06/01/05 I'm just getting started but need to stay reasonably close to my family.
06/15/05 I got my MCAT scores and am frankly quite disappointed. I'm not sure whether to retake or try applying anyway.
06/18/05 Well, I submitted both my DO and MD applications today. The AACOMAS application essay character limit is 1500 less than the AMCAS application. It was very difficult to cut out so much. I wonder if they even look at them all that critically. AMCAS already has my transcripts so, review shouldn't take too long. AACOM should have my transcripts but I don't know for certain. Just waiting for secondaries to start rolling in. Please let me at least get some secondaries!
07/27/05 I've gotten secondaries from 6 schools so far. They are really keeping me busy. MSUCOM is crazy long and due on 08/09! I hope my recommenders are on the ball. Each school has a different essay to write and a few want a rewrite of my primary...which is a pain. I got an interview invite to WVCOM for Sept 13th!! Looks like I'll be missing class that day.
08/20/05 The only schools I haven't heard from are Wayne State and Wright State. I am planning to shadow a DO in the next couple of weeks so I should be able to send in the LECOM secondaries that require a DO reference letter. Otherwise, all my other secondaries are in. I am just waiting for all the LORs to make it.
09/14/05 My interview with WVSOM was so laid-back that I am worried about it.
09/24/05 Finally I have found a doctor to shadow. I can't believe how difficult it was! I only have time on Friday-Sat-Sun and of course, doctors don't do weekends. So, I am going on Friday morning to shadow a DO vascular surgeon. I think I'll get to learn a lot and get that all important DO letter.
My applications were finally complete at Case and Rosalind Franklin this week. I got interview invites from OU and MSUCOM. I go OU on Sept. 30th and MSUCOM on Sept. 26th.
I got an acceptance to WVSOM on Monday!! I can't believe it....I am definitely going to be a doctor. WVSOM seems like a great school I love the close-knit community. The cost is very high, 43,000/year just for tuition. It is also pretty far away at around 6hrs. My hubby has to stay in Cleveland for at least another few years. I don't have to make a deposit until Dec. 14th to hold my spot so I'm going to wait until I hear from OU and MSUCOM.
10/01/05 My interview at OUCOM was only so-so but I got a call on my ride home and I have been accepted!! Yay! This is one of my top top choices! It's reasonably close to home and not so expensive and I'll be able to do my 3rd and 4th years at home which will be great. I think the only other school I would consider at this point is MUO.
10/10/05 My interview at MSUCOM went well and I received an acceptance! I am really shocked about this one since so few out-of-state applicants get accepted. It is so expensive, though. I am probably going to just go with OUCOM.
At all of my interviews my LORs were brought up as being 'excellent'! Now I know for sure that those were really helping me out. Both MSUCOM and OUCOM staff were talking about DO/PhD and how I should really consider it. I'm not sure what I think about it. Sometimes I think 'great idea!' other times it just sounds crazy.
I am rather frustrated that my LORs aren't showing up at a number of schools I've applied to. I sent out my secondaries within a few days of receiving them and I know my LOR writers are prompt. I added my complete dates up there so I can keep better track of what's going on.
I would sure like to hear from MUO and NEOUCOM. They are so much closer to home. I know my stats are low for both schools but it would be nice to hear something, anything, even rejection, just so I can stop wondering about it.
I started shadowing a surgeon last Friday. I'm going to do so over the next few Fridays. I wonder if this is something I should update the schools about? I doubt they'd care.
10/12/05 I decided not to bother applying to LECOM Erie or Bradenton. Even if I got accepted to either school I'd rather attend OUCOM or MSUCOM so why waste the 100 bucks?
I am getting a bit concerned with these schools that still don't show my application as being complete. What is the deal with that? I KNOW the letters are out since other schools have received them. Does it really take 6 weeks to update the web interface?
10/17/05 Got an email that I am complete from NEOUCOM. I wonder when they will notify me of interview or rejection?
10/18/05 I have officially turned down my WVSOM acceptance. The school was great but it just costs too much and is too far away.
10/26/05 Okay, so I have an AKA name...some of my schools have not received LORs and so I was thinking maybe they did but just put them in a file under my alias. I called/emailed (depending on their preference) to ask about this. I KNOW the letters have been sent since LORs have made it to other schools. Anyway, people have been incredibly rude. For instance,
School: Hello, XYU Admissons.
Me: Hi, I'm really interested in your school and just have a question about my status.
School: You can check your status page on the web for that information. To access it, just use the link provided in the secondary email.
Me: Yes, I have been checking and it seems that my reference letters that were sent nearly 3 months ago have not been received. My old name was (I am interrupted.)
School: If the letters are not on your status page we haven't received them. Is there anything you need?
Me: Yes, I think it is possible that my letters may have been misplaced into a file with my old name. Do you think you could check or should I just ask my writers to send new letters?
School: I'm sure that's not possible we file under your applicant name, but someone could check.
Me: That would be wonderful! I am so interested in XYU school and would just be so upset if my application was held up due to the USPS! Haha! Would like my name or AMCAS number first?
School: What's your name?
Me: Jane Doe but was once Jane Smith. Thank you so much for checking I really appreciate it.
School: Silence
School: Silence
(I guess she went to check??)
School: Silence
School: Hello. Who were the writers?
Me: Dr. Alpha Centauri and Dr. Goldie Flan
School: Well, we don't have any letters from your Dr. Centauri or your Dr. Flan. Are you sure they sent them? (This was said in the most accusatory way...you can't imagine.)
