Gems 2011-12

[Rose Croix]

Although a majority of applicants to GEMS are minorities, the main focus of GEMS is about those who are underprivileged

Succinct.

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[deleted212839]

Hey guys,
I had a broad general question about the program. Although not from a particular ethnic minority URM, I am however "socioeconomically disadvantaged" and was wondering how that might weigh-in w the adcom? More specifically, I am a recipient of the FAP thru AMCAS. Does anybody know if they will see that in my original amcas application and consider me disadvantaged accordingly?
Thanks

If you've got FAP, you ARE disadvantaged.

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

Hey guys,

I had a broad general question about the program. Although not from a particular ethnic minority URM, I am however "socioeconomically disadvantaged" and was wondering how that might weigh-in w the adcom? More specifically, I am a recipient of the FAP thru AMCAS. Does anybody know if they will see that in my original amcas application and consider me disadvantaged accordingly?

Thanks

Hey xducexx,

You should be fine as long as you can explain why you are economically disadvantaged. I pulled this from the GEMS brochure, "GEMS students are United States citizens from dis- advantaged backgrounds. Many are from groups that have been traditionally under-represented in medicine (African Americans, Mainland Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americans and Native Americans)".
You should apply if you believe that you are from a disadvantaged background. The brochure states that GEMS students are US citizen( one requirement) and "many" are from URM, not all. Good luck!

 

[xducexx]

much appreciated thank you

 

[ddogark]

much appreciated thank you

As someone stated earlier, since you are a FAP recipient then are disadvantaged.

 

[LoveMyRam]

...

getdown? WOW

 

[xINAx]

Hello everybody!

I just turned in my application yesterday, and my packet of letters was submitted electronically by my advisor. Does anyone know when and where I can find out whether my file is complete (whether they received the letters, and if they need anything else to complete my file)??? The deadline is approaching and I just want to make sure that they have everything they need...

good luck to all of you who applied this year!!!

 

[deleted212839]

.

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

Hello everybody!

I just turned in my application yesterday, and my packet of letters was submitted electronically by my advisor. Does anyone know when and where I can find out whether my file is complete (whether they received the letters, and if they need anything else to complete my file)??? The deadline is approaching and I just want to make sure that they have everything they need...

good luck to all of you who applied this year!!!

You should receive an e-mail at some point letting you know that your file is complete. You will be notified if your application package is missing any of the requirements or if your file contains documents that are not acceptable. Good luck!

 

[xINAx]

Anyway, I have a quick question. For the last two questions ( disadvantaged and how you plan to use GEMS essays), is it better to just cut/paste or upload the documents? If you cut/paste, you automatically ensure that you remain within the character limits. Any ideas?

I uploaded my essay question (disadvantaged) because it was a little over the character limit. I thought that was acceptable???...

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

I uploaded my essay question (disadvantaged) because it was a little over the character limit. I thought that was acceptable???...

You can cut/paste or upload the essays, but it will automatically reduce the characters to the given limits. Did you double check the essay after uploading it? I would go back and check it to make sure that the last few characters( # of characters over limit) did not get deleted.

 

[lourdes1975]

for this cycle as well... i know i know... late, but i just found out about it this month. is it too late?

a few questions:

how many letters of recommendation do they need? there's only space for two names on the application online. do they need physician recommendation (making the LOR count 3+ because 2 have to be from science faculty?) can the letters arrive after the 25th or must be in their hands by the 25th?

thanks and good luck to everyone!

 

[Rose Croix]

So far we have:



lourdes

goodtobetrue

xinax

xdeucexx

Rose Croix (me)

tima

Sho

Glyco85

Coolski

GoodtobeTrue

DreamHope

Vickyl

Aldokid1

Futuredoctor 09

Falore

Dr. Flagators

16 Applying (on this forum) ?

 

[lourdes1975]

I think that about sums up our applicants this cycle from this thread unless we have lurkers that are not feeling particularly chatty

 

[lourdes1975]

So far we have:



lourdes

goodtobetrue

xinax

xdeucexx

Rose Croix (me)

tima

Sho

Glyco85

Coolski

GoodtobeTrue

DreamHope

Vickyl

Aldokid1

Futuredoctor 09

Falore

Dr. Flagators

16 Applying (on this forum) ?

we have TWO goodtobetrue applicants?

 

[Rose Croix]

we have TWO goodtobetrue applicants?

Great catch.


So in 2008, 2009, and 2010, 18%, 13%, and 17% of applicants were accepted (roughly).

In 2010, 29% of applicants were granted interviews out of 178. Which is around 52-ish.


