2017-2018 University of Miami (Miller)

[bengirlxD]

Secondary received

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[dujingshu]

.

 

[JohnQ666]

I am confused on how to enter coursework? Do we just say like CHEM 100 + Lab or or simply CHEM 100 and don't even mention the lab?

 

[JohnQ666]

Can we double dip on the chronological listing? For example, if you have a volunteer activity that is also clinical experience, do you put it in both or just pick one? They don't specify.

@teeayejay

 

[bengirlxD]

This secondary is an absolute monster

 

[JohnQ666]

Are you guys doing most recent activity to earliest or oldest activity to newest for the chronology questions?

 

[takeurmeds02]

Can we double dip on the chronological listing? For example, if you have a volunteer activity that is also clinical experience, do you put it in both or just pick one? They don't specify.

@teeayejay

Not sure to be honest. I'd be more inclined to add it to the most relevant category. Maybe within parenthesis you could put "also volunteer" or "also clinical"

Are you guys doing most recent activity to earliest or oldest activity to newest for the chronology questions?

Put your most recent to the oldest. This is standard format in CVs and other resumes

 

[JohnQ666]

Not sure to be honest. I'd be more inclined to add it to the most relevant category. Maybe within parenthesis you could put "also volunteer" or "also clinical"



Put your most recent to the oldest. This is standard format in CVs and other resumes

Isn't this reverse chronological order? The prompt asks for chronological order

 

[takeurmeds02]

Isn't this reverse chronological order? The prompt asks for chronological order

Bingo, you've just answered your own question it seems lol

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

@dujingshu

You can list activities that weren't on amcas, I think this is at least part of the reason they ask this question (the other part being that they want to identify gaps and the progression of your EC development)

 

[DrivenAndDangerous]

I was half way through, hit a save button, was booted and prompted to re-type in AMCAS ID/birth date... keep trying to enter but whenever I do it just erases my birthdate.. Anyone else having glitchy problems?

 

[DrivenAndDangerous]

Heh... Now I'm in. Often times all it takes is a panic-post on SDN, eh?

 

[ihadahamsandwich]

Has anyone applied here but not gotten a secondary yet? I'm getting paranoid

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

I was half way through, hit a save button, was booted and prompted to re-type in AMCAS ID/birth date... keep trying to enter but whenever I do it just erases my birthdate.. Anyone else having glitchy problems?

This was going on 2 years ago when I applied. Allegedly they fixed the bug last year, but I guess it's back.

In any case restarting your browser, clearing the cookies, or using a different device/browsing software usually fixed the problem.

Also this is why it's always a good idea to type your secondaries in word not on the app itself.

 

[CaptainSword1]

Secondary Submitted. *Crossing fingers* Hoping for some love!!!

 

[kdocwho]

I saw on the 2016-17 thread someone posted a picture that showed the formula they used for scoring to determine interview invites, but it looks like the photo was deleted! Anyone happen to have a copy of it or know the formula??

 

[sss1219]

I saw on the 2016-17 thread someone posted a picture that showed the formula they used for scoring to determine interview invites, but it looks like the photo was deleted! Anyone happen to have a copy of it or know the formula??

It was in either the 2015 or 2016 thread, I remember it too. The main thing was that they weighed experiences very highly, almost as high as gpa/mcat. So even with a not so stellar academic background it is still possible to get an II if your experiences can carry some weight.


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[MCATISEZ]

This secondary killed me but got it done


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[2018hopefulapplicant]

Can a writing intensive course be counted for the english pre-requisite? I have taken one english class, but I've taken several other courses that my school deemed "writing intensive."

 

[fldoctorgirl]

If we volunteered in a hospital, does that go under "clinical experiences/shadowing" or "community service/volunteering"?

 

[sss1219]

If we volunteered in a hospital, does that go under "clinical experiences/shadowing" or "community service/volunteering"?

Personally, whenever I think 'clinical experience' I think patient interaction

 

[DrivenAndDangerous]

Noticed this morning in the portal that I'm complete!

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Hi all,

so I've had a lot of people PMing me questions about UM, heres a list of my responses to ones so far. Feel free to PM more (Ill add them here), or quote this post/tag me. Hope this helps!

What do you appreciate most about the school's environment?
Student autonomy is huge at UM. We are given lots of freedom and trust early on, so we dont have to wait to pursue what we want. Personally I love the ER, so I can just walk over there whenever I want and start helping out, no emails necessary. My first shift I got to intubate, help place a central line, do a full H&P + presentation on my own. I've scrubbed for surgeries, put in stitches, and placed IV's all as 1st year, which is pretty remarkable.

Are there any married couples or families in your class?
In terms of family life UM has a good proportion of students who are non-traditional and many of them are engaged/married, and a few have kids. In my class I can think of maybe 30 people who are married/engaged (out of 150). Maybe 3 or 4 people who have kids in our year, but that goes up every year as time goes on.

