University of Utah School of Medicine

[MedicineBird]

Well, I got my rejection letter today. I had an interview on Jan. 20th. Good luck to the rest of you. I guess I'm off to SLU!

Oh noooooo! I'm sorry to hear that but SLU is a good place (too good for me apparently -- they rejected me a few weeks ago!)

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[McDizzy]

UUSOM is my alma mater!

 

[MedicineBird]

UUSOM is my alma mater!

WOOHOOO!!!! That means you can be an honorary memeber of our cheerleading squad. Heck -- You can even be team captain!

 

[conure]

I
Oh... and to add to patzan's list of the overqualified and disenfranchised of whom I know personally:

My cousin: 39 MCAT, well-rounded athlete, 252 USMLE I, currently in ENT in California.
My friend from high school: 36 MCAT, Valedictorian- BYU, George Washington Med.
My friend from LDS hospital: incredible undergrad CV, #1 in his class at Tulane Med, Ortho resident at Mayo Clinic.
An practicing physician at LDS hospital: after begging for a spot after 1st denial, was denied twice by the U, entered Columbia Med, incredible doc.

Common denominator: male, mormon, white. All applied… all denied… no good reason.

So what? This is what kills me, all of these people have an amazing opportunity to attend incredible medical schools, graduate and become leaders in their fields. They can return to Utah or go wherever after training and make HUGE impacts on Health Care in general and in patients lives. But they continue to lament not being accepted at the U.

They even have a better shot at U residencies which are amongst the finest in the country.

So you don't get state school tuition. You have more debt but, in the long run it really doesn't matter. Get out of your victim mode and move on.

 

[bqj]

Well, it's official. I got the dreaded rejection letter today. Good luck to all of you.

 

[McDizzy]

Not only did I graduate from UUSOM, I have been a member of the interview committee and I have sat on the Admissions Board in the past. It was quite an interesting experience to say the least.

 

[MedicineBird]

Not only did I graduate from UUSOM, I have been a member of the interview committee and I have sat on the Admissions Board in the past. It was quite an interesting experience to say the least.

Ahhh so NOOOOWWWW you come out of hiding. Where were you when people were frantic about their interviews, huh? j/k I imagine that is an interesting (frustrating?) experience and probably a time of reflection, too, as you are given so many snapshots of other people's lives.

Are you in your own practice now or are you a resident? How was your experience at the U?

 

[McDizzy]

Ahhh so NOOOOWWWW you come out of hiding. Where were you when people were frantic about their interviews, huh? j/k I imagine that is an interesting (frustrating?) experience and probably a time of reflection, too, as you are given so many snapshots of other people's lives.

Are you in your own practice now or are you a resident? How was your experience at the U?

I actually found the experience very rewarding and took everything quite seriously. My interviews with applicants were very detailed. Admissions Board discussions were indepth and thoughful as well. I can assure you that the decisions we made were not about numbers.

I don't have time to get into the details right now, but I will try to provide some insight into what went on behind the scenes later.

 

[MedicineBird]

I actually found the experience very rewarding and took everything quite seriously. My interviews with applicants were very detailed. Admissions Board discussions were indepth and thoughful as well. I can assure you that the decisions we made were not about numbers.

I don't have time to get into the details right now, but I will try to provide some insight into what went on behind the scenes later.

Nice to know. I'm sure we all look forward to reading your anecdotes.

 

[Loco Loki]

I actually found the experience very rewarding and took everything quite seriously. My interviews with applicants were very detailed. Admissions Board discussions were indepth and thoughful as well. I can assure you that the decisions we made were not about numbers.

I don't have time to get into the details right now, but I will try to provide some insight into what went on behind the scenes later.

So, know anything about ye olde MD/Phd people ?

 

[patzan]

Heh, anyone here know about their MD/Phd program results? I'm biting me nails I am; out of state applicant, but not a URM. They let anyone apply for the md/phd spaces, and I was there around feb 14.

