Applications...

[SoonerTexan]

I've known schools to not accept exemplary students and take some mediocre ones.

DH was accepted to some of the "more competitive" schools in Texas (but not all of the "more competitive"), but not some of the "less competitive" ones--he wasn't a good fit and they knew that too. It didn't matter that he had the "stats."

We were also REALLY wrong about the first impression his school gave off--and it was a damn awful first impression (there is a ridiculously long thread about it floating around here somewhere). Now we love it and aren't so sure we would have been as thrilled as we thought we would have been with his first choice. Total crapshoot.

[alison]

He applied to ONE school for undergrad. In the city we live in. I nearly killed him for that, considering with his grades and scores he could've had his pick. Another reason I'm pushing him to apply all over the place.

Thank goodness you're in the picture to help him out! I do think this type of optimism will do him LOADS of good in his medical career though!

Cast a wide net, like everyone else has said.

[DCJenn]

My husband applied to three- Vermont, Syracuse and USUHS. Vermont and Syracuse were because he thought they would be fun to visit. He was prior service Army and did everything he needed to do to be perfect for USUHS which would have been not perfect anywhere else, more than likely. (not many schools will care about the applicants prior military service- in detail)

I don't recommend it. I wasn't around at the time and it was more than a decade ago when he applied (he graduated in 2000) but even then the Master Plan required a lot of painstaking planning and meticulous execution to make it all work together. There's no need for that level of stress if you can avoid it. Make sure he casts a wide net. We tell everyone that for residency applications, as well. The bigger the safety net....

Jenn

[lovelight]

I'm going to agree with everyone else. Only applying 3 schools doesn't seem like enough. I would be on pins and needles. It doesn't hurt (except for the cost of applying...but after a while you get used to throwing money away during med school ) to apply broadly and then start turning schools down later as opposed to having to reapply the next year. I don't remember too well, but I know DH applied to at least 10 schools. Once he was accepted to a school, he was able to cancel interviews at all schools that were below that on his wish list to save us a little.

[poky]

Utah is the worst place in the country to live to try to get into medical school. I am sure of it.

Heh. I would put money on Oregon for that honor. OHSU takes WAY less than 75% of their students from Oregon, becuse they get an ASSLOAD of money for out-of-state tuition. I just checked; their website claims 70% Oregon residents. I don't believe it, honestly, unless things have changed recently.

To the original poster, my husband applied to only two schools the first year, and we ended up wating another year, applying to a bunch more schools, and getting in at 3-4 places, including our "home" school (which didn't accept him the year before. We declined it the second year, because they didn't let us know he was accepted until mid-June, and he'd already gotten a scholarship to the place we ended up at. No debt is much better than not having to move).

For us, waiting a year wasn't a huge deal, we were already in our 30s, and were both making decent money as engineers, so the loss of a year's attending income at the other end wasn't a biggie (wasn't why he was doing it anyway). If your DH is going to be twiddling his thumbs or doing volunteer work (ie, not bringing in money) for a year if he doesn't get in, then that might be a consideration, though.

Bottom line: If he wants to be sure of getting in SOMEWHERE, he NEEDS to apply widely. If he only wants to go to med school if it can be one of those three schools, then sure, just apply to those three (that's honestly what we were thinking that first year; waiting another year made him realize he'd rather do med school SOMEWHERE than not do it because he was picky about where). It worked out (eventaully) for us, but if he REALLY REALLY wants to start med school next year, he NEEDS to apply to more than 3 places, period, and you need to be prepared to move.

[Vanquisher]

Heh. I would put money on Oregon for that honor. OHSU takes WAY less than 75% of their students from Oregon, becuse they get an ASSLOAD of money for out-of-state tuition. I just checked; their website claims 70% Oregon residents. I don't believe it, honestly, unless things have changed recently.

All right, since we are betting: https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/

Between 1999-2010

The state of Oregon had an average of 367 applicants, Utah had an average of 470.

Utah's stats:

Total Applications: 1242
In State Applicants - 436
Out of State Applicants - 780
International Applicants - 26

Applicants Accepted: 82
In State Applicants - 61
Out of State Applicants - 19
International Applicants - 2

Average GPA Accepted: 3.8
Average MCAT Accepted: 30O

Oregan stats:

Total Applications: 4521
In State Applicants - 405
Out of State Applicants - 4094
International Applicants - 22

Applicants Accepted: 120
In State Applicants - 88
Out of State Applicants - 32
International Applicants - 0

Average GPA Accepted: 3.8
Average MCAT Accepted: 32Q

Utah accepted 13.99% of in-state applicants in 2010. Oregon accepted 21.72%. So, Oregon has tougher average MCAT acceptances, but Utah accepts a significantly lower percentage of in-state applicants.

