2013-2014 Panic Thread

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Hi all, I am also joining the panic. 4 interviews and a very disappointing waitlist from my state school (still waiting on the other 3 out of state schools). I'm losing optimism by the day, and can relate to everyone's posts. I need a drink....
 
Currently sitting on one waitlist, one post-interview hold, one post-interview decision pending, and one final MD interview this month.

As a non-URM underdog, 4 MD interviews was more than I hoped for, but sometimes I wonder if it's over before I get there due to my low GPA.
 
Last interview result came in...waitlist. So I'm 0 for 5 with all my interviews but 5 for 5 for getting on waitlists (and little indication of getting more interviews). :yeahright:

I get the whole "At least you got interviews-I only got x/haven't gotten any" thing and "At least it wasn't a rejection." That still doesn't help me feel better. My first interview sucked and I know it, but all my others went fairly well (and that's also with a 3.96 and 32 MCAT), and I'm at a loss as to what I'm doing wrong. I'm starting to become frustrated watching all my other pre-med friends getting acceptances while I'm standing around with nothing.

I really want to be a doctor-I can't imagine myself in any other profession. But I'm increasingly getting the impression that I'm not going to get in this cycle, and I don't know if my family (or myself) will have enough money on hand for a second round.

*Rant over*
 
MedGuy692 said:
Last interview result came in...waitlist. So I'm 0 for 5 with all my interviews but 5 for 5 for getting on waitlists (and little indication of getting more interviews). :yeahright:

I get the whole "At least you got interviews-I only got x/haven't gotten any" thing and "At least it wasn't a rejection." That still doesn't help me feel better. My first interview sucked and I know it, but all my others went fairly well (and that's also with a 3.96 and 32 MCAT), and I'm at a loss as to what I'm doing wrong. I'm starting to become frustrated watching all my other pre-med friends getting acceptances while I'm standing around with nothing.

I really want to be a doctor-I can't imagine myself in any other profession. But I'm increasingly getting the impression that I'm not going to get in this cycle, and I don't know if my family (or myself) will have enough money on hand for a second round.

*Rant over*
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Hopefully you get in this year (awesome GPA!), but you have a pretty much guaranteed shot at DO next year if you want to be selective to avoid spending an excessive amount on applications.

I can relate. I'm happy for my friends getting into med school, but it sucks to think I might get left behind for another year.
 
MedGuy692 said:
Last interview result came in...waitlist. So I'm 0 for 5 with all my interviews but 5 for 5 for getting on waitlists (and little indication of getting more interviews). :yeahright:

I get the whole "At least you got interviews-I only got x/haven't gotten any" thing and "At least it wasn't a rejection." That still doesn't help me feel better. My first interview sucked and I know it, but all my others went fairly well (and that's also with a 3.96 and 32 MCAT), and I'm at a loss as to what I'm doing wrong. I'm starting to become frustrated watching all my other pre-med friends getting acceptances while I'm standing around with nothing.

I really want to be a doctor-I can't imagine myself in any other profession. But I'm increasingly getting the impression that I'm not going to get in this cycle, and I don't know if my family (or myself) will have enough money on hand for a second round.

*Rant over*
Click to expand...
You'll need to reevaluate what you were missing or what you did wrong before you even consider starting all over again. There
s a variety of factors to consider. Where you applied, what else you bring aside from a great gpa. Sorry this hasn't been easy.
 
MedGuy692 said:
Last interview result came in...waitlist. So I'm 0 for 5 with all my interviews but 5 for 5 for getting on waitlists (and little indication of getting more interviews). :yeahright:

I get the whole "At least you got interviews-I only got x/haven't gotten any" thing and "At least it wasn't a rejection." That still doesn't help me feel better. My first interview sucked and I know it, but all my others went fairly well (and that's also with a 3.96 and 32 MCAT), and I'm at a loss as to what I'm doing wrong. I'm starting to become frustrated watching all my other pre-med friends getting acceptances while I'm standing around with nothing.

I really want to be a doctor-I can't imagine myself in any other profession. But I'm increasingly getting the impression that I'm not going to get in this cycle, and I don't know if my family (or myself) will have enough money on hand for a second round.

*Rant over*
Click to expand...

I have a feeling you'll get in this year but have you also considered fee assistance IF you need to reapply? Otherwise, wait and reapply for 2016 when you've saved up some money? You're too good an applicant to let go of this dream.
 
