University of Pittsburg, Medical School

[silver_eyes]

Hi everyone,

about a while ago i was searching through med schools. i came across uni. of pitt.i told them to send me more info about the medical school. when they sent me the stuff, i was really relieved when i saw their booklet. it said,: "We look passed MCAT's. MCAT's arent everything." and the good thing is that my dad like loves the school as do i. i mean it is necessary for your parents to lie it, but it is a major plus in my fam if they do like it.

how hard is it to get into pitt. any of you guys already students there? how is it?

thank you,
Rayhana

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[Winged Scapula]

Moving this to Allopathic Forum for you Rayhana...

 

[TommyGunn04]

I applied to Pitt silver_eyes. The funny thing is, I didn't even know the school existed until they sent me an information package one day (the letter implied they had received my info because I checked that box on the MCAT). Anyway, to make a long story short, I loved what I read so much that I decided to apply. And when I visited, I loved it even more!!! Pitt's an amazing place. They're really into humanism, as the booklet demonstrates, which impressed me a lot. And I found their students on the whole to be the most laid-back, fun and kind people I met throughout the interview process.

Plus, Pittsburgh is a pretty awesome city! Of course, it's no New York, but it's a medium sized, safe, pretty city. I like to think of it as a cross between Providence and Boston; definitely a great and EXTREMELY affordable place to live!

Pitt's also has a great reputation for clinical training, and is arguably the transplant capital of the world. And the school has steadily been rising in the US News rankings throughout the past few years, as they bring in more and more research money. Of course, those rankings need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Honestly, the only downside I found with Pitt is their lack of financial aid money to throw around. My package was pretty sad; only about $4,000 in grant money, and LOTS of loans. But that's expected for an out-of-stater at a state school.

Anyway, if you're applying to Pitt and you really think they're one of your top choices, make sure you let them know. They're really into making sure their classes are filled with students who love Pitt.

 

[Femtochemistry]

To TommyGunn04,

Are going to attend Pitt or Penn in the fall? If you picked Penn over Pitt, may i ask why? More grants?

 

[silver_eyes]

Thank you tommyGunn!

so.....how do i tell them they are my number 1 choice (they actually are)? I love this school and i think i can actually get in here.

how hard is it? i just got through my freshman year at the university of the pacific. currently a sophomore. i am doing reserach on high school kids on how migranes relate to depression and will hopefully be starting on another one how breast milk is healthy or something. i will volunteer in the local hospital and will do undergrad reserach soon. so...what u think...good?

late,
rayhana
[email protected]

 

[mpp]

Although it's great to show interest in schools this early, it is probably a bit too early to tell them that they are your number one choice. But when you send in the application in a couple of years this is something significant to tell them (that is if they are still your number one choice).

I think you will find that most of the medical school literature packets will explain how that school looks past the numbers. So keep doing research on other schools as well to see if you might find others that you like.

As far as the admissions requirements, check out the <a href="http://pnet400.aamc.org/AAMC_Store/itemDetail.cfm?store=PUBLICATIONS&item=ARA3&category=" target="_blank">Medical School Admission Requirements</a> book. In that book it will tell you the average MCAT and GPA of previous entering classes. It can also tell you something about how many students from different majors they have accepted in the past and the number from different states. The admissions department may also be able to provide some of this information.

 

[silver_eyes]

you said,"I think you will find that most of the medical school literature packets will explain how that school looks past the numbers." what other schools, that arent that high in rankings do that?

ok.when i eventually apply in 2 years (junior year), how do i tell them u are my number 1 choice? i am pretty sure uni of pitt will still be my number 1 choice or for sure in the top 5.

thanks.

 

[sandflea]

it's nice to be enthusiastic so early on, but how can you really know that pitt is your first choice when all you know about the school is what they show in the booklet? simply because they claim to look past the MCAT? to be honest, many, if not most, schools claim to 'look past the MCAT'--it's not something exclusive to pitt. and for pitt to state that, it doesn't mean that your scores don't matter--you'd be hard-pressed to get in *anywhere* without a competitive score. besides, you are several years away from even *taking* the MCAT, so why are you already assuming that your MCAT score is something that will need 'to be looked past'? your GPA is probably what matters most, overall, anyway, so if you're applying to a school that claims to not weigh the MCAT as heavily, it just means that your grades matter that much more.

a lot of us don't even HAVE a first choice until we interview at various schools and actually see it in person, which can give a markedly different impression than that formed from a school pamphlet. you're definitely ahead of the game by researching schools this early, but to be honest, it's too early for you to really have a clear idea of what may matter to you in a med school, especially since the most important criteria for admission--your grades and MCAT--have yet to be determined and will certainly factor in to what schools may be attractive to apply to. i wouldn't be so gung-ho about pitt if it means that you limit your other options. by the way, pitt isn't a low-ranked school; it's one of the top 20 schools in the nation and by no means easy to be accepted to.

