letters sent to references?

[trynit]

My references have yet to receive their letters from U of M. I know they were supposed to be sent out on Nov 1st. Had anyone else heard whether their references have received letters yet?

 

Geez, I'm already getting twitchy about this process and its only November!!

 

Thanks!!!

[liszt]

If they haven't, I hope they do soon. Especially if their deadline is December 4.

[vince99]

My references haven't received them yet either!

[liszt]

Isnt it true that your referees will only be contacted when you meet this years cut-offs and are eligible for an interview?

 

I understood that, for in-province applicants, referees are contacted prior to screening the pool for interview. Those who aren't competitive will still have their referees contacted, but won't be invited for an interview. It's OOP applicants whose referees won't be contacted until the applicant has been deemed eligible for an interview.

[Kuantum]

I understood that, for in-province applicants, referees are contacted prior to screening the pool for interview. Those who aren't competitive will still have their referees contacted, but won't be invited for an interview. It's OOP applicants whose referees won't be contacted until the applicant has been deemed eligible for an interview.

 

I thought it was like that too. However, I have seen on the Applicant Information page that only those who meet the MCAT threshold will have their referees requested - even for in-province applicants. It's a little contradictory. I have not made the MCAT threshold, however, one of my references has received their letter.

[Deav]

I made all the cutoffs and I my references haven't received anything. However, one of my references was a referee for someone else last year and said they didn't receive anything until December so I think U of M is just running a little behind.

[trynit]

I talked to Beth at Admissions and she said that they are really behind this year sending out the reference letters.

 

Anywho, my references just received theirs' on Friday!!!. So, don't worry -- it should be any day now for the rest of you.

 

The revised due date for the references to return their letters is Dec 15th or something like that. This is to reflect that the Faculty was soooo tardy getting the letters out in the first place.

[Kuantum]

So are all MB residents getting letters or just those that meet the cut-offs?

[trynit]

All IPs that meet the cut-offs will have letters sent to their references and will be invited for an interview. You can find this info at http://www.umanitoba.ca/student/admissions/media/medicine_bulletin.pdf

 

The cut-offs for IPs this year are:

 

AGPA: 3.6

MCAT: A score of 7 on each section and an operative (average) score of 8

[Kuantum]

All IPs that meet the cut-offs will have letters sent to their references and will be invited for an interview. You can find this info at http://www.umanitoba.ca/student/admissions/media/medicine_bulletin.pdf

 

The cut-offs for IPs this year are:

 

AGPA: 3.6

MCAT: A score of 7 on each section and an operative (average) score of 8

 

I didn't have that and still had my reference letters requested...so did my friend.

[SunE]

I didn't have that and still had my reference letters requested...so did my friend.

 

A guy I know had a 24 (don't know the letter score, but I know he didn't meet the minimum requirements for acceptance at U of M) on his MCAT and was still offered an interview.

[Kuantum]

really...weird...i hope that happens to me

[Jag]

people may be sneaking in for interview with really low scores below the cut off, but they don't stand a chance for acceptance due to the extremely high emphasis on MCAT scores. Unless you are a special consideration category that is, that is a whole different story.

[Kuantum]

Wow! what kind of apes are being invited for interview here!?? Is there some back door that we missed?

 

Don't you think that's unfair calling people apes just because they performed poorly on the MCAT. Remember, the MCAT is one day of your life, and it doesn't take that many questions to do poorly.

[Kuantum]

Actually...IT IS ONE DAY. Highly intelligent people do poorly on the MCAT all the time, does that mean they hadn't studied for it? I'm sure you have had a bad day before where you didn't do as well as you expected on a test or exam, do you feel that all the prior studying you had done was pointless.

 

In fact, to go further, for those who do poorly on one section, it is 60, 85, or 100 mins of your entire life. The MCAT does require studying and some people put a lot of effort into it, however, to suggest that just because a person didn't perform as well on the test as they needed too is justification that they don't understand the material is absurd.

 

I think any reasonable person would agree that people have off days, and if having an off day on the MCAT test day happens to you, it doesn't mean you didn't know what you were doing. It just means you had a bad day.

 

Also, by saying the MCAT is just one doesn't necessarily undermine its importance. I think the fact that you need it to get into medical school gives it its great importance. Credibility? That's another thread entirely.

 

It is just one day.

[Kuantum]

Also, I contacted MD Admissions today and spoke with Beth. She said that the computer program that screens people for their MCAT wasn't working, so they just ended up sending reference letter requests to all Manitoba applicants. So, she confirmed that even though reference letters may be requested if you didn't meet the cut-off AND you are a MB resident, we have no chance at an interview.

[Kuantum]

sorry to hear about you not meeting the cut-offs, but, i would still disagree with your arguement about it being just one day. it is a sujective thing. your definition of smart, intelligent, hard work, off day, are apparently quite different than mine. And rite now, I do not see the point in furthering the arguement. there are simply far more important things that need addressing. in anycase, I hope you realize my point, may be not today, but certainly tomorrow.

 

 

Thanks.

 

Don't hold your breath, you haven't shown me any reason yet to realize your point.

