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[amateurpupil]

***PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE THIS MESSAGE***

Hello everyone! This is my first time on SDN, so I apologize if I have missed anything necessary.

***REMOVED** Thanks everyone for your help

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[Faha]

You have several state public schools that admit few non residents with no connection to the state (UC Davis admits only 1 or 2 non residents per year). I suggest these schools from your list:
Albert Einstein
Boston U
Case Western
Columbia
Hofstra
Drexel
Duke
Eastern Virginia
Emory
Quinnipac
GW
Georgetown
Harvard
Mt Sinai
Indiana
Johns Hopkins (personal reasons)
Kaiser
USC
Temple
Loyola
Mayo
Medical College of Wisconsin
NYMC
NYU LI
Northwestern
NYU
Oakland U
Ohio st
Penn
Vermont
St Louis
Jefferson
Brown
Tufts
UCSF
UChicago
Cincinnati (family in area)
Colorado
Iowa
UMD
Miami
Michigan
UVA
Vandy
WashU
Cornell
Yale

 

[Mr.Smile12]

When are you planning to apply?

 

[amateurpupil]

When are you planning to apply?

Likely next spring, but I'm not married to that idea. If an opportunity arises that makes two gap years worthwhile instead of one, I might take it.

 

[amateurpupil]

@Goro @LizzyM any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[Goro]

Invest in MSAR Online, and use Faha's list.

Then remove any schools where your GPA is less than the 10th percentile of acceptees.

Many of the schools on your list were donations. Those schools do not need the money, take your significant other out to dinner instead

 

[amateurpupil]

Invest in MSAR Online, and use Faha's list.

Then remove any schools where your GPA is less than the 10th percentile of acceptees.

Many of the schools on your list were donations. Those schools do not need the money, take your significant other out to dinner instead

I have MSAR, and will do the 10th percentile cut soon. Beyond the school list, how does my app look overall?

 

[Goro]

I have MSAR, and will do the 10th percentile cut soon. Beyond the school list, how does my app look overall?

You need to bulk up on the non clinical volunteering, as you noted

 

[LizzyM]

Unless you are married to the idea of a career in emergency medicine, I'd highly recommend at least 8-16 hours of primary care shadowing in an ambulatory care setting: general internal medicine, general pediatrics, or family medicine.

edited to add the word "shadowing"

 

[amateurpupil]

Unless you are married to the idea of a career in emergency medicine, I'd highly recommend at least 8-16 hours of primary care in an ambulatory care setting: general internal medicine, general pediatrics, or family medicine.

you're referring to shadowing, not clinical volunteering, correct?

 

[LizzyM]

Yes, some primary care shadowing as well as what you've already done.

 

[amateurpupil]

Yes, some primary care shadowing as well as what you've already done.

Will do. I appreciate your help!

 

[amateurpupil]

When are you planning to apply?

Any additional insight on this list? I have decided to apply this coming spring.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Any additional insight on this list? I have decided to apply this coming spring.

Great (if you decided to wait until you are an early applicant next cycle)!

Have you done any networking or recruiting events?

 

[amateurpupil]

Great (if you decided to wait until you are an early applicant next cycle)!

Have you done any networking or recruiting events?

Yep, I'm preparing now to finalize my list and start prewriting my secondaries while I study abroad next srping before i graduate!

I haven't really done any networking/recruiting events, do you mean specifically for premeds, or biology graduates looking for jobs? I do however have a decent network of people I've met and interacted with during my time in college.

In addition, I have a question that I need a bit of a reality check on. In short, about a year ago I met the dean of my undergrad's affiliated med school through a complete chance event (think bumping into them on the street) and after a short conversation and thanking them for helping me set up shadowing at the local hospital, they told me to "email me when you apply." This was so exciting to hear, but I've since then effectively decided I do not want to remain in my current city for med school. Am I crazy not to apply to this school after having this experience? And do you think there is any way to gracefully reach out to them and request they put in good word for me at another school (assuming they know other deans)? Or is it a simple case of A. take the opportunity or B. don't and live with the consequences?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yep, I'm preparing now to finalize my list and start prewriting my secondaries while I study abroad next srping before i graduate!