Clever way of making my point. My anonymous friend (currently waiting to hear back) told me to add a 40 MCAT basically 4.0 GPA accepted to Harvard, denied at Utah to the list. (You need to stop lurking and register so you can say these things yourself.) I don't doubt that Utah accepted qualified applicants, but they weren't the MOST qualified applicants, even by their "holy" standards (i.e. - "insight"). You are right that maybe I was still too cookie cutter for them. I think what they look for most is some single thing that sets them apart. Maybe a guy has 1000 volunteer hours, or plays college badmitton or something. If he stands out, he'll be remembered and get the mighty nod.

I didn't want to bust this out on y'all, but I have kind of had a hand in the admissions myself, in a more indirect way than the alumnus posting here. The Adcom at Utah relies heavily on my pet "Bobo", the admissions monkey who draws names for them.

 

[FMGP8P]

Clever way of making my point. My anonymous friend (currently waiting to hear back) told me to add a 40 MCAT basically 4.0 GPA accepted to Harvard, denied at Utah to the list. (You need to stop lurking and register so you can say these things yourself.) I don't doubt that Utah accepted qualified applicants, but they weren't the MOST qualified applicants, even by their "holy" standards (i.e. - "insight"). You are right that maybe I was still too cookie cutter for them. I think what they look for most is some single thing that sets them apart. Maybe a guy has 1000 volunteer hours, or plays college badmitton or something. If he stands out, he'll be remembered and get the mighty nod.

I didn't want to bust this out on y'all, but I have kind of had a hand in the admissions myself, in a more indirect way than the alumnus posting here. The Adcom at Utah relies heavily on my pet "Bobo", the admissions monkey who draws names for them.

I don’t know why you keep on referring to MCAT scores and GPA. I don’t know about what information you received, but Dr. Samuelson clearly stated to my interview group that MCAT scores and GPA were only used for determining interview invites but not for acceptances. Consequently, your comments about academically outstanding students (high GPA and MCAT) being rejected are irrelevant to this discussion as they have little bearing on who is admitted.

 

[MedicineBird]

I don’t know why you keep on referring to MCAT scores and GPA. I don’t know about what information you received, but Dr. Samuelson clearly stated to my interview group that MCAT scores and GPA were only used for determining interview invites but not for acceptances. Consequently, your comments about academically outstanding students (high GPA and MCAT) being rejected are irrelevant to this discussion as they have little bearing on who is admitted.

Ignore him. He apparently can't read or reason. Maybe his pet monkey took his MCAT for him.

 

[MedicineBird]

The Utes beat Oklahoma in today's game. Woohooo!!!

 

[MedicineBird]

Anyone else get any news (good or bad) from UofU? There is an information get together shin dig for the entering class on April 8th -- who's coming with me?

 

[keithslc]

Well, I am an undergrad student at the U of U who applied to the medical school this year. I have not heard anything from the school yet. I called today and was told that all final notices would be mailed by the first week of April. I am scared to post on here after seeing the last couple who posted reported a rejection soon after...lol...I would be in heaven if i were accepted to the U (as would most locals). This is where I know I want to live, and have family here that are needed to help with my young kids while in Medical school. I don't know what to think...if not hearing anything is good or bad at this point. Good Luck to everyone else who is nervously waiting.

 

[japhy]

not hearing by this point is not indicative of whether or not you will be getting in. only half the class has been filled thusfar, so you still have a great shot at getting in. best of luck to u keith!

 

[MedicineBird]

Well, I am an undergrad student at the U of U who applied to the medical school this year. I have not heard anything from the school yet. I called today and was told that all final notices would be mailed by the first week of April. I am scared to post on here after seeing the last couple who posted reported a rejection soon after...lol...I would be in heaven if i were accepted to the U (as would most locals). This is where I know I want to live, and have family here that are needed to help with my young kids while in Medical school. I don't know what to think...if not hearing anything is good or bad at this point. Good Luck to everyone else who is nervously waiting.

