WAMC posts

[cloudstrife2054]

I think whoever do WAMC lack the critical thinking skills to be a doctor. It doesn't matter how many hours you do, it's a matter of what you learn and how well you present it with 700 characters or less. Obviously, this requires you commit some time of time in your ECs to learn something meaningful. AMCAS has 15 positions you can input. Obviously, you should strive to have 15 or as close to it as you can and present it a way that will impress adcom members.

In addition, you can't exactly reveal your personal statement without risking someone stealing it. Finally, your letter writers because obviously, you can't access them. Nonetheless, if you ask from people who cannot write a decent letter for you, you are screwed.

The people who don't seem that realize this should not even apply to medical school. Sorry if I sound harsh l, I just really cringe at these WAMC posts.

I see people posting stellar GPA and MCAT and I feel like these guys are just looking to brag or they lack critical thinking skills (which I have already stated).

This is how I see the WAMC posts. If anyone thinks the posts actually serve any good, by that I mean provide answers that you can only get from others and not by critically thinking it over, feel free to state it. I like seeing other people's views.

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[MagicBanana]

I think whoever do WAMC lack the critical thinking skills to be a doctor. It doesn't matter how many hours you do, it's a matter of what you learn and how well you present it with 700 characters or less. Obviously, this requires you commit some time of time in your ECs to learn something meaningful. AMCAS has 15 positions you can input. Obviously, you should strive to have 15 or as close to it as you can and present it a way that will impress adcom members.

In addition, you can't exactly reveal your personal statement without risking someone stealing it. Finally, your letter writers because obviously, you can't access them. Nonetheless, if you ask from people who cannot write a decent letter for you, you are screwed.

The people who don't seem that realize this should not even apply to medical school. Sorry if I sound harsh l, I just really cringe at these WAMC posts.

I see people posting stellar GPA and MCAT and I feel like these guys are just looking to brag or they lack critical thinking skills (which I have already stated).

This is how I see the WAMC posts. If anyone thinks the posts actually serve any good, by that I mean provide answers that you can only get from others and not by critically thinking it over, feel free to state it. I like seeing other people's views.

I totally agree with you that quality matters over quantity but I'll play devil's advocate here...for a couple things
First, you shouldn't strive to have 15 activities. You should strive to represent yourself and what you've done in an well thought out, concise, and easy to read way. Sometimes this means having 15, sometimes it means having 11.
Second, you don't need to reveal your PS - you can have your advisors, parents, friends, professors, other medical students read it. The PS should be very individual and personal (thats what the P stands for), so the likelihood of someone being able to "steal" it and actually use it in an effective way is small.
Finally, you need to relax. I get the sense that you're frustrated and venting and thats okay. This is a learning process and people have to start somewhere. You can't assume that everyone who posts in WAMC are long-time forum users. A lot of them are first-time posters who are just looking for some help, especially with making a good school list (which can be really hard to do for someone who isn't very informed). I agree that there are a lot of gunners and not-so-humble braggers who post in WAMC and are just looking for validation. Just ignore them and try not to get your panties in a twist.

 

[jcorpsmanMD]

You must lack the critical thinking skills to realize a majority of those WAMC posts are more along the lines of, here are my stats, here are my EC's, here is my state of residence; where can I get the best bang for my buck in terms of schools I should apply to? They're much more than merely, "can I get into med school?" The fact that you somehow you think you're above people seeking advice from successful medical students that have matriculated & adcoms on which schools they should apply too speaks volumes about yourself. Maybe you should do a bit of self reflection.

 

[astrostellar]

Why would you NOT take the opportunity to use every resource available to you, to include a forum full of people who do this for a living or have done this before successfully, to maximize your chances of acceptance to medical school? Seems dumb to NOT ask for input from others.

Pre-med advisors have been proven to be all but completely incompetent in most cases. Are people just supposed to go in blind, or riding on the advice of Senor Google?

Also, there are nontrads out there with non-cookie-cutter life experiences who aren't going to fill up those 15 EC slots with "president of my pre-med club" and "organized a food drive at my college." Those people deserve to have someone look at their application who has seen students like them before and can give them valuable input on where they should be spending their app money.

Unclench your o-ring, friend.

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

Litterally who gives a ****

 

[Lawpy]

I think whoever do WAMC lack the critical thinking skills to be a doctor.

Don't begin threads with insults. They will almost surely devolve into flame wars.

It doesn't matter how many hours you do, it's a matter of what you learn and how well you present it with 700 characters or less.