MedGuy692 said:
Last interview result came in...waitlist. So I'm 0 for 5 with all my interviews but 5 for 5 for getting on waitlists (and little indication of getting more interviews). :yeahright:

I get the whole "At least you got interviews-I only got x/haven't gotten any" thing and "At least it wasn't a rejection." That still doesn't help me feel better. My first interview sucked and I know it, but all my others went fairly well (and that's also with a 3.96 and 32 MCAT), and I'm at a loss as to what I'm doing wrong. I'm starting to become frustrated watching all my other pre-med friends getting acceptances while I'm standing around with nothing.

I really want to be a doctor-I can't imagine myself in any other profession. But I'm increasingly getting the impression that I'm not going to get in this cycle, and I don't know if my family (or myself) will have enough money on hand for a second round.

*Rant over*
Click to expand...

So far I've had 2 acceptances and 5 waitlists. I will tell you this -- at schools where I was accepted, I felt like I had a true connection with the school when I visited. I think it came across in my interviews that I really, really wanted to be there. All my other interviews were "fine," but i didn't feel that special spark. It's kind of like dating, lol. The cycle is not over, and you can still write update letters to try to woo those schools where you are currently waitlisted. I think you will get in somewhere if you put in a little stubborn persistence.
 
grumpiestcat said:
Hope is still alive! Waitlisted at the only school that gave me an II on Thursday and then got another II Friday morning. We can still do this
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Good luck! For more emphasis...

GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK!!!!

I haven't heard anything from the only school that gave me an II, so sat today and typed up a letter of intent for the (most likely) case I get waitlisted...:-/ That way, if I get the email, I don't have to cry while typing the letter...I will have one at the ready! Win.

...Blergh. I need a drink. March needs to just go away.
 
Well "Interview Cycle over" emails have started rolling around for me...

At least Im not keeping my hope alive at those schools anymore.
 


Distract yourself for a minute from the fact that interviews are coming to an end. These are some of the people that we can help in the future.
 
Unlike most of you I have had some interview
QuinnTheEskimo said:
So far I've had 2 acceptances and 5 waitlists. I will tell you this -- at schools where I was accepted, I felt like I had a true connection with the school when I visited. I think it came across in my interviews that I really, really wanted to be there. All my other interviews were "fine," but i didn't feel that special spark. It's kind of like dating, lol. The cycle is not over, and you can still write update letters to try to woo those schools where you are currently waitlisted. I think you will get in somewhere if you put in a little stubborn persistence.
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I feel the same way. I have been on this waitlist train that I cannot get off. I am not sure if update letters will do any good. Sometimes I wish I had the power to shorten the application cycle.
 
Although my amazing interviews have turned into waitlist.. so I wonder how much interview has an impact on making the final decision.
 
gumdrops said:
Hey everyone, my story (pending passing the background check and finishing graduate school) had an extremely happy ending this year. It's so happy that I wonder if I'm still dreaming. I will be attending an MD program near home next fall. If I were to post my numerical stats as a non-URM on this board (PM for gory details), y'all would have a good laugh at them and tell me that I'd be lucky to get a DO acceptance. Also, I realize how much luck is involved given that I was accepted and many of the amazingly talented and qualified people I've seen on this thread are still waiting for an acceptance. With that said, here are some observations I made that were confirmed by my boss and friends who have sat on admissions committees that I truly hope people can use or at least consider if they need to reapply. I suspect many people here will be hearing good news in the next three months but this process is a long haul.

1) If you're considering reapplication, prepare NOW. Yes, hope springs eternal but you do not, do not, do not want to find yourself in a position come May 15th where you need to reapply and you're sitting on a 27 MCAT or no clinical experience or no volunteering or a crap personal statement that you could have revamped but will now make your AMCAS submission late.

I so, so regret my haphazard MCAT prep/AMCAS submission. I should have made a better study plan to start or sucked it up and followed SN2ED but I didn't. I also submitted my primary in early July and made sure that I made my application cycle that. much. worse. If you know that you had a bad MCAT, start studying now or wait a year. If you think lack of volunteering/clinical experience hurt you, you could easily remedy that in the next two months and still have your primary in on time. Do not assume anything will work out. Think of yourself as the rule and not the exception and you will inevitably be happier. I think it's because you make smarter choices as a result.

