MD Re-Applicant Suggestions PLEASE

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I applied to school this year, I applied to 26, did secondaries for 15 and had 4 interviews. I am still waiting to hear back from two schools but I don't think its looking good and I'm going to have to re-apply. My application was submitted the last week of august so I was pretty late.

My first year and a half at college was not fantastic, my gpa trend is:

Freshman Year: 3.21
Sophomore Year: 3.46
Junior Year: 3.86
Senior Year: 4.0

Total: 3.67
sGPA: 3.66

My last two years I was taking 17-22 credits a semester and they were all upper level science courses and I got nothing less than an A-.

Graduated with a BS in Biology in June 2011.

MCAT (33Q): BS 12, PS 11, VR 10
I don't want to retake my MCAT because i don't think I can get a 10 in VR again.

I currently work full time as an ER scribe in an urban level one trauma center in NYC and the job is very interactive and I have gained a ton of clinical experience. I go into rooms with doctors, I keep times during codes, I have seen many interesting trauma cases, gun shot wounds, etc. I included this in my AMCAS application but at the time I submitted I had only been working for about 1-1.5 months. I did two years of neuroscience research in undergrad, no publications and I presented two posters. I also did some tutoring in undergrad for organic chemistry and general biology. I also tutored 4th and 5th graders in an after school program in NY. I did some volunteer work and shadowing in undergrad but nothing too substantial.

I worked as a Pharmacy Technician from the middle of my Junior year up until I started the scribe job which was after graduating.

When I applied last time I only had a letter of recommendation from the Pre-Med Committee, this time a few of the attendings I work with have agreed to write me letters and I'm sure they will write good letters. I would get a letter of recommendation from the professor I did research with but I don't think she would write me a good one, I was not as interested as some of the other students in her lab and I really really hate research. I only did it for medical school, my goal has always been to become a clinician.

I need suggestions on how I can improve my application. I am going to submit as early as possible this time around and I will re-write my personal statement to include my new experiences, even though I really liked my original one. I will also be applying to more schools and actually completing all the secondaries. I really don't want to do a SMP and would prefer to work for another year but what do you think I am better off doing? I don't feel like there is anything different with my application this time around except for the fact that it will be in earlier and I have a lot more clinical experiences, but I feel like schools with think that I am doing nothing if I just continue working.

Originally Posted by DrJC

I applied to school this year, I applied to 26, did secondaries for 15 and had 4 interviews. I am still waiting to hear back from two schools but I don't think its looking good and I'm going to have to re-apply. My application was submitted the last week of august so I was pretty late.

My first year and a half at college was not fantastic, my gpa trend is:

Freshman Year: 3.21
Sophomore Year: 3.46
Junior Year: 3.86
Senior Year: 4.0

Total: 3.67
sGPA: 3.66

My last two years I was taking 17-22 credits a semester and they were all upper level science courses and I got nothing less than an A-.

Graduated with a BS in Biology in June 2011.

MCAT (33Q): BS 12, PS 11, VR 10
I don't want to retake my MCAT because i don't think I can get a 10 in VR again.

I currently work full time as an ER scribe in an urban level one trauma center in NYC and the job is very interactive and I have gained a ton of clinical experience. I go into rooms with doctors, I keep times during codes, I have seen many interesting trauma cases, gun shot wounds, etc. I included this in my AMCAS application but at the time I submitted I had only been working for about 1-1.5 months. I did two years of neuroscience research in undergrad, no publications and I presented two posters. I also did some tutoring in undergrad for organic chemistry and general biology. I also tutored 4th and 5th graders in an after school program in NY. I did some volunteer work and shadowing in undergrad but nothing too substantial.

I worked as a Pharmacy Technician from the middle of my Junior year up until I started the scribe job which was after graduating.

When I applied last time I only had a letter of recommendation from the Pre-Med Committee, this time a few of the attendings I work with have agreed to write me letters and I'm sure they will write good letters. I would get a letter of recommendation from the professor I did research with but I don't think she would write me a good one, I was not as interested as some of the other students in her lab and I really really hate research. I only did it for medical school, my goal has always been to become a clinician.

I need suggestions on how I can improve my application. I am going to submit as early as possible this time around and I will re-write my personal statement to include my new experiences, even though I really liked my original one. I will also be applying to more schools and actually completing all the secondaries. I really don't want to do a SMP and would prefer to work for another year but what do you think I am better off doing? I don't feel like there is anything different with my application this time around except for the fact that it will be in earlier and I have a lot more clinical experiences, but I feel like schools with think that I am doing nothing if I just continue working.

The bolded above covers the most serious problems. You might quickly get in some primary care formal shadowing in an office-setting, so that you have about 50 hours total (including what you listed before). I, and many others feel that scribing includes shadowing, but it's come to my attention that this is not a universal opinion, which I'd like to think is just based on ignorance of the duties involved. Be sure that your description of the activity is very clear on this point and even maybe include the word "shadowing" in the name you give the activity.

I don't see a peer leadership role mentioned, but your teaching and research look good. Schools with a humanistic bent will be expecting consistent nonmedical community service, so consider boosting up hours with whatever you got involved in previously and staying with it through the application season. Don't forget to list hobbies, sports, and artistic endeavors so you'll look well-rounded and interesting.

