Usuhs

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DrMedal said:
I still haven't heard . . . . I know my app was complete and forwarded to admissions on 9/22. Time to panic???

Those of you that got your interview notices . . . did you get them on a particular day? (I'm trying to gauge when the admissions committee meets, this way, I can check my email in a more neurotic efficient manner! :laugh: )
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You should still be fine. I wouldn't start worrying for another couple weeks. My application was complete the first week of August and I was invited to interview 8/19
 
Fair enough...what about playing the military card? Do you think USUHS would look at a LOR from a Col. FP doc more favorably and from a civilian? Would it be worth my time and effort to get to know these docs better? One in particular is a USUHS grad and head of a military FP residency program.
Also, would it be better to have just a few good LOR's from docs I have worked with more or should I ask every Lt. Col and up I know and have worked with to write as well and get 3 or 4 more?
Have any of you played up family tradition in interviews? I am sure most USUHS applicants have ties to the military. Does this come up during interviews?
I would imagine that a part of their selection process is making sure students are willing to serve in the military...seeing a lot of the posts on military med there seem to be a lot who go into it to pay for their education and regret it for their whole career. Showing a family history of military service (for both myself and my wife...both air force brats) must ease their minds some.
 
teacherman84 said:
Fair enough...what about playing the military card? Do you think USUHS would look at a LOR from a Col. FP doc more favorably and from a civilian? Would it be worth my time and effort to get to know these docs better? One in particular is a USUHS grad and head of a military FP residency program.
Also, would it be better to have just a few good LOR's from docs I have worked with more or should I ask every Lt. Col and up I know and have worked with to write as well and get 3 or 4 more?
Have any of you played up family tradition in interviews? I am sure most USUHS applicants have ties to the military. Does this come up during interviews?
I would imagine that a part of their selection process is making sure students are willing to serve in the military...seeing a lot of the posts on military med there seem to be a lot who go into it to pay for their education and regret it for their whole career. Showing a family history of military service (for both myself and my wife...both air force brats) must ease their minds some.
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I think what matters is the quality/content of the letters, not nec. who they come from. Of course, if you can get a good quality letter from someone of stature (an MD, an officer, or both) then great.

But a poor letter from such a person would do you no good, could even harm your application.

i don't think they care about family 'traditions' and service in the military. the admissions committee is evaluating you and your family history (in mil or medicine) or lack thereof should be irrelevant. Of course, you can talk about it if it comes up in conversation during the interview, but I wouldn't try to crow-bar it in there.
 
My impression was the USUHS was more focused on training doctors/officers, I would think this would spawn a preference for those looking for a career in the military as a doctor rather than those with no desire but just a way to get through med school with a decent pay check and no debt.
 
teacherman84 said:
My impression was the USUHS was more focused on training doctors/officers, I would think this would spawn a preference for those looking for a career in the military as a doctor rather than those with no desire but just a way to get through med school with a decent pay check and no debt.
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Well, sure, they wanna see that you have the qualities of both a good doctor and officer. (from what you've described of yourself, you sound like you do, so you should be a good candidate).

but they say in their admissions guidelines that prior military service does NOT bias your application in any way. I would interpret that to mean that prior family military service is also irrelevant.

Of course, your desire to serve in the military (vice just getting a free education) is important. you should definitely tout that.

USUHS itself is a medical school of course, they're more interested in training you to become a doctor. (they don't really train you to become an officer . . . if they did, they stick you with a division of guys and make your write evals/fitreps all day!) you don't really acquire the attributes of a good officer until you're out in the fleet, and you acquire some sort of leadership role. that'll all come in due time.

anyway. in becoming a mil doctor, you can easily pick up the attributes of a good officer (they go hand in hand).
 
DrMedal said:
I still haven't heard . . . . I know my app was complete and forwarded to admissions on 9/22. Time to panic???

Those of you that got your interview notices . . . did you get them on a particular day? (I'm trying to gauge when the admissions committee meets, this way, I can check my email in a more neurotic efficient manner! :laugh: )
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My application was complete on 8/1 and my invite came via email on 8/7. I interviewed on 8/18.
 
