Brief Profile:
I created this profile to encourage and inspire other average applicants (numbers-wise) to apply, give it their best shot, and let God take care of the rest. I hope for the best! Good luck to everyone out there applying!
AMCAS verified: 10/16/2012
// Applications //
Application Cycle One: 09/13/2012
Undergraduate college: Public Institution
Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences
Total MCAT SCORE: 505
MCAT Section Scores:
B/B 127,
C/P 127,
CARS 124
Overall GPA: 3.60
Science GPA: 3.50
Summary of Application Experience
SR = Secondary Received SS = Secondary Submitted C = Complete II = Interview Invite IA = Interview Attended WL = Waitlisted A = Accepted WD = Withdrew R = Rejected
Applied, Withdrew
Rosalind Franklin University
Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
Submitted: 09/13/2012
Secondary Completed: No
Interview Invite: No
Interview Attended: No
Waitlisted: No
Accepted: No
Rejected: No
Summary of Experience:
"SR: 10/17" "WD: 11/21"
It was a tough decision to withdraw. Time was running out and with two interviews I just didn't have the time to write two new essays before the Dec. 1 deadline, especially when this late in the cycle I'm competing against 10,000 applicants (CMS has a VERY LARGE number of applicants). I did like the school and felt it would have been a good fit for me. However, the school was always a safety and after 10 secondaries, I couldn't find the motivation to write 2 completely new essays. I think in the end when choosing a "safety" school its important that their essay needs to be pretty similar to the others you have written...because it's HARD to write completely new essays for a school you aren't that excited about. This is a bit of a gamble, but I'm hoping one of my two II's will yield an acceptance.
I had put off this secondary for a very long time due to its extraordinary length (the longest secondary of all the schools to which I applied). USF is a good school in a nice area (Tampa), but I found it difficult to write so much for a school that wasn't one of my top choices, or my favorites within the state of Florida. I was considering completing it if I did not receive positive news from other schools. Now with an acceptance in hand, I feel confident in withdrawing.
I probably should have completed this secondary since it was free! However, I really wasn't interested in FSUCOM. In addition, a few physicians I spoke with told me to avoid the school. So, I withdrew.
Summary of Experience:
Called the admissions office on 11/2. Apparently the ADCOM has STILL not screened my primary aplication for a secondary. Doesn't look good as its so late...Update: Few hours later they send me a secondary invitation...go figure haha
"SR: 11/2" "WD: 11/31"
Well...decided in the end..after receiving 3 OOS IIs..to withdraw. The OOS tuition is killer for EVMS (56,000) and that price is locked for all 4 years of school. Just couldn't see myself paying that much for EVMS when I have other schools that are cheaper OOS. Plus, the secondary deadline was coming up..and like the case for Rosalind Franklin University...I just didn't have time to write new essays.
In the end not very surprising. I think my MCAT did me in (Pitt 10%-90%: 32-39). Pitt is a top 15 school so they are very selective. Plus Pitt has a habit of inviting within a week of being complete (some on SDN got an II the same day). After waiting for over a month I knew my time was coming. Pitt does mass rejections every 2-3 weeks.
This rejection leaves me feeling really sad. UF is my alma mater and I worked at Shands during undergrad. I also have a few friends in the COM. I felt like I would have been very happy with the opportunity to continue my education in Gainesville. Alas, I guess it is not meant to be. I'll always be a Gator at heart. However, its hard not to feel bitter, especially after 0 correspondence over a period of 5 months before the rejection email.
In the email Leila Amiri (Director of Admissions) was nice enough to offer application consultations for those who do not get in this cycle (after May 8th). A really nice gesture to those applicants who face the prospect of reapplication.