Forget the scribe stuff and so some honest-to-god volunteer work involving patient contact.. Or try Habitat for Humanity. And take ONE challenging course that you find interesting, and that might also help you in medical school.

And work on your interview skills too.

good luck

Originally Posted by DrJC

I t it will be in earlier and I have a lot more clinical experiences, but I feel like schools with think that I am doing nothing if I just continue working.

Originally Posted by Goro

Forget the scribe stuff and so some honest-to-god volunteer work involving patient contact.. Or try Habitat for Humanity. And take ONE challenging course that you find interesting, and that might also help you in medical school.

And work on your interview skills too.

good luck

I do need to work on my interview skills, but there is no volunteer work involving patient contact that will give me as much direct contact and access to patient as my scribe job, due to HIPAA laws. Also volunteers don't really have too much of a role in the hospital, I'm an actual member of the ER team. I have also taken almost every upper level course you can take, physical chem, biochem, cell biology, anatomy, physiology, advanced physiology, molecular biology, genetics, etc.

I was considering the SMP at UMDNJ and I could keep my scribe job part-time.

Anyone else have some suggestions????????????????????????????

Originally Posted by DrJC

Anyone else have some suggestions????????????????????????????

I think the reason people suggest volunteer work is not only for the patient exposure, it is to show the dedication you have to helping others. at this point it is probably too close to the app cycle to garner any long-term meaningful volunteer work, but it still couldnt hurt.

Definitely start doing some volunteer work asap. It will help your application for sure because they want to know what you will be doing for the rest of the year after applying. Also, in case you don't get in again, it will look good for the following cycle..lets just hope that doesn't happen.

Would you guys recommend an SMP. I have 6 Ws on my transcript from my first two years of undergrads, like I said I have managed a big turn around since then but that could have been a big factor. Or would you recommend applying early (June 1st), continue working and volunteer during this year off?

The two SMPs I am looking into are Georgetown and UMDNJ. I already put in an application for Georgetown and I'm meeting with an advisor at UMDNJ in two days.

I have already interviewed and been rejected from Hofstra, Einstein, NYMC and I am still waiting to hear back from Downstate but that was a terrible interview and I know a rejection is coming. Would you recommend reapplying to these schools are they likely to re-interview an applicant?

Originally Posted by DrJC

1) Would you guys recommend an SMP. I have 6 Ws on my transcript from my first two years of undergrads, like I said I have managed a big turn around since then but that could have been a big factor.

2) Or would you recommend applying early (June 1st), continue working and volunteer during this year off?

3) I have already interviewed and been rejected from Hofstra, Einstein, NYMC and I am still waiting to hear back from Downstate but that was a terrible interview and I know a rejection is coming. Would you recommend reapplying to these schools are they likely to re-interview an applicant?

1) No.

2) Yes, along with some quicly added shadowing as I mentioned above, before you submit.

3) Unless their websites suggest that they don't encourage reapplication, considering your improvements, I'd say go for it.

Is there a particular reason you would rather reapply than take the DO acceptance?

Originally Posted by Mazdave

Is there a particular reason you would rather reapply than take the DO acceptance?

I know its the same thing and I work in a hospital and a lot of the doctors I work with are DOs, but there is always that stigma. Even the DOs I work with told me I should reapply and try to do MD. I also feel like my stats and experiences are good, if I don't get in anywhere reapplying this time then I'm just going to go to DO school.

Originally Posted by DrJC

I know its the same thing and I work in a hospital and a lot of the doctors I work with are DOs, but there is always that stigma. Even the DOs I work with told me I should reapply and try to do MD. I also feel like my stats and experiences are good, if I don't get in anywhere reapplying this time then I'm just going to go to DO school.

Be very careful about this. While I am certainly hopeful for you, and the fact you got multiple interviews suggests you were pretty close to an M.D. acceptance somewhere, you obviously cannot know for a fact things WILL go better this time. And while I do not know this for a fact, I imagine D.O schools will be just as bothered by your declining an D.O acceptance and reapplying (as a backup) to them as M.D. schools are by declining an M.D. offer in order to reapply. If you reapply, you may well have to burn away your D.O. safety net in order to do so. This is something you should speak with premedical advisers about, unless you can get compelling advice on this forum from people who are familiar with the consequences of such a decision.

Originally Posted by Pattycake25

Be very careful about this. While I am certainly hopeful for you, and the fact you got multiple interviews suggests you were pretty close to an M.D. acceptance somewhere, you obviously cannot know for a fact things WILL go better this time. And while I do not know this for a fact, I imagine D.O schools will be just as bothered by your declining an D.O acceptance and reapplying (as a backup) to them as M.D. schools are by declining an M.D. offer in order to reapply. If you reapply, you may well have to burn away your D.O. safety net in order to do so. This is something you should speak with premedical advisers about, unless you can get compelling advice on this forum from people who are familiar with the consequences of such a decision.

Yea its a gamble, but I'm willing to take it and if worst comes to worst I can always go to the Caribbean.