Coastie2Doc said:
My application was complete on 8/1 and my invite came via email on 8/7. I interviewed on 8/18.
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i assume you meant 9/18, i don't think they were interviewing in Aug???

wow thats fast. good on you. then you should be hearing back from them any day now.

ok, thanks to all for the input . . .i'll continue to wait.
 
teacherman84 said:
My impression was the USUHS was more focused on training doctors/officers, I would think this would spawn a preference for those looking for a career in the military as a doctor rather than those with no desire but just a way to get through med school with a decent pay check and no debt.
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USUHS isnt really like HPSP in which some people go in for the money and are hoping to get straight out. Going to USUHS is pretty much guaranteeing yourself a career in the military in and of itself. If you consider a 7 year commitment, 3-6 year residency, 4 years at USU, possible GMO before residency....you've got a heck of a long time.

Having just interviewed, i can tell you that a lot of the current students and prospective students do have familial ties to the military but not all. During the interview they will ask why you want to be in the military and they make sure you know what youre getting into.

Last note, the application specifically says that they do NOT want letters of recommendation from random military members unless they are able to add to the required letters (academics and clinical). If you worked for a Lt. Col. doc and he wrote you a letter then great but it doesnt hold much more weight than any civilian doc or nurse giving you a great recommendation. If you found a random full bird who you know and he writes you a letter, they probably wont even read it if its just a character recommendation.

Good luck. Assuming i get accepted, i plan to withdraw my other apps and see you at USU in the near future.
 
I understand that random high ranking recs are worthless but say I have worked closely with 3 full bird docs, one active and two retired, in a clinical setting. Should I get recs from all three? Also, there is a retired colonel nurse who I work with as much, if not more. My question is if they are all quality recommendations, is there such thing as too many LOR's?
 
teacherman84 said:
I understand that random high ranking recs are worthless but say I have worked closely with 3 full bird docs, one active and two retired, in a clinical setting. Should I get recs from all three? Also, there is a retired colonel nurse who I work with as much, if not more. My question is if they are all quality recommendations, is there such thing as too many LOR's?
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This seems like a question for admissions. They are quite friendly and will take the time to give you a solid answer. I would guess that one would be enough especially if you mention all of your other clinical experiences in your app. But I don't think it would hurt your app if you got letters from more than one of them.
 
teacherman84 said:
I understand that random high ranking recs are worthless but say I have worked closely with 3 full bird docs, one active and two retired, in a clinical setting. Should I get recs from all three? Also, there is a retired colonel nurse who I work with as much, if not more. My question is if they are all quality recommendations, is there such thing as too many LOR's?
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im pretty sure they want one clinical letter of recc and one pre-medical committee letter for academics
 
teacherman84 said:
I understand that random high ranking recs are worthless but say I have worked closely with 3 full bird docs, one active and two retired, in a clinical setting. Should I get recs from all three? Also, there is a retired colonel nurse who I work with as much, if not more. My question is if they are all quality recommendations, is there such thing as too many LOR's?
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I would not necessarily count LORs from O6+ as worthless. Think about it - USUHS is a medical school, but it's still the military. Nobody in the military wants to get a phone call from a Colonel or a General Officer having to answer "why wasn't this person accepted"? Just something to think about.
 
weiden said:
I would not necessarily count LORs from O6+ as worthless. Think about it - USUHS is a medical school, but it's still the military. Nobody in the military wants to get a phone call from a Colonel or a General Officer having to answer "why wasn't this person accepted"? Just something to think about.
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USUHS could really care less about some 06+ calling and asking "why wasn't this person accepted?" They will pick the people they feel will best fill the seats in the classroom. I'm not saying it won't help to have a good letter from someone in the military, but it will have pretty much the same effect as a good letter from someone of similar stature in the civilian world.
 
