May update: It was MUCH more difficult than I had anticipated to turn down any school. Every one had much to offer, and I know that any of them would have educated me well. Blessed as I was with choices, I had to stop caring about rankings and let Emory go, however that might "look" to numbers-conscious people. (And don't get me wrong--Emory is a GREAT school---just not the school for me.) It was really, really hard to say no to Iowa Carver. "But sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler," I finally did choose the "road less traveled by"--the one my heart was clamoring to explore. For those conflicted after traffic day--get the most Spock-like rational person you know to crunch the numbers on financial aid and speak on behalf of prestige. Then ask why you are drawn to the school that is speaking to you. If the reasons are good and true, it seems to me that the heart chooses wisely. Wherever you go, stranger, I wish you success. You'll want to despair a thousand times, maybe, if you are an average applicant like me. Just be firm in your purpose and let your sincerity shine. I don't think any smooth prepared talk is as convincing as truth and passion. If medicine is your dream, then communicate how precious that dream is, and how hard you will work to make it reality. It's hard to turn down someone all aglow with purpose and conviction!
Previously: Thus far (March of application cycle), I fluctuate between celebrating--I got some acceptances, some at really simpatico schools--and depression--OTHER people got into Mayo, Harvard, Duke, CCLCM. What's wrong with me? I try to keep in mind how competitive this process is and to keep my eye on the prize, instead of getting distracted by fruitless self-criticism and foolish shoulda woulda coulda. I do have to chime in on the advice always given--choose the schools you select wisely--beginning consideration should begin at least a year in advance--and get those applications in as early as possible! No other wisdom to offer at this point, but if I suddenly become insightful, I will pass any Eurekas along.
April 30th: On the final day to declare our intentions, sdn was like a hyperactive kid who had swallowed a vat full of No-Doz. Everyone was jittery, sleepless, a bit crazy.
Some were still agonizing about decisions, reluctant to choose between schools that we loved for various reasons. Some were weighing prestige against financial help. Some were swayed by location or climate. Some had a very clear vision of the path ahead and were trying to determine which school would best give them a head start on that path. Some had acceptances in hand, but not from the first-choice school. Some had been waitlisted and were anxiously noting the withdrawals announced, hoping that a "no" from this applicant meant a "yes" for them.
Having invested so much, financially and emotionally, in the medical school decision intensified the difficulty of letting any acceptance go. Meeting kind and intelligent people, knowing that they are advocating for you, feeling grateful to them--all that makes it hard just to say, "Listen, I got a better offer. See ya." Knowing that you are judging based on Internet information, promotional websites and literature, word-of-mouth from a very small sample of people, and some ridiculous "rankings" by a who-appointed-you-medical-school-god organization (US News), and a single visit (or if we could afford it, an interview visit and a Second Look visit) seemed to make judgments superficial and untrustworthy.
I am one of the lucky ones. I believe that something in my application made Alpert's folks believe that I might belong at the school, and I didn't damage that impression severely enough in my interview that they changed their minds. Ultimately, they did their best to enable me to attend. I plan to head to Providence in August, and I am grateful to be able to attend a school that I actually love.
Advice: The people on sdn are your community. I could not believe the amount of help available there throughout the process--from fellow (better informed) applicants, from current medical students, and even from physicians and other adcoms. While the occasional bit of misinformation may be posted, there are enough smart, helpful people to challenge and correct it before it can do too much damage. Use that resource, and this one as well. Share your experiences--pay it back or pay it forward. I am still amazed at how much I have been helped by simply allowing others to help me.
For all of you beginning the journey, good luck. Trust in the concept of "goodness of fit." Sometimes your dream schools don't even interview you before rejection--that may be a fluke, due to human error or bias, or a honest response to a feeling that you are not quite right for that school. Each med school has its own spirit and you can see it in the people who attend or have attended. While you are crunching the numbers, don't forget the less analytical tools you have. Your heart may not tell you everything you need to know, but it certainly confides much that is--and should be--very important in your decision. Listen to it.
Application Complete, Rejected
Mayo Medical School
Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
Submitted: Yes
Secondary Completed: Yes
Interview Invite: No
Interview Attended: No
Waitlisted: No
Accepted: No
Rejected: Yes
Summary of Experience:
It was a hope--but the "no thanks" was nearly instantaneous.
Summary of Experience:
Never invited to interview, which saddened me but did not come as a profound surprise. From others, I've heard nothing but good reports of Duke.
Summary of Experience:
On hold as of late October--no interview invite. Some on sdn have been offered interviews after receiving the bleak "You are no longer under active consideration" notice, but so far I am not one of those. I do appreciate Michigan's forthrightness in letting me know my status--I have a feeling that "active consideration" is far from a reality for me at other schools that have maintained silence since August.
