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coconut monkee said:
All that hard work for nothing. I'm prepared to get screwed. My premed advisor insists that submitting August 1st doesn't provide a disadvantage, but I know for sure that it does. If U Chicago for instance, has 150 interview slots for the season and lots of applicants submit early, then all the slots could potentially be filled. It really sucks to have a premed committee at my school. They make my life a lot harder than if there isn't one.
Click to expand...

You should be fine if you submit your primary early. Letters of rec are part of your secondary applications, so being complete by August is still early.
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stevenwithaV said:
Thanks hushcom for answering my question several pages back. I've got one more.

I interviewed last month and am awaiting a decision. I have a grade update (a couple A's) from my SMP, and wanted to send an update letter. I reckon that my grades would be helpful because my undergrad grades were the biggest question mark on my application (hence the SMP.) However, a few folks on SDN have said that I should be more strategic - hold off on sending an update letter in case I get waitlisted, so I can be fresh in their mind.

I won't have any other meaningful updates between now and June, when my classes end. So do you agree that I should wait, or send it ASAP?
Click to expand...

There is nothing strategic about this. Send the grades now.
 
bluepeach9 said:
@hushcom

In case you missed my question, I just posted it again :):

Hi Hushcom! I have a question about scribe experience. A doctor I know, who works in private practice, offered to let me volunteer in his clinic as a 'scribe.' Basically, I get to interact directly with patients, type up everything they say on the SOAP notes, and then relay the information back to the doctor so that he can get an idea of what's going on and diagnose the patient's condition.

I know this is not an actual paid scribe position (for which there is training in the ER dept. and extensive rules). In addition, I would be a scribe in primary care, not ER...Since I will be volunteering and since the doctor owns the clinic, the scribe position is more flexible. I plan to do this for 4-5 months.

Could I still put this on my resume as a clinical scribe position? Or would it not be considered as a legitimate scribe role? Would you say this experience is different from shadowing?

Also, this doctor is allowing me to interact fully with the patients (although I am not allowed to touch them, draw blood, take blood pressure, etc. ) Is this okay?Or will adcoms think that this position is "too much of a role" for a pre-medical student to have and hence, disapprove of it?
I would really appreciate your answers! Thank you!
Click to expand...

I cannot decide of this physician is being generous or exploitative. It is certainly different from shadowing, somewhere in the zone between scribe and volunteer. The problem is that it sounds like you will be essentially taking patient histories, something you have absolutely no training for. This would certainly raise my eyebrows, and it makes me question this individual's judgement. Or is there something I am missing?
 
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studentp0x said:
For LORs, (lets say for a school who wants to output primary care docs for rural underserved areas) is it true that if the letter puts emphasis or even mentions that the student is very interested/passionate about rural medicine/primary care medicine, is that an important thing to have on there?
Or for research intensive schools, same idea.

Basically, is that the main thing schools look for on LORs? Someone else to say that the applicant has X interest/passion/talent for meeting their school mission/goal?
Click to expand...

No, when I read an LOR I am looking for the applicant's attributes and the strength of the writer's support for this person being a physician. A comment on the applicant's goals might be nice, assuming it fits with the rest of the application. I have had applicants who shadowed orthopods, got LOR's from orthopods, did orthopedic research, talk about orthopedics in the main personal statement, and then in the secondary want to become a rural FM doctor because they suddenly value long term patient relationships. Oops.
 
UCUCUC said:
Hello hushcom.

I am retaking a 31 MCAT this summer. The reason is because I took it in Aug of 2011. I am applying to enter sept of 2015. Some schools will not accept MCAT older than 2 years (which makes my mcat not acceptable).

If I ended up with a re-take score of say 28, how much will my old score weigh? Will adcoms consider the fact I had to retake due to old scores expiring for certain schools?

How about 32? 34? 36?

Thank you.
Click to expand...

I know you are seeking comfort in the event of an unsavory outcome, but you really just need to buckle down and re(prepare) for the test.
 
manofmen said:
Yes, I have indeed taken the mcat before. I got a 34, and was thinking of retaking to make up for my relatively low GPA. Incidentally, many people here would unequivocally say that's a no-no, but as you said, it'd be a case-by-case basis right?

Sorry for sneaking in an extra question, and thanks for all your guidance.
Click to expand...

