Does application/essays to the scholarly pathways affect our chances for the regular program also?
2018-2019 University of California - Davis
- Thread starter gyngyn
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For the 3 most important experiences, they should be medical-related, correct? On my primary, two of my most meaningful were not med-related, so I'm thinking of choosing two other clinical experiences to expand on. Or do they just want us to expand on the 3 we chose on the primary, even if they aren't specifically related to medicine?
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Are we not supposed to repeat anything from our primary for the activity descriptions??
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I would think that they should be the 3 most meaningful, regardless of whether they are medically-related or not. Only one of the ones I chose is a clinical experience.
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I planned on switching out one of my three for an experience that I feel better “led me to a career in medicine.”
“We apologize for any redundancy - feel free to reproduce the comments from your Primary application and expand on them as appropriate.”
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I did the same. I switched out one of my experiences for another that felt more medically relevant. Let's hope it works out!
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Would 3 B-minuses in prerequisites be something I should bring up for question 1 (anything that may concern admissions)? These were my lowest grades and I have an upward trend.
Tagging @aaronrodgers for MVP wisdom
Tagging @aaronrodgers for MVP wisdom
Nope. They can see that without you bringing it up. Unless, of course, some outside factor had a role in your performance. Like an adversity essay type thing.
Really confused on how to go about the required "elements that might be concerning" question.
I don't want to come off as arrogant, but I'm pretty confident that my application doesn't have any big red flags. Should I just reach and discuss something anyway?
I don't want to come off as arrogant, but I'm pretty confident that my application doesn't have any big red flags. Should I just reach and discuss something anyway?
The general rule of thumb is to not draw attention to it. If adcom thinks its a red flag, they will ask you during your interview.
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Agreed with the other poster! Unless there are significant obstacles which are worthy of bringing up, there’s no need to bring it up! Getting a secondary implies that they saw your grades/trends already anyways!
Im very curious on how they screen applications for secondaries. Last year I had a horrible application and I got a secondary a week after being verified. This year, I have more experiences and a significantly better app with improving my mcat score by more than 10 points. I have been verified since July 7th and nothing yetttt 
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Sooo at what point do i assume I'm just never getting this secondary....
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Application was verified July 14. Received secondary August 8.
I'm honestly really confused by what everyone is saying about the secondary. This is what I have.
There is a supplemental section that is 500 characters:
Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee.
There is a section to fill out prerequisites.
There is an activity section for 3 activites.
There is a section for scholarly pathways.
In the activity section, it does not give any description besides this:
Briefly describe this activity and its significance. How did it prepare you for a medical career? Include any supporting information (e.g. your contribution to the project or accomplishment as well as links to any publication, etc)
I see no additional information that was in the secondary last year:
“We apologize for any redundancy - feel free to reproduce the comments from your Primary application and expand on them as appropriate.” etc etc....
Can anyone point me to where in the application there's this additional information?
I'm honestly really confused by what everyone is saying about the secondary. This is what I have.
There is a supplemental section that is 500 characters:
Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee.
There is a section to fill out prerequisites.
There is an activity section for 3 activites.
There is a section for scholarly pathways.
In the activity section, it does not give any description besides this:
Briefly describe this activity and its significance. How did it prepare you for a medical career? Include any supporting information (e.g. your contribution to the project or accomplishment as well as links to any publication, etc)
I see no additional information that was in the secondary last year:
“We apologize for any redundancy - feel free to reproduce the comments from your Primary application and expand on them as appropriate.” etc etc....
Can anyone point me to where in the application there's this additional information?
mobilesuitgundam95
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Secondary Received 8/9, Verified 6/28
LM 72, IS.
LM 72, IS.
I would say you must mention your reasons if your GPA was bad at your first college. Otherwise, it shouldn’t be necessary; unless by mentioning it you let them know about some challenges you faced.
Is anyone else's activity page formatting really messed up after secondary submission? I can't see the activiy descriptions I wrote anymore.
Hoping it's just a visual error on the application website and that the admissions people can still see it.
Hoping it's just a visual error on the application website and that the admissions people can still see it.
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Are a lot of people still waiting on secondaries or should I count Davis out right about now?
