What changes would you make to the admissions process?

[AZFutureDoc]

Since we're all balls deep in this grueling cycle, if you had to make the system better, more efficient, or improved in general, what would you do?

I would have to come up with an alternative to the MCAT. It has little correlation with your performance as a physician. Why not copy a style more similar to the boards, where there are different tests of knowledge outside books? Why not reduce the number of science questions from 52 to, say 35 or 40, reducing the weight of each section? Take out verbal (since doctors usually don't read much shakespear or philosophy). Then, add some form of communication section, involving encounters, and social interactions. Instead of being multiple choice, maybe let people type some 1-2 sentence responses to a few challenging questions on topics that come up in interviews. Your score isn't based on being right or wrong, but on how you explained it. What about actual encounters with actors? My main point is that there is A LOT more to being a doctor than just science, and that another section or two should be developed to test their ability to talk to people, and function in physician-esque situations.

Second, I would change how applicants are viewed, decided as being good, or bad. I say split up the app into e sections: grades, experiences and personal statement. Attach no names to these, and make them independent from each other. So one person may look at personal statements with only an amcas ID, and another would look at personal statements. Then establish a universal ranking system so everyone can just get a rank. Let a few people see everything, put all the pieces together, then start sending interview invites.

So if you could redesign this system, what would you do??

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[fizzle]

The admissions test would be an obstacle course with wallclimbing, ladders, and rickety bridges. Because future doctors need fitness, balance, and know how to climb really high things.

 

[Premed Worrier]

Since we're all balls deep in this grueling cycle, if you had to make the system better, more efficient, or improved in general, what would you do?

I would have to come up with an alternative to the MCAT. It has little correlation with your performance as a physician. Why not copy a style more similar to the boards, where there are different tests of knowledge outside books? Why not reduce the number of science questions from 52 to, say 35 or 40, reducing the weight of each section? Take out verbal (since doctors usually don't read much shakespear or philosophy). Then, add some form of communication section, involving encounters, and social interactions. Instead of being multiple choice, maybe let people type some 1-2 sentence responses to a few challenging questions on topics that come up in interviews. Your score isn't based on being right or wrong, but on how you explained it. What about actual encounters with actors? My main point is that there is A LOT more to being a doctor than just science, and that another section or two should be developed to test their ability to talk to people, and function in physician-esque situations.

Second, I would change how applicants are viewed, decided as being good, or bad. I say split up the app into e sections: grades, experiences and personal statement. Attach no names to these, and make them independent from each other. So one person may look at personal statements with only an amcas ID, and another would look at personal statements. Then establish a universal ranking system so everyone can just get a rank. Let a few people see everything, put all the pieces together, then start sending interview invites.

So if you could redesign this system, what would you do??

This all sounds good.

If I were to redesign the system my main thing would be to have it all automated by the same company. So you know when stuff has made it to where it is supposed to, and everything is kept up to date as such. I think this is where a lot of my worry comes from.

 

[DrYoda]

Eliminate defered decisions, they are teh suck.

 

[JackInTheBox]

Video conferencing for interviews because traveling is so freaking expensive. If telemedicine is good enough to treat patients, it's good enough to evaluate applicants.

 

[ButImLETired]

This all sounds good.

If I were to redesign the system my main thing would be to have it all automated by the same company. So you know when stuff has made it to where it is supposed to, and everything is kept up to date as such. I think this is where a lot of my worry comes from.

I agree, and have everyone on the same system, whether rolling or non-rolling. And make it all much more transparent: tell applicants when they're being reviewed, and actually make the status pages USEFUL. Keep people updated on their status that way. Oh, and if they are so insistent on people being good "fits", then they should make that "fit" obvious in some way. Some schools are better at this than most (not too many people would apply to Stanford with no research), but most just don't really differentiate themselves from the masses and then get irritated at how many applicants seem to "not get" that they're not the right fit.

 

[Vihsadas]

Implement an MMI-type interview at every school.

 

[mikedc813]

Video conferencing for interviews because traveling is so freaking expensive. If telemedicine is good enough to treat patients, it's good enough to evaluate applicants.