The only reason I would retake a 34 is if the breakdown were something like 6/14/14. A 34 is a very good score, and getting a 35 or 37 or 40 is unlikely to add much. In the meantime a retake puts you at risk for getting a lower score, which I think you would find devastating.
 
silentshadow59 said:
@hushcom just wondering, my school does not do committee letters, is that something the adcoms are aware of without my needing to mention?
Click to expand...

Some people on the committee seem to know every school in the nation that does not do committee letters. I rely on them.
 
coconut monkee said:
All that hard work for nothing. I'm prepared to get screwed. My premed advisor insists that submitting August 1st doesn't provide a disadvantage, but I know for sure that it does. If U Chicago for instance, has 150 interview slots for the season and lots of applicants submit early, then all the slots could potentially be filled. It really sucks to have a premed committee at my school. They make my life a lot harder than if there isn't one.
Click to expand...

Screwed is a strong word. Back in my day the MCAT was offered twice a year, in April and August. People who took it in August did not receive their scores until sometime in September. Given that we used paper correspondence (carried on horse-drawn buggies) that could really slow things down, and yet plenty of August takers got in. The point is that if everything else is ready to go this will not significantly delay your application.
 
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Is it true ECs can "compensate" for a lower GPA/MCAT by a small margin? So like 0.1 of a GPA (to that extent).
Someone's been insisting to me that's how it works, though I believe that MCAT and GPA can compensate for each other to a small degree... Or does it depend on pre-interview/post interview? Pre-interiew being mainly stats while post being all balanced out.
 
Hello hushcom, I was hoping to get your opinion on the situation I'm in.

I was an undergrad psych major, 3.8ish gpa, worked in the field a few years and decided to pursue medicine.
I took the wrong persons advice and went into a formal post-bacc at a small private uni I never heard of that turned out to be a farse.
To sum it up, out of the entire post-bacc program everyone but myself and 1 other had left the school by midterms, it was surreal.
I left after the first semester with a W/C/B-. I then immediately started a post-bacc at my alma mater and got a 4.0 through all pre-reqs
and a hefty amount of upper div science courses. Recently got a 35 on the MCAT.

I'm not terribly worried about my chances...I have great LOR's, clinical, volunteer, life experience, and the get in somewhere mindset,
but I have always wondered just how badly adcoms would look at the post-bacc switch. Obviously when questioned about it I just blame myself
and study habits.
 
Hi Hushcom

How do ADCOMs look at multiple MCATs over the span of several years ? If the scores are expired does it count against you if they're bad but aren't regarded if they're good?
 
hushcom said:
I am a practicing physician who serves on the admissions committee of an allopathic medical school in the United States. I am also not new to SDN, having seen the cast of characters evolve here over a number of years. Some recent threads in the pre-allo forum have compelled me to start this one. While I am not a longstanding and venerated member of the committee, perhaps someone will find my two cents useful and/or interesting.

So please, have at it.
Click to expand...

Hello hushcom,

I am currently writing drafts for my personal statement (I am applying this upcoming cycle), and I've been debating whether or not to include overcoming an eating disorder. I personally want to talk about it because getting treatment was what prompted me to seriously consider medicine as a career. I am very proud of the work I did, and I think I am a better, stronger person for having had an eating disorder. I am fully recovered now (it's been 4+ years since I've exhibited any thoughts/symptoms) and I have a good support network, so I am very confident that history won't repeat itself.

That being said, I know that many people consider mental illness to be a 'red flag.' I know that if I did choose to write about it, I would have to approach it a) very carefully, b) as only part of a larger narrative, and c) as something that served to make me stronger, but do you believe that that this will hurt me much more than help me?

thanks!
 
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Does it matter where you do your residency, if you're not interested in teaching or research?

Thanks for doing this!
 
studentp0x said:
Is it true ECs can "compensate" for a lower GPA/MCAT by a small margin? So like 0.1 of a GPA (to that extent).
Someone's been insisting to me that's how it works, though I believe that MCAT and GPA can compensate for each other to a small degree... Or does it depend on pre-interview/post interview? Pre-interiew being mainly stats while post being all balanced out.
Click to expand...

Think about the phrase "necessary but not sufficient." The answer is in there.
 
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blacklab25 said:
Hello hushcom, I was hoping to get your opinion on the situation I'm in.