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I'm still waiting too.
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there-goes-my-sanity
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+2. IS w/ strong ties to Davis and Sacramento.
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Does anyone know if it's okay to put "N/A" in the "Do you have any concerns?" question. I called their admissions a few times to clarify, but no one really picked up. Also on that note, for the "Prerequisites" section, I just put the minimum number that satisfied each. Should be okay?
I asked some people who’ve applied before and personally put N/A. It should be fine!! Better than drawing attention to something on your app.
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I think they only let people who receive II upload photos
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I've been sitting on my secondary for about two weeks now (because I've been waiting for an admissions reply) and I'm about ready to submit but I have questions about the prerequisites section (I've called Admissions and left two voicemails but haven't heard back)- I'm a UCLA grad and my year of general chemistry is two four unit lecture classes and 1 three unit lecture/lab class, which only adds up to 11 units. It says that a year is considered 12 quarter units, which means I'm under the minimum. How should I go forward with this if it looks, unit-wise, like I haven't fulfilled the requirement?
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Go for it. If you get accepted, either take a chemistry course at a cc or talk to the admissions office to get the pre req settled
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Where do you see a year being 12 quarter units?
All I see is "General Chemistry, one year - minimum units 8.00." I am assuming these minimum course units can be quarter units, since their example of CHE 118A and BIS 101 are both given in quarter hours. Also, under notes they state "General and Organic Chemistry (Colleges may vary in the number of courses offered to fulfill these particular requirements)."
i.e, enter what you have and don't worry too much
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IS, LM 71, verified 7/15 and received email of UC Davis receiving my app on 7/24 but still no secondary.. anyone else still waiting? I’m getting nervous seeing people verified later getting secondaries already
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Thank you! On the top of the page it has a conversion of semester to quarter units which is how I got the 12 quarter unit minimum, but I realize I’m being really nitpicky. Davis is my top school so I’m super in my own head about it, and I appreciate the advice (I’m just going to send it in)
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I'm still waiting for the secondary, but haven't gotten any verification email yet.
Edit: Well what do you know, I did get verification 7/9.
Edit: Well what do you know, I did get verification 7/9.
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When you guys say verified are you referring to your primary being verified or the email from UCD confirming they received your app?
FWIW I received a confirmation the same day I submitted my app to them. I was technically verified with my primary app end of June but with a throwaway school (took the MCAT end of June). Once I got my MCAT score July 31 I added them to my school list. Hope that helps!
Email from UCD confirming they received my app
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Hey all! just chiming in to give my MS-1 experience at UCDSOM so far
I love the size of our class being only ~115 people. Can't imagine doubling that number or adding 60 more students. Going to a small class lecture doesn't feel intimidating and everyone is genuinely very very nice. Davis has done an amazing job selecting the right personalities/peoples. Of course, also, the pro of a small class is the fact that research, shadowing, student-run free clinic opportunities, etc. will accommodate for everyone! There is no competition for space to do whatever you wish.
Curriculum - The curriculum is Pass/Fail with no internal rankings. Due to previous student feedback, our classes are now catered towards Step 1 prep. We are being taught by a mix of PhDs, MDs, MD/PhD (emergency medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, a retired plastic surgeon, family medicine). Our class facebook page is full of people sharing anki decks, study guides, notes, and memes since there is absolutely no competition between classmates. Histology, Physiology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Population Health lectures are not mandatory - a lot of us are studying at home now. The only thing we have to show up for is doctoring and small-group activities. We are already working on basic clinical skills (interviewing, H&P, physical exams) with standardized patients and scheduling our preceptorship with practicing physicians.
Semi-related - here is the match history since 2003 Residency Class Match Lists - 2003 to 2015 | UC Davis School of Medicine . As expected, you attend a California school, you match into California programs. IMHO, the matches have been stellar. Look at what specialty you have an interest for and see how the students match in regards to that specialty. For example, EM students have consistently gone to UC Davis, UCSF, Stanford, and the other SoCal programs.
