Offered a spot off the waitlist but I can't matriculate this year...what are my options?

[Midas Mulligan Magoo]

I had applied very late last cycle to a few schools and as a result only received one interview. Once I landed on this school's massively huge waitlist I basically assumed it was game over, especially once mid June rolled around. So as to not completely waste 1 year of my life while reapplying for this cycle, I made preparations and commitments to move overseas for a year starting next month, things I cannot simply renegade on with zero notice.

Today I got a voicemail from the admissions director asking me to give her a call in regards to an acceptance from the waitlist. Needless to say, I'm at a loss for what to do. This school was my top (realistic) choice, so I'd certainly love to attend and end the soul-crushing reapplication process in its infancy. Moreover, I'm a low GPA high MCAT applicant whose odds of acceptance is a coin flip according to the AAMC tables, which raises the stakes even more.

Ideally, I'd like to defer this acceptance till 2016. This being the waitlist, I don't know whether that's possible. Obviously, the first step would be to get in touch with the admissions director and discuss the situation, but I want to have a game plan in place before I even give her a call, since this first conversation will likely be the only one I have with a "real" person.

Here are a few ways I could play it, given the salient fact that as of right now, I don't have diddlysquat. All I have is their intention to give me an acceptance, not an official acceptance itself:

1) Call her and explain the situation and why I would not be able to matriculate this year. Request a deferral.
-Most likely outcome: she will say it's unfortunate but that they are looking to fill seats for the upcoming class and just give the offer to the next person on the waitlist.

2)Don't return the call until next week once it's too late and make up some excuse as to why I wasn't reachable (travel, vacation, etc). This way, I won't have officially "rejected" an acceptance and will hopefully not be blacklisted when I reapply to this school. On the negative side, obviously there is no chance of coming away with a deferred acceptance with this route.

3) Call and accept the seat.
-Outcome: I will have an official paper acceptance that I can try and machinate with, and will have kicked the can down the road. So here is a question I have for anyone with any insight: once they officially give me an acceptance off the waitlist, am I any different from somebody who received a regular acceptance? I mean, we both hold the same piece of paper, an acceptance, right. So technically, some guy who received an acceptance in February can file a request to defer in July for example. I, as an officially accepted applicant should be able to do the same thing, right?

So anyway, these are my thoughts. Option #1 seems like going with the flow and taking the path of least resistance, but isn't likely to result in a deferral. Option #3 seems like the most likely to get me what I need (a deferral to 2016) but on the negative side could result in the same outcome as #1 and 2 with the added complication of severely pissing people off and having repercussions on my reapplication.

What do you guys think? Anything I missed or didn't consider? I will have to call this lady back today (unless going with #2 lol) so any feedback would be hugely appreciated

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[Goro]

Request a referral.

 

[Midas Mulligan Magoo]

Request a referral.

Would you recommend doing so during the initial phone call before I even have an official acceptance, or only once I am officially accepted? Ie, #1 or #3 in my OP?

 

[Goro]

Once you're officially accepted. Also make this inquiry in the school-specific thread, and ask about ease of getting deferments. Some schools are easier than others.

Would you recommend doing so during the initial phone call before I even have an official acceptance, or only once I am officially accepted? Ie, #1 or #3 in my OP?

 

[Midas Mulligan Magoo]

Thanks. Since you're an adcom, I'd like to ask you if you've ever seen a situation where a student absolutely cannot matriculate in a given year and the school is unwilling or unable to grant them a deferral. What ends up happening in such a scenario?

 

[Spector1]

Depends where your priorities are. I would take the med school seat. In the long run, what matters is that you get into medicine and I wouldnt risk that.

 

[Midas Mulligan Magoo]

Depends where your priorities are. I would take the med school seat. In the long run, what matters is that you get into medicine and I wouldnt risk that.

I completely agree. If that were an option, I would have done it with a quickness, but unfortunately the particulars of my situation make it impossible.

 

[amazing tekkers]

I completely agree. If that were an option, I would have done it with a quickness, but unfortunately the particulars of my situation make it impossible.

Do you mind sharing what the commitments are impeding you from fully accepting the offer?

 

[Gandyy]

Thanks. Since you're an adcom, I'd like to ask you if you've ever seen a situation where a student absolutely cannot matriculate in a given year and the school is unwilling or unable to grant them a deferral. What ends up happening in such a scenario?

