Untrue folk theorems on SDN - biases etc

[here2learn]

One of the threads below got me thinking. What are the untrue folk theorems or biases held by pre-allo posters?

One advice which many seem to have echoed that may be called an untrue folk theorem may be "If you don't get into MD, try again next year instead of applying to a DO program." Obviously that is also one of my biases

Another could be - if you get below a 25 MCAT, say goodbye to medical school.

Are there other examples? I'm sure there must be several!

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[cbrons]

One of the threads below got me thinking. What are the untrue folk theorems or biases held by pre-allo posters?

One advice which many seem to have echoed that may be called an untrue folk theorem may be "If you don't get into MD, try again next year instead of applying to a DO program." Obviously that is also one of my biases

Another could be - if you get below a 25 MCAT, say goodbye to medical school.

Are there other examples? I'm sure there must be several!

A folk theorem?

 

[fizzgig]

cbrons when in the world do you sleep. (though to see you on here this much i'm obviously practicing some sweet avoidance... but still...)

 

[here2learn]

A folk theorem?

Folk theorem = concept borrowed from game theory. Something that cannot be attributed to any one person that has become a truth of sorts.

 

[Total180]

I don't think it's a general "truth" around here that you should reapply versus applying to DO schools. Most everyone says if your stats are marginal that you should apply to both if you aren't concerned with the letters that come after your name. I have a really good application aside from a low MCAT score, which we all know can be brought up with (considerable for me) effort. However, I applied broadly to MD and DO schools this cycle on the advice of SDN, and I have had several interviews, 1 acceptance to a DO school, 2 waitlists, and a hold post-interview from an MD school. Had I not visited SDN I would have probably not even known about the option of DO schools, and would have to restudy and take the MCAT again and probably reapply somewhere. But now, I know I am going to be a medical student next year. Almost everyone told me to apply to DO as well as MD this cycle to ensure an acceptance. The people who don't apply to DO schools are generally going against the advice of SDNers because they want the MD.

 

[NickNaylor]

Folk theorem = concept borrowed from game theory. Something that cannot be attributed to any one person that has become a truth of sorts.

This is the essence of everything on SDN. Welcome and enjoy your stay.

 

[docjlud]

One of the themes i picked up on the forums before applying this year was that if you are going to apply late you might as well wait till next year because you have very diminished chances....I found this discouraging but applied anyway...

MCAT sept 11
MCAT score oct 12
Complete at my 7 schools oct12-18 (very late by SDN standards)

Interviewed nov 19 and nov 29.....accepted by the nov 29 interview school yesterday....

So, despite the negative view on applying late (not from all sdn'ers, but the majority that i read), the outcome was good...

 

[Onres]

One of the themes i picked up on the forums before applying this year was that if you are going to apply late you might as well wait till next year because you have very diminished chances....I found this discouraging but applied anyway...

MCAT sept 11
MCAT score oct 12
Complete at my 7 schools oct12-18 (very late by SDN standards)

Interviewed nov 19 and nov 29.....accepted by the nov 29 interview school yesterday....

So, despite the negative view on applying late (not from all sdn'ers, but the majority that i read), the outcome was good...

I applied late also, though not by choice, I had to delay my MCAT. I have to agree that the outcome was good for me too, but I think if I would have applied earlier I may have more acceptances or at least more interviews by now. But in the end, I've interviewed at places that people who were completed months before me haven't so I guess the whole applying early thing depends greatly on the school. I would still not advise people to reapply if they are applying late, because as we have seen, you never know.

 

[Ursa]

One of the themes i picked up on the forums before applying this year was that if you are going to apply late you might as well wait till next year because you have very diminished chances....I found this discouraging but applied anyway...

MCAT sept 11
MCAT score oct 12
Complete at my 7 schools oct12-18 (very late by SDN standards)

Interviewed nov 19 and nov 29.....accepted by the nov 29 interview school yesterday....

So, despite the negative view on applying late (not from all sdn'ers, but the majority that i read), the outcome was good...

While I really dislike the title of this thread, I'll bite.

The bolded is a bit extreme.

What stats did you apply with? While it is clearly not impossible to apply late and have success (obviously), it is not recommended. I think most people would say you are hurting yourself by applying late, but I have rarely heard anyone advise to not apply at all.

 

[WatchForDaEF55]

I think it's meant more for the ppl with average or low stats to not apply so late but idk

 

[Narmerguy]

I think the problem with this is people not doing thorough research on it. They'll read half a thread or only one thread and then take that advice and slap the SDN Seal of Approval on it themselves, when if you read more threads about it (using the search function!!!) you'll get a more informed view on it as it's likely more users are giving input. Honestly, even if someone knows something they're not going to respond to every thread about that topic so you may be looking at threads where people just ignore it.

Also, a lot of people on SDN feel compelled to give their 2 cents when they don't have a well informed view about things (don't worry, your advisor does this too it's just less obvious). Well, perhaps weight the views of actual medical students more, the views of those that have clearly been here a while more, and be suspicious of what some dude with 78 total posts is telling you.

I find it hard to believe that a lot of what people claim SDN has "told them" is actually the majority opinion but instead they are not doing thorough research or giving proper weighting to different members. I've been here over 3.5 years now and it's not often that SDN gets things completely wrong. We're kind of like the "ask the audience" option

 

[LadiiKay]

I think the problem with this is people not doing thorough research on it. They'll read half a thread or only one thread and then take that advice and slap the SDN Seal of Approval on it themselves, when if you read more threads about it (using the search function!!!) you'll get a more informed view on it as it's likely more users are giving input. Honestly, even if someone knows something they're not going to respond to every thread about that topic so you may be looking at threads where people just ignore it.