I was an undergrad psych major, 3.8ish gpa, worked in the field a few years and decided to pursue medicine.
I took the wrong persons advice and went into a formal post-bacc at a small private uni I never heard of that turned out to be a farse.
To sum it up, out of the entire post-bacc program everyone but myself and 1 other had left the school by midterms, it was surreal.
I left after the first semester with a W/C/B-. I then immediately started a post-bacc at my alma mater and got a 4.0 through all pre-reqs
and a hefty amount of upper div science courses. Recently got a 35 on the MCAT.

I'm not terribly worried about my chances...I have great LOR's, clinical, volunteer, life experience, and the get in somewhere mindset,
but I have always wondered just how badly adcoms would look at the post-bacc switch. Obviously when questioned about it I just blame myself
and study habits.
Click to expand...

Why would you blame yourself? Everyone makes mistakes, and you changed course when necessary. It might take some aplomb to accurately describe your first post-bacc without seeming bitter or disparaging, but your subsequent performance speaks for itself.
 
hushcom said:
Have you taken the MCAT before?
Click to expand...


I have not taken the MCAT before, and I would be sitting for a July exam. I will be sending everything in June as soon as the app opens, so just curious to know how it would play into it all!

Thank you :)
 
Thank you for doing this!

Is it looked down upon for taking light courseloads during a person's upperclassman standing? I would like to stay for 4 years to use the university's resources to its fullest and garner more undergraduate awards. I, unfortunately, took too many classes in my first and second year and am already in senior standing (but still a sophomore). I did well in my classes though, but with the public university's unit cap, I am cannot take many classes. I want to do more undergraduate research and dedicate more time to lab to get a publication out for MD/PhD programs. However, I have the option of taking summer session and graduating in 3 years. I would take 2 gap years and do research as a Jr specialist. Or I could graduate in 4 years and take a 1 year gap as a Jr specialist.

What's your take on the best route for me?
 
I'll ask another.. do schools really google applicant's names? Is it something that's uncommon, somewhat common, fairly common?
 
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Hushcom,

I have another question for you. I will be taking a gap year and likely working as a Medical Scribe. Obviously when I apply in a couple months, I won't have any Scribe experience to speak about. But I will indicate that I will be working as a Scribe. How do admission committees view Scribe experience during a gap year? Can it help someone with a lower-than-ideal MCAT score? I got a 29 on the MCAT which I know will keep my chances slimmer than say a 31. Thanks.
 
I'm also interested in knowing if schools google applicants, and if so, what are the red flags?
 
Retaking a good MCAT score is a sign of poor choice making, if not hubris. You'd get rejected from my school, gyngyn's and LizzyM's. Contrary to urban legend among pre-meds, making a super high MCAT won't balance out a poor GPA (or vice-versa). MD schools want high GPAs AND high MCAT scores.

You might have better luck right now with Do schools if your GPA isn't competitive for MD schools.

The only reason I would retake a 34 is if the breakdown were something like 6/14/14. A 34 is a very good score, and getting a 35 or 37 or 40 is unlikely to add much. In the meantime a retake puts you at risk for getting a lower score, which I think you would find devastating.


Going down is always bad; it reeks of knowledge decay. Going up significantly is always good. Staying the same? It shows where your ceiling is.


I am retaking a 31 MCAT this summer. The reason is because I took it in Aug of 2011. I am applying to enter sept of 2015. Some schools will not accept MCAT older than 2 years (which makes my mcat not acceptable).

If I ended up with a re-take score of say 28, how much will my old score weigh? Will adcoms consider the fact I had to retake due to old scores expiring for certain schools?

How about 32? 34? 36?
 
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Hello Hushcom!