So glad you came out of the woodworks! The waiting will be over soon. I hope it's good news for you.

 

[lynnier79]

hey Loki (and everyone else)

I must have been in your interview group bakc in Feb -- and I have heard from Utah of my acceptance. Jerry Kaplan called me on Tuesday of last week. I dont know if he has called everyone in our group, but I do know that the last round of MD/PhD interviews was the week after ours (because I was still in Salt Lake at the time and talked to Janet and Jerry during that week).

and just to add fodder to the fire -- i am from back east (vermont), am a Jewish female and was once told that SLC is the perfect place for me!

hopefully will meet some of you all soon!

lynnie

 

[japhy]

congrats lynnie! hopefully you are a skier, i hope you have been checking the snow report at alta - 177" base! something crazy like 5 feet of snow this week. hope to see you in slc next fall...

 

[patzan]

So how many more of you too-qualified-for-Utah applicants got rejected this week? I can add a few more. On a more positive note, who got accepted? Congrats for those who got in.

 

[djohnston]

Add me to the list of "rejected white male RM applicants". I wasn't even worth a spot on their waitlist! Well at least it was a clean break- like when you rip a band-aid off all at once...

 

[MedicineBird]

Add me to the list of "rejected white male RM applicants". I wasn't even worth a spot on their waitlist! Well at least it was a clean break- like when you rip a band-aid off all at once...

When do you think you'll hear about Vandy? (i.e. if you get off the waitlist)

 

[MedicineBird]

hey Loki (and everyone else)

and just to add fodder to the fire -- i am from back east (vermont), am a Jewish female and was once told that SLC is the perfect place for me

It's funny that you should say this. I can't count the number of times people have thought I was Jewish. I even got a job because a doc thought I was Jewish! Too funny. I met a great Jewish gal (a total riot and so stinkin smart!) who is a second year during my interview and she said she loves the school. At any rate I do like SLC a lot -- there is so much to do there. I hope to meet you there. Will you be going to the orientation deal in April?

 

[redrocks]

Add me to the list of "rejected white male RM applicants". I wasn't even worth a spot on their waitlist! Well at least it was a clean break- like when you rip a band-aid off all at once...

For reporting purposes on the interesting debate earlier, I also fit this category and agree with your simile. I definitely am not complaining though, as my mission made for interesting discussions at other interviews, and I like living outside of Utah (I'm in Houston, though still Utah resident for admission purposes). Good luck to all, I'm sure the U will have a great class.

 

[FMGP8P]

Add me to the list of "rejected white male RM applicants". I wasn't even worth a spot on their waitlist! Well at least it was a clean break- like when you rip a band-aid off all at once...

Hey djohnston

When were you rejected? Are they starting to send rejection letters out already and saving the acceptances for the first week of april?

 

[djohnston]

Hey djohnston

When were you rejected? Are they starting to send rejection letters out already and saving the acceptances for the first week of april?

I got the letter on Saturday- it was dated March 24th

 

[japhy]

djohnston,

sorry to hear about the rejection. not that it helps too much, but the waitlist at utah is incredibly small, i believe it is 20-30 students. as you would imagine, most people that get accepted at utah end up matriculating.

 

[Snowbird]

Hello there! I am honestly writing in this thread without the intent of criticism or sarcasm, but instead with the purpose of honest curiousity and desire for a better understanding. My question is whether or not there are any reasons other than location or cost that lead you to want to attend the U of U med school? In other words, are there any aspects about the school itself that intrigue you? I have been accepted to other schools and plan on matriculating at one of the others because of what that particular school has to offer. But before I make that final decision, I want to better understand why an individual would choose Utah over another school; more particularly, why choose Utah over a top-notch program? I would appreciate any honest answers you can give me. Thanks!