backrow said:
USUHS could really care less about some 06+ calling and asking "why wasn't this person accepted?" They will pick the people they feel will best fill the seats in the classroom. I'm not saying it won't help to have a good letter from someone in the military, but it will have pretty much the same effect as a good letter from someone of similar stature in the civilian world.
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backrow is right . . . USUHS isn't like other military programs, where rank is feared, and an 0-6 making the call for you will get you in. you could be the President's kid . . .if you have a 2.5 GPA and a 26 MCAT, you're not getting in. They are a med school after all, and in order to maintain their credentials as one, they have to exhibit the same strict standards that other schools do.

anyway, again its the content of your letters that matter. So sure, if you can get a really good letter from an 0-6 doc, that's awesome. keep in mind you also need academic letters.
 
LOR's are great but they won't cover up anything. Usually everybody has awesome LOR's so it comes down to your numbers and your personality, and your essay.
 
twillson said:
LOR's are great but they won't cover up anything. Usually everybody has awesome LOR's so it comes down to your numbers and your personality, and your essay.
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with importance on personality. the interviewers arent given your numbers when you go in to meet with them - they only have access to your AMCAS essay and your supplemental USU essay. So, for the interview stage its all about you
 
did anyone else get the impression that as long you as you didn't totally mess up your interview, ie made it sound like you wanted to go to USUHS for the money, had no social skills/ability to communicate, or had very little desire for a career in milmed, that, since it was early in the cycle they would offer you a seat? I mean I hope this is the case but it really cant be can it? I guess we're gonna have to wait 4-6 weeks to find out (3-4 for those who interviewed in sept). They just seemed to really really focus on the importance of applying early.

Just wondering if anyone else got that vibe while they were there
 
mslall said:
did anyone else get the impression that as long you as you didn't totally mess up your interview, ie made it sound like you wanted to go to USUHS for the money, had no social skills/ability to communicate, or had very little desire for a career in milmed, that, since it was early in the cycle they would offer you a seat? I mean I hope this is the case but it really cant be can it? I guess we're gonna have to wait 4-6 weeks to find out (3-4 for those who interviewed in sept). They just seemed to really really focus on the importance of applying early.

Just wondering if anyone else got that vibe while they were there
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They definitely made an effort to make it seem that way... but I know someone who seemingly met all of those qualifications but was rejected post-interview last year so I didn't really buy it. Plus their interviewee acceptance rate is ~55% (though probably a bit higher for people interviewing early with no chance of getting waitlisted). I don't really know what to think... I'll let you know in a few weeks. 😀
 
when they said "we just want to know if you are normal" i thought to myself "that surely cant be all they are looking at - all the people here are well qualified and normal".....then i met this kid who was super odd and totally NUTS and as he walked away from me and a couple other interviewees i said "umm, i guess thats what they meant by checking for being normal"

im with you mslall on hoping that we have a good chance. hoping i can avoid going to any other interviews
 
mslall said:
did anyone else get the impression that as long you as you didn't totally mess up your interview, ie made it sound like you wanted to go to USUHS for the money, had no social skills/ability to communicate, or had very little desire for a career in milmed, that, since it was early in the cycle they would offer you a seat? I mean I hope this is the case but it really cant be can it? I guess we're gonna have to wait 4-6 weeks to find out (3-4 for those who interviewed in sept). They just seemed to really really focus on the importance of applying early.

Just wondering if anyone else got that vibe while they were there
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As they indicated during the day, there is a premium on applying early, but holding everything else constant I don't think interviewing early is a sure-bet because if they interview roughly 30 ppl each day (as they did on the 25th) and accept "all" or nearly everyone the class would be filled up in 4-5 weeks max., which is as we know, is not the case. Granted, some ppl might have multiple acceptances and relinquish a spot early, but they do interview through the winter and well into the spring which would imply that they follow those up with multiple offers of acceptance as well.