2) The interview will make or break your chances. Contrary to popular belief, there aren't people adcoms are just drooling over to accept as long as they can string together coherent sentences and people who they invited simply because they'd ordered 50 boxed lunches and needed four extra people to finish them and 46 applicants who they'd actually consider accepting. Every person I know who has sat on an adcom has said numbers are pretty irrelevant by the interview stage and that everyone is on a roughly equal playing field except for some obvious superstars. They are looking for you to sell yourself here and flesh out that AMCAS app.

They are looking for you to be sincere, to think on your feet and to answer questions correctly. There are right and wrong answers at the interview. This means things like having a favorite fiction book when asked what was the last book you read or to say you'd reapply if asked what you'd do if you weren't accepted this year. Make sure you have a good answer to "Why medicine." This is a must. Have friends who've recently survived the gauntlet successfully interview you. This is key. Too many people squander this opportunity or don't use it at all, which is heartbreaking. You've made it this far. Now be your own spokesperson!

3) Do not be modest. Emphasize how every experience on your application has made you more suited towards succeeding in medicine with concrete examples. If you've shadowed, remember the qualities of the physicians you most admired and emphasize how you've developed those qualities in your activity descriptions, personal statement and interviews. Every opportunity is an opportunity to sell yourself so don't hold back. Modesty will not win you points. Try to find some unifying themes in your journey to medicine (learning to lead, learning to listen, maturing through being pre-med) and emphasize those through your personal statement and activities. Tell your story so it has cohesion and sells why you'd make a great doctor. Everything should fit together so that each experience not only adds to your app but expounds upon these qualities that would make you a great physician. I emphasized an ability to see patterns, intellectual curiosity and empathy in my activities in statement and how all of my experiences helped me develop these qualities.

4) If it didn't work this year, either have a significant change in your app or in how you present yourself. My app didn't change significantly and I applied later this year than I did last year. Hell, I delayed my app for an MCAT retake, only to get the same score last year but with more unbalanced subsections. I just had a much better personal statement and activities section. If you need to reapply, you need to re-start filling your AMCAS from scratch. Sorry. I also wrote some impassioned secondaries if I do say so myself 😉 but my numbers were too low to really get that boost from good secondaries. I would trade my nicer activity summaries for an earlier app though. Remember, perfect is the enemy of good.

Finally, some SDN truisms hold so true:

1) You need a good MCAT and/or GPA. Box-checking is fine for EC's. Have a little bit of everything but do not be lacking in clinical experience/community service. EC's, no matter how impressive, never make up for bad numbers.
2) Apply early. It sucks if you're bad at deadlines but just do it this once. You will so thank yourself later. And by early, aim to have all secondaries completed by first week of August at the latest.
3) Letters of interest in November/December can really help. By January, they're too late.
4) Proofread everything. You don't know whether that misplaced "Penn" when you meant to write "Jefferson" could have cost you.

Minimize regrets wherever you can so that you can accept what is at times, a process that is obviously governed by humans who are as prone to mistakes and whimsy as we are. What helped more than anything this cycle is accepting that life isn't fair but it has a way of working out. It's so hard to remember but it's true. I'm a reapplicant. Honestly, I'm so much more prepared to be a great medical student and physician than I was last year. I'm so happy everything worked out this year when I was ready to take advantage of it. Another way of looking at it is that maybe life gives you what you want when you're ready for it. Either way, I acknowledge I got lucky.

Just keep the faith. If you want to be a physician, you will be.
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The only thing I can add is that sometimes even a great interview is not enough to overcome reservations the adcom might have. I have it on good authority that the dean of admissions of a certain school (my dream school, btw) loved me, and my interviewer raved about me, but I was still rejected.
 
ekdoctobe said:
The only thing I can add is that sometimes even a great interview is not enough to overcome reservations the adcom might have. I have it on good authority that the dean of admissions of a certain school (my dream school, btw) loved me, and my interviewer raved about me, but I was still rejected.
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You beyond aced your interview and that wasn't enough to get you on the waitlist let alone an acceptance? Why did they even bother inviting you for an interview then if what they already knew about you was so subpar in their eyes? That's just rude. Screeners and adcoms really need to get on the same page.
 
