! Come over here so I can cut your CN XII so you can't ever say anything so ******ed...

Of course, I don't need long division to tell me the more people washout, the closer I get to DFL...

 

[Antigunner]

Here is a question for ya. How does everybody know about these grade ranks and so forth? There are likewise rumors that a third of 2009 had a 4.0 the first year which clashes with some statistic that only a fifth got an A in physiology. Does somebody dissect the grade postings? (and if so, get a life--there are no step I scores on the effing sheet, I'll give you my testing ID if you want to know that bad)

I don't personally care, but I am often queried by individuals who are grade-obsessed, and I wish that they'd hold off on such conversation until we actually start learning some real medicine. Older students I know say that in the long run AOA status comes down to average scores in selected courses, so I'm like screw these stupid cut-offs and leave me alone. I'm too old for the unnecessary stress.

As far as the anatomy grades go, I only know about the 8 of 11 thing because Chung told us at our TA meeting at the start of the semester.

There were approximately 30 in our class with a 4.0 after the first year (approximately one fifth). Obviously there were a lot than that after the first semester - Phys and Neuro killed it for a lot of people. The reason I know that one is that at the little scholarship luncheon, the people that had a 4.0 got a nice little asterisk next to their name. I don't remember the exact number, but like I said, I'm pretty sure it was somewhere in the 25-30 range.

 

[RachelD]

If I did get one of the last interviews in February (either 7th or 8th) when do you think they would notify me?

I found my old e-mail interview invite. I got it on Dec 16th and I interviewed on Feb 2nd.
Hopefully you will hear something before Christmas!

 

[Benoit]

Jwax, my stats are very similar to yours and I'm already in, so just relax and be normal in your interview. Our interview dates were/are probably different because of the date our files were complete (mine was complete at the beginning of August). I say this not to stress you out but hopefully to calm you down and boost your confidence. (This whole application process is/was gut wrenching, atleast, for me.)

 

[JohnnyOU]

Hey Mr. Freeze,
Since you're awake and all...
can you go ahead and be a pal and bring me some taco bueno?
I'll take a tostado, burrito, and taco please.

Thanks brutha,
J~

btw---freeze is our resident GA guru if anyone needs help.
This guy should be teaching this crap...and he loves idiots like me who always ask stupid questions...so feel free to pm him 😀

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

btw---freeze is our resident GA guru if anyone needs help.
This guy should be teaching this crap...and he loves idiots like me who always ask stupid questions...so feel free to pm him 😀

Hmmm... Freeze, do you get embryo? Time pressure finally got my courage up and I listened to O'Don's embryo lecture. Sheesh, my head is still spinning. I've looked at my notes and I believe I have a complete wiring diagram for your new addition to the family. Wish I understood it.

By the way, Johnny, there's a Taco Bueno at 23rd and Meridian, for heaven's sake. While you're out, I need a new ream of paper for the printer from Wal-Mart. Either block 3 will pass, or I'll run out of room in my notebooks - I'm nearly out of toner <sigh....>.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Hmmm... Freeze, do you get embryo? Time pressure finally got my courage up and I listened to O'Don's embryo lecture. Sheesh, my head is still spinning. I've looked at my notes and I believe I have a complete wiring diagram for your new addition to the family. Wish I understood it.

By the way, Johnny, there's a Taco Bueno at 23rd and Meridian, for heaven's sake. While you're out, I need a new ream of paper for the printer from Wal-Mart. Either block 3 will pass, or I'll run out of room in my notebooks - I'm nearly out of toner <sigh....>.

Well, I haven't started studying embryo yet, but my strategy is going to be to learn Rada's stuff cold and try to get as much of O'Don's as I can. From what the unofficial guide says, it seems like it's impossible to really nail his stuff, so I'm not going to try. Of course, since I haven't looked at it, I don't know how truly horrible it can be.

I haven't been to Taco Bueno in something like 10 years. I should go. 🙂

 

[Wizard of Oz]

I'm guilty. I've looked at where I fit in with the herd. I've used study time to do some statistical analysis. I'm really sorry I did, because it kinda brings you down when you add up all the folks that did better...which is funny, because all I ever hear is people moaning about how bad they did or how hard a test was; SOMEBODY is lying!!

