Full file review?

[Sarvish]

"The Undergraduate Medical Program uses two formulae to rank applicants - the first provides a rank order list for invitation to interview, and the second provides a rank order list for advancement to Collation (full file review). The overall weightings reflect our commitment to consider the cognitive and professional qualities of applicants equally."

 

Does anyone know what a full file review actually means? I always thought Mac didn't really look at ECs or anything else (except for in the case of a tie?).

 

This could just be my paranoia but I never noticed the mention of a full file review before.

[Sarvish]

Looks like there has been a change, I actually see no formula at all:

"The selection of applicants

is based on a composite score that includes, but

is not necessarily limited to, GPA, MCAT Verbal

Reasoning, the score from CASPer, and the score on

the interview."

[thestar10]

I believe that they look at your letters probably in a pass fail sort of way. I think its used as a flag tbh.

[Sarvish]

I believe that they look at your letters probably in a pass fail sort of way. I think its used as a flag tbh.

 

That's what I thought.

 

There's also no mention of a formula anywhere when I swear it was there last week. As long as the GPA weighting doesn't go up I'm fine since my GPA's quite weak

[Hockeynut]

That's what I thought.

 

There's also no mention of a formula anywhere when I swear it was there last week. As long as the GPA weighting doesn't go up I'm fine since my GPA's quite weak

2013/14 Formulae

 

Formula 1 - 32% Undergraduate Grade Point Average, 32% MCAT Verbal Reasoning Score, 32% CASPer Score, up to 4% Graduate degree (1% Master's degree/4% PhD).

 

Formula 2 - 70% Multiple Mini Interview Score, 15% Undergraduate Grade Point Average, 15% MCAT Verbal Reasoning Score.

 

 

Straight off their site

[Sarvish]

2013/14 Formulae

 

Formula 1 - 32% Undergraduate Grade Point Average, 32% MCAT Verbal Reasoning Score, 32% CASPer Score, up to 4% Graduate degree (1% Master's degree/4% PhD).

 

Formula 2 - 70% Multiple Mini Interview Score, 15% Undergraduate Grade Point Average, 15% MCAT Verbal Reasoning Score.

 

 

Straight off their site

 

I am apparently very blind then LOL. I could not find it for the life of me

[aryastark]

I am apparently very blind then LOL. I could not find it for the life of me

 

http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/mdprog/selection_process.html

[Sarvish]

http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/mdprog/selection_process.html

 

Thanks! In my panic, I didn't scroll down...

[anxious_101]

With that casper business, Mac basically selects people out of a hat to interview. To this day, I cannot fathom how they objectively grade something administered the way casper is administered and have it worth a significant portion of determining your eligibility for interview.

 

PS I was sure I bombed casper the first year they introduced it and somehow managed to still get accepted

[DoktaEvergreen]

With that casper business, Mac basically selects people out of a hat to interview. To this day, I cannot fathom how they objectively grade something administered the way casper is administered and have it worth a significant portion of determining your eligibility for interview.

 

PS I was sure I bombed casper the first year they introduced it and somehow managed to still get accepted

 

That might be your opinion, but I'm sure there is strong evidence that CASPER selects the "right" people. Why else would Mac have so much faith in this process, as to change their pre-interview procedure?

[Diceroll2011]

I've heard somewhat substantiated rumors that the admissions process is not as straightforward as the website makes it seem and that full file reviews have been used in some capacity. My impression is that the criteria posted still represent the most significant admissions criteria however.

[Organomegaly]

I also do not know the veracity of this rumour, however I have been told that second year MD students at McMaster volunteer to mark the CASPER. I think this is probably a great concern for objectivity, since these volunteers have to get through 5000 applications are probably stressed at it is (i.e. how much thought is put into the grading of CASPER)?

[Diceroll2011]

Many of our first year students mark CASPER. Markers were given substantially less than 5000 answers to mark.

 

After marking CASPER, I had a lot more faith in the tool as an evaluation for admissions. It really separates those who flub hard from the superstars. Most people muddle about with short and unfocused answers while those who do well hit all the points.

[Sarvish]

I've heard somewhat substantiated rumors that the admissions process is not as straightforward as the website makes it seem and that full file reviews have been used in some capacity. My impression is that the criteria posted still represent the most significant admissions criteria however.

 

I posted about this in the open house thread. Wendy clarified what exactly was meant.

 

Many of our first year students mark CASPER. Markers were given substantially less than 5000 answers to mark.

 

After marking CASPER, I had a lot more faith in the tool as an evaluation for admissions. It really separates those who flub hard from the superstars. Most people muddle about with short and unfocused answers while those who do well hit all the points.

 

So would you say that as long as you demonstrated an understanding of both sides of the argument and then explained why one side is better for both the people involved and society as a whole, you'd be good? Assuming you can throw these ideas together quickly and semi-coherently. The thing that worries me more are the questions like "Why do you want to be a physician?", part of me would want to write an answer beforehand since it's got a good chance of showing up along with a few others like "Name a time you diffused a hostile situation" and a few other personal ones.

[Diceroll2011]

Yeah in my experience, if you were able to accomplish that you are doing well.