Facilities - Facilities are fantastic. Our education building is only ~10 years old and is beautiful with lots of study rooms. It directly connects to the medical library which has reserved study rooms and segmented desks. There is the Scrubs Cafe on the first floor for breakfast, lunch, and coffee. We are right across the street from the Main Hospital / Children's Hospital / Cancer Hospital, etc. Student lounge has a free-food closet, microwaves, fridges, coffee-maker, water station, tables & sofa, and games like ping-pong and darts. Everyone gets their own locker inside the Education Building in case you want to store anything at school. In the same building is the registrar office, financial aid, health counselors, and med student advisors.
There is a student gym ~5 mins away from the Education Building (2 squat racks with Olympic bars, 5 treadmills, 2 stair climbers, leg press machine, bicep curl machine, leg extension machine, shoulder press machine, stretching area, and weight area with ~6 benches and up to 80 lb dumbbells, men & women locker rooms with showers, towel service, hours are 9 AM - 9 PM, there only 5 people in the gym at any given time). Finally, there is a HUGE project called Aggie Square that will grow the medical campus over the upcoming years, starting with a new UC Davis Rehabilitation Hospital: Aggie Square: For Technology, Innovation, Community
The culture of the school - I have to emphasize again that it is NOT COMPETITIVE AT ALL. There is a big/little sib system where MS-2s are paired with MS-1s. MS-2s also are hosting tutoring sessions for all of our classes. Haven't seen many MS-3s or MS-4s because they're now across the street in the hospital all day. Our class itself is very social. We've gone to a lot of bars, restaurants, concerts, outdoor trips already these past 3 weeks. Our age range from 21 to a couple in their 40s. The median age is ~26. There are a couple people here who are non-California residents and didn't even go to a UC school. Most of us did attend UC Davis, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, etc. A good number of students have no connection to NorCal.
Sacramento - The City of Trees. UCDSOM is in a very well-off area of Sacramento. The vibe is very quiet so for those from the Bay Area or LA, it will be a dramatic shift in day-to-day culture. There is no traffic around the hospital, just lots of bikes and people walking around. ~10 mins west is downtown, ~5 min south is all the vietnamese/chinese food, ~10 mins right is the mall/movie theater/ suburbs). Cost of Living is CHEAP!!!! We are paying on average ~650 per month for our own rooms + parking + front lawn + backyard right next to UCDSOM.
Good luck with the app cycle, hope to see you guys soon for interviews!
edit:
I want to be objective and also list any cons I can think of:
1. quizzes are once every two weeks but as a result there aren't high stakes midterms. Also, the quizzes are NON-CUMULATIVE so they only test content in the past 10 school days...now that I think about it, this sounds like a pro...
2. sacramento gets hot durng the summer (but so does all of California) and is not as sexy of a city relative to SF / LA.
3....I'm honestly trying to think of more cons but can't think of anything right now. which is a good thing haha
I love the size of our class being only ~115 people. Can't imagine doubling that number or adding 60 more students. Going to a small class lecture doesn't feel intimidating and everyone is genuinely very very nice. Davis has done an amazing job selecting the right personalities/peoples. Of course, also, the pro of a small class is the fact that research, shadowing, student-run free clinic opportunities, etc. will accommodate for everyone! There is no competition for space to do whatever you wish.
Curriculum - The curriculum is Pass/Fail with no internal rankings. Due to previous student feedback, our classes are now catered towards Step 1 prep. We are being taught by a mix of PhDs, MDs, MD/PhD (emergency medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, a retired plastic surgeon, family medicine). Our class facebook page is full of people sharing anki decks, study guides, notes, and memes since there is absolutely no competition between classmates. Histology, Physiology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Population Health lectures are not mandatory - a lot of us are studying at home now. The only thing we have to show up for is doctoring and small-group activities. We are already working on basic clinical skills (interviewing, H&P, physical exams) with standardized patients and scheduling our preceptorship with practicing physicians.
Semi-related - here is the match history since 2003 Residency Class Match Lists - 2003 to 2015 | UC Davis School of Medicine . As expected, you attend a California school, you match into California programs. IMHO, the matches have been stellar. Look at what specialty you have an interest for and see how the students match in regards to that specialty. For example, EM students have consistently gone to UC Davis, UCSF, Stanford, and the other SoCal programs.