 

[FMGP8P]

Hello there! I am honestly writing in this thread without the intent of criticism or sarcasm, but instead with the purpose of honest curiousity and desire for a better understanding. My question is whether or not there are any reasons other than location or cost that lead you to want to attend the U of U med school? In other words, are there any aspects about the school itself that intrigue you? I have been accepted to other schools and plan on matriculating at one of the others because of what that particular school has to offer. But before I make that final decision, I want to better understand why an individual would choose Utah over another school; more particularly, why choose Utah over a top-notch program? I would appreciate any honest answers you can give me. Thanks!

I've heard others comment that the students, faculty, and administration lack the arrogance seen at other schools. My brief experience during my interview confirms this opinion. Other people on this website can probably better answer this.

 

[tcrex2000]

My question is whether or not there are any reasons other than location or cost that lead you to want to attend the U of U med school?

The main reason that I wanted to go to the U was because of the cheap tuition. With my wife working as an RN at the U hospital it would have been half off the already inexpensive in-state tuition. That totals to only ~8,000 a year! Unfortunately I didn't get in, so I'm stuck paying 38k a year at another school. If I got accepted at both schools and they were both the same price, I would have picked the other school, but 30,000 a year would have been enough to keep me in Utah.

 

[MedicineBird]

Money certainly is a big factor -- the cost of living in Salt Lake vs where I currently live is wonderful. Housing is much less expensive in SLC and that will save me from having to worry so much about finances on top of school work. I am in at a #1 ranked school but to me rankings are a very artificial thing. They say nothing about your potential to succeed and be happy at the school. Not only do you need to fit the school, but the school has to be a good fit for you. And if the school is highly ranked in something that doesn't interest you in the first place, what's the point in attending?

The hands down deciding factor for me was how I felt at UofU. It just felt right. People were happy, excited, friendly, helpful and the opportunities are brilliant. It was obvious that in that environment you don't have to be an egomaniac to be a successful academician and good physician. Everything seemed to be kept in proper perspective. It seems like a combination of all of the best worlds.

 

[patzan]

The main reason that I wanted to go to the U was because of the cheap tuition. With my wife working as an RN at the U hospital it would have been half off the already inexpensive in-state tuition. That totals to only ~8,000 a year! Unfortunately I didn't get in, so I'm stuck paying 38k a year at another school. If I got accepted at both schools and they were both the same price, I would have picked the other school, but 30,000 a year would have been enough to keep me in Utah.

No one answered the question. Helpful hint: if your top reason is money or location, you can't reply. Yeah, as someone else stated, people there aren't very arrogant, especially the SLCC and UCMT guys. I'll give you that.

 

[MedicineBird]

No one answered the question. Helpful hint: if your top reason is money or location, you can't reply. Yeah, as someone else stated, people there aren't very arrogant, especially the SLCC and UCMT guys. I'll give you that.

ahem -- you should read more carefully. (Didn't I mention your reading comprehension skills once before???) I answered the question. "Hands down deciding factor..."

 

[FMGP8P]

No one answered the question. Helpful hint: if your top reason is money or location, you can't reply. Yeah, as someone else stated, people there aren't very arrogant, especially the SLCC and UCMT guys. I'll give you that.

lol, okay, that was funny

 

[japhy]

i can give you a bunch of reasons.

-very accessible faculty. easy to get involved in interesting research projects. with the new hunstman cancer center finished, and the moran eye center, a lot of private research money is flowing into the school.

-committed and supportive dean's: utah has a unique student body in that many students are married and have kids. other students want to pursue additional degrees. the dean's office goes out of its way to help all of its students succeed.

-great match lists: every year we have many students match in the competitive specialties at competitive locations. this year, 8 students matched in ortho (out of 95). 5 students are heading to the mayo clinic (in multiple specialties). then there is rads, uro, derm, ent. our students work hard and the residency directors' work hard to place our students.

-great environment: more than the location, the students here are generally a very happy bunch. they work hard and play hard. but most importantly, they truly help each other out. i can remember plenty of times where students went out of their way to help the class. during 2nd year cardio block, one student who was a ekg tech before med school, set up multiple 2 hour sessions where he helped the rest of us understand ekgs. i saw this happen time and time again.