2008 had 149 applicants

2009 had 210 applicants

2010 had 178 applicants

If it doesn't deviate from approximately 30% being granted interviews that gives us a range of 43-63 interviewees.

Our 15 is approximately 7-10% of the applicant pool.


Think those odds are working in our favor? Maybe we all get interviews?





Feel free to correct my math, or add insight.

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

for this cycle as well... i know i know... late, but i just found out about it this month. is it too late?

a few questions:

how many letters of recommendation do they need? there's only space for two names on the application online. do they need physician recommendation (making the LOR count 3+ because 2 have to be from science faculty?) can the letters arrive after the 25th or must be in their hands by the 25th?

thanks and good luck to everyone!

You need two letters from recent science and math professors, i.e, no letters from a physician ( unless you get prior approval I imagine). You must submit your application by the 15th( print the recommendation form ASAP because it may not be available after this date), but you have up till the 25th to get all supporting documents in. Good luck!

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

Hey Lourdes and Rose,

Good job tallying the applicants!! Good luck to us all !!

 

[lourdes1975]

You need two letters from recent science and math professors, i.e, no letters from a physician ( unless you get prior approval I imagine). You must submit your application by the 15th( print the recommendation form ASAP because it may not be available after this date), but you have up till the 25th to get all supporting documents in. Good luck!

Clarification on the deadline: This is from their informational letter on the website itself.

"The enclosed brochure describes the program. The March 25, 2011 deadline is firm and applies to all application materials
including transcripts and letters of recommendation. Only completed applications will be reviewed by the Committee."

 

[lourdes1975]

Here's my confusion though along with my thoughts.

I'm assuming that you can START the online by Mar 15-- which then gives you until Mar 25 to submit it.

As far as ALL MATERIALS, there was a previous post stating:
"a completed application consists of:
- an application
- recommendation letters
- transcripts
- and application fee"

Is the list above accurate? I'm addressing this question to those who have already received confirmation of completed files via postcard or email. Thanks for any help!

 

[babo]

Me too! I am applying so that's n=17. Interestingly i was emailed by GEMS staff requesting letter of recommendation from Math professor. Did anyone else sent math lor?

So far we have:



lourdes

goodtobetrue

xinax

xdeucexx

Rose Croix (me)

tima

Sho

Glyco85

Coolski

GoodtobeTrue

DreamHope

Vickyl

Aldokid1

Futuredoctor 09

Falore

Dr. Flagators

16 Applying (on this forum) ?

 

[babo]

Can you elaborate on the assessment test during the interview? I read in previous post that it is basic science stuff. Is it multiple choice, short answer....It has been a longg time since i sat for mcat so should i re-visit my science books?

Good luck everyone!! If you have any questions please post them and the current GEMS and I will do our best to reply to them. It may take some time for a reply due to our schedule, but we will do our best, we are here to help you guys! My best recommendation at this point is to go through the old threads because there is some good info on here. Again, good luck and best wishes! ddogark

 

[babo]

Hi Bonne Chance, Can you elaborate on the assessment tests that are done during interviews? I am not sure what to expect and previous forums have not elaborated on the topics except that it's basic science. For those of us who have not recently sat for MCAT should we revisit our science books?

This program has been a real life changing experience. It's as if you were being accepted into a new family. It is not a competitive environment between classmates but one in which you grow with each other as individuals. There is not just academic guidance; but personal guidance throughout the program as well. The curriculum that you tackle before taking the medical modules adequately prepare you and our class averages have more than shown that.

If you have any specifics about the program, I am more than willing to answer. But overall...let's just say this program has made me more than confident that I am capable of excelling throughout medical school if given the opportunity and I am confident that my classmates feel the same way.

 

[Rose Croix]

lourdes

goodtobetrue

xinax

xdeucexx

Rose Croix (me)

tima

Sho

Glyco85

Coolski

Babo

DreamHope

Vickyl

Aldokid1

Futuredoctor 09

Falore

Dr. Flagators

16 Applying (on this forum)





On another note, I had a post acceptance question. Is it safe to say that we will be wearing professional dress throughout the year?

And like babu, I'd also like to know any information about the assesment testing. Is it standardized i.e, mcat-ish?

 

[Rainbwbuterflys]

Hi all,

I just submitted my app two days ago.

I'm a little concerned about the character limit for the disadvantaged essay question. Not sure why I did this, but I included the essay question in the file I uploaded, making the characters over the 2000 limit. If the essay is cut off at 2000, that could be a problem... I'll try calling on monday to see if that's an issue.

Good luck everyone!

 

[deleted212839]

.

 

[tima]

Hi all,

I just submitted my app two days ago.

