Sackler 2014!

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caseofthemndays

caseofthemndays

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I know it's early, but I just submitted the application and sent in my letters. Who's with me?
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caseofthemndays said:
I know it's early, but I just submitted the application and sent in my letters. Who's with me?
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I'm thinking about it. I can't decide if it's a stupid idea or not. My interest is not in primary care, and I'm worried that I'll really hurt my chances at a competitive residency. I know people still match into competitive specialties from Sackler, but it's hard enough from a US MD school and it seems crazy to make things potentially more difficult for myself.
 
Well, the apps only $50. It doesn't hurt to try.... You never know what your train of thought will be 8 months from now....
 
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caseofthemndays said:
Well, the apps only $50. It doesn't hurt to try.... You never know what your train of thought will be 8 months from now....
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I've decided to apply. The website and online application is disconcertingly ghetto. For extracurricular activities and employment do you know if I'm just supposed to list everything with no description, or do you think I should copy and paste from my AAMCAS app.?
Todah.
 
" The website and online application is disconcertingly ghetto. "

haha! Yeah, it's not as organized. Ummm.... I just listed everything with a date and a brief (one sentence) description. For example: Job X. Aug 07-Aug 09. Duties included kicking ass and raising hell. That was it. I think a lengthy description for everything would be really hard to read, because you can't format in that text box.
 
What field are you interested in?
I guess the app hasnt changed in years, I remember just adding another sheet with my stuff since the one they gave was so poor.
 
I'm new to this forum, but I applied to Sackler back in July, and I am still waiting to hear from them. I know they said that they don't start interviews until January, but now it's the middle of January and I haven't heard anything yet. I have a 27O MCAT and a 3.8 GPA. Do you think I have a good chance? I just had an interview at BGU and I heard that is harder to get into. Has anyone been invited for an interview yet?
 
your stats look fine. Your gpa is ultra-high for them. I interviewed last year with a 29, and my interviewer said that that was above their average. But, they are looking for someone who is going to acclimate well to living in another country. Have you been to Israel? do you speak the language? Do you have friends/family there? Have you lived abroad in general? I think I got an interview in Feb last year, and I was complete early too.
 
That's good to hear! I am actually living in Israel right now, and I'm coming home to NY for a week for another interview. I am coming home for a month, and am hoping that my Sackler interview will fall within the dates that I am home. In the worst case I will extend my stay, but I would rather not do that. I speak hebrew pretty well, and I've visited the campus and sat in on a class. I'm glad to hear that you were in the same boat as I am and you got in :)
 
You sound like a perfect candidate. Ha, no i didn't get in last year. I got an interview, but I definitely lacked the maturity they were looking for. I just think you'll hear some ludicrous statements about stats, especially on this website, but last year 29 MCAT was still above their average, so I think you have a really good chance. good luck
 
oh sorry, where did you end up? or are you reapplying? Thanks so much for the advice, i'm keeping my fingers crossed. Did you have an interview at BGU also?
 
anyone heard from sackler yet? I applied in the summer and am waiting patiently...but pretty anxious...
 
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I spoke with them last week when I was visiting New York for another interview. They told me that they have not started looking at applications yet, but will start towards the end of the month. In November, they said they would start in January, but My personal gut is telling me not to get my hopes up for January.
 
Just heard - got an interview! Set up for Feb 24
 
Hey everyone! So I had my interview today and it was so relaxed and laid back. The interviewer seemed genuinely interested in my application and the extracurricular activities I have done. Most of the time we just talked about the school and living in Israel, since I have been living there for about a year and a half. The office of admissions is beautiful, located next to Central Park, and I think they have improved their video, which really impressed me. They said that I would hear back from them in a few month, but if they told me tomorrow that I got in, I would send my deposit immediately. So excited!
 
lgrabowi said:
Hey everyone! So I had my interview today and it was so relaxed and laid back. The interviewer seemed genuinely interested in my application and the extracurricular activities I have done. Most of the time we just talked about the school and living in Israel, since I have been living there for about a year and a half. The office of admissions is beautiful, located next to Central Park, and I think they have improved their video, which really impressed me. They said that I would hear back from them in a few month, but if they told me tomorrow that I got in, I would send my deposit immediately. So excited!
Click to expand...