I'm not Goro, but I'd say what happens is you give up your seat. Thats about it. If you explain to them the situation and they still are unwilling to give you a deferral, then there can be no other alternative than just giving up the seat, and applying again.

 

[Midas Mulligan Magoo]

I'm not Goro, I'd say what happens is you give up your seat. Thats about it. If you explain to them the situation and they still are unwilling to give you a deferral, then there can be no other alternative than just giving up the seat, and applying again.

Thanks. Do you know what kind of visibility other schools have of such a thing? I've already submitted my AMCAS for 2015-16. If I decline the waitlist offer I know that no schools with know about it except the school that gave me the offer. But if I accept the seat, ask for a deferral/not get it and then end up having to give up the seat, will that be visible to all schools?

 

[Midas Mulligan Magoo]

Do you mind sharing what the commitments are impeding you from fully accepting the offer?

I'm not going to go into the weeds here but it concerns contractual, logistical, and financial arrangements that would be very hard to unwind. Even if I could somehow unwind them, it would leave a very sour taste in a lot of people's mouths.

 

[Gandyy]

Thanks. Do you know what kind of visibility other schools have of such a thing? I've already submitted my AMCAS for 2015-16. If I decline the waitlist offer I know that no schools with know about it except the school that gave me the offer. But if I accept the seat, ask for a deferral/not get it and then end up having to give up the seat, will that be visible to all schools?

Oh boy. That question is something @Goro is going to have to answer.

 

[claduva94]

If you want an MD reapplying is out of the option. If a deferral was unlikely, you should have withdrawn from the waitlist so that this didn't become a problem.

 

[Midas Mulligan Magoo]

If you want an MD reapplying is out of the option. If a deferral was unlikely, you should have withdrawn from the waitlist so that this didn't become a problem.

Trust me, I thought about it. The problem was that this school is the one huge state school in my state and thus the most likely one to eventually accept me. I had heard that withdrawing from a school's waitlist basically blacklists you at that school, so I was hoping to ride it out. I mean, there must be hundreds of people on that waitlist, since the school waitlists rather than rejects interviewed applicants.

Could you elaborate what you mean by "If you want an MD reapplying is out of the option."? Are you saying that I simply should grab the chance I have now, or that if I reapply in this situation I am unlikely to get accepted?

 

[Gandyy]

Trust me, I thought about it. The problem was that this school is the one huge state school in my state and thus the most likely one to eventually accept me. I had heard that withdrawing from a school's waitlist basically blacklists you at that school, so I was hoping to ride it out. I mean, there must be hundreds of people on that waitlist, since the school waitlists rather than rejects interviewed applicants.

Could you elaborate what you mean by "If you want an MD reapplying is out of the option."? Are you saying that I simply should grab the chance I have now, or that if I reapply in this situation I am unlikely to get accepted?

Honestly, its pretty hard to advise you on what to do if you dont tell us about the gravity of your situation and what exactly will happen if you take the seat and dump your plans you had elsewhere.

 

[claduva94]

Trust me, I thought about it. The problem was that this school is the one huge state school in my state and thus the most likely one to eventually accept me. I had heard that withdrawing from a school's waitlist basically blacklists you at that school, so I was hoping to ride it out. I mean, there must be hundreds of people on that waitlist, since the school waitlists rather than rejects interviewed applicants.

Could you elaborate what you mean by "If you want an MD reapplying is out of the option."? Are you saying that I simply should grab the chance I have now, or that if I reapply in this situation I am unlikely to get accepted?

If I'm understanding this right you have an acceptance that will be recorded. If you turn it down and reapply, you will likely be blacklisted at almost every school in the country.

 

[Midas Mulligan Magoo]

Honestly, its pretty hard to advise you on what to do if you dont tell us about the gravity of your situation and what exactly will happen if you take the seat and dump your plans you had elsewhere.

I'm not sure I understand why. If I take the seat, the SDN-related situation is very simple: I will be a medical student. \thread. The chaos will then be in my personal life, which is not SDN related and isn't something I would seek advice for here. For the purposes of the discussion on this forum, we may as well assume taking the seat is not an option, because if it was an option there would be nothing to discuss, just take the seat.

 

[Gandyy]

I'm not sure I understand why. If I take the seat, the SDN-related situation is very simple: I will be a medical student. \thread. The chaos will then be in my personal life, which is not SDN related and isn't something I would seek advice for here. For the purposes of the discussion on this forum, we may as well assume taking the seat is not an option, because if it was an option there would be nothing to discuss, just take the seat.

