Soooo glad this application year is done. It's been a long, expensive, and interesting ride. Hopefully my personal thoughts will help future applicants:
UMass: The people (students, faculty, admissions people) here are all very nice and excited about the school. There are some major renovations going on for research. New simulation center. Downside for me is the focus on primary care as I will probably choose to specialize. And also that it is in Worcester, MA... But simply can't beat the price tag! Ecstatic and honored to be accepted here so early on. I'm going to be a doctor! More importantly, I don't have to re-apply! YAY
Tufts: Everyone here was friendly and eager to tell you why they love this school. Seems like there is a strong support system for the students. Many new facilities. Boston is a nice city and it'd be good to be close to friends and family. I wasn't blown away by the clinical training, especially with the possibility of being placed in Maine or Springfield, MA (ick!) for rotations. Also, super-duper expensive. Pleased to be accepted but I don't believe I'd go here over UMass ($$$).
BU: I was pretty impressed by this school and didn't think I would be pre-interview. There is plenty of research, which is good for my ultimate goals. The support system for students seems strong. Boston Medical Center is a unique hospital that certainly sees a great breadth of patient populations. While I am impressed by the individuals who work at BMC, honestly, I'm not sure if I am mentally cut out to cope with working with underserved patients all of the time...it seems as though that comes with the BU territory. Nice to be accepted but again, don't think I'd take it over UMass ($$$).
Vanderbilt: This school and its facilities were phenomenal. Most notably, the students and faculty there are the friendliest, happiest bunch I've come across; I think that is Vandy/Nashville's true selling point. However, as a born and raised New Englander, I don't know if I'd fit in Nashville. Slightly bummed about the waitlist because the school itself is really great but the location just isn't for me anyways. Withdrew my waitlist spot.
Case Western: I liked the school, especially its curriculum. Plus for being a big research school as well. I wish they had told us more about the clinical years instead of focusing solely on years 1 and 2. But I assume that the clinical training must be solid with such great associated hospitals. I also wish my interviewer didn't ask 'why aren't you MD/PhD?' 6 or 7 times. The city of Cleveland leaves something to be desired...
Northwestern: I loved it! I had set very high expectations for this school and I was not disappointed. The minimal lecture time + PBL based curriculum is a good match for my personal learning style. The funding and opportunities for research could be better but they are growing exponentially. The facilities/hospitals are amazing. Despite being in a ritsy area of Chicago, there appears to be a variety of patient populations and hospital types. There is a significant amount of community outreach in the greater Chicago area, which is something I'd like to get involved in. Not surprisingly, considering its location, the CoA is very high and the finaid packages are notoriously weak :( So psyched to be accepted! Loved the school, loved the location (my SO and I can agree on Chicago). Price may be a deterrent but it's not much higher if at all than the other private schools I am considering.
Pitt: Impressed with Pitt. Simulation center is second to none. Excellent clinical training. Lots of $$$ for research. Highly satisfied staff and students. I thought they were overselling Pittsburgh a bit (e.g. the emails, the cheesy movie playing in the waiting room...), but people who live there really do love the city. After waiting so long for a decision, getting waitlisted here didn't really bother me. Withdrew my waitlist spot.
NYU: Not the school for me. Seems pretty average in terms of facilities and research opportunities. My interviewer was clearly not interested and not listening. I could not imagine living in those dorms for the next 4 years...even if it's extremely affordable for mid-town. One big plus: Bellevue is a phenomenal training ground for future MDs. If I get into either of the other NYC schools I'm interviewing at, this one will definitely be out the door. I guess a terrible interview does not equal a rejection.
Columbia: Amazing! The research opportunities are incredible. The clinical training is top-notch. I was very intrigued with the curriculum change that is happening next year. It seems as though a lot of thought and planning has been put into it over the past few years (I'm not sure that's true for other schools implementing changes in the curriculum). The dorms are not awesome but it seems like students are able to move onto better (and still affordable) accommodations after the first year. The immediate area isn't as ideal as NYU but it's still Manhattan. Bummed about the waitlist. Apparently you have to commit to attending if admitted to have any sort of chance of coming off of the waitlist, which is not something I'm willing to do for P&S.
