2015-2016 Oregon Health & Sciences University Application Thread

[golfman7]

The prompt lengths are the same as well for this year's secondary.

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[Sage101]

It looks like the prompts are the same as last year if you look at last year's thread on the first page. Hope this helps. Submitted mine a couple days ago FYI.

Thank you so much golfman!

 

[Yolanda]

OOS (PA so not even close) and just got my secondary. Hopefully, I get some dual degree love.

 

[UCIpremed4]

To whoever might find this helpful,

I plan on moving to Oregon next month for work and I asked admissions what I could do about my legal residence. Here is what she had to say:


"If you would like to be considered an Oregon resident, then you will need to change your state of legal residence to Oregon through AMCAS. You need to do this by contacting them directly. Please note that this is a different field than just the legal or preferred address section. You will also designate Oregon as your state of legal residence on the secondary application. When we receive your application and process it, we will check to make sure you meet the state standards. If so, we will not need any further information from you about that. If we do need more information, we will contact you by email.


Please see our residency policy (attached) and let me know if you have further questions.


Best,
Lori Servin"

Administrative Manager, UME Admissions

 

[MD_Hopeful_2020]

OOS, got secondary today. Verified early June.

 

[UCIpremed4]

To make lives easier...
(from last years thread)

1) What experience have you had that has given you insight into the patients you hope to eventually serve?
2) What will be your greatest challenge in becoming a physician?
3) Give an example of a time when you tried your best to work with a person or a group but the problems still remained. What did you learn from the experience?
4) Describe a time when you did not receive what you felt you deserved, and how you reacted (1500 characters)
5) Give an example of personal feedback in the last few years that was difficult to receive. How did you respond?
6) Please discuss the diversity that you would bring to the OHSU School of Medicine and the profession of medicine. (2000 characters)
[OPTIONAL]
While you were growing up, did you experience any of the following types of adversity?
Economic:
Educational:
Ethnic/Cultural:
Family:

Please describe the nature of the adversity:

 

[Prussik]

Did OHSU provide a "strongly worded letter" about their competitive statistics with the secondary? I have heard this is to be expected with secondaries

 

[golfman7]

Did OHSU provide a "strongly worded letter" about their competitive statistics with the secondary? I have heard this is to be expected with secondaries

I never got a letter like that with my secondary, all I know is that the secondary cut off here is pretty low so most people will probably get one.

 

[Buck Winters]

I'm a heritage group applicant, but OOS. Still no secondary.

 

[HarryH00d]

Secondary received - OOS

 

[Bromine89]

Received my secondary last night, OOS.

I'm not quite sure how they are determining who gets secondaries and when. Based on their eligibility requirements they state that they do not prescreen AMCAS applications for eligibility requirements, therefore in order to submit a secondary you must meet a 2.80 gpa, an MCAT of 24/497, and be a US citizen/resident with alien status & green card. So if they aren't looking at AMCAS prior to sending these out, I'm not sure what their criteria is other than going through a list alphabetically.

 

[VegasPreMed]

OOS. Secondary received today.

 

[breezy16]

OOS. Secondary received today.

+1

 

[wagonwheel23]

+2

 

[amphoteric]

IS still haven't received a secondary :/
Verified early July...

 

[Globetrotter1990]

Utah resident and still haven't got a secondary. Called them today and asked if there is a "pre-screening" for secondaries. They said no and that everyone that applies gets a secondary and that they go out in batches. If you haven't gotten yours yet, just be patient. It will come. It's not like we all don't have 100 other ones to get done anyways... (kill me now...)

 

[golfman7]

So does anyone know why they send secondaries out in batches? I got mine early but I'm not sure whether it means if they are interested in my app or not.

 

[d.r.256]

So does anyone know why they send secondaries out in batches? I got mine early but I'm not sure whether it means if they are interested in my app or not.

I just got my secondary today and had my primary sent out 7/03. As the FAQ with the email states, everyone is given a secondary and there's no screens until you pay the fee and submit the 2nd fee. I wouldn't read too much into when the emails go out, and I'm just going to believe its completely random

 

[connie1]

Dumb question:

For the section where we have to list activities (grumble grumble IT'S ON THE PRIMARY), it says to list a chronological order. For some reason, I had assumed that the application would automatically list it that way, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Do I need to delete my activities and start over??

I feel like as a future hopeful doctor, I should be able to do this myself without a problem, but I'm too tired and I just want to get this submitted. ARGH!

 

[connie1]

IGNORE my previous post. It does automatically order it for you. Hahaha, I need to be done with these applications.

 

[Patagonico]

They require a genetics class? Wish I had taken note of that before I submitted my primary. Do medical schools expect us all to be Biology majors or what?

 

[maybedeadcat]

Ummm. So, this "personal feedback" question. Do they really mean personal? Or do they actually mean professional?

 

[ChillDawg]

We have to manually add every letterwriter for each letter we already sent them through AMCAS?

