U of W, is it worth it?

[Hednej]

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So I'm out of state, which means that I have to get screened. I've been getting screened for almost 7 weeks now. I emailed them and they said they had sent my file to the "multicultural affairs office" and if they wanted a secondary they would contact me by the end of this month (I really dont know wtf this means). Anywho, I know UoW is a really good school and all, but is it worth the wait, writing the essay for the secondaries, going all the way to Seattle, and then most likely get rejected or waitlisted since they take so few people OOS?

Obviously I'm crazy enough to do it, but what do you guys think?

 

[RDood]

If it's been forwarded to the Multicultural affairs office, are you an URM? If so, with some good stats and experiences, and being an URM, you probably have a decent shot, or at least decenter than a lot of othe OOS applicants (myself included - I didn't even get a secondary yet). I'd go for it (besides, what's $60 in the grand scheme of $200K in debt?)

 

[Hednej]

No actually I'm not URM, which is really weired. Maybe it's a washington department that handles OOSers too. Anybody from Washington know?

 

[Xypathos]

what's $60 in the grand scheme of $200K in debt?)

Approximately .03% -- I think.

 

[FamousPotatoes]

My understanding was that UW only accepted OOSers if they were URM or MSTP. That said, the secondary is only $35 and if you do get an interview, Seattle is such a fun city to visit! Stick with it.

 

[Hednej]

So they only accept URMs for OOsers? That sucks,I guess now I don't have a chance at all.

 

[FamousPotatoes]

From the UWSOM Admissions site:

"Residents of the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, or Idaho are eligible to apply. Applicants from outside this five-state region who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or who have demonstrated a commitment to serving underserved populations will be considered. Foreign applicants, in addition to the above requirements, must be permanent residents of the United States. Individuals with a demonstrated interest in research may apply for the MD/PhD Program (MSTP) regardless of residency."

 

[RDood]

Yeah, I believe their website or some material said they only accept URMs or "exceptional" out of staters. It was either UW or Oregon. Darned WICHE program...

 

[ClosetNerd]

If you actually get a secondary then I would say fill it out. Their application fee is small if I remember right. Also, are you WAMI or out out of state. It makes a difference. If they give a secondary fill that sucker out because it means they obviously like you enough to want to know more. most OOS people never make it past the screening.

 

[Hednej]

From the UWSOM Admissions site:

"Residents of the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, or Idaho are eligible to apply. Applicants from outside this five-state region who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or who have demonstrated a commitment to serving underserved populations will be considered. Foreign applicants, in addition to the above requirements, must be permanent residents of the United States. Individuals with a demonstrated interest in research may apply for the MD/PhD Program (MSTP) regardless of residency."

Thanks for the info. It really released me from the confusion. Now I have a better idea of where I stand.

 

[searun]

So I'm out of state, which means that I have to get screened. I've been getting screened for almost 7 weeks now. I emailed them and they said they had sent my file to the "multicultural affairs office" and if they wanted a secondary they would contact me by the end of this month (I really dont know wtf this means). Anywho, I know UoW is a really good school and all, but is it worth the wait, writing the essay for the secondaries, going all the way to Seattle, and then most likely get rejected or waitlisted since they take so few people OOS?

Obviously I'm crazy enough to do it, but what do you guys think?

because it probably is not going to happen unless you live in Idaho or Montana.

Searun

 

[tacrum43]

Yeah, I believe their website or some material said they only accept URMs or "exceptional" out of staters. It was either UW or Oregon. Darned WICHE program...

UW supposedly only takes OOS is they are URM, MD/PhD or from one of the WICHE states. OHSU is far less picky, although OOS probably still need to be above their averages.

 

[thesauce]

I had an interview with the multicultural affairs before my interview with the admissions committee, but it wasn't b/c I'm a minority (I'm not). They said it was b/c my personal statement showed that I had come from a "disadvantaged background." So that must not be exclusive to minority groups. I got accepted, but I didn't attend.

 

[tennisgal018]

UW supposedly only takes OOS is they are URM, MD/PhD or from one of the WICHE states. OHSU is far less picky, although OOS probably still need to be above their averages.

UW isn't actually a WICHE medical school, but has its own program - WWAMI (Washington/Wyoming/Alaska/Montana/Idaho). Being a Washington resident myself, I wish we could participate in WICHE because it would give us more options (only MT & WY participate in the WICHE medicine program). With only one med school in Washington, and OHSU selecting only outstanding OOSers, Washingtonians are kind of limited to the one school plus lots of expensive private schools and the public schools that accept OOSers. 🙁

By the way, you are totally right about OHSU. I've heard that again and again from my school's health sciences advisory commitee as well as a number of other people who either went to undergraduate in Oregon and/or applied to OHSU last year. UW will accept OOS students into their URM & MD/PhD programs, but they usually interview after washington/other WWAMI residents.

 

[DrZeke]

UW supposedly only takes OOS is they are URM, MD/PhD or from one of the WICHE states. OHSU is far less picky, although OOS probably still need to be above their averages.

You are right 🙂. They also like to take people who have shown a lot of interest in the underserved and underprivilidged populations/communities, because they are all about rural medicine. This is what they told me when I called, they were super informative.

ALSO, they send out 200 or so OOS secondaries, it's a very competitive screening process, so OP, chill out, and just wait. You can't get your money back now, and if you get a secondary, you know that's pretty impressive and that you can possibly get an interview.

 

[HumbleMD]

Reviving thread.
So, to people thinking about it, I wouldn't waste the $30 applying to UW. I made the silly decision to, and got rejected pre-secondary. I thought I had at least some sort of chance. I have a proven dedication to work with underserved populations in my EC's, and personal statement, have pretty good numbers, and a track record in the application process that I'm quite competitive. No love from UW though...

 

[Hednej]

Reviving thread.
So, to people thinking about it, I wouldn't waste the $30 applying to UW. I made the silly decision to, and got rejected pre-secondary. I thought I had at least some sort of chance. I have a proven dedication to work with underserved populations in my EC's, and personal statement, have pretty good numbers, and a track record in the application process that I'm quite competitive. No love from UW though...

Same here, I got rejected big time 🙂