*** 2022-2023 MD/PhD cycle - Questions, Comments, and other things ***

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Depends on the school tbh. Many are done with IIs (some like Tri-I have been done for over a month, some like Emory and UWisc recently sent their last major wave), while others are just getting started. MCW MSTP just sent their first IIs of the season on Monday. They will certainly be sending more to come. The late-interviewing schools (the ones with interviews after New Years) will be the main ones sending invites in Nov.

If you are curious in overall probability, it would be helpful to refer to @RunningMSN 's graph below.
Hi! just out of curiosity, how do you know UWisc sent last major wave? I am using interview dates to try to see what I can expect from schools sending interview invites, and UWIsc has 2 interview dates out of their 4 total in Jan and Feb. Do schools just tend to send/fill up early? Thanks for the insight!

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Hi! just out of curiosity, how do you know UWisc sent last major wave? I am using interview dates to try to see what I can expect from schools sending interview invites, and UWIsc has 2 interview dates out of their 4 total in Jan and Feb. Do schools just tend to send/fill up early? Thanks for the insight!
I will admit, UWisc may be a weird one because they do seem to have filled late interviews, but idt that's the norm as of now. Anecdotally, I know that they sent out IIs last week and only offered their Feb date to applicants and indicated that Jan was not available. Interpret that as you may. Typically tho, you are correct that using interview dates is usually a viable strategy for guesstimating when schools fill.
 
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How beneficial is calling programs you haven't received IIs for to express interest? I am fortunate to have received numerous IIs but there are a few schools I would really love to hear from. I have sent update letters to the ones that allow them, but want to see if I should also call the programs as I haven't done that at all yet. Would that make any difference at this point in the cycle?
 
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How common are November interview invites?
They're not uncommon. I got the II for my current program a year ago on Wed. In total, my II range was Sept-Feb (I had a very average application btw). There are still a lot of II's left - keep hanging in there!
 
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How beneficial is calling programs you haven't received IIs for to express interest? I am fortunate to have received numerous IIs but there are a few schools I would really love to hear from. I have sent update letters to the ones that allow them, but want to see if I should also call the programs as I haven't done that at all yet. Would that make any difference at this point in the cycle?
From my limited experience, I have never heard of a pre-II interest letter succeeding without adding a major publication (i.e. first-author Nature). But it definitely wouldn't hurt - do keep an eye on whether programs would prefer calls, letters, or emails tho.
 
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Does anybody have any insight into why some schools may have like 8 faculty interview you, while some schools only have 2? I have noticed big variations recently and was just curious
 
Depends on the school tbh. Many are done with IIs (some like Tri-I have been done for over a month, some like Emory and UWisc recently sent their last major wave), while others are just getting started. MCW MSTP just sent their first IIs of the season on Monday. They will certainly be sending more to come. The late-interviewing schools (the ones with interviews after New Years) will be the main ones sending invites in Nov.

If you are curious in overall probability, it would be helpful to refer to @RunningMSN 's graph below.
I'd add that that to my current knowledge, this data is slightly skewed toward high achievers. So I would think that the total proportion of interviews sent after November 1 is higher than what is shown in the graph.

That said, I highly encourage everyone on this forum to consider using CycleTrack. Your data can make admissions more transparent and accessible for future generations of applicants!

Does anybody have any insight into why some schools may have like 8 faculty interview you, while some schools only have 2? I have noticed big variations recently and was just curious
I don't think there is much reason to read into this. Different schools have found (or are still experimenting with) different strategies that work for them.
 
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Anyone have a running list of programs done sending IIs? Heard radio silence from all but 3 and I'm so antsy.
 
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Has anyone interviewed with UT San Antonio? I'm just trying to figure out what they do for their interview days, and how long it takes
 
Does anyone know if when you interview plays any role in your shots at getting in? Since interviews are given out rolling I'm just wondering if getting a later interview means your "ranked" lower?
 
