4.0/40 rejected everywhere :o( Not sure what to do?

[Inventor of Post-Its]

Anorexia is an eating disorder, not a mental health issue. Comparing disordered eating habits to a mental disorder is a bit of a stretch, I think. Normally your posts are excellent, but I just don't agree. Is anorexia at all comparable to, say, borderline personality disorder? I don't think so at all. And we have no idea if pressure had anything to do with OP's having anorexia - it may've been culturally influenced. But I'd agree that the OP hasn't accomplished much since graduating college.

Eating disorders are most definitely mental disorders. Just because it's "not as bad" as a very serious mental disorder does not make it not a mental disorder.

---

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[gyngyn]

hm now i'm wondering if they only count the 40 if the 28 expires lol

The usefulness of old scores expires. Their presence (and potential influence) is always visible.

 

[cactus8910]

Anorexia is an eating disorder, not a mental health issue. Comparing disordered eating habits to a mental disorder is a bit of a stretch, I think. Normally your posts are excellent, but I just don't agree. Is anorexia at all comparable to, say, borderline personality disorder? I don't think so at all. And we have no idea if pressure had anything to do with OP's having anorexia - it may've been culturally influenced. But I'd agree that the OP hasn't accomplished much since graduating college.

Considering anorexia is in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, I would say it is absolutely a mental health issue. What else would you describe it as?

 

[deleted307836]

I think you've gotten some useful thoughts over the past couple pages. What stands out to me, though, is that you are presumably around ~26 years old and (it seems) have never had paid employment. I think there is something to the impression of "directionless" that others have pointed out. For example -- why were you taking non-degree courses for so long - what was the purpose there? I think that could add to that impression as well. Sorry if I've missed something.

 

[Microglia]

Anorexia is an eating disorder, not a mental health issue. Comparing disordered eating habits to a mental disorder is a bit of a stretch, I think. Normally your posts are excellent, but I just don't agree. Is anorexia at all comparable to, say, borderline personality disorder? I don't think so at all. And we have no idea if pressure had anything to do with OP's having anorexia - it may've been culturally influenced. But I'd agree that the OP hasn't accomplished much since graduating college.

This post strikes me as interesting. Anorexia certainly is a neuropsychiatric disorder, as is borderline personality disorder. Both benefit from psychiatric treatment, and both, at least in our curriculum, were taught under the psychiatry sequence as an illness primarily treated by psychiatrists. What other category could it possibly fall under? It seems to me that the reason you don't want to consider it a mental illness is because of the stigma associated with that label. Why not instead fight the stigma against neuropsychiatric illness than the classification of anorexia under neuropsychiatric illness? What makes a disease of neurocognition so different from a disease of the neuromuscular system, at the end of the day? Random philosophical musings over haha.

 

[flowerpower123]

I think you've gotten some useful thoughts over the past couple pages. What stands out to me, though, is that you are presumably around ~26 years old and (it seems) have never had paid employment. I think there is something to the impression of "directionless" that others have pointed out. For example -- why were you taking non-degree courses for so long - what was the purpose there? I think that could add to that impression as well. Sorry if I've missed something.

I suppose I just wanted to craft the best medical school application that I could, and I knew that meant doing well on the MCAT, having a few years of research, and volunteering... I only took medically related courses because I really like medicine and thought the courses would be medically relevant. I can see now how I seem directionless, I always intended on applying to medical school, but I guess I didn't go about it the best way.

 

[deleted307836]

I suppose I just wanted to craft the best medical school application that I could, and I knew that meant doing well on the MCAT, having a few years of research, and volunteering... I only took medically related courses, i.e. molecular genetics and biochemistry, because I really like medicine and thought the courses would be medically relevant. I can see now how I seem directionless, I always intended on applying to medical school, but I guess I didn't go about it the best way.

I get that. Now that you've gotten those things out of the way, though, I think it may be worth your while to find a job in the meantime (as you prepare your next application). I wouldn't do a Master's program because you've been in school for so long already -- it would be rather pointless towards achieving your goals. In all honesty, reading through your story it makes one wonder if you've been using school as an "escape." So embarking on employment may be useful towards minimizing that impression (and also for your own personal development).