For better or worse, I'll post whatever I hear back, whenever I hear it.
 
i hear ya goose. They're not cheap to go on and I already know USU is where I want to be. You pref navy goose?
 
hopefully i'll be in OBLC at Fort Sam Houston. Hopefully you'll get to enjoy the Rhode Island summer. I heard the season is a little more temperate there than in texas
 
rkonmd said:
As they indicated during the day, there is a premium on applying early, but holding everything else constant I don't think interviewing early is a sure-bet because if they interview roughly 30 ppl each day (as they did on the 25th) and accept "all" or nearly everyone the class would be filled up in 4-5 weeks max., which is as we know, is not the case. Granted, some ppl might have multiple acceptances and relinquish a spot early, but they do interview through the winter and well into the spring which would imply that they follow those up with multiple offers of acceptance as well.

For better or worse, I'll post whatever I hear back, whenever I hear it.
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I wonder how many people they accept actually matriculate. MCW accepts 400 for a class of 200 (according to what I read in a different thread which may mean nothing). If you look at the MD apps, a lot of very qualified applicants who are accepted end up going elsewhere. I do generally agree that it is far from a sure bet if you interview early, but I wouldn't be surprised if the acceptance rate is considerably higher (>25%) for early interviewers than late. This is based on my gut feeling only, as I obviously have no numbers to back up my argument.
 
whtlight2121 said:
I wonder how many people they accept actually matriculate. MCW accepts 400 for a class of 200 (according to what I read in a different thread which may mean nothing). If you look at the MD apps, a lot of very qualified applicants who are accepted end up going elsewhere. I do generally agree that it is far from a sure bet if you interview early, but I wouldn't be surprised if the acceptance rate is considerably higher (>25%) for early interviewers than late. This is based on my gut feeling only, as I obviously have no numbers to back up my argument.
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I think on interview day, they said 61% of people accepted actually matriculate. The US News stats for the Fall 2007 incoming class have them accepting 280 for a class of 170 (with 506 interviewed and 1908 applying). The interview materials state that for Fall 2008, 500+ were interviewed and 260 offers were given for 169 spots.
 
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dwb8p said:
Less than two weeks!! Can't wait
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Man, I'm right there with ya...Granted, I don't interview until Oct 23rd 😀. I just picked up my suit, and now the reality of the situation is setting in. I'm even having dreams about the questions they'll ask me!! It's like waiting for Christmas.:laugh:
 
TheGoose said:
with importance on personality. the interviewers arent given your numbers when you go in to meet with them - they only have access to your AMCAS essay and your supplemental USU essay. So, for the interview stage its all about you
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True, except when the interviewer asks for your MCAT score
 
I cant believe they asked you that. Especially after everyone tells you pre-interview that all they have is your amcas statement, activities, and USUHS personal statement
 
does anyone know if there is weapons qualification at OBLC? or at any other of the indoc/leadership programs for that matter? Not that its critical but I was wondering if, provided we all get in, we'll get to shoot?
 
mslall said:
does anyone know if there is weapons qualification at OBLC? or at any other of the indoc/leadership programs for that matter? Not that its critical but I was wondering if, provided we all get in, we'll get to shoot?
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I'm pretty sure AF does m9 qualification at COT too
 
Long time mil med forum lurker here...

Got the interview at USUHS, and it looks like Nov. 6th, so if any of you will be around, it would be cool to meet up, especially if you're interviewing from OOS too!

One quick question to the peanut gallery here: I want to know if I have fully done my homework on mil med, so any suggestions would be appreciated so I can fill the gaps in prior to my interview.

I come from a "non-fighting-type" military family, i.e. my father is an engeneer in the army corps/FEMA search and rescue guy, but I don't have the traditional military background i'm sure many of the interviewee's have. I wasn't ROTC in undergrad or anything (although that is probably for the best considering i was a pre-med, and it would interfere with apps I'm guessing)

My knowledge of milmed comes from looking at the HPSP a lot, took tours of a few army hospitals, talked to doctors, etc. I got the HPSP (army) paperwork underway for this next year, but it looks like if I go USU then there is no need for that anyway.

Other than reading a ton of posts in this forum, I've talked to some ex-mil med doctors, BUT I don't know how much cred I should put in these since I get the feeling things have changed and the best source is probably the people who post right here in SDN.

