2017-2018 Jefferson Medical College

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From speaking with previous applicants, I think that's a neurotic inaccurate speculation. They're going to reject someone purely for not bothering them with a simple question? You think that the multiple thousands of applicants who aren't on SDN and don't meet the letter reqs and don't send an email are automatically weeded out? Even if that were true, wouldn't it quickly become common knowledge to every applicant every year? Come one now. It would be much easier to weed people out by glancing at their stats and apps then it would be to try and trap students into not following instructions, plus adding the work of answering thousands of emails asking the same question.

"Neurotic inaccurate speculation" ??? Really? Sorry but you are an idiot if you think that.

The directions in the application explicitly state: "If you are unable to supply the requested recommendations please indicate this in a letter addressed to the Director of Admissions and email to [email protected]."

After emailing the director of admissions asking approval, they send back a PDF titled "In Lieu Letters_PDF" which reads: "Dear _____, I am pleased to report that the letters you wish to supply in
lieu of the required letters are acceptable for application to
Sidney Kimmel Medical College."

So to your original point.... if you apply to SKMC without meeting their LOR criteria, and without an approval waiver in your file, it is completely reasonable to believe that your application will be thrown out. You simply do not meet the school's criteria to apply, same as if you did not fufil a prerequisite course, or do not have a valid MCAT score.

Sometimes it's good to educate yourself before referring to someone's (admitted) speculation as being "neurotic."

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Hey, @Doctor Strange - when you were a student at Jeff, did you have any classmates that lived out in the Philly suburbs? I assume most people live on or near campus, but if someone was commuting, would they be completely out of the loop or the odd one out?
Yeah, there were a handful that lived on the main line and out in the suburbs. They all had families and children, so they definitely prioritized that over socializing with classmates. That being said, they weren't ever really "out of the loop," just not around ever.
 
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"Neurotic inaccurate speculation" ??? Really? Sorry but you are an idiot if you think that.

The directions in the application explicitly state: "If you are unable to supply the requested recommendations please indicate this in a letter addressed to the Director of Admissions and email to [email protected]."

After emailing the director of admissions asking approval, they send back a PDF titled "In Lieu Letters_PDF" which reads: "Dear _____, I am pleased to report that the letters you wish to supply in
lieu of the required letters are acceptable for application to
Sidney Kimmel Medical College."

So to your original point.... if you apply to SKMC without meeting their LOR criteria, and without an approval waiver in your file, it is completely reasonable to believe that your application will be thrown out. You simply do not meet the school's criteria to apply, same as if you did not fufil a prerequisite course, or do not have a valid MCAT score.

Sometimes it's good to educate yourself before referring to someone's (admitted) speculation as being "neurotic."
Slow your roll, dude.
 
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For those that have their letters received in the portal, how long did it take after submitting? Just curious because I e-mailed them before submitting my secondary about the letters and received the approval but unsure if I need to e-mail a second time...
 
"Neurotic inaccurate speculation" ??? Really? Sorry but you are an idiot if you think that.

The directions in the application explicitly state: "If you are unable to supply the requested recommendations please indicate this in a letter addressed to the Director of Admissions and email to [email protected]."

After emailing the director of admissions asking approval, they send back a PDF titled "In Lieu Letters_PDF" which reads: "Dear _____, I am pleased to report that the letters you wish to supply in
lieu of the required letters are acceptable for application to
Sidney Kimmel Medical College."

So to your original point.... if you apply to SKMC without meeting their LOR criteria, and without an approval waiver in your file, it is completely reasonable to believe that your application will be thrown out. You simply do not meet the school's criteria to apply, same as if you did not fufil a prerequisite course, or do not have a valid MCAT score.

Sometimes it's good to educate yourself before referring to someone's (admitted) speculation as being "neurotic."
The PDF they sent is more generic and starts off with "Dear Applicant", not "Dear ____" (name) like you implied.

