Thread: What are my realistic chances ?

Hi,

Just received my MCAT score and it was a very dismal 21N. I took it before completing physics 2 and I think in general I didn't prepare as well for it as I should have. My GPA is in 3.0-3.1 range and I have hundreds of hours of volunteer medical work. Do I have any shot of getting into PUMS. I have heard that 25 is the MCAT cutoff.

Originally Posted by acarj84

Hi,

Just received my MCAT score and it was a very dismal 21N. I took it before completing physics 2 and I think in general I didn't prepare as well for it as I should have. My GPA is in 3.0-3.1 range and I have hundreds of hours of volunteer medical work. Do I have any shot of getting into PUMS. I have heard that 25 is the MCAT cutoff.

Put in your application, and give it a try.

I've heard of a few people getting in with a 21 or 22. I had a pretty horrible score on the physical sciences section and they commented on it during the interview, but I got a really high score overall during my application process anyways. I had diverse and extensive volunteer experience and they also commented on that, really impressed them. Do you have research experience? Maybe try to get involved with a lab if possible because I think that's what improved my overall application.

I have hundreds of hours of clinical shadowing experience in fields such as ENT, Emergency Medicine, Pathology, Family practice & Cardiology. I just received a letter that they want to interview me so I am hoping thats a good sign and that not just everyone gets interviews. Any advice on how to prepare for the interview... I though I had heard of a science test that is given ? My MCAT score was actually weighed down by my verbal... had I scored what i was scoring on practice tests on verbal I probably would have been around 27... but I just didn't show up on test day.

Acarj84 dont worry. In general Jagiellonian is accepted as a better school, and the list below its admitted first 40 students of this year(for now I placed only the first and the last 40th, to give an idea about the range of the scores of admitted students):
Medical Schools - Jagiellonian

The leftmost "No" is the number of the student in the topdown ranking of scores. Please be careful that you need to re-arrange your MCAT score over 10, and GPA over 5 points.. regarding this as well if you convert your MCAT score, you will see that its very much acceptible for Jagiellonian. The point is to have a total quality with your GPA, MCAT score and interview.

About interview this may be helpful. Its from an ex-med student of Semmelweis:
Entrance exam : BudapestStudent.com

Originally Posted by bidiboom

Acarj84 dont worry. In general Jagiellonian is accepted as a better school, and the list below its admitted first 40 students of this year(for now I placed only the first and the last 40th, to give an idea about the range of the scores of admitted students):
Medical Schools - Jagiellonian

The leftmost "No" is the number of the student in the topdown ranking of scores. Please be careful that you need to re-arrange your MCAT score over 10, and GPA over 5 points.. regarding this as well if you convert your MCAT score, you will see that its very much acceptible for Jagiellonian. The point is to have a total quality with your GPA, MCAT score and interview.

About interview this may be helpful. Its from an ex-med student of Semmelweis:
Entrance exam : BudapestStudent.com

Jag is def. not a better school. They have a small international program compared to Poznan, and they don't have NBME exams.

Also Poznan was rated the best medical school in Poland for this year, and the last couple of years.

Originally Posted by G48030

Jag is def. not a better school. They have a small international program compared to Poznan...

Why "definitely"? Isnt it better to have a smaller class?

...and they don't have NBME exams...

Doesnt NBME hold USMLEs? USMLE steps are related with US system and, to my knowledge, the schools are not individually responsible of holding USMLE Step1 (Step2 can be taken only in the US). Where of it am I wrong?

Also Poznan was rated the tp md school in Poland for this year, and the last couple of years

I have known that, but in general I dont rely on those ranking lists. Do you? Which properties of Poznan does make it the best of Poland (and better than Jagiellonian)?

Originally Posted by bidiboom

Why "definitely"? Isnt it better to have a smaller class?



Doesnt NBME hold USMLEs? USMLE steps are related with US system and, to my knowledge, the schools are not individually responsible of holding USMLE Step1 (Step2 can be taken only in the US). Where of it am I wrong?



I have known that, but in general I dont rely on those ranking lists. Do you? Which properties of Poznan does make it the best of Poland (and better than Jagiellonian)?

I wasn't talking about the class size. Anywhere you go in Poland you will have small class sizes. On average you have like 10-15 people or less in your class here in Poznan. Our program in general is a lot bigger then Jags we have 1100 international students attending Poznan compared to the few hundred at Jag.

