Gap Year Advice

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MirageS

MirageS

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Hi everyone,

So I applied to medical school this year and was unsuccessful. Got 3 interviews -> currently on 3 waitlists. Im trying to figure out what I should do in my gap year and reapply next year.

MCAT VR 8, PS 11, BS 12 -> is that 8 in VR that screwed up my app?
cGPA: 3.8
sGPA: 3.8


500+ hours research
300 + hours shadowing
75 hours hospital volunteer
25 hours community service -> not enough community service?
Translator for Cancer Related website
Biological Honor Society Mentor
Biological Honor Society
One published clinical poster
------------
activities since submitting my app
30 + hours of community service at local mental disability center
50+ hours physics tutor
40+ hours english tutor

I'm wondering if I should retake the MCAT? I'm not sure if I want to take the 2015 MCAT....
I'm thinking that for my gap year I'm going to find a job as a clinical research assistant and continue to volunteer at the hospital and with organizations helping with medically underserved populations.

Any advice on how I can improve my app? Thanks so much!

[EDIT] - got into a post bac program, but my pre-health advisor thinks it's unnecessary ..
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I also think the post bac is unnecessary. Your GPA is good.

A 31 is average, most schools want at least an 8 so I don't think it's a death sentence unless you applied top heavy.
Your community service is on the low end.
3 interviews and 3 waitlist indicates to me you probably have an interview problem.
 
I agree that a post-bac program is unnecessary for you because the main focus of that type of program is on improving GPA. With your science and cumulative GPAs both being 3.8, this is a solid aspect of your application. I think you'd experience diminishing returns if you did well in a post-bac because your GPAs are good already and you would do better focusing on other aspects where there is more improvement to be made.

I think you should focus on adding more community service to your application. If you have been waitlisted at all of the schools where you interviewed, you should also focus on your interviewing skills. My guess would be that you might not have been the best at interviewing. Additionally, did you apply broadly?

Retaking the MCAT is a more complex question due to the fact that it's already late May and the exam has changed. I don't think you necessarily need to retake it.
 
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Thank you! do you think a medical scribe position would be better or a clinical research position?
 
As a current clinical research assistant I think is s great position to learn more about different medical issues and interact with various patient populations, also you will observe and be part of all the logistics of how research gets done from scratch. Also idk I think depending on the state as a medical scribe you get pay the minimun, clinical research you get paid a liittle more. Just out of curiosity, how did you feel your interviews went? What was your impression afterwards?
 
This is a bit of a tough call because 3 waitlists means you are right on the doorstep and like others have said your interview skills probably weren't the greatest. But yes, the 8 verbal I do think is somewhat of a problem and while 31/3.8 usually gets people into med school, there some clear weaknesses in your application that can definitely be why you didn't get in. Your GPA is more than fine you are wasting money in any post-bacc.

The most important question here is where did you apply? If the list was too top heavy; make a more realistic list and go at it again---you should find a school to take you.

If the list was a good solid appropriate list; well this is a tough call then. Nothing you've done in the past year is really going to change your application chances. Depending on how many schools you applied to and how top heavy they are, it's not an unreasonable idea to just go all in and apply to all of the lower ranked schools you didn't last time, particularly if you didn't apply to that many the first time.

But if you really did apply to most lower tier schools, I tend to recommend either a) retaking the MCAT b) taking another year before reapplying. I don't think in this case that it is worth taking the big gamble financially of applying now and risk not getting in again just by relying on your new volunteer hours(which aren't that much honestly) and thinking you'll be a better interviewer this time around. Retaking the MCAT isn't the greatest idea for applying this cycle in my mind unless you've already been studying for a while and anticipated this might happen. It's a new MCAT, verbal scores are historically hard to improve, and you will be applying late in all likelihood which you can't really afford to do. If you do indeed to take another year off before applying again, an easy recommendation is to continue research and try to get published. A publication will definitely solidify your application. A good clinical job that's much more than volunteering would also help you.

Good luck, while you do have some weaknesses in your application, it is tough to see so many people with 3o+ MCATs and 3.75+ GPAs not getting into med schools now days in this era SMH.
 
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How many low tier MD schools did you apply for?
 
With an average MCAT, and a nice GPA such as yours, there must have been something not listed that was detrimental to your app. A pretty common thing (on this site at leaast) has been unexpectedly sh*tty LORs. Check with the schools and see what information they can tell you, if any. I'm sure you're not the only person who applied with very little community service. I would definitely up your count on that, but examine your whole app as well.

Also, it helps to tell what schools you applied to. Your list may have been all reach (I hope this isn' t the case, though).
 
Hi guys, my school list is now in my mdapp page. thanks!!
 
I'm thinking about taking a whole year off then apply in the 2017 cycle. Prob would have enough time to retake the MCAT?