Anyway, my gut feeling is that you're reading too much into it, but we're all just guessing, so there's no reason to get so worked up over it. Kick back, have a drink, and enjoy your weekend :)
 
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"Neurotic inaccurate speculation" ??? Really? Sorry but you are an idiot if you think that.

The directions in the application explicitly state: "If you are unable to supply the requested recommendations please indicate this in a letter addressed to the Director of Admissions and email to [email protected]."

After emailing the director of admissions asking approval, they send back a PDF titled "In Lieu Letters_PDF" which reads: "Dear _____, I am pleased to report that the letters you wish to supply in
lieu of the required letters are acceptable for application to
Sidney Kimmel Medical College."

So to your original point.... if you apply to SKMC without meeting their LOR criteria, and without an approval waiver in your file, it is completely reasonable to believe that your application will be thrown out. You simply do not meet the school's criteria to apply, same as if you did not fufil a prerequisite course, or do not have a valid MCAT score.

Sometimes it's good to educate yourself before referring to someone's (admitted) speculation as being "neurotic."
I had read the statement on my own secondary and still stand by my previous opinion.

Neurotic: abnormally sensitive, obsessive, or tense and anxious

I think that your speculation that excellent applicants will be automatically rejected because they did not write a 2 line email to an already very busy committee in order to receive an obvious and generic answer is neurotic because it is obsessive, tense, and anxious. Like I said before, if this were actually the case I believe we would know about it from the thousands of applicants of previous years who would have been rejected for this reason. Jefferson is going to receive the same letters no matter whether someone emails them or not, and thus their request is probably just to quickly identify what letters they do have present, similar to how other schools ask you to fill out what classes fulfill their course requirements, even though that information is already present on the applicant's transcript.

Comparing sending Jefferson this email to not meeting course requirements or not having a valid MCAT score shows an obvious misunderstanding of the importance of the different parts of the application process. This comparison could also be considered neurotic because it is obsessive and tense. I hope this misunderstanding does not show through in the prioritizing of the rest of your application.

Assuming someone else is an idiot because they come to a different conclusion after reviewing the same information is also neurotic because it is abnormally sensitive. Sometimes it's good to think before speaking and/or replying to an internet forum. In fact I recommend this order in all situations: think first, speak second.

Due to the neurosis displayed in several of your statements, I will not be continuing any further conversation because I do not believe it can be either productive or constructive. However, my PMs are always open if you decide that you wish to apologize.
 
Can someone please post the prompts? Would be really appreciated. Thank you!
 
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Can someone please post the prompts? Would be really appreciated. Thank you!
Hi! There actually is no prompt. You have the option of writing about anything you want under a 4000 character restriction. But, it is completely optional!
 
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Hi! There actually is no prompt. You have the option of writing about anything you want under a 4000 character restriction. But, it is completely optional!

Thank you so much for this clarification. :) Good luck everyone.
 
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I had read the statement on my own secondary and still stand by my previous opinion.

Neurotic: abnormally sensitive, obsessive, or tense and anxious

I think that your speculation that excellent applicants will be automatically rejected because they did not write a 2 line email to an already very busy committee in order to receive an obvious and generic answer is neurotic because it is obsessive, tense, and anxious. Like I said before, if this were actually the case I believe we would know about it from the thousands of applicants of previous years who would have been rejected for this reason. Jefferson is going to receive the same letters no matter whether someone emails them or not, and thus their request is probably just to quickly identify what letters they do have present, similar to how other schools ask you to fill out what classes fulfill their course requirements, even though that information is already present on the applicant's transcript.

Comparing sending Jefferson this email to not meeting course requirements or not having a valid MCAT score shows an obvious misunderstanding of the importance of the different parts of the application process. This comparison could also be considered neurotic because it is obsessive and tense. I hope this misunderstanding does not show through in the prioritizing of the rest of your application.

