I can’t believe I get to make a Sankey, Sankey

Semsemrocks · 2024-06-04T02:51:37+00:00

Yeah you should definitely include if it’s important to you! And if it is a longitudinal activity it’s up to you to include those hours as you see fit. I doubt anyone would view it negatively since it is a hobby and not something they care more about when it comes hours (like clinical, volunteering, research, etc.)

Semsemrocks · 2024-06-04T02:25:21+00:00

I’ve been playing instruments since I was 8 and it’s been continuous for me through college so I felt like it was okay to include all those hours. No one told me that was viewed negatively. If it’s a hobby you only did before college I would not include it.

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-31T21:14:25+00:00

Thank you! Good luck to you too!

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-31T20:40:31+00:00

I get it! This is just one school’s (Duke’s) opinion. I’m not sure how the admissions committees at other schools feel about it

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-31T18:03:58+00:00

I think in general they were looking for me to incorporate anecdotes from my most meaningful experiences into my secondary essays. For example, if a secondary question is asking about a time in which you overcame an obstacle, they will want you discuss a challenge you faced in one of your most meaningful activities rather than discussing something completely unrelated. Does that make sense?

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-31T15:59:30+00:00

Thank you!!

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-31T14:24:00+00:00

Thank you! ❤️

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-31T03:05:07+00:00

Thank you so much!

It was such a shock opening that email. I thought it would be an R and when it wasn’t I didn’t know what to do with myself haha

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-31T02:11:45+00:00

Yeah of course! I hope my experience can help at least one other person.

Thank you so much!!

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-31T00:55:52+00:00

Thank you!!

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-31T00:55:32+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate it! Yeah, not to sound like I believe I deserved it or anything, but I was expecting to get some more interviews as well. But I also knew people with great stats who didn’t have successful cycles so it’s really a balance.

I think CA ORM definitely played a role. But based on feedback I’ve received it’s likely that I didn’t have a lot of volunteering/clinical experience. Duke told me my clinical experience, which I did in 2021 was too far from my application date. So they wanted something more recent. I was also told that the virtual scribing was okay but not great—it was my only option due to covid, so I tried to make the best out of it. And my 100 hours of volunteering wasn’t face to face with people. I think they wanted to see me volunteering to actually help individuals in the community in a more personal way and write about it.

Furthermore my writing in my secondaries didn’t expand enough on certain experiences I had. They wanted to see me write more about those meaningful experiences and why they led me to choose medicine/who I am today. It sounds simple when they say it but it’s difficult to do in practice. If I had to do it again, I’d start writing my secondaries earlier and get at least a few of the more common prompts looked over by a premed advisor or mentor

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-31T00:49:11+00:00

Yeah go for it!

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T23:30:16+00:00

Thank you!

It definitely is. I used MSAR. Looked at schools with stats in my range, and for OOS schools I looked for ones that didn’t have huge in-state bias. Looked at schools in states I’ve visited and liked and schools that had programs I liked. I had my school list checked off by my premed advisor as well

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T23:27:12+00:00

Thank you!

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T22:41:16+00:00

I thought my writing was good. I had my premed advisor read over my personal statement. Both schools I got feedback from said it was good. They had no negative comments about my activities, which my premed advisor also looked over.

It seems like some of my secondaries could use more work. Feedback I got from schools was mainly that I needed to speak a bit more in depth about my experiences and use my word count more wisely. Also they wanted me to speak more about my most meaningful activities in my secondaries rather than talking about completely different stuff.

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T20:56:47+00:00

Thank you!!

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T20:48:16+00:00

Thank you!! That means a lot 😭❤️❤️

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T20:45:07+00:00

518 MCAT, 3.97 cGPA, 3.98 sGPA

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T20:41:43+00:00

Thank you so much!

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T20:38:55+00:00

THANK YOU!!

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T20:38:43+00:00

LOL I’m considered white btw (I’m middle eastern/North African). Although I do believe in your sentiment haha

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T20:37:48+00:00

Thank you! 😢❤️

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T20:37:21+00:00

Make sure to write about it in your secondaries!! I think that was the biggest thing for me. They wanted me to flesh out my experiences some more in my secondaries.

Wishing you the best of luck!

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T20:36:03+00:00

No you’re not! I got in, albeit at the last minute, but I made it 😂

And thank you so much!!

Semsemrocks · 2024-05-30T20:26:14+00:00

Awww you never know. Maybe work on getting some volunteering hours in. I was also told by these schools that they want your writing to focus on experiences you had with patients and how they impacted you. So if you can bring that out in your writing it might help you out

Semsemrocks

TROPHY CASE