Facilities - Facilities are fantastic. Our education building is only ~10 years old and is beautiful with lots of study rooms. It directly connects to the medical library which has reserved study rooms and segmented desks. There is the Scrubs Cafe on the first floor for breakfast, lunch, and coffee. We are right across the street from the Main Hospital / Children's Hospital / Cancer Hospital, etc. Student lounge has a free-food closet, microwaves, fridges, coffee-maker, water station, tables & sofa, and games like ping-pong and darts. Everyone gets their own locker inside the Education Building in case you want to store anything at school. In the same building is the registrar office, financial aid, health counselors, and med student advisors.
There is a student gym ~5 mins away from the Education Building (2 squat racks with Olympic bars, 5 treadmills, 2 stair climbers, leg press machine, bicep curl machine, leg extension machine, shoulder press machine, stretching area, and weight area with ~6 benches and up to 80 lb dumbbells, men & women locker rooms with showers, towel service, hours are 9 AM - 9 PM, there only 5 people in the gym at any given time). Finally, there is a HUGE project called Aggie Square that will grow the medical campus over the upcoming years, starting with a new UC Davis Rehabilitation Hospital: Aggie Square: For Technology, Innovation, Community
The culture of the school - I have to emphasize again that it is NOT COMPETITIVE AT ALL. There is a big/little sib system where MS-2s are paired with MS-1s. MS-2s also are hosting tutoring sessions for all of our classes. Haven't seen many MS-3s or MS-4s because they're now across the street in the hospital all day. Our class itself is very social. We've gone to a lot of bars, restaurants, concerts, outdoor trips already these past 3 weeks. Our age range from 21 to a couple in their 40s. The median age is ~26. There are a couple people here who are non-California residents and didn't even go to a UC school. Most of us did attend UC Davis, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, etc. A good number of students have no connection to NorCal.
Sacramento - The City of Trees. UCDSOM is in a very well-off area of Sacramento. The vibe is very quiet so for those from the Bay Area or LA, it will be a dramatic shift in day-to-day culture. There is no traffic around the hospital, just lots of bikes and people walking around. ~10 mins west is downtown, ~5 min south is all the vietnamese/chinese food, ~10 mins right is the mall/movie theater/ suburbs). Cost of Living is CHEAP!!!! We are paying on average ~650 per month for our own rooms + parking + front lawn + backyard right next to UCDSOM.
Good luck with the app cycle, hope to see you guys soon for interviews!
edit:
I want to be objective and also list any cons I can think of:
1. quizzes are once every two weeks but as a result there aren't high stakes midterms. Also, the quizzes are NON-CUMULATIVE so they only test content in the past 10 school days...now that I think about it, this sounds like a pro...
2. sacramento gets hot durng the summer (but so does all of California) and is not as sexy of a city relative to SF / LA.
3....I'm honestly trying to think of more cons but can't think of anything right now. which is a good thing haha
Last edited:
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UCDSOM's culture and vibe sounds amazingHey all! just chiming in to give my MS-1 experience at UCDSOM so far
I love the size of our class being only ~115 people. Can't imagine doubling that number or adding 60 more students. Going to a small class lecture doesn't feel intimidating and everyone is genuinely very very nice. Davis has done an amazing job selecting the right personalities/peoples. Of course, also, the pro of a small class is the fact that research, shadowing, student-run free clinic opportunities, etc. will accommodate for everyone! There is no competition for space to do whatever you wish.
Curriculum - The curriculum is Pass/Fail with no internal rankings. Due to previous student feedback, our classes are now catered towards Step 1 prep. We are being taught by a mix of PhDs, MDs, MD/PhD (emergency medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, a retired plastic surgeon, family medicine). Our class facebook page is full of people sharing anki decks, study guides, notes, and memes since there is absolutely no competition between classmates. Histology, Physiology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Population Health lectures are not mandatory - a lot of us are studying at home now. The only thing we have to show up for is doctoring and small-group activities. We are already working on basic clinical skills (interviewing, H&P, physical exams) with standardized patients and scheduling our preceptorship with practicing physicians.