Ok, take the seat. There are too many negatives that come from denying a Medical school seat and then re applying again. Especially with MD schools.

Take the seat.

If its not an option to take the seat, but you also dont want to discuss the other stuff going on, then why did you make the post in the first place?

What exactly are we discussing if taking the seat is not an option, and you arent telling us the other stuff going on that is affecting you?

Do what Goro said and try to get a deferral first. Do your best to do so.

If you cant, then you know what to do.

 

[Midas Mulligan Magoo]

If I'm understanding this right you have an acceptance that will be recorded. If you turn it down and reapply, you will likely be blacklisted at almost every school in the country.

Snap. That sucks. So it seems like the following is true:

1) I accept the seat. If I do, I have an x% chance of being allowed to defer. If I am not allowed to defer, I then lose my chance at being an MD. (and maybe DO too, don't know)

2) I explain the situation to the adcom before I officially accept the seat. There is y% (where y<x) chance they let me defer anyway. If I am not allowed to defer, I continue with my 2015-16 application cycle and have a ~50% chance of getting an acceptance per the AAMC tables.

Result:
Does not compute! Does not c0mpute! ****.

 

[Lancer]

Snap. That sucks. So it seems like the following is true:

1) I accept the seat. If I do, I have an x% chance of being allowed to defer. If I am not allowed to defer, I then lose my chance at being an MD. (and maybe DO too, don't know)

2) I explain the situation to the adcom before I officially accept the seat. There is y% (where y<x) chance they let me defer anyway. If I am not allowed to defer, I continue with my 2015-16 application cycle and have a ~50% chance of getting an acceptance per the AAMC tables.

Result:
Does not compute! Does not c0mpute! ****.

I don't think accepting the seat has anything to do with it. If they offer you an acceptance and you turn it down or ignore it, I'm pretty sure it's the same thing. One of the stipulations of staying on the waitlist this whole time is that you will attend if they accept you.

 

[claduva94]

I don't think accepting the seat has anything to do with it. If they offer you an acceptance and you turn it down or ignore it, I'm pretty sure it's the same thing. One of the stipulations of staying on the waitlist this whole time is that you will attend if they accept you.

Exactly. Admissions will know if you were accepted and if you ever matriculated. Both of which make getting in during subsequent cycles next to impossible.

 

[Midas Mulligan Magoo]

I don't think accepting the seat has anything to do with it. If they offer you an acceptance and you turn it down or ignore it, I'm pretty sure it's the same thing. One of the stipulations of staying on the waitlist this whole time is that you will attend if they accept you.

Oh man, that makes things a lot more clear-cut if true. Is there any official document which sets out the rules in this regard, or can anyone corroborate this?

 

[GrapesofRath]

Snap. That sucks. So it seems like the following is true:

1) I accept the seat. If I do, I have an x% chance of being allowed to defer. If I am not allowed to defer, I then lose my chance at being an MD. (and maybe DO too, don't know)

2) I explain the situation to the adcom before I officially accept the seat. There is y% (where y<x) chance they let me defer anyway. If I am not allowed to defer, I continue with my 2015-16 application cycle and have a ~50% chance of getting an acceptance per the AAMC tables.

Result:
Does not compute! Does not c0mpute! ****.

You know how you said above "for the purposes of this discussion assume I can't accept the offer"----well here's the reality; for the purposes of the discussion assume this; if you turn down an MD acceptance you won't get one again. Period. You don't have to like it or really get it. But you have to accept it and plan accordingly. This is all assuming you can't defer your spot a year.

It's simply a matter of priorities. From what you've said this sounds like a matter of having to cancel last minute plans and pissing off people and bending some contractual obligations. Pissing those people off means you've burned some bridges and wasted some money. If you piss off those involved in MD admission, it won't be a matter of burning bridges or wasting money; it'll be a matter of never being an MD. It's your decision to make, just know the consequences in play here.

 

[MrLogan13]

Take the seat and piss some people off. You've worked hard to earn your admission, take it.

 

[Midas Mulligan Magoo]

Thanks guys. In light of the discovery that regardless of what I do, I will inevitably either "accept" or "decline" the seat, it's pretty obvious that I have nothing to lose by accepting it and asking for a deferral.

 

[claduva94]

Thanks guys. In light of the discovery that regardless of what I do, I will inevitably either "accept" or "decline" the seat, it's pretty obvious that I have nothing to lose by accepting it and asking for a deferral.

