MD & DO Reapplicant: 3.66 GPA, 3.6 sGPA, 36 MCAT; school list?

[Donald Kimball]

I will be an NC reapplicant, with my most glaring weakness last year being a lack of clinical experience. Since applying last June though, I have shadowed 7 more physicians across hospital and office settings, and I am volunteering out the ass at the ED, a free clinic, and a nursing home, in addition to holding down a full time job at an engineering firm, and being a (very part time) personal trainer.

I had 8 interviews last year, and I hope to at least match that, but who knows. Here is my current school list, where (R) indicates where I am a reapplicant, and (I) indicates where I received an interview. I would love suggestions on what schools to add/remove, and I honestly don't know much about DO schools.

Drexel University College of Medicine (R)

Eastern Virginia Medical School (R)(I)

George Washington University Sch of Med & Hlth Sci (R)(I)

Georgetown University School of Medicine (R)(I)

Indiana University School of Medicine

Jefferson Medical Coll. of Thomas Jefferson Univ. (R)

New York Medical College (R)(I)

Temple University School of Medicine (R)

The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina Univ (R)(I)

University of Miami School of Medicine (R)

University of Maryland School of Medicine (R)

University of North Carolina School of Medicine (R)(I)

University of Virginia School of Medicine (R)

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (R)

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (R)(I)

Wake Forest School of Medicine of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (R)(I)

Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine

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[gyngyn]

You need a few more schools where you are not a re-applicant.
How did your interviews go?

 

[Donald Kimball]

You need a few more schools where you are not a re-applicant.
How did your interviews go?

Interviews went well, but there is always room for improvement. I especially loved MMI.

The school that offered rejection counseling had positive comments regarding my interview: I was friendly, extroverted, genuine.

Unfortunately, a lack of experience obfuscated my motivation for medicine.

Do you recommend any schools in particular?

 

[Goro]

Goro suggests:

UNC
Duke
USC
Vanderbilt
Dartmouth
Hofstra School of Medicine
Albany Medical College
NY Medical College
Loyola
Tulane
Rosy Franklin
MCW
SLU
Wake Forest
Tufts
Drexel
Temple
Miami
Einstein
Mt Sinai
BU
Pitt
NYU
Rochester
Jefferson
All new MD schools
VCU
EVMS
Any DO program (Campbell is in your backyard)

 

[grapeworthy]

I saw that you're from NC. Has there been significant waitlist movement at WF or UNC thus far this year?

In the meantime I would also add Cooper or FIU or Western Michigan as they are all new medical schools like Goro mentions above

 

[Donald Kimball]

I saw that you're from NC. Has there been significant waitlist movement at WF or UNC thus far this year?

In the meantime I would also add Cooper or FIU or Western Michigan as they are all new medical schools like Goro mentions above

Thanks!

I was rejected from UNC, minimal waitlist movement at Wake Forest.

 

[Donald Kimball]

Does anyone know which schools only accept MCAT scores from 2 or fewer years ago?

My 2012 MCAT score will be 3 years old for this upcoming cycle.

 

[rian.linda]

I will be an NC reapplicant, with my most glaring weakness last year being a lack of clinical experience. Since applying last June though, I have shadowed 7 more physicians across hospital and office settings, and I am volunteering out the ass at the ED, a free clinic, and a nursing home, in addition to holding down a full time job at an engineering firm, and being a (very part time) personal trainer.

I had 8 interviews last year, and I hope to at least match that, but who knows. Here is my current school list, where (R) indicates where I am a reapplicant, and (I) indicates where I received an interview. I would love suggestions on what schools to add/remove, and I honestly don't know much about DO schools.

Ok here is the problem..."I have shadowed 7 more physicians across hospital and office settings"....first of all I hope you are aware that medical schools like consistency. And when I say consistency I don't mean variety. You would have been better off shadowing one or two physicians weekly for a long term period. You sound very hard working. I wish you had asked this earlier. Nevertheless....you are definitely better competitive this year. I can confidently say you will be accepted this year. I don't even think you need to add more schools if you don't want to. Re-applying is technically a good thing. It shows where your passion truly lies and that you are determined.