I was wondering if you could tell me more about your experience so far?
Overall I absolutely LOVE UM. The school has a great culture and is very reasonable, down to earth, and accommodating. I have friends at a lot of other schools and this seems to be an area where Miami really shines. The admin trust us and let us pretty much govern ourselves. They are there to provide support and resources, but leave a great deal of decision making to the students.

Are you satisfied with the curriculum format?
Personally I'm a big fan of the curriculum, but its not for everyone. It isn't one of those fancy "re-designed" longitudinal integrated things...its an old school block format system where we cover one unit at a time, starting with anatomy then moving through the basic sciences and eventually reaching the organ systems. At first I thought I wanted the longitudinal system, but now that Im here I realize how great it is to not juggle multiple subjects at once. Being able to go all out on one subject at a time gives you a chance to delve much deeper into the material IMO.

Is it lecture-style or more hands on?
All lectures are streamed online, and very few are required attendance, which makes for a system that's great for independent learners. We have 1-2 small group sessions a week where we discuss cases with our academic societies and reinforce what we learn in lecture. Also students are always meeting up to study in groups, so people who prefer group learning still get plenty of that. We also have doctoring and clinical skills classes that run parallel to whatever were learning, so we get a solid amount of hands on experience. For example we have a lecture on heart murmurs in the morning, then go to the sim lab* and try to identify murmurs in the afternoon.

Do you have access to your professors?
All of our deans have open door policies (like their doors are physically open all the time) and most professors are very happy to meet with students. In addition many of our lecturers lead small group discussions, so you'll have a chance to interact with them in that setting, which is really fun since lots of them are major players in their fields. Med school is different from undergrad in that a class can have many professors, and some professors will only deliver 1-2 lectures and many have full time clinical schedules. This means that its not always feasible to meet with every lecturer, but all are available by email. However there is a course director who is in charge of choosing the lecturers, writing the exams, and hosting review sessions. They are always very, very available to help/talk/teach. I've felt comfortable asking for help from every course director we've had so far.

Is there early patient exposure? Is the school focused on helping the underserved? What are the volunteering opportunities like?
Patient experience is the best part about UM, we get assigned a community preceptor to follow longitudinally for our first 2 years (starting a couple weeks into 1st semester of 1st year) and are also free to do whatever we want in Miami's 3 major hospitals (UMH, Jackson, and the VA) starting day 1. We also hold health fairs via DOCS throughout south florida to provide healthcare for uninsured/underserved patients. There are also several free clinics run by UM students, resident, and faculty that take place on the campus. Some of the clinics are general care, while some focus more on specific issues/minority groups (such as women, Haitian, or undocumented immigrant patients). Abroad we also do a bunch of medical missions, most during spring, winter, and summer breaks. We have a ton of other volunteer organizations, from teaching science/health classes in local public schools (COATS), volunteering with deaf children (Debbie Project), and screening for various diseases among at risk populations (such as HIV, HepC, Melanoma, etc)

Are you happy with the way they prepared you for the Step exams?
As for step exams I hear they do a solid job preparing us, but I haven't taken step yet so I cant comment too much on the whole process.

What are the research opportunities like?
Clinical and public health research are abundant at UM. There's basic science as well, but since we are based in a public hospital not an undergrad campus, the clinical stuff is more prevalent. Some major research areas at UM are neuro (Miami Project to Cure Paralysis), metabolism (diabetes research institute), cancer (sylvester comprehensive cancer center), gun violence (ryder trauma center), optho (bascom palmer eye hospital), immunology (Miami transplant institute), and infectious diseases (zika + other weird tropical diseases not usually seen in the US)

How is the neighborhood?
Jackson is a county hospital, so right around UM the neighborhood is pretty rough. Most students live in brickell which is awesome but a bit pricey (great food/nightlife, lots of young people and young families). There's a metro-train that runs from brickell directly to the hospital, so you can avoid traffic and be within 15 minutes of class at all times. Some people also live on south beach and have to drive, but theyre within walking distance of the beach, which is pretty great. If money/space is an issue, you can rent a house further north or south on the metro line and just have a slightly longer commute...around 30 min from dadeland area.


*Side note we have one of the best sim labs in the country (The Gordon Center), where the US Army trains for mass casualty and battle field medicine situations. The Harvey Cardiac Simulation dummy was also invented here, so we get world class practice with cardio even during first year.

 

[morejedi]

@The Knife & Gun Club On behalf of everyone who checks this thread every day (aka neurotic applicants like me) - thank you for all your posts. If you are an accurate representation of the atmosphere as UM, I've found yet another reason why it's one of my absolute top choices.

You're a boss

 

[hebrewBAMmer]

This secondary is never-ending

 

[DBC03]

Quick Question on volunteering - I have a lot of dates for specific volunteering activities, then some ranges for others. Can I simply provide the month and year for certain activities or do I need the exact day?