Yeah I believe I flamed without proper articulation. I look at other scores too on a per-exam basis to gauge whether or not I think I should be going to class, but I wouldn't need to if they would put a histogram up. (Am I asking too much from a dean who says A-B-C grades rule because they enhance competition?) For practical 2, I unfortunately found it rather easy to simply count the number of students who did worse than me. 🙁

Future rant list--college-sponsored ranking of first year grades at all, assigning percentiles with only 9 classes completed, computing GPA's at all at a medical school, future libel against my arch nemesis Mr. Burns...

{WIJG}

I hope Anatomy is cancelled or I may have to bring 3 new students to lecture so I can get my ARS points! I wonder how well that would go over?

Hey those kids don't happen to have cell phone cameras do they?

They have competitively priced daycare at one of the hospitals there. Plus, Kate Stanton offered to babysit for an hour or so at our last Student Senate meeting. 😉

Who says there is no price transparency in U.S. healthcare? 😀

It's starting to look like these snow days are invading our pre-test block week like a Pancoast tumor.

 

[Mr. Freeze]

Hmmm... Freeze, do you get embryo? Time pressure finally got my courage up and I listened to O'Don's embryo lecture. Sheesh, my head is still spinning. I've looked at my notes and I believe I have a complete wiring diagram for your new addition to the family. Wish I understood it.

By the way, Johnny, there's a Taco Bueno at 23rd and Meridian, for heaven's sake. While you're out, I need a new ream of paper for the printer from Wal-Mart. Either block 3 will pass, or I'll run out of room in my notebooks - I'm nearly out of toner <sigh....>.

What else do we need to know?

I called him today; you "will not" see any combination of the letters SGAVE on the test. I "get" it, but am still working on being able to spit out what CN comes from what plate at what level, and other assorted tidbits. I'm still working on the MOAM (mother of all mnemonics...) to consolidate his stuff into one massive, yet fun to say, code of numbers and letters.

For the moment, I'm stuck in the part of the story where the Cranial Nerves 4-12 (but not 8, cuz 8 is a whiny bitch that doesn't like pizza) call 1(312)545-6788 and order a Rhombomere pizza. It's long distance, but who cares? MMMM....rhombomeres....

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

It's starting to look like these snow days are invading our pre-test block week like a Pancoast tumor.

Exactly. Hanas' carcinogen lecture is re-scheduled for Tuesday - ear lecture and lab is Monday. And, of course, they'll cancel the group learning activity on Wednesday so that Knehans can finish. And the reviews go - poof! They need to let some of this stuff go - after 18 weeks, we can live without 2 days. 🙁

 

[Mr. Freeze]

Speaking of the addition, my son's turds are now the consistency of wet cement and make me gag (much to my wife's delight, which is why I try to kick her ass in RPS every time we play for "dipey duty") Which may be TMI, until you consider:

New "FORMula" eaters have smelly POOP!

Nasal > Ethmoid
Hypophyseal > Sphenoid
Parachordal > Occipital
Otic > Petrous Temporal

Cartilaginous models for the endochondral neurocranium...

 

[Amxcvbcv]

Listening to you guys talk...


Holy crap I've forgotten so much.

 

[poppytart]

I found my old e-mail interview invite. I got it on Dec 16th and I interviewed on Feb 2nd.
Hopefully you will hear something before Christmas!

That would be awesome to have an interview invite before Christmas! I hope it works the same way this year and I will be posting if I hear anything!

 

[JohnnyOU]

.

😀 😀 😀

I suddenly feel like swimming upstream.

 

[soonereng]

Older students I know say that in the long run AOA status comes down to average scores in selected courses, so I'm like screw these stupid cut-offs and leave me alone. I'm too old for the unnecessary stress.

Maybe a dumb question, but what is AOA status?