Assuming someone else is an idiot because they come to a different conclusion after reviewing the same information is also neurotic because it is abnormally sensitive. Sometimes it's good to think before speaking and/or replying to an internet forum. In fact I recommend this order in all situations: think first, speak second.

Due to the neurosis displayed in several of your statements, I will not be continuing any further conversation because I do not believe it can be either productive or constructive. However, my PMs are always open if you decide that you wish to apologize.

Agree to disagree.

Everyone reading should keep in mind, that the instructions on the application directly say that if you cannot meet the LOR requirements, to email the director of admissions. Pretty simple concept.

If taking that at face value is "neurotic" then so be it. If you choose to ignore the instructions, maybe it affects you negatively, and maybe it doesn't. We are both just guessing.

IMO, you might as well take 2 minutes to follow instructions and ensure you won't be penalized. That is the only point I am trying to make.
 
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Writing several paragraphs arguing on whether or not one is neurotic on SDN is a bit silly.


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Prompt:

Do you have any additional information that hasn't been covered? (4000 char limit)

@Lucca
 
Wait, so how many of you have NOT received the complete email as well due to LORs?
 
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Wait, so how many of you have NOT received the complete email as well due to LORs?
I have not received the complete. Everything was sent through amcas Soni don't know how it's not there yet.

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I have not received the complete. Everything was sent through amcas Soni don't know how it's not there yet.

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So I*

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So I*

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Wait, so how many of you have NOT received the complete email as well due to LORs?
From what I know, Jefferson does things manually so it may just take them longer. If you still do not see it after a couple of days, it is definitely ok to give them a call.
 
From their website, it says that "If individual letters are sent, we prefer one biology, one chemistry, one physics and one humanities." I know it says "prefer," but do you think it's worth the secondary fee if I only have 2 biology, 1 humanities? Anyone else running into this problem?

I did not have the outlined letter distribution either, so I emailed admissions and received an answer relatively quickly, and they kindly told me that my letters would be perfectly acceptable. I recommend if anyone is in doubt to contact their admissions, they are extremely pleasant and have always answered in a timely manner
 
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Anyone's LOR still marked as "Not Received"?
 
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anyone struggling with payment here? I paid, but my secondary application still shows me fee as not being paid, so i cannot submit. Really wanting to get this one in!
 
Submitted 7/20, still waiting for LORs to go through
 
Anyone's LOR still marked as "Not Received"?
Received and submitted secondary on 7/19. Letters still showing up as "not received" and application status is "incomplete."

I emailed on Friday, but no response yet.
 
Received and submitted secondary on 7/19. Letters still showing up as "not received" and application status is "incomplete."

I emailed on Friday, but no response yet.

I emailed an hour ago and received a response:
"We are experiencing a technical problem with letter submission which will be resolved by tomorrow."
 
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For people wondering about what letters they accept: I emailed about my 1 physics, 1 chem prof (PI), 1 humanities, & 1 MD/PhD from my lab & they said that would satisfy their requirement. Also, my LOR's haven't been marked as received & I submitted 7/19 too.
 
I'm filling out the secondary for Jeff, and am not sure if I should say that I am LGBTQ or not. I am LGBTQ, but I don't like to discuss it, and am not very open about it with many people. If I do identify myself as LGBTQ, will I be required to partake in any LGBTQ activities at Jeff? I know there's a lot of LGBTQ in Philadelphia, but I just don't feel comfortable being open to the world about it. If I am required to partake in such activities, I think I will just say that I am heterosexual.

I don't anyone to bash me about my opinion. I do think I can better help the LGBTQ community as a physician based on my sexuality, without informing my patients about my orientation.

@Doctor Strange , I see you are a Jeff alumnus, do you have any knowledge on the manner?
 
I'm filling out the secondary for Jeff, and am not sure if I should say that I am LGBTQ or not. I am LGBTQ, but I don't like to discuss it, and am not very open about it with many people. If I do identify myself as LGBTQ, will I be required to partake in any LGBTQ activities at Jeff? I know there's a lot of LGBTQ in Philadelphia, but I just don't feel comfortable being open to the world about it. If I am required to partake in such activities, I think I will just say that I am heterosexual.