I'm a little concerned about the character limit for the disadvantaged essay question. Not sure why I did this, but I included the essay question in the file I uploaded, making the characters over the 2000 limit. If the essay is cut off at 2000, that could be a problem... I'll try calling on monday to see if that's an issue.

Good luck everyone!

The character limit doesn't apply when you upload the document. I did the same thing as you and my entire essay was there. Before you submitted, did you look at PDF of the entire application. I did, and everything was there.

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

I uploaded my essay question (disadvantaged) because it was a little over the character limit. I thought that was acceptable???...

Clarification on the deadline: This is from their informational letter on the website itself.

"The enclosed brochure describes the program. The March 25, 2011 deadline is firm and applies to all application materials
including transcripts and letters of recommendation. Only completed applications will be reviewed by the Committee."

Hi Lourdes,

I got this from the brochure, "Applications will be available to any interested candi- date for admission between February 15th and March 15th only.The deadline for 2011 applications is March 25, 2011."
You may be right, but I wouldn't wait until the 16th to submit my application. What if the application is not on the site after the 15th?

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

Is there a mistake? ONLY 100 characters to explain the "financial consideration" question? How can I make my response THAT short??!!

I thought it was a mistake at well, but maybe we don't have to go into great detail. I mean 100 characters is ~ a sentence long and that's not much.

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

Hi all,

I just submitted my app two days ago.

I'm a little concerned about the character limit for the disadvantaged essay question. Not sure why I did this, but I included the essay question in the file I uploaded, making the characters over the 2000 limit. If the essay is cut off at 2000, that could be a problem... I'll try calling on monday to see if that's an issue.

Good luck everyone!

Hey,
You can always go back into the application and click view document in order to double check your essay.

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

lourdes

goodtobetrue

xinax

xdeucexx

Rose Croix (me)

tima

Sho

Glyco85

Coolski

Babo

DreamHope

Vickyl

Aldokid1

Futuredoctor 09

Falore

Dr. Flagators

Rainbwbuterflys

17 applying from forum so far .........

 

[Bonne Chance]

Hi Bonne Chance, Can you elaborate on the assessment tests that are done during interviews? I am not sure what to expect and previous forums have not elaborated on the topics except that it's basic science. For those of us who have not recently sat for MCAT should we revisit our science books?

Hey,

Not sure if we can reveal much about it but let's just say that you cannot prepare for the examination. It's just basic science; similar to MCAT questions. I believe that the questions are altered every year and I'm pretty sure that they are not going to base your admission 100% on that examination. It may be a piece that will be utilized to track your growth throughout the program.

Anyhow, that is my belief, although no one really knows how the admission process works.

Good luck guys! Hope to see you soon

 

[xducexx]

Hey,
You can always go back into the application and click view document in order to double check your essay.

Hey Sorry, I tried doing that to check if my uploaded document was not truncated but I was not able to check whether its been uploaded or not in the first place. Can you help??

basically, I just want to see if my separate word document describing my disadvantages was uploaded and if any of it is missing.

thanks

 

[Nichomachean]

There will be 2 tests you will take during your GEMS interview. 1 is a personality/study habit test and the other one will test your general science foundation. Concepts include basic chemistry, biology and biochemistry although a majority of it will be biology questions testing a range of material from genetics to endocrinology, etc. There's really no point in studying and stressing over it since it doesn't really play a role in your admissions chances although it doesn't hurt to brush up on concepts. But regardless try to take it seriously as these are probably concept you'll most likely cover during your GEMS year in one form or another.

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

Hey Sorry, I tried doing that to check if my uploaded document was not truncated but I was not able to check whether its been uploaded or not in the first place. Can you help??

basically, I just want to see if my separate word document describing my disadvantages was uploaded and if any of it is missing.

thanks

Hey xducexx, there should be a view uploaded document option below the " upload document" button. Another option is to check the final printout of your application, all of your essays should be visible on the printout. I cut and pasted mine, so all of my essays are still visible to me.
Anyone else (who uploaded their essay) has any other ideas on how to go back in and view it?

 

[Rainbwbuterflys]

Thanks tima and GoodtobeTrue.

I checked the document right after uploading and everything was there. I think it is fine.

 

[lourdes1975]

Will it be a problem if I didn't indicate in my AMCAS application that I had a disadvantaged childhood (upon suggestion of some other people)?

I started working as a sophomore in high school until college to contribute to our family's income because I came from a single father household who had to support 3 children at home and one in our home country. My father never finished college, and he was working in delivery.

Thanks for any insights!

 

[deleted212839]

It doesn't matter if you indicated 'disadvantaged' on AMCAS or not. Your essays to GEMS will make it clear.