 

[Amxcvbcv]

AOA stands for Alpha Omega Alpha. It's a medical honor society. Most medical schools have a local chapter. To be selected you have to be in the upper strata of your class, grade wise. There are two times when students get in, junior AOA and senior AOA. Junior AOA is particularly prestigious. For senior AOA they lower the grade standards a little bit. I think it elaborates what those standards are on that web page, but it may differ a bit for each chapter.

AOA is basically a way for residency programs to determine how competitive you are (although seeing class rank would do almost the same thing, as far as I can tell). You can't really compare graduates from different schools based on their grades since the schema for grading are so varied. OU uses an A/B/C/Fail system, others are Pass/Fail, Honors/Pass/Fail, High Honors/Honors/Pass/Fail, A/B/C but with different cutoff points, etc.

Everybody wants to make it in, even if they say they don't care (some of us just have our grades rule us out earlier than others. 😉), but I think it usually comes down to the top 1/6 of the class being eligible. Even if you're eligible you may not get in since they also talk about service, ethics, and things besides your strict academic performance.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

Maybe a dumb question, but what is AOA status?

Alpha Omega Alpha (you can wikipedia it if you want the history of it) is the only medical honorary fraternity. At OU, it basically just means that you are roughly in the top 17 percent of your class by GPA. Technically junior AOA refers to the top 5(?) percent after MS 2, and senior AOA is decided at the conclusion of MS 3.

Where you go to med school may have an effect on where you eventually match, but you can tip the odds in your favor by putting a stamp on your app that says you out-performed your classmates. AOA isn't "necessary" to get into the most competative stuff (derm, plastics, ORL, ophtho, etc.), but most of your top competitors will have it so you might want to bring AOA membership to the table too if you wanna do that stuff (not me though). Don't take my word for it. Look at the residents at OU's most prestigious PGY program and you'll see what I am talking about.

It is important because if you interview at residency programs away from your school (and just about everybody does), the other places won't be able to measure you by your grades because so many schools (probably the majority) use qualitative (honor-pass-fail or some variation of it) grades rather than A-B-C, or they only give honor to the top x% of their class. As an aside, our grades are by contact hours, gross anatomy is worth five times the weight of embryo according to GPA calculation. They will give you a cute guide with a pie chart and stuff. Please ignore it. Instead work hard and treat MS 1/2 as a marathon toward USMLE step 1 rather than many short sprints to 90%.

So in the pantheon of all things holy according to residency programs, it may go something like USMLE step 1 score, AOA status, LOR's from docs, maybe MS 3 research, knowing the right person, etc. with different schools and specialties weighing those things differently. Way down the line, a "grade" that you got in anatomy may become an interview question if it doesn't seem to coincide with your specialty of choice (say rads, surgery), but your grades are not going to be that interesting to program directors in and of themselves. Of course it's worth mentioning that our test questions are supposed to mimic USMLE questions, so practice makes perfect.

When students are shooting for A's at OU, what they are really trying to do is stay AOA eligible by keeping their GPA perfect. Since we are not percentile-graded, theoretically everybody can get an A in everything, and it is not uncommon for the top 17% of students to run the table all three years.

I would continue to ramble off another twenty cents, but I just finished a 10-hour shift. Did every septic patient in this city get sent to my hospital on a night when I was the only micro tech on staff? Blast you sick people. And if that lady who left the ER AMA with an eye full of gono happens to read this, get back in there and get some ceftriaxone while you still have some cornea left.

Everybody wants to make it in, even if they say they don't care (some of us just have our grades rule us out earlier than others.

I'll buy that everybody wants to make it in, but it was a lot more important to me when I didn't know how we were evaluated. Nowadays I get more enjoyment working and writing poems than studying material that I find boring. So I'll agree, but there are certainly people who are letting it govern their lives more than others. I'm like Tiger Woods. Judge me by the majors.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

Mr. Freeze, does RachelD know that you have this picture of her?

My boyfriend also had to take the mcat multiple times and is in med school right now. He is also in the first quartile despite being a bad standardized test taker.

Hey I'm not your boyfriend, am I? (5'9" 195 lbs., massive chest and arms, taut rectus abdominis with cute love handles) I keep forgetting who I've lied about my grades to.