- Joined
- Apr 8, 2016
- Messages
- 364
- Reaction score
- 367
I had the privilege to interview at one of the best osteopathic programs in the country this cycle, and last. (for obvious reasons I won’t name the school) The outcome of this process has left me with a lot of considerations regarding the process of applying to medical school.
Last cycle I was in the middle of a Masters degree (the Post-Bacc “prove you can handle a med school course load curriculum) and many of my grades had not been posted yet, particularly the important courses like Gross Anatomy and Physiology, Pharmacology, or Host Defense. My MCAT was mediocre, ~80th percentile. Not terrible, but also not anything I’d be bragging to my friends about. My essays were strong. I have family members that attended this program, and one of my interviewers was a professor that taught said family member. I was very excited about the prospect of being admitted to medical school and when I got wait-listed I began to get a glimmer of hope. I thought that, “Hey…maybe I DO have what it takes to be a physician.”
I received no word on my admissions status from this program. The first week of school came, it went, and I settled with the knowledge that I had not been moved from the wait list, and wasn’t given the dignity of a letter, or even an email.
This cycle my stats were far stronger. I had finished my Masters degree with a (3.9, honors in Gross Anatomy and Physiology). I had stronger recommendation letters, a higher MCAT. I had improved every aspect of my application that I could get my hands on. I was, again, invited to interview at this program, and was excited to see what my impressions were given that I already had multiple acceptances in the bag for this cycle. I wanted to see if my opinion the previous cycle had been tainted by the fact that it was my only choice.
I was less impressed with the campus this time around, less impressed with the faculty. The interview, however, was incredible. I’m a non-traditional student and have had plenty of interviews in the corporate world. I either 1) phenomenally misread the situation, or 2) I was spot-on. For argument’s sake, let’s say I was right. One of the many comments made during the interview was, “I can’t say too much in this setting, but I will say…I hope you don’t mind the cold.” (I live somewhere warm, this school is in chillier atmosphere)
I called the school the day before my birthday (Don’t ever do that) and inquired about my application status. Enough time had passed and I felt like I should have heard something. I was…rejected.
Sure I was disheartened, it would have been great to go to the school, but I can solidly say that I am happier where I will be going in the fall. What I’m not happy about is the way my situation was handled, and I believe it reflects a flaw that is present throughout this process.
I should never have been told those kinds of comments in my interview. I believe this reflects a lack of proper training, rather than any kind of malice. I also have some difficulty processing why I was rejected. I realize that fundamentally the role of admissions committees, the actual job, is not to accept people to medical school. Rather, their job is to deny applications, after all they spend far more time doing this. They are tasked with ensuring that quality candidates matriculate, and that those quality candidates have the academic fortitude to survive. I wouldn’t want that job. However, I think it’s important that the committee and admissions departments strongly consider how they interact with those that they reject.
I was brought out for a late interview. In my mind, an interview in the middle of April should be for a candidate that you at the very least intend to wait list. It’s expensive to book a last minute flight. It’s time consuming. It’s stressful. It’s misleading. Particularly given that I was wait listed the year before. If my interview is what sunk me, that would make sense, but I have a hard time believing that’s the case here. I have yet to receive any paper correspondence from this program. I haven’t gotten a phone call. My online portal hasn’t changed. I’ve simply been left hanging. I look around SDN and I see multiple reports of these “silent rejections,” it’s the Medical School Admissions version of “ghosting” out of a relationship. These admissions departments are tasked with the choice of choosing compassionate physicians, and to the students that receive acceptances they are amicable, friendly, and go above and beyond to assist. However, what they do, or don’t do, for the students they reject…I think that says a lot more about them. This is a rant. It’s semi-unorganized and very long-winded.
I just think that it’s important as we all progress on this crazy journey to becoming physicians that we need to remember what it’s like to sit in that chair on an interview. We need to remember what it’s like to apply. Some of us may wind up playing a roll in admissions one day, and the status quo NEEDS to change.
Last cycle I was in the middle of a Masters degree (the Post-Bacc “prove you can handle a med school course load curriculum) and many of my grades had not been posted yet, particularly the important courses like Gross Anatomy and Physiology, Pharmacology, or Host Defense. My MCAT was mediocre, ~80th percentile. Not terrible, but also not anything I’d be bragging to my friends about. My essays were strong. I have family members that attended this program, and one of my interviewers was a professor that taught said family member. I was very excited about the prospect of being admitted to medical school and when I got wait-listed I began to get a glimmer of hope. I thought that, “Hey…maybe I DO have what it takes to be a physician.”
I received no word on my admissions status from this program. The first week of school came, it went, and I settled with the knowledge that I had not been moved from the wait list, and wasn’t given the dignity of a letter, or even an email.
This cycle my stats were far stronger. I had finished my Masters degree with a (3.9, honors in Gross Anatomy and Physiology). I had stronger recommendation letters, a higher MCAT. I had improved every aspect of my application that I could get my hands on. I was, again, invited to interview at this program, and was excited to see what my impressions were given that I already had multiple acceptances in the bag for this cycle. I wanted to see if my opinion the previous cycle had been tainted by the fact that it was my only choice.
I was less impressed with the campus this time around, less impressed with the faculty. The interview, however, was incredible. I’m a non-traditional student and have had plenty of interviews in the corporate world. I either 1) phenomenally misread the situation, or 2) I was spot-on. For argument’s sake, let’s say I was right. One of the many comments made during the interview was, “I can’t say too much in this setting, but I will say…I hope you don’t mind the cold.” (I live somewhere warm, this school is in chillier atmosphere)
I called the school the day before my birthday (Don’t ever do that) and inquired about my application status. Enough time had passed and I felt like I should have heard something. I was…rejected.
Sure I was disheartened, it would have been great to go to the school, but I can solidly say that I am happier where I will be going in the fall. What I’m not happy about is the way my situation was handled, and I believe it reflects a flaw that is present throughout this process.
I should never have been told those kinds of comments in my interview. I believe this reflects a lack of proper training, rather than any kind of malice. I also have some difficulty processing why I was rejected. I realize that fundamentally the role of admissions committees, the actual job, is not to accept people to medical school. Rather, their job is to deny applications, after all they spend far more time doing this. They are tasked with ensuring that quality candidates matriculate, and that those quality candidates have the academic fortitude to survive. I wouldn’t want that job. However, I think it’s important that the committee and admissions departments strongly consider how they interact with those that they reject.
I was brought out for a late interview. In my mind, an interview in the middle of April should be for a candidate that you at the very least intend to wait list. It’s expensive to book a last minute flight. It’s time consuming. It’s stressful. It’s misleading. Particularly given that I was wait listed the year before. If my interview is what sunk me, that would make sense, but I have a hard time believing that’s the case here. I have yet to receive any paper correspondence from this program. I haven’t gotten a phone call. My online portal hasn’t changed. I’ve simply been left hanging. I look around SDN and I see multiple reports of these “silent rejections,” it’s the Medical School Admissions version of “ghosting” out of a relationship. These admissions departments are tasked with the choice of choosing compassionate physicians, and to the students that receive acceptances they are amicable, friendly, and go above and beyond to assist. However, what they do, or don’t do, for the students they reject…I think that says a lot more about them. This is a rant. It’s semi-unorganized and very long-winded.
I just think that it’s important as we all progress on this crazy journey to becoming physicians that we need to remember what it’s like to sit in that chair on an interview. We need to remember what it’s like to apply. Some of us may wind up playing a roll in admissions one day, and the status quo NEEDS to change.
