Guest grandmellon Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 I'm gonna be the devil's advocate and agree with coyote... If he is looking from this from purely a novelists perspective because novelestists are sometime crunched for deadlines and must communicate their story before the end in a supreme way. Novelists also are serious about writing their stories and don't throw it together at the last minute. The novelist must have lots of life experiences to be able to write the novel and make it interesting; therefore they must be well-rounded. Lastly a novelist must be able to make a story out of broad based idea. On the other hand unlike what mayflower said, the novelist doesn't have to worry about typographical errors because that's the editor's job. :rollin Just remember I'm purely talking about the attributes of a good novelist.... 1) Given pretty unlimited amounts of time (i.e., several months at least), can a candidate communicate his/her thoughts in an organized fashion? 2) Is the candidate meticulous or is the essay full of typographical errors, etc. 3) Is the candidate serious about getting into McMaster? Have they taken time to put some thought into their essays or have they just thrown something together at the last minute? 4) Is the candidate well-rounded? Does he/she have a variety of life experiences (academic, professional, personal) from which he/she can draw to answer very broad questions? 5) Is the candidate able to demonstrate that they have learned anything from these experiences? 6) Is the candidate able to take a broad base of information (i.e., life experiences), synthesize the learning or "net out" and come to some solid conclusions with respect to their motives for being a doctor, etc.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wileycoyote Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 You have to remember here that simply writing a competent, error free essay won't get you an interview, after reading 30 essays several times, one that has been written skillfully and artistically...not just clearly, will edge out the others. and that will be the difference between an interview and a rejection. Anyone can open a book, read a few passages and say wow, this person has talent, very easy and enjoyable to read. The words just flow. I don't write like that, and editing for 6 months doesn't help my case. If english majors are over represented in the Mac med class (and I will bet there are a disproportionate amount) It would indicate that this is a test of writing and very little else. Incidentally, I believe they are looking at replacing the pre-interview selection essays with a lottery (since the current system is believed to be so close to random now, that it wouldn't be a stretch) I would prefer random to a test of writing ability. heard it here cre.med.utoronto.ca/omen/...struct.htm go and spend several hours listening as I did before you doubt it, I know it sounds somewhat unbelievable...it is said by one of the male speakers, I was shocked, but the more I think of it, the more I like the idea. manpower saved at this level could be applied to interviewing more people, the winners of the selection lottery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jmh2005 Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 I haven't listed to the link that was just provided...but I thought I would add a few comments... Yes, unfortunately (for some...) they do put quite a bit of weight on the sketch...but what about GPA?? you need that too (again many people forget this because the cut off is really quite low at 3.00, if you have anything lower than the median, you do have to write an amazing sketch...)...Obviously getting to the interview is the key for everyone, because basically you have almost a 50-50 chance of getting a spot at this point. But once you are interviewed, I don't even think that the sketch is even read again (I could be wrong however) they just go by the score...it is the interview that does it...don't get in the top 50%-ile on the interview portion and you likely will not be placed even on the waitlist. They then look at everything in total. It is more that just good writing to get a spot in the class. I know of only 2 people who did English/Literature etc... who are in the class of 2005. Most people in my class are 23 or 24 years old, have a degree in science or health-related science (very contrary to popular belief....). I think that Mac's system will always be up for debate...I just heard that this may be the last year for the interviews as status quo, and they may go to the 10 mini-interviews like they trialed with many of us last year (this has yet to be finalized but this is what I have heard through the grapevine...), I guess we will see.... There is a link way back about this type of interview in the forum somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MayFlower1 Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 jmh2005...one link to results of the MMI pilot studies is right above your post... Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MACbetty Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 hey wileycoyote, It's great to know that others also see the interview selection at Mac as the ramdom process that it is! The best evidence that Mac's system is random is seen in DPT's first post (the one that started this thread). Any adcom that judges a person to be top notch 2 years in a row, and then slaps him in the face with a rejection the third year, is an adcom that doesn't know its head from its arse. Apparently, Mac adcom can't even make up its mind about what it's looking for in candidates. No matter how you look at DPT's situation it simply doesn't make sense. How can he have the winning formula two years in a row, but not the third time around? Thinking about his situation makes my head spin!!!! It also makes me think that a lottery is the best and fairest way to select those who get interviews. And with a lottery, many more candidates could be interviewed because instead of spending six months sorting out who should get an interview, the adcom could hold the lottery in early October and start interviewing by November. THis makes so much more sense. Since getting an interview a Mac is mostly based on luck (and on the reviewer's mood the day he/she happens to read your autobio submission), i say lets have a lottery so that many more of the well-qualified and deserving applicants get a chance to show their stuff during an interview! macbetty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest macdaddyeh Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 Although I don't buy the "luck" argument, particularly b/c of increased competition this year with students of greater caliber, I DO find this discussion of a "lottery" very intriguing. Now unless this year was an aberration, I still see Mac being the most oversubscribed program in Canada. I've always wondered if and when Mac will be forced (for administrative reasons) to raise the minimum GPA requirements. I doubt in the meantime that they are willing or able to change their application process, but since they are working towards a *possible* change in their interview process, one never knows. By the way, despite what one thinks of Mac, making a lottery I think would make Mac look really poor (and could lead to legal action on the grounds of discrimination) if they simply picked X number of applications. Unless I have misunderstood the (faulty) idea behind the lottery system, you have paid to have your application considered and read, not thrown into a pile and assessed at Random. Again, as I've stated on numerous occassions, the Mac process is subjective, but so is every other school when reading your essays and reviewing your interview scores. Hope this helps:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MayFlower1 Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 MACbetty, I think the word "lottery" has been taken somewhat out of context here...I believe what the gentleman was saying in the MMI discussion was that they were CONSIDERING a lottery based on GPA...GPA seems to have been one of the highest correlates of success. This would actually mean, if I interpret it correctly, that the range of people interviewed would actually be narrowed as only those with higher GPAs would get into the lottery. Although I've never applied to mac, nor do I suggest that I know anything about what goes on behind closed doors, I can say that from watching the MMI video, it appears that they take candidate selection quite seriously. The fact that a candidate can get an interview one year but not another is based on many more factors than chance alone. Perhaps the larger pool this year has, in fact, drawn more competitive applicants...perhaps, contrary to popular belief, they do consider previous applications in the process...perhaps with modification, some errors were made... I'm not saying DPT, or anybody else, is an unworthy candidate...but I do take odds with chalking getting an interview or an acceptance up to chance. Are applications really only read by one reviewer...hence making it more susceptible to bias because of mood, etc...I don't think so...I believe all applications are reviewed by staff, students and a member of the community...however, I could be wrong on this. My 12 cents. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest enoughofthis Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 I was hoping to get feedback from DPT but he/she has unfortunately not responded to my last post. I can't continue to post since I am part of the interview process (but no longer at Mac) so I want to take this opportunity to wish the best to you DPT. We hope to see you in some med school in the coming years. To macbetty and others: get a crip, if you only knew how little luck plays in you'd be singing another tune. No one denies that you are good candidates---you just weren't good enough. That is the way it is. As someone who has been part of the selection process at Mac and other schools, I will say this: of all the schools in Ontario, Mac is the fairest and most comprehensive. Unlike the others, it does not rely on the lottery---the lottery is NOT a fair selection process. If others are so clearly more qualified than you, why on earth do you think Mac should rely on a lottery system? Macbetty and others: as much as this may hurt, you have to understand that you were not good enough. You were an inferior candidates and it is up to you to figure out what your weak area was---your essays may have been great but your GPA may not have been sufficiently high. Or the opposite could apply. Only the top 10 to 15% get in. You weren't part of that group. I can tell you this: anyone indicating that luck is what resulted in others getting interviews and others not does NOT have the adequate self-reflection and evaluation skills that Mac requires. Macbetty: read my assessment of DPT's application. If you seriously do not understand how he/she could have been not invited this year than something is wrong with your logical reasoning skills. Put emotion aside and try to think clearly, objectively, and logically. Do something constructive to improve you situatio rather than sit around and make completely false accusations towards the very same school