I don't anyone to bash me about my opinion. I do think I can better help the LGBTQ community as a physician based on my sexuality, without informing my patients about my orientation.

Well, I mentioned I am part of the LGBTQ community mainly because it's relevant to my goals and perspectives, not just for the sake of being different. So even if you aren't open about it, if it is relevant to what you want to say, then there's a reason to mention it. You don't have to be open about it, and certainly you don't need to disclose it to your patients. However, if you feel like it didn't contribute to anything related to your application then there's no need to mention it.

No one is going to make you participate or be a part of any group or label that you don't want to be. Your information is confidential outside of the admission process from what I gather.
 
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I'm filling out the secondary for Jeff, and am not sure if I should say that I am LGBTQ or not. I am LGBTQ, but I don't like to discuss it, and am not very open about it with many people. If I do identify myself as LGBTQ, will I be required to partake in any LGBTQ activities at Jeff? I know there's a lot of LGBTQ in Philadelphia, but I just don't feel comfortable being open to the world about it. If I am required to partake in such activities, I think I will just say that I am heterosexual.

I don't anyone to bash me about my opinion. I do think I can better help the LGBTQ community as a physician based on my sexuality, without informing my patients about my orientation.

@Doctor Strange , I see you are a Jeff alumnus, do you have any knowledge on the manner?
Why would you be "required" to partake in LGBTQ activities? I don't think you have to share that information if you don't feel comfortable.
 
Well, I mentioned I am part of the LGBTQ community mainly because it's relevant to my goals and perspectives, not just for the sake of being different. So even if you aren't open about it, if it is relevant to what you want to say, then there's a reason to mention it. You don't have to be open about it, and certainly you don't need to disclose it to your patients. However, if you feel like it didn't contribute to anything related to your application then there's no need to mention it.

No one is going to make you participate or be a part of any group or label that you don't want to be. Your information is confidential outside of the admission process from what I gather.

I just wanted to be accurate in completing my application. Jeff is one of my favourite schools, but that question just threw me off. Will I be required to discuss this during my interview? Or is it more for "analytical purposes"?
 
I just wanted to be accurate in completing my application. Jeff is one of my favourite schools, but that question just threw me off. Will I be required to discuss this during my interview? Or is it more for "analytical purposes"?

Oh, I actually forgot there was a direct prompt asking about it without an area for explanation. Well, still, I wouldn't lie, and if they bring it up you can always say that it's not relevant to your candidacy (unless it is).

Either way I honestly have no idea. Mostly assumptions here. No matter how prestigious the school, I wouldn't attend if they reviewed me negatively or forced me to answer personal questions if I did not want to and they weren't relevant to my application.

I honestly think they're using it for demographics and/or to note individuals who may have different perspectives.

You can always contact them and ask what the purpose of it is!
 
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I'm filling out the secondary for Jeff, and am not sure if I should say that I am LGBTQ or not. I am LGBTQ, but I don't like to discuss it, and am not very open about it with many people. If I do identify myself as LGBTQ, will I be required to partake in any LGBTQ activities at Jeff? I know there's a lot of LGBTQ in Philadelphia, but I just don't feel comfortable being open to the world about it. If I am required to partake in such activities, I think I will just say that I am heterosexual.

I don't anyone to bash me about my opinion. I do think I can better help the LGBTQ community as a physician based on my sexuality, without informing my patients about my orientation.

@Doctor Strange , I see you are a Jeff alumnus, do you have any knowledge on the manner?
You won't need to participate in anything extracurricular that you don't want to... if you don't want to participate in LGBTQ events, you won't have to. That said, if you mention something in your app, expect to talk about it. My interviewer claimed to have not read my app (and thus let me start the conversation however I wanted), but you should feel comfortable talking more about anything you write (as they may select someone that connects with your interests, etc). They may not ask about anything specific, but anything in your app is fair game.
 
feel comfortable talking more about anything you write

I mean that's the thing, I'm not really writing anything about how it's affected my drive for medicine or anything, I'm just checking a box. Do I feel comfortable enough to have a long conversation regarding my orientation? I would say no.
 
