Brief Profile:
21 y/o trad Double major in Biochemistry and Classics. Junior Phi Beta Kappa Excellent PS, very good backstory
EC: French horn - 10 years experience, various ensembles, recorded music for secondaries - Meaningful Activity Substitute Teacher - since 2009, middle school, all subjects Pep Band - since 2008, Captain since 2011
Volunteering: Medical Mission to Thailand - Meaningful Activity ER volunteering - 200+ hours Free clinic - ~100 hours UG Chemistry Office - 1000+ hours Tutoring - Middle and High School, to prepare for state-standardized tests
Research: King\'s College, London - 4 months internship, created unique human cell line - Meaningful activity UG Research - Differential Scanning Calorimeter, possible publication and poster presentation
Shadowing: Different fields, primary and specialized, Total of 105 hours
Extras: Karate, Fencing, Poker
// Applications //
Application Cycle One: 06/05/2011
Undergraduate college: New York
Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences
Total MCAT SCORE: 516
MCAT Section Scores:
B/B 130,
C/P 127,
CARS 130
Overall GPA: 3.91
Science GPA: 3.87
Summary of Application Experience
================== Key ====================== SR - Secondary received SS - Secondary submitted C - Complete II - Interview invite WT - Waitlisted R - Rejected A - Accepted
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School Impressions
Georgetown - 9/6/2011 - This was a very long day. I opted for the optional morning class and breakfast with students, but didn\'t get out until 4:30. We had two fourth years at breakfast, which was great because they answered all of our clinical questions. They seemed to make a big deal out of the clinicals, as if they were extra-special. I liked the Hoya Clinic and that the participation rate among the first years was 100%. The facilities were a little old, and we never went into the hospital (wish we had). Also, they never mentioned a simulation center, so I don\'t know if they actually have one or not. We did get a nice long, frank talk from an adcom member about what it means to be a doctor and specifically a Georgetown doctor. I appreciated the frankness.
Pros: Definitely a great and extended network and system of doctors. Great patient diversity. Loved their mission (this became a lot more important later in the interview season). Everyone seemed happy.
Cons: Facilities, H/HP/P/F, Too much lecture/class time. For the size of the class, they ought to have more patient contact. And the biggest con - the huge cost.
Competitive Waitlisted: 10/17 - Slightly bummed, just because it was my first notice from any school. There\'s a chance I\'ll write the LOInterest required to get off the waitlist, but probably not. They won\'t begin pulling from there for a few months, and by then, I expect to have at least one or two acceptances.
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Mayo - 9/9/2011 - Oh, Mayo, how I long for you! This was my first interview invitation, and what a shock it was! I applied on a whim, thinking that I\'d never have a shot, so I came to Rochester with very high expectations. They were completely blown away.
I arrived on Thursday for a Friday interview, and left on Saturday. My student hosts picked me up in Rochester (I had flown into Minneapolis) and we hung out for a while at their apartment, where I picked their brains of everything Mayo. Then we went and made cupcakes for the birthday committee, where I picked more brains.
The day began early, but it didn\'t seem as long as it should have. My interviews were split up, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The questions were pretty conversational, especially in my second interview, as my first interviewer had one or two off-the-wall questions that I just happened to know. Still, I thought that my second interview could not have gone better. As for the rest of the day, we had some free time interspersed, so I sought out the gym, which is incredible. 4 stories, classes running constantly; we had to have a tour to see it all. We also had a few meetings with important deans, a discussion of the curriculum, and a wonderful tour of the Gonda building (the Mayo clinic) and the Plummer building. Plus, everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming, from students to faculty to physicians. But my favorite thing, however, was that they actually believed in their mission statement. Every decision made reflects the importance and respect for the patient, and I can\'t imagine anyone doing it better.
Just incredible, all around.
Pros: They actually believe and live through their mission statement, fantastic resources, innovative curriculum with two-week selectives, very small class (42 MD, 6 MD-PhD, 2 OMS).
Cons: I\'m not a huge fan of the cold, but I comfort myself that if I get an acceptance, I\'ll take the underground pedestrian subways ALL the time.
Neutral: Rochester, while small, does have things to do. The Twin Cities are 90 minutes away, which is par for the course for me. At home, I\'m 90 minutes away from DC, and at school, 90 minutes from NYC.
On hold: 10/17 - So disappointed. Mayo is my first choice by far, but I pulled myself back together and wrote a letter of intent. I call it my \'love letter\' to Mayo, because that\'s fairly accurate. We\'ll see what happens.