Seeing the campus is important for the applicant. There's a lot to be learned about a school by visiting that may ultimately direct your decisions later on. Programs can't get as good of an impression of you from watching you on a TV screen. There's a lot to be learned about applicants by watching them through the entire interview day.... I had an applicant who was rather rude and obnoxious with me during lunch on a previous interview cycle who was immediately given the axe. So be on your best behavior until you are physically off campus!

 

[GoSpursGo]

Since we're all balls deep in this grueling cycle, if you had to make the system better, more efficient, or improved in general, what would you do?

I would have to come up with an alternative to the MCAT. It has little correlation with your performance as a physician. Why not copy a style more similar to the boards, where there are different tests of knowledge outside books? Why not reduce the number of science questions from 52 to, say 35 or 40, reducing the weight of each section? Take out verbal (since doctors usually don't read much shakespear or philosophy). Then, add some form of communication section, involving encounters, and social interactions. Instead of being multiple choice, maybe let people type some 1-2 sentence responses to a few challenging questions on topics that come up in interviews. Your score isn't based on being right or wrong, but on how you explained it. What about actual encounters with actors? My main point is that there is A LOT more to being a doctor than just science, and that another section or two should be developed to test their ability to talk to people, and function in physician-esque situations.

Second, I would change how applicants are viewed, decided as being good, or bad. I say split up the app into e sections: grades, experiences and personal statement. Attach no names to these, and make them independent from each other. So one person may look at personal statements with only an amcas ID, and another would look at personal statements. Then establish a universal ranking system so everyone can just get a rank. Let a few people see everything, put all the pieces together, then start sending interview invites.

So if you could redesign this system, what would you do??

Not trying to attack you, but the first idea is terrible and the second idea is unfeasible.

On the MCAT, the verbal section has been correlated with success in med school. As you say, there's more to being a doctor than knowing science, and that is apparently borne out by the importance of the verbal section. It is a med school's best tool to evaluate potential applicants, and to take that away would just add to the randomness of the process. Furthermore, reducing the number of questions for the sciences would also increase the randomness of the test, as it increases the likelihood someone could bomb the test just because there were two passages that happened to test their weakest topics; similarly, someone could rock the MCAT if they got lucky and were only tested on the subjects that happened to be their forte. More randomness=bad. As far as evaluating people in actual encounters, that's what the interviews are for; the MCAT is for evaluating how much you know in the sciences and how good you are at comprehending information, and it is a good tool to accomplish those tasks. Surely, there's more to being a doctor than knowing the sciences, but that is a necessity.

As far as a "universal rank" system, it seems like boiling down someone's PS to number scale would be silly in that it would preclude the adcoms from actually evaluating the applicant to see if they would fit in with the mission of the school.

As for what I would actually change, I'd really just get the admissions offices staffed with more people. The fact that we can be complete at a school for a month and a half or more before our application makes it to the desk of an actual person is ridiculous, and it's only because they are so understaffed right now.

 

[RySerr21]

I would completely change the pre medical curiculum.......aka physics would be long gone. Organic chemistry would not be a requirement either, or at the most just one semester. Maybe just one semester of ochem and one of biochem (some schools even offer that as an option). I dont really remember much about it but i dont imagine the 2nd semester of gen chem is all too relevant. Just a basic chemistry course would teach us all the chem necessary to understand the physiology and stuff like that. General Biology aka Into to Cell/Molec biology is good as is, altho zoology is pretty useless (i konw we arent required to take zoology, but at my school its one of the only "general" bio courses available). I dont see why intense knowledge of calculus is necessary either. Basically, I would substitute these courses for higher level bio courses that are actually relelvant to medicine.......human anatomy, human physiology, etc. I'd be much wmore worried if an applicant got a C in human physiology than if an applicant got a C in physics.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Give all the interviewees suprise butt secs

 

[ButImLETired]