Clearly both very, stupidly difficult.

[poky]

Clearly both very, stupidly difficult.

Amen.

[hedixo01]

Heh. I would put money on Oregon for that honor. OHSU takes WAY less than 75% of their students from Oregon, becuse they get an ASSLOAD of money for out-of-state tuition. I just checked; their website claims 70% Oregon residents. I don't believe it, honestly, unless things have changed recently.

To the original poster, my husband applied to only two schools the first year, and we ended up wating another year, applying to a bunch more schools, and getting in at 3-4 places, including our "home" school (which didn't accept him the year before. We declined it the second year, because they didn't let us know he was accepted until mid-June, and he'd already gotten a scholarship to the place we ended up at. No debt is much better than not having to move).

For us, waiting a year wasn't a huge deal, we were already in our 30s, and were both making decent money as engineers, so the loss of a year's attending income at the other end wasn't a biggie (wasn't why he was doing it anyway). If your DH is going to be twiddling his thumbs or doing volunteer work (ie, not bringing in money) for a year if he doesn't get in, then that might be a consideration, though.

Bottom line: If he wants to be sure of getting in SOMEWHERE, he NEEDS to apply widely. If he only wants to go to med school if it can be one of those three schools, then sure, just apply to those three (that's honestly what we were thinking that first year; waiting another year made him realize he'd rather do med school SOMEWHERE than not do it because he was picky about where). It worked out (eventaully) for us, but if he REALLY REALLY wants to start med school next year, he NEEDS to apply to more than 3 places, period, and you need to be prepared to move.

We actually both like Oregon and OHSU, but didn't consider it because of the distance from us. But who knows...And as much as it would suck to move (mostly because we'd be losing family babysitters) I really don't mind.

[ides]

We actually both like Oregon and OHSU, but didn't consider it because of the distance from us. But who knows...And as much as it would suck to move (mostly because we'd be losing family babysitters) I really don't mind.

Now is a good time to learn that in medicine you go where it dictates. You go almost anywhere over not going. I dont think people who haven't been through the process yet get how little choice/control you have over where you go for school or training. You just be glad your in and not out. Sorry to be blunt but its the truth.

[scrub-jay]

Now is a good time to learn that in medicine you go where it dictates. You go almost anywhere over not going. I dont think people who haven't been through the process yet get how little choice/control you have over where you go for school or training. You just be glad your in and not out. Sorry to be blunt but its the truth.

Sorry. This is so true. We have ZERO family babysitters. Tis the life!!

[SuzySunshine]

Now is a good time to learn that in medicine you go where it dictates. You go almost anywhere over not going. I dont think people who haven't been through the process yet get how little choice/control you have over where you go for school or training. You just be glad your in and not out. Sorry to be blunt but its the truth.

Yep, this. We have never lived near family since we moved out to go to college. We're from Kansas, did med school in CA, residency in MN and now on to fellowship in OR. You go where you are told. If we have actual choices next year for a job I don't know how we'll actually make our own decision.

[DCJenn]

Again, the truth. (and we can be kind of blunt, those of us who have had the Bitch that is Medicine beat us down a time or two) Right now he needs to wrap his head around the fact that he's pretty much done making decisions for the next decade or two. Oh, sure picking a speciality will require a decision but less so than you or he will think because more than likely there will only be one or two things that he will want to do at the end of the road, anyway. That's pretty much it though- the wheres and the whens are totally and completely non-controllable 99% of the time. They delude themselves into thinking that residency is a choice but it's not a choice, it's a list of options that has a few great choices and the rest pretty much suck.

There's a reason why our founder Kris created this site 12-ish years ago in the throes of their painful residency saga. There is nothing fun about medicine, medical training, moving, more medical training, moving, more medical training...

Welcome aboard the roller coaster!

Jenn

[hedixo01]

Honestly, I'm loving the bluntness. I'm totally ready with fists raised. Life with two little ones has already shone me that I get no choice, so I can't wait for more. I'm just happy to get all the facts I can before diving head first into a three foot pool. And I know that many more questions lie ahead.

[Pollyanna]

Your should train your hubby now to know that the iMSN peeps are always right .

[scrub-jay]

Your should train your hubby now to know that the iMSN peeps are always right .

It's true. Mine now asks "what do the iMSNers say?"