the infamous medical board

[confused23]

<p>I know this may have been discussed before,but do they really handpick who applies, like a detailed screening process.</p>

[CowsGoMu]

<p>no they don’t

4. It is true that JHU writes individual letters for each of its undergrads applying to med school. While they will not refuse to write letters for anyone, they may advise people who are unlikely to get into med school based on a low gpa (x<3.0). Furthermore, they reserve the right to write an “uncordial” letter of recommendation if they don’t think you’re ready for med school. Many people speculate that this is a conspiracy to keep med school admission rates high (ie: discourage applicants who won’t make it into med school from applying, thus only qualified applicants actually apply to get into med school), but I don’t see anything wrong with it.

<a href=“http://messageboard.chatuniversity.com/jhuboard/default.asp?action=9&read=26188&fid=785[/url]”>http://messageboard.chatuniversity.com/jhuboard/default.asp?action=9&read=26188&fid=785&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[confused23]

<p>well an uncordial letter is as good as a rejection lol</p>

[CowsGoMu]

<p>here’s a more informed quote from that link</p>

<p>

There are no such cut-offs for receiving letters of recommendation for ANY grad or professional school. Since you get recommenations from people on your own, unless an individual professor has some such rule (I have NEVER heard of that), it would be impossible to enact something like that. For med school applicants (and law school applicants who want to use it), Hopkins uses a committee recommendation, so you have professors/advisors send them recs, and then they write one final one that is comprehensive. The Preprofessional Advising office can discuss whether, if you have a REALLY low GPA, taking a year off to work or do volunteer stuff or take more classes would be beneficial…but they can’t/won’t stop you from applying if you really really want to. </p>

<p>Also, it’s important to note that med schools aren’t stupid. They know that it’s pretty near impossible to graduate premed (or just BME, for that matter) from Hopkins with a 4.0. They all have very complicated formulas that allow them to compare a 3.2 here with a 3.9 at some other school…so no need to worry; they understand that grade deflation (and inflation at other places) exists, and judge applications accordingly. The same is true for other professional schools such as law school.

</p>

[confused23]

<p>what link is this by the way, and i dunno sakky would disagree heh</p>

[CowsGoMu]

<p>i put it in post #2</p>

<p><a href=“http://messageboard.chatuniversity.com/jhuboard/default.asp?action=9&read=26188&fid=785[/url]”>http://messageboard.chatuniversity.com/jhuboard/default.asp?action=9&read=26188&fid=785&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[AdmissionsDaniel]

<p>Will this myth ever die???
Here is another thread that will be helpful:
<a href=“http://messageboard.chatuniversity.com/jhuboard/default.asp?action=9&read=29500&fid=785#115517[/url]”>http://messageboard.chatuniversity.com/jhuboard/default.asp?action=9&read=29500&fid=785#115517&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The Preprofessional Advising Office does not “discourage” students applying to medical school, they advise students to be realistic about the process and chances for admission. </p>

<p>A student who completes the pre-med advising track and meets all deadlines set forth by the Pre-health advisors will be supported in the application process to medical schools. A student who fails to do so may not be…those students tend to be the weakest students and also ones who can not follow deadlines. Hopkins reputation is on the line when we recommend students, so put 2 and 2 together and see what there will be students who are not supported. (((And oh yeah, the students who fall into this later group tend to complain a lot and therefore a myth like this one will fester.)))</p>

<p>Listen to the advising office, succeed in and out of the class room, and you will be one of the 90%.</p>

[ILoveTaiwan]

<p>Does JH release facts, other than the 90% acceptance rate, about its premed advising? (such as admitted students’ GPA, MCAT, number of applicants to med. school each year…etc.)</p>

[AdmissionsDaniel]

<p>No we do not release such statistics.</p>

[wannabeDR]

<p>i heard they discourage even average students from applying to medschool just so the hopkins application pool looks better. true?</p>

[michaelburt]

<p>I think he just answered this question.</p>

[AdmissionsDaniel]

<p>it amazes me when people on CC just can’t read!!!</p>

<p>see above wannabe - THEY DO NOT DISCOURAGE, they advise.</p>

<p>Picture this…
You want to be a baseball player. So you make into the minor leagues, Class A ball (you have talent when you are young). You are batting below .200, and making a lot of errors. You go to your coach after 4 years and say you want to play for the New York Mets now. (((NO METS JOKES)))</p>

<p>Should your coach encourage you? Should your coach put his reputation on the line and just support you to the major league team when clearly you will just fail? Or should he advise you to maybe move up to Double A or Triple A ball?</p>

<p>Not everyone can play in the big leagues.</p>