Hours matter, and for service-focused schools, they want to see hundreds to thousands of hours volunteering. Someone with only 20 hours of clinical experience isn't going to be taken seriously regardless of how they spin their experience.

Obviously, this requires you commit some time of time in your ECs to learn something meaningful. AMCAS has 15 positions you can input. Obviously, you should strive to have 15 or as close to it as you can and present it a way that will impress adcom members.

There is no requirement to fill all or close to 15 activity slots. Even 10 will suffice. Quality of experience descriptions matters.

In addition, you can't exactly reveal your personal statement without risking someone stealing it.

This is why most of the readers in the personal statement reader thread are accepted medical students or someone in the medical journey. You simply ignore the small minority of people who are applicants or haven't applied yet if you are concerned about someone stealing it.

Finally, your letter writers because obviously, you can't access them. Nonetheless, if you ask from people who cannot write a decent letter for you, you are screwed.

This is why it's critical to establish good relationships with professors early on and not last minute for getting their letters.

The people who don't seem that realize this should not even apply to medical school. Sorry if I sound harsh l, I just really cringe at these WAMC posts.

People who don't know about the process have every right to ask questions and ask for help on SDN. This is the reason why the forum exists: we help students become doctors. You can simply ignore these threads if you find them problematic.

I see people posting stellar GPA and MCAT and I feel like these guys are just looking to brag or they lack critical thinking skills (which I have already stated).

Stop with the insults. It doesn't matter what their stats are. Maybe they are bad at evaluating themselves and want objective insights from those familiar with the process. I would much rather play safe and ask help from experts who know a lot more than acting on false confidence based on my own perceptions.

This is how I see the WAMC posts. If anyone thinks the posts actually serve any good, by that I mean provide answers that you can only get from others and not by critically thinking it over, feel free to state it. I like seeing other people's views.

WAMC threads serve their purpose and you are welcome to ignore them.

 

[efle]

I think whoever do WAMC lack the critical thinking skills to be a doctor. It doesn't matter how many hours you do, it's a matter of what you learn and how well you present it with 700 characters or less. Obviously, this requires you commit some time of time in your ECs to learn something meaningful. AMCAS has 15 positions you can input. Obviously, you should strive to have 15 or as close to it as you can and present it a way that will impress adcom members.

In addition, you can't exactly reveal your personal statement without risking someone stealing it. Finally, your letter writers because obviously, you can't access them. Nonetheless, if you ask from people who cannot write a decent letter for you, you are screwed.

The people who don't seem that realize this should not even apply to medical school. Sorry if I sound harsh l, I just really cringe at these WAMC posts.

I see people posting stellar GPA and MCAT and I feel like these guys are just looking to brag or they lack critical thinking skills (which I have already stated).

This is how I see the WAMC posts. If anyone thinks the posts actually serve any good, by that I mean provide answers that you can only get from others and not by critically thinking it over, feel free to state it. I like seeing other people's views.

WAMC isn't just to figure out if you are competitive, but where you are competitive, and also to get some feedback about specific schools you might have on your list.

 

[Chromium Surfer]

Don't begin threads with insults. They will almost surely devolve into flame wars.



Hours matter, and for service-focused schools, they want to see hundreds to thousands of hours volunteering. Someone with only 20 hours of clinical experience isn't going to be taken seriously regardless of how they spin their experience.



There is no requirement to fill all or close to 15 activity slots. Even 10 will suffice. Quality of experience descriptions matters.



This is why most of the readers in the personal statement reader thread are accepted medical students or someone in the medical journey. You simply ignore the small minority of people who are applicants or haven't applied yet if you are concerned about someone stealing it.



This is why it's critical to establish good relationships with professors early on and not last minute for getting their letters.



People who don't know about the process have every right to ask questions and ask for help on SDN. This is the reason why the forum exists: we help students become doctors. You can simply ignore these threads if you find them problematic.



Stop with the insults. It doesn't matter what their stats are. Maybe they are bad at evaluating themselves and want objective insights from those familiar with the process. I would much rather play safe and ask help from experts who know a lot more than acting on false confidence based on my own perceptions.



WAMC threads serve their purpose and you are welcome to ignore them.

#rekt.
Lawper: 1
Cloudstrife: 0

 

[mwsapphire]

I think OP lacks the skills needed to be a doctor, if they think people who post WAMC threads are stupid.

 

[miniman]

I think OP lacks the skills needed to be a doctor, if they think people who post WAMC threads are stupid.