you are trying to get into. At some level luck factors in but that is ALWAYS for the bottom portion of the applicants. There are HUGE differences between applicants. The top are exceptional people with incredible academic and life histories. Strive to be in that category. As far as english majors are concerned---that is HILARIOUS. Go look at Mac stats; the overwhelming majority of successful applicant are not only young but they are science majors. Even with the ones from the Arts tend to have some science in their background--especially those with pscyhology degrees. Go and compare Mac's stats to the other universities---do you know what you will find? Ummm, the exact same thing. Give me a break people---the ability for a M.D. to communicate is crucial. This involves articulating his/her thoughts both verbally and in a written format. Face it people--only the best of the best get chosen. Don't take any rejection as an indication of Mac's system somehow being corrupt. Of course mistakes occur---it is a human process so mistakes are bound to happen. But you need to look at the whole picture and not just your self-absorbed part of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest McMastergirl Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 Okay, maybe I'm biased as a Mac med student and rater in the admissions process (sketches and interviews), but I'd like to defend the Mac process here a little bit if I may. I noticed this last year too on this same forum... the biggest opponents of the mac admissions process is those who didn't get in! Hmmm... As for DPT, I just read this whole thread and it became obvious that he/she did not perfom very well on the interview day (from the scores provided), and I'm sorry but once your essay gets you the interview, you're on your own. I'm sure that some really stellar candidates got rejected, and maybe DPT is one of them, but all your raters are going to judge you on is what they see. This debate about the essays... why are we picking on Mac?...all med schools base interview invites on an essay plus GPA. Anyway, it is just one stepping stone in the process. It seems to me that anyone who cannot communicate effectively in writing is a questionable choice for a medical student, considering that probably the most important quality of a physician is the ability to communicate! Or at least that is the Mac philosophy, which I personally think is right on. I've marked those essays, and I can assure you that you don't have to be an English major to write a good one (I, for example, haven't taken an English class since high school). Sure, it's a subjective rating, but there are 3 raters for each essay, which should reassure you. On the other hand, you could write an excellent essay, but be a terrible candidate, and the interview process tries to weed out those people. For example, your essay could be false, or written by your roommate... or whatever. So getting in the 99th percentile on the essay doesn't mean you should expect to be accepted, does it? I think I've said enough! I could go on forever... there is just so much ignorance out there about this. My advice is that it's pointless to try to "figure out" the Mac system. In the end, all of your ratings and objective scores are collated, and based on the committee's overall impression of you, you are either a yes, no or waitlist. This is my understanding. It is not necessarily a matter of where you rank when all of your known scores are tallied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Koggetsu Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 to Enoughofthis: After looking at what you've written, I would really like to meet you just to see where I stand as a candidate cause you seem to have a very strict standard on whether someone is competent to be a doctor or not and i think it would be very interesting to talk to you. However, I hope I don't get you as my interviewer at my interviews at the other schools cause I have a feeling you will blast me to oblivion. Actually if you don't mind I would like to ask you for some feedback but I'm not sure if it would be appropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MayFlower1 Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 enoughofthis, I am one who sincerely appreciates the time you have taken to post in this forum...I wish we had someone like you in the Ottawa forum with the same experience and willingness/ability to be honest and critical...I'm not sure whether people really appreciate what it is you're offering. Anyway, I do...thank you for your candid nature. I would greatly appreciate getting your opinion/feedback on a few things...if it wouldn't be inappropriate due to your role in this years' admission cycle...and assuming you have time... please email me at: peterhill16@hotmail.com Assuming you email me, I can provide you with my real email address...I got spammed from someone last year with whom I had differing opinions and am hesitant to post my email address here again... Thanks again, Peter P.S. I am interviewing at UofO this year...second time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mikey59 Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 I'm a noob here (anxiously awaiting to hear about interview/no interview from Mac also) so please go easy on me. If Mac likes to emphasize written/communication skills in the assessment of their applicants, why isn't the MCAT writing section taken into consideration? It would seem logical to incorporate this since it is a standardized assessment of a student's ability to present an argument under time constraints (as opposed to the months allowed for the autobiographical