Admissions consulting

[JGNYC]

Can anyone recommend an individual or company that could help me with the application process? Like a consulting firm. Thanks

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[femmegoblue]

I think you're lookin' at it right here! Fo free. SDN is a wealth of knowledge.

 

[Goro]

SDN is exactly what you're looking for. Just ignore the hyper-neuroticisms and angst.

Can anyone recommend an individual or company that could help me with the application process? Like a consulting firm. Thanks

 

[WedgeDawg]

I charge 5 billion dollars per hour

 

[mavric1298]

I'll charge 4.9 billion an hour, and if you use promo code: shallweshagnoorshallweshaglater I'll throw in a free neckerchief


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[Ad2b]

I talked to Judy Colwell at one point early on. She inspired and directed me to various sites, including this one of which I remain a member. Much of what I've needed I got here, though, I might talk to her again for secondaries.

 

[mavric1298]

If you do want something professional - I would check out Dr Ryan Gray, I think he runs a service (if I remember correctly, he was on an episode of short coat podcast, and has his own podcast), and seemed legit. Something to at least look into, his story is really cool


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[gyngyn]

Can anyone recommend an individual or company that could help me with the application process? Like a consulting firm. Thanks

I've never seen one that I'd pay for.
The number of faux doctors/entrepreneurs in this type of "consulting" is legion.
I've even seen them apply to our medical school. They have the audacity to include their business as an EC.

 

[QofQuimica]

Can anyone recommend an individual or company that could help me with the application process? Like a consulting firm. Thanks

Can you be a little more specific w.r.t. what kind of help you're looking for? Because while SDN provides excellent help for many things, if you're looking for some very individualized or specific advice, it may not be the best (or only) resource you should use.

 

[trev5150]

is there an SDN promo code

No but the safe word is "huge".

 

[trev5150]

Isnt that "YUGE!"

The "Duh" is silent.

 

[studentdoctorpremed]

Can anyone recommend an individual or company that could help me with the application process? Like a consulting firm. Thanks

A few of my friends used bemo academic consulting for applications, interview and casper test and from what I heard they were happy. I haven't used their services myself (and here I am applying again lol) but I do read their blog posts and seem to be pretty good. At the end of the day I think it's your best bet to call a few and get a sense for yourself.

 

[AnotherLawyer]

SDN is exactly what you're looking for. Just ignore the hyper-neuroticisms and angst.

If only it were so easy.

 

[JGNYC]

Thank you guys for all the feedback. Now I have another question

THIS IS WHY I NEED PROFESSIONAL HELP! ha

Okay, so I was pretty terrible my first two years of undergrad. I ended up graduating from NJIT with a business degree and an overall 3.2 over GPA. I just finished up my post-bacc and my GPA is nearly 4.0 (1/2 is at a 4 year university and the other 1/2 was completed at a community college). And if I am correct, AAMC combines undergrad with post-bacc undergrad courses so my total GPA is probably about the same ~3.4-.5. I take my MCAT in May, and realistically I think my score will be around 505-ish. I do not have research experience, and my volunteering / shadowing hours are okay. In May, I plan to start the AAP at JHU for masters in biotech. I am an African American female. My permanent address (parents' house) is in NJ, but I also have residence in NYC.

What are my options in terms of MD? How is SGU? In general, thoughts on Caribbean vs DO?

I know, I need nothing short of a miracle, but please keep the negative comments and sarcasm to a minimum. I really appreciate any helpful info.

Thanks in advance!

 

[gyngyn]

Thank you guys for all the feedback. Now I have another question

THIS IS WHY I NEED PROFESSIONAL HELP! ha

Okay, so I was pretty terrible my first two years of undergrad. I ended up graduating from NJIT with a business degree and an overall 3.2 over GPA. I just finished up my post-bacc and my GPA is nearly 4.0 (1/2 is at a 4 year university and the other 1/2 was completed at a community college). And if I am correct, AAMC combines undergrad with post-bacc undergrad courses so my total GPA is probably about the same ~3.4-.5. I take my MCAT in May, and realistically I think my score will be around 505-ish. I do not have research experience, and my volunteering / shadowing hours are okay. In May, I plan to start the AAP at JHU for masters in biotech. I am an African American female. My permanent address (parents' house) is in NJ, but I also have residence in NYC.