Yeah I definitely think I'm not that good of an interviewer. I had several mock interviews (which my advisors thought was fine), but I was way too nervous during my actual interviews...
 
Looking at your school list, I can tell you now that this is probably your biggest problem.
1. What is your home state? If I had to guess I would say New York based on all the schools you applied to in that area?
2. Overall, you applied to too many top-heavy schools. You should have applied to more mid-low tier schools and removed Stanford and Michigian, maybe even Wisconsin and Emory. Did you use the MSAR? I would say if you do not get in you need to use the MSAR and target private schools that do not have as much in-state bias (Creighton, SLU, etc..)
3. You applied to California and Florida schools. These schools are extremely in-state bias and leave little to no chance for OOS students unless they are spectacular students. Even stud California students do not get into California schools. Usually, these schools are automatic rejects for OOS students and looking at your app I believe you are a good canidate but not in reach of these schools. (With the exception of Miami, since it is a private school and I think that was a solid choice)

- Now regarding your three interviews, I can agree that maybe there is some kind of interview problem possibly. You interviewed mid-cycle so you should have had a good chance to get in. Can you recall any bad interview moments? I think your app is actually fine. You could probably add more community service (should, actually) but other than that its not like you NEED another 500 hours of research or a clinical-oriented job to stand out. If you are stuck in a gap I would say volunteer and work wherever you want.
 
Eppur Si Muove said:
Looking at your school list, I can tell you now that this is probably your biggest problem.
1. What is your home state? If I had to guess I would say New York based on all the schools you applied to in that area?
2. Overall, you applied to too many top-heavy schools. You should have applied to more mid-low tier schools and removed Stanford and Michigian, maybe even Wisconsin and Emory. Did you use the MSAR? I would say if you do not get in you need to use the MSAR and target private schools that do not have as much in-state bias (Creighton, SLU, etc..)
3. You applied to California and Florida schools. These schools are extremely in-state bias and leave little to no chance for OOS students unless they are spectacular students. Even stud California students do not get into California schools. Usually, these schools are automatic rejects for OOS students and looking at your app I believe you are a good canidate but not in reach of these schools. (With the exception of Miami, since it is a private school and I think that was a solid choice)

- Now regarding your three interviews, I can agree that maybe there is some kind of interview problem possibly. You interviewed mid-cycle so you should have had a good chance to get in. Can you recall any bad interview moments? I think your app is actually fine. You could probably add more community service (should, actually) but other than that its not like you NEED another 500 hours of research or a clinical-oriented job to stand out. If you are stuck in a gap I would say volunteer and work wherever you want.
Click to expand...


I couldn't find the MD applicant link of his or his profile, what is the list of schools or where can you find it?
 
Welp you certainly made sure you applied to alot of med schools I'll give you that. Out of the 40 you applied to though, 14 weren't worth the application fee for you in Rochester, Emory, UCSD, Brown, NYU, UCI, Stanford, Michigan, Maryland, UCLA, UCSF, Pitt, Yeshiva, Sinai and there were some others like Commonwealthm SUNY(although you got an interview at another SUNY so I'm not sure about that one), Florida Atlantic and Indiana which were probably too in state heavy for you. So that leaves what 24 schools?

So these are the schools you applied to where your stats were competitive
New York Medical College
Hofstra
Tufts
GW
Rosalind
Rush Temple
Quinnipac
VCU
Medical College Wisconsin
Eastern Virginia
Penn State
Drexel
Albany
Tulane
Georgetown
SUNY Downstate
Oakland
And Maybe Boston U and Miami

So While you wasted money on some applications, there are about 18 applications here that were worthwhile. There aren't honestly too many more schools I could recommend adding here. Here's my best stab at some others to look at
Cooper Medical School of Rowan Universitiy
Loma Linda(ehhh this is on the reach side but still worth a look)
Loyala Strich School of Medicine
Stony Brook(In state preference but still 25% OOS is enough to maybe look at it)
Western Michigan
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
Creighton
Vermont(ehhh)
Wake Forest

That's honestly only about 8-10 new schools. If you applied to 18 schools that were realistic targets for you and didn't get into any of them, I'm not sure applying to 8-10 new ones next year will really do the trick. You haven't really improved your application in the past year to the point itll cause those schools that turned you down last cycle to really re consider you in a different way. People are talking about your interviewing skills and while its possible they weren't great, I wouldn't say getting 0 acceptances out of 3 interviews is definitive enough to say you didn't get in because of poor interview skills. You were wait-listed at these schools so if your interview skills were poor there is a chance you could have been outright rejected instead of waitlisted so I wouldn't just rely on the idea of "oh I'll practice interviewing and things will be fine". That's making too definitive a conclusion out of inconclusive evidence. Another person suggested poor rec letters could be an issue. While I'd certainly try and make sure that wasn't the case, I'm a bit skeptical to just tie your issues to that(those kind of letters are rare and you wouldn't even get interviews at three schools if that were the case). Besides who else could you ask that would really write you significantly better letters, because if they existed you would have used them instead this past cycle.