Me: Yes, I know they sent them in July. Their letters were received at other schools so I'm sure they sent them to XYU. They know how interested I am in XYU. I'll just go ahead and have them send another letter your way. Thank you again for checking.
School: Click.
At least at this place I got a real live person, who maybe went to check. Another school specifically states to email not call and I emailed last week and still haven't gotten a response. I just asked my writers to send additional LORs but geez what a pain when my primary and secondary were completed so early to have to wait because somehow the school isn't getting my LORs!! Anyway, I really thought I might get at least one MD interview. What's the deal? MCAT is so important I guess.
10/27/05 I changed my mind and mailed the LECOM-Erie secondary this morning.
10/31/05 One of my labmates works in the office. Today she told me that one of her jobs was to mail out my LORs - SIX of them!! My advisor was asked to send these things out starting July 11th!! He is such an ass. Why didn't he just tell me he wasn't going to do it?? Fortunately his letter was an extra one, but do schools wait until they receive all letters before looking at the application or just until they get the required ones?? Yeah, real happy Halloween.
11/17/05 I'm complete at Penn State!! Woo hoo, as least maybe this long-shot school will read my app now.
It looks like schools wait for all LOR letters before considering an application. I wish I had known this and I would have sent the bare minimum required. It just seemed like I couldn't apply without a letter from my old PI, my old coworker (who writes awesome letters!) and then at least a couple of recent instructors.
12/02/05 Penn State has put my file in the 'Continue to Review' pile. Why can't they just reject me outright. What's with the stringing along.....it's so sad.
12/10/05 I had my interview at LECOM-Erie on the 8th. It is a much nicer school than I had anticipated, but not spectacular. I really like the Independent Study option. Erie is only 1.5hrs away from my hubby so that would be nice. I just don't know if the no name recognition school would be a wise choice. We'll see if they accept me, then decide.
12/25/05 Merry Christmas. My secondary is finally complete at U. Cinci. Although two of my letter writers have sent three copies of my LOR to Wright State, they still haven't arrived. The first one was sent during the first week of September. It's pretty depressing to still have incomplete files out there when I started this process so early in the cycle.
1/7/06 I got my acceptance from LECOM-E on the 28th of December. It's hard to believe they got it out so fast after all the delays I've heard about from other applicants. I went for a second look at LECOM and OUCOM and OUCOM was far more impressive. The OUCOM staff were much happier and really had their act together. It is clear that OU wants to put out good doctors. Whereas LECOM didn't really leave me with much of a feeling about them at all....apathy, would best describe the attitude of the staff I met there, particularly the admissions recruiter.
1/17/06 I can't believe it, I am complete at Wright State it is f-ing amazing! I had 2 of my recommenders send out a new copy every few months and the FOURTH copy made it to them!!! What's sad is that the first letters were sent in August. Here it is five months later and my file is finally complete. I wonder how screwed I am just because I had to have my letters sent four times? Grrrr. I was complete at Cincinnati on 12-20-05. At least I know that all the schools have received my entire application. It's too bad that it took so long. Anyway, I was probably a long-shot at any of the MD schools. Mostly, I just want to be able to choose. Wright or MUO would be nice only because I have friends near Wright and am so familiar with the Toledo area with MUO. I don't know much about the education at these schools but would like an interview to find out more. Ah well, I know I'm going to be a damn good doctor graduating from OUCOM. That place is just focused.
I got a poster accepted to the American Chemical Society (ACS) meeting this March. I don't know if it is worth sending out an update letter for one measley poster and some additional volunteering or not. If you have any ideas for pete's sake let me know.
2/10/06 Got my Ohio State rejection today. Finally. I don't think they ever received my advisor's LOR, though, I don't think it would matter. My scores just aren't good enough for them. No big loss.
2/13/06 My ACS poster was accepted for an additional poster session. I have also been volunteering in the Social Work department of my local hospital for 4-5 hours per week. I'm still not sure about sending update letters. I don't think these additions would change my chances any.
2/27/06 I got invited to interview for a waitlist spot at NEOUCOM! Wow, I can't imagine why they are just now asking but hey, it's a good thing. NEOUCOM is really close to home so I would consider them seriously. I can't wait to find out more about them next month.
I also got a rejection from U of Cinci. I'm glad to be getting some kind of communication from these medical schools I sent my apps to so long ago.
3/3/06 Got my Wright State rejection. I can't help but wonder if I would have had a chance if my application had been complete sooner.
3/18/06 Well, I got accepted for the NEOUCOM waitlist. They won't rank it until next month some time. I have no idea what sort of movement the list will get. I would have to take Biochem as prereq if I were to go there.
Also, I'm not going to the ACS meeting since there is no funding to get me there.
3/24/06 I got a bunch of rejections over the last week: MUO, Penn State, Rosalind Franklin. I am really excited about OUCOM and even if I get off the NEOUCOM waitlist I will still go there. OU is just a better school. I know that I will be a good doctor with opportunities to specialize if I want. More importantly, the facilities are better and the faculty and staff are supportive. Although it will be tough to be so far (4hours!) from my hubby, I am looking forward to a new chapter in my education.
6/27/06 I got accepted to NEOUCOM. It's an allopathic school but I am going to turn them down. OUCOM is just so much more impressive. I know I'll be happier and get a better education. I don't have much trepidation about choosing an osteopathic school over an allopathic one. This is particularly true when comparing the facilities of each school. OUCOM also has problem based curricula which I know I'll prefer over lecture based. I'm really happy with how this all turned out.
That's it then, 5 interviews and 5 acceptances, not bad.
If you have any questions I'd be happy to help out if I can.
We help students become doctors. TM
