Who wants to be a number?

Hehe, you're not alone. I wish too, if only so I don't have to write any more secondary essays!

 

Look at the bright side... most med schools use a filter that is based on a composite of your MCAT and GPA...

Doesn't help when you're having to write a secondary app essay (or 3), but you DO partially get your wish.

 

I'd like to be a number...

... #1!


But seriously, I do understand how you feel - even if I'm very glad (both as a former applicant and as a health care consumer) that med schools don't go just "by the numbers."

 

This process will make you feel like #2.

 

I guess that's better than smelling like it.

 

I wish it were a little more objective like law school admissions.

 

I wish I didn't have to pretend to be a hybrid between Mother Theresa, Albert Einstein, and a Nobel-winning research scientist in order to gain admission.

 

Or worse, eating a hot dog made of it.

 

I understand what you're saying, Swifty, but this is what I was told at my interviews:

"If you got an interview notice, we have already decided that you can handle the academics. The interviews are to weed out people who are too freaky to be around patients."

Or something to that effect. That was from a pathologist, so him referring to other people as freaky was a little humorous in itself. He wasn't trying to be funny tho


So, there is going to be subjectivity in the process, at least as far as the deciding who might relate to patients well vs who has all the right numbers, but the personality of a piece of dog poop.

Best advice I can give is to get the numbers up (not that yours are low, just in general higher is better), and be the colorful person you are so that they can see you have a life outside of pre-med.

 

Most schools accept 1/3 of the applicants they interview. Do you really believe the 2/3 that are rejected are freaks? Maybe this method will help eliminate the rare few who are "freaks" but it is sure expensive and a waste of time for the ~2/3 that get screwed.

 

I agree. There's more to it than being a "freak." (what does that even mean?)

If that was the case, why don't they ask us to visit our college counseling center and mail a psych. evaluation from them? Objective and less expensive than traveling hundresds or thousands of miles for an interview.

Yes, this process is weird.

 

You don't have to. Albert Einstein was a Nobel-winning research scientist. So you only have be a hybrid between Mother Theresa and Einstein.

 

Truth be told, only about 10% get rejected and the remainder are waitlisted because they aren't freaks but there just isn't room for everyone who is good enough to interview and good enough to admit. It is a very tough situation. It would be nice to interview fewer so that an interview is almost a guarantee of admission but it would be horrible to interview only 3-4% of the applicants. It is hard enough to whittle the stack of applications down to the 15% who get interview invitations as it is.

 

Not that it is not always, there is some relevance to the type of people lawyers as a whole have a reputation for being. That is certainly much of the reason that we don't want doctors selected just by the numbers!

 

I guess interviews help schools select the most physically attractive student body. A 2X2 photograph isn't enough to develop a good idea (you know what I'm talking about -- on myspace how everyone looks slightly better than they do in real life )

Also, I guess interviews serve as a recruitment tool. However, I like how law schools recruit people -- they use scholarships! Can someone confirm that LS give out more gift aid than MS? That's what I'm thinking.

Being introverted or not having the desired personality (which very few premeds do) is not tolerated by med schools and these people will be rejected post-interview. Doesn't this keep out some potentially good scientists? Do you need to be a bright-eyed & bushy-tailed person to get into an MD program?

 

You're absolutely right. The process certainly does prevent some stellar scientists from entering an MD program.

That's why those potentially good scientists should be giving very serious consideration to a PhD, or an MD/PhD.

 

If it weeds out antisocials...how do we end up with all those pathologists and radiologists?????

 

Don't most medical researchers just have an MD? There are very few MD/PhD seats and the extra 4 years are unnecessary. Also, since there are so few seats, most people have no shot MD/PhD -- they need to go straight MD.

 

I didn't think we were talking about "most people". I thought we were talking about the good scientists that truly lacked the personality for MD admission. Honestly, is that really a group of overwhelming size?

 

Good point.

*whispering* They have secret med school programs to beat the personality out of select students!

 

Considering that I had no GPA for UG, no.

Getting yourself into med school is a major ordeal. I don't think that's by accident. Saying that you want to be a doctor and doing what you need to do to become one are not the same thing. Don't forget that once you get into med school, that's just the beginning of this process. You still have to get THROUGH med school, plus residency. You're talking about seven more years of training, MINIMUM. Lawyers do not need to be in training for nearly as long, and even if they drop out of school, we don't invest anywhere near as much in law students as a society compared to what we invest in med students. So you can't have people going into med school half-a**ed, and it all comes down to how hard you're willing to work to become a physician. Sometimes, you have to do things in life that are not fun in the short term because it accomplishes something important for the long term. And you just have to suck it up for a while so that you can get to that point. Think about that while you're suffering through the med school admissions process, and always keep your eyes on the prize. to everyone applying.

 

No. It is very difficult to be successful in science if you are an "antisocial personality." The days of one lone ranger working in his lab are gone. Modern research is very collaborative, and if you can't get along with your colleagues, you won't get very far. Most of the highly successful scientists that I've met are extremely personable and charming. There is as much politics in science as there is in anything else.

 

Great to have one of our own resident succcessful scientist, personable and charming members comfirm that I'm not totally out in left field!

 

I was thinking of people interested in a career in medical research. There aren't enough MD/PhD seats for them and they need to go the MD route.

But anyway, I agree with you that interviews are a necessary evil. They helped keep out a total arrogant schmuck I know! I'm only upset because I just needed to take out a ridiculous loan to help pay for the interview expenses and I know I'm not going to be able to get into most of the schools I interview at. Most people don't and that's the way it works. I guess the system is as good as it possibly can be.

 

Most is the key word there.

One nice thing about the competitive nature of the limited number of med school spots: it only takes 1 acceptance to get you "in the door" and from there hard work and dedication can allow you to reach your goals!