Hey congrats and good luck! do you know who it was that interviewed you and do any question stand out?
 
emanuelme said:
Hey congrats and good luck! do you know who it was that interviewed you and do any question stand out?
Click to expand...

different interviewee here (duh) but I can ans this for you-
I Interviewed yesterday (2/3) and I felt the same way as the other poster -really laid back and ENJOYABLE interview. no quiz type questions, no pressure. really conversational, like he genuinely wanted to know more about me. nothing stood out. it was like have you been to israel (yes, dozens of times!) do you speak hebrew (fluently), what have you done since graduation that is not on your CV, do you have any questions for me. it was very relaxed, and I hope he thought highly of me. the guy who interviewed me was a sackler alum who lives in the area, hes not on their faculty or anything. interviewed at same location.
hope that helps! good luck. it is my top choice so I am keeping my fingers crossed!
 
Received an interview invite last Monday. Now just wantin' for a date to be scheduled.

Just a thought: any other Canadian applicants out there?
 
I've been complete since early November, but no interview invite yet... not looking too good for me
 
sagtig said:
I've been complete since early November, but no interview invite yet... not looking too good for me
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just to put things in perspective for you a little bit- Ive been complete since JULY! the Israeli schools tend to interview a bit later than the American schools. not having an invite YET doesnt (IMVHO but what do I know) mean its the end....send them a letter of interest, maybe that will help get the ball rolling...
 
I am canadian

I have an interview tmrw

Mine was full complete prob jan, yet i got an int pretty quickly

those wit no invite...what are ur stats?
 
I just got an invite... so excited!

Sackler is an incredible school, and it is my dream to go here...

my interview's scheduled for early March, I'll make sure to provide some post-interview feedback

if anyone is interested, you can pm me for my stats, and I was complete in early November

good luck to all those applying/interviewing
 
Hi all, thought I might provide a little interview feedback for those interested, as well as some thoughts and opinions.

All in all, the entire process felt more like a relaxed conversation than the intensive mock-scenario interview that most North American medical schools employ. In fact, the first statement out of my interviewer's mouth was "so I haven't actually had a chance to look through you're entire application...". The interview mostly involved me reiterating my personal statement, which included a short history of my non-academic experiences, my interest in medicine and Sackler. For anyone sweating their upcoming interview-- don't. You need not be concerned about anything. Just let your enthusiasm shine through and try to clearly articulate your thoughts.

On a separate note, the laxity of my interview was actually a little discouraging. I expected my interviewer to maintain more of a professional attitude and perhaps to even take the opportunity to showcase Sackler's reputation. (I hope that's not the elitist in me talking). I am under the impression that an alumnus that doesn't take the opportunity to express pride in their institute by promoting its qualities does not do so because they feel they have nothing to boast about.

An interview should go both ways, should it not? Shouldn't both ends endeavor to market themselves? Perhaps other applicants have had different experiences?
 
hi -

I'm interviewing at Sackler this week. I saw the posts about the interview being very relaxed - I'm wondering a few things:

1 - what is the interview like - i've had an interview at a US school, where it was a full day thing, with a tour of the school, the hospital, meeting with students and the interview. Since the interview is in NY, they obviously do not show you around the hospital or the school or have you talk to current students. What is the day like? Is it just the interview? how long were you there for?

2- any other specifics about questions they asked or anything that threw any of you off?

Any advice would be very much appreciated
 
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ajr540 said:
hi -

I'm interviewing at Sackler this week. I saw the posts about the interview being very relaxed - I'm wondering a few things:

1 - what is the interview like - i've had an interview at a US school, where it was a full day thing, with a tour of the school, the hospital, meeting with students and the interview. Since the interview is in NY, they obviously do not show you around the hospital or the school or have you talk to current students. What is the day like? Is it just the interview? how long were you there for?

2- any other specifics about questions they asked or anything that threw any of you off?

Any advice would be very much appreciated
Click to expand...