 

[Microglia]

Look up a couple posts. You're the third person to basically say the same thing, to which I've already responded. And I realized that that was probably going to be said shortly after I posted that, so I should've been clearer. Again, though, to repeat myself: I don't buy into eating disorders (that are long behind someone) being nearly as concerning as other psychological problems with regard to handling a medical school curriculum. And I'm completely against the stigma related to mental illness, but it seems like plenty are quick to judge those who have those issues on here.

Apologies if my post was taken in any way as aggressive- it was merely the musings of a very sleep deprived M2 haha. It is fascinating that neurocognitive disorders are viewed differently from say neuromuscular disorders, or strokes, or any other disorder of the brain. I agree with you that there is too much prejudgment when it comes to medical admissions and the attitude in the field- these things need to be decided on a case by case basis. Personally, I would never exclude someone from admission for having a history of something like anorexia- there's no threat of harm to others, and to overcome it shows incredible strength.

 

[mehc012]

off topic

 

[poopydoody]

The fact that the big picture wasn't revealed in the initial post was certainly frustrating, but I think it's a stretch to conclude that OP must be "immensely immature" from that. (And do I need to say it? Accusations of "immense immaturity" from someone named "poopydoody"?)

We also have no significant reason to believe that adcoms thought she was immature based on her application. Make no mistake---the mystery remains unsolved.

You got good points, but about that personal jab...you're not in much of a position to call me out on username maturity when you're named "Salt" with a pepper avatar.

 

[Willy38]

I love how this thread has devolved into a detailed debate on anorexia and username/avatar battles lol

Edit: Its very fitting for the bait and switch 4.0/40 thread title.

 

[Willy38]

.

 

[miszfifi820]

OP took a year to 'travel' post college, and seems to have not worked a paying job in her adult life (maybe whole life).....

Must be nice...

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

OP, at the very least, you've demonstrated that you have the academic aptitude for med school. Work on the other stuff and put out a significantly better (and smarter) app the next time around. Good luck!

 

[flowerpower123]

OP took a year to 'travel' post college, and seems to have not worked a paying job in her adult life (maybe whole life).....

Must be nice...

I would have gladly been paid

 

[Inventor of Post-Its]

I worked for free... I would have gladly been paid if it had been an option.

It requires money just to stay alive - food, shelter. You must have somebody else paying those expenses for you to afford the luxury of working for free. Of course everyone would "rather be paid," but many people are forced to pick up a paying job they don't like rather than doing what they want to do. That is how you are lucky, and it's staggeringly un-self-aware that you aren't picking up on that.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Okay OP, I just caught up on 3 pages of posts, and here's the one line that stood out to me: You said you traveled for a year, and that it was a waste of time.


NO. WRONG F#CKING MINDSET.


Everything is a learning experience. EVERYTHING. Instead of saying you wasted a year of your life, find a good way to spin it. Say "I went to [location] and found the people there to be [way]." Talk about it. Hype it up. Tell people what you learned and how it shaped your desire to go into medicine.

Saying that you wasted a year is self-depreciatory. You are selling yourself short, underestimating the value of your own experiences, and accepting failure before you even begin.

Have you perhaps suffered from depression in the past? I see you suffered from anorexia, which can be related to depression. I ask because people with depression tend to underplay valuable points in their life and accept that they can't be victorious no matter what.

 

[poopydoody]

It requires money just to stay alive - food, shelter. You must have somebody else paying those expenses for you to afford the luxury of working for free. Of course everyone would "rather be paid," but many people are forced to pick up a paying job they don't like rather than doing what they want to do. That is how you are lucky, and it's staggeringly un-self-aware that you aren't picking up on that.

i.e., immature. For those who still don't agree with this point...she's demonstrated little understanding of how life works outside of school, and that is an immediate red flag at interviews. Not saying this came across on her written app, but I refuse to believe it was not part of the long list of reasons for the rejections.

It looks like the history of anorexia/other kind of mental issues may factor into this, but nonetheless, it's there. If she doesn't bother addressing those issues and play up how it has affected her path to medicine, it's a negative for the adcoms.

 

[DokterMom]

I get that. Now that you've gotten those things out of the way, though, I think it may be worth your while to find a job in the meantime (as you prepare your next application). I wouldn't do a Master's program because you've been in school for so long already -- it would be rather pointless towards achieving your goals. In all honesty, reading through your story it makes one wonder if you've been using school as an "escape." So embarking on employment may be useful towards minimizing that impression (and also for your own personal development).