Ya think? lol
I saw this post go through... it was just too ridiculous for me to bite... I just wanted to tear OP apart... thanks for doing it for me!
I know I will post my fair share of WAMC threads in the future. Not because I leave my fate up to SDN... because many people here are wise, and let me choose what I think is best for me, but still offer sound advice... that to me is true wisdom and respect.... Something I think is vital to have and vital to hear.

 

[tantacles]

Sorry, guys, but Burnett's law doesn't apply if the thread started with someone saying that someone else would be a terrible doctor.

 

[Turkishking]

I think whoever do WAMC lack the critical thinking skills to be a doctor. It doesn't matter how many hours you do, it's a matter of what you learn and how well you present it with 700 characters or less. Obviously, this requires you commit some time of time in your ECs to learn something meaningful. AMCAS has 15 positions you can input. Obviously, you should strive to have 15 or as close to it as you can and present it a way that will impress adcom members.

In addition, you can't exactly reveal your personal statement without risking someone stealing it. Finally, your letter writers because obviously, you can't access them. Nonetheless, if you ask from people who cannot write a decent letter for you, you are screwed.

The people who don't seem that realize this should not even apply to medical school. Sorry if I sound harsh l, I just really cringe at these WAMC posts.

I see people posting stellar GPA and MCAT and I feel like these guys are just looking to brag or they lack critical thinking skills (which I have already stated).

This is how I see the WAMC posts. If anyone thinks the posts actually serve any good, by that I mean provide answers that you can only get from others and not by critically thinking it over, feel free to state it. I like seeing other people's views.

I think you're jealous. Focus on yourself

 

[Turkishking]

I think OP lacks the skills needed to be a doctor, if they think people who post WAMC threads are stupid.

OP was probably searching through WAMC, got a little self-conscious regarding his competitiveness, came here and tried to twist it so he can feel he's justified with his idiotic argument, and his stats. Lol

 

[TRPMinus]

OP, I dearly hope that someone reads YOUR PS because your grammar is as shi*ty as it gets.

 

[kb1900]

FWIW I got into a bunch (6+) of schools with 8 activity slots filled. One being for awards/grants and another being stuff from high school.

It's ridiculous to push yourself to have 13-15 truly meaningful activities just for the sake of quantity.

 

[miniman]

FWIW I got into a bunch (6+) of schools with 8 activity slots filled. One being for awards/grants and another being stuff from high school.

It's ridiculous to push yourself to have 13-15 truly meaningful activities just for the sake of quantity.

Great advice!

 

[Doctor Dream]

I think whoever do WAMC lack the critical thinking skills to be a doctor. It doesn't matter how many hours you do, it's a matter of what you learn and how well you present it with 700 characters or less. Obviously, this requires you commit some time of time in your ECs to learn something meaningful. AMCAS has 15 positions you can input. Obviously, you should strive to have 15 or as close to it as you can and present it a way that will impress adcom members.

In addition, you can't exactly reveal your personal statement without risking someone stealing it. Finally, your letter writers because obviously, you can't access them. Nonetheless, if you ask from people who cannot write a decent letter for you, you are screwed.

The people who don't seem that realize this should not even apply to medical school. Sorry if I sound harsh l, I just really cringe at these WAMC posts.

I see people posting stellar GPA and MCAT and I feel like these guys are just looking to brag or they lack critical thinking skills (which I have already stated).

This is how I see the WAMC posts. If anyone thinks the posts actually serve any good, by that I mean provide answers that you can only get from others and not by critically thinking it over, feel free to state it. I like seeing other people's views.

Cloud Strife sounds salty because even with "Saving The Planet from Sephiroth" as an EC he still hasn't gotten in to med school after 20 years of trying.

 

[tantacles]

Cloud Strife sounds salty because even with "Saving The Planet from Sephiroth" as an EC he still hasn't gotten in to med school after 20 years of trying.

That's a mediocre EC at best, and to be honest, only took him 90-100 hours, possibly even 10 if it was a speedrun.

 

[RenegadeOkapi]

I think whoever do WAMC lack the critical thinking skills to be a doctor.

Burnett's Law rears its head again.

WAMC is usually used by pre-med students to build a useful school list. Sometimes input from some of the adcom members on here may be extremely useful in understanding how medical schools view applications. Better be safe than sorry.

 

[RenegadeOkapi]

That's a mediocre EC at best, and to be honest, only took him 90-100 hours, possibly even 10 if it was a speedrun.

I mean, if it was Battletoads, I would be impressed.