submission). Seeing that most applicants take the MCAT anyway, would it hurt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MACbetty Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 dear enoughofthis, i'm uncertain if you'll get this message, but here goes: I have read your lengthy rhetoric in the previous posts. I understand everything you say, but I don't have to agree with it. You are very quick to judge me without even knowing who I am or of my numerous accomplishments in life. From the tone in your posts, you come across as a bully who easily dismisses those that do not share your opinion. I certainly wouldn't want you as my doctor. At the same time, I must thank you for your posts because it allowed me to glimpse the type of person Mac accepts and graduates. Perhaps it's not the place for me afterall. Anyway, thanks to everyone else who's been supportive, and good luck to all in your future endeavours. bye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sir charles Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 i think there's a lot of semantical confusion going on here... "luck," "good enough," "top 10 to 15%," etc... i think the admissions process is a good one at mac. but there are clearly "other" unidentified criteria that go into the mac selection process. i'm one of those "odd" balls that got my foot in the door last year for an interview because i had a great autobiographical sketch. without embarrassing myself (or the name i'm going by) by revealing how non competitive my grades were, i assure you that my grades had to have been overlooked for me to have received an interview last year. in addition, there is much talk about DPT's interview score being the reason he or she was not waitlisted or offered admission. however, without embarrassing myself (again), i assure you that my interview score was below DPT's (DPT's interview score was 44%-ile). nevertheless i was put on the wait list for admissions last year. obviously i'm not going to complain. it is clear that "other" factors went into the selection committees decision to place me (a statistically "poorer" candidtate in every category) on the wait list. in case it's a question, i have ZERO contacts at mac. so, maybe people are confused because the objective scores don't add up. how did i (an applicant judged objectively to be at the bottom 10-15%) get placed on the wait list? is it fair? is it luck? does this anger others who were, objectively speaking, better candidates than me? well, it probably should bother people. at the same time, if mac didn't take into account "other" criteria, it would resemble "other" medical schools. but mac is not like other medical schools. and everyone who did their homework b4 applying is aware of this. i am one of the "odd-ball" cases and i don't reflect the typical mac candidate, however, i am proof that mac really does invest time and energy into looking at each applicant as a "whole" rather than a collection of objective parts. maybe the confusion and debate is not about whether you are objectively wonderful or not? maybe there are more ways of looking at things than there are people with the capacity to look at things from more than one perspective? what do i know - my username should have been "dummy..." enoughofthis, has a good point about taking responsibility... yours, sir charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest slave of the month555 Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 If you check the stats on Mac's web site, you will see that applicants have always been brought in on personal qualities -- Class 2003, 20; Class 2004, 23; Class 2005, 25. I would imagine that is how Sir Charles was brought in last year. A friend of mine in one of Mac's med classes told me that this is no longer being done. Something about a new Chair of Admissions who has made the choice that if you don't make the cut with the gpa and autobiographical scores, you don't get the invite. Think this personal qualities thing worked that if you didn't make the cut but had scores totaling a certain figure or higher, you would be invited for an interview. This is what she told me any ways. May warrant looking into if that puzzled as to why one year and not another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Hi there, enoughofthis, maybe it's just through my having come in from the -20C outside and having a bit of a chilled brain, but some sections of your posts make me cringe. People cope with rejection in different ways, e.g., disbelief, denial, etc., some of which may be expressed in their own posts here. Give them a break; it's a tough process and I don't think it warrants the degree of static that you're giving some of them. In short, I think they're probably beating themselves up enough without your help. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sil Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 While I agree with what some of enoughofthis posts. For example that GPA is important at Mac, etc (everyperson that I know that got into mac had excellent grades). I think that acceptance into any med school has a component of luck (by no way this is unique to Mac). Interviews are not lab proof, neither are essays, or any subjective way in which an individual is being evaluated by others. Hence why even looking at an x-ray by two different radiologists may lead to a variance of 50%. Do I think that I am the best candidate, the most compassionate, the absolute cream of the crop? I don't think so. I think that I will make a pretty good doctor but so would many others. I find that getting into med school makes some of us all of a sudden think that we