 

[ddogark]

Can you elaborate on the assessment test during the interview? I read in previous post that it is basic science stuff. Is it multiple choice, short answer....It has been a longg time since i sat for mcat so should i re-visit my science books?

Actually, you should not waste time preparing for it because it does not weigh on you admission decision. ITS ONLY A TOOL USED FOR PREPARING THE NEW INCOMING GEMS CLASS FOR THE FALL. Its an exam to see where everyone is at.

 

[LoveMyRam]

You guys have a lot of questions about the application itself, and I know the demands/errors of the application itself can be frustrating to deal with, but do your best to just follow directions, and submit ASAP. This is ROLLING ADMISSIONS, even though the very last app submitted will still get its proper attention just like all other apps.

The dress for classes is casual, as most of us do, however, through the year we are all looked at for our appearance, our interaction with students and faculty, and even who we study with. Not to get you paranoid or anything, its really not that big of a deal, so dont give it more attention than it needs.

2 exams as stated earlier, but don't fret! They want to just get an idea of you who are, not who your not, so trying to ACE it won't help you, but rather when you take the tests, answer questions with the same logic you would use on any other exam.

Lastly, I'm well acquainted with all the current gems on this forum, but Bonne Chance I have no idea who you are, but when I find out... EXPOSURE

 

[AriM]

Hey guys, I'm also applying to the program so I guess that makes it 18 that are on the forum. Good luck to you all!

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

lourdes

goodtobetrue

xinax

xdeucexx

Rose Croix (me)

tima

Sho

Glyco85

Coolski

Babo

DreamHope

Vickyl

Aldokid1

Futuredoctor 09

Falore

Dr. Flagators

Rainbwbuterflys

AriM

18 applying from thread so far.

 

[xducexx]

Hey guys,

Apparently I accidentally uploaded the wrong essay on the application and its been complete for about a week now I just found out last night, so I emailed the GEMS adcom w the intended essay attached as a word document. But I have not heard a reply yet. I was wondering if any GEMS students/alumni can offer any perspectives on this issue? any guidance would be much appreciated.

I hope they will allow me to make this important correction.

 

[babo]

Actually, you should not waste time preparing for it because it does not weigh on you admission decision. ITS ONLY A TOOL USED FOR PREPARING THE NEW INCOMING GEMS CLASS FOR THE FALL. Its an exam to see where everyone is at.

Thanks all! This definitely help . Now let's pray we get interviews...

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

Hey guys,

Apparently I accidentally uploaded the wrong essay on the application and its been complete for about a week now I just found out last night, so I emailed the GEMS adcom w the intended essay attached as a word document. But I have not heard a reply yet. I was wondering if any GEMS students/alumni can offer any perspectives on this issue? any guidance would be much appreciated.

I hope they will allow me to make this important correction.

Sorry to hear about your technical difficulty, at least you caught the error and contacted them immediately. I got this from the application direction " If you have updates to any information you have submitted, please notify the admissions office at once." Good luck !!

 

[xducexx]

Sorry to hear about your technical difficulty, at least you caught the error and contacted them immediately. I got this from the application direction " If you have updates to any information you have submitted, please notify the admissions office at once." Good luck !!

thanks Goodtobetrue!!
Here's the thing.... how can I know they even accepted it? i didnt even get an "ok we ll change it" from them.... just the silent treatment lol

you think they'll get bothered if I send another email ?? lol

Appreciate your help

 

[GoodtobeTrue]

thanks Goodtobetrue!!
Here's the thing.... how can I know they even accepted it? i didnt even get an "ok we ll change it" from them.... just the silent treatment lol

you think they'll get bothered if I send another email ?? lol

Appreciate your help

You may not have gotten a confirmational e-mail from them due to the fact that you contacted them on the weekend. Give them until tomorrow and then call and try to speak with someone to ensure some resolution.

 

[ddogark]

Hey guys,

Apparently I accidentally uploaded the wrong essay on the application and its been complete for about a week now I just found out last night, so I emailed the GEMS adcom w the intended essay attached as a word document. But I have not heard a reply yet. I was wondering if any GEMS students/alumni can offer any perspectives on this issue? any guidance would be much appreciated.

I hope they will allow me to make this important correction.

Hey, the committee does not work on the weekend. They should reply within the next 2-3 business days. You should be fine.

 

[1913BabyDoc]

Hey i guess i make 20.

I have some questions about the structure of the program:

How many classes do the gems take per semester? Are they taken with gtown m1s or do gems have their own sections?
Are classes monday through friday? 9-5?

thanks

 

[deleted212839]

Did they sent you a confirmation when they've received ALL of your materials?