Most beneficial reapplicant gap year

[JBoneCapone]

I am looking for some feedback and/or advice about gap year activities and how to best improve myself as a candidate. I applied in the 2013-2014 cycle with my 31 MCAT (8P/10V/13B) and 3.64 GPA, which improved my senior year. My main ECs during undergrad were:

• Division I Cross-Country and Track and field
• 3 years of undergraduate research with grants, scholarships, and a symposium presentation
• Part time employment at a fitness center
• Here-and-there volunteering (student-athlete community outreach type)

I know now I was a very naive applicant. I didn't get in anywhere, or even get any interviews. I since graduated, relocated to a new city (same state), and am using my gap year to fill in what I assume are my very weak spots. I'm working as a CNA in a hospital 32+ hours a week. I also volunteer in a hospital and shadow a family practice physician (looking for others to shadow as well). I am constantly agonizing over whether I can do more to enrich myself. I don't know about retaking the MCAT; I'm not afraid to take the test again but I don't know how valuable it would be since my composite was good (but unbalanced) and the test is new in 2015. My scores are from June 2013 and I plan to reapply in the 2015 cycle. I really want to make the most of this year! Any suggestions? Please and thank you!

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[maccu5000]

If you have enough time, it may be to your benefit to start studying for the new exam. A high percentile score will look good.

 

[QofQuimica]

I wouldn't retake that MCAT. Your ECs were very weak, and I suspect that was a big part of your problem. You've already taken steps to correct that, which is good. Make sure you get a strong clinical LOR from a physician for your app.

Second, what state are you a resident of, what schools did you apply to, and when were your apps complete? Your stats would be reasonably competitive for any of the schools in my state (Florida), but if you're coming from, say, Cali, you'll need to apply a lot more broadly. There's a reason why so many Californians get their MDs in places like Ohio.

 

[Chansey]

I wouldn't retake that MCAT. Your ECs were very weak, and I suspect that was a big part of your problem. You've already taken steps to correct that, which is good. Make sure you get a strong clinical LOR from a physician for your app.

Second, what state are you a resident of, what schools did you apply to, and when were your apps complete? Your stats would be reasonably competitive for any of the schools in my state (Florida), but if you're coming from, say, Cali, you'll need to apply a lot more broadly. There's a reason why so many Californians get their MDs in places like Ohio.

I wouldn't call Division I sports, 3 years of research, and part-time work "weak". His ECs look very good to me. Much better than mine. I agree that we need to know which schools he applied to. I think bumping that MCAT score from 31 to 34+ (or the equivalent) would help a lot.

OP:
How were your LORs? Are you sure your professors wrote only positive things about you?
Did you get any interview invites? Did you get waitlisted or rejected post-interview?

 

[JBoneCapone]

Thank you for the input! And @Chansey, its actually "she"

Q, I am a Minnesota resident and Wisconsin native. I applied to

Minnesota
Minnesota-Duluth
MCW
Wisconsin
UIC
UCSF

No interview invites . Now that I've spent some more time on sdn I realize what a bad list this was. I submitted mid July after getting my MCAT score back which I now understand is dangerously late. My LORs were decent I think:

Research PI
Track Coach
Intro Bio Professor (MCW requires this)
Upper division prof I was pretty close with

Since my last app I've had one more professor offer to write me an excellent recommendation for whatever I want and I plan to take him up on that. I also plan to ask the physician I shadow. Any others I should seek out? Thanks again!

 

[maccu5000]

It wasn't unreasonable to hope for an interview at most of those schools, but it's also never a guarantee. Applying to more schools will help, as would raising your MCAT percentile if you feel like you have the time and motivation to do so.

 

[JBoneCapone]

I'm still very torn on the MCAT retake. I would love a higher score and I feel I should have time to study since I'm not in school right now. However, the 2015 test is different, my classes aren't as fresh in my mind, and my old score isn't awful; all of that has given me pause. Anybody care to weigh in on how beneficial a retake would/would not be? Is it worth the studying or should I focus my efforts elsewhere, like my ECs?

As for applying to more schools, I should be focusing on in-state (all two of them) and private institutions, right? I didn't really understand before how difficult the OOS publics can be.

