Would love some advice?

[coolnad17]

Hello everybody,

Yes, this is my very first post, but i've been lurking on this forum for > 2 years.

Thanks for all the tips, advice, and humor over the years.

Heres my story and I would love some suggestions, if possible:

- I am Canadian/American (very recently) applicant.
- I am a Texas resident.
- I had no intention of applying to American schools until very recently, but am now planning on doing so - I have already (yesterday) turned in my TMDSAS (Texas) application with all documentation (I know its late, but I have my fingers crossed).
- cGPA ~ 3.5-3.9 (4.0 in last 2 years), science GPA should be around the same
- MCAT #1 (Aug 08): 25-29
- MCAT #2 (Aug 25, 09): 30-35 (just got my scores)
- ~ 200 hours of community service
- ~ 400 hours of research experience (no publications)
- No significant leadership, some extra-cirriculars here and there
- Some doctor shadowing, very little tho (~10 hours)

I understand I am extremely late in the application cycle but wanted to apply to some mid-tier, non-Texas schools after receiving my scores today. However, I would not mind going to school in either Texas (preferable) or Canada if I don't get into any better schools. I understand that October 1st is the deadline for a lot of schools, but not all.

If you guys have any suggestions/comments as to what I should do, I would really appreciate it. I do plan and going through the MSAR tonight and looking for schools with non-Oct 1st deadlines that I have a chance at.

Thanks in advance.

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[GoSpursGo]

Moving to What are my Chances.

 

[aggie08]

There are two glaring things wrong with your application:

1. Late relative to when most Texas applicants turn theirs in.
2. Lack of clinical experience.

Although you may have luck this year, if you don't these two things are very easy to fix for next year. If you don't get in, get a healthcare related job for your year off and use the year to increase your clinical experience and reapply EARLY next year.

Your MCAT improvement is great (congrats) and your GPA is fine for Texas schools. Don't let it get you down if you don't get in, but don't be surprised if that lack of clinical experience hurts you.

You're in good shape for Texas schools, otherwise.

 

[coolnad17]

Sorry for posting in the wrong section.

I understand I am pretty late for the Texas application cycle, but am hoping for the best. We'll see what happens with that.

Thats why I was considering applying out-of-state to schools that may not have rolling admissions and/or have later deadlines.

I should be able to get some interviews in Canada this year, but am hoping to stay in the US.

When you say "health care related" jobs, what exactly do you mean? I'm just out of undergrad with a degree focusing on Pharmacology. What should I be looking into?

Thanks

 

[aggie08]

Sorry for posting in the wrong section.

I understand I am pretty late for the Texas application cycle, but am hoping for the best. We'll see what happens with that.

Thats why I was considering applying out-of-state to schools that may not have rolling admissions and/or have later deadlines.

I should be able to get some interviews in Canada this year, but am hoping to stay in the US.

When you say "health care related" jobs, what exactly do you mean? I'm just out of undergrad with a degree focusing on Pharmacology. What should I be looking into?

Thanks

In my gap year I was a med tech (I did allergy testing) for a doctor in town who liked hiring people trying to get into professional school to "help them" (aka cheap labor). We were trained on the spot, nothing formal. I had a Psyc degree. It was awesome experience and definitely helped my reapplication cycle.

You have a good shot to get into a Texas school next year if not this year. If you really want to stay here, I would try next cycle if this one brings you no luck.

As far as the jobs go, just look around your town and see what is available. Scribe in an ER, bring patients back at a small clinic, etc. Just ask around you'll find something. Where do you live?

 

[coolnad17]

Thanks for the tips.

I'm in Dallas, TX.

 

[Stratego]

Did none of that 200 hours of community service involve working with sick people? Was any of your research clinical in nature where you interviewed patients face-to-face? If ten hours of physician shadowing is truly all the exposure you have, then consider saving your application dollars until the next cycle when you have some solid clinical contact to list, unless perhaps Canadian schools don't care about that so much.

 

[J ROD]

You still have a shot this year. But, a great shot next year. I would take a year and find a school you really like and build the app some.

Great MCAT and GPA! You will get a MD acceptance one day.

 

[flip26]

Sorry for posting in the wrong section.

I understand I am pretty late for the Texas application cycle, but am hoping for the best. We'll see what happens with that.

Thats why I was considering applying out-of-state to schools that may not have rolling admissions and/or have later deadlines.

I should be able to get some interviews in Canada this year, but am hoping to stay in the US.

When you say "health care related" jobs, what exactly do you mean? I'm just out of undergrad with a degree focusing on Pharmacology. What should I be looking into?

Thanks

The non-rolling schools tend to be the harder ones to get into - Harvard, etc. You are not really competitive for schools like that.

Also consider that any OOS school or private school where you may get accepted will cost a buttload more $ to attend than your Texas schools.

If it were me, and if I was hellbent on submitting an app this year, I would focus exclusively on the Texas schools and not fool with AMCAS. If it doesn't work out this year, then I would do a broader app including AMCAS.

Are you sure that Texas schools will consider you a Texas resident (you say you are "very recently" American if I understood what you meant there)...you might want to check into the residency issue before jumping into it this cycle...

 

[coolnad17]

Hi,

I am a Texas resident. Already looked into those requirements. I actually went to high school in TX - my parents have been working here for a while.

And no, none of my community service was patient related. It was mostly non-medical related stuff.

I'll try to strengthen my app. as I wait for schools to get back to me.

I really would like to get into UT Houston or UTMB and attend one of those schools if I have any luck this application cycle.

Is there anyone on here that has applied this late to these schools and been able to get accepted?

For now, I think i'll stick with the applications I have currently submitted and hope for the best. Some Canadian (Ontario) schools are strictly cut-off (GPA/MCAT) based so experience may or may not come into play until the interview; plus, they (all) don't have rolling admissions.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[aggie08]

I really would like to get into UT Houston or UTMB and attend one of those schools if I have any luck this application cycle.

You have good numbers for these schools, so hopefully you'll get lucky, but they both use pre-match heavily.