I have a relatively specific situation that I would love your advice on! I am a somewhat traditional student who is applying to medical school this upcoming 2014 cycle. I currently have a cGPA of 3.48 and a sGPA of 3.62. I had a rough start as a freshman and was very unfocused, receiving 4 Cs and 1 Ds in my first 3 semesters. 3 of the Cs were in non-science, GE requirement classes, while 1 C and the 1 D were in a 2 semester pre-calculus series that I took because I was horrified at the thought of taking calculus my first semester of college (my SAT score allowed me to take calculus directly, but I stupidly opted not to in order to strengthen my math foundation......some good that did). I ended up buckling down the semester afterward and took calculus and received a B+ despite my dismal grades in the pre-calculus classes. At the beginning, though I was a "pre-med" major, I didn't completely know that I wanted to go into medicine. I ended up taking a computer science class because it seemed to interest me, but I hated it and the material was vastly different than what I expected. It ended up being one of my 3 Cs. I had an epiphany one day that I would get nowhere in medicine if I continued this lazy, unfocused attitude, and took it upon myself to improve. For the past 5 semesters, I have not received lower than an A- in any class, and these recent semesters happen to include all of the pre-req classes. I had not taken any of the medical pre-req classes in the first 3 semesters at college (all GE). I hope to continue this trend this semester, before I apply to medical school. I took my MCAT on March 22 and am currently, anxiously awaiting my score. I will mainly be applying to west coast schools (Washington, Oregon, CA), midwest schools (Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky) and a few New York schools (about 20-25 schools) in total. Both MD and DO for IS and OOS schools. I am a resident of CA, and my parents are residents of OH.

My specific living situation is that I was forced to move due to parent relocation and attend a college that I really had no interest in for the first 3 years of my undergrad. I am originally from CA, but my parents and I moved to NV right after I graduated high school. They have since moved to OH now, and I took it upon myself to return to CA to complete my degree and (hopefully) attend medical school on the west coast.

One of my questions is: With this knowledge, should I retake any of those poor grades? Does my positive trend help my situation? I realize I am asking this a bit late as I am applying to medical school this cycle. The problem arises that I am currently at a different school than the one that I took those classes in, so I am not sure (in the eyes of an ADCOM) what good it will do for me. I also would not be able to retake by the time I submit my application.

For ECs I have had:
-150 hours ER clinical research assistant (helped gather data for studies, but no publications with my name - direct patient/doctor/nurse contact).
-70+ hours community service volunteerism (between various clubs and my personal endeavors)
-1 year leadership role for a Chemistry Club (we were directly affiliated with ACS and met every month with the regional directors of ACS)
-1.5 years Undergrad Teaching Assistant for biological science labs (the labs were the bio core labs required for pre-meds)
-50-100 hours (in progress) of clinical volunteerism in an OR/Recovery unit at a local hospital (I work directly with doctors/nurses for recovering patients from surgery - I also speak directly to, and update families)
-30ish hours of shadowing: ER, ophthalmology, podiatry, general surgery - I hope to get more under my belt
-5 to 6 Strong LORs from all my volunteer coordinators, research coordinators, science faculty, non-science faculty, and an employer

My second question: Generally, with all the information above and an appropriate MCAT score, do my statistics look positive for an acceptance into an MD/DO school? Is there something that I could improve on or explain more? Am I limiting myself in my application in any way?

I see @Goro is lurking on this thread and would love for your input as well!
Thank you for all the help!!!!
 
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Thank you for doing this Hushcom. I have a couple for you:

1. I'm an accounting major. Basically the result of an agreement between my parents and I that I needed to have a solid contingency. I didn't fight it- I figure any degree of business savvyness will pay off to some degree. How do I spin this? My program requires a 160+ hour internship, which I'm committed to doing in the Strategic Planning department of the largest hospital system in my hometown. Should I emphasize this?

2. My transcript(s) seem to elicit a lot of double-takes. I started at school A (in-state), rehabilitated a surgically repaired shoulder and got myself back in shape enough to play Division 1 baseball (lost offers out of HS with injury). School B made me an offer and I transferred (OOS$), then got hurt again. Now back at school A to finish up. Does this throw up any red flags to you?

I'm otherwise (hopefully) a low-risk applicant. 3.9c, just need to nail that ugly test.
 
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Shirafune said:
Thank you for doing this!

Is it looked down upon for taking light courseloads during a person's upperclassman standing? I would like to stay for 4 years to use the university's resources to its fullest and garner more undergraduate awards. I, unfortunately, took too many classes in my first and second year and am already in senior standing (but still a sophomore). I did well in my classes though, but with the public university's unit cap, I am cannot take many classes. I want to do more undergraduate research and dedicate more time to lab to get a publication out for MD/PhD programs. However, I have the option of taking summer session and graduating in 3 years. I would take 2 gap years and do research as a Jr specialist. Or I could graduate in 4 years and take a 1 year gap as a Jr specialist.

What's your take on the best route for me?
Click to expand...

What do you want to do?
 