Finally, if I were talk about my ambitions, Internal medicine to hospitalist/geriatrician is a long term goal, but I know the geriatrics portion is hard to get except from the soldiers dependants, but its a one year feollowship I could probably pick up after service anyway (am I correct?) It seems like mil med is a good fit for primary care-like specialties. My one question is do hospitalists exist as they are starting to in the civilian sector (yes, I know I will do GMO for a while, so after that).

I am definately thinking of prefing the army just for the flexability of location and the versatiliy of specialties (and the people you end up seeing). Madigan (outside Seattle) is a sweet place IMO. Does anyone have any advice on this end, (i.e. should I consider the other branches as well, I'll put em as 2/3 anyway)

Thoughts? Let me know if I am missing the ball on anything here, cause its better to get reamed out on SDN than in my interview!
 
twillson said:
NO qualification only familiarization unless they have drastically changed things.
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Ok, I'm probably wrong...I just don't know what they do with a bunch of officers during 4 weeks of training. 4 weeks seemed like overkill for me, and I was just an ROTC cadet.

Seems like you always see af docs with M9's though
 
chewsnuffles said:
Long time mil med forum lurker here...
Thoughts? Let me know if I am missing the ball on anything here, cause its better to get reamed out on SDN than in my interview!
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you sound like you're in good shape. i don't think they'll care that you personally don't have any military experience (as that is the case with many of the applicants). . . .nor do they ascribe any preference for prior military . . so you're fine there.

the fact that you've visited a military hospital and physcially talked to milmed docs is a real plus . . .I'd crowbar that into your interview somehow (as one of your answers to a question or something). that'll show that you've quite serious about milmed.

as far as IM/ger. goes, you can mention that that's what you're interested in . . . it's good to show that you have some direction . . but it's not nec. to adamantly state that that's what you have to do! they don't expect you to know exactly what kind of medicine you're going to practice.

thanks for letting us know what date you have! keeps the rest of us up to speed on their scheduling. . .
 
of those who matriculate, 51% have no prior service...dont worry about previous military exposure
 
Its also definitely possible to get into geriatrics too. One of my interviewers was an army colonel that was FP and had done the geriatrics fellowship. Its not IM/geri but its still the same fellowship
 
mslall said:
does anyone know if there is weapons qualification at OBLC? or at any other of the indoc/leadership programs for that matter? Not that its critical but I was wondering if, provided we all get in, we'll get to shoot?
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You will spend roughly 1 week of "field time" at Camp Bullis during OBC, you get to fire one qualification round on the M9 (rounds are always limited, so if you're a decent shot you'll only get to fire once and they'll save the excess rounds for those who've never held a weapon before and can't hit the broadside of a barn). You also do day and night land navigation as well as basic field medical training including litter bearing and loading in vehicles.
 
since this is a USUHS thread, i'll just throw out the reminder that you do field exercises and i believe more weapons training during the first summer at Operation Kerkesner.
 
eschott said:
So when are people supposed to start getting decisions?? Anyone out there with letters?
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The packet at the interview said conditional acceptances are extended on the 1st and 15th of each month... so I guess the people who interviewed on Sept. 17th will hear on the 15th. Maybe we Sept. 25th'ers will get lucky and hear then too.
 
utahjazz said:
The packet at the interview said conditional acceptances are extended on the 1st and 15th of each month... so I guess the people who interviewed on Sept. 17th will hear on the 15th. Maybe we Sept. 25th'ers will get lucky and hear then too.
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That would be nice 🙄
 
17th and 25thers keep your fingers crossed and maybe knock on a little wood. I wouldn't be suprised if at least some of the people who interviewed on the 25th find out on the 15th. My tour guide when I was there said he heard back 2-3 weeks after he interviewed. So I suppose there's no hope. Even if we dont hear at least no news isn't bad news
 
yes apparently Oct 15 is the first date med schools can start extending acceptances. I'm wondering if us Oct 2'ers will maybe get lucky too =) otherwise I will just continue to compulsively check this forum for another month or so.
 
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