I would completely change the pre medical curiculum.......aka physics would be long gone. Organic chemistry would not be a requirement either, or at the most just one semester. Maybe just one semester of ochem and one of biochem (some schools even offer that as an option). I dont really remember much about it but i dont imagine the 2nd semester of gen chem is all too relevant. Just a basic chemistry course would teach us all the chem necessary to understand the physiology and stuff like that. General Biology aka Into to Cell/Molec biology is good as is, altho zoology is pretty useless (i konw we arent required to take zoology, but at my school its one of the only "general" bio courses available). I dont see why intense knowledge of calculus is necessary either. Basically, I would substitute these courses for higher level bio courses that are actually relelvant to medicine.......human anatomy, human physiology, etc. I'd be much wmore worried if an applicant got a C in human physiology than if an applicant got a C in physics.

I have actually heard from many med students that physics is much more important than we think, so I'd keep that. I'd get rid of orgo for sure, or at least of all the orgo that you don't need for biochem (it could probably be condensed into one semester). Make biochem required, since it's useful. I agree calc is useless, but I think at least one stats class is key. No idea about gen chem, that could probably also be condensed.
And I agree that more bio should be required, especially hum phys. My undergrad actually didn't have an anatomy class and I wonder how useful it would actually be without cadavers to look at, since apparently having the actual anatomy in front of you makes everything totally different.

 

[Depakote]

I'd cap secondary application fees and limit the amount of written material a school can ask for (number of essays/pages/etc).

 

[MilkmanAl]

I would have to come up with an alternative to the MCAT. It has little correlation with your performance as a physician.

No test will, especially when you're taking it before you have any medical education.

Why not reduce the number of science questions from 52 to, say 35 or 40, reducing the weight of each section?

You seriously want the MCAT to be a 70-80 question test (given that you want to remove the verbal section - see below)? A big part of what the MCAT tests is ability to perform at a high level under pressure for long periods of time. If you turn it into a slightly longer undergrad test, you lose that aspect completely. The first years are all about manipulating huge amounts of information over long periods of time. The shortes test I've had so far took 2.5 hours. Adcoms wouldn't even know if their prospective students can handle a test like that once, let alone every couple weeks.

Take out verbal (since doctors usually don't read much shakespear or philosophy).

Verbal isn't about literature, it's about reading comprehension. That's not an important skill when you're a physician? The fact that most premeds score lowest on the verbal section is strong evidence it should stay. Doctors already have enough of a reputation for being science machines. Taking away the one and only check on that is a bad call. I guess you tried to address that with...

Then, add some form of communication section, involving encounters, and social interactions. Instead of being multiple choice, maybe let people type some 1-2 sentence responses to a few challenging questions on topics that come up in interviews. Your score isn't based on being right or wrong, but on how you explained it. What about actual encounters with actors? My main point is that there is A LOT more to being a doctor than just science, and that another section or two should be developed to test their ability to talk to people, and function in physician-esque situations.

While this is probably a decent idea in principle, it's not even close to feasible. It's hard enough to set up actors for Step 2 which ~15000 people take. Can you imagine doing it for ~70000? Such a setup would also require all new testing centers which just plain wouldn't happen. Furthermore, an interview system would make standardization a nightmare.

I'm going to assume you're referring to each school individually in your second paragraph because creating a centralized ranking system for schools that look for different things in applicants is impossible.

If I could revamp the system, I would eliminate the writing section on the MCAT - which tells you next to nothing about an applicant - and make the other sections longer to compensate for the fatigue WS is supposed to add. That would also allow for instant MCAT grading. You'd have your scores in a couple of days, tops. I'd also eliminate volunteering as a de facto requirement for admission. Pushing that a step further, I'd include a mandatory essay with AMCAS that called for descriptions of how each person's clinical experiences influenced their respective decisions to become physicians and why they though those experiences would be useful in med school and in their careers.

Edit: Crossposting like whoa. Good lord.