Semi-related - here is the match history since 2003 Residency Class Match Lists - 2003 to 2015 | UC Davis School of Medicine . As expected, you attend a California school, you match into California programs. IMHO, the matches have been stellar. Look at what specialty you have an interest for and see how the students match in regards to that specialty. For example, EM students have consistently gone to UC Davis, UCSF, Stanford, and the other SoCal programs.
Facilities - Facilities are fantastic. Our education building is only ~10 years old and is beautiful with lots of study rooms. It directly connects to the medical library which has reserved study rooms and segmented desks. There is the Scrubs Cafe on the first floor for breakfast, lunch, and coffee. We are right across the street from the Main Hospital / Children's Hospital / Cancer Hospital, etc. Student lounge has a free-food closet, microwaves, fridges, coffee-maker, water station, tables & sofa, and games like ping-pong and darts. Everyone gets their own locker inside the Education Building in case you want to store anything at school. In the same building is the registrar office, financial aid, health counselors, and med student advisors.
There is a student gym ~5 mins away from the Education Building (2 squat racks with Olympic bars, 5 treadmills, 2 stair climbers, leg press machine, bicep curl machine, leg extension machine, shoulder press machine, stretching area, and weight area with ~6 benches and up to 80 lb dumbbells, men & women locker rooms with showers, towel service, hours are 9 AM - 9 PM, there only 5 people in the gym at any given time). Finally, there is a HUGE project called Aggie Square that will grow the medical campus over the upcoming years, starting with a new UC Davis Rehabilitation Hospital: Aggie Square: For Technology, Innovation, Community
The culture of the school - I have to emphasize again that it is NOT COMPETITIVE AT ALL. There is a big/little sib system where MS-2s are paired with MS-1s. MS-2s also are hosting tutoring sessions for all of our classes. Haven't seen many MS-3s or MS-4s because they're now across the street in the hospital all day. Our class itself is very social. We've gone to a lot of bars, restaurants, concerts, outdoor trips already these past 3 weeks. Our age range from 21 to a couple in their 40s. The median age is ~26. There are a couple people here who are non-California residents and didn't even go to a UC school. Most of us did attend UC Davis, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, etc. A good number of students have no connection to NorCal.
Sacramento - The City of Trees. UCDSOM is in a very well-off area of Sacramento. The vibe is very quiet so for those from the Bay Area or LA, it will be a dramatic shift in day-to-day culture. There is no traffic around the hospital, just lots of bikes and people walking around. We are ~10 mins west is downtown, ~5 min south is all the vietnamese/chinese food, ~10 mins right is the mall/movie theater/ suburbs). Cost of Living is CHEAP!!!! We are paying on average ~650 per month for our own rooms + parking + front lawn + backyard right next to UCDSOM.
Good luck with the app cycle, hope to see you guys soon for interviews!
D
deleted926959
Secondary received!
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When were you verified? Also congrats!Secondary received!
D
deleted926959
About 5 days ago, IS
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Just got secondary as well. Anyone knows how to deal with their work/activities section? It's literally amcas again.
NVM: Just edited a bit from AMCAS. And only 3 activities are required
NVM: Just edited a bit from AMCAS. And only 3 activities are required
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Also got my secondary invite, just when I had lost all hope (figured my GPA wouldn't make it through screening or they had tossed out my app because I have some old prereqs)
^^^ I dread completing the activities section. I genuinely need to know what is the point when the same information is right there. I mean, Imma still do it regardless. AFAIK you're fine copying and pasting from your primary app.
^^^ I dread completing the activities section. I genuinely need to know what is the point when the same information is right there. I mean, Imma still do it regardless. AFAIK you're fine copying and pasting from your primary app.
anyone see where they define norcal? i've been looking through all their program pages and digging around on the md school site but i haven't been able to find it.
is berkeley included in their definition of norcal?
is berkeley included in their definition of norcal?
D
deleted926959
Do they actually define it? I just went by typical Northern California... Berkeley is definitely NorCal
earlier in the thread some people were saying that oakland wasn't considered by davis to be "NorCal", and that they found some information on the website about it