 

[Doctor Dream]

That's a mediocre EC at best, and to be honest, only took him 90-100 hours, possibly even 10 if it was a speedrun.

I suppose that's true. That would explain why he hasn't even gotten an interview from Nibelheim, his state school. He might have to consider applying to Costa del Sol this cycle, although everyone knows they just want your gil.

 

[Dr.Kat]

waiting for OP's reply

 

[miniman]

waiting for OP's reply

As if that's going to happen.

OP done got burned...

 

[Dr.Kat]

As if that's going to happen.

OP done got burned...

like actually owned.

 

[miniman]

like actually owned.

that works too... but down here in the South, that darn sun don't own no one, it burns em up.... ya know what-I mean? LOL

 

[Dr.Kat]

that works too... but down here in the South, that darn sun don't own no one, it burns em up.... ya know what-I mean?

totally. I'm moving to the south for med school, i'll introduce my native lingo to all of you (y'all)

 

[miniman]

totally. I'm moving to the south for med school, i'll introduce my native lingo to all of you (y'all)

Good luck with the sweet tea! (they make it so sweet its like syrup... )

 

[freak7]

The only bad WAMC posts are the ones not posted in WAMC

 

[cloudstrife2054]

Time to come clean. I'm taking a sociology class this summer and I had to do a project about human interactions. I figured the most efficient way is to do something like this because being a summer class, I don't have as much time. I classifies the types of replied as "logical", "personal attacks", and insulting back. Those of you who insulted my name choice, pretty disappointed. The one that replied with logic about the WAMC posts and the one that said I was "venting" as well as anyone else who replied with logic, I applaud you. The rest of you, I am fairly disappointed in your response given you aspire to be doctors.

Regardless of whether or not I am disappointed in you, I apologize for making guinea pigs our of you. But if it helps, I got an A on my project, so thanks a ton everyone!

 

[efle]

suuuuure

 

[cloudstrife2054]

Check the facts, I have been going around passing advice, and suddenly go mad? Only time you see this is in really bad movies. But you don't have to believe me. I really don't care. Doesn't change a thing for me.

 

[efle]

idk man, hit me with some proof I guess, like PM me a link to the syllabus describing this project

 

[Neuro244]

Hey I could use some advice in regards to applying as my MCAT date has taken a back seat since I'm not ready, I have pushed it to July 24th due to consistent low scores. Everything else I've been hustling with on my primary to have finished, but am still not done editing my work/activities section, I'd say that's about 80% done, and my personal statement needs editing, so I'm hoping to submit within 8 days or so.

I'm confident about my grades, EC's, letters of Rec are solid (not one in a million, but solid letters), my personal statement will be much stronger once I edit it. The only thing holding me back at this point is my MCAT as it's a beast of a test. My dream is to stay in California, but I know I may have to go out of state realistically if my MCAT isn't high enough. Moreover, AMCAS has yet to calculate my Cumulative GPA as well as my BCPM GPA since I haven't submitted my primary yet, but I believe my cGPA is strong at a 3.8, but not sure about BCMP (Science GPA). I'm also a non-traditional applicant, resident of California, not URM.

I'm not sure about the school list as I can only go based off of "how I feel I did after my MCAT" exam. Let's say I get a 507-509 MCAT, I'm definitely going to be applying to California schools (with the exception of Stanford, Loma Linda, and one of the DO schools as I'm only applying to MD schools) since I'll be within the 10-90% range of the matriculated students with a particular MCAT score for that/those schools. I think that considering everything else is strong on my application besides not knowing my MCAT score and since I'm a resident, that gives me some slight advantage. Problem is however is that CA schools screen you based on GPA/MCAT, so they won't be giving me an automatic secondary.

My questions are:

1. Considering I'm from California, does anybody have any good suggestions as to what school I can use as my "throwaway school" just for the purposes of getting my primary verified?

2. Considering I won't be taking my MCAT till July 24th (I know it's very late) but if I took it as I had planned on June, based on my performance thus far I would've gotten a 500-501 at best, what would be the best course of action to take in terms of filling out secondaries once I have my primary application verified? More specifically, I know you shouldn't apply to schools without an MCAT score (with the exception of the throwaway school), but in terms of my timeline since I won't be getting my results till August 23rd, how should I strategically plan writing my secondaries?

