questions about AOA

[veenut]

hey, just had a question about AOA...does the same percentage of students from each school get selected for it, or does it vary from school to school? and about how many students are AOA from a given class?

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[Radiohead]

Yes there are certain criteria set forth by the "national" AOA organization. They are:
-No more than the top 25% of the class may be nominated for AOA
-No more than 1/6 of the class may be elected
Thus, a selection committee goes through all nomimated applications and selects those who get elected.

Now you may be elected to AOA in your junior or senior year. Up until this year my school allowed 7 to be elected as juniors and 23 to be subsequently elected as seniors. Apparently, being elected as a junior is a bit more prestigious than the latter. My school has 180 studs/class, so 7+23=30 which is 1/6 of 180. Next year, we will be electing 15 juniors/15 seniors. The rule of how many juniors/seniors depends on which school you go to. Some schools only take seniors.

I hope this helps.
RH

 

[UCLAstudent]

Any idea of how it works with a P/F system?

 

[njbmd]

Yes there are certain criteria set forth by the "national" AOA organization. They are:
-No more than the top 25% of the class may be nominated for AOA
-No more than 1/6 of the class may be elected
Thus, a selection committee goes through all nomimated applications and selects those who get elected.

Now you may be elected to AOA in your junior or senior year. Up until this year my school allowed 7 to be elected as juniors and 23 to be subsequently elected as seniors. Apparently, being elected as a junior is a bit more prestigious than the latter. My school has 180 studs/class, so 7+23=30 which is 1/6 of 180. Next year, we will be electing 15 juniors/15 seniors. The rule of how many juniors/seniors depends on which school you go to. Some schools only take seniors.

I hope this helps.
RH

Hi there,
The above is correct but each chapter has rules that are specific for that chapter too. My chapter does not allow more than 2 students to be elected junior year (most years it is one) and no more than 10 senior year (some years like my year, it was only five and I was lucky). The criteria for selection are also up to the individual chapter but scholarship and leadership are built into the equation. Members of the chapter select from eligible candidates submitted by the Dean of Academics but it take more than academics too.

njbmd

 

[fun8stuff]

Any idea of how it works with a P/F system?

it was my understanding that most schools keep track of rank, even if they tell you that they don't. it may just be pass/fail to the students knowledge, but they probably have been keeping a running total on how each student has done compared to others based off from raw score and percentage. but i am only repeating what i have been told, not sure if it's true.

 

[UCLAstudent]

it was my understanding that most schools keep track of rank, even if they tell you that they don't. it may just be pass/fail to the students knowledge, but they probably have been keeping a running total on how each student has done compared to others based off from raw score and percentage. but i am only repeating what i have been told, not sure if it's true.

Okay, thanks, that makes sense. We are on a P/F system, but we do get scores on the exams ... we just don't find out how we did relative to other people.

 

[yellowcat322]

Okay, thanks, that makes sense. We are on a P/F system, but we do get scores on the exams ... we just don't find out how we did relative to other people.

Yes it's true. I'm in a P/F school and the deans just told us after the last set of exams that the only time our scores are actually going to be looked at is for AOA status. I really wish that P/F schools would make this clear in the beginning of the year. I understand that they are reluctant to do that because they whole point of P/F is to eliminate competition for grades, but I feel that students should be informed by their school if their grades are going to count for anything.

 

[Long Dong]

Any idea of how it works with a P/F system?

Okay since we go to the same school this is what I've been told. Some time in 4th year they look at a histogram of your test performance for the past 3 years, evals, and board score. They use some magic formal to weight things differently and I've been told that 3rd year grades (ie shelf exam, in house exam, and clinical evals) are weighted the most. They just announced who is AOA in the 4th year class just about 4 weeks ago, just in time to put on there residency application.

 

[ear-ache]

Our school also takes into account: med school grades, board scores (both Step 1 and Step 2 if taken), research (esp. if published), extracurriculars, and community service.

Basically, they are looking for 'well rounded' students.

 

[medgator]

There is a political component to it... at least where I attended medical school. Faculty who are already in AOA vote on the nominees that actually get in. Impress the right people, and you're golden.

 

[rugtrousers]

I go to a P/F school that doesn't rank us (exams are taken anonymously - yeah, that school). AOA is determined by nominations and elections from faculty members and is only handed out after the Match. Weird, I know.

 

[quideam]

I go to a P/F school that doesn't rank us (exams are taken anonymously - yeah, that school). AOA is determined by nominations and elections from faculty members and is only handed out after the Match. Weird, I know.

Ooh, you go to Yale, then, don't you!! I loved your anatomy lab when I interviewed - especially those robotic arms with the flatscreens. .

Okay, now back to the regularly scheduled thread topic.

Q