 

[Lukkie]

multiply the GPA value of top 50 undergrad Us by 2

 

[RySerr21]

I have actually heard from many med students that physics is much more important than we think, so I'd keep that. I'd get rid of orgo for sure, or at least of all the orgo that you don't need for biochem (it could probably be condensed into one semester). Make biochem required, since it's useful. I agree calc is useless, but I think at least one stats class is key. No idea about gen chem, that could probably also be condensed.
And I agree that more bio should be required, especially hum phys. My undergrad actually didn't have an anatomy class and I wonder how useful it would actually be without cadavers to look at, since apparently having the actual anatomy in front of you makes everything totally different.

Way to ruin my hate parade on physics. But whatever, even if it is useful in med school I will still hate on it til the day i die and i will probably never admit that it was helpful, haha. Do you know what they said it was helpful for?

Even if you dont have cadavers you can have plastic models, which are good for lab practicals and identifying landmarks and muscles and organs and stuff like that. Thats how my anatomy course does it and worked really well.

 

[Lukkie]

i cant believe someone above actually suggested removing o-chem from the premed curriculum

 

[MilkmanAl]

Yeah, sorry, man, physics is pretty useful. It's nice to know for fluid flow, cell potentials, ion gradients, and stuff like that. If you think radiology might be interesting, you're going to need to know some basic quantum mechanics and a decent amount of nuclear physics.

 

[ButImLETired]

Way to ruin my hate parade on physics. But whatever, even if it is useful in med school I will still hate on it til the day i die and i will probably never admit that it was helpful, haha. Do you know what they said it was helpful for?

Even if you dont have cadavers you can have plastic models, which are good for lab practicals and identifying landmarks and muscles and organs and stuff like that. Thats how my anatomy course does it and worked really well.

Hahah yeah I'm just jealous cause I wish I could have taken anatomy. I would have definitely taken it if my undergrad had had it.

I've heard physics will come up in stuff like respiratory physiology, the cardiovascular system and stuff. Electrical stuff can come up in really detailed neuro and cardio lectures, too. Plus I bet stuff like stress/strain, torsion, torque et al might come up in ortho. And optics in ophtho.

That isn't to say that all of physics is useful. Far from it. I doubt I'll ever need to know magnetism, most of Newtonian mechanics, and the doppler effect. This could also likely be condensed to some extent.

 

[Chemist0157]

Abolish the AMCAS LOR system. It caused me so many problems. And it's even harder to fix!

 

[JackInTheBox]

Seeing the campus is important for the applicant. There's a lot to be learned about a school by visiting that may ultimately direct your decisions later on.

That's a good point. You always hear about people whose opinions of what used to be their top choice change after they visit. I think second-look (first-look?) visits would still be necessary, but at least then the number of schools would be cut down a bit.

Programs can't get as good of an impression of you from watching you on a TV screen. There's a lot to be learned about applicants by watching them through the entire interview day.... I had an applicant who was rather rude and obnoxious with me during lunch on a previous interview cycle who was immediately given the axe. So be on your best behavior until you are physically off campus!

Haha, there are definitely people at some of the schools I've been to who would've been weeded out if we had had lunch with the faculty.

 

[RySerr21]

Yeah, sorry, man, physics is pretty useful. It's nice to know for fluid flow, cell potentials, ion gradients, and stuff like that. If you think radiology might be interesting, you're going to need to know some basic quantum mechanics and a decent amount of nuclear physics.

okay but those are all explained by basic physical concepts, thats not the part i have the problem with. The beef I have with physics courses has to do with the memorziing of stupid equations, solving for the velcoities of speeding bullets, and determining the force neceessary to push a block against X amount of friction on a slanted incline....like.........what? seriously? Who cares!

I think that all of the physics concepts that would be useful for medicine could be taught in a separate course labeled somethign like "physics for physicians." Taking an entire course on Newtonian mechanics was just dumb.

And just for the record radiology would be liek the last specialty i would consider going in to, haha.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Oh, and automate the application process. That means online apps, online status updates, the works. I like sending in LOR's manually, though. That really helped me control where they went and when.

okay but those are all explained by basics physical concepts, thats not the part i have the problem with. The beef I have with physics courses has to do with the memorziing of stupid equations, solving for the velcoities of speeding bullets, and determining the force neceessary to push a block against X amount of friction on a slanted incline....like.........what? seriously?