Summary of Experience:
Well. . .it was a (vain) hope. Nothing but silence until March. I sometimes think how I could have spent those application fees in a better way!
Summary of Experience:
I was hoping to interview and, of course, disappointed not to have the chance. I try to console myself with the reminder that I was rejected at the end of the cycle--but the delay may be meaningless.
Summary of Experience:
I felt "special" when I got the chance to submit a Vanderbilt secondary--I know that they are not sent out automatically and was excited to think that I had a chance. To prove my worthiness, I worked hard on the essays and polished them obsessively. Alas! None of that was enough to get me an interview! Of course every rejection hurts, but I was not devastated by this one. It is a good school, but a big attraction for me was the generous financial aid that Vandy is famous for offering. Sorry to miss the opportunity to be considered there, but grateful that I had other attractive choices.
Summary of Experience:
Study in contrasts: one interviewer fascinated by (and apparently approving of) my "different" experiences and the other puzzled by (and seemingly nearly offended by) the same experiences. Big emphasis on the need to be self-motivated and commit to the the Yale system--a no-brainer. One big plus--the strong student community. Can only hope. . .
Update: An outright acceptance would have been wonderful. Now I am still feeding the rather anorexic hope. Would be great to be at Yale. (Duh.)
Summary of Experience:
Update: At least the rejection letter was nice! Apparently the number of applicants was amazingly high. I was lucky to be interviewed--but not quite lucky enough to make that final cut!
Small number of interviewees for small class. Frank discussion of expectations (teamwork, research, self-directed learning) and then practice PBL and three one-on-one interviews--med student, faculty, administrator. Awesome opportunity to work with some of best physicians in the nation.
Update: I had hoped for "high hold," but got "hold." I am not expecting a miracle. Disappointed, of course, but CCLCM can definitely be very selective, and I can only trust that decisions are based on carefully decided criteria. Still. . .would have been wonderful, I think.
Finally "released." Sad, but I know that the competition was fierce and that I was not the "shiniest" candidate.
Summary of Experience:
Stuck in traffic, so missed the delicious-looking check-in breakfast and felt ill-at-ease all day (about 10 minutes late--terrible!) Case was a top-choice school for me, but I felt that the interviewers were rather blase and ho-hum. Part of this might be due to the timing of the interview, which was scheduled for the beginning of a week of exams.
Faculty interviewer may have been trying to set me at ease with humor, but his approach--rather sarcastic and sharp--had the opposite effect on me. I was not sure how to reply to comments about the drawbacks of my school (based on football) and the shortcomings of some of the pursuits in which I had been involved. I smiled, but did not know whether laughing was appropriate or if nodding cryptically was better. This faculty interviewer really asked very few questions, so I may have been meant to take charge of the interview and "sell myself." This style of commandeering the conversation is uncomfortable to me, so I am not sure that this interview went at all well. Perhaps the interviewer felt that my file provided plenty of information.
The fourth-year medical student was friendly and did not take the needling and challenging route, though the questions were fairly standard. Not sure whether this interview was stellar, either, though I felt less nervous.
Good turkey sandwich and apple for lunch.
Financial aid is scant at Case, and the loans are unsubsidized while the expenses are very high. The debt we could expect to incur was frightening, but the reality was addressed openly.
Overall, getting off to a late start no doubt colored my perceptions of the rest of the day, but I was disappointed in this interview. I didn't see any effort to promote Case, although it is clearly a upper rank medical school.
Someone asked about how soon decisions might be revealed. The response was "Soon." It will be interesting to see how I fared.
UPDATE: I was waitlisted. While I feel that the decision was not based on my numbers or application, I knew that my interviewer seemed to have SOMETHING against me from the moment he came in. I can't identify what, but I don't care much. CWRU is expensive, and, to tell the truth, was the LEAST impressive school at which i have interviewed, and anything but welcoming. Not a good fit for me, so even if "we deign to accept you" were to come through, I would be unlikely to choose this school over OSU.
Summary of Experience:
Final update: Dartmouth asked if I wanted to continue on the waitlist. I realized that I really did not. Looks like Brown is the final choice!
Original post: Small class in a small (though beautiful) town. One interview was based on my application, but ranged far beyond it--my interviewer was friendly, engaged, and welcoming. The other interview was briefer and more standardized, though also pleasant. Students praise the mentoring, the opportunities for mentoring, and the chance to choose California for rotations.
Summary of Experience:
Beautiful building in rough part of town. Friendly and d welcoming, and impressive facilities for learning. Obviously teaching-centered, faculty is very involved and students seem happy and successful. Amazing financial assistance, even for OOS students.