@OP - You asked what I'd suggest you do and this is it. Get a full-time paying job. It doesn't even have to be a good one or in healthcare. But get a full-time job; move out of your parent's house (if that's where you're living), and stand independently on your own two feet. Show that you can do this while also doing other things such as volunteering in the community. Volunteer to help a group of people you care deeply for -- perhaps young women, and dive in.

I would absolutely want to know if your anorexia admission from AMCAS #1 will be discoverable. If it is - own it. (Is it possible one of your LORs mentioned it?) Tell your own story your way and incorporate it into your narrative as part of who you once were and what you went through to become the strong and healthy person you are today. If your history is discoverable or you decide to disclose, do something related to anorexia, body dysmorphic disorders and body positivity, cyber-bullying -- things that torture teens.

If it's not discoverable, then recognize that your last 10 years look kind of like a sponge, and you'll have to do some fancy tap-dancing if you don't want to disclose.

I'm firmly anti-stigma and believe in second chances; but I'm also a realist. A history of anorexia makes you a high-risk applicant. You'll have to choose whether to disclose or not, and play that hand to the best of your ability.

Good Luck to you --

 

[flowerpower123]

You said you traveled for a year, and that it was a waste of time.

I agree... it was really great to see the world and experience different cultures and meet new people... I don't think I said it was a waste of time... if I did that's certainly not what I meant... I just mean that it might not come across well in my application... Like I've just had a privilaged existance... I talked with my interviewers about my travels abroad, to South America / Asia / Europe etc. and they seemed to think that it was a great thing... one of my interviewers was Italian and we talked at length about Italy and where all we had been. So I think that aspects of my travels did indeed come across well in my interview / application... but another aspect may seem annoying.

 

[poopydoody]

I disagree.

Only her adviser will be able to read every line of her AMCAS and letters to pick out precisely what may be holding med schools back from offering an interview. It may be one glaring thing, it may be several small things, it may be a combination. To think that people over the internet, who have neither met flowerpower nor read any part of her application, can say more definitively what is wrong with her application than someone who has done both of these is ridiculous.

Read up on SDN for the kind of things advisors have said to people. Having all that access to information doesn't make up for being a ******* who's detached from the process, which is a good generalization of most advisors, save the few working at top schools maybe.

OP should try, but not expect much.

 

[flowerpower123]

@OP - You asked what I'd suggest you do and this is it. Get a full-time paying job. It doesn't even have to be a good one or in healthcare. But get a full-time job; move out of your parent's house (if that's where you're living), and stand independently on your own two feet. Show that you can do this while also doing other things such as volunteering in the community. Volunteer to help a group of people you care deeply for -- perhaps young women, and dive in.

I would absolutely want to know if your anorexia admission from AMCAS #1 will be discoverable. If it is - own it. (Is it possible one of your LORs mentioned it?) Tell your own story your way and incorporate it into your narrative as part of who you once were and what you went through to become the strong and healthy person you are today. If your history is discoverable or you decide to disclose, do something related to anorexia, body dysmorphic disorders and body positivity, cyber-bullying -- things that torture teens.

If it's not discoverable, then recognize that your last 10 years look kind of like a sponge, and you'll have to do some fancy tap-dancing if you don't want to disclose.

I'm firmly anti-stigma and believe in second chances; but I'm also a realist. A history of anorexia makes you a high-risk applicant. You'll have to choose whether to disclose or not, and play that hand to the best of your ability.

Good Luck to you --

Thanks, this is really helpful... I was thinking of working to help mentor at risk youths or middle school / high school girls. I really appreciate your advice, it's really helped me a lot. Being out of school, sometimes it's difficult to find constructive feedback.

 

[Lawgiver]

too much time spent on an outlier. move on folks!

 

[Sarah_Sonny25]

Anorexia Nervosa is a mental illness that often flies under the radar of friends and family and even health professionals for a long time. It also has one of the highest mortality rates for a mental illness. I have a close family member who suffers from AN so I know how damaging it can be and even if you overcome your eating behaviors the disease can still carry over its effects (anxiety, depression, not feeling good enough, self-loathing, constant desire for control and "perfection"). OP (or anyone else applying with an ED) make sure that you are truly recovered from not just the behavioral but the psychological affects of this disorder before pursuing a journey as emotionally and mentally draining as med school can be. If you are confident and can demonstrate that you can stand on your own two feet and face life then owning your story might work. However from what I've been reading on this thread perhaps if you still feel self-depricating then that may translate to interviews....