Hey Hushcom,

I recently had a medical school interview in the new MMI format. I am still ruminating over a clothing malfunction (my dress shirt slightly came out of my pants). Honestly, I am not sure anyone noticed and given its a MMI I am hoping it passed too quickly. I am certain that adcoms and evaluators have a great deal of integrity to assess someone on the content of their answers. However, this is still a small nag, should I be worried?
 
What, if any, common factors (or lack thereof) in an applicant portend unsuccessful completion of the medical school curriculum? (Not life events)

Although you have indicated you are a newer member of your committee, have students who have not completed the basic or clinical sciences given you a chance to re-assess those matriculants and re-shape things you deem important?
 
hushcom said:
What do you want to do?
Click to expand...

I want to pursue the MD/PhD programs or at least go to an MD that has a strong research focus. I just want to know if a light class load is looked down upon, even if I'm spending a lot of time in lab doing research. I personally would rather stay in school for 4 years because I know I can still put in a lot of time.
 
Shirafune said:
I want to pursue the MD/PhD programs or at least go to an MD that has a strong research focus. I just want to know if a light class load is looked down upon, even if I'm spending a lot of time in lab doing research. I personally would rather stay in school for 4 years because I know I can still put in a lot of time.
Click to expand...

As a general rule, you should spend your time trying to improve the parts of your application that you can, rather than fretting over the parts that you cannot. If you have to lighten your course load because of the unit limit then lighten your course load and hit the lab. If your GPA is in good shape it will be difficult to find anyone who cares about the precise credit distribution through your transcript.
 
dedicated1989 said:
Hi Hushcom

How do ADCOMs look at multiple MCATs over the span of several years ? If the scores are expired does it count against you if they're bad but aren't regarded if they're good?
Click to expand...

If there is a significant gap between takes then I almost always look at the most recent. I will ask about an earlier take if the score was not so great.
 
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hushcom said:
If there is a significant gap between takes then I almost always look at the most recent. I will ask about an earlier take if the score was not so great.
Click to expand...
what is significant? 1, 2, 3 years?
 
roro4457 said:
Hello hushcom,

I am currently writing drafts for my personal statement (I am applying this upcoming cycle), and I've been debating whether or not to include overcoming an eating disorder. I personally want to talk about it because getting treatment was what prompted me to seriously consider medicine as a career. I am very proud of the work I did, and I think I am a better, stronger person for having had an eating disorder. I am fully recovered now (it's been 4+ years since I've exhibited any thoughts/symptoms) and I have a good support network, so I am very confident that history won't repeat itself.

That being said, I know that many people consider mental illness to be a 'red flag.' I know that if I did choose to write about it, I would have to approach it a) very carefully, b) as only part of a larger narrative, and c) as something that served to make me stronger, but do you believe that that this will hurt me much more than help me?

thanks!
Click to expand...

I do not have any solid data to back me up on this, but my anecdotal opinion is that disclosing things like an eating disorder, biopolar disorder, history of major depression, etc. have a net negative impact on the applicant. I think a lot of that stems from unconscious bias. But you are not trying to uniformly impress everyone who may read your application. You are trying to tell your story in a compelling manner and hope that one or more reviewers will appreciate your candor and decide to advocate for you. A point that has been made on more than one occasion is that many of our admitted applicants may have eating disorders, be bipolar, h/o MDD, etc., but chose not to disclose that private medical information. Would it be fair for us to "hold it against" those that do? Probably not, but few things are truly fair, and certainly not medical school admissions.
 
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ommnomm said:
Does it matter where you do your residency, if you're not interested in teaching or research?

Thanks for doing this!
Click to expand...

Yes, you should ideally do your residency in a program that suits you.
 
studentp0x said:
I'll ask another.. do schools really google applicant's names? Is it something that's uncommon, somewhat common, fairly common?
Click to expand...

If the applicant has listed something easily verifiable by Google (like winning some special award) I will sometimes do it. But I need a reason. Others may not need a reason.
 
Hushcom...

Quick two-part question; I had a moderate stutter the majority of my life. I worked hard and was finally able to overcome it after my sophomore year of college. Perhaps non-surprisingly, my grades instantly improved at this point too.

First, would it be looked down upon if I classified myself as a disadvantaged applicant? Personally, I believe I was seriously hampered by my stutter and know it stunted my potential earlier on, but don't want an adcom to think I'm trying to get undeserved sympathy.

