2014-2015 Medical College of Georgia Application Thread

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Forgive me if this has been answered, but how important is the second look? Is it worth missing a whole day of classes and the trip to Augusta?

If you already know that you want to go to MCG, it shouldn't matter. If you already know you don't want to go to MCG, then it also shouldn't matter. If you are on the fence, I would suggest going. I've been to MCG four times total (three on one campus and once on the other) so assuming I was accepted, I would not really have a need to go.

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Got accepted here on Friday as an OOS resident!!

Interviewed 3/2!
 
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A word of encouragement to those waitlisted...

If you look back at last year's respective MCG thread, various comments affirmed that MCG had indicated that a good number of their actual matriculants always come from their WL. THIS IS TRUE AT ALL MEDICAL SCHOOLS. There are multiple reasons for this. One is that some who were accepted as early as October simply get later offers elsewhere that they decide to accept, so a game of musical chairs begins. The sheer size of MCG's class (~ 230) means that, as medical schools go, there are a lot of slots to be finally filled. A state our size (10 million) should surely have 2 or more public medical schools...even Alabama (half our population) has 2...Florida, with twice our population, now has 5!

A first-hand example of WL movement: our daughter (then at GT) was accepted early on (first group of acceptees) for the 2012 matriculating class at MCG. In early May, BCM called and offered a slot with a 50% merit scholarship. Even OOS, this would prove to mean a savings of $77k in tuition alone over MCG, and living costs in Houston were low. It was a no brainer for her. That then freed up a slot at MCG in May when a LOT of WL movement occurs at MCG-- and elsewhere. An inveterate (habitual) former MCG student poster on this thread who graduated last year had noted that the tuition at MCG had DOUBLED in just his 4 years at MCG. That has served to make it well less attractive from a purely cost perspective vis-a-vis other possible medical school options.

For those among you applying from OOS, for some reason (perhaps the expanded, much larger class of ~ 230) MCG went from accepting just a handful from OOS a few years ago (apparently mainly MD/PhD students back when) to accepting more OOS, so there is reason to be encouraged also if you are applying OOS.

This process IS BRUTALLY LONG. But understand-- you can be accepted off of the WL into June (a few even in July!) and STILL be on the same playing field when you enter Anatomy...and still become a fine doctor.
:) :luck:
 
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A word of encouragement to those waitlisted...

If you look back at last year's respective MCG thread, various comments affirmed that MCG had indicated that a good number of their actual matriculants always come from their WL.

This might be true, but for some of us, this is not the first time or even the second time on the waitlist at MCG so being put on the alternate list can be a bit depressing. Even with all the movement last year and the year before, I am still not in. I can only hope that I am higher on the waitlist than I was.

I have a relative with a dying wish of seeing me in medical school, I would like to see her at my white coat ceremony. I am scared to tell her I was WLed again when she asks since her vitals tend to respond to the news.
 
This might be true, but for some of us, this is not the first time or even the second time on the waitlist at MCG so being put on the alternate list can be a bit depressing. Even with all the movement last year and the year before, I am still not in. I can only hope that I am higher on the waitlist than I was.

I have a relative with a dying wish of seeing me in medical school, I would like to see her at my white coat ceremony. I am scared to tell her I was WLed again when she asks since her vitals tend to respond to the news.

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Good luck, but understand also that only about 40% of those who apply every year get into any American medical school. Perhaps you have sought further education (I trust that you were being sardonic/ironical by suggesting an advanced degree in Space Studies at the University of North Dakota), experience, or other incremental credentials to increase your odds(?)