ReadyToRumble said:
You beyond aced your interview and that wasn't enough to get you on the waitlist let alone an acceptance? Why did they even bother inviting you for an interview then if what they already knew about you was so subpar in their eyes? That's just rude. Screeners and adcoms really need to get on the same page.
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Yeah, it was pretty crazy. My interviewer actually hinted to me several times that I had a really, really good shot. I can't publicly say much more but let's just say she definitely left me feeling extremely optimistic. Hey, #$*&^%$# happens, and it happened right on my head.
 
GOK<3 said:
Still no interviews I guess it's officially over.
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I'm a reapp, as you know, so I was in your shoes. I didn't get any interview invites at all last cycle, so I'm not really in a position to take a "hey, it ain't over till it's over" posture. I used to get annoyed when people would say things like, just give it time, you'll definitely get an interview! I gave it time, and I didn't get one. The cycle ended.

Life went on.

Sadly, you may not get an interview. Or you might.

I know exactly how you feel, and I know what you are going through.

But from a practical standpoint, I would (did) try to push back this defeatist attitude. You can smell it a mile away. Interviewers can smell it a mile away. And I believe it can really kill an interview. For me, even in this, my second cycle, I only barely squeaked into a DO school. With all due respect to DO's, this was definitely NOT what I had in mind for my future. Sure, I've done my fair share of "woe is me" posting, but I consider it giving in to temptation, and I try not to do it (yes, this is me trying not to do it; imagine what my posts would look like if I weren't trying!). Defeatism is very seductive. I know that all too well.

Break the cycle, though.

Feel free to slam me with, oh it's easy for me to talk this way now that I've gotten in. I agree. But one thing that I think helped me get in in the first place was that I stayed positive MOST of the time. And I damn sure stayed positive during the few interviews that I got.

It's all about "fake it till you make it." If you feel like crap, pretend that you don't. Or at least don't dwell in it, and drown yourself. I tried as hard as I could to keep my "sympathy" posting to a minimum (sometimes I was successful, often not). But the more you communicate your tough situation to others in a sort of defeatist way, whether it's on here, FB, in "real life", or wherever, the worse you are going to feel. And when you finally DO get that interview, that negative attitude may seep through, and hurt your chances.

Staying positive isn't just a good idea for your own mental health. It's also a practical way to come off better in an interview and eventually get you into medical school.

Good luck!

Oh and if you do have to reapply, don't sweat it. In the end, all anyone knows is you're a doc. They barely even know whether you're an MD or a DO, let alone where you went to medical school, and especially not how many tries it took you to get in.
 
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Hey all, it's at this point of the cycle that I know panic is probably at its peak. Just wanted to say everything is gonna be alright.

If you haven't had an II yet, there are still a few going out but don't bank on those. AMCAS is opening in 2 months, so prepare for the reapp. Don't lose hope.

If you've gotten interviews but not acceptances yet, you should still be very proud of yourself. Think about how many applications the schools you've interviewed at probably have received. Those schools are lucky to interview even 10% of those applications. For example, I was interviewed at a private school that received 10,000 applicants but interviewed only 500. That is extremely humbling, even if I didn't get an acceptance outright. So be proud that you've gotten this far, although it's probably not much consolation, it's still very impressive.

To those only on waitlists, I'm with you guys all the way. Keep sending those periodic update letters/letters of interest. Prepare for next cycle if you have to. However, stay optimistic! I know I am.
 
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Hey everyone,

As this application season rolls to a stop, I had an interesting idea. Im not sure if this will work. I want this to be an opportunity to get all that gunk that's bubbling up inside of you out before you prepare for another cycle or help relive some of the stress you are feeling or to say those things that you would never say to someone in real life.

You're probably wondering, what the hell are you talking about??? Where there times during this application cycle where you were hurt by the actions of that one person? Maybe they said you wouldnt make it. Maybe they didnt fully support you on your dream. Maybe they didnt believe in you. Maybe they kept pestering you about one thing or another making the cycle harder than necessary? This is a chance to write them a few lines letting them know that you were hurt by their actions or that they made this process even harder for you. If you are like me, you probably didnt say anything to them in real life. This is a chance to get it off your chest!