Second, would it be bad to talk about this in a personal statement...or does this fall under the same lines of eating disorders, bipolar, etc..? Thank you!
 
HappyFeet14 said:
Hello Hushcom!

I have a relatively specific situation that I would love your advice on! I am a somewhat traditional student who is applying to medical school this upcoming 2014 cycle. I currently have a cGPA of 3.48 and a sGPA of 3.62. I had a rough start as a freshman and was very unfocused, receiving 4 Cs and 1 Ds in my first 3 semesters. 3 of the Cs were in non-science, GE requirement classes, while 1 C and the 1 D were in a 2 semester pre-calculus series that I took because I was horrified at the thought of taking calculus my first semester of college (my SAT score allowed me to take calculus directly, but I stupidly opted not to in order to strengthen my math foundation......some good that did). I ended up buckling down the semester afterward and took calculus and received a B+ despite my dismal grades in the pre-calculus classes. At the beginning, though I was a "pre-med" major, I didn't completely know that I wanted to go into medicine. I ended up taking a computer science class because it seemed to interest me, but I hated it and the material was vastly different than what I expected. It ended up being one of my 3 Cs. I had an epiphany one day that I would get nowhere in medicine if I continued this lazy, unfocused attitude, and took it upon myself to improve. For the past 5 semesters, I have not received lower than an A- in any class, and these recent semesters happen to include all of the pre-req classes. I had not taken any of the medical pre-req classes in the first 3 semesters at college (all GE). I hope to continue this trend this semester, before I apply to medical school. I took my MCAT on March 22 and am currently, anxiously awaiting my score. I will mainly be applying to west coast schools (Washington, Oregon, CA), midwest schools (Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky) and a few New York schools (about 20-25 schools) in total. Both MD and DO for IS and OOS schools. I am a resident of CA, and my parents are residents of OH.

My specific living situation is that I was forced to move due to parent relocation and attend a college that I really had no interest in for the first 3 years of my undergrad. I am originally from CA, but my parents and I moved to NV right after I graduated high school. They have since moved to OH now, and I took it upon myself to return to CA to complete my degree and (hopefully) attend medical school on the west coast.

One of my questions is: With this knowledge, should I retake any of those poor grades? Does my positive trend help my situation? I realize I am asking this a bit late as I am applying to medical school this cycle. The problem arises that I am currently at a different school than the one that I took those classes in, so I am not sure (in the eyes of an ADCOM) what good it will do for me. I also would not be able to retake by the time I submit my application.

For ECs I have had:
-150 hours ER clinical research assistant (helped gather data for studies, but no publications with my name - direct patient/doctor/nurse contact).
-70+ hours community service volunteerism (between various clubs and my personal endeavors)
-1 year leadership role for a Chemistry Club (we were directly affiliated with ACS and met every month with the regional directors of ACS)
-1.5 years Undergrad Teaching Assistant for biological science labs (the labs were the bio core labs required for pre-meds)
-50-100 hours (in progress) of clinical volunteerism in an OR/Recovery unit at a local hospital (I work directly with doctors/nurses for recovering patients from surgery - I also speak directly to, and update families)
-30ish hours of shadowing: ER, ophthalmology, podiatry, general surgery - I hope to get more under my belt
-5 to 6 Strong LORs from all my volunteer coordinators, research coordinators, science faculty, non-science faculty, and an employer

My second question: Generally, with all the information above and an appropriate MCAT score, do my statistics look positive for an acceptance into an MD/DO school? Is there something that I could improve on or explain more? Am I limiting myself in my application in any way?

I see @Goro is lurking on this thread and would love for your input as well!
Thank you for all the help!!!!
Click to expand...

I know this is a bit of a wall of text, but I would really appreciate some advice. Thank you very much!!
 
surfguy84 said:
Hushcom...

Quick two-part question; I had a moderate stutter the majority of my life. I worked hard and was finally able to overcome it after my sophomore year of college. Perhaps non-surprisingly, my grades instantly improved at this point too.

First, would it be looked down upon if I classified myself as a disadvantaged applicant? Personally, I believe I was seriously hampered by my stutter and know it stunted my potential earlier on, but don't want an adcom to think I'm trying to get undeserved sympathy.