Update: I was honored by the acceptance, and feel that Cincinnati has much to offer. For me, finances will matter a great deal as I decide which school to attend.
Final update: Financial considerations made a difficult decision easier. My heart didn't call me to Cincinnati, although it is clearly a good school.
Summary of Experience:
Like others, I liked Iowa, but found the brevity of the contact time with interviewers discouraging. For most applicants from outside the state, the journey to Iowa City is long and expensive, and the 40 minutes of "face time" seems much too inadequate a basis for any judgment about qualifications. I left with a good impression of the school (and my hostess!) but was seriously disappointed by the interview process itself. I have to wonder why the faculty bothers calling in applicants at all.
UPDATE: Amazingly, I was accepted! As an OOS applicant, I feel very honored. Iowa strikes me as an outstanding school, and both my parents are alums, so it is not out of consideration--but finances matter quite a bit in my decision.
Final update: I love Iowa, and, despite the OOS costs, tried to make the money work for me. The Dean and financial aid folks did whatever they could, but I finally chose Brown. Iowa was definitely the runner-up, and I cried as I wrote the message declining admission. I was graciously invited to consider residency at Carver--and I certainly will.
Summary of Experience:
Lots of enthusiasm and welcome--OSU really "sells" in a way that no other school I've visited has. Convincing info about the strengths and a few weaknesses, followed by an awesome interview with an M4 who was a good match--very interested and experienced in Global Health. The family practice physician was a very nice man, but we seemed to be not only on different pages, but in completely different books! The questions were pretty standard, of the "What can you tell me about your research?" and "Why were you a good volunteer?" variety. Have to say that the people I encountered made the thought of spending a few years there appealing!
UPDATE: I missed the personal phone call informing me of my acceptance, but I was thrilled when I saw the text. OSU is a strong contender for many reasons.
Final update: Turning down such a good state school is not easy, but I finally followed my heart to Rhode Island.
Summary of Experience:
Incredibly warm, welcoming school. Interviewers know your application--you are assigned interviewers who "resonate" with your interests--mine were both faculty, but other interviewers have different experiences. Real concern about whether interviewees fit with the cooperative, team-centered Brown approach. Students seem incredibly happy and encouraging. While the stats/rankings are not the highest--probably because of the direct admits from the Brown feed--this is an excellent, very selective school. It is difficult to believe that its graduates are not compassionate, knowledgeable, thoroughly trained physicians! A top choice for me, so I am hoping. . .
Update: I am thrilled and thankful to have been accepted. If I can manage the financial outlay somehow, I would love to attend Brown. It felt like home.
Final update: I plan to matriculate here. It was love at first sight, and all the Alpert folks went to extraordinary lengths to encourage me to attend and to make it possible. I am so happy! Message to applicants: If you are fixated on "rankings," forget Brown Alpert. If you want to attend a school committed to turning out physicians both compassionate and competent, "humanistic scientists"--I sincerely can't imagine a better school. (Obviously, I'm in love! Hope the passion survives the post-honeymoon phase!!)
Summary of Experience:
I had heard negative views of Toledo, so I was pleasantly surprised by the place and the experience, and truly impressed by the faculty that I met there. The emphasis seemed to be on the fact that the school works very hard to prepare students for the USMLE and for their subsequent careers and on the scope that a "good" and motivated student has to excel. I was told more than once that at Toledo I'd be a "star" and have personalized attention and opportunities that might pass me by at larger or more prestigious schools. There is a real sense that the school is a community and even the hospital seemed welcoming and cozy rather than impersonal and overwhelming. The faculty I met were enthusiastic about the place and their own association with it, and they were from top-ranked schools and had chosen Toledo for precisely the same reasons that they recommended it to me. All in all, I was definitely given reason to consider Toledo should I be accepted there.
Update: The acceptance here was welcome, and Toledo is still a choice to consider. Financial help will matter a great deal to me as I decide where to matriculate. One downside to Toledo is its lack of ranking. Aside from that, though, I got a very positive impression of the place, program, and people.
Final update: I am grateful to Toledo, and felt sad filling out the "exit poll" survey. Finally, though, it was not the best fit for me.
Summary of Experience:
Final Update: Very difficult to turn down such an excellent school, but the financial considerations helped ease my pain. Emory has so much to offer--and is so highly ranked--that I agonized a bit. Finally, though, I just had to choose Brown Alpert.
Original post: The invite has come late in the cycle, so I know that I am not Emory's idea of a Prom Queen--but I'm grateful to be asked to dance at all!
Update: Although I did not feel that I dazzled during the interview, I was honored that I was chosen!
