Applicant this cycle?! Need help

[626038]

Hey everyone. I just wanted to get some of your guys insights. I submitted secondaries early September for medical school, but just noticed that I had put that I will retake my MCATs in January just as extra information, but I have noticed that a lot of schools have put my application on hold, even though no school really accepts a test that late. So that was my mistake but my MCAT score is my weakest part of my application (30.. with 7 in V).. Right now I am working at apple on health based sensors / health kit and will continue during my gap year, so I was wondering if I haven't heard back now what should I do? How would you guys recommend me updating schools with my Apple experience.. I have published papers, 3.8 GPA in bioengineering at UCSD (Top 3 program), athletics, volunteering hours, TAing but working at Apple has been the most meaningful experience, by far..

Thanks everyone.. it just has been a little distressing not hearing back and I am so busy with work (60/70 hours of high pressure work)..

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[Doug Underhill]

Generally, med schools are a little apprehensive about section scores that are less than 8. Your application looks good other than that: do you have clinical experience? Medical devices and medicine are overlapping but different fields.

 

[626038]

Thanks Doug for your response.. I have shadowed for over 150 hours

 

[candbgirl]

Not shadowing but clinical volunteering/working. Are you retaking the MCAT in January? If you have to reapply what are you doing to improve your application?

 

[626038]

Well I am working at Apple during my gap year on medical based sensors.. so I am getting clinical hours in.. its full time.. and honestly i work 60-70 hours a week.

I haven't yet decided on the january MCAT.. and I can study for it in a month (i was getting 38s-39 on practice, but I just had a bad day on test date, not even nerves.)

Its just distressing knowing that my secondaries were sent early sept and most schools just put my application OFF of hold because i had a test date on there that isn't even accepted this cycle (which I feel is unfair).

 

[Doug Underhill]

Are there patients at Apple while you're working on your medical devices? Building medical devices is entirely different from seeing patients.

As one adcom on SDN put it, "if you're close enough to smell patients, it's a clinical experience"

 

[626038]

Very true. but

Are there patients at Apple while you're working on your medical devices? Building medical devices is entirely different from seeing patients.

As one adcom on SDN put it, "if you're close enough to smell patients, it's a clinical experience"

Thanks for the response. We do testing on a wide spectrum of individuals.. but with that being said, we have individuals who fall outside the physiological "healthy" range and using devices used in hospitals day in - day out to monitor different parameters gives that "patient" feel/interaction. Monitoring vital signs, keeping. I have shadowed for over 200 hours and was involved in a cancer association for 500+hours (including my mothers battle with cancer), but I just don't understand why someone can't go into medical school wanting to learn more about the human body to be able to apply it to the medical devices (which is arguably the future of medicine)

 

[barca4ever]

It will not hurt your application if you send updates to the schools that you have already submitted the 2nd. However, make sure you check update/LOI policies with each school because some schools don't accept them if you have not been invited for an interview. Good luck, and always remember that you still have next year to apply, just make sure you get already ready.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

List the schools you applied to. Your problem may be on your choices.