Wanna Boost? Visit A School!

[GraC_undr_PrsR]

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Hello!

I was feeling pretty down in the dumps (see "August MCAT" post) about the MCAT and the MSTP admissions process. I happened to visit one of my medical school choices to gauge how competitive a candidate I would be and discovered (yah!) that my chances of getting into a good program were not so slim as I originally thought. I left the medical school with a renewed sense of purpose and replenished self-esteem (though that may sound weird). It truly is the little things that count, I think.

So, why not try it? Who says you have to wait until crazy interview periods to visit the schools of your choice?

'GraC

 

[BandGeek]

I just did the same thing. I managed to arrange a meal with some student in the MSTP program I am very interested in. They were very encouraging and gave me hope! Plus they were very helpful in how they came to the MD/PhD decision and which programs they liked. The atmosphere was informal and not as stressful for me as the interview environment, so I was able to get a real clear look at the school.

I WOULD DEFINATELY RECOMMEND DOING THIS IF YOU CAN!

 

[noy]

What a wonderful day I had visiting one of the better schools - about 4 hours from here.

Left early in the morning, spent all day there, and came back at night.

I went by myself to check out the city, the people, the school, and ask myself "could I spend a few years here?".

A resounding yes, and I came back to work on secondaries energized.

Think about it - just walk around in the schools, in the hospital. I met some grad students, they gave me an impromptu tour of the BME dept, walked around the hospital (how did hospitals get so big these days?)... and was suitably impressed.

Its worth a day of your time if a school is within driving distance - that way you have an idea of the place before you come back for interviews...

Now all I need to do is find a good Chinese place in the city...

 

[ninebillion]

Which school did you visit, noy?

 

[MacGyver]

Originally posted by ninebillion
Which school did you visit, noy?

I'll play detective here.

Since he specifically mentioned the BME dept, and the fact that its one of the best MSTPs, I'm guessing that he's referring to Hopkins since they have the best BME program in the country

 

[noy]

Nope. Good guess though. Hopkins would be about 4 hours away from home, but I am in a different part of the country now. [Hint: Elvis]