Monday, February 25, 2008

Interview Update

As most of you know, I am in the stressful process of applying to Medical School. So far, I have only interviewed at the University of Utah, and unfortunately was not accepted. After a day or two of extreme depression, I decided to e-mail the other schools to figure out what the heck is going on. Here is the exact e-mail that I sent to the schools:

"Dear Admissions Folks,
"I am writing to check in on my application. I am curious as to the status of the application, and when you’d like to have me come out to interview. I haven’t made a final decision on which medical school I will attend, mostly because I am waiting to hear of my fate at your school. I would love to have any chance of getting closer to acceptance there.
"Please send any updates and good news you might have my way (you can even send the bad news: I’m getting anxious of just waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting…). If you need to, please have the committee take another look at my application. I am a great candidate, and I would make an excellent addition to your school!
"Thank you for your time and your help. Yours is not the easiest job with so many people like me constantly asking for an update. I appreciate it."

Pretty good letter, right? I impressed myself at how well I executed it. I had to bluff a little, but I didn't want to sound desperate.

As expected, I received feedback from the schools. All of them said in one form or another: "The committee will continue to look at your application and let you know soon..."

Lame.

Well, a few days later, Wisconsin stepped up to the plate and offered a real interview. Thanks, Wisconsin! Not my first choice, but I'll take it. I have plane tickets ready and a room reserved. Although lonely, my trip to Milwaukee should be fun.

About a week after the Medical College of Wisconsin contacted me, I got a call from Thomas Jefferson University. A call from a real person from the admissions committee?! And the Oscar for Best MD School Correspondence goes to...TJU! Anyway, they called to invite me to interview. They read my e-mail, took my advice and re-read my application, and loved me. They normally don't call people, they said, but they had to let me know as soon as possible so I didn't have to continue to wait, and wait, and wait... They said explicitly that my e-mail is what prompted an interview.

I'd like to thank the academy, and Dr. Blackett, Eliza's OB, for the awesome idea to contact each and every one of my schools and pester them to action!

Also thanks to Dr. Blackett, I applied to a DO school in Kansas City, MO. Dr. Blackett herself attended school there, and recommended that I apply. I applied, and before I could even submit the secondary application, I received an invitation to interview. Interview #4! I can't believe it!

I am having the best luck this month, but if you do the math, the statistics aren't very good. I applied to 12 MD schools, interviewed or will interview at 3, and have been rejected from 2 so far. I applied to 5 DO schools, and will interview at 1. I suppose there is more time for good news, but I only anticipate more interviews from the other DO schools, and more rejections from MD schools. I'm okay with that. I will be happy to go to any school that accepts me.

Now for something completely random:

3 comments:

Quela said...

Good luck with your interviews! I'm sure they will see how fabulous you are and let you right in. And if you end up in Wisconsin, I'll totally come visit you guys when I'm out there to visit Matt's family. Good Luck again!

Quela said...

Good luck with your interviews! I'm sure they will see how fabulous you are and let you right in. And if you end up in Wisconsin, We'll totally come see you guys while we're out there visiting Matt's family. Good Luck again!

Meesh said...

Yeah!!! good job! I think that voice on that may have been the most annoying thing ever!