Let us know how it works out!

 

[LizzyM]

Put yourself in the school's position. They have a seat they need to fill. You were on the waitlist which implied that if asked you would accept the offer to fill a seat. Now they make an offer (which, btw, counts against them when they tally up how many offers they make to fill their available seats -- the fewer offers made to fill the seats the better) and you decline it or accept it and then ask if you can postpone filling the seat until next year. Either way, they have the problem they had before they called you: they have a seat they need to fill. You have just wasted their time in an enormous way. You are unlikely to be so great that you are the person they will put at the top of the list for the class matriculating in 2016 but by asking for a deferral that's what you are doing.

Unraveling your other plans will not be easy and it may piss off some people but sometimes plans change and that's part of the unpredictable nature of life.

Your best bet if you are going to keep your plan for 2015-2016 may be to send the school a message and withdraw from the waitlist before they can make you an offer and hope for the best. Chances are 50-50 that you may never go to medical school. Think about that.

 

[698344]

Think about it this way if becoming a doctor is truly your dream. If you accept, 10 years later, you'll be glad that you pissed a few people off and achieved what you really wanted. If you decline, you may never become a doctor. Are these people you will piss off going to hold a grudge for decades? If you decline, you are giving up the chance to become a doctor, something you will regret for the rest of your life.

 

[deleted480308]

this is also a great illustration about why you don't go and make a bunch of binding commitments while on a waitlist

 

[GrapesofRath]

No one in a million years ever thinks they'll be the ONE person out of hundreds to get a call 3 weeks before orientation week to attend. Until they do.............

 

[Midas Mulligan Magoo]

Put yourself in the school's position. They have a seat they need to fill. You were on the waitlist which implied that if asked you would accept the offer to fill a seat. Now they make an offer (which, btw, counts against them when they tally up how many offers they make to fill their available seats -- the fewer offers made to fill the seats the better) and you decline it or accept it and then ask if you can postpone filling the seat until next year. Either way, they have the problem they had before they called you: they have a seat they need to fill. You have just wasted their time in an enormous way. You are unlikely to be so great that you are the person they will put at the top of the list for the class matriculating in 2016 but by asking for a deferral that's what you are doing.

Unraveling your other plans will not be easy and it may piss off some people but sometimes plans change and that's part of the unpredictable nature of life.

Your best bet if you are going to keep your plan for 2015-2016 may be to send the school a message and withdraw from the waitlist before they can make you an offer and hope for the best. Chances are 50-50 that you may never go to medical school. Think about that.

Thanks for your post. Could you elaborate on how the bolded part works? At this point, so far as I can tell, my "acceptance" consists only of the intention in the admission director's head to talk with me and offer me a seat. I haven't received an email, the status on the application portal hasn't changed, etc.

What if I tell her "I gladly accept your offer and would love to go to your school. For full disclosure, I am telling you now that I will submit a deferral request for 2016."

Would that be the best option? Technically, I am accepting the offer, and I'm doing right by the school by telling them what they're getting before they officially pull the trigger and mess their stats/have to deal with processing a deferral request. So they still have the chance to say "well, in that case we need to think about it, we'll get back to you" and quietly putting me back (to the end of) the waitlist. If they do that, this shouldn't count and be visible to other schools as me rejecting a seat. And if they don't do it and give me the seat anyway, then they really can't complain if I do what I said I would do and ask for a deferral.

 

[deleted480308]

Thanks for your post. Could you elaborate on how the bolded part works? At this point, so far as I can tell, my "acceptance" consists only of the intention in the admission director's head to talk with me and offer me a seat. I haven't received an email, the status on the application portal hasn't changed, etc.

What if I tell her "I gladly accept your offer and would love to go to your school. For full disclosure, I am telling you now that I will submit a deferral request for 2016."

Would that be the best option? Technically, I am accepting the offer, and I'm doing right by the school by telling them what they're getting before they officially pull the trigger and mess their stats/have to deal with processing a deferral request. So they still have the chance to say "well, in that case we need to think about it, we'll get back to you" and quietly putting me back (to the end of) the waitlist. If they do that, this shouldn't count and be visible to other schools as me rejecting a seat. And if they don't do it and give me the seat anyway, then they really can't complain if I do what I said I would do and ask for a deferral.

if they don't give you a deferral.....will you show up for school?

