2012-2013 application season

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
41

carrie,

  1. that’s what i did or i provided the generic name/number of whoever i could find on the activity org’s website.

  2. that’s what i did so i could save spots for other activities. in that case, i just picked to give the name/phone of the doc who wrote me a letter.


    i am not sure anyone even calls those numbers but it didn’t seem to matter who i put as the contact for any activities.
42

carrieliz -


for your first question - i’d think so but list them as “coworker” . I had an organization which had since dissolved so there WAS no leader, and that’s what I did


For the other - I’d list the docs separately IF that will not put you over your 16 or whatever that you can list.


Kate

43

For the 1st question, that’s what I did. As long as you have someone’s name down, I don’t think it matters. Like Shawn said, we doubt anyone is checking that stuff. I think it’s more to give the younger students pause before lying about their activities, although from what I’ve heard, they’re still lying about their activities


For the 2nd question, I listed all my shadowing under one activity. I used one physician as the contact and then listed the additional physicians contact info in the content section. I think I made shadowing one of my significant activities and I used the space to describe the different approaches I observed from each physician and what I learned about how to deal with patients, sensitive topics, end of life care, etc.


For the activities, everyone does it differently. As long as you create a flowing, cohesive story in whatever manner you choose to complete the section, it won’t matter. I found this section to be the most time consuming.

44

Hi Carrie


I listed people who could confirm my activities, not necessarily the person I “reported” to. Also, I limped all my shadowing together and mentioned all 3 docs in the 500 character description (or however many characters we were allowed). Creative editing was required but it worked.

45

I was catching up on diaries and saw a request on Licia’s - basically, DETDR asked what she would tell herself if she could go back in time to the start of medical school. And it made me realize that it would be really helpful to share the same kind of information with those applying this year. So, here is what I would say if I could go back in time to talk to myself before the application process got rolling…

  1. Don’t think your Personal Statement is done if the only people who have read it are family and friends. I had the benefit of some other OPM’ers reading mine, and getting a cold water bucket realization of how bad it was. Outsiders don’t know what fills in your gaps, and judge your PS solely on its merits - their view is more like that of an adcom. I truly believe the feedback I got from OPMers and an editor I know made a WORLD of difference in the quality of my PS.

  2. PLAN FOR SECONDARIES. Use the websites of the schools, SDN and Google to have an idea of what secondaries will come when, and give yourself the time to write more than one rough draft. Three days might be enough, but it never felt like it to me. Also, map out some general thoughts before you dive in to write.

  3. Really, plan your secondaries. Schedule them in a highly visible place as they arrive, and complete them QUICKLY (within a week, if you can manage). I suspect that some schools I was interested in didn’t give me a chance because I took more than 2 weeks to complete their secondary (I applied to 20+ schools). At one point I had so many it felt like I was doing 16-hour days of essay writing and re-writing. Sometimes I would realize mid-essay I was answering the wrong essay question, or just failing to answer what they were asking.

  4. Start living frugally, now. I only had 3 interviews, but the costs for flights and food and car rentals added up fast. And I got a LOT of secondaries that didn’t result in interviews. The savings did not last very long once the application season started.

  5. Schedule your flights so you can spend time seeing more than just the school. Use the day on the interview and use the night before or that same evening to see the town. It turns out I really, really didn’t like Erie weather, and I only discovered it by spending the day exploring the city. On the flip side, I loved the weather and atmosphere of both San Francisco and Lewisburg.
46

1st Secondary!!


Can’t believe it.

47

Got my first secondary yesterday as well.


Is it okay that I’m annoyed that the information and essays it asks for are almost completely already contained in the primary application? You would think they would want to cut down on reading the exact same information multiple times…

48

Ahhh yes… but they can’t charge you for it the first time!


Chin up, guys! This is a GOOD THING!

49

Well, I did it. I finally hit the “pay and pray” button this morning. My AMCAS application is officially listed as Submitted, Ready for Review.


Yes, it was a bit later than I wanted, but still with plenty of time for my 4 schools. I had a little snafu that caused the delay, but I think I have things worked out at this point.


I decided to only apply to the MD programs in Tennessee. I was also going for an Alabama school, but the out of state tuition is simply too prohibitive. (More than Vandy, even–yikes!) So it’s a short list for me: University of TN, East TN State University, Meharry, and Vanderbilt. (No chance on that last one unless I have a July 6 MCAT miracle!)


Still not certain about the future…but forging on, full speed ahead for the time being.


Good luck, everyone!

50
  • Prodigal Said:
Is it okay that I'm annoyed that the information and essays it asks for are almost completely already contained in the primary application? You would think they would want to cut down on reading the exact same information multiple times...



It's okay, and justified. Redundancy on the info is fine, but try to make those essays seem different than your PS, while still answering their question. It's tough. Annoying and tough.

Carrie - YAY! Later than you wanted is still in the magic month of June, so you're just fine.
51

Yeah I’m going to write new essays for the most part, they’ll have the same general idea but I won’t actually copy/paste. The descriptions of my shadowing & clinical experience I absolutely did copy/paste…there are only so many ways to explain that.


One of the essays I’ve gotten so far made me want to hurt people. Something about my “ability & resolve to serve in underprivileged communities.” I did a double take when I read that. Seriously? What kind of politically correct garbage question is that? My tentative response at the moment is something along the lines of “I don’t discriminate, and if you have a problem with that I’ll go to a medical school that’s somewhat less retarded.”


I’ll admit it needs a little more polish

52

That sounds like a DO secondary, am I right?

53

I was a little surprised that they asked for that info again as well. Oh well, my committee letter isn’t finished yet anyway. No rush.

54

WARNING: LOTS of repetition when completing secondaries! Be prepared to say basically the same thing in at least 5 different ways. (Source of advice: personal experience!) Online thesaurus became my best friend

55

Today, thinking about submitting AMCAS app, so I painstainkingly resumed fillin info in. 85% done and I realize that I am filling up 2012 application, so all that done for nothing. I have to re-enter everything. I wanted to cry. Plus I wanted to apply only to a few schools via AMCAS (like 4 or 5).


While typing in, I received my first interview invite at UTMB, so I am happy too!!! That’s quite early! But it’s great.

56

Congratulations!!!

57

That is wonderful! I just submitted my AMCAS application yesterday. It was a bit nerve-wrecking.


Good luck on the interview!

58

Thx all. I will let you know how it goes. Can’t wait, and freaking out at the same time.

59

Fantastic news, re-do!! Congratulations!!! Early invites are a very good sign

60

I still have to finish my final essay. I was ready to submit, then had a doc (friendly, but didn’t know me well enough to fill in the blanks like longstanding friends might) offer to read my essay. Come to find out, she’s also a professional editor and has been on the residency selection committee. So she’s seen a LOT of essays. She had great comments, which I’m now incorporating. Hoping to submit by Friday.