MD Reapplicant: 42 MCAT + 3.80 sGPA, but not too interested in research - help with school list

[heliocentric]

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[shopsteward]

Can't advise you on schools, sorry - except to get your application in quickly now so as to get verified, and then add in any schools you are not yet certain about.

I think you need to ensure, as much as you can, that you include in your app a strong letter from your ER scribing this year: it fixes the major deficit (clinical experience) in your last application.

On the research side, you have considerable basic research experience -enough to know that you don't want to do anymore. But not wanting to do basic lab research doesn't mean that you are cutting yourself off from medical research altogether: you could look for instance at the possibility of eg epidemiological research arising from clinical work. If you are applying for research-heavy schools (which you certainly have the stats for) it might be a better approach to say "I gave bench research a good go but didn't find it a particularly good fit for me, but while I was scribing I noticed x and it could be interesting to study y." If you could do this, it would give another positive spin to your application, and potentially a point of contact with you interviewer, who will quite possibly be either someone interested in basic or clinical research.

 

[heliocentric]

Yep, already verified, so at least that's out of the way.

Regarding the LOR from scribing... I don't know if there's much I can do at this point. The doctor I asked actually showed me the letter after he sent it (and I had told him I'd waived my right to see it), and it was not very detailed. He recommended me strongly, but it wasn't very personal. By the time he sent the letter in May, that was already the cutoff for LORs for my school's committee letter, so I couldn't ask another doctor. I don't know if that's going to come around and bite me really badly.

Yeah, thanks for the pointer about how to talk about research. I definitely feel like I would enjoy clinical research, but just never had an opportunity to take part in it.

 

[shopsteward]

Regarding the LOR from scribing... I don't know if there's much I can do at this point. The doctor I asked actually showed me the letter after he sent it (and I had told him I'd waived my right to see it), and it was not very detailed. He recommended me strongly, but it wasn't very personal. By the time he sent the letter in May, that was already the cutoff for LORs for my school's committee letter, so I couldn't ask another doctor. I don't know if that's going to come around and bite me really badly.

The letter sounds fine, don't fret about it. You can fill in the details yourself, at interview.

Good luck.

 

[breakend]

The title of your thread makes it look like the 3.8/42 didn't get you in, I was about to start weeping. I think the additions you made to your application helped a lot. I can't really give much advice on your list though, sorry!

 

[DokterMom]

On the research side, you have considerable basic research experience -enough to know that you don't want to do anymore. But not wanting to do basic lab research doesn't mean that you are cutting yourself off from medical research altogether: you could look for instance at the possibility of eg epidemiological research arising from clinical work. If you are applying for research-heavy schools (which you certainly have the stats for) it might be a better approach to say "I gave bench research a good go but didn't find it a particularly good fit for me, but while I was scribing I noticed x and it could be interesting to study y." If you could do this, it would give another positive spin to your application, and potentially a point of contact with you interviewer, who will quite possibly be either someone interested in basic or clinical research.

Excellent observation. Your stats and heavy research background may be more competitive for the research-heavy schools, which often are also the 'big name high stat' schools. This absolutely doesn't mean you need to base your future career on research. Just that as some students exaggerate their interest in primary care or rural medicine, you may want to spin your interests a little bit more towards research, where you're most competitive. Research-oriented positions may also be more forgiving of social quirks, (which I'm wondering about only because your first cycle wasn't successful.)

To your question about lower-stat schools filtering you out because of your high stats -- Absolutely. They won't want to waste their time on a student they feel is unlikely to matriculate there, and a student with your numbers should be able to garner an acceptance at a more prestigious school unless there are 'red flags' of some sort. (Arrogant PS, weak LORs, ECs, poor social skills, IAs).

There is, in many circles, a tendency to suspect that students with super-high test scores are at higher risk for social-deficiencies. You'll want to pro-actively head off this question with your secondary essays, emphasizing interpersonal relationships, teamwork, successful collaboration, humility, service to others, etc.

Best of luck to you OP --

 

[snowflakes]

I really don't want to be not considered for interviews at "low-tier" schools just because my MCAT isn't close to their median. (Because they want to protect their yields? Is that even a thing that happens? Am I just overthinking this?)

Yes, this does happen. Schools don't like being thought of as "safety schools." So if you're applying somewhere where your numbers are way above their 90th percentile, it's super important to make sure you write a compelling and sincere "why this school" essay on your secondary. Even then, some schools may not think you're serious about matriculating.

You have enough research experience to be competitive at top 20 schools. Even though they're all research focused, most are more scholarly focused than basic science project, and include a wide range of projects and disciplines that count for their scholarly project. You mention clinical research--this would definitely be a possibility for the top schools.