 

[mehc012]

off topic

 

[mehc012]

off topic

 

[poopydoody]

This is an awesome derail imo

 

[technician]

Thanks, this is really helpful... I was thinking of working to help mentor at risk youths or middle school / high school girls. I really appreciate your advice, it's really helped me a lot. Being out of school, sometimes it's difficult to find constructive feedback.

My only thought would be is that it is possible to imagine they saw the 28 as a more genuine evaluation because you were working regularly during that test-prep and weren't able to get a great score. Then, you took 3-6 months doing nothing but MCAT studying and managed a great score; however, many other applicants also continued their other duties full-time (most people have to earn a living) during their study time. In addition, something like 1/3 or 2/3, I forget, of matriculating Stanford students have at least a publication from their prior research so you were in competition with some very tight applicant pools.

However, this is a conjecture which could be theorized once, maybe twice, but the consistency of your rejection demands it be a flaw in your application which you have not yet disclosed. Read your PS over again, don't be too controversial in it. Maybe you didn't give a good explanation for why you took gap years: if you say you were traveling and studying for the MCAT for two years, anyone would be skeptical. Ask your premed committee about the strength of your letters, maybe they can give you some insight. Good luck.

 

[Dentase]

If you have a 40 and 4.0 you obviously did something wrong. Plus going from a 28 to a 40 is suspicious. two other options are you are highly anti social, or one of your professors screwed you over by writing you a LOR and he probably caught you cheating on an exam one day and advocated to write you a LOR just to screw you over.lol
All hypothetical though.
P.S you should reevaluate yourself people with lower stats than yours are getting into MD schools, and you decide to put yourself at a disadvantage by applying to top schools. Did you think you it was safe? You should be smarter than that seeing as your going into Med school

 

[Doug Underhill]

The reason why the OP hasn't been accepted yet is because she only has a 4.0, you need at least a 4.1 to get accepted anywhere these days.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Since eating disorders are often explained by pretty common societal-type causes, I just think it's a stretch to put them on the same level as other problems. Obviously they're within the realm of psychology/psychiatry and have psychological manifestations. I know of numerous people who had anorexia-type habits merely out of pure ignorance of nutrition, and these people are often students who did perfectly fine while having eating habits of an anorexic.

STOP THIS AND EDUCATE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU POST ANOTHER IGNORANT, DEROGATORY, AND INSENSITIVE WORD.

Anorexia has the HIGHEST MORTALITY of ANY mental illness. It is a HORRIBLE DISEASE.

And people like you in the medical feild are the reason patients live in hell for years without getting the support they did.
Please, out of respect for the thousands of suffering people, refrain yourself from making such disgusting comments ever again on this thread.

And before you even consider entering the medical profession, learn some compassion and understanding because if you take the attiude into practice you could easily send home eating disorder pateints to die without treating them

 

[Shams al Deen]

This process is sooo results driven. Kinda like sports. Just imagine Lebron's legacy if Ray Allen doesn't hit that ridiculous three in Gm6 '13 or if Lebron doesn't go offfff Gm6 at Boston in '12. He'd be the laughing stock of America. We'd be coming up with insane theories to explain some lack of 'mental toughness', lack of clutch gene, killer instinct, etc. But instead, he's Lebron effing James.

By the same token, if OP just gets ANY of those 3 post-interview decisions in her favor then she's accomplished the SDN-dream and in an elite med school. I'm willing to bet if OP applied to more schools, she'd have been successful. It's a crapshoot. Fine she doesn't have a perfect app (who does), but she's clearly qualified for med school. Some of the recent posts are reading way too much into it and are just "playing the result." Like if a couple things don't go Lebron's way we'd be finding every possible reason to explain his lack of success--when in reality, sometimes it's just the way the ball bounces.

 

[NickNaylor]

...

Dude/dudette, you don't know what anorexia is. That's cool, but quit while you're ahead. You're making yourself look foolish.

 

[jb94mg]

Dude/dudette, you don't know what anorexia is. That's cool, but quit while you're ahead. You're making yourself look foolish.

Sorry, what I posted was wrong. I went and removed the content of all of my posts in this thread. I am sorry, everyone. My original post was wrong, and instead of admitting it, I defended something I didn't really believe since mehc012 attacked it. Sorry to @mehc012 too.

