questions about acceptance/interview process

[baller99]

---

Members don't see this ad.

so i have a few general questions about the process.

1. if we apply to multiple schools far away, how flexible are the interview date? i was also looking through and saw that most also do not have regional interviews, which means a lot of flight dollars - is that subsidized?

2. after receiving an acceptance, i guess we have 2 wks to accept. but if we're not sure we want to go or if we're waiting from news from another school,what should be done? do we need to pay the deposit for the 1st school? b/c i'm applying to 15-20 schools, and i don't really want to have to do this multiple times.

3. is there a sticky or a general info pages about what certain schools consider in application process (eg. volunteering or research)?

thanks very much.

 

[ensuii]

so i have a few general questions about the process.

1. if we apply to multiple schools far away, how flexible are the interview date? i was also looking through and saw that most also do not have regional interviews, which means a lot of flight dollars - is that subsidized?

2. after receiving an acceptance, i guess we have 2 wks to accept. but if we're not sure we want to go or if we're waiting from news from another school,what should be done? do we need to pay the deposit for the 1st school? b/c i'm applying to 15-20 schools, and i don't really want to have to do this multiple times.

3. is there a sticky or a general info pages about what certain schools consider in application process (eg. volunteering or research)?

thanks very much.

1. Flexibility varies program to program but in general they are not very flexible. My grandma's funeral was the same day as one of my interviews. 3 different people told me I couldn't reschedule. Flights are not subsidized. I had 7 interviews and spent 3k. It sucks. Therefore, only do interviews (and possibly secondaries depending on your financial situation) if you REALLY want to go to the school. I was liberal with my interviews and it hurt my bank account dearly.

2. This again varies depending on the program. Some give you 2 weeks, others give you 1 month. I've heard of a couple people getting til May 15 but I'm not sure.

3. Yes. Getting the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) gives you a very clear idea about what each specific school looks for. In general, GPA/MCAT are the most important factors. However, having a relatively high GPA/MCAT will in no way guarantee you an acceptance anywhere. Try your hardest in school, follow your interests for ECs, shadow/volunteer at hospitals and write a kickass PS.

 

[Mattabet]

1. if we apply to multiple schools far away, how flexible are the interview date? i was also looking through and saw that most also do not have regional interviews, which means a lot of flight dollars - is that subsidized?

A lot of times they'll give you a choice right off the bat between a few interview dates. For those that don't, you'll be able to e-mail admissions and request a different date; they are usually quite accommodating.

2. after receiving an acceptance, i guess we have 2 wks to accept. but if we're not sure we want to go or if we're waiting from news from another school,what should be done? do we need to pay the deposit for the 1st school? b/c i'm applying to 15-20 schools, and i don't really want to have to do this multiple times.

You can usually fanagle more time than 2 weeks. Although, at some point you may be required to make a tough decision. Would you really be happy at all 20 of your schools? Don't apply anywhere you don't want to go.

3. is there a sticky or a general info pages about what certain schools consider in application process (eg. volunteering or research)?

Shh. It's all secret.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

so i have a few general questions about the process.

1. if we apply to multiple schools far away, how flexible are the interview date? i was also looking through and saw that most also do not have regional interviews, which means a lot of flight dollars - is that subsidized?

2. after receiving an acceptance, i guess we have 2 wks to accept. but if we're not sure we want to go or if we're waiting from news from another school,what should be done? do we need to pay the deposit for the 1st school? b/c i'm applying to 15-20 schools, and i don't really want to have to do this multiple times.

3. is there a sticky or a general info pages about what certain schools consider in application process (eg. volunteering or research)?

thanks very much.

1. Wow, big discrepancy btw the first two posters on this Q. I'de say it's somewhere in-between. Usually they will initially give you a pretty limited selection, like either a specific day or week (and then you can pick one day from that week online). The monday and friday ones will fill up fast, so go forth and schedule right away. I got one invite on the same day as another interview, and they re-scheduled it easy enough, although it is almost always going to be a later date (a couple weeks or longer). Also, this is less related, but you'll tend to get the invite a few months before the interview date. So in general, you'll get offers 6-10 weeks after being "complete," and then wait another 8 weeks at least before the interview date. Both these windows are cut in half if you're complete by July.

2. My understanding was that you could hold multiple acceptances until May 15. I applied late so this wasn't a big factor in my app cycle. The schools might require you to put down a deposit after a certain amount of time, but the ones I've seen were relatively small (a couple hundred $)...but I haven't put one down at my school yet...and you won't have so many that it becomes a burden financially. After May 15 you generally have to decide right away whether you like that school more than your other acceptances.

3. Good Q. Not sure about the sticky. Most schools have a "mission statement" on their website and you can generally ascertain whether or not they are looking for researchers or primary care docs, or both. Many state schools have commitments with the gov to produce a certain number of primary care docs every year and accept accordingly. Big top-ranked research schools are more likely to consider their education a waste unless you are planning to become a leader of sorts in your future field.