Schools I'd suggest removing schools are Rush, Temple, Jefferson, Drexel (they get a lot of apps), and NYMC. Schools I'd suggest reconsidering schools are BU (they get a lot a lot of apps), Albert Einstein, and SUNY downstate. Anything in the top 20 range is definitely open to you. I'd add in UVA and Pitt, and consider some of the following: Vanderbilt, Cornell, UChicago, Michigan, Prizker, and if you're seriously interested in public health, Emory and UNC.

Also, why do you think you got rejected last time? You were a little low on EC's like you said, but you did have substantial research and some clinical exposure. How were you secondaries and your PS? How did your interviews go?

 

[heliocentric]

Hmm, I see. So takeaway would be to add a few more competitive schools? I think UChicago and Vanderbilt may be good ideas, since I didn't apply to them last time, and I want to try to minimize the number of schools I'm reapplying to.

There is, in many circles, a tendency to suspect that students with super-high test scores are at higher risk for social-deficiencies. You'll want to pro-actively head off this question with your secondary essays, emphasizing interpersonal relationships, teamwork, successful collaboration, humility, service to others, etc.

Best of luck to you OP --

I honestly don't think any social quirks held me back. No one I know has ever suggested I come off as socially awkward, haha, but I'll keep that in mind. Fortunately I touched on some of those in my personal statement, but I'll definitely try to include some of those traits in my secondaries. Thank you!

Also, why do you think you got rejected last time? You were a little low on EC's like you said, but you did have substantial research and some clinical exposure. How were you secondaries and your PS? How did your interviews go?

I think my PS was okay, but my secondaries were not personal enough. That was the feedback my premed adviser gave me. That there weren't any red flags, but it just felt like something was missing. As for interviews, one interview was MMI, and I felt pretty good about the majority of the cases, but it's hard to say. At the other one, the student interviewer loved me, but the committee interviewer felt sort of lukewarm, just asked me fairly standard questions straight from my file.

I think ultimately I didn't do a good job of selling myself in the secondaries + didn't apply widely enough + committee letter interview last time wasn't the best. This time, the committee letter is definitely going to be better. I'm applying widely (apparently too widely from what everyone is saying, haha), and I'm going to rewrite all the secondaries. I'm really hoping I'll come out of this cycle in better shape.

 

[khrisskhoras]

what's baffling to me is why you didn't get in last time. Im pretty sure it wasn't your stats or ECs. Focus more on your interviewing skills, because stats-wise you are competitive everywhere. Also, be prepared to explain why on earth you retook a 34 from only 2 years ago with a 3.9 GPA.

 

[Goro]

Looks like a good list. Apply NOW!

I applied 2012-2013 with 3.87 GPA, 34Q MCAT, and solid ECs (though light on clinical experience, which I've fixed). Got two interviews for which I was waitlisted, and didn't get in anywhere. (Being a CA resident probably didn't help...) Having gone through that, I've been really worried this cycle and want to make sure I'm not making any huge mistakes, especially with my school list. This time around, I have high stats but marked preference for clinical work rather than basic research. I really don't want to be not considered for interviews at "low-tier" schools just because my MCAT isn't close to their median. (Because they want to protect their yields? Is that even a thing that happens? Am I just overthinking this?) Basically: Are there other schools that could be good targets for me that I haven't included?

(I've marked stuff that's new this cycle with *)

Stats:
Bio major at top 10 school. Graduated in 2013. CA resident.
cGPA: 3.87
sGPA: 3.80

MCAT 1 (April 2012): 34Q (12P / 10B / 12V)
MCAT 2 (January 2014): 42 (14P / 14B / 14V)*

ECs:
100 hours volunteering at undergrad hospital
3 years basic/translational bio research (2 labs + 1 summer internship). No publications.
1.5 years public health/disease disparity club I founded
1 year social chair of volunteering club
50 hours shadowing neurologists
50 hours shadowing infectious disease doctors overseas
1 year / 1000 hours as medical scribe in ER*
1 year/ 500 hours as private science tutor *

LORs:
My school does committee letters, and I'm confident that the committee letter itself will be stronger this time, since I've been in close touch with the new pre-health advisor this whole year, and she knows me well.

Otherwise, I have 5 letters, 2 probably strong, 3 probably just meh. Only one of them is from my experiences this previous year.

Schools (22) - 10 new, 12 reapplying:
UCSF
UCLA
Columbia
Johns Hopkins*
Yale*
UCSD
UCD
UCI
USC
Baylor*
Case Western*
Northwestern
Rush*
Boston University
Temple
Jefferson
Drexel*
NYU
Albert Einstein*
Mount Sinai*
NYMC*
SUNY Downstate*

I know it's heavy on the big coastal cities, but I'm geographically sensitive and really feel like I won't be happy living somewhere that's not culturally diverse. ... On the other hand, I'd probably be more unhappy if I don't get into med school at all. Should I include schools like Creighton or University of Virginia? Any help or advice would be appreciated!