[liszt]

Isn't it a combination of both? Blood, sweat and tears -- or atleast a fair amount of work -- go into preparing for this thing for weeks, but it does all come down to that one day. If there's an accident on the highway and you're late, or you make a bubbling error during PS, or you're suddenly too nervous to hold your pen during the WS, it can all be over (for that admission cycle), no matter how prepared you were.

[Kuantum]

That's what I'm sort of saying. Of course there is preparation, but its unfortunate that none of that matters once you get to that day because anything can happen. You can have a really hard section that throws off your confidence, or you proctor can mess up the timing for something. It all comes to being evaluated on one day with complete disregard for anything you have done before that.

 

I just don't think its fair to call someone an ape because they may not have performed on that one day.

[Jag]

i don't think the MCAT should be weighted so high at U of M. It should only be used for cutoff purposes, but shouldn't have such a large bearing on admission. Manitoba is the only place stupid enough to put so much emphasis on a test that a person can write 10 times and finally get a good mark out of it, and then get accepted as a result of that numerical score.

[Freedom]

That's what I'm sort of saying. Of course there is preparation, but its unfortunate that none of that matters once you get to that day because anything can happen. You can have a really hard section that throws off your confidence, or you proctor can mess up the timing for something. It all comes to being evaluated on one day with complete disregard for anything you have done before that.

 

I just don't think its fair to call someone an ape because they may not have performed on that one day.

 

To anyone that disagrees with Kuantum, think about this.

 

You spend a lifetime working on that interview. A few questions that dont go your way and things just go downhill from there. Other factors like stress and your nerves can also get to you. Hard to condense your lifetime in a single hour. Does that one hour define you? NO. But it can sure mess things up.

 

Relating this to the MCAT, same deal.

[TurboDC]

I agree with Kuantum that you can have good and bad days but no offence, studying your ass off all summer is the great equalizer here. Anybody with low to moderate intelligence can do well on the MCAT simply by devoting their life to the test.

I also agree that U of M should only use the MCAT as cutoff to get an interview. I also think they should place higher priority on students that manage to do well academically while actually maintaining employment and extracurriculars and a social life. In my opinion, there are just too many people slacking throughout the year, taking summer courses, taking the summer off to write the MCAT and writing it multiple times, never working a day in their lives because Dad and Mom pay for everything.

Emphasis should be put on individuals that are going the extra mile in their education and life in general. I think it is really unfortunate that U of M overlooks this but who I am to judge.

 

/end rant

[daryn]

Flyover: I think Kuantum is more annoyed by your "ape" comment, that's all. Am I right?

 

As someone with a mediocre GPA because of one bad year due to ...well for reasons I won't go into here, the MCAT really saves the day. Mind you, I could not afford to take MCAT classes and I had to work six days a week on top of studying, I still did okay, thankfully. Different schools have different weightings. There are many that I can't even apply to this year just because I'm OOP and my cGPA isn't that high this app cycle.

[Freedom]

MAN!!! did everyone replying and agreeing to Kaumtum got rolled over by the MCAT due to an "off-day". Boy! must have been a "co-incedence" eh!?

 

 

 

Please stop trolling around.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

[Kuantum]

MAN!!! did everyone replying and agreeing to Kaumtum got rolled over by the MCAT due to an "off-day". Boy! must have been a "co-incedence" eh!?

 

Grow up guys! Take responsibilty for your scores and try to improve next time, instead of blaming it on off-days, the un-fairness and all. For christ's sake, put in some effort, and you will be rewarded.

 

From the way you guys use "off-days", it seems to me that its a regular occurance in your lives. I dont know which part of the world you guys live in, but, that doesnt happen too often here. An off-day over here is really an off-day, and not "every-other-day-occurance excuse-for feeling lazy".

 

However, I do agree with Kaumtum with one point. I should not be calling people apes, it would be insulting, to the apes ofcourse.

 

Have to say, Kaumtum, you really do have control over these blokes on this forum, they just follow you blindly.

 

Feel free to be offended, and angered -- and possibly use it as an excuse to enjoy another "off day"!

 

Ciao.

 

Firstly, it's Kuantum, not Kaumtum!

 

I'm not sure if you are perfect, but the overwhelming majority of humanity is not. Off-days are a rare occurance, that's what makes them off days. Sure, a large number of people do poorly on the MCAT each year, however, there a number of reasons why that occurs. You are being a little narrow-minded and not recognizing these very reasonable possibilities.

 

If people were as lazy as you claim, I don't think they'd dedicate three, four, or more years of their life trying to gain admission into a faculty only to undertake even more rigorous and longer periods of training. It doesn't make sense.

 

This is an anonymous forum and people are free to express their ideas as they feel. Their choice to agree or disagree with me is based on their views and assessment of what is correct.

 

The fundamental problem with what you are saying is the fact that you have placed so much faith into a test and condemned anyone who happens to perform poorly. I find it quite peculiar that you can rely so much on someone else's assessment (especially a standardized test) of your abilities. Sure, there are times when others' assessments will define the course our life takes, however, for a test who's validity and credibility is still questioned makes me really question you and why you have so much faith in the test.