Duke: I liked a lot of things about Duke: its innovative curriculum really seems to work for the students, the year of research with great funding/mentors, the financial aid packages are generous, the students are uber-friendly and excited about pursuing their education at Duke, and the faculty I met throughout the day are enthused with the program. Unfortunately Durham isn't the greatest place to be in my opinion, but cost of living is low. What an honor to interview there! I sure am glad that I sucked it up and finished that mean, long secondary. Little bummed about the waitlist but I withdrew from it due to location.
Harvard New Pathway: Harvard does little to convince you of their greatness or try to recruit you. However, it's pretty obvious that they have awesome facilities, phenomenal hospital connections, and seriously renowned faculty members. Location is good. Both of my interviewers were extremely accomplished and impressive individuals and I was pleasantly surprised at how down-to-earth, relaxed, and friendly they were! I was hesitant about the clinical curriculum change in which all of the 3rd year rotations are done at a single site, but the students/faculty whom I spoke with were in support of it. I wish admissions had planned more of an interview day for the applicants...if I had traveled from further than down the street, I would have been pretty disappointed. The rejection didn't bother me at all...after living in Boston forever and working at a Harvard hospital for a year I'm ready to move on to somewhere new.
Harvard HST: A truly amazing program! According to current students, it's not as engineering/basic science focused as you may be led to believe. Of course, there is a strong emphasis on research and discovery. The dean was very clear when he told us that HST aims to train academic physicians (a combination of patient care, research, and teaching). Despite the students being (in my opinion) the best of the best in the country, they were extremely down to earth, friendly, and excited about HST. I liked that the HST group (only about 35 students) is very tight-knit among the students and the faculty, especially for the first 2 years when they spend almost all of their time together. The panel interview (2 faculty, 1 applicant) was very stress-inducing but I expected that and was prepared to be grilled on my research. I'd be lucky to get into this program but it's so competitive. The rejection was disappointing but not in the least surprising to me.
Penn: A truly phenomenal place, far and away top choice for me! The innovative curriculum (1.5 years pre-clinical), the people, and the hospitals are amazing. Interviews went well but I'm guessing they do for most people here (very, very stress-free and conversational) so I don't think I have an advantage there. Hoping hoping hoping for some good news come March!! Pretty please? Regular tier 1 waitlist in March was heartbreaking but expected. 5/29: BEST DAY EVER!!!!! The application season is over (finally)! I got accepted to PENN and I am 100% sure this is where I will be going! I can't wait I can't wait I can't wait!! I wrote a letter of intent immediately after getting waitlisted. I wrote an update letter at the end of April. I had two additional LORs sent on my behalf in mid-May. I think the sincerity and assertiveness of my LOI was the big push in getting me off of the waitlist.
Brown: I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my visit to Brown. Undergrad has a rep of being kind of quirky, tree-hugging, free spirited types (not me so much). However, at the med school, this translates to a group of collegial, non-competitive kids who do really neat and unusual things (which are supported by the faculty). My interviewer (a once resident, now attending at Brown) stressed the lack of a 'hospital hierarchy' in the clinical years, which seems like a conducive and productive learning environment. Though global health isn't really my thing right now, it's big at Brown. No matter what the students choose to pursue, there is strong one-on-one mentorship and support from the faculty. I'm not crazy about the idea of living in Providence but the students do seem to like the city. Since Brown interviews so few people (~240), they 1) know your file back and forth (especially Barbara Fuller - she's awesome by the way!) and 2) really put an effort into making your interview day a positive one. They even manage to incorporate several 3rd year students into the tour/lunch (this is rare) whose perspectives were very informative. Happy to be accepted! 8 day turn around from interview to acceptance is my kind of pace! Really enjoyed the people and positive atmosphere here.