Well...those are pretty basic physical concepts, too. They're even more basic than what I'm talking about, actually. Probably the most valuable thing physics teaches you (ideally) is how to think conceptually. There isn't a whole lot of that in bio and chem, so you have to get it somewhere.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Abolish the AMCAS LOR system. It caused me so many problems. And it's even harder to fix!

Wait, I don't understand why some people wouldn't like this It made it so easy to just send everything AMCAS, and then later when I wanted to add another school, I just clicked on the button on AMCAS and didn't have to send anything new out at all. Seems like a great idea to me.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I think there were lots of issues with it not being available for all schools and with them not accepting letters on official school letterhead or something. In other words, it's awesome in theory, but the majorly boned the practice.

 

[RySerr21]

Oh, and automate the application process. That means online apps, online status updates, the works. I like sending in LOR's manually, though. That really helped me control where they went and when.
Well...those are pretty basic physical concepts, too. They're even more basic than what I'm talking about, actually. Probably the most valuable thing physics teaches you (ideally) is how to think conceptually. There isn't a whole lot of that in bio and chem, so you have to get it somewhere.

There has to be another class that provides the conceptual thinking aspect of physics but is more related to the field of medicine. I refuse to live in a world where there is not. Musculoskeletal anatomy can be pretty conceptual....biomechanics is VERY conceptual. why not something like that?

 

[MilkmanAl]

How about something like, saaaaaay, biophysics? Muahahahaha!

That reminds me. We need a devil smily.

 

[Greonis]

*Be able to upload a photo to AMCAS to be distributed to all of your schools. No more worrying about passport photos!
*Allow applicants to specify whether or not they wish to be considered for URM status on the primary AMCAS application (each school would still select such applicants based on its own needs, but only out of those who opt to be eligible in the first place).
*Have all status checks be done through the primary AMCAS system (or another centralized service), making the status of our application easy to follow and eliminating the need to check each school one by one.
*MCAT writing sample: give it more weight in the admissions process or eliminate it completely.
*Mandate that all schools fully disclose all admissions-related statistics (for example, I would love to see the number of completely primary applications, secondary applications, interviews, acceptances, and matriculations appear in the MSAR).

 

[JackInTheBox]

There has to be another class that provides the conceptual thinking aspect of physics but is more related to the field of medicine. I refuse to live in a world where there is not. Musculoskeletal anatomy can be pretty conceptual....biomechanics is VERY conceptual. why not something like that?

Because classes like biomechanics requires calculus and physics, and we're back to square one with pre-meds complaining that they shouldn't have to take them. I think all pre-meds should be required to take a few biomedical engineering classes

 

[AZFutureDoc]

I dunno if my idea would be feasible, I was giving a kind of idealized system.

My MCAT changes were just ideas on how a test could be written that could determine your competency as a physician. Obviously you can't test on medical knowledge, but that is where the sciences come in, to determie your ability to learn and apply science. I think that a test that replaced the verbal section could be created that better tested reading comp and critical thinking. And the writing sample could be swapped with some kind of social interactions section.

And my idea of the admissions process itself was based on the same idealogy as a blind interview: keep everyone subjective so that an awesome or poor rank in one aspect doesn't carry bias into other unrelated aspects. I think that several different "personalities" should review an applicant. Mainly, an MD, a PhD, a med student, a resident, and some from of average Joe. I think that these five representations would give a good gauge of an applicant.

 

[RySerr21]

Because classes like biomechanics requires calculus and physics, and we're back to square one with pre-meds complaining that they shouldn't have to take them. I think all pre-meds should be required to take a few biomedical engineering classes

biomechanics doesnt require calculus. Sure you can use calculus, but the course at my school does not require calculus based knoweldge. and i realize there are physical concepts used in the class, but nothing that I can't learn IN THAT CLASS. I dont need an entire semester of physics to understand biomechanics. I dont even think physics or calculus is a pre req for the coures at my school.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I dunno if my idea would be feasible, I was giving a kind of idealized system.