 

[Gonzo1996]

I submitted 7/6/17 and today I have received the following status change:

"Your Application has been reviewed by the Admissions Committee at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Applicants will be invited to interview based upon their evaluation score from the Admissions Committee review. You will be contacted by email if you are selected for an interview. Interview invitations are extended between August and March."

Wish me luck!

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

It was in either the 2015 or 2016 thread, I remember it too. The main thing was that they weighed experiences very highly, almost as high as gpa/mcat. So even with a not so stellar academic background it is still possible to get an II if your experiences can carry some weight.


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I remember this too, can t seem to find it anywhere though. Seems it was deleted from the old threads. Ill ask around :/

Can a writing intensive course be counted for the english pre-requisite? I have taken one english class, but I've taken several other courses that my school deemed "writing intensive."

Where I went to school they basically did away with the english department and replaced it with a bunch of writing intensive courses in other departments (maybe we went to the same school...did you guys not have a football team? ). After a little back and forth UM accepted my writing intensive class. They're pretty accommodating!

@The Knife & Gun Club On behalf of everyone who checks this thread every day (aka neurotic applicants like me) - thank you for all your posts. If you are an accurate representation of the atmosphere as UM, I've found yet another reason why it's one of my absolute top choices.

You're a boss

Thanks! Hope I get to see you all on the interview trail this year...I lead a couple tours a month

 

[DBC03]

OK, just venting for a minute. Aside from my volunteering activities, this is nearly a replication of my AMCAS application. I'm a little confused on why we have to list everything that we've already gone into detail with on the primary.

 

[2018hopefulapplicant]

I remember this too, can t seem to find it anywhere though. Seems it was deleted from the old threads. Ill ask around :/





Where I went to school they basically did away with the english department and replaced it with a bunch of writing intensive courses in other departments (maybe we went to the same school...did you guys not have a football team? ). After a little back and forth UM accepted my writing intensive class. They're pretty accommodating!



Thanks! Hope I get to see you all on the interview trail this year...I lead a couple tours a month

Thanks! I emailed them too, and I was told that "Writing Intensive courses are only accepted as English courses on a case by case bases. The Admissions Committee will evaluate your MCAT and GPA to determine that. I just went ahead and submitted my app, and then followed up with an email about the course and how my school defined a "writing intensive class." We did have a football team, but they were terrible...probably would have been better off without one

 

[lpp06]

Is it strange that I have yet to receive a secondary? My MCAT and GPA aren't below thresholds.

 

[CaptainSword1]

OK, just venting for a minute. Aside from my volunteering activities, this is nearly a replication of my AMCAS application. I'm a little confused on why we have to list everything that we've already gone into detail with on the primary.

Hey DBC03!!! Yea Filling that secondary seemed a bit repetitive at times but reading from last year's thread, don't buy into the temptation of copying and pasting from your primary haha. It's the name of the game, nothing we can do about it.

 

[ihadahamsandwich]

Is it strange that I have yet to receive a secondary? My MCAT and GPA aren't below thresholds.

I am suppressing my neurotic side and reminding myself that they are probably sending them out in batches. We will get one soon I'm sure

 

[DBC03]

With Work experiences, did anyone fill it out like a resume? I did mine with bullet points and provided a bit more detail than my AMCAS in terms of my actual duties. Or are they looking for something more similar to the AMCAS style with an essay format explaining what you did?

 

[NoPHD]

Is it strange that I have yet to receive a secondary? My MCAT and GPA aren't below thresholds.

Any disciplinary record?

 

[DBC03]

Is it strange that I have yet to receive a secondary? My MCAT and GPA aren't below thresholds.

I honestly think I just got mine this morning. It seems like a lot of schools are sending applications out slowly.

 

[Gonzo1996]

With Work experiences, did anyone fill it out like a resume? I did mine with bullet points and provided a bit more detail than my AMCAS in terms of my actual duties. Or are they looking for something more similar to the AMCAS style with an essay format explaining what you did?

I did a bullet for each activity and a brief description underneath each bullet. It doesn't say to add a description in the actual question but on the pdf they supplied us with it does.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

OK, just venting for a minute. Aside from my volunteering activities, this is nearly a replication of my AMCAS application. I'm a little confused on why we have to list everything that we've already gone into detail with on the primary.

It's fair to feel that that way, it's really quite frustrating and understandable.

Remember there's a few reasons they ask you to do this. For the listing, it's because they want a chronological breakdown of each activity type over time, so they can see how you've developed. It also allows you to include as many activities as you want, since some people didn't have space to fit every clinical or volunteer activity in amcas.