What are my options in terms of MD? How is SGU? In general, thoughts on Caribbean vs DO?

I know, I need nothing short of a miracle, but please keep the negative comments and sarcasm to a minimum. I really appreciate any helpful info.

Thanks in advance!

Your MD chances will be very good if you score 505.
You have the NJ schools (and some in NY and PA) as well as the 3 HBCU affiliated medical schools.
You will have many more if you score better.

Any US school (MD or DO) will be far more committed to your success than the Caribbean schools.
The Caribbean is a last ditch choice after at least two good tries (with interval remediation) in the US.

 

[JGNYC]

Your MD chances will be very good if you score 505.
You have the NJ schools (and some in NY and PA) as well as the 3 HBCU affiliated medical schools.
You will have many more if you score better.

Any US school (MD or DO) will be far more committed to your success than the Caribbean schools.
The Caribbean is a last ditch choice after at least two good tries (with interval remediation) in the US.

Awe, well that makes me feel a lot better. I am a little disappointed in your opinion of SGU though. Their website seems so promising. They make it seem as if residency placement is no problem. and they are more competitive with US MD programs than they have ever been in the past.

 

[mavric1298]

Of course the website looked promising, it's all promotional material for a for-profit school. All of the carib med schools like to make it seem like they are top class...but in actuality they are nothing of the sort. Very expensive, very high dropout rates, and if you go and look at the actual match data, it's not nearly as rosy as they like to make it seem. It should be an absolute last option. During one of my interviews at lunch I sat with a professor who previously taught at one of the schools. He said the majority of the class was woefully unprepared (they have very lax admission standards and it shows), making his job very difficult, and said he would advise anyone against it.

 

[gyngyn]

Awe, well that makes me feel a lot better. I am a little disappointed in your opinion of SGU though. Their website seems so promising. They make it seem as if residency placement is no problem. and they are more competitive with US MD programs than they have ever been in the past.

They are not LCME accredited and their promotional material is not reviewed by any objective third party.
The closest thing we have to data on outcomes is from 2014: http://www.ecfmg.org/resources/NRMP...atch-International-Medical-Graduates-2014.pdf
If you look at the island on which SGU is located, you see that 258 of 792 applicants failed to match in their preferred specialty.
This does not even include the hundreds of matriculants who were never allowed to take the USMLE. A US school with this kind of attrition and outcomes would be censured and closed.

 

[JGNYC]

Thank you guys! All your feedback is invaluable!

 

[Dr. Souk]

Of course the website looked promising, it's all promotional material for a for-profit school. All of the carib med schools like to make it seem like they are top class...but in actuality they are nothing of the sort. Very expensive, very high dropout rates, and if you go and look at the actual match data, it's not nearly as rosy as they like to make it seem. It should be an absolute last option. During one of my interviews at lunch I sat with a professor who previously taught at one of the schools. He said the majority of the class was woefully unprepared (they have very lax admission standards and it shows), making his job very difficult, and said he would advise anyone against it.

Thanks for the advice/tip on the carib med schools - deciding how viable an option they might be if I need them. Keep hearing different takes on them.

 

[Chimichica]

@JGNYC pm me, for a personal account of SGU

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[Doc_Ock]

DO over Caribbean any day.

 

[SupermommyMD]

I only know of Accepted.com but they can be a little pricey sometimes. Although they are have a sale for 10% of until May 10th. Using code MDSAVE

Best,

Cristina
SupermomMD.org

 

[BombsAway]

OP. Recent article on an MD school in Missouri talked about their accreditation being in jeopardy for lack of diversity. Their counter point was that they didn't have enough URM applicants, and the ones they made offers to matriculated elsewhere. You have a 505/3.4, apply there along with the HBU's and DO's.

 

[Dr. Souk]

A few of my friends used bemo academic consulting for applications, interview and casper test and from what I heard they were happy. I haven't used their services myself (and here I am applying again lol) but I do read their blog posts and seem to be pretty good. At the end of the day I think it's your best bet to call a few and get a sense for yourself.

Yeh I like their blog posts - seem to be pretty regularly updated as well.