Schools might not be responsible but going to a school which puts them in the curriculum is bonus imo. In a way they prepare you for the USMLE's, and the tests also show you how well you are doing compared to US students.

Those lists if you actually read them tell you what the school is better at compared to others. They are released yearly, and used by thousands of students to pick what university they want to attend.

I don't attend the MD program so I can't really compare how Jag is, but from speaking to graduates, current students, and just knowing how Jag is organized I can tell you a few things:

1. Poznan is better organized
2. We have 7 hospitals attached to the uni = more clinical possibilities
3. NBME exams
4. Bigger international community
5. Poznan has newer facilities

I'll just chip in quickly. If you compare cities only, Krakow beats Poznan hands down. If you're a good student who can self-study to your hearts content and stay disciplined in that regards, Krakow would be the way to go (and if I am correct, I do believe that they also have NBME's).

Saying Poznan is better organized might be true, but relatively speaking only because their organization is still horrendous when it comes to basic things like scheduling. Poznan has 50 state recognition which I know is a major deciding factor for a lot of students who come here as well.

Ultimately what I'm trying to say is that coming to Poznan vs. Krakow isn't going to change your academic performance greatly because SO MUCH self study is required at both institutions that you could be on a boat in the middle of the ocean with the right books and get the same info (if not more) than somebody who goes to every lecture in person.

And as a final note, smaller definitely doesn't mean better - I think because of the sizable international student population in Poznan and the money that brings in (combined with significant EU funds poring in at the moment) the school is making significant infrastructural improvements that will really change the learning experience here so I would probably recommend it over Krakow. The advanced simulation center that was recently built is a good example of what I'm talking about.

Questions for all friends:

For Poznan:
For 8.200 students, of which 1008 are in English programs, Poznan claims to have 6 hospitals, but Wiki says the followings are the clinics of Poznan med school :
Szpital Kliniczny Przemienienia Panskiego UM w Poznaniu
Samodzielny Publiczny Szpital Kliniczny nr 2 im. H. Œwi
Ginekologiczno-Po (ob-gyn)
Ortopedyczno-Rehabilitacyjny Szpital Kliniczny im. W. Degi UM w Poznaniu (orthopedics)
SZPITAL KLINICZNY im. Karola Jonschera
the other city and voivodship hospitals
Total bed no: 2,216 beds, together with 445 beds in other Poznan hospitals. Poznan med school doesnt provide any information neither about bed numbers nor the inpatient/outpatient numbers. The bed numbers I give here are coming from "ValueMD school summary page".

Academic staff(As of 2004): 153 professors, 859 academic and clinical instructors and 321 technical staff.
Yearly graduate no: Unknown, but regarding the current student no, which is 8.200 (with 1008 English program students), it must be much higher than Jagiellonian.

As for Jagiellonian :
University Hospital (1.300 beds, 60.000 inpatient, 350.000 outpatient)
University Children's Hospital (590 beds- 28.000 inpatient, 160.000 outpatient, 5.600surgery)
University Hospital of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation in Zakopane (2.000 surgery)
University Clinic of Dentistry
Some clinical departments located in Krakow's J. Dietl, John Paul II, G. Narutowicz, and L. Rydygier Hospitals
(Building of a modern university hospital is underway, the completion of which is planned for 2012.)
Total bed no: 2.000

Academic staff: 150 professors and post*doctoral degree holders and over 450 graduates of doctoral studies.
Yearly graduate no: 200 physicians, 60 dentists, (of which 25 to 40 graduates from English programs).

I have a question in my mind: The academician numbers are close. The bed numbers are close. But the student numbers are too far. Jagiellonian graduates are much less and Poznan much more. Doesnt Jag look better than Poznan by that regard?

By the way, Jag. has a 4-year program for US/Canadian system and their students may take USMLEs in Warsaw as well. The systems and the tests held in Warsaw are the same for both Jag and Poznan. What does create a difference for Poznan by the respect of NBME, I didnt understand

Also by the respect of California Medical Board approval, which means 50-state approval, Jagiellonian is approved by both native and English programs. Again what is the difference of Poznan, I didnt understand.

And imo bad news is that, EU needs to take very tough economical measures, which may mean to feed the member countries less or no. Thats, the greater organizations with greater investments and student populations will feel the lack of support, more. No university can move on long without funds other than tuition fees and Poznan looks need this money more than Jag. Am I right, wrong?

And one more question: Is there any infrastructure investment in Poznan other than simulation center, and is the simulation center in only dentistry, or ..?