 

[bumblebee611]

Having a rough time with this one... Could anyone clarify what this question is asking (or tell me your interpretation)?

3) Give an example of a time when you tried your best to work with a person or a group but the problems still remained. What did you learn from the experience?

"The problems still remained." What problems? The problems you were trying to fix as a group? Or problems within the group (e.g. personality clashes, disagreement over ideals that you tried your best to overcome in order to work together)? I'm guessing they would probably expect either answer and that the question was purposely left open-ended. However, it seems to me like they're asking more of the second interpretation. If so, would a group project experience be too academic in nature?

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

I definitely saw it the same way you are seeing it--problems within the group such as personality clashes.

 

[mazarine]

No secondary yet. Verified 6/17, OOS. The secondary looks pretty demanding, though, so no rush

 

[mazarine]

Sorry for the double post, but looks like I spoke too soon. Just got the secondary! Based on the deadline it seems like I'd actually gotten it on the 24th but they didn't send it out soon enough, haha.

 

[catnipchips]

Got one too. Ca res

 

[catnipchips]

Do they screen

 

[ChillDawg]

We have to manually add every letterwriter for each letter we already sent them through AMCAS?

Anyone? Halp?

 

[mazarine]

Anyone? Halp?

Yeah, basically. -_-

 

[ChillDawg]

Ugh, and activities too? OHSU, why you so demanding?!?

 

[genericpremedstudent]

They require a genetics class? Wish I had taken note of that before I submitted my primary. Do medical schools expect us all to be Biology majors or what?

i mean, its on their website and MSAR. if you end up getting accepted you can also fulfill that requirement prior to matriculation. i feel like ohsu is the only school that has a required genetics class, but its my IS school so i had to suck it up and take it.

 

[maybedeadcat]

Any chance OOS here? 3.72 uGPA, 3.83 sGPA, 514 MCAT. I have no ties to Oregon, but I've always wanted to live in the northwest...

 

[Chasing Never Land]

Would being an OOS dual degree applicant with a cGPA ~3.6 and MCAT 34 put you into a mission group? Also - secondary received on 7/23. It seems it IS in batches, with a 4 week limit once you receive it.

 

[Chasing Never Land]

Also: How are you guys handling these Qs?

1. Give an example of a time when you tried your best to work with a person or a group but the problems still remained. What did you learn from the experience?
2. Describe a time when you did not receive what you felt you deserved, and how you reacted (1500 characters)
3. Give an example of personal feedback in the last few years that was difficult to receive. How did you respond?

#stuck >.<

 

[organesha]

Also: How are you guys handling these Qs?

1. Give an example of a time when you tried your best to work with a person or a group but the problems still remained. What did you learn from the experience?
2. Describe a time when you did not receive what you felt you deserved, and how you reacted (1500 characters)
3. Give an example of personal feedback in the last few years that was difficult to receive. How did you respond?

#stuck >.<

They are definitely not questions that you can just crank out on the fly. I thought about the prompts for a long time before writing and even after submitting there are a couple that I'm unsure about. I struggled especially with the second one because I feel like it can easily set you up to sound entitled..but I don't think it can hurt you in any case to write genuine and thoughtful answers. GL!

 

[MedSchoolAdvice20]

Question 3 Difficult Feedback:
Is it cliche or frowned upon as a re-applicant for the feedback to have been not getting into school last year?

 

[amphoteric]

Submitted! Hoping for some IS love What's the earliest II?

 

[ChillDawg]

This is definitely one of the hardest secondaries I've had to do... still not done

 

[catnipchips]

OOS submitted

 

[exitonly29]

Submitted! Hoping for some IS love What's the earliest II?

Usually first interviews are first week of October, those II come out a few weeks before that

 

[MedSchoolAdvice20]

Questions 4 and 5 are so similar in my eyes. Am I missing something? Just the basic foundation of the question seems redundant.

Give an example of personal feedback in the last few years that was difficult to receive. How did you respond? vs. Describe a time when you did not receive what you felt you deserved, and how you reacted.

 

[Dro133]

Questions 4 and 5 are so similar in my eyes. Am I missing something? Just the basic foundation of the question seems redundant.

Give an example of personal feedback in the last few years that was difficult to receive. How did you respond? vs. Describe a time when you did not receive what you felt you deserved, and how you reacted.

The way I saw it, the first question is asking us to describe a time when we underperformed and how we reacted. In contrast, the second question is asking about a time when we performed well, but the outcome wasn't to our expectations. Both of the questions want us to demonstrate resiliency, but in different contexts. I suppose that as a doctor, being able to respond to negative criticism in a constructive manner is an important skill to have (first question), as is being able to not get too discouraged when things don't go the way we think they should (second question).

Anyways, that's just the way I interpreted these. Crazy tough secondary! Good luck!

