CWRUPREPScholar

Dear All - I hope you're doing well and staying healthy! I am writing to let you know that CWRU School of Medicine has concluded their PREP interviews. We are looking to fill three spots and the offers to those three students will be made today to three students committed to pursuing a PhD alone. Best of luck! You got this! As always, remember, whether you're admitted to PREP or not, it's not predictive of career success. Take Care, CWRU PREP Scholar

Hey, hey, my brother! I hope all is well! I think I owe you a message on LinkedIn! To all applicants: As a current PREP Scholar on the MD/PhD track, like my buddy MediumTwoTopping, his note raises a super important point. A lot of PREP programs advertise to PhD and MD/PhD students, however, most programs strive to fill their spots with viable PhD interested candidates. Your PREP application needs to be incredibly strong from your grades, to meaningful past research, to demonstrate promise for successful matriculation to an MSTP program. Direct message me if anyone has any questions.

My brother! ? I know you.

Messaged you. I look forward to hearing.

Yes to UPenn, Yes to Chicago.

Interview from what school?

My biggest piece of advice? If it's a Skype interview, make sure you take doing down anything inappropriate in the background! ? I have a Sports Illustrated calendar that I totally forgot to take down and then when I answered the Skype call, I had to like awkwardly position my head so the committee would not be steering at the bathing suit models in the background. But in all seriousness, it depends on YOU. If you're MD-PhD the interview has a slightly different approach than if you're just PhD. If you're a strong candidate with notable credentials the purpose is different than if your GPA is lacking.

If anyone else is headed to Mount Sinai this weekend, shoot me a message! I would love to connect in person at some point over the next couple of days!

UMASS and Iowa sent out this morning. I pulled my application from both a while back but just thought I'd share in case anyone was waiting on those schools.

I was in touch with Michelle Nearon.

Yale had 350 applications for 6 spots so it's taking them a while. ?

That's awesome! I interviewed at Baylor, Penn, and Case, with offers from all three. Have you heard?

Any word from those institutions? Still waiting to hear myself...

No worries, @btlpc!!! Please keep us posted where you end up!!! I'm totally curious...maybe we will end up together. Send me a private message...I'd love to add you on LinkedIn...we may have a small community but we have a powerful one at that!!!

was this your only rejection so far? still early in the process!!!

Hi BTLPC - I think this is a tough question and something many students struggle with. Since the application due date for almost all schools has passed, and all those schools are in thick of reviewing applications, if not wrapping up soon, I think it's WAY too late to be worried about "how to stand out." I would advise you trust in the process for the next two weeks. I say this bluntly for the sake of sharing an honest opinion and perhaps make a suggestion for you moving forward. I am a HUGE believer in the power of networking and forging real relationships early on. I reached out to PREP directors this past summer knowing I would be applying this cycle. This way, I was able to build genuine relationships with them, stay connected over the course of the semester, then meet in person at ABRCMS and invite them to my presentation, and follow-up via email after. Additionally, by reaching out during the summer/early Fall, the PREP directors were NOT busy so they were super willing and excited to engage with me. Reaching out now for the sake of trying to stand out is more disruptive to the process and from first hand experience, I've been told it's "annoying to program leadership" since many of the PREP directors are administrators overseeing the graduate admissions process too, in addition to maintaining laboratories and fulfilling other administrative duties.

I think this is a great strategy for graduate research, however, not for PREP admissions. Yale will be extending their interview offers after March 15th.

This was INCREDIBLY helpful! Thank-you so much for taking the time to write - I genuinely appreciate it! That's AWESOME hearing about the perks of living in Cleveland (i.e. affordability) and I totally forgot about the affiliation with Cleveland Clinic. I wonder if I can work in a CC laboratory if accepted - that would be neat! I assume you're interest in cancer biology since you were familiar with the Cleveland Clinic affiliation? I will have to send you a PM, you seem awesome, and I want to keep in touch or add you on LinkedIn to see where you end up! As a three-time Leadership Alliance alumnus (if you're applying to PREP, I'm sure you've heard of it before), I've learned just as much from my peers as my mentors so thank-you again! I assume you didn't end up accepting the Case offer?

I applied to Case, Brown, Yale, Harvard, Chicago, Hopkins, UPenn, Mount Sinai, Einstein, UNC, and Mayo. I am an MD/PhD applicant which definitely adds a hurdle since these programs only accept one if ANY MD/PhD interested candidate per cohort. I was extended an invitation to join Case Western's prep. It's uneasy having to make a decision without having heard back from the other institutions. I wish they all released their decisions at the same time. Does anyone have any thoughts on Case's program? For those who didn't apply, why not? Any thoughts are much appreciated.