I mean that's the thing, I'm not really writing anything about how it's affected my drive for medicine or anything, I'm just checking a box. Do I feel comfortable enough to have a long conversation regarding my orientation? I would say no.
If you're not comfortable discussing it in an interview, then don't put it at all.

I'm a gay man who went to Jeff. I had nothing to do with the LGBT groups on campus... No one is going to force you to participate just because you identify one way or the other.

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If you're not comfortable discussing it in an interview, then don't put it at all.

I'm a gay man who went to Jeff. I had nothing to do with the LGBT groups on campus... No one is going to force you to participate just because you identify one way or the other.

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Did you have to answer any questions regarding your sexuality during the interview? Or know of others who had to?

I think I'm leaning towards not mentioning my orientation at all.
 
I emailed them on Sunday when I submitted and got a response today saying my letters are acceptable. My recs are bio, animal science PI, english, two physicians, and a committee letter.

@biomedengin I submitted then emailed them. Figured it would be best to get the secondary in first and they emailed back and said mine were ok. Im sure submitting first is not a problem.
 
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I emailed them asking about the letters of recommendation, but have not received a response yet. Would it be okay to submit my application without getting a confirmation that I would meet their requirements? I just don't want it to look like my secondary had a slow turn around time. Thanks!
I submitted anyway and got the all-ok email the next day. Didn't think it was a big deal!
 
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Letters finally came in! My app is finally complete


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anyone struggling with payment here? I paid, but my secondary application still shows me fee as not being paid, so i cannot submit. Really wanting to get this one in!

My payment doesn't go through either. I called about it and they said they're looking into it. Apparently only one other person had the same issue (maybe it was you o_O)
 
For those of you who emailed to ask about LORs, did you email [email protected] or did you ask via the secondary portal? Because on the website, it says,

"You may direct exemption requests to the Committee on Admissions using the optional information section on the Secondary Application."

So, it seems like they want us to ask via the portal? (I haven't received a secondary yet)
 
For those of you who emailed to ask about LORs, did you email [email protected] or did you ask via the secondary portal? Because on the website, it says,

"You may direct exemption requests to the Committee on Admissions using the optional information section on the Secondary Application."

So, it seems like they want us to ask via the portal? (I haven't received a secondary yet)

I emailed the SKMC.Admissions e-mail and asked them directly if my letters would be considered (I gave them a description of each of my letters) in lieu of their requirement. They'll either choose to permit them and email you a PDF waiver (which I assume you just keep) or tell you no.
 
I emailed the SKMC.Admissions e-mail and asked them directly if my letters would be considered (I gave them a description of each of my letters) in lieu of their requirement. They'll either choose to permit them and email you a PDF waiver (which I assume you just keep) or tell you no.

I see. Thanks, mangogreen!!!


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Hey, @Doctor Strange - when you were a student at Jeff, did you have any classmates that lived out in the Philly suburbs? I assume most people live on or near campus, but if someone was commuting, would they be completely out of the loop or the odd one out?

Hi! I'm not a Jeff student, but a good friend of mine is a third year there now who used to commute from Delaware during his first year. He said he used to drive in and park in a nearby garage, however, most students do live close to campus.
 
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calling it Jefferson in my secondaries was fine, right? (as opposed to SKMC).
 
Good question. I always said the name of the medical school to be safe. It's all school dependent I think. Saying "Baylor university" would be wrong, since the medical school is not a part of the university. But not sure about Jefferson.


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for others that are curious, I was neurotic and called admissions to check, and they said referring to it as Jefferson is fine (and more common)
 
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