 

[TommyGunn04]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Femtochemistry:
•To TommyGunn04,

Are going to attend Pitt or Penn in the fall? If you picked Penn over Pitt, may i ask why? More grants?•••••Well I'm still waitlisted at Duke, my absolute first choice. Penn is my 2nd choice, and after visiting on 2nd look weekend I really love the place. So as of right now I'm headed there, but still hoping to get into Duke! My choosing Penn over Pitt has nothing to do with money, although Penn did give me a significantly better package. The main reason is that I really love Penn's "accelerated" (for lack of a better word) curriculum, which is why I like Duke even more (Penn is 1.5 years of basic science, whereas Duke is only 1!). But I also really love the fact that Penn is home to perhaps the best bioethics institute in the country (my undergrad major was bioethics)! And there were a lot of intangibles that helped me choose as well. In the end, Pitt was my 3rd choice, and if I didn't get into Penn, I most likely would've gone there.

 

[silver_eyes]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by sandflea:
•it's nice to be enthusiastic so early on, but how can you really know that pitt is your first choice when all you know about the school is what they show in the booklet? simply because they claim to look past the MCAT? to be honest, many, if not most, schools claim to 'look past the MCAT'--it's not something exclusive to pitt. and for pitt to state that, it doesn't mean that your scores don't matter--you'd be hard-pressed to get in *anywhere* without a competitive score. besides, you are several years away from even *taking* the MCAT, so why are you already assuming that your MCAT score is something that will need 'to be looked past'? your GPA is probably what matters most, overall, anyway, so if you're applying to a school that claims to not weigh the MCAT as heavily, it just means that your grades matter that much more.

a lot of us don't even HAVE a first choice until we interview at various schools and actually see it in person, which can give a markedly different impression than that formed from a school pamphlet. you're definitely ahead of the game by researching schools this early, but to be honest, it's too early for you to really have a clear idea of what may matter to you in a med school, especially since the most important criteria for admission--your grades and MCAT--have yet to be determined and will certainly factor in to what schools may be attractive to apply to. i wouldn't be so gung-ho about pitt if it means that you limit your other options. by the way, pitt isn't a low-ranked school; it's one of the top 20 schools in the nation and by no means easy to be accepted to.•••••ANYWAY...

 

[mpp]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by silver_eyes:
•you said,"I think you will find that most of the medical school literature packets will explain how that school looks past the numbers." what other schools, that arent that high in rankings do that?

ok.when i eventually apply in 2 years (junior year), how do i tell them u are my number 1 choice? i am pretty sure uni of pitt will still be my number 1 choice or for sure in the top 5.

thanks.•••••You can tell a school that they are one of your top choices when you complete the secondary application. Often schools will have an essay portion. The interview is another time to stress to the school that you'd like to attend there.

Keep researching other schools. <a href="http://www.aamc.org/meded/medschls/admissions.htm" target="_blank">Here</a> is a link to a list of all the medical schools in the U.S. and Canada with their web pages and contact information. Good luck with the research and keep those grades up...

 

[sandflea]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by silver_eyes:
• •••quote:•••Originally posted by sandflea:
•it's nice to be enthusiastic so early on, but how can you really know that pitt is your first choice when all you know about the school is what they show in the booklet? simply because they claim to look past the MCAT? to be honest, many, if not most, schools claim to 'look past the MCAT'--it's not something exclusive to pitt. and for pitt to state that, it doesn't mean that your scores don't matter--you'd be hard-pressed to get in *anywhere* without a competitive score. besides, you are several years away from even *taking* the MCAT, so why are you already assuming that your MCAT score is something that will need 'to be looked past'? your GPA is probably what matters most, overall, anyway, so if you're applying to a school that claims to not weigh the MCAT as heavily, it just means that your grades matter that much more.

a lot of us don't even HAVE a first choice until we interview at various schools and actually see it in person, which can give a markedly different impression than that formed from a school pamphlet. you're definitely ahead of the game by researching schools this early, but to be honest, it's too early for you to really have a clear idea of what may matter to you in a med school, especially since the most important criteria for admission--your grades and MCAT--have yet to be determined and will certainly factor in to what schools may be attractive to apply to. i wouldn't be so gung-ho about pitt if it means that you limit your other options. by the way, pitt isn't a low-ranked school; it's one of the top 20 schools in the nation and by no means easy to be accepted to.•••••ANYWAY... •••••um, nothing i said was unreasonable. sorry i tried to help and offered advice that was obviously not what you wanted to hear.