Anyone have experiences directly contacting medical school admissions offices. How receptive are they to personal inquires such as ‘I’m interested in applying to your school, here’s the highlights of my application, what else do I need to add between now and when I apply in order to be seriously considered for admission to your school?’
Thanks,
Owen
You’ll probably get the whole spectrum of replies, but it never hurts to try. Most med schools are receptive to non-trads, especially in states that are underserved. Are you in the process of taking pre-reqs already? If so, talk to your pre-med advisor and get some input. Then you can call the admissions office and say something like “my advisor, Dr X, recommended I speak with you about your program…etc.” Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.
I contacted two and had an appointment with two. So they are usually very professional.
it is good to have a clear idea of the process and diligently prepare all of the questions you want to address before you go.
It is always good to manifest your interest. A school not willing to grant you a meeting, or a phone consult, wouldn’t seem like a great choice. But also make sure to pick the right time. For instance right now and till end of the year, they are interviewing applicants, so it is a bad period to get in touch. I would wait feb-mar-apr and try (if not too late).
Most schools are amenable to being contacted. I met with admissions people at two different schools prior to applying. I agree with above, make sure to have done your homework and prepare for meeting with them just as if you were preparing for an interview.
Also agree with contacting them during their less busy time of year . . . March/April are generally good as that is the lull between completing interviews for one cycle and gearing up for the next.
Hey guys, thanks for the replies. I want to apply next year so spring will be too late to address any deficiencies that they may point out. I may shoot a few of them emails this week to see if they’re available during the next few weeks to schedule a time I can call them and spend some time asking them detailed questions.
Well good luck then.
My experience has been that during that time of the year, sometimes they don’t even reply and I had to insist for a few months before I could get someone to very kindly meet with me.
So don’t be surprised if you don’t get any answers. Adcoms are literally overwhelmed when the interview season hits. Between the interview planning and selection process, they don’t have a lot of time to spare.
Good luck and keep us posted.
You will get a variety of responses ranging from:
- No. We don’t do advising (because that’s what they think you want).
- No. This is a very busy time of year (which it is…not usually a good time to get information about “what you look for in your most qualified applicants”).
- Sure, come on in.
Don’t be discouraged, but don’t expect a high response rate. However, “if you don’t ask, they can’t say ‘yes.’”
Cheers,
Judy
If they say “No, we’re busy”, be sure to follow up with, “I don’t want to get in the way. When would be a better time to come back?” Then put it on your calendar and come back then.
In figuring out exactly what I’d need to do for my post-bac, I directly called UNC-Chapel Hill’s admissions office and got connected directly with the Director of Admissions. I asked if I could schedule a meeting with her and she was more than happy to meet with me in the middle of their admissions cycle. I drove up just a few weeks ago and she gave me all the time in the world to ask questions and was extremely helpful and friendly!
I think it helped scheduling an appointment because when I drove down the road and visited Duke out of curiosity, they seemed way to busy to give me the time of day. Of course, several people were sitting there waiting for interviews, so it was understandable that they were busy and not in the mood for walk-in questions.