OOS applicant to U.W.

[VikingLegacy]

baleeted

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[property virgin]

Any paid working experience, what are they? How far are you in the application process? Where/who are you going to get get your LORs from?

 

[VikingLegacy]

Any paid working experience, what are they? How far are you in the application process? Where/who are you going to get get your LORs from?

Paid experience: None. No idea how to get it either.
Application process: Let's say I was going to fire it off in mid-August.
LOR: One from a PI that I did a one-year lab rotation with. I finished a 6-month independent research project. No publication. The second and third would be from the doctors I shadow - the family practitioner and the doctor on the reservation. The fourth and fifth would be from a biology professor and a chemistry professor, respectively.

 

[property virgin]

Paid experience: None. No idea how to get it either.
Application process: Let's say I was going to fire it off in mid-August.
LOR: One from a PI that I did a one-year lab rotation with. I finished a 6-month independent research project. No publication. The second and third would be from the doctors I shadow - the family practitioner and the doctor on the reservation. The fourth and fifth would be from a biology professor and a chemistry professor, respectively.

U need a min. of 3 letters from UCSD teachers(prof+ TA) for UW. Make sure your Primary application reflect your desire for Pri care. UW screens OOS, u need some luck, and they might read your LORs before sending you the 2ndary, so be sure to have those LORs ready.

 

[VikingLegacy]

U need a min. of 3 letters from UCSD teachers(prof+ TA) for UW. Make sure your Primary application reflect your desire for Pri care. UW screens OOS, u need some luck, and they might read your LORs before sending you the 2ndary, so be sure to have those LORs ready.

I'll set about to get some extra professor/TA rec letters then. That's a good tip. Is there anything special I should do when getting rec letters from teachers' aids?

 

[property virgin]

I'll set about to get some extra professor/TA rec letters then. That's a good tip. Is there anything special I should do when getting rec letters from teachers' aids?

Just use the same manner that you obtained your LOR from your Profs. UCSD is a big school, I would imagine u had more contact with T.As in some courses than the Profs. Make sure they really know you and are able to evaluate you as a person.

 

[docelh]

out of state is extremely low odds.

Do you have a personal connection to rural medicine? Merely saying you want to do it doesn't count for much. If you have a legitimate connection to rural medicine, your odds go up to low.

 

[b2sun]

Just use the same manner that you obtained your LOR from your Profs. UCSD is a big school, I would imagine u had more contact with T.As in some courses than the Profs. Make sure they really know you and are able to evaluate you as a person.

Too bad a crapload of TAs at UCSD are undergrads (like me). I wouldn't really trust any TA to write a letter, even if they WERENT UG

 

[property virgin]

Too bad a crapload of TAs at UCSD are undergrads (like me). I wouldn't really trust any TA to write a letter, even if they WERENT UG

That is unbelievable. UG as TA, DO NOT ask an UG then. My long time respect for UC schools just took a major blow.

 

[chuckhusky]

To property virgin, wouldn't you rather go to UCSD. I think I know who you might be.
To viking, UW class size is 216, about 80 from other 4 NW states, 125 from Washington state, that leaves about 10 spots for OOS. Man, if all you want to do is underserved medicine here in the NW, then tell them that.

 

[VikingLegacy]

Well, it's do or die. I have a long to-do-list that puts rural medicine, family practice and service to minority communities as my top 3 goals in life, and I'm trying to tailor my application to correspond to everything they'd want to see in an applicant.

I checked with them over the phone and the experience with Indian reservations counts as "underserved," so I'm hoping to jump through a few hoops and get my foot in the door for TRUST.

If I go down, I'm going down swinging. If I fail at this, it's only going to be because giving my best efforts all day, every day of the week for six months wasn't good enough. It'll be because night and day scouring of the internet and ringing their phones off their hooks could not provide me with enough accurate information to get where I want to go. It'll be because after reaching the upper limit of my genetic capacity for intelligence, I just wasn't smart enough.

So help me God, I'm going to make this happen.

 

[TFS]

you can replace one faculty letter with one from a research PI.

UW is big on consistency in ECs. radiology and rural medicine might look kind of weird to them.

 

[VikingLegacy]

you can replace one faculty letter with one from a research PI.

UW is big on consistency in ECs. radiology and rural medicine might look kind of weird to them.

That was just hospital volunteering, not shadowing. My duties there basically consisted of paperwork and making sure people didn't riot when they had a stomach full of barium or a brimming bladder and their procedures were still an hour and a half late. I took radiology because that's all there was available in the volunteering schedule and it sounded most interesting.

 

[chrisoc13]

Not to stray off topic but you certainly are going to want 3 letters from professors for other schools if not for UW. Most schools want letters from professors so it might be wise to get those anyways for the sake of your application. UW is a long shot for must people who are not in the WWAMI footprint, but certainly not impossible.

 

[VikingLegacy]

Everything else is nicely underway. For now, I thought I'd post my current personal statement draft. I've got no idea if this is good or not, but it's what I've got. Have at it. If somebody wants to read it or make any suggestions, that's absolutely fine. If not, that's fine too. I'm turning this into the official "Help VikingLegacy get into U.W." thread, and posting anything and everything pertinent in here so as to not clutter up the far reaches of SDN with stuff I'd honestly rather throw in here. If anybody ever wants my input, advice, judgment or what have you, just ask. It's only fair.

Edit: See below. I've got a new one up.