My MCAT changes were just ideas on how a test could be written that could determine your competency as a physician. Obviously you can't test on medical knowledge, but that is where the sciences come in, to determie your ability to learn and apply science. I think that a test that replaced the verbal section could be created that better tested reading comp and critical thinking. And the writing sample could be swapped with some kind of social interactions section.

I actually think the verbal section, as currently constituted, actually does a fairly good job of testing reading comp. *shrug*

And my idea of the admissions process itself was based on the same idealogy as a blind interview: keep everyone subjective so that an awesome or poor rank in one aspect doesn't carry bias into other unrelated aspects. I think that several different "personalities" should review an applicant. Mainly, an MD, a PhD, a med student, a resident, and some from of average Joe. I think that these five representations would give a good gauge of an applicant.

... this might lead to a better gauging of an applicant, but as it stands it already takes forever just to get ONE adcom to read someone's file; imagine how long our apps would sit waiting to be reviewed if FIVE people had to read it!

 

[JackInTheBox]

biomechanics doesnt require calculus. Sure you can use calculus, but the course at my school does not require calculus based knoweldge. and i realize there are physical concepts used in the class, but nothing that I can't learn IN THAT CLASS. I dont need an entire semester of physics to understand biomechanics. I dont even think physics or calculus is a pre req for the coures at my school.

The key part of your statement being "at my school." That's like saying physics doesn't require calculus. Sure, you can do basic Newtonian physics (and maybe biomechanics) without it, but most problems in biomechanics, mass transfer, continuum mechanics, etc that actually apply to real situations require calculus, otherwise you have to make a lot of approximations and assumptions that don't necessarily hold true.

Those kinds of classes are beyond what most physicians will ever need to know, but just like how taking basic algebra-based physics doesn't make someone a physicist, a "basic" biomechanics class that doesn't require calculus isn't really biomechanics.

 

[RySerr21]

The key part of your statement being "at my school." That's like saying physics doesn't require calculus. Sure, you can do basic Newtonian physics (and maybe biomechanics) without it, but most problems in biomechanics, mass transfer, continuum mechanics, etc that actually apply to real situations require calculus, otherwise you have to make a lot of approximations and assumptions that don't necessarily hold true.

Those kinds of classes are beyond what most physicians will ever need to know, but just like how taking basic algebra-based physics doesn't make someone a physicist, a "basic" biomechanics class that doesn't require calculus isn't really biomechanics.

So what would you classify this as? Just curious.

302. BIOMECHANICS.
The application of muscle mechanics and Newtonian mechanics to the documentation and analysis of human movement. Lecture will also focus on the application of static and dynamic problem solving to human performance. Laboratory work will be integrated with the lecture material and will emphasize the use of electromyography to document and analyze human performance.

 

[JackInTheBox]

So what would you classify this as? Just curious.

302. BIOMECHANICS.
The application of muscle mechanics and Newtonian mechanics to the documentation and analysis of human movement. Lecture will also focus on the application of static and dynamic problem solving to human performance. Laboratory work will be integrated with the lecture material and will emphasize the use of electromyography to document and analyze human performance.

Haha, I don't think one is more or less valid than the other, but I think we're thinking of two different things when we hear the term "biomechanics." I guess this is why AMCAS doesn't really give a crap what title we give to our classes

For what it's worth, these are the course descriptions for the "biomechanics" classes at my school.

"Introduction to physiological systems, with emphasis on structure and function of major tissues and organs. Application of mechanics to understand the behavior of these tissues and organs at gross and microscopic levels. Bioelastic solids. Rigid body biomechanics. Biofluids. Bioengineering and medical design."

"Biomechanics of living tissues with emphasis on continuum analysis of problems in biofluid and cell mechanics. Engineering design and problem solving in the biomechanics of mammalian tissues, especially those of the cardiovascular system."

 

[Chemist0157]

Wait, I don't understand why some people wouldn't like this It made it so easy to just send everything AMCAS, and then later when I wanted to add another school, I just clicked on the button on AMCAS and didn't have to send anything new out at all. Seems like a great idea to me.