I flew in the day before, and planned on flying out night, but my flight was cancelled so had to wait till next day...anyways,

its just he interview, nothing else. My interview lasted about 40 minutes

-in terms of questions, nothing to bad, the only ones that maybe threw me off a little was 'how do you study' and 'tell me about your university'...not that these were hard but just not expecting them

HOwever, its alumni that interview you, so I imagine the type of questions can vary to a large degree

Truthfully, I don't really see how the interview could have changed there opion of me for better or worse, seemed like they just wanted to get to know me....but who knows
 
When's your interview ajr540? Mine is tomorrow... I'm pretty nervous, although as far as I've read, there's no need to be... the Sackler interview is reputed to be very laid back and conversational, I heard that a lot of the emphasis is on whether or not you can handle living abroad for four years, and Israel in particular, do you have any ties to the country/ can you speak Hebrew, things like that. So the best advice to go with is just to stay relaxed... easier said than done, huh? I'll post a review some time later this week. Good luck to you

For all those who have already interviewed, can you provide any information on the video we watch? Is it the same as the one on Sackler's website? Do we watch it before or after the interview?
 
The video is the same as the one on the site. My interviewer just asked if I'd already seen it, and because I had, didn't bother showing it again.

No body should sweat their interview! Mine was about 1.5 hours long. It's so casual that at one point my interviewer pulled out her iPhone to show me a percussion application (we were discussing the fact that I play drums in a band). I almost wish I was asked more interesting questions like the aforementioned "how do you study".

Any and all useful advice has already been provided on this thread.

Good luck to all of you!! :):thumbup:
 
My interview is Friday - thanks for the help

good luck sagtig
 
Thanks aj... I sent you a pm by the way... let me know if you got it, I think I sent it like three times, but my sent mailbox keeps showing 0 sent, which is weird
 
Anyone know when acceptances come out/anyone called and asked yet?
 
time has never dragged by this slowly... can't wait for decisions already...

as promised, here's my review of the interview:

The building is a brownstone type... first floor are administrative offices, you are greeted by one of the administrative staff (usually Marcia) they tell you to sit in this small waiting area, and then the interviewer comes and takes you upstairs (2nd Floor)...

the interview itself is held in a conference type room (theres a table with lots of chairs around)... but don't let the scenery fool you, cause the interview might as well take place in a coffee shop

My interviewer helped me relax right away, he started off with the typical tell me about yourself question which led into why medicine?
those two were pretty much the only questions he asked ...

the rest of the interview just flowed, apart from going over your application, there is no additional interview prep needed. I think the most important thing to practice is making conversation if you're not good at that. Learn how to work off of the interviewer's statements to guide the conversation along, because chances are, you will be steering.

I really think the purpose of the interview is to see if you are a likeable applicant. I barely talked about my grades, scores, or activities, which makes me think they wanted to get to know me more as a person, rather than just the papers and number. Just be as engaging as possible, and act interested.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, in fact, that will probably take up the most of your interview... you can prepare them ahead of time.

Good Luck!
 
i wouldnt refer to marcia as one of the administrative staff. she is sackler. at least thats what comes to mind when we're told her title is "executive director"

sagtig said:
time has never dragged by this slowly... can't wait for decisions already...

as promised, here's my review of the interview:

The building is a brownstone type... first floor are administrative offices, you are greeted by one of the administrative staff (usually Marcia) they tell you to sit in this small waiting area, and then the interviewer comes and takes you upstairs (2nd Floor)...

the interview itself is held in a conference type room (theres a table with lots of chairs around)... but don't let the scenery fool you, cause the interview might as well take place in a coffee shop

My interviewer helped me relax right away, he started off with the typical tell me about yourself question which led into why medicine?
those two were pretty much the only questions he asked ...

the rest of the interview just flowed, apart from going over your application, there is no additional interview prep needed. I think the most important thing to practice is making conversation if you're not good at that. Learn how to work off of the interviewer's statements to guide the conversation along, because chances are, you will be steering.

I really think the purpose of the interview is to see if you are a likeable applicant. I barely talked about my grades, scores, or activities, which makes me think they wanted to get to know me more as a person, rather than just the papers and number. Just be as engaging as possible, and act interested.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, in fact, that will probably take up the most of your interview... you can prepare them ahead of time.

Good Luck!
Click to expand...
 
I stand corrected wiscobadger...

I knew she's important, but didn't know her official title...

are you a current student at Sackler? If so how has your experience been so far?
 