 

[gyngyn]

I'm still very torn on the MCAT retake. I would love a higher score and I feel I should have time to study since I'm not in school right now. However, the 2015 test is different, my classes aren't as fresh in my mind, and my old score isn't awful; all of that has given me pause. Anybody care to weigh in on how beneficial a retake would/would not be? Is it worth the studying or should I focus my efforts elsewhere, like my ECs?

As for applying to more schools, I should be focusing on in-state (all two of them) and private institutions, right? I didn't really understand before how difficult the OOS publics can be.

Your metrics are good enough for many fine schools. Your EC's at the time of the application were not.

 

[JBoneCapone]

Any other weak spots in my EC's you would suggest addressing besides what I am doing now?

 

[IslandStyle808]

How many years have you done each EC? I wouldn't call it weak if you have done each one for at least 1 year. The only thing that is missing is more clinical experience, which you are making up currently. I really think it is the list more than anything else. You need to have a list of 20+ schools to have a decent chance in this competitive environment.

 

[referee3]

It wasn't unreasonable to hope for an interview at most of those schools, but it's also never a guarantee. Applying to more schools will help, as would raising your MCAT percentile if you feel like you have the time and motivation to do so.

This is poor advice. Do not retake your MCAT. Your problem was your school list, application timing and lack of clinical experience. Fix those and you are golden.

 

[road2md]

1. Apply more broadly and apply to at least 30 schools.
2. Apply early
3. See if you can beef up your letters (see below).

How long did you do D1 for, and how competitive were you? How strong do you think the letter from your coach is? Make sure your coach knows how strong a letter needs to be these days to get into medical schools.

How were you doing on your practice MCATs? I would consider retaking it if you underperformed and you are absolutely confident you can do better. Otherwise, there is more to gain using the time you would studying for this again (basically from scratch) toward beefing up your ECs a little bit.

 

[JBoneCapone]

I competed D1 for 3.5 years (4 seasons of track, 3 of cross), walked on to the team during my first semester. My coach spent 26 years as a D1 coach and I know he has written letters for some of my old teammates so I think he would have written a strong one.
My practice MCATs were pretty near my actual score but more balanced. I think physical sciences and I just had a particulary rough day. I guess it has been so long since I took some of those subjects I'm not super confident that I can do much better.
I've also started volunteering at the local aquarium as a scuba diver sturgeon feeder and am in the process of starting at a youth mentoring program. I hope volunteering just for fun is a good use of my time too.

Also, I've recently seen on here some people talking about listing a marathon in their ECs. Does anyone know if this is kosher? I never considered it as something to mention on an app before but if it is actually beneficial I don't want to leave it off!

 

[rbnsafsadgf]

I think you are on the right track. No need for MCAT retake. Choose your schools carefully. No more UCSF.
And sturgeon feeder is my fav EC seen on SDN.

 

[JBoneCapone]

Would anybody care to critique my school list? Input would be much appreciated! Nice words only please. I'm kidding, be your brutally honest selves. Who should I consider adding or tossing?

MD:

Central Michigan University
Rosalind Franklin
Quinnipiac
Dartmouth (reach school)
George Washington
Medical College of Wisconsin (reapplicant)
New York Medical College
OHSU (reach, but I'm in love with Orgeon)
Rush
St. Louis University
Temple
Brown (reach)
Tulane
University of AZ - Phoenix
University of Minnesota (reapplicant)
University of Wisconsin (reapplicant)

DO:
AT Still SOMA
Tuoro
Western
VCOM
CCOM

Thanks!

 

[QofQuimica]

You might consider adding a few more DO schools, but otherwise that seems like a pretty reasonable list, assuming Central Michigan, U AZ, etc. take a decent number of OOS applicants. You could also look at adding some of the OH schools; they do take a lot of OOSers even at their public schools.

No one ever answered your question about the marathon, but I'd say, yes, list it. You never know what will pique an interviewer's interest. I've done a couple of marathons myself.

 

[Grace184]

I think you are on the right track. No need for MCAT retake. Choose your schools carefully. No more UCSF.
And sturgeon feeder is my fav EC seen on SDN.

I concur! I love sturgeon feeder! That should just be the title of the EC to draw them in, then list the other things you did at the aquarium. I think the adcoms will give you interviews just to say they met a sturgeon feeder, then you swoon them with interview skills and you're in!

And mad street cred on D1... That's boss level.