Has anyone interviewed with UT San Antonio? I'm just trying to figure out what they do for their interview days, and how long it takes

I think they will send you more of a follow-up soon! But basically, you have one student interviewer and one faculty, each about half an hour long. Then you have a chalk talk and a panel/committee interview which is you presenting your project briefly (7 mins) and then the entire committee asks you questions about the project for a few mins and then move into more of like career aspirations, general md/phd interview questions which is about 10 ish minutes. It is over two days and there are lots of information sessions and times with students as well throughout those two days. I love the program, they're wonderful, have fun!
 
Does anyone know if when you interview plays any role in your shots at getting in? Since interviews are given out rolling I'm just wondering if getting a later interview means your "ranked" lower?
I've heard it kind of works like a ladder, you start off based on your app on some level tier, and then you can move up or down based on the interview/any significant updates. In general, I've heard people say they felt like an interview didn't go well and then they got in and I heard people say they felt an interview went great they didn't. I wouldn't worry about getting a later interview day or anything like that, if they weren't interested in you they wouldn't ask you at all. The rolling interviews are some combo of when people applied and how good of a fit you are looking at the overall applicant pool, which changes as more applicants apply. Would be interested if someone else has a different view/explanation though!
 
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hi, this might be a long shot, but has anyone who interviewed with Colorado on 10/19 heard back from them? appreciate any help!
 
Hi! Does anyone have insight into UF's MD/PhD timeline? I was accepted to the medical school yesterday, which I am excited about, but they said to refer to the MD/PhD program timeline as to when I'll hear back from them specifically. I emailed the program administrator before Thanksgiving about the timeline and whether they accept updates/LOIs but haven't heard from him. Just curious if anyone on here has some insight!
 
Another school timeline question, does anyone know when OSU or UA-Tucson is releasing admissions designs for MD/PhD?
 
Another school timeline question, does anyone know when OSU or UA-Tucson is releasing admissions designs for MD/PhD?
I know OSU has issued some acceptances, when I interviewed they said they would offer very few acceptances in a rolling manner and then the majority would be sometime in December.
 
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I know OSU has issued some acceptances, when I interviewed they said they would offer very few acceptances in a rolling manner and then the majority would be sometime in December.
Thanks! The sometime in December is killing me haha. But that’s the admission cycle game!
 
Did anyone else get faked out by OSU as hard as I did? They sent a giant yellow envelope out with a smallll (like 3"x5") thank you card and stickers.

I really thought it was going to be a decision letter.
 
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Did anyone else get faked out by OSU as hard as I did? They sent a giant yellow envelope out with a smallll (like 3"x5") thank you card and stickers.

I really thought it was going to be a decision letter.
yep, had my heart beating so hard. apparently last year they sent out some cool OSU syringe pens, so additionally feeling a little ripped off by "just" the stickers LOL (kidding obviously the stickers are actually great and I'll 100% use them if i matriculate)
 
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yep, had my heart beating so hard. apparently last year they sent out some cool OSU syringe pens, so additionally feeling a little ripped off by "just" the stickers LOL (kidding obviously the stickers are actually great and I'll 100% use them if i matriculate)
Had the same experience with the stickers. Got the holiday card today and now I’ve been fooled 2x 😂
 
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Anyone know where UMD is at with their interview invites? They're my #1 and I'm still waiting to hear anything
 
Anyone know where UMD is at with their interview invites? They're my #1 and I'm still waiting to hear anything
I emailed them recently, they told me they have two more interview dates (beginning and end of Jan) and are still reviewing their entire app pool!! Fingers crossed for you!
 
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does anyone know if UMiami is sending out any more interview invites? I really would love to interview here and see they also have end of Jan interview dates
 
is it appropriate to reach out to programs after the interview to inquire about your app status? if so, what is a good time frame? thanks!
 
is it appropriate to reach out to programs after the interview to inquire about your app status? if so, what is a good time frame? thanks!
I actually recently did this with Indiana and UChicago (as per your suggestion, actually LOL) and have gotten a response back from the former. I'd say about a month after your interview could be a good time to ping them if they didn't mention a concrete decision date. My take is that send it whenever you feel like you aren't coming off as impatient, but probably no earlier than two or three weeks post-interview