 

[cfx]

Everything else is nicely underway. For now, I thought I'd post my current personal statement draft. I've got no idea if this is good or not, but it's what I've got. Have at it. If somebody wants to read it or make any suggestions, that's absolutely fine. If not, that's fine too. I'm turning this into the official "Help VikingLegacy get into U.W." thread, and posting anything and everything pertinent in here so as to not clutter up the far reaches of SDN with stuff I'd honestly rather throw in here. If anybody ever wants my input, advice, judgment or what have you, just ask. It's only fair.

The image of you caking flour into someone's gaping head wound made me lol. Thumbs up for that.

 

[VikingLegacy]

baleeted

 

[cfx]

I really could use some second opinions on the essay, to be honest. Is that story over the top? Should I not include it?

I'm by no means an authority, which I why I feel weird about offering advice. I'd suggest PMing some members in the PS reader thread...you'll find someone with WAY more experience than me (i.e., any experience whatsoever) who can offer you some more informed opinions. Good luck.

 

[VikingLegacy]

Well, I've gotten some career advice from my school. The lady I sat down with today was very nice, and she gave me a lot of good input on everything. My personal statement needs heavy modification, but I think I've got that more nailed down. I'll wait a few days to collect my thoughts before I write a new draft, but I think I'm heading in the right direction.

She told me that by numbers I was doing pretty well, but she had to give me the usual "snowball's chance in hell" speech as a Californian applying to school in Washington, but she gave me a good tip or two on how to leverage my ties to the state.

I guess, for right now anyway, things are going as well as they could be.

 

[bigbad]

Well, I've gotten some career advice from my school. The lady I sat down with today was very nice, and she gave me a lot of good input on everything. My personal statement needs heavy modification, but I think I've got that more nailed down. I'll wait a few days to collect my thoughts before I write a new draft, but I think I'm heading in the right direction.

She told me that by numbers I was doing pretty well, but she had to give me the usual "snowball's chance in hell" speech as a Californian applying to school in Washington, but she gave me a good tip or two on how to leverage my ties to the state.

I guess, for right now anyway, things are going as well as they could be.

Are you actually applying this cycle or preparing for the next?

 

[VikingLegacy]

Are you actually applying this cycle or preparing for the next?

I was going to apply for this cycle. I think my numbers and experience might be okay. If they say "no, you're out of state," I'll tell them I'm going to find a job up there as a lab tech for a year, and that they'll just end up rereading my same application next year, just from the "state residents" pile and with more rural/underserved experience. That's not blowing smoke either, I would actually do that - if not as a lab tech, I got an offer for another job that might put me in Washington.

 

[VikingLegacy]

baleeted

 

[nwdmd]

My thoughts after reading - You seek to acquire knowledge and expertise in order to have an enormous positive impact on a rural community which you're connected to.
You want to end up in the PNW... but why does the exact setting of your education matter?

I think it's risky (as %chance you'll start your medical education in 2011) to apply a regional school focus to your PS. ("teach me rural medicine in the proper region")

There are many schools that offer rural-oriented experiences (Colorado, Columbia - Bassett off the top of my head) which would be directly applicable in any region.

There's a Basho quote I really like - "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought."

Look up bios for rural physicians, I would imagine that they come from diverse locations/schools and are still able to establish themselves in a meaningful way.

Also, you'll have a chance to focus on a region during residency.

Best of luck, your goals and inspirations are incredible!

 

[secondyrapp]

I was going to apply for this cycle. I think my numbers and experience might be okay. If they say "no, you're out of state," I'll tell them I'm going to find a job up there as a lab tech for a year, and that they'll just end up rereading my same application next year, just from the "state residents" pile and with more rural/underserved experience. That's not blowing smoke either, I would actually do that - if not as a lab tech, I got an offer for another job that might put me in Washington.

you are going to have to really go through the legislation - Washington recently tightened what is required to become a Washington resident in order to prevent people for being able to claim WA residency when applying to UW.

Also OOS at UW is much harder than OHSU (who is a WICHE member). They list out-of-state acceptances but those are generally from the WWAMI states. I applied to both, OR resident (I have a 38 MCAT and a 3.63 GPA, also v. interested in rural) and didn't get a secondary to UW and I attended UW undergrad (double degree in Biochemistry and Physiology and had letters of rec from Profs from their medical school). OHSU last year took 30% oos.

 

[jl9999]

Let's pretend the following is me:



Extracurriculars: Powerlifting, music, alcohol brewing and environmental activism. Eagle Scout. Active in local church. Done humanitarian work (house build in Mexico).



So, SDN, What Are My Odds?™

...are you really into powerlifting? I am too. have you ever competed?

 

[VikingLegacy]

baleeted

 

[VikingLegacy]

baleeted

 

[NPEMTIV]

Please note SDN's TOS. Profanity is not allowed on this forum.

 

[VikingLegacy]

baleeted

 

[VikingLegacy]

baleeted

 

[robotMutant]

I like your passion VikingLegacy. I am a UCSD student as well (BioE). I'm wondering why you're not considering the UC's. With your stats I'm sure you'd stand a good chance... are they not as strong in rural medicine?

 

[VikingLegacy]

baleeted

 

[ModernAlchemist]

Sorry but I had to comment that your stats and interests are remarkably similar to my friend from ucsd undergrad who now goes to the med school. PS, you still studying for the mcat in sd?

 

[yohji]

Thank you very much. I am not considering any California schools because I just don't enjoy living in California. I understand the many reasons why a person would like living in California and never want to leave, but between my long list of personal affinities and ties to Washington and my long list of complaints against the state I live in, every day I remain here is torturous.

The only reason I'd reconsider would be if one of the California schools was the nation's best for rural medicine, but that's pretty much what it would take.

crazy talk.


jk!

 

[VikingLegacy]

baleeted

 

[Garb]

Looks like lil viking boi got rejected