Second, would it be bad to talk about this in a personal statement...or does this fall under the same lines of eating disorders, bipolar, etc..? Thank you!
Click to expand...

You could try to claim disadvantaged status, but next to the applicant who was born in a drawer on a mud farm and spent 12 years cleaning pay toilets for nickels it would look pretty hollow. Is that entirely fair? Probably not.

Talking about it in the personal statement would be fine, provided you do not have difficulty communicating in the interview(s).
 
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HappyFeet14 said:
One of my questions is: With this knowledge, should I retake any of those poor grades? Does my positive trend help my situation? I realize I am asking this a bit late as I am applying to medical school this cycle. The problem arises that I am currently at a different school than the one that I took those classes in, so I am not sure (in the eyes of an ADCOM) what good it will do for me. I also would not be able to retake by the time I submit my application.

My second question: Generally, with all the information above and an appropriate MCAT score, do my statistics look positive for an acceptance into an MD/DO school? Is there something that I could improve on or explain more? Am I limiting myself in my application in any way?
Click to expand...

Yes, you will have to learn how to write more concisely. You could have conveyed the same information in a fraction of the space.

Retakes are not going to help you much, as your GPA is already decent and you have a solid and sustained upward trend. All they will really do is prove that you are capable of performing better in classes which you once slacked off in. That is not very informative.

With an "appropriate" MCAT you should be competitive at many MD schools. You can try WA and OR but those schools are extremely challenging even for well qualified in-state applicants. Don't expect much love. A better approach is to get access to the latest MSAR and apply to private schools and the few OOS-friendly public schools that best match your metrics. You can get selective about geography if you have multiple acceptances.
 
Seatown1 said:
Hushcom,

I have another question for you. I will be taking a gap year and likely working as a Medical Scribe. Obviously when I apply in a couple months, I won't have any Scribe experience to speak about. But I will indicate that I will be working as a Scribe. How do admission committees view Scribe experience during a gap year? Can it help someone with a lower-than-ideal MCAT score? I got a 29 on the MCAT which I know will keep my chances slimmer than say a 31. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Scribing is good. Will not compensate for your MCAT (which is not terrible, just not great).
 
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hookem5 said:
Thank you for doing this Hushcom. I have a couple for you:

1. I'm an accounting major. Basically the result of an agreement between my parents and I that I needed to have a solid contingency. I didn't fight it- I figure any degree of business savvyness will pay off to some degree. How do I spin this? My program requires a 160+ hour internship, which I'm committed to doing in the Strategic Planning department of the largest hospital system in my hometown. Should I emphasize this?

2. My transcript(s) seem to elicit a lot of double-takes. I started at school A (in-state), rehabilitated a surgically repaired shoulder and got myself back in shape enough to play Division 1 baseball (lost offers out of HS with injury). School B made me an offer and I transferred (OOS$), then got hurt again. Now back at school A to finish up. Does this throw up any red flags to you?

I'm otherwise (hopefully) a low-risk applicant. 3.9c, just need to nail that ugly test.
Click to expand...

1. Family pressure is nothing new to us. The basic question is whether you are a corporate/suit-type who wants an MD or someone interested in medicine who found himself on a business track. The latter is more appealing, assuming it's the truth.

2. This poses no real red flags for me. It just looks like a kid who wanted to play collegiate baseball during the only time in life when that option is available.
 
blowe46 said:
Hey Hushcom,

I recently had a medical school interview in the new MMI format. I am still ruminating over a clothing malfunction (my dress shirt slightly came out of my pants). Honestly, I am not sure anyone noticed and given its a MMI I am hoping it passed too quickly. I am certain that adcoms and evaluators have a great deal of integrity to assess someone on the content of their answers. However, this is still a small nag, should I be worried?
Click to expand...

What's done is done, and I'm sure you have an adorable nickname within the admissions office at that school.
 
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Transfer14 said:
What, if any, common factors (or lack thereof) in an applicant portend unsuccessful completion of the medical school curriculum? (Not life events)

Although you have indicated you are a newer member of your committee, have students who have not completed the basic or clinical sciences given you a chance to re-assess those matriculants and re-shape things you deem important?
Click to expand...

1. The AAMC published data on graduation rates. Try looking it up and see if it answers your question.

2. Some sort of analysis like that might be planned within this institution, but I am not part of it.
 
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