In addition to this, I'm planning on applying to 21 schools. 7 reach: All California, 7 mid tiers (all out of state), and 7 safety schools-low tier (all out of state). In terms of secondaries I've been told focus writing them for all the 7 low-tier schools that I would apply to regardless of my score and assuming I'd have a good chance of getting into them, which I'm fairly confident I will. How about the mid tier schools since a 507-509 is probably good enough for Mid tier schools? I probably won't write secondaries for the CA schools since A. They won't give them to me, and B. I might not get a shot with that MCAT score, but I'm hoping that my GPA and all the other parts of my application will carry me through.

Should I start writing them for the schools I want to apply to right after finishing my MCAT (assuming I feel like I scored at least a 507-509 ish) in order to still have chances of putting myself in the best position in terms of the timeline? Overall, I'm looking at the best way to use my time efficiently to maximize my chances of getting interviews/acceptances since I'll be taking a late MCAT and that puts me at a disadvantage since lots of schools are on a rolling admissions. What would be the best steps to take at this point in terms of applying/filling out secondaries and everything else in between?

If you need more information let me know and I'll post it up so you guys can help me out to the best of your ability (negative comments aren't appreciated). Thank you in advance.

 

[OchemOficionado]

Hey I could use some advice in regards to applying as my MCAT date has taken a back seat since I'm not ready, I have pushed it to July 24th due to consistent low scores. Everything else I've been hustling with on my primary to have finished, but am still not done editing my work/activities section, I'd say that's about 80% done, and my personal statement needs editing, so I'm hoping to submit within 8 days or so.

I'm confident about my grades, EC's, letters of Rec are solid (not one in a million, but solid letters), my personal statement will be much stronger once I edit it. The only thing holding me back at this point is my MCAT as it's a beast of a test. My dream is to stay in California, but I know I may have to go out of state realistically if my MCAT isn't high enough. Moreover, AMCAS has yet to calculate my Cumulative GPA as well as my BCPM GPA since I haven't submitted my primary yet, but I believe my cGPA is strong at a 3.8, but not sure about BCMP (Science GPA). I'm also a non-traditional applicant, resident of California, not URM.

I'm not sure about the school list as I can only go based off of "how I feel I did after my MCAT" exam. Let's say I get a 507-509 MCAT, I'm definitely going to be applying to California schools (with the exception of Stanford, Loma Linda, and one of the DO schools as I'm only applying to MD schools) since I'll be within the 10-90% range of the matriculated students with a particular MCAT score for that/those schools. I think that considering everything else is strong on my application besides not knowing my MCAT score and since I'm a resident, that gives me some slight advantage. Problem is however is that CA schools screen you based on GPA/MCAT, so they won't be giving me an automatic secondary.

My questions are:

1. Considering I'm from California, does anybody have any good suggestions as to what school I can use as my "throwaway school" just for the purposes of getting my primary verified?

2. Considering I won't be taking my MCAT till July 24th (I know it's very late) but if I took it as I had planned on June, based on my performance thus far I would've gotten a 500-501 at best, what would be the best course of action to take in terms of filling out secondaries once I have my primary application verified? More specifically, I know you shouldn't apply to schools without an MCAT score (with the exception of the throwaway school), but in terms of my timeline since I won't be getting my results till August 23rd, how should I strategically plan writing my secondaries?

In addition to this, I'm planning on applying to 21 schools. 7 reach: All California, 7 mid tiers (all out of state), and 7 safety schools-low tier (all out of state). In terms of secondaries I've been told focus writing them for all the 7 low-tier schools that I would apply to regardless of my score and assuming I'd have a good chance of getting into them, which I'm fairly confident I will. How about the mid tier schools since a 507-509 is probably good enough for Mid tier schools? I probably won't write secondaries for the CA schools since A. They won't give them to me, and B. I might not get a shot with that MCAT score, but I'm hoping that my GPA and all the other parts of my application will carry me through.

Should I start writing them for the schools I want to apply to right after finishing my MCAT (assuming I feel like I scored at least a 507-509 ish) in order to still have chances of putting myself in the best position in terms of the timeline? Overall, I'm looking at the best way to use my time efficiently to maximize my chances of getting interviews/acceptances since I'll be taking a late MCAT and that puts me at a disadvantage since lots of schools are on a rolling admissions. What would be the best steps to take at this point in terms of applying/filling out secondaries and everything else in between?

If you need more information let me know and I'll post it up so you guys can help me out to the best of your ability (negative comments aren't appreciated). Thank you in advance.

You should just start your own thread. This post is a year old.

 

[Neuro244]

You should just start your own thread. This post is a year old.

Will do, thanks.