Cornell: Great school. Awesome facilities, strong clinical research, happy and laid-back students. The students I talked to were big fans of the PBL approach but they openly acknowledge that it's not for everybody. The location is amazing; can't really beat upper east side for $500-600 per month! I had heard before my interview that Cornell caters only to the 'yuppie' patient population who reside on the upper east but I definitely don't think that's true after visiting the school. They have clinical sites in nearly all of the Burroughs and therefore definitely serve a diverse patient population. The only turn-off for me were my interviewers. The first cared too much about where I applied/where I had been admitted (a nosy question, IMO). The second was blunt and bordering on rude. A little disappointed when I was waitlisted. Pleasantly surprised to get accepted off of the waitlist. Ultimately with no finaid from Cornell and my SO's preference for Chicago>NYC, I decided to decline my spot.
Stanford: I definitely enjoyed visiting this school. The campus and Palo Alto are beautiful and the weather is phenomenal (especially compared to Boston winters). I really liked the students; perhaps due to the small class size, they seemed the most close knit of all the schools I've visited. I also admired the generally friendly attitude of Northern California people (as compared to New England). The research is obviously really strong at Stanford, which is a plus. I was completely enlightened by my one-on-one session with the financial aid guy. Stanford's system of generously reimbursing its students doing research and teaching is awesome for reducing debt. The only downsides were 1) we didn't get to interact with any clinical students so my knowledge of years 3 and 4 is very limited and 2) Palo Alto is a nice suburb but I'm hoping for more of a city lifestyle while in medical school. Slightly upset with the waitlist.
A few concluding thoughts:
Know ahead of time that applying to med school pretty much sucks. It is stressful, it is full of anxious waiting, it costs money and time, you have wear an uncomfortable suit, you have to schmooze, your non-medically inclined friends will think you are a glutton for punishment, and you will feel inadequate/dejected at some points. HOWEVER, remember that there is hopefully a light at the end of the tunnel for you and that light is pretty awesome when you get there.
Apply early on (primary in June-ish, secondaries in July/August-ish).
Be well rounded...and also be interesting. Unless you have a serious X factor, I think there are several elements that should be covered in your application: academic excellence, leadership, research, volunteering, exposure to a medical environment, and strong letters. Yes, there are certainly people that get in without all of these things, but I think it is a good idea to cover these areas if you want to be on the safe side. If you are shooting for 'top-tier' schools, try to have something unique that sets you apart. If you need to take a year or more off to accomplish these things, then do it. In fact, even if you don't 'need' to take a year off, consider doing it anyways. Seriously.
Ask for your LORs much earlier than you actually need them. Waiting for my LORs in late August when others were handing in their secondaries/getting interviews was pretty brutal.
Request LORs from faculty who will write you good ones. By that I mean, people who know you, academically AND personally. If you are not sure if someone will write you a strong letter, ask them straight out instead of staying in the dark.
Don't apply to/interview at as many schools as I did IF you can avoid it! It cost mucho bucks that I now wish I could put towards something more fun than interviewing.
Realize that SDN and mdapps are skewed towards high-achievers and do not necessarily reflect on your personal chances of getting in. That being said, be realistic (use the MSAR) in your school selection.
Work on your interview skills before you hit the 'big leagues', if you will. There are some topics you should prepare for (but not rehearse for!) pre-interview. In my opinion these include 1) what is unique about that school and why it appeals to you, 2) generally, the problems in health care today and your stance on them, 3) questions for your interviewer, 4) being able to explain your activities in more depth (e.g. research). Remember that there are non-verbal elements to an interview and work on those (i.e. strong handshake, eye contact, audible voice, and SMILE please!!)
Try not to read into your interviewer too much. I had interviews that I thought went fantastic (e.g. Stanford, Harvard NP) that didn't get me in. I had interviews that I thought I bombed (e.g. Cornell, NYU) that got me a spot.
Don't take it as a personal insult if you don't get into a certain school. Remember that admission to med school is very competitive and none of us actually know an adcom is looking for (although some people on SDN will try to tell you otherwise).
To waitlisters, I can't stress this enough: if you genuinely love a school, strongly feel that both parties would mutually benefit from your attendance, and know you'd matriculate if offered a seat, LET THEM KNOW IT!!
Good luck everyone!