It has been shown that persistence is often admired (MCG has TOLD some re-applicants that they get a more positive look-- that determination is respected), provided that an applicant has the essential criteria covered well enough.
As I recall, MCG's average MCAT has been a 31-- also the average for all matriculating medical students nationwide. There ARE easier entry public medical schools for their respective IS residents, albeit not in Georgia. Mercer is easier entry, but private/more costly of course.
 
~~~~~~~

Good luck, but understand also that only about 40% of those who apply every year get into any American medical school. Perhaps you have sought further education (I trust that you were being sardonic/ironical by suggesting an advanced degree in Space Studies at the University of North Dakota), experience, or other incremental credentials to increase your odds(?)

It has been shown that persistence is often admired (MCG has TOLD some re-applicants that they get a more positive look-- that determination is respected), provided that an applicant has the essential criteria covered well enough.
As I recall, MCG's average MCAT has been a 31-- also the average for all matriculating medical students nationwide. There ARE easier entry public medical schools for their respective IS residents, albeit not in Georgia. Mercer is easier entry, but private/more costly of course.

I have a legitimate degree from UND, earned almost 10 years ago, which I have been asked about at every interview I have ever attended. Three of my LOR were from UND. If you want verification, all you have to do is contact the department secretary (Ms. Fetter) and ask who the transsexual alumni is and she will give you my "real" nickname (or birth name) which you will be able to figure out my name from there without even asking who you are and why you want to know. Alternatively, if you gave my SDN username she might know who it is from that. My SDN username came from one of my projects I was doing at UND on who would be the ideal space crew and my suggestion was a family aerospace crew. Hence Family Aerospace.

Personally, I do not recommend anyone actually get a MS in Space Studies from UND unless they are already in the military or are working for NASA especially given the current environment. However, it did what I needed it to do at the time and gave me more than a few aerospace medicine connections (that was my concentration) as well as three years of medical research and multiple peer-reviewed publications.

Yes, MCG told me to keep reapplying and our student tour guide told us that one of the students got in on his 8th application having been waitlisted 7 times. On the phone last year, I was speaking to an admissions counselor who told me to get a PhD in anything and then reapply. She seemed to appreciate that I was yeshiva educated as well.

The difference between me this year and me last year was roughly 4,000 more hours of medical experience (mostly in a very underserved community in rural Georgia), about a thousand more general volunteer hours, another year of running my own business, a slightly increased Verbal score, and improved foreign language skills. I have a book that is under contract but there is no way on G-d's green earth that it will be published fast enough to make the update worthwhile. I also pass better as male now than I might have last year and I *finally* look old enough to drive as I am emphasizing my grey instead of hiding it. The four kids are giving me even more grey hair.
 
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So if our clinical campus preference is "No", will that count against us when being considered for acceptance? I didn't know much about the clinical campuses until the interview day and would change my choice if I had the chance, but I'm just nervous that this might hurt my chances.

I doubt it will hurt it that much since the WL is ranked. If you really think it might hurt you, why not send them an update?

Mine is set to yes, as I could even rank the clinical campuses in order of preference if needed.
 
Anyone else going to the Second Look on Friday?
 
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I didn't end up going, I decided to go to this event instead. Any body go the 18th?
 
I went to the MCG revisit on the 18th.

The dress code was business casual.

You walk in, grab a name tag, a document sized recycled material bag filled with more info on the program and a few pens, and sit down in this large room. There are two reasons they want you there: 1) If you interviewed early and didn't see the new facilities-now you can, 2) To encourage you to decide on MCG.

They talked more about the programs, research, the rural health program, the different regions, and introduced some of the people heading those regions. After an hour of this, we lined up in front of one of several second year students (I chose to go with someone that I didn't meet the first time I was there). They give you a tour of the facilities and answer any question you had. While I had already seen the building before, I still learned more about the program the second time around. We eventually sat in on a 2nd year lecture and broke for lunch. They provided mellow mushroom pizza salad and cookies. (If you avoid pork or are a vegetarian, they had a veggie pizza). Afterwards, we went on another tour with the 2nd year students, basically whatever the group wanted to see, we looked at. My group stayed in the building a tad longer and ended the tour at the gym (which looked great coming from Emory but apparently tiny for people coming from schools like Athens).
 
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For those who were waitlisted, have any of you already arranged to have your transcripts sent to MCG and, if so, have any of you noticed if they updated your document status for your transcripts in your application to state that they received them? I immediately paid for mine to be sent to MCG the same day I got my alternate email. I have already received an email from my college stating that they mailed the transcript, but I haven't seen any updates on my application as to whether or not they got my transcript yet. Now I'm kinda getting paranoid that I put the wrong address and I'm wondering if it's just that they are slow to update the status of my application....
 
For those who were waitlisted, have any of you already arranged to have your transcripts sent to MCG and, if so, have any of you noticed if they updated your document status for your transcripts in your application to state that they received them? I immediately paid for mine to be sent to MCG the same day I got my alternate email. I have already received an email from my college stating that they mailed the transcript, but I haven't seen any updates on my application as to whether or not they got my transcript yet. Now I'm kinda getting paranoid that I put the wrong address and I'm wondering if it's just that they are slow to update the status of my application....

When I submitted mine from UGA, I got a confirmation email from UGA's registrar people about 3 days later. But it didn't update on the MCG site for another like 3 or 4 weeks, so you should be fine. They are currently processing a lot of applications and paperwork and are probably backed up.
 