I think a far greater number of us will fall into the other side of the spectrum. Do you honestly think that you got to this stage all by yourself? Who helped you get here? Who helped you get through this ruthless application cycle without braking down (or picked you back up when you did brake down?)? Maybe it was as small as giving you a flower for valentines day. Or maybe they cared enough to ask how you were doing. Or maybe they brought you that late night coffee while you were struggling to study for a test but your mind was on how bad this cycle was going. Or maybe it was something big, like helping you pay for applications or lending you some money when your car broke down. This is your chance to let them know that you noticed their generosity and are thankful for all the support. Who knows, it may earn you some good karma (maybe enough to get an interview or get off those stinking waitlists).

I realize that most people probably wont do this. Even if you dont write anything and post it, I hope you take the time to think about what you would say. This is more for myself that anyone else.

Well, Ill go ahead and write a little. I think im going to write to my parents. I owe them everything. I wouldn't have made it this far without their support.

-------
Dear Mom and Dad

Thank you!! What else is there to say.... I am so lucky to have parents like yourselves. Even when we had nothing, you made sure that I never wanted anything. You realized the importance of a good education. You made sure that I had access to the best schools possible. Even if it meant you had to drive over an hr to get to work. Even if it meant you had to take the bus. Im sitting here writing this having made it through this hellish process only because of you. Even when you were out of work, you paid for me to be able to apply to as many schools as I wanted to. You paid for me to be able to travel to every interview I was offered (5!). I have been fortunate enough to have gotten so many interviews because of your help. Im sitting here with 5 MD waitlist offers and an acceptance to our top choice DO school. Five years ago when we set out on this journey, we couldn't have expected all the hills we have had to climb or the hoops we have had to jump through. BUT we made it! I know we are struggling financially. I know you have been out of work for about a year. Thank you for never letting me know how bad it is. Thank you for telling me to focus on school rather than work. Thank you for never "burdening" me with it. But now, you dont have to worry about me. I'm going to be a doctor. I know this was your dream as much (if not more) as mine. We made it. We are in a bad place financially but we'll make it through it. We always have. I believe in you as much as you believe in me. Thank you, for everything!! What more is there to say....
 
gobigorgohome22 said:
Hey everyone,

As this application season rolls to a stop, I had an interesting idea. Im not sure if this will work. I want this to be an opportunity to get all that gunk that's bubbling up inside of you out before you prepare for another cycle or help relive some of the stress you are feeling or to say those things that you would never say to someone in real life.

You're probably wondering, what the hell are you talking about??? Where there times during this application cycle where you were hurt by the actions of that one person? Maybe they said you wouldnt make it. Maybe they didnt fully support you on your dream. Maybe they didnt believe in you. Maybe they kept pestering you about one thing or another making the cycle harder than necessary? This is a chance to write them a few lines letting them know that you were hurt by their actions or that they made this process even harder for you. If you are like me, you probably didnt say anything to them in real life. This is a chance to get it off your chest!

I think a far greater number of us will fall into the other side of the spectrum. Do you honestly think that you got to this stage all by yourself? Who helped you get here? Who helped you get through this ruthless application cycle without braking down (or picked you back up when you did brake down?)? Maybe it was as small as giving you a flower for valentines day. Or maybe they cared enough to ask how you were doing. Or maybe they brought you that late night coffee while you were struggling to study for a test but your mind was on how bad this cycle was going. Or maybe it was something big, like helping you pay for applications or lending you some money when your car broke down. This is your chance to let them know that you noticed their generosity and are thankful for all the support. Who knows, it may earn you some good karma (maybe enough to get an interview or get off those stinking waitlists).

I realize that most people probably wont do this. Even if you dont write anything and post it, I hope you take the time to think about what you would say. This is more for myself that anyone else.

Well, Ill go ahead and write a little. I think im going to write to my parents. I owe them everything. I wouldn't have made it this far without their support.

-------
Dear Mom and Dad

Thank you!! What else is there to say.... I am so lucky to have parents like yourselves. Even when we had nothing, you made sure that I never wanted anything. You realized the importance of a good education. You made sure that I had access to the best schools possible. Even if it meant you had to drive over an hr to get to work. Even if it meant you had to take the bus. Im sitting here writing this having made it through this hellish process only because of you. Even when you were out of work, you paid for me to be able to apply to as many schools as I wanted to. You paid for me to be able to travel to every interview I was offered (5!). I have been fortunate enough to have gotten so many interviews because of your help. Im sitting here with 5 MD waitlist offers and an acceptance to