Looking at everything I would lean against applying again this year and my advice would be to wait until next year to apply again. Couple things you can do from there 1) Re-take the MCAT: the 31 combination with an 8 verbal is at best average for MD schools. A better MCAT score(say equivalent of 34 on the new one) would definitely help you but my only hesitation here is it'll take several months of new studying for the new MCAT and furthermore improving verbal scores is difficult. If you take the MCAT again and don't do any better on the verbal which happens more often than not history shows, you won't have done yourself any favors. 2) Get involved in research and try to get a publication. Go back to your old lab and see if you can bang out a project in the next year or do something clinically related. That would boost your application because your EC's are on the light side. 3) Get some clinical experience in the form of a clinical job(i know easier said than done). While volunteering is good I don't think just doing that some more and adding hours will really do anything to help your chances much.
 
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GrapesofRath said:
Welp you certainly made sure you applied to alot of med schools I'll give you that. Out of the 40 you applied to though, 14 weren't worth the application fee for you in Rochester, Emory, UCSD, Brown, NYU, UCI, Stanford, Michigan, Maryland, UCLA, UCSF, Pitt, Yeshiva, Sinai and there were some others like Commonwealthm SUNY(although you got an interview at another SUNY so I'm not sure about that one), Florida Atlantic and Indiana which were probably too in state heavy for you. So that leaves what 24 schools?

So these are the schools you applied to where your stats were competitive
New York Medical College
Hofstra
Tufts
GW
Rosalind
Rush Temple
Quinnipac
VCU
Medical College Wisconsin
Eastern Virginia
Penn State
Drexel
Albany
Tulane
Georgetown
SUNY Downstate
Oakland
And Maybe Boston U and Miami

So While you wasted money on some applications, there are about 18 applications here that were worthwhile. There aren't honestly too many more schools I could recommend adding here. Here's my best stab at some others to look at
Cooper Medical School of Rowan Universitiy
Loma Linda(ehhh this is on the reach side but still worth a look)
Loyala Strich School of Medicine
Stony Brook(In state preference but still 25% OOS is enough to maybe look at it)
Western Michigan
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
Creighton
Vermont(ehhh)
Wake Forest

That's honestly only about 8-10 new schools. If you applied to 18 schools that were realistic targets for you and didn't get into any of them, I'm not sure applying to 8-10 new ones next year will really do the trick. You haven't really improved your application in the past year to the point itll cause those schools that turned you down last cycle to really re consider you in a different way. Looking at everything I would lean against applying again this year and my advice would be to wait until next year to apply again. Couple things you can do from there 1) Re-take the MCAT: the 31 combination with an 8 verbal is at best average for MD schools. A better MCAT score(say equivalent of 34 on the new one) would definitely help you but my only hesitation here is it'll take several months of new studying for the new MCAT and furthermore improving verbal scores is difficult. If you take the MCAT again and don't do any better on the verbal which happens more often than not history shows, you won't have done yourself any favors. 2) Get involved in research and try to get a publication. Go back to your old lab and see if you can bang out a project in the next year or do something clinically related. That would boost your application because your EC's are on the light side. 3) Get some clinical experience in the form of a clinical job(i know easier said than done). While volunteering is good I don't think just doing that some more and adding hours will really do anything to help your chances much.
Click to expand...
I would also agree add Wake, Creighton, SLU, west Virginia and western Mich, and Loyola to the 18 that grapes suggested and if you want to add more. Unless you are in-state for Virginia I wouldn't even bother with any of those except for Commonwealth. Loma Linda has some criteria that have to be agreed to before you go there so I would not recommend.

I think you should reapply this year because some schools will not accept the old MCAT after this cycle. Outside of fixing your interview skills I think you will be okay
 
Eppur Si Muove said:
I would also agree add Wake, Creighton, SLU, west Virginia and western Mich, and Loyola to the 18 that grapes suggested and if you want to add more. Unless you are in-state for Virginia I wouldn't even bother with any of those except for Commonwealth. Loma Linda has some criteria that have to be agreed to before you go there so I would not recommend.

I think you should reapply this year because some schools will not accept the old MCAT after this cycle. Outside of fixing your interview skills I think you will be okay
Click to expand...

When did you take your MCAT? IF you took it in 2014, you are fine for next cycle.
 
Yes I took my mcat in 2014. Will it still work for the 2014 cycle ?

Hopefully I can improve my verbal score. I consistently scored a 10 on my practice tests but don't know what happened on the day of the exam -> 8 :(
 
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