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For those who were waitlisted, have any of you already arranged to have your transcripts sent to MCG and, if so, have any of you noticed if they updated your document status for your transcripts in your application to state that they received them? I immediately paid for mine to be sent to MCG the same day I got my alternate email. I have already received an email from my college stating that they mailed the transcript, but I haven't seen any updates on my application as to whether or not they got my transcript yet. Now I'm kinda getting paranoid that I put the wrong address and I'm wondering if it's just that they are slow to update the status of my application....
Same here. I ordered mine that same day. Know for sure they should be there by now, but the portal hasn't been updated to reflect that. So it's not just you.
 
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I ordered four of mine the same day, then had to inquire what to do with the international transcript. Of the two that were electronic, one status was updated the next business day and the other the business day after that. The two that were paper based have not been updated although they have been sent. The international transcript (for lack of a better term as it is not a transcript) I was cced on the email and I know Ms Holland acknowledged it but it has not been updated on the portal.

If it is just Ms Holland doing it alone, I can see why she might be a little backed up. Let's say 500 people are either accepted or WLed, that is a minimum of one transcript per student and many of us will have more than that. I don't now what a reasonable average would be. Maybe 2 or 3 per student, so that would be 1000 to 1500 transcripts to process. The electronic ones would go faster I assume.
 
For those wondering when campus placement decisions will go out, I called and they said somewhere around late April and early May... I hope its before April 30th...
 
Does anyone happen to know how much waitlist movement MCG has historically?
 
I was told that if you got in before waitlisting, then you almost guaranteed to get Augusta, and extremely likely to get Athens. Those who get in off the waitlist who want Athens though, may not have spots left.
 
I think MCG has had a lot of waitlist movement historically, so I'd keep hope alive!
 
They have decent enough waitlist movement historically, but this is my third time on the list. There was another person who was on the WL 7 times before he was accepted his 8th round.
 
What's the protocol for submitting transcripts if you're still working on your undergrad degree? I updated them after my interview with my Fall grades that weren't reported on my initial application, but I don't have anything new grade-wise to add as of now.
 
What's the protocol for submitting transcripts if you're still working on your undergrad degree? I updated them after my interview with my Fall grades that weren't reported on my initial application, but I don't have anything new grade-wise to add as of now.
You just upload an unofficial transcript to your secondary under application update and the when you graduate you get the registrar to mail an official copy of your transcript to the school (this is all from MCG admissions)
 
So I guess we should be seeing a lot of movement beginning April 15th and the two weeks following, I would assume!
 
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They have decent enough waitlist movement historically, but this is my third time on the list. There was another person who was on the WL 7 times before he was accepted his 8th round.

I would personally like to meet the said person because I have never heard of anyone applying 8 times. I'd congratulate him (plus a pat on his back) of course, for his valiant efforts.
 
I would personally like to meet the said person because I have never heard of anyone applying 8 times. I'd congratulate him (plus a pat on his back) of course, for his valiant efforts.

Personally so would I. But he was a classmate of my tour guides so a 2nd year now.

According to the admissions counsellors they've had a lot of people apply 6+ years in a row.
 
I met a 4th year (now a resident) who applied and was waitlisted like 5 times and took the MCAT 4 times. Got a masters and PhD during all that waiting too. So I guess MCG gets some kind of pleasure from waitlisting the same people for multiple years lol.
 
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They have decent enough waitlist movement historically, but this is my third time on the list. There was another person who was on the WL 7 times before he was accepted his 8th round.

what do you mean by "decent"? can you give me a ballpark figure on how many applicants get accepted off the waitlist historically? Thanks.
 
I am not sure if this is completely true, but when I went for my interview I THINK one of the students that we had lunch with said something like 30 students of the class accepted were off the waitlist.
 
what do you mean by "decent"? can you give me a ballpark figure on how many applicants get accepted off the waitlist historically? Thanks.
When I was a tour guide last year I was told they move up around 70-100 spots on the waitlist. Some people who get off the waitlist decline the offer, so it's not necessarily that many in the class.
 
When I was a tour guide last year I was told they move up around 70-100 spots on the waitlist. Some people who get off the waitlist decline the offer, so it's not necessarily that many in the class.

Do you happened to know, if MCG overaccepts (more than 230)? A lot of schools do that to coax superstar applicants to attend and also boost their avg. accepted GPA and MCAT.
 
Do you happened to know, if MCG overaccepts (more than 230)? A lot of schools do that to coax superstar applicants to attend and also boost their avg. accepted GPA and MCAT.
I don't believe so.
 
I don't believe so.

If MCG does not overaccepts its class after the interviews then that is very good news for the waitlisters. I know that MCG waitlist is ranked, but do you happened to know, if is an absolute rank where the waitlisters are taken off in numerical order or Non-absolute rank where the school will pick waitlisters who match the accepted applicants who decide to go elsewhere such as picking a Hispanic female from waitlist after an accepted Hispanic female applicant goes somewhere else.
 
Do you happened to know, if MCG overaccepts (more than 230)? A lot of schools do that to coax superstar applicants to attend and also boost their avg. accepted GPA and MCAT.

I believe they do. Think of it this way, two years ago I saw their numbers. Interviewed like 700 and like 500 were accepted but I am not sure if that number includes accepted off waitlist.
 
If MCG does not overaccepts its class after the interviews then that is very good news for the waitlisters. I know that MCG waitlist is ranked, but do you happened to know, if is an absolute rank where the waitlisters are taken off in numerical order or Non-absolute rank where the school will pick waitlisters who match the accepted applicants who decide to go elsewhere such as picking a Hispanic female from waitlist after an accepted Hispanic female applicant goes somewhere else.

I hope it's numeric as there is exactly a zero percent chance that anyone like me was accepted.
 
what is there to post? If you are already an accepted applicant there is another thread, if not, then there shouldn't be many post before April 30th.
 
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WD my acceptance today. Good luck to all of you.
 
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got my campus assignment today via email, Athens baby!
 
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