-brand new medical school: the new building is beautiful. plus it integrates the medical, nursing and pharm students.

snowbird, pm me if you have additional questions and i would be happy to answer them.

 

[emeraldcity]

Hey guys!

I don't know if ya'll can answer this question:

Does anyone know the # of people on the out of state waitlist?
From what I hear, Utah has three separate lists: Utah, Idaho and Out-of-State, based on which type of student gives up their spot... Just trying to gauge my chances at getting in, I am hoping that the out of state spots may move a little faster than perhaps the in-state or Idaho students, since we don't get the in-state tuition break.

*blah*
I am on waitlist after waitlist, and am feeling like I am in purgatory.
It's as good as the line- "Oh, I like you, but only as a friend..."
bittersweet at best.

oh well! On to May 15th with fingers crossed! good luck to you all!

 

[Snowbird]

Thanks for the many responses! I really appreciate hearing your different opinions. You have given me a lot to consider. Basically, I think it will come down to how I felt with the interview experience. How happy were the students? Will I succeed in such a learning environment? Will the school help me in my future endeavors? etc. I guess I just have a lot of contemplating to do in the next month. Thank you for the help! See you soon???

 

[MedicineBird]

Thanks for the many responses! I really appreciate hearing your different opinions. You have given me a lot to consider. Basically, I think it will come down to how I felt with the interview experience. How happy were the students? Will I succeed in such a learning environment? Will the school help me in my future endeavors? etc. I guess I just have a lot of contemplating to do in the next month. Thank you for the help! See you soon???

Excellent paradigm

 

[McDizzy]

Hi everyone,

I am back again. There seems to be an interest regarding why people choose to go to.

I can tell you why I chose the University of Utah for medical school. I grew up in So. Cal. and went to a UC school for undergrad. I wanted to leave California to experience something new. I had been to Salt Lake City several times and loved the area. I was accepted at a variety of schools including UCs, Ivys and Stanford. I still chose Utah for a variety of reasons.

The staff that I had interacted with were very friendly and helpful. The other students seemed to be quite happy and were very supportive of each other. The curriculum was first rate. The associated hospitals were high caliber. The USMLE pass rate was very high with scores being well above the national average. Medical school graduates also had great success at obtaining top residency spots. Many of the students were married which created an excellent network for a girl/boyfriend, fiance or spouse. In addition, even though I paid out-of-state tuition my first year, I became an in-state resident by my second year.

So, how did I do in the end?

Graduated AOA
Reasonably small debt
First choice for residency
Third choice for fellowship

 

[McDizzy]

There also seems to be alot of questions regarding why some people with a high GPA and/or MCAT score are rejected while others with lower "stats" get admitted.

To begin, I will remind you that I sat on the U of U interview committee and admissions board. This means that I have first hand experience regarding how people are selected for admission or rejection.

The simple answer to the question regarding why a 4.0 GPA and 40 MCAT would get rejected is that GPA and MCAT do not account for everything. Applications are prescreened to determine whether or not an applicant is "likely to pass medical school without difficulty". The test for this simply absolute cut-offs for GPA and MCAT. Applications which fail to meet these requirements are simply rejected. Believe it or not, this is where your GPA and MCATs are most important.

Applications which make this cutoff answer the following question:

"Can the applicant obtain knowledge and interpret the information necessary to become a doctor?"

The next question which must be asked is:

"Is this applicant likely to be a good doctor?"

I use the generic term "good" because the definition of a "good" doctor is somewhat subjective and encompasses a variety of traits.

At this point in the application process, interviews are granted based on the overall impression of the applicant as reflected by the application.

GPA and MCATs remain important considerations.
Extracurricular activities are examined.
Rigorous or diverse coursework is considered.
The personal statement is also reviewed.

Once an applicant reaches the interview, it is very important for them to know that an impressive interview CAN get you in and a poor interview WILL keep you out. I will right about my personal interviewing experiences in another post.