 

[Psai]

the question is a one year obligation that for some reason you can't get out of vs a 4 year obligation that leads to the career you will likely be practicing for the rest of your life
to me this sounds like a no-brainer but hey if you're not going to talk about your situation it makes it hard to judge

 

[LizzyM]

Thanks for your post. Could you elaborate on how the bolded part works? At this point, so far as I can tell, my "acceptance" consists only of the intention in the admission director's head to talk with me and offer me a seat. I haven't received an email, the status on the application portal hasn't changed, etc.

What if I tell her "I gladly accept your offer and would love to go to your school. For full disclosure, I am telling you now that I will submit a deferral request for 2016."

Would that be the best option? Technically, I am accepting the offer, and I'm doing right by the school by telling them what they're getting before they officially pull the trigger and mess their stats/have to deal with processing a deferral request. So they still have the chance to say "well, in that case we need to think about it, we'll get back to you" and quietly putting me back (to the end of) the waitlist. If they do that, this shouldn't count and be visible to other schools as me rejecting a seat. And if they don't do it and give me the seat anyway, then they really can't complain if I do what I said I would do and ask for a deferral.

You contact them in writing and withdraw. Then they can't make you an offer. Then there is no record that you ever turned down an offer. If you are ever asked, you can say that you made plans to go abroad and withdrew from the one school that waitlisted you.


Now look at the other side. You have a high MCAT. You are a reapplicant. When I see a reapplicant with a MCAT that was excellent the first time around (not someone who retook after an unsuccessful cycle) I wonder what is wrong with them that they went "unchosen" the first time around. It might be the GPA, it could be the late application but you do look like a less desirable candidate by virtue of being a reapplicant.

 

[timeflies]

You contact them in writing and withdraw. Then they can't make you an offer. Then there is no record that you ever turned down an offer. If you are ever asked, you can say that you made plans to go abroad and withdrew from the one school that waitlisted you.


Now look at the other side. You have a high MCAT. You are a reapplicant. When I see a reapplicant with a MCAT that was excellent the first time around (not someone who retook after an unsuccessful cycle) I wonder what is wrong with them that they went "unchosen" the first time around. It might be the GPA, it could be the late application but you do look like a less desirable candidate by virtue of being a reapplicant.

As a reapplicant with a high MCAT, this made me sad

 

[Lucca]

Go ahead and unravel the arrangements you have made. Unless there are significant legal repercussions then I think a balanced discussion detailing how unlikely (and how valuable) this scenario is would at least soften the blow for whatever person you would be coming up short for in this deal.

 

[doc05]

accept the offer and start med school. you are admittedly a weak applicant, and this is a chance at your state school, which is essentially your best chance. period.

it's highly unlikely they will let you defer -- there was obviously a last-minute change in the matriculating class, and if you say no -- another student gets the spot.

if you wait 3 days to return their call -- guess what happens?? you will have lost the spot, they will have called someone else. (that's why you got a voicemail as opposed to an official letter).med school orientation starts very soon, and they need to make arrangements.

 

[bc65]

The only viable option as I see it is for you to accept the seat, and then ask for a deferral. If they turn you down for the deferral, ( and I think they will, based on the reasoning of LizzyM ) you need to be prepared to go. Personally, I would not ask for a deferral, because it might leave bad feelings about you. After all, you were given this great last minute opportunity, and you're asking for a deferral. They might be suspicious of you from here on out.

I would be able to give more specific advice if I understood exactly what your other commitments are. I understand that it's an overseas job. Whatever it is, they will find a replacement. People drop out, quit jobs, don't show up, all the time. They will manage without you. Take care of yourself. Do not ruin your life because of some job you promised to take. If they lost their funding, they would drop you in a heartbeat. I don't know the details, but whatever it is, you would be crazy to give up what is very likely your only chance to be a physician because of a job commitment. I'll bet they will find a replacement without any problem. I doubt that you are absolutely essential. Even if you are, your prime responsibility is to yourself. Realize, by the way, that by deferring med school you're giving up a year of physician salary, so this year off will cost you between $200,000 to $600,000 in today's dollars, plus probably your only chance at being a doctor.

If you want to be a doctor, please, please call them first thing in the morning and accept. In fact, leave them an enthusiastic voice mail tonight.