Simply put, it's just another example of how we are held at the mercy of events outside of our control. More people handling my application gives rise to more opportunities for screw-ups. AMCAS royally misplaced my letters which put my completion at schools later than they should have been. If a problem does occur, the people we call at AMCAS don't have the power to help fix it; they don't actually have all the information in front of them. I'm an Interfolio fan...haven't had any problems with them!

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I actually think its pretty good the way it is, minus the stupid oct 15 deal.

 

[pianola]

All schools must render their decisions by October 15th.

The end.

 

[kevinmw5]

all schools must render their decisions by september 15th.

The end.

fify

 

[RySerr21]

Haha, I don't think one is more or less valid than the other, but I think we're thinking of two different things when we hear the term "biomechanics." I guess this is why AMCAS doesn't really give a crap what title we give to our classes

For what it's worth, these are the course descriptions for the "biomechanics" classes at my school.

"Introduction to physiological systems, with emphasis on structure and function of major tissues and organs. Application of mechanics to understand the behavior of these tissues and organs at gross and microscopic levels. Bioelastic solids. Rigid body biomechanics. Biofluids. Bioengineering and medical design."

"Biomechanics of living tissues with emphasis on continuum analysis of problems in biofluid and cell mechanics. Engineering design and problem solving in the biomechanics of mammalian tissues, especially those of the cardiovascular system."

yuck. I'll take my schools biomechanics course over your schools any day! haha.

 

[ANF1986]

I think the current way is fine, all except the recalculating of GPAs to include previously retaken classes. If someone could explain to me why that is the way it is, I'd be thrilled. Not sure why people should be penalized for taking a class over again and doing well.

 

[pianola]

Not sure why people should be penalized for taking a class over again and doing well.

You're not, are you? I mean, both attempts are recorded. Isn't that totally fair?

 

[majahops]

I'd make schools publish stats below which they will reject students, for each ethnic group and socioeconomic tier. They could of course state that exceptions may be made for students who are "extraordinarily strong in other areas than GPA and MCAT."

I'd make every school follow a schedule in terms of date by which they have to notify applicants that they won't be invited for an interview (probably around Nov 1st). Again, they could make a statement about making exceptions for extenuating circumstances that kept students from being able to apply early enough.

I'd also make every school publish the percent of initially-accepted students (separated from those who were accepted off of the waitlist) who went on to matriculate/attend that school. Nearly every one of us is humbled by this process, there's no reason why schools should be immune.

 

[pianola]

I'd also make every school publish the percent of initially-accepted students (separated from those who were accepted off of the waitlist) who went on to matriculate/attend that school.

Now we're getting somewhere...

 

[DrMattOglesby]

I'd make all schools execute a thorough screening process.
I don't like filling out secondaries I will have no chance at anyways.

 

[majahops]

Roger that.

I'd make all schools execute a thorough screening process.
I don't like filling out secondaries I will have no chance at anyways.

 

[kevinmw5]

That would be perfect...if 'September' were spelled correctly .

What are you talking about? It is spelled correctly...now...

 

[pianola]

What are you talking about? It is spelled correctly...now...

Me? Comment on the spelling? Where?

Yeah, Sept. 15th is definitely better.

 

[AZFutureDoc]

I just think that a little more organization, communication, and transparency would be great.


Wouldn't it also be great if somehow, the system could be changed somehow, so that instead of the shotgun method most people use nowadays, people could apply to fewer schools, all of which are great matches for the individual student? We hear everyone say to find schools that are best fits for you, but even if I found that one school, my chances are still slim. Maybe have schools improve their descriptions, and give enough info for a student to decide how much they like the school, then on your AMCAS or each secondary, rank that school, with reasons that you can back up through your personal statement and EC's. If schools could provide enough info, and we could just make ranks so that each school could see how good of a fit you think they are, then a lot of people may get in to better fits for themselves.

 

[ILikeFood]

I would change it so they'd let me in. That's it.