I can't say I'm disappointed by the rejection. While Creighton seems like a very collaborative friendly school, I had lost interest a while ago and would have declined the interview invitation if offered. I decided just to leave the application under consideration instead of withdrawing because after the outrageous $95 secondary fee, I wanted to get my money's worth. Review that application! lol
FAU ended their interview cycle on April 1st yet it took the admissions staff until May to inform me I was not being offered an interview. I found the lack of communication disappointing:I think their staff could do a lot better. To their credit, they do offer consultations to reapplication which is a nice touch.
Ultimately I was left very unimpressed by the the way FIUHWCOM carried out their admission process. I learned of my rejection only after checking my status online. The least the admissions office could do was send an automated email out notifying their prospective students of the change in their application status.
Well, I got as close as you can to gaining an interview. I received an email on 3/4 from the Director of Admissions of UCFCOM Rel Larkin stating I was in a very small pool of applicants being held in the chance that a interviewee turn down their interview March 8th, the last day of interviews. I had been wondering why I had not been rejected with the rest of the applicants the week before. In the end, there was a very small chance of someone turning down and interview and I was rejected.
I have to say I have an immense respect for UCFCOM. Rel Larkin was always willing to answer questions on SDN and keep us update on the application process. I appreciate the transparency and clarity with which UCFCOM operates. They certainly demonstrated a class that is seldom found in this application process.
I can't say that I am surprised by this rejection. I found out a few days ago that Feb. 22 was the last interview day. Emory has a habit of sending interview invitations 2 weeks in advance. While my GPA was in range, my MCAT was well below their average (Emory 10%-90%: 31-39). It would have been nice to be close to home and attend such a fantastic top tier school. That being said, I have acceptances at two wonderful programs so this rejection doesn't really sting. I appreciate the closure.
Super ecstatic for my THIRD INTERVIEW!!!! I really like MCW and it has a lot to offer. I feel very blessed to get out of the small pool so quickly. Apparently my batch that got IIs were mainly complete in September. So I'm excited to head up to Milwaukee 1/04!
"WD: 12/19" Sad to have to withdraw. My financial situation put me in a tough spot. After spending a lot of money on trips to California and Iowa I just did not have much left for another OOS interview that would required a flight. After my first acceptance to Loma Linda, a school I would attend over MCW, and a positive interview at Iowa (another school I'd attend over MCW) decided I'd save the money and use it elsewhere. Still, MCW is a great school and I hope my interview slot goes to a hopeful applicant out there.
AMAZING FIRST INTERVIEW :) Interview scheduled for 11/28...couldn't be more excited!
Impressions: Well, after the interview I can say this school is really lovely. The new centennial complex is really nice. It houses the simulation lab which is really neat, and the anatomy lab which I found to be really nice as well as very well ventilated. Most of the other buildings are older though. That being said the campus is beautiful...Southern California is HARD to beat. The school is pretty forward with their commitment to training physicians rooted in Christian principles. Religion is a part of the medical school curriculum. If that's not something you are comfortable with, then this probably isn't the school for you. I found that I loved the emphasis on Christian principles and the school's emphasis on treating the mind, body and spirit - holistic medicine. My interviews were probably the most laid back of all I've had...very conversational. They were super friendly and nice...just like the deans who we met as well. The rest of the campus is really cozy nestled in the hills with a beautiful view of the mountains. Apparently clinical training is a strength of LLUSM, as the San Bernardino area is a very rough area with a lot of crime. This brings in a lot of interesting cases, which is appealing as far as learning. They place a big emphasis on service and there are plenty of service organizations and opportunities. If you are big into research, there are some opportunities but this is not a focus of the school. I believe they are dedicated to producing compassionate clinicians rather than physician-investigators. I was disappointed that the tour did not take us into the hospital. After the interview day, there was time to see it on your own. It’s one of the prettier ones I've seen. Finally, I was really impressed with the other interviewees: there a JD, an RN, a immigrant from Iraq, a Canadian, College Sports team announcer...a lot of interesting people. They all were really friendly. You get a feel for the type of student LLUSM looks for: collaborative, smart, compassionate individuals. Overall, I could see myself being happy here. They really care about their students. LLUSM keeps its place as my top choice!