Anyone know where UMD is at with their interview invites? They're my #1 and I'm still waiting to hear anything

This is actually a good question, thank you for asking because I was afraid to LOL. I applied to Maryland as well (among the first 10 schools I'd attend) and have been very interested in hearing back from them since I have strong ties to the area and would not mind living in the area for medical and graduate school
 
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Has anyone gotten an interview invite from Oregon Health and Science University? They usually send out invites by now
 
Has anyone gotten an interview invite from Oregon Health and Science University? They usually send out invites by now
According to the google calendar of MD-PhD interviews/revisit days, it seems like they still have two interview dates (one in Jan, one in Feb). No idea if those are already filled, but skimming through prior years it seems like they send out interviews through late December? I submitted pretty late (October) and am also hoping that they'll get back to us soon - it's one of my top choices.
 
According to the google calendar of MD-PhD interviews/revisit days, it seems like they still have two interview dates (one in Jan, one in Feb). No idea if those are already filled, but skimming through prior years it seems like they send out interviews through late December? I submitted pretty late (October) and am also hoping that they'll get back to us soon - it's one of my top choices.
Where can I find this calendar ???
 
The calendar is maintained by volunteer MD/PhD administrators from the National Association of MD/PhD Programs. Our organization aims to provide information that is helpful to MD/PhD applicants and have hosted, for example, a NextGen Physician-Scientists Lecture Series (webinars are available). See: National Association of MD-PhD Programs
 
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I was wondering if anyone who interviewed at Pitt recently heard back?
 
Has anyone interviewed with MUSC (or had to do anything similar to the following and can offer insight)? For my upcoming interview they said “You will be asked to give an informal presentation of no more than 10 minutes preferably with no slides or white board. The faculty will then discuss your research with you.”.

Does this just mean I should talk about my research for 10 minutes?

Thanks!
 
Has anyone interviewed with MUSC (or had to do anything similar to the following and can offer insight)? For my upcoming interview they said “You will be asked to give an informal presentation of no more than 10 minutes preferably with no slides or white board. The faculty will then discuss your research with you.”.

Does this just mean I should talk about my research for 10 minutes?

Thanks!
I had to do the infamous panel interview at WashU recently, which involved 10 professors in the same Zoom room listening to you do this (but for 20 minutes instead of 10).

The way I handled it was by giving an abbreviated summary of my work: I started with the motivation, then moved into the hypothesis we were trying to test (“I hypothesized that X, and to test this hypothesis I designed and conducted experiments A, B and C…”). I didn’t go into gory details here, only providing as much information as necessary for the committee to understand the experiment’s purpose and how it contributes to the big idea. Following this, I talked about the results and implication. I was interrupted throughout to clarify or discuss my methods and any alternatives I could have pursued.

My best suggestion would be to know your science inside and out to handle these exploratory questions and so you can craft a concise but powerful talk. Don’t worry if someone juts in with a question; I don’t think they are interested in grilling or stress-testing you. Good luck!
 
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I had to do the infamous panel interview at WashU recently, which involved 10 professors in the same Zoom room listening to you do this (but for 20 minutes instead of 10).

The way I handled it was by giving an abbreviated summary of my work: I started with the motivation, then moved into the hypothesis we were trying to test (“I hypothesized that X, and to test this hypothesis I designed and conducted experiments A, B and C…”). I didn’t go into gory details here, only providing as much information as necessary for the committee to understand the experiment’s purpose and how it contributes to the big idea. Following this, I talked about the results and implication. I was interrupted throughout to clarify or discuss my methods and any alternatives I could have pursued.

My best suggestion would be to know your science inside and out to handle these exploratory questions and so you can craft a concise but powerful talk. Don’t worry if someone juts in with a question; I don’t think they are interested in grilling or stress-testing you. Good luck!
Thank you so much! This was super helpful
 
For those of you that have gotten an interview from UPenn, Case Western, Northwestern, Harvard, or Yale: How far out were/are they scheduling interviews? I'm 99% certain I'm all but rejected at these schools at this point, but would like (semi-)official confirmation so I can stop fretting lol
 
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For those of you that have gotten an interview from UPenn, Case Western, Northwestern, Harvard, or Yale: How far out were/are they scheduling interviews? I'm 99% certain I'm all but rejected at these schools at this point, but would like (semi-)official confirmation so I can stop fretting lol

Harvard and Yale were both about a month out; UPenn I got an II in early November-ish for a slot in mid-January.
 
