The Medical school application process is trash, period.

[aldol16]

"Life isn't fair, so let's just not fix anything ever."

This forum is a ****ing joke.

You obviously didn't read the second paragraph, which suggests a way to fix part of the problem. What's a joke are pre-meds who have no real life experience bitching about how everything isn't fair to them - admissions, URMs taking their spots, not knowing a specific date for decisions, etc.

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[agentofchaos]

In Texas we have a match system and specific dates. You can get a prematch offer between nov- dec otherwise you'll know in match day Feb 1. Granted these are all state schools (Texas has like 10) but it's somewhat of a cleaner process. Still a waitlist after February, but because of matching a lot of it is already filled by Feb 1. Texas fees are pretty low comparatively.

I don't know if you could necessarily apply the Texas system to out of state or private school, but I do like the timelines.

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[dpmd]

In Texas we have a match system and specific dates. You can get a prematch offer between nov- dec otherwise you'll know in match day Feb 1. Granted these are all state schools (Texas has like 10) but it's somewhat of a cleaner process. Still a waitlist after February, but because of matching a lot of it is already filled by Feb 1. Texas fees are pretty low comparatively.

I don't know if you could necessarily apply the Texas system to out of state or private school, but I do like the timelines.

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I bet there are people who bitch about the match system. There are always going to be dissatisfied people (just look at all the people who bitch and moan about the residency match even though people hated the old system).

 

[solnushka]

Hmmm I don't forsee schools being all that honest here though. It will end up always being blamed on something objective like stats, nobody wants to tell you that your app radiated arrogance and a lack of compassion, or that you were a sweaty gross wreck during your interview

uh oh.

 

[prehealthadvisor55]

They show applicant ranges for the new test instead of admitted student ranges like the showed for the old exam. Hence people with a 30 equivalent looking and correctly seeing that they are above-average among applicants.

It states pretty clearly that it's applicant ranges, not admitted ranges. They were added because everybody wanted something showing new scores...and until the entire cycle is closed they couldn't begin putting the data together. Was it helpful? That's debatable. But compared to the information we get for every other application system, MSAR is a dream. I wish I could have half of this information in this format for PA or dental.

Unfortunately there's overlap in the cycles. There was really no conceivable way to make everybody happy with this. You either completely omitted new score information for a cycle or you did it how they did. Everything we've been told is that in the new update admitted applicant information will return. Including below the box itself.

If you think the MSAR is bad, you should see the AIS (Advisor Information System).

 

[efle]

You either completely omitted new score information for a cycle or you did it how they did.

It's interesting to think about what might have happened if they did omit the new info. Could be that seeing a lot of noncompetitive scores applying to School X encouraged a bunch more noncompetitive apps to School X. Or, maybe there would have been even more noncompetitive apps sent to School X if there was no data whatsoever.

Really the best option would have been for AAMC to recognize that schools were going to ignore instructions and compare via percentile. They could have provided an official percentile comparison tool and/or shown percentiles instead of scaled scores in the MSAR. It may be that the med schools are in the wrong for comparing percentiles, but if you know that med schools are going to do this bad thing, you might as well warn the applicants and try to keep them informed.

 

[spartawdw]

I like how the acceptance fee to hold your spot is regulated, max of $100 and refundable until a certain date. That is much better than the DO process, where applicants can be out of a few thousand dollars just to ensure a spot somewhere.

Perhaps secondary fee caps would be beneficial, if School X can get away charging me $40 then why does School Y need $150?

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

btw if you think the app process is bad now:

I guarantee some neurotic pre-med will take you seriously and get paranoid

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

I'd just like to say that my favorite ADCOM by far is @gyngyn who is so nice and gives great advice! One advice that I've seen gyngyn constantly give is making sure you have good judgement. I've noticed this first hand. A friend of mine applied to >40 schools during this current cycle and has not had a single interview invite and his MCAT score is expiring. The end result? He is out $7k, has to take the new MCAT, probably will do poorly on the new MCAT because he isn't taking it seriously (because he did decent on the old one), and (in terms of EC's) won't have much to offer next cycle then he already has, despite the fact that he knows what the weaknesses in his application are and refuses to work on them (because he thinks that DO schools will overlook his lack of EC's because of his good GPA). I have more to say but, for obvious reasons, cannot. This is an excellent example of someone who is digging a hole for their career by having the poorest judgement I've ever seen someone have. Learn from this kids! Good judgement is important!

 

[gyngyn]

I'd just like to say that my favorite ADCOM by far is @gyngyn who is so nice and gives great advice! One advice that I've seen gyngyn constantly give is making sure you have good judgement.

Thank you. I needed this today.

 

[Kgizzle]

I actually know someone who did this.

Did they get in?

EDIT: Hell no!