 

[Donald Kimball]

Ok here is the problem..."I have shadowed 7 more physicians across hospital and office settings"....first of all I hope you are aware that medical schools like consistency. And when I say consistency I don't mean variety. You would have been better off shadowing one or two physicians weekly for a long term period. You sound very hard working. I wish you had asked this earlier. Nevertheless....you are definitely better competitive this year. I can confidently say you will be accepted this year. I don't even think you need to add more schools if you don't want to. Re-applying is technically a good thing. It shows where your passion truly lies and that you are determined.

You make a good point about consistency, however, I'm not sure I see the benefit in shadowing the same physician over a long period of time. Maybe I was mistaken, but for shadowing, I wanted to get a breadth of experience to explore the field. Shadowing an orthopedic surgeon for a year, I don't think, would have given me that.

I have kept up my volunteering over the past year and will continue to do so.

I think you're absolutely right about reapplying, and I hope you're right about an acceptance this year.

Here is my updated school list... I think I might want to prune it a little bit because the secondaries last year were pretty overwhelming.

Albany Medical College
Albert Einstein College of Medicine (R)

Boston University School of Medicine

Drexel University College of Medicine (R)
Duke University School of Medicine (R)

Eastern Virginia Medical School (R)

FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
George Washington University Sch of Med & Hlth Sci (R)
Georgetown University School of Medicine (R)

Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine

Indiana University School of Medicine

Jefferson Medical Coll. of Thomas Jefferson Univ. (R)

Keck Sch. of Med.University of Southern California

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medici

Mount Sinai School of Medicine

New York Medical College (R)
New York University

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Scien

Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Temple University School of Medicine (R)
The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina Univ (R)
The University of Miami School of Medicine (R)
Tufts University School of Medicine
Tulane University School of Medicine

University of Maryland School of Medicine (R)
University of North Carolina School of Medicine (R)
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Den
University of Virginia School of Medicine (R)

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (R)
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (R)

Wake Forest School of Medicine of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (R)

 

[gyngyn]

Ok here is the problem..."I have shadowed 7 more physicians across hospital and office settings"....first of all I hope you are aware that medical schools like consistency. And when I say consistency I don't mean variety. You would have been better off shadowing one or two physicians weekly for a long term period. You sound very hard working. I wish you had asked this earlier. Nevertheless....you are definitely better competitive this year. I can confidently say you will be accepted this year. I don't even think you need to add more schools if you don't want to. Re-applying is technically a good thing. It shows where your passion truly lies and that you are determined.

With regard to shadowing, variety is more important than consistency or duration. In particular, primary care experience shows that you are aware of what most physicians do on a day to day basis.

The first application carries benefits that subsequent applications do not have. If the reasons for lack of success are overcome, re-application with a better strategy can be successful.

 

[Goro]

Get MSAR Online and check the OOS numbers for matriculants. State schools favor the home team, like UNC. Apply strategically. 34 schools means a lot of secondaries.

You make a good point about consistency, however, I'm not sure I see the benefit in shadowing the same physician over a long period of time. Maybe I was mistaken, but for shadowing, I wanted to get a breadth of experience to explore the field. Shadowing an orthopedic surgeon for a year, I don't think, would have given me that.

I have kept up my volunteering over the past year and will continue to do so.

I think you're absolutely right about reapplying, and I hope you're right about an acceptance this year.

Here is my updated school list... I think I might want to prune it a little bit because the secondaries last year were pretty overwhelming.