Another reason they ask so many questions is to allow you to tailor your responses to UM. In your primary you may have entered all this info, but now is the time to weave it together into a coherent narrative about why you're a fit for this this school. Try to put emphasis on things UM finds important, and relate your activities to programs you could participate in as a med student.

For example I wrote about my clinical experiences for one question, and directly related it to the work going on at the Miami Project and my major in undergrad.

 

[DBC03]

It's fair to feel that that way, it's really quite frustrating and understandable.

Remember there's a few reasons they ask you to do this. For the listing, it's because they want a chronological breakdown of each activity type over time, so they can see how you've developed. It also allows you to include as many activities as you want, since some people didn't have space to fit every clinical or volunteer activity in amcas.

Another reason they ask so many questions is to allow you to tailor your responses to UM. In your primary you may have entered all this info, but now is the time to weave it together into a coherent narrative about why you're a fit for this this school. Try to put emphasis on things UM finds important, and relate your activities to programs you could participate in as a med student.

For example I wrote about my clinical experiences for one question, and directly related it to the work going on at the Miami Project and my major in undergrad.

I hadn't thought to take a different perspective to tie some of this in to Miami's curriculum or activities. I'll have to look into that. I'm wondering how people just fly through these secondaries.

I appreciated the volunteer breakdown because I was working multiple jobs during the recession and had to quit some of my more important volunteer activities, but I continued to donate our time through one of our businesses.

I also just realized I should probably add the jobs that seemed less important - like cleaning office buildings at night, working at the YMCA, etc. Those might be helpful if they are wondering why there are gaps in my volunteer record.

 

[mas13b]

For those who were previously unable to upload their picture before, I had the option to successfully upload it this morning.

 

[Gonzo1996]

I hadn't thought to take a different perspective to tie some of this in to Miami's curriculum or activities. I'll have to look into that. I'm wondering how people just fly through these secondaries.

I appreciated the volunteer breakdown because I was working multiple jobs during the recession and had to quit some of my more important volunteer activities, but I continued to donate our time through one of our businesses.

I also just realized I should probably add the jobs that seemed less important - like cleaning office buildings at night, working at the YMCA, etc. Those might be helpful if they are wondering why there are gaps in my volunteer record.

I personally, did research on the school before I put it on my list. I also have been involved in thousands of hours of extracurriculars and after that much time it's pretty easy to talk about your experiences. I also feel that I know myself pretty well. Ultimately, everyone is different.

 

[DBC03]

I personally, did research on the school before I put it on my list. I also have been involved in thousands of hours of extracurriculars and after that much time it's pretty easy to talk about your experiences. I also feel that I know myself pretty well. Ultimately, everyone is different.

I have many friends who graduated from Miami as doctors and I've visited them while in school - I love the school so applying was a no brainer. But i graduated 15 years ago, so I suppose I have a lot more to remember (some things get forgotten after that long) when it asks for volunteering and employment.


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[7331poas]

Out of all my secondaries I hate this one the most. Why the hell do they ask you about your "most significant clinical experience" word count 500? This is in my work activities. Why ask me for it again?

Now I have to pull something out of the air about this activity I already described. Thinking about just not submitting a secondary to this school.

 

[Gonzo1996]

I have many friends who graduated from Miami as doctors and I've visited them while in school - I love the school so applying was a no brainer. But i graduated 15 years ago, so I suppose I have a lot more to remember (some things get forgotten after that long) when it asks for volunteering and employment.


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Oh man, kudos to you. I can't imagine going back to school after that long of a break. It is all very fresh for me as I am 21 Hope to see you there for an interview!

 

[DBC03]

Oh man, kudos to you. I can't imagine going back to school after that long of a break. It is all very fresh for me as I am 21 Hope to see you there for an interview!

I am a little jealous! The one positive is I have a lot of resumes that remind me of what I forgot. Good luck - hope to see you there as well!


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[publichealthchick22]

Could current students comment on how quickly they get to interact with patients? Also, is there a rhyme or reason as to what academic society you are placed in?

Rising M2 MD/MPHer here! We had 5 preceptor visits throughout the year, in which we had to observe attendings in internal med, cardio, pulmonology, pediatrics, etc. During those visits, I did get to interact with patients, take a history, and do part of a physical exam.

In addition, we have community service opportunities like DOCS and SJB, where we also can practice taking histories and doing physical exams. So there are opportunities for us to interact with patients as early as first year.

In terms of societies, first years are all assigned mentors from the class above them in the same program. Mentors and mentees are matched according to interests, hobbies, etc. Each mentee will be assigned to the society of their mentor.


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[Kingsmen2018]

Submitted! Lets see if they give OOS the love they say they do!

 

[JohnQ666]

.

 

[Gonzo1996]

Alright, the nerves are starting to get to me(already..bad I know..) Anyone think the fact that I got my application scored in 4 days(7/6-7/10) is a bad sign? -__-

 

[MCATISEZ]

How do you know it was scored?


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