 

[Vivalarevolution]

So I applied last year and received an interview. Do you think it'd be bad to keep a couple of my secondary answers the same this time around? These questions are tough

 

[breezy16]

So I applied last year and received an interview. Do you think it'd be bad to keep a couple of my secondary answers the same this time around? These questions are tough

If I were an adcom and noticed that, I would just throw your app straight to the rejection pile. It comes off as lazy and arrogant, imo.

 

[breezy16]

Do guys think discussing the discrepancy between my GPA and MCAT (very high sGPA, 31 MCAT) would be too shallow of an answer to #4? (Describe situation where you didnt get what you feel like you deserved and your reaction)
It's the only underwhelming element of my application...

 

[bumblebee611]

If I were an adcom and noticed that, I would just throw your app straight to the rejection pile. It comes off as lazy and arrogant, imo.

I think that's a bit harsh. Not that my views hold any weight, but I actually think there's a certain honesty to it. After all, if that is still the most meaningful answer, why not keep it the same? I guess I might try and polish the writing or otherwise improve on it--almost all of us can always improve our writing with a fresh look.

 

[Dro133]

Do guys think discussing the discrepancy between my GPA and MCAT (very high sGPA, 31 MCAT) would be too shallow of an answer to #4? (Describe situation where you didnt get what you feel like you deserved and your reaction)
It's the only underwhelming element of my application...

I think that comes off as not only shallow, but also somewhat illogical; it would be akin to someone with a mediocre GPA and a high MCAT saying that they deserve a higher GPA -- it just doesn't make sense. If you feel like you must discuss your MCAT (which I really don't think you need to apologize for -- after all, it is equal to the national average for all matriculants), I think a better place to do it might be for the question asking what will be your biggest challenge in becoming a doctor; you could say something like getting better at standardized testing, which is a big part of medical school, and that you believe your high sGPA shows that you have the capacity to improve in that particular area.

As for #4, maybe talk about a time when you performed underwhelmingly on an exam despite putting in many hours of studying, and how you bounced back from the experience? Really anything other than saying you deserve a higher MCAT score would work better here, IMO. Just my $0.02! Good luck!

 

[breezy16]

I think that's a bit harsh. Not that my views hold any weight, but I actually think there's a certain honesty to it. After all, if that is still the most meaningful answer, why not keep it the same? I guess I might try and polish the writing or otherwise improve on it--almost all of us can always improve our writing with a fresh look.

You're right, I was a tad harsh. I think that re-writing with the same experiences would be a better option, just keeping the same responses may be a unnecessary death sentence. Show a new vigor and passion, show why you absolutely should be chosen this time rather than last time.

I think that comes off as not only shallow, but also somewhat illogical; it would be akin to someone with a mediocre GPA and a high MCAT saying that they deserve a higher GPA -- it just doesn't make sense. If you feel like you must discuss your MCAT (which I really don't think you need to apologize for -- after all, it is equal to the national average for all matriculants), I think a better place to do it might be for the question asking what will be your biggest challenge in becoming a doctor; you could say something like getting better at standardized testing, which is a big part of medical school, and that you believe your high sGPA shows that you have the capacity to improve in that particular area.

As for #4, maybe talk about a time when you performed underwhelmingly on an exam despite putting in many hours of studying, and how you bounced back from the experience? Really anything other than saying you deserve a higher MCAT score would work better here, IMO. Just my $0.02! Good luck!

I would aim more for the factors behind this lowered score and how I overcame by continuing to drill hard in my semester and finish strong, rather than succumbing. The MCAT is a sprint to say when comparatively, the sGPA is a marathon. I've heard mixes from people telling me to describe the huge discrepancy between a low MCAT and high GPA (rationally, high GPA correlates to high competence, but a high MCAT may correlate more to a mixture of luck and fantastic standardized test taking skills again, one and done) and others (like yourself) say don't bother.

Ugh, this is hard

 

[Dro133]

a high MCAT may correlate more to a mixture of luck and fantastic standardized test taking skills again, one and done

While luck may indeed have something to do with it, I think that one's MCAT score is generally viewed by adcoms as an objective measure of one's standardized test-taking ability -- at least, that is the goal of the MCAT; whether it succeeds in that goal is a conversation for another thread. I'm not trying to be harsh here, but trying to rationalize your MCAT score by saying that those who score better might be doing so on account of luck may come off as not being able to take responsibility for your performance. This is why I suggested writing about it in the "challenge in becoming a doctor" secondary, as this would allow you to demonstrate that you accept responsibility for your score, while at the same time using your stellar sGPA as evidence as to why you believe that your MCAT score does not accurately represent your true academic potential.

Taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, considering your high GPA, I don't think your academic credentials are going to hold you back here, which is why I don't think you necessarily have to explain your MCAT score. However, if you feel that you absolutely must, make sure you are able to rationalize it in a logical manner! Again, I hope that this post doesn't come off as too harsh -- just an opinion from an impartial observer. Feel free to PM me if you want another pair of eyes to look over your essay. Best of luck!