Interviewed late Feb. Was told that responses would be late March or early April. Can't wait!
 
i'm a 3rd year, and my class is the last class to have the old curriculum so unfortunately my experiences won't really help you gauge anything. i dont know if the new curriculum changed anything in the clinical years, but so far i thought the hospital experience is pretty nice. this year we've started a lottery system for choosing which hospital to go to...which is much better than having the office choose at random who goes where

sagtig said:
I stand corrected wiscobadger...

I knew she's important, but didn't know her official title...

are you a current student at Sackler? If so how has your experience been so far?
Click to expand...
 
Hey, I am currently a first year at Sackler and can answer any questions you may have regarding the program or interview/application process. Good luck! As wiscobadger mentioned, there was a major overhaul of the curriculum. My class (2013) is the first to be experiencing the new curriculum from start to finish.
 
I'M IN!!! Just got my acceptance letter yesterday in the mail!! Tel aviv here I come!!
 
I too just got in! letter today

docrad...would you mind explaining the curriculum change? and how your experience has been so far?
 
So I'll try and give you the big points...

Most schools in the US/Canada are integrating the PBL (Problem Based Learning) system into the curriculum. This is part of what Sackler is doing. For example, our Biochemistry course this year was taught completely in a CBL (Case Based Learning) style. We would be given a clinical case a few days before the class along with assigned reading from a textbook. Then during class you take a quick 5-10 minute individual quiz. You then break up into groups and redo the quiz with your group. Then after a quick review your given workshop questions to work on as a group that relate to the clinical case you were given. At first we were all a little hesitant about the approach to this biochemistry class, but in the end everyone loved it and we learned a lot and wish more classes were taught similarly. Although everyone is different a few do prefer standard old school lectures. I found the CBL's to be very high yield for the board exams.

Let me say, all classes are not like this. Medical Genetics was taught in a traditional manner. Currently, embryology is the only class that is integrating CBL's into the class.

Finals for classes are now all "customized shelf exams". Professors select questions directly from the USMLE. The exam is taken on the computer through the USMLE's website and looks exactly like what a STEP 1 exam will look like. The idea is to give us a lot of practice with the style of questions we will be seeing on the STEP 1.

The administration is very approachable and works with the student governments in making your/our education here as good as possible. We have been carefully taking surveys and documenting what has been working well this year and how/what will work better next year for the class of 2014 (you guys). So your experience will be even more refined than ours. Students have a big say in their education here, the administration wants to see you succeed. They value your input.

Currently the student governments are in the early stages of getting together orientation committees for your guys and girls. We will be setting up a googlegroup/email list serve sometime in the future. In the meanwhile myself and a few other people will start monitoring these forums to answer questions.

Good luck!
 
Congratulations guys!

Hopefully the rest of us have good news coming our way too!
 
Congrats on the acceptances! My heart skipped two beats after hearing that Sackler started making decisions... very early this year

I really hope to join you guys
 
thanks docrad, that was very informative! I like the sounds of this "case base learning" it seems exciting
 
Does anyone know if Sackler is on a block schedule (i.e. one class at a time)?
 
Yes NatrixCaelicola we are on what is referred to as a block schedule. However, we do not take one class at a time. For Example:

Block 1 - Sept to November
-Medical Genetics
-Biochemistry
-Biostatistics

Block 2 - November to February
-Cell Biology
-Embryology
-Histology
-Cell Physiology
-Start of Anatomy and Neuroscience

Block 3 - February to June
-Systems Physiology
-Systems Anatomy
-Systems Embryology
-Systems Histology

Block 4 - June to July
-Microbiolgy
-Immunology
-Pathology

There are some minor classes that meet once or twice a month that meet throughout the year. Also, this schedule is definitely subject to change for next year but will be something along the lines of what you see above. Once again, feel free to ask questions.

Congrats to those accepted and good luck to everyone else.
 
Hey all so this is actually my first post on SDN, i have been a frequent onlooker for many months now and now that I am so on the edge of my seat I had to join. I interviewed in Feb and I am beyond excited for Sackler. So far, have the only acceptance letters received been to the east coast? I live in the midwest and I am eagerly waiting a letter...I hope its on its way!!! Hope to join you guys in tel aviv in the fall!!
 
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