 

[breakintheroof]

This process is sooo results driven. Kinda like sports. Just imagine Lebron's legacy if Ray Allen doesn't hit that ridiculous three in Gm6 '13 or if Lebron doesn't go offfff Gm6 at Boston in '12. He'd be the laughing stock of America. We'd be coming up with insane theories to explain some lack of 'mental toughness', lack of clutch gene, killer instinct, etc. But instead, he's Lebron effing James.

By the same token, if OP just gets ANY of those 3 post-interview decisions in her favor then she's accomplished the SDN-dream and in an elite med school. I'm willing to bet if OP applied to more schools, she'd have been successful. It's a crapshoot. Fine she doesn't have a perfect app (who does), but she's clearly qualified for med school. Some of the recent posts are reading way too much into it and are just "playing the result." Like if a couple things don't go Lebron's way we'd be finding every possible reason to explain his lack of success--when in reality, sometimes it's just the way the ball bounces.

Ha ha, that is a good point about the results-oriented nature of this process, Shams. If things had broken just right and OP had snagged an acceptance at Harvard/Yale/Duke, we would all be focusing on the (admirable) strengths of her application rather than the (considerable) weaknesses.

I wouldn't go so far as to compare OP (or any premed) to LeBron, of course, though.

I hope that when the dust settles on the next cycle, we'll be able to appreciate what OP has done well to succeed as a reapplicant.

 

[PL198]

I'll bet any money there is something glaringly wrong with your app that you can't fathom being glaringly wrong for some reason, however if someone else had complete access to your app they'd be like " wtf."

You have great stats, the only logical reason you wouldn't get in somewhere is that there's a giant red flag. Up to you to be cognizant enough to recognize this flag and attempt to fix it. If you can't, well then you'll probably never get into any med school.

 

[cyclopes93]

Don't jump on me...because I wouldn't think that it's a big deal nearly a decade later. But I did drop out of high school, but I mean that was nearly 10 years ago and I graduated summa cum laude from college and I didn't even bring it up other than clicking GED on the AMCAS... I'm just trying to figure out what's wrong, maybe that's an issue

how did you drop out of high school if both your parents are doctors...I have never come across this fact and I'm almost doubting the authenticity of this thread.

Also, I know you got your letter checked by physicians but were you violating any HIPAA laws when you discussed the patient?

 

[medic86]

how did you drop out of high school if both your parents are doctors...I have never come across this fact and I'm almost doubting the authenticity of this thread.

Just because someone has doctors for parents doesn't mean it's impossible for them to drop out from high school.

 

[flowerpower123]

how did you drop out of high school if both your parents are doctors.

I've not exactly been the pride and joy of my family...
But I've been working hard to turn things around. I've not yet told them about all my rejections... its gonna be hard because they were so excited for me when I interviewed.
There's always next year though. I like Osler's advice: "live in day-tight compartments"

 

[Microglia]

I've not exactly been the pride and joy of my family...
But I've been working hard to turn things around. I've not yet told them about all my rejections... its gonna be hard because they were so excited for me when I interviewed.
There's always next year though. I like Osler's advice: "live in day-tight compartments"

This is the absolute right attitude. Sometimes you can call a school and they will speak to you about why you were rejected- I've never done it but I've heard of it being done. In your case, I would consider trying it and seeing if they can highlight something insidious in your application.

 

[cyclopes93]

I've not exactly been the pride and joy of my family...
But I've been working hard to turn things around. I've not yet told them about all my rejections... its gonna be hard because they were so excited for me when I interviewed.
There's always next year though. I like Osler's advice: "live in day-tight compartments"

It's ok, your parents are proud of you no matter what and you are eagerly following in their steps so they know that you idolize them. I just wanted to make sure that this wasn't another one of those troll threads. Aside from that, even if you tell them, they know you are damn smart because it isn't your stats holding you back.

I think that perhaps you need to reexamine your letter for the HIPAA issue closely and apply really early this cycle. More and more people are taking gap years. Being older has its advantages and some of the most intelligent classmates I have are actually years apart from me and I actually look older than them. It's always about the mindset.