Also, a lot of people on SDN feel compelled to give their 2 cents when they don't have a well informed view about things (don't worry, your advisor does this too it's just less obvious). Well, perhaps weight the views of actual medical students more, the views of those that have clearly been here a while more, and be suspicious of what some dude with 78 total posts is telling you.

I find it hard to believe that a lot of what people claim SDN has "told them" is actually the majority opinion but instead they are not doing thorough research or giving proper weighting to different members. I've been here over 3.5 years now and it's not often that SDN gets things completely wrong. We're kind of like the "ask the audience" option

+1

 

[apumic]

I think the problem with this is people not doing thorough research on it. They'll read half a thread or only one thread and then take that advice and slap the SDN Seal of Approval on it themselves, when if you read more threads about it (using the search function!!!) you'll get a more informed view on it as it's likely more users are giving input. Honestly, even if someone knows something they're not going to respond to every thread about that topic so you may be looking at threads where people just ignore it.

Also, a lot of people on SDN feel compelled to give their 2 cents when they don't have a well informed view about things (don't worry, your advisor does this too it's just less obvious). Well, perhaps weight the views of actual medical students more, the views of those that have clearly been here a while more, and be suspicious of what some dude with 78 total posts is telling you.

I find it hard to believe that a lot of what people claim SDN has "told them" is actually the majority opinion but instead they are not doing thorough research or giving proper weighting to different members. I've been here over 3.5 years now and it's not often that SDN gets things completely wrong. We're kind of like the "ask the audience" option

Exactly. In addition, even those of us who have been here awhile and are well-informed are giving one perspective. It's largely a YMMV type of situation. While you COULD apply late, unless your stats are great, you might be better off taking a year to build a great app and apply early (esp. if you don't have an extra $2k just lying around to reapply with).

As for the reapply MD vs go DO example. That's circumstantial as well, although I can't think of too many cases where I'd suggest this to a rational human being (but to an irrational one focused too much on the "MD" part, I suppose I'd suggest reapplying US MD a few times prior to Carib MD).

Everything, though, is circumstantial AND is the perspective of one or a few of us. If you ask me how hard the MCAT VR is, I'm going to say it's moderately difficult but generally makes sense and some people (i.e., those w/ strong critical reading/critical thinking backgrounds) can get by with only the EK VR workbook. If you ask someone who got a 7 on their VR on two different MCATs, they're going to have a very different response.

As others have noted, the SEARCH button is your friend. It would be absolute insanity for one of us to even try to summarize the information you'd find w/ a simple search. However, research does take time. If you want the best results, you're going to have to invest some time and effort into obtaining it. We're not here to spoon-feed!

 

[Law2Doc]

One of the themes i picked up on the forums before applying this year was that if you are going to apply late you might as well wait till next year because you have very diminished chances....I found this discouraging but applied anyway...

MCAT sept 11
MCAT score oct 12
Complete at my 7 schools oct12-18 (very late by SDN standards)

Interviewed nov 19 and nov 29.....accepted by the nov 29 interview school yesterday....

So, despite the negative view on applying late (not from all sdn'ers, but the majority that i read), the outcome was good...

Sure, but your good outcome doesn't really negate the general wisdom that applying earlier was a smarter idea, because (1) you have no idea whether you would have had more/better options had you applied earlier, (2) you have no idea how your app would have been regarded at places you didn't apply that others may have, and (3) in any group of thousands, a few are going to be outliers and you have no idea if you are one.

So you may have had a good outcome, but hundreds of other folks with comparable stats who applied late and applied to different schools may be sitting at home wondering what they can do next year before reapplying.

You pretty much can never look at your own situation for evidence of the norm. The data gleaned by reading hundreds of SDN threads year after year is simply much better evidence to the contrary because in analyzing trends, sample size is everything.

 

[45408]

One of the themes i picked up on the forums before applying this year was that if you are going to apply late you might as well wait till next year because you have very diminished chances....I found this discouraging but applied anyway...

MCAT sept 11
MCAT score oct 12
Complete at my 7 schools oct12-18 (very late by SDN standards)

Interviewed nov 19 and nov 29.....accepted by the nov 29 interview school yesterday....

So, despite the negative view on applying late (not from all sdn'ers, but the majority that i read), the outcome was good...

Success despite poor planning is not an endorsement of poor planning.

Also, a lot of people on SDN feel compelled to give their 2 cents when they don't have a well informed view about things (don't worry, your advisor does this too it's just less obvious). Well, perhaps weight the views of actual medical students more, the views of those that have clearly been here a while more, and be suspicious of what some dude with 78 total posts is telling you.

And if I say it, just take it to the bank.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

"school name doesn't matter" seems to be a truism that is often repeated as "SDN Approved" when the consensus appears to be much more nuanced.

 

[gettheleadout]

"school name doesn't matter" seems to be a truism that is often repeated as "SDN Approved" when the consensus appears to be much more nuanced.

Only because its too vague when left at just that...to the average doctor who wants to practice in the community/go into a more common specialty, everyone pretty much agrees it doesn't matter. That changes when the person asking the question wants to do academic medicine and/or match plastics or rad onc.