ACCEPTED!!!!!! WOW....God is sooooo goooooodddd!!!! I'm going to physician!!!! its so surreal....dreams do come true :)
Update (3/1): Just received a call from the school offering me a 4 year scholarship!!! WOW! Looks like God is showing me where I should go.
Update (5/6): About time Loma Linda finally get the financial aid award letter out. I've been disappointed with lack of speed and correspondence from the school. I just received the award with a week to go. How am I going to have enough time to evaluate this offer?!?! Luckily there isn't much evaluation to be had. I'm disappointed to say that other than my scholarship, the rest of the COA will be covered by loans. I guess LLU doesn't have the type of funding that other institutions do which makes sense since it is a private institution. I'll hold out a little longer to make a decision. I love LLU and I'm going to think as well as pray about this decision earnestly.
Update (5/15): This was a extremely difficult decision. I love Loma Linda and it has been my first choice for the past 4 years. The Christian environment was something I really wanted during my education. However, in the end the 110k difference between Loma Linda and Iowa was too much to justify me the former over the latter. I concluded that both Iowa and Loma Linda would teach me the same material (albeit differently) and I would be an MD after 4 years at either place. The financial flexibility that saving 110k cannot be underestimated. I'm very happy with my decision as I fell in love with Iowa during the application process and I look forward to starting my medical education there.
Perhaps one day I'll be able to head to LLUMC for residency :)
Summary of Experience:
"SR: 10/16" "SS: 10/26 ($60)" "C: 10/30" "II:11/6" "IA: 12/03" A: 1/22"" WOOOOO SECOND INTERVIEW INVITE!!!!! Wow that was really fast! Looking forward to seeing CCOM 12/03 :)
Impression: All I can say is wow...this school is impressive. The facilities are top notch and all fairly new. The MERF building (built in 2007) is beautiful and state of the art. There are essentially 3 huge medical buildings: MERF, the administrative building, and the hospital. In addition, they are adding a state of the art research building and new children's hospital. The communities and tracks also impressed me. Iowa seems to care about the well-being of their students, and make sure you have ample opportunities the balance the rigors of your medical education. The faculty and staff were very friendly and willing to answer questions. Iowa City wasn't as country as I thought. The city is built on many little rolling hills. It was a nice little town with a nice college town feel to it, something I enjoyed. The river running through the middle and the old capitol building makes it very scenic. The river divides graduate and undergraduate buildings, which is nice as the graduate side is quieter and more conducive to studying. The students were all very friendly and seemed to be very supportive of one another. Weather was something that wasn't a plus. It can get very cold one day, then very warm the other as Iowa weather is so variable. My interview was interesting. The first 3 questions are structured: interviewers are not allowed to give feedback. While they are told to smile, sometimes I felt like it was forced. After the structured portion, there was a unstructured portion where it was supposed to be conversational. However, they really didn't give me any responses after I answered their question. Overall, the interview was more traditional than conversational. Hopefully that's just because I answered their questions thoroughly. The CBL portion of the interview day was outstanding though. It actually was really fun and definitely relaxed. Even though many of us had limited medical knowledge, the facilitator does a good job helping the group along and fostering a collaborative atmosphere. Anyway, the facilities and opportunities at Carver really impressed me. I feel that Carver provides its students all the resources and support to be balanced and happy in medical school. I could see myself attending here and being happy with my education.
WOW! Can't believe I was accepted!!!!! What a blessing. I am going to have choices of where to pursue my medical education! Very happy :)
Update (4/11): Just received my financial aid award. Wow I was blown away by Carver! A 32k/year grant! Wow!!!!! Loma Linda might have to step up there game :-o
Update (5/9): I just received an email from Kathi Huebner (Director of Admissions) telling me I've been selected for the Dean's Scholarship!!!! (Only about 15 handed out). Fantastic!!! I'm feeling so blessed God is really good! I think that might just have sealed the deal!