have all answers that we are special. Looking at U of O stats of all the people that apply only 700 meet the cut off, of those 500 receive interviews and of those 100 are given first acceptance. As well, if getting into med school was a sign of "superiority" or of being the "best" then we would not have botched transplants in the States, errors in diagnosis, doctors that sexually abuse their patients and all the other things that make doctors humans just like anybody else. Do I think that I worked hard to get into med school, to prepare for interviews, to write meaningful answers to my essays? You bet I do and that is why I though I had my interviews. However, I was perhaps a little bit lucky that all my interviewers were familiar with all the weird foreigh movies I watch, with some of my favourite books, that one of them played soccer like me (read none of the above will show wether I will be or not be a good physician). So, in short a little luck doesn't hinder a solid application, and no, getting into med school does not automatically make you the best applicant, or the best future doctor. And to rephrase our dean "the adcoms do make mistakes" so no, it is not a perfect system. But, I think that Canada has pretty good doctors in general and even if the system is somewhat flawed the end result is mostly pretty good professionals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bcdentalgirl Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Hi everyone out in Ontario! I've been reading this thread the last few days to aid in my campaign of procrastination and it's been a hoot. I'm wondering if anyone besides me smells a rat. enoughofthis states: "I am not planning on contributing to this forum because, given my position, it would not be appropriate. " then proceeds to go off his/her nut. Then "McMaster girl", whose registration date is the same as "enoughofthis" magically appears to back up "enoughof this'" point. What a load of balony. I could be wrong but no bother. Dumping on people on an anonymous forum, no matter who you are or think you are, is kind of mean don't you think? Kirsteen's right, let's just be nice. PS, good luck to you all!!! BC dentalgirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MayFlower1 Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Sil, You bring up many great points...especially: I think that acceptance into any med school has a component of luck (by no way this is unique to Mac). I think there could be a component of luck, however, to leave one's fate in the hands of luck is a grave error in my opinion. If you don't get an interview...don't get accepted...etc., one needs to figure out what to do differently next time...sure, you could play the odds and re-submit exactly the same way...but would this make much sense? I don't think so. Do I think that I am the best candidate, the most compassionate, the absolute cream of the crop? I don't think so. I think that I will make a pretty good doctor but so would many others. I find that getting into med school makes some of us all of a sudden think that we have all answers that we are special. This is also very true. Every candidate I've ever met or exchanged messages with has been fantastic in so many ways. It does seem unfortunate that there aren't more seats at Canadian medical schools. I have been fortunate in that the people I've met...med students...residents...new physicians have not had the attitude you indicate you've experienced (i.e., some of us all of a sudden think that we have all the answers and that we are special). I've seen a bit of it in this forum sometimes...but overall, my experience with those in and around medicine has been quite positive. In the case of "enoughofthis", I'm not so sure he/she is saying he/she is better than anybody else...sure, I find the posts harsh, uncompassionate in many ways...but some of the messages are really good...I think, in a unique and special way, this individual may be doing some of the candidates some good...giving them some food for thought. Also...assuming this person HAS been part of the admissions process (I have no reason to doubt this apriori)...perhaps as a candidate is hurt/disappointed that they don't get an interview or an acceptance...this individual feels they have done the best they can and also feel a sense of hurt/disappointment that many people, in so many words, say that adcoms don't know what they are doing...don't do due diligence...are involved in processes no better than chance, etc., etc. I would feel that people aren't appreciating the hard work I do and the time I personally devoted to the process if I heard these types of comments being thrown around. I kinda read this sort of frustration and emotion into enoughofthis's posts. I personally believe that the adcoms have an amazingly difficult task...the pool of candidates IS amazing...incredibly accomplished...how on earth do you consistently discriminate between them...how do you choose who will get in and who needs to reapply? It's got to be a difficult task. I've had my fair share of disappointments over the past year...but I can tell you one thing...I'm glad I'm not an adcom...I'm sure being one is, in many ways, a thankless job over and above one's day-to-day responsibilities. By the way, I do think Kirsteen is right...we should be nice here...but I also think it's great to get some straight forward advice sometimes...but then again, that's my style, and not everyone is comfortable with as direct an approach. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Hi there, A direct approach is one of the best in my books too, Peter, but direct approaches can be applied with tact, politesse and a little humility. |I Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MayFlower1 Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 You're absolutely right Kirsteen... ...I don't think I ever condoned enoughofthis's approach...nor, as I hope you know, would never take this approach myself. That being said, I guess I could see a bit of frustration on his/her part much as rejected applicants feel. Does it justify being harsh? No...that's for sure. However, at the same time...some great advice and insight was provided by enoughofthis if you could forget about the other stuff. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sir charles Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 hi bcdentalgirl, that's funny that u noticed a "correlation" between the registration dates of McMaster Girl and enoughofthis. i had meant to look into that because it crossed my mind... hmmmm... i like a good conspiracy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dannyboy Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 I only have one more day until Dannyboy comes back and freaks out since I've been (mis)using her posting privileges...not too worried though (obviously). I thought this thread was soooooooo funny cause I think "enoughofthis" is RIGHT ON THE MARK. I come from a family of drs so I printed off some of the exchanges and they (a whoppy group of six drs) thought that 'enoughofthis" was being totally nice!!!!!!?????? BOY DID I LAUGH!!!!!!! See, so much is situation specific: in specific situations they can be absolutely amazing but when they are in teaching/judging capacities, niceness goes by the wayside. They said few would bother with such a forum (no time, no time, ohhhhhhh I am so important). And even fewer would give advice. They also wanted to pass on a big message: 'enoughofthis' was trying to help DPT and you guys are NOT helping her/him at all....constructive criticism is needed. All of them said enough of 'enoughofthis"---the message was clear: let's get him/her into med school. HELP HER/HIM. You should have heard their comments about the posters---rancid; made 'enoughofthis' look like a pussycat (but not that Supermeow character....). Med school can apparently be brutally tough and if you guys get up in arms about 'enoughofthis"'s comments you are apparently in biiiiiiiiiig trouble. Maturity is critical and handling conflict is par for the course. Okay, so here's my take (and why I never want to be a dr): honestly posters, how many drs have you encountered who take their time with you and have lots of tact, and are sweet and patient, kind and considerate.....ummmmmmmmm, I've had two. They can be brutal!!!!!!! Really, I've met too many that I thought were MEAN. I don't think they are really like that but whatever...the pressures of the job...I don't know. Even my nicest profs have nasty, nasty, streaks to them (don't even get me started on that one....). Some of Dannyboy's profs (who are all on U of T's selection committees) are going to go through mock interviews with her so she should have some good stories for you next week. BTW: all have said that they are going to be realistic with her and that means: WATCH OUT. The "nice people" gloves are coming off....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eJaya Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Hi, I also thought that "enoughofthis" was a prank. Although he (she?) showed some insight; saying things like "you weren't good enough", talking about applicants being "special" and mostly the lines about not contributing to the forum because it was inappropriate were a little over-the-top. If it is inappropriate, why would he/she come back to check posts and post responses - definitely tactless if this person actually is a doctor. Also, it seems as though "enoughofthis" has implied that medical school hopefuls think they are special. Well, we are. This doesn't mean more special than nurses, teachers, mailcarriers, and other people of each community. In anycase, I should get back to my work. I just couldn't resist adding my 2 cents. Cheers eJaya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dannyboy Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 I forgot to add something: with my experiece with grad school (I am in a Phd program), I have heard the expressions that 'enoughofthis" used REPEATEDLY. I've been on one selection committee (and will never ever do it again: ouch! I'm too sensitive for it) and you would be absolutely shocked and numbed by what gets said behind closed doors. And my experiences are not in isolation---many of my fellow students have similiar tales to tell. My least favorite story is the 'reject' (can't another word be used?) pile being labeled NFG (no f%^@* good). I only heard of this happening once but.....ouch. The stories make me sick, actually. Oh thanks...have ya'll forgotten how hard someone worked to even apply??????? It is a tough world out there Charlie Brown.... P.S. forgot something else. The BEST piece of advice I ever got about the whole selection process was provided by Dannyboy (whose mentor told her): it is crucial that you understand the selection process as an ELIMINATION contest and certainly NOT a selection procedure. The selection has been done: you've fulfilled the necessary application requirements. All applicants are gifted and have earned a spot: the committee's job is to eliminate in as fair as possible a fashion; those who survive the elimination are the ones selected. Think about it....totally changes your perspective doesn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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