Albany Medical College
Albert Einstein College of Medicine (R)

Boston University School of Medicine

Drexel University College of Medicine (R)
Duke University School of Medicine (R)

Eastern Virginia Medical School (R)

FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
George Washington University Sch of Med & Hlth Sci (R)
Georgetown University School of Medicine (R)

Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine

Indiana University School of Medicine

Jefferson Medical Coll. of Thomas Jefferson Univ. (R)

Keck Sch. of Med.University of Southern California

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medici

Mount Sinai School of Medicine

New York Medical College (R)
New York University

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Scien

Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Temple University School of Medicine (R)
The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina Univ (R)
The University of Miami School of Medicine (R)
Tufts University School of Medicine
Tulane University School of Medicine

University of Maryland School of Medicine (R)
University of North Carolina School of Medicine (R)
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Den
University of Virginia School of Medicine (R)

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (R)
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (R)

Wake Forest School of Medicine of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (R)

 

[Donald Kimball]

Get MSAR Online and check the OOS numbers for matriculants. State schools favor the home team, like UNC. Apply strategically. 34 schools means a lot of secondaries.

What's a good number to look for? I think I used OOS interviews / OOS applicants last year to help narrow things down.

 

[Goro]

I think the ballpark should be 20-25.

What's a good number to look for? I think I used OOS interviews / OOS applicants last year to help narrow things down.

 

[Donald Kimball]

I think the ballpark should be 20-25.

Thanks!

 

[rian.linda]

You make a good point about consistency, however, I'm not sure I see the benefit in shadowing the same physician over a long period of time. Maybe I was mistaken, but for shadowing, I wanted to get a breadth of experience to explore the field. Shadowing an orthopedic surgeon for a year, I don't think, would have given me that.

I have kept up my volunteering over the past year and will continue to do so.

I think you're absolutely right about reapplying, and I hope you're right about an acceptance this year.

Here is my updated school list... I think I might want to prune it a little bit because the secondaries last year were pretty overwhelming.

Albany Medical College
Albert Einstein College of Medicine (R)

Boston University School of Medicine

Drexel University College of Medicine (R)
Duke University School of Medicine (R)

Eastern Virginia Medical School (R)

FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
George Washington University Sch of Med & Hlth Sci (R)
Georgetown University School of Medicine (R)

Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine

Indiana University School of Medicine

Jefferson Medical Coll. of Thomas Jefferson Univ. (R)

Keck Sch. of Med.University of Southern California

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medici

Mount Sinai School of Medicine

New York Medical College (R)
New York University

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Scien

Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Temple University School of Medicine (R)
The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina Univ (R)
The University of Miami School of Medicine (R)
Tufts University School of Medicine
Tulane University School of Medicine

University of Maryland School of Medicine (R)
University of North Carolina School of Medicine (R)
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Den
University of Virginia School of Medicine (R)

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (R)
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (R)

Wake Forest School of Medicine of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (R)

I absolutely understand where you are coming. And Good Luck with all my heart. But I am more than confident that med schools LOVE consistency. My doctors says so, all the advisors I have seen say so, and it makes sense. But you have other factors that make your resume strong. Once again good luck and I hope I helped.

 

[tarheel1408]

I absolutely understand where you are coming. And Good Luck with all my heart. But I am more than confident that med schools LOVE consistency. My doctors says so, all the advisors I have seen say so, and it makes sense. But you have other factors that make your resume strong. Once again good luck and I hope I helped.

Both gyngyn and Goro, who have posted above, are faculty at medical schools. They have a pretty good idea of what they're talking about.

 

[rian.linda]

Both gyngyn and Goro, who have posted above, are faculty at medical schools. They have a pretty good idea of what they're talking about.

right...then u r unaware of the many trolls on this website...anyways i hope i helped and i am sure u have a high chance of getting into MD!

 

[solitarius]

I'd suggest culling from schools at which you're a re-applying, the Top 20 schools you're less interested in, or schools very far away.

 

[ciestar]

right...then u r unaware of the many trolls on this website...anyways i hope i helped and i am sure u have a high chance of getting into MD!

Hahahaha calling them trolls? That's a new one.

 

[gyngyn]

Hahahaha calling them trolls? That's a new one.

I haven't been called a troll before!

 

[mostlyharmless1]

I was under the impression that you were accepted by a medical school. If you don't mind me asking, why are you reapplying?
Side note: We are in a very similar boat (both NC reapplicants, told primary weakness was lack of clinical experiences etc.) However, your application looks much more promising than mine which makes me nervous.