pittstealers47 Posted March 8, 2019 Report Share Posted March 8, 2019 I was wondering if anyone has noticed any drastic fluctuations in their NAQ score year to year? Is a 10 point increase too much to hope for? I have a couple new activities (2 pubs, 1 conference, another service ethic position) but I want to be realistic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
user82829383831 Posted March 8, 2019 Report Share Posted March 8, 2019 Hey friend! 10 points is a quite the jump and truthfully, I'd be wary about banking on such an increase. With that said though, if you peruse through some of the interview threads, I'm sure you'll see 5-10 point jumps (and unfortunately, in some cases, decreases) in NAQ scores across cycles. I added four new slots to my application this year (v. service-focused with emphasis on marginalized populations) and experienced a 3 point jump this cycle. I did completely rewrite a lot of my previous entries, though. You never really know, tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiynadoll Posted March 11, 2019 Report Share Posted March 11, 2019 Just chiming in, between my application from 4th year UG and 5th, there was a 3 point drop and I added in additional research entries but no other extracurriculars. Between 5th and my first year out of UG, I had an 8 point increase. I added in all the extracurriculars I did, even if I thought they were pointless, and changed my writing style. This year I probably went up another 2 to make cutoffs. Writing style completely changed. I had 10 rewritten versions, edited by 6+ individuals who are all in medicine at different levels. IMO, writing style is worth much more than the activity itself. The difference in entries between my first attempt and my fourth is the 4 new jobs I've had (and joining a vball league) but no additional extracurriculars or entries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohimark Posted March 11, 2019 Report Share Posted March 11, 2019 39 minutes ago, chiynadoll said: Just chiming in, between my application from 4th year UG and 5th, there was a 3 point drop and I added in additional research entries but no other extracurriculars. Between 5th and my first year out of UG, I had an 8 point increase. I added in all the extracurriculars I did, even if I thought they were pointless, and changed my writing style. This year I probably went up another 2 to make cutoffs. Writing style completely changed. I had 10 rewritten versions, edited by 6+ individuals who are all in medicine at different levels. IMO, writing style is worth much more than the activity itself. The difference in entries between my first attempt and my fourth is the 4 new jobs I've had (and joining a vball league) but no additional extracurriculars or entries. Totally agree. I go back and read my old pre-interview rejection apps and they're cringey scientific-report style at best. I think the impetus from the help guide is to be as "objective" as possible when writing the description but there are so many anecdotal stories (my own included) where really selling your part in an activity can make a huge difference in scoring. One of my mentors admonished me saying that if I didn't sell myself as much as possible, I would stand out from the crowd (not in a good way), since everyone is doing it. I hear the dissenting opinions and I get it - I think the point is that there's a line between embellishing an activity and being 2 dimensional about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obiwankenobi Posted March 11, 2019 Report Share Posted March 11, 2019 This really indicates how subjective this whole process is. Should interviews be based on how well you can sell yourself? I don't know how I feel about Canadian medical schools in general distancing themselves from more objective criteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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