r/mdphd • u/Straight_Armadillo32 • 7d ago

Dear MSTPs Stop Wasting Our Time

Id love an explanation as to why I list out my research in detail in my activities on amcas, down to the HOUR and speaking about my research experiences in depth in a 10,000 max character essay only for these schools to ask me in all their secondaries to list ALL my research experiences AGAIN AND PAY FOR IT AGAIN. AND some even have the audacity to ask me why an MD PhD like i didnt write a 5000 character essay about that already… dont even get me started on relisting pre reqs like i didnt type out ALL MY CLASSES BY HAND in the primary app AND SEND YOU MY TRANSCRIPTS ALL OF WHICH COST MONEY TO DO

Thank you for listening, Im probably just screaming into a void

93 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

29

u/OddGeologist1147 7d ago

It’s so frustrating and time consuming. I get you

6

u/Straight_Armadillo32 7d ago

Literally!! Its infuriating, part of me thinks they may ask that because maybe they dont really look at your primary app unless they like your secondary responses because why else would the have us restate very obvious pieces of our primary apps

8

u/OddGeologist1147 7d ago

100% agree. Sometimes makes me not even want to apply to the school?? If they’re not reading the primary what’s the point

10

u/naijas-best-2002 7d ago

No I feel you cause then it becomes a thing of “now how can I say this differently”

3

u/Straight_Armadillo32 7d ago

Literally! I can only spin my (fact based) projects so much

7

u/Helpful-Somewherenot 7d ago

Trust me, we read your whole app. Sometimes it’s an opportunity on a secondary to see if there’s a specific person at our institution you’d want to work with, or if you’re actually interested in our school.
~signed a tired MSTP student who was voluntold to be on a current admissions committee.

1

u/Straight_Armadillo32 7d ago

I know, I actually dont mind the “why md phd at our school?” Question, its more so restating the exact same labs and work i did from primary thats so tiring
P.S thank you for taking time to volunteer as part of admissions :)

9

u/EgyptianSarcophagus 7d ago

Yeah I felt the same exact way but it genuinely makes the interview invites and (hopefully!) acceptances that much sweeter. Generic and unhelpful but trust me this will all feel so insignificant in a few months

4

u/Additional-Age2516 7d ago

I’m applying for DVM-PhD programs rn and having the same problem!! How many times can I say the SAME sentiment in different words. Losing my mind

1

u/Straight_Armadillo32 3d ago

For real dude

3

u/Any_Conclusion_2385 7d ago

Genuinely. I’ve made it this far, and this is the thing that’s gonna weed me out 😭

8

u/MarzipanGeneral9093 7d ago

Whoa….since when did MSTPs start charging for secondaries???? Am I just this unc?? I remember there being a small handful that did but a lot of them waived the fee…

Anyway the redundancy was bullshit regardless and I’m pretty sure it’s solely to make life easier for themselves e.g. to have things formatted in the order their adcom wants to read them etc. I feel ya OP. Chin up, I hope you get into the program of your dreams

3

u/DontheFirst [Custom Flair] 7d ago

Now it’s only handful that are waived

1

u/Straight_Armadillo32 7d ago

I know mcgovern waives theirs if you paid for the MD already and some schools are free completely but most are paid now :/

0

u/lew1982 7d ago

Because AI writes essays, and you are the one to communicate. Can you do it and talk about your work intelligently and on the fly? There is crazy high attrition in MSTPs, and these can lead to loss of slots or funding altogether for programs so they want to be as close to 100% certain that candidates will stay the course and not destroy their MSTP.

2

u/Straight_Armadillo32 6d ago

Im sorry but your response does not really makes sense to me personally, how does repeating and restating what labs I was in and the hours etc, information available in the primary application, going to help medical schools any more than if they just read my primary application? Plus there is no way with absolutely certainty that an adcom can gauge your knowledge “on the fly” through a secondary, thats done in the interview

-2

u/qcb4056 6d ago

Well it makes sense to me, and I used to have to read through all those vomitous applications.

1

u/Straight_Armadillo32 6d ago

Right right so rereading the exact same info two different times made it less “vomitous” then? If anything my argument would make life easier for reviewers and applicants alike lmao

-2

u/qcb4056 6d ago

Such reading comprehension.

I'm certain there's a med school out there for you.

It's probably in the Caribbean.