 

[PL198]

This is the absolute right attitude. Sometimes you can call a school and they will speak to you about why you were rejected- I've never done it but I've heard of it being done. In your case, I would consider trying it and seeing if they can highlight something insidious in your application.

no it's not... OP is 26 and has great stats, if they aren't getting into school now, it's not like their chances are improving. if they can't outline whatever the gigantic obvious flaw in their app is then it's not like they're going to magically get accepted somewhere.

instead of just being a yes man and telling everyone what they want to hear, be honest with them.

obviously OP has been blessed with the ability to be 26 and not work for income and continue their pursuit of med school. this likely won't occur forever so OP is getting closer to a "make or break" moment

 

[cyclopes93]

no it's not... OP is 26 and has great stats, if they aren't getting into school now, it's not like their chances are improving. if they can't outline whatever the gigantic obvious flaw in their app is then it's not like they're going to magically get accepted somewhere.

instead of just being a yes man and telling everyone what they want to hear, be honest with them.

But the advice on calling admissions is probably the only way the OP can find out as we have not been able to. You are right that just saying "it's ok" isn't the right attitude but in order to get up and running, the OP needs to get rid of any bitter attitude (which I have not found any sign of from OP) and collect their info before another late cycle is attempted.

 

[flowerpower123]

I think that perhaps you need to reexamine your letter for the HIPAA issue closely and apply really early this cycle.

I looked over my letter. There aren't any HIPAA issues, as I didn't use the patient's real name. But I suppose medical schools wouldn't know whether I was using the patient's real name or not. Though I wouldn't have thought this would be a significant factor, but I guess it could be.

 

[ridethecliche]

I honestly wonder what the OP interviews like.

Being able to hold a good conversation during an interview requires some sort of coherence, knack for storytelling, and filling in details as part of a grander story.

Seeming distracted, unable to fill in relevant details, etc, during an interview doesn't make for a good letter.

 

[ridethecliche]

I looked over my letter. There aren't any HIPAA issues, as I didn't use the patient's real name. But I suppose medical schools wouldn't know whether I was using the patient's real name or not. Though I wouldn't have thought this would be a significant factor, but I guess it could be.

The patients name should be changed to mr/ms and a letter of their last name if you want to be safe...

You need to recraft your image in your PS to get more bites.

Having a job, ie real responsibility, would be nice too.

 

[Microglia]

no it's not... OP is 26 and has great stats, if they aren't getting into school now, it's not like their chances are improving. if they can't outline whatever the gigantic obvious flaw in their app is then it's not like they're going to magically get accepted somewhere.

instead of just being a yes man and telling everyone what they want to hear, be honest with them.

obviously OP has been blessed with the ability to be 26 and not work for income and continue their pursuit of med school. this likely won't occur forever so OP is getting closer to a "make or break" moment

I gave a productive plan that will actually help OP figure out what flaws exist within their app. Not sure what could be more helpful short of me going through their app myself. I do sense a great deal of hostility here though, and think there may be some other reason for it. Whatever it is, I wish you well.

 

[Psai]

Sorry, what I posted was wrong. I went and removed the content of all of my posts in this thread. I am sorry, everyone. My original post was wrong, and instead of admitting it, I defended something I didn't really believe since mehc012 attacked it. Sorry to @mehc012 too.

what is this? an apology on the internet?

 

[jared_the_great]

If this has been mentioned, I must have missed it. But OP, you say you did research for 2 years. Did you have any pubs, abstracts, presentations to show for it? Most of the schools you applied to are research-heavy schools, and I would think they might want more hard evidence of having actually accomplished something in your research.

I doubt there is any single automatic disqualifier on your app. If there was, you wouldn't have gotten those II's. But you applied to very competitive schools in a very competitive year and you just didn't manage to impress them more than the thousands of other applicants who had all their ducks in a row. I'm guessing the small red flags that have been addressed in this thread contributed to reservations, especially if you didn't address them in a way that portrayed a coherent narrative.

I'm thinking you need: (1) a wider school list, including less competitive schools; (2) a personal statement that really explains your personal journey, shows how you've matured and gained focus, and demonstrates that you aren't just an entitled drifter who's giving med school a shot for lack of something better to do (your story could definitely come across that way); (3) getting a paying job and supporting yourself financially is probably a good idea.

 

[familyaerospace]

You definitely aren't rejected for high stats

Depends on the school. You can be. I know a fair amount of in-state applicants to Mercer who had outrageous stats, they were rejected pre-interview. One of those students I know went to Emory as he friended me on Facebook and thanked me for all the help I gave him.