Need Advice... Should I wait a year to apply?

[cocomos]

So here is my situation. I am a re-applicant who applied to combined MD/PhD programs after undergrad. I was rejected from all MD/PhD programs I interviewed at and was offered MD only acceptances. Because I wanted to pursue a primarily research career, I decided to not go to medical school and work on my master's degrees instead to boost the research portion of my application (may have been the worst decision of my life). The research seemed to be successful, because in the next year I will have my name on an expected 8 publications (6 first author) with more to come.

I want to reapply this cycle (in a few days) but here is my concern - I am taking the MCAT on June 18th which I have not studied for. Due to my educational background, I don't really need to study chemistry, biochem or physics. However I have never taken a psych course and need to relearn my physio before I am confident. I just took up a new job as a medical scribe and they won't let me take time off to study these next 3 weeks for the MCAT. Although I think I will do well, I no longer feel confident which I think will hurt my performance tremendously. Judging by my experiences playing baseball, confidence is important for my performance.

I don't want to delay the MCAT another month as it will delay my application significantly. So my question is, should I just wait another year to apply? I will have more publications under my belt and will have lots of experience at my new job (and other medically relevant experiences). However, I graduate next semester which means I may be out of a teaching job at the university (which is my largest source of income right now) for a year. I feel like I'm ready for medicine again right now, not another year from now. If I wait for next application cycle, I will be 26 years old and 4 years since I last applied. Would it hurt to wait a year? I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons but my balance keeps on tilting back and forth. I am a strong candidate as it stands, it's just that darn MCAT that's tearing me apart. Last time I didn't get secondaries until August or September because my AMCAS wasn't verified until late July. So maybe it's okay to take the MCAT late? See, I'm bouncing back and forth as I write...

The way I see it, here are my three options: take MCAT in June and not perform as well as I can but have app finished in reasonable time, take MCAT in July and perform better (maybe not best still due to new job taking up time) and have scores roll in late August, or wait a year never freak out about anything however I might be living in a van down by a river.

Thank you so much for your insight, comments and opinions! Everything helps!

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[gyngyn]

Never take the MCAT until you are confident that you will get a score consistent with success.

 

[Lawpy]

I was rejected from all MD/PhD programs I interviewed at and was offered MD only acceptances. Because I wanted to pursue a primarily research career, I decided to not go to medical school and work on my master's degrees instead to boost the research portion of my application (may have been the worst decision of my life).

Hm, well turning down the MD acceptance was a terrible idea and you pretty much got yourself blacklisted at all MD schools. Now, I'm not sure whether you also got blacklisted at MD/PhD and MSTP programs for turning down an MD acceptance, but I think you would be. @gonnif @gyngyn @LizzyM @Catalystik could you clarify?

 

[gyngyn]

Hm, well turning down the MD acceptance was a terrible idea and you pretty much got yourself blacklisted to all MD schools. Now, I'm not sure whether you also got blacklisted at MD/PhD and MSTP programs for turning down an MD acceptance, but I think you would be. @gonnif @gyngyn @LizzyM @Catalystik could you clarify?

Given OP's history, we might be led to believe that he merely failed to be admitted to an MSTP. If schools cross-reference the national Clearinghouse, there may be a different outcome. It's also possible that the schools merely discussed an MD acceptance and didn't actually register it with AMCAS.

 

[LizzyM]

You know those 80 hour weeks you are going to work as a resident? Well, you should work that schedule over the next 3 weeks and use that "second shift" every day to prepare for the MCAT. At least take a practice test and see where you land. Then study like crazy for the CARS and psych/soc sections. (I'm betting those will be your weaker sections). Do not apply prematurely. You may be hot stuff for MSTP but a bad MCAT could sink you.

 

[Lawpy]

Given OP's history, we might be led to believe that he merely failed to be admitted to an MSTP. If schools cross-reference the national Clearinghouse, there may be a different outcome.

But don't MD and MD/PhD programs both utilize AMCAS and receive same information from National Acceptance Report? So I was thinking that MD/PhD programs would receive an update about prior MD acceptance and plan accordingly.

Maybe that's not the case and MD and MD/PhD programs do operate completely independently with little-to-no crosstalk.

You know those 80 hour weeks you are going to work as a resident? Well, you should work that schedule over the next 3 weeks and use that "second shift" every day to prepare for the MCAT. At least take a practice test and see where you land. Then study like crazy for the CARS and psych/soc sections. (I'm betting those will be your weaker sections). Do not apply prematurely. You may be hot stuff for MSTP but a bad MCAT could sink you.

But how does the turning down the prior MD acceptances play into this?

 

[gyngyn]

But don't MD and MD/PhD programs both utilize AMCAS and receive same information from National Acceptance Report? So I was thinking that MD/PhD programs would receive an update about prior MD acceptance and plan accordingly.

Maybe that's not the case and MD and MD/PhD programs do operate completely independently with little-to-no crosstalk.

It's possible that when OP was not admitted to the MD-PhD, they asked if he would consider MD only and OP interpreted this as an "offer." MD/PhD programs do not operate outside the purview of the approval of the admissions committee.