MD Re-app Chances?

[turtlesrock]

Hey guys! Longtime lurker here. Thought I would introduce myself with a post on WAMC.

3.45 cGPA, 3.42 sGPA
34 MCAT (balanced)
>1000 hours of research experience with 1 publication (from undergrad)
~250 hours of volunteering in a hospital (during undergrad)
7 months of full-time paid clinical experience (during gap year)

Plans for rest of this year: Clinical Research (paid)

CA Resident

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[gyngyn]

Where's your list?

 

[deleted480308]

yeah.....you clearly did something wrong last time. did you apply late? aim too high? not enough schools on the list?

 

[turtlesrock]

So my list last time was:

MCW
Albert Einstein
NYMC
UC Riverside
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC SanDiego
UCLA
UCSF
Stanford
Hofstra
Wake Forest
SLU
Albany
Rosalind Franklin
UVM
U. Toledo
Loyola
Tufts
U. Rochester
Virginia Tech
TCMC
VCU
Drexel
Creighton

I turned my primary in in late June. The secondaries were complete by August/September. Also, I did not start the paid clinical experience until after I applied. So my application last year would have only had about 250 hours of hospital volunteering.

 

[gyngyn]

Didn't you get interviews?

 

[turtlesrock]

Zero

 

[gyngyn]

I would have expected a couple, at least.
How are your letters?

 

[turtlesrock]

I have one from a science professor that's solid. The second science prof's letter I suspect is average. I have another solid non-science rec, and a physician re-letter that's ok.

 

[turtlesrock]

At this point, I'm suspecting that the late application time hurt me.

 

[gyngyn]

I have one from a science professor that's solid. The second science prof's letter I suspect is average. I have another solid non-science rec, and a physician re-letter that's ok.

This doesn't explain a lack of interviews from Albany, NYM or Tufts...
Did someone look at your PS and secondaries?

 

[turtlesrock]

A counselor at my UG school stated that my personal statement was above average. I did not have anyone look over the secondaries. I felt like I was rushing them.

I actually have not heard from Albany yet, but silence until this point in the cycle makes me feel like I should prepare for the next cycle.

 

[Vain Brother]

i have the same stats as you, though my ECs were probably what got me the interviews i got. is your GPA a 3.4 with an upward trend or just a 3.4? your list isn't too bad, but you could stand to add some new schools (quinnipiac comes to mind)

also, pre-write your secondaries and submit your AMCAS on the first day

 

[turtlesrock]

i have the same stats as you, though my ECs were probably what got me the interviews i got. is your GPA a 3.4 with an upward trend or just a 3.4? your list isn't too bad, but you could stand to add some new schools (quinnipiac comes to mind)

also, pre-write your secondaries and submit your AMCAS on the first day

I'd be open to new school suggestions. I do have a slight upward trend in my cGPA. 3.3, 3.3, 3.4. 3.7.

 

[gyngyn]

I'd be open to new school suggestions. I do have a slight upward trend in my cGPA. 3.3, 3.3, 3.4. 3.7.

Do you only have one MCAT score?

 

[turtlesrock]

Do you only have one MCAT score?

Yes.

 

[turtlesrock]

I'm also Asian. Would that be a factor?

 

[gyngyn]

I'm also Asian. Would that be a factor?

Not really, unless you are Cambodian or Hmong (or Filipino for UCI).

 

[turtlesrock]

I am none of the above

 

[gyngyn]

I am none of the above

You have low gpa's and a good MCAT. That's usually good enough for OOS interviews.

 

[deleted480308]

Shadow a DO and add that to your strategy

 

[Vain Brother]

it sounds like you're beefing up your ECs, so applying earlier next cycle should improve your chances. maybe look into some altruistic volunteer work

 

[turtlesrock]

Shadow a DO and add that to your strategy

I've been entertaining the thought of DO for a while, but as of late, my mentality has been US MD or bust. I know that can come off as pretentious, and I mean no disrespect to DO candidates, but that's just the goal I've set for myself at this point.

 

[Goro]

Any red flags we don't know about?

 

[turtlesrock]

I suppose the only one I can think of is that I do not have a letter of rec from the PI that I did research with. I put in enough work to get my name on a paper, but I felt that I left on bad terms because I couldn't get results on the latest project that I had.

 

[deleted480308]

I've been entertaining the thought of DO for a while, but as of late, my mentality has been US MD or bust. I know that can come off as pretentious, and I mean no disrespect to DO candidates, but that's just the goal I've set for myself at this point.

it's your life

 

[Faha]

The GPA-MCAT grid shows that applicants with your stats have a greater than 60% chance for a MD acceptance and the interview rate is probably 80% to 90%. Apply again in June and submit all your secondaries by July. You can delete Stanford and UCSF from your list. Add Quinnipiac, Temple, Jefferson, Oakland Beaumont, Western Michigan and any new private MD schools that open in 2016. Apply to at least 10 DO schools in the same time frame as MD and you will be attending medical school somewhere in 2016.

 

[turtlesrock]

Thanks for the input guys!

 

[DaMedDude]

hmm that is very surprising that you didn't land a single interview. I guess there is nothing you can do about it now. Apply to more lower ranked schools next time and mainly to different schools. Make sure you write a strong PS and strong secondary essays......schools take those essays very seriously. If you rushed the essays and didn't speak from your heart then that could explain the lack of interview invitations.