I was promised a job when I finished my residency, but the hospital's budget was cut at the last minute, and the job offer was rescinded one month before I was to start. No warning, just a "sorry". Meanwhile, one month later, a better job opened up in a better location because the doctor who was supposed to take it got a better offer, and he never even bothered to tell the group that he wasn't coming. He just never showed up, so I got that job. My point is, job offers disappear, and employees don't show up, and the world goes on. Don't ruin you life because of a minor commitment that you made. You can be replaced in that overseas job, but a med school education can't be.

 

[Banco]

That's rough OP, but I think you'll have to bite the bullet and accept. Unless you are legally bound in a strong way to your future plans (and even so, a lawyer could probably help you), you really should accept this.

 

[Goro]

Agee with this and other wiser posts in this thread. So as of right now, you have NOT been officially accepted.

You have some wiggle room, as per LizzyM's suggestion, but think about it this way: what';s more important to you: getting into this med school and being a doctor, or taking this job. Will you be sued if you turn the job down? Is this a military job where you'll go to jail if you don't deploy?

If the last two aren't yeses, then take the acceptance.

The only viable option as I see it is for you to accept the seat, and then ask for a deferral. If they turn you down for the deferral, ( and I think they will, based on the reasoning of LizzyM ) you need to be prepared to go. Personally, I would not ask for a deferral, because it might leave bad feelings about you. After all, you were given this great last minute opportunity, and you're asking for a deferral. They might be suspicious of you from here on out.

I would be able to give more specific advice if I understood exactly what your other commitments are. I understand that it's an overseas job. Whatever it is, they will find a replacement. People drop out, quit jobs, don't show up, all the time. They will manage without you. Take care of yourself. Do not ruin your life because of some job you promised to take. If they lost their funding, they would drop you in a heartbeat. I don't know the details, but whatever it is, you would be crazy to give up what is very likely your only chance to be a physician because of a job commitment. I'll bet they will find a replacement without any problem. I doubt that you are absolutely essential. Even if you are, your prime responsibility is to yourself. Realize, by the way, that by deferring med school you're giving up a year of physician salary, so this year off will cost you between $200,000 to $600,000 in today's dollars, plus probably your only chance at being a doctor.

If you want to be a doctor, please, please call them first thing in the morning and accept. In fact, leave them an enthusiastic voice mail tonight.

I was promised a job when I finished my residency, but the hospital's budget was cut at the last minute, and the job offer was rescinded one month before I was to start. No warning, just a "sorry". Meanwhile, one month later, a better job opened up in a better location because the doctor who was supposed to take it got a better offer, and he never even bothered to tell the group that he wasn't coming. He just never showed up, so I got that job. My point is, job offers disappear, and employees don't show up, and the world goes on. Don't ruin you life because of a minor commitment that you made. You can be replaced in that overseas job, but a med school education can't be.

 

[040111333]

You contact them in writing and withdraw. Then they can't make you an offer. Then there is no record that you ever turned down an offer. If you are ever asked, you can say that you made plans to go abroad and withdrew from the one school that waitlisted you.


Now look at the other side. You have a high MCAT. You are a reapplicant. When I see a reapplicant with a MCAT that was excellent the first time around (not someone who retook after an unsuccessful cycle) I wonder what is wrong with them that they went "unchosen" the first time around. It might be the GPA, it could be the late application but you do look like a less desirable candidate by virtue of being a reapplicant.

But the applicant would only be a reapp at that one school right? I thought all the other schools would see him as a new applicant…

 

[NotYou20]

The commitment you made when applying to med schools probably should have been higher than any level of commitment you have for this job. @bc65 is right; the people on the other side wouldn't hesitate to make a similar decision. They won't hold it against you and you shouldn't care even if they do. Do what's best for yourself and ensure that you can become a doctor.

 

[LizzyM]

But the applicant would only be a reapp at that one school right? I thought all the other schools would see him as a new applicant…

That student is a reapplicant at all the schools that OP applied to last time. Given the applicant's age, college graduation date and the time that has passed since taking the MCAT, some may make the assumption that this is a reapplicant.

 

[MrLogan13]

You're gambling with your chances at a medical school acceptance. You have one now, take it and don't be afraid to piss some people off. You'll be negatively affecting your future chances if you try to blow this off.

 

[Pusheen]

take the chance, you very well may not have it again. We're all rooting for you

 

[Sourgrapesss]

I had applied very late last cycle to a few schools and as a result only received one interview. Once I landed on this school's massively huge waitlist I basically assumed it was game over, especially once mid June rolled around. So as to not completely waste 1 year of my life while reapplying for this cycle, I made preparations and commitments to move overseas for a year starting next month, things I cannot simply renegade on with zero notice.