Applicants who distinguish themselves during an interview almost always get accepted. While it is rare for an applicant to perform poorly on an interview, it usually means rejection.

Most applicants fall somewhere in the middle when it comes to interviewing and then the question becomes:

"Which of the remaining applicants are likely to make the best doctors?"

This is a difficult process and involves continually reviewing applications and comments from interviewers. GPA and MCAT scores have little bearing in this situation because all of the score and grades are good. More important than grades and MCATs are the other aspects of the application including personal statements and extracurricular activities. In the end, if there is 1 spot left out of 100 and there are two identical applicants, MCATs or GPA could be the deciding factor, but this is unlikely.

Overall, the entire process ivolves a huge time commitment by alot of very busy people. Everyone takes the selection process very seriously. I found my experiences to be quite rewarding.

I hope you all find this interesting. Please feel free to ask questions. I will try to respond when I have time.

 

[MedicineBird]

McDizzy, you are full of so many goodies.

 

[lis79]

Anyone going to the orientation on Friday? If yes, where are you coming from? I'll start.

Lis79: CA

 

[MedicineBird]

Anyone going to the orientation on Friday? If yes, where are you coming from? I'll start.

Lis79: CA

MedicineBird: WA

 

[japhy]

who is in charge of the orientation? are they having med students hang out with the new recruits? if so, there are a couple of people you should definitely meet while you are in town.

 

[MedicineBird]

who is in charge of the orientation? are they having med students hang out with the new recruits? if so, there are a couple of people you should definitely meet while you are in town.

There are a lot of admin and faculty speakers but just after lunch there will be a question answer time with some of the students.

The 2005 Roast is also that night. I've watched the clips on the SOM website from 2004 and they are pretty funny. Anyone planning on attending? The cost is $5.00 but it looks like it's being held off campus.

 

[Iquitos]

hmm

 

[MedicineBird]

I agree. How do people with 26's get into the U when people with 40's get rejected- all else being similar as far as personalities and resume's are concered? I know that MCATS are somewhat irrelevant after about 30 at a school like this and that nobody wants a cocky spank in their class, but they are rejecting humble well qualified applicants that seem a lot more diverse than the rest of us cracker Mormons. I sure hope that new buiding will be done soon. I would hate to see a whole mess of students killed in their oldschool, non-earthquake compliant dungeon lecture halls. Best of luck to ya all, I suggest you find some sort of patient exposure in your first and second year- like the 4th street clinic, because my friends at the U say that their school is very unsupportive in this aspect due to their oldschool antiquated program.

Whatever dude.

Ever think they just don't like whiners?

 

[redrocks]

I agree. How do people with 26's get into the U when people with 40's get rejected- all else being similar as far as personalities and resume's are concered? I know that MCATS are somewhat irrelevant after about 30 at a school like this and that nobody wants a cocky spank in their class, but they are rejecting humble well qualified applicants that seem a lot more diverse than the rest of us cracker Mormons. I sure hope that new buiding will be done soon. I would hate to see a whole mess of students killed in their oldschool, non-earthquake compliant dungeon lecture halls. Best of luck to ya all, I suggest you find some sort of patient exposure in your first and second year- like the 4th street clinic, because my friends at the U say that their school is very unsupportive in this aspect due to their oldschool antiquated program.

I have to agree with MedicineBird. All of those who were rejected from the U (like me) should find a different thread to take it out on. Just be glad if you got in somewhere. Who knows, maybe you will like the change of scenery (Houston has been great for me). Good luck to all of you at the U!

 

[MedicineBird]

I have to agree with MedicineBird. All of those who were rejected from the U (like me) should find a different thread to take it out on. Just be glad if you got in somewhere. Who knows, maybe you will like the change of scenery (Houston has been great for me). Good luck to all of you at the U!

Thanks redrocks. I like the idea of finding opprotunity in the cards you've been dealt -- and they are all great cards!