Harvard and Yale were both about a month out; UPenn I got an II in early November-ish for a slot in mid-January.
Got it! In that case, I think Harvard and UPenn are more or less done since their last interview slots are in mid-January.
 
For those of you that have gotten an interview from UPenn, Case Western, Northwestern, Harvard, or Yale: How far out were/are they scheduling interviews? I'm 99% certain I'm all but rejected at these schools at this point, but would like (semi-)official confirmation so I can stop fretting lol
I received Northwestern in early November for a mid-January interview date.
 
Case Western started scheduling for mid- and late-January sessions in September. Northwestern gave me one December date (II in October) but they interview through January.
 
I received Northwestern in early November for a mid-January interview date.
Case Western started scheduling for mid- and late-January sessions in September. Northwestern gave me one December date (II in October) but they interview through January.
Okay, I think both Northwestern and Case Western are also more or less done then. Good to know, thanks all!
 
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II cycle's lookin kinda over. would people mind sharing similar info to the above on UTSW, OHSU, and Maryland?
 
II cycle's lookin kinda over. would people mind sharing similar info to the above on UTSW, OHSU, and Maryland?
Maryland has historically sent interviews into January, unsure on OHSU since I didn't apply. f12345 and TolC's interview invitations are for UTSW's final session in January (I interviewed this past Friday which was second-to-last), so I'm assuming they're also done unless people start backing out.
 
Maryland has historically sent interviews into January, unsure on OHSU since I didn't apply. f12345 and TolC's interview invitations are for UTSW's final session in January (I interviewed this past Friday which was second-to-last), so I'm assuming they're also done unless people start backing out.
Yeah, their admin was super nice and shared that if you don't hear before Christmas, it's pretty much done/set in stone.

But also to chip in on some of the earlier institutions: Yale interviews all the way into February, so I'd keep hopes alive. Penn's more or less done; they generally issue invites into early November and I've heard that update letters forwarded to their steering committee are generally answered with "we're done sending IIs" :( .
 
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Yeah, their admin was super nice and shared that if you don't hear before Christmas, it's pretty much done/set in stone.

But also to chip in on some of the earlier institutions: Yale interviews all the way into February, so I'd keep hopes alive. Penn's more or less done; they generally issue invites into early November and I've heard that update letters forwarded to their steering committee are generally answered with "we're done sending IIs" :( .
Really stupid question, now that I think of it: do steering committees see update letters if you upload them to AMP rather than shoot them an email? Because if they don't then I have a LOT of emails to send out in short order LOL

I will keep an eye out for Yale!
 
Yeah, their admin was super nice and shared that if you don't hear before Christmas, it's pretty much done/set in stone.

But also to chip in on some of the earlier institutions: Yale interviews all the way into February, so I'd keep hopes alive. Penn's more or less done; they generally issue invites into early November and I've heard that update letters forwarded to their steering committee are generally answered with "we're done sending IIs" :( .
the christmas comment - is that the maryland or utsw you are referring to?
 
Just out of curiosity, is there a consensus on how many interviews someone should shoot to have during a MD/PhD application season? I know nothing is certain in this process, but for MD programs they says its is favorable to have 3 IIs. Is there a similar opinion for MD/PhD IIs?
 
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Just out of curiosity, is there a consensus on how many interviews someone should shoot to have during a MD/PhD application season? I know nothing is certain in this process, but for MD programs they says its is favorable to have 3 IIs. Is there a similar opinion for MD/PhD IIs?
I read somewhere a post by @Fencer that said if a person has more than 4 MD/PhD interviews, their likelihood of getting into the national class is >95%. Please correct me if I am wrong!
 
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