Today I got a voicemail from the admissions director asking me to give her a call in regards to an acceptance from the waitlist. Needless to say, I'm at a loss for what to do. This school was my top (realistic) choice, so I'd certainly love to attend and end the soul-crushing reapplication process in its infancy. Moreover, I'm a low GPA high MCAT applicant whose odds of acceptance is a coin flip according to the AAMC tables, which raises the stakes even more.

Ideally, I'd like to defer this acceptance till 2016. This being the waitlist, I don't know whether that's possible. Obviously, the first step would be to get in touch with the admissions director and discuss the situation, but I want to have a game plan in place before I even give her a call, since this first conversation will likely be the only one I have with a "real" person.

Here are a few ways I could play it, given the salient fact that as of right now, I don't have diddlysquat. All I have is their intention to give me an acceptance, not an official acceptance itself:

1) Call her and explain the situation and why I would not be able to matriculate this year. Request a deferral.
-Most likely outcome: she will say it's unfortunate but that they are looking to fill seats for the upcoming class and just give the offer to the next person on the waitlist.

2)Don't return the call until next week once it's too late and make up some excuse as to why I wasn't reachable (travel, vacation, etc). This way, I won't have officially "rejected" an acceptance and will hopefully not be blacklisted when I reapply to this school. On the negative side, obviously there is no chance of coming away with a deferred acceptance with this route.

3) Call and accept the seat.
-Outcome: I will have an official paper acceptance that I can try and machinate with, and will have kicked the can down the road. So here is a question I have for anyone with any insight: once they officially give me an acceptance off the waitlist, am I any different from somebody who received a regular acceptance? I mean, we both hold the same piece of paper, an acceptance, right. So technically, some guy who received an acceptance in February can file a request to defer in July for example. I, as an officially accepted applicant should be able to do the same thing, right?

So anyway, these are my thoughts. Option #1 seems like going with the flow and taking the path of least resistance, but isn't likely to result in a deferral. Option #3 seems like the most likely to get me what I need (a deferral to 2016) but on the negative side could result in the same outcome as #1 and 2 with the added complication of severely pissing people off and having repercussions on my reapplication.

What do you guys think? Anything I missed or didn't consider? I will have to call this lady back today (unless going with #2 lol) so any feedback would be hugely appreciated

Why would you risk your entire life career for a 1 year commitment...take the acceptance don't be dumb

 

[Sourgrapesss]

I'm not going to go into the weeds here but it concerns contractual, logistical, and financial arrangements that would be very hard to unwind. Even if I could somehow unwind them, it would leave a very sour taste in a lot of people's mouths.

Who cares about those people, focus on your own future

 

[Doug Underhill]

How could a 1-year temporary position have such a massive commitment behind it that it would dwarf the risks of denying a med school seat? I think the TC is exaggerating this commitment. If they gave you a signing bonus, just pay it back. If you already spent it, there are financial arrangements you can enter to avoid ruining your finances.

 

[bc65]

OP, at the risk of repeating myself and what others have said, whatever your financial commitment might be, it's not likely to be as great as the cost of giving up a year of physician income, plus the costs of re-applying, your cost of living for the next year, not to mention the cost of flying in for interviews. How do you plan on doing that while you're overseas? Not to mention the cost of not getting in next year or ever. Just pay whatever it takes to untangle your commitments. It's worth it.

Please let us know what you decide.

 

[dermie1985]

I don't know what the big deal is here. I'd call him/her back and get the acceptance. Most programs will give you a week or so to decide about matriculation. This probably isn't going to be an "on-the-spot" sort of thing. I'd suggest asking for a week to decide. In a few days, call him/her back and say you're juggling a gap year commitment that you had decided to do and discuss options for a deferral. If he/she says "no"...then you know you either have to decide to do a gap year or matriculate to medical school. If she says "yes", then you have your answer. I don't think it's completely out-of-ordinary for a program to allow you to defer even with an acceptance off the waitlist (I know my home school does this). Acceptance means they think you're a good candidate and they might not mind "waiting" another year to have a medical student join the following matriculating class with a year of international experience under their belt.

As for "canceling" your gap year....even if you do "burn some bridges" by matriculating in medical school...this is probably not going to have any impact whatsoever on your medical career.