I haven't really done any networking/recruiting events, do you mean specifically for premeds, or biology graduates looking for jobs? I do however have a decent network of people I've met and interacted with during my time in college.

In addition, I have a question that I need a bit of a reality check on. In short, about a year ago I met the dean of my undergrad's affiliated med school through a complete chance event (think bumping into them on the street) and after a short conversation and thanking them for helping me set up shadowing at the local hospital, they told me to "email me when you apply." This was so exciting to hear, but I've since then effectively decided I do not want to remain in my current city for med school. Am I crazy not to apply to this school after having this experience? And do you think there is any way to gracefully reach out to them and request they put in good word for me at another school (assuming they know other deans)? Or is it a simple case of A. take the opportunity or B. don't and live with the consequences?

On networking: what did you do to follow-up with your quick conversation with the dean? It won't really move the needle, and there are usually specific policies governing how the dean of the school interacts with the admissions process (which is usually through the admissions dean or director).

In your situation, though, you have a vivid imagination. Why do you think the dean of a school will recommend you to an admissions committee at another school? The dean is basically encouraging you to apply; if you are completely cynical about intentions, "make sure you pay your supplemental application."

The fact you don't really understand how the process works for schools on your list shows you really need to do your homework and ask questions at recruitment events, and I mean specifically for premeds if your goal is to go to medical school. Granted we have written a slew of articles on the process, and you'll get a lot of advice from good experts here.

 

[candbgirl]

So you’d sooner not go to med school than go to your affiliated med school?

 

[amateurpupil]

On networking: what did you do to follow-up with your quick conversation with the dean? It won't really move the needle, and there are usually specific policies governing how the dean of the school interacts with the admissions process (which is usually through the admissions dean or director).

In your situation, though, you have a vivid imagination. Why do you think the dean of a school will recommend you to an admissions committee at another school? The dean is basically encouraging you to apply; if you are completely cynical about intentions, "make sure you pay your supplemental application."

The fact you don't really understand how the process works for schools on your list shows you really need to do your homework and ask questions at recruitment events, and I mean specifically for premeds if your goal is to go to medical school. Granted we have written a slew of articles on the process, and you'll get a lot of advice from good experts here.

I emailed them after and they thanked me for the email and said they appreciated me stopping them on the street to thank them for setting up my shadowing opportunity.

I don't think they would recommend me to another committee, but the fact that I thought that may be possible and your response to it was exactly the sanity check I needed, so thank you. Either I take this opportunity for what it is, or I don't. It seems there isn't anything else to do with it.

And just to clarify, what do you mean about me not knowing "how the process works for schools on [my] list" ? Is this in regard to networking, or something else? I appreciate the replies and I am actively looking into how to become more informed but I just would like a bit more on this to help jumpstart my search.

 

[amateurpupil]

So you’d sooner not go to med school than go to your affiliated med school?

yeah this is tough. this is why im wrestling so much with applying to this school. that's essentially what I'm saying if I don't apply, huh? I guess I was hoping someone would tell me I'm crazy for assuming "email me when you apply" means something very important when maybe it really doesn't.

 

[candbgirl]

yeah this is tough. this is why im wrestling so much with applying to this school. that's essentially what I'm saying if I don't apply, huh? I guess I was hoping someone would tell me I'm crazy for assuming "email me when you apply" means something very important when maybe it really doesn't.

Not essentially,that’s what you are saying. If you don’t apply you won’t be interviewed etc. I’m not sure what you are getting at with this whole thing. People say let me know if you need anything, let me know if I can help you, let me know if you apply frequently in life. But it really doesn’t mean much and it is totally out of my realm of thought that you’d think this Dean would contact another Dean at another school for you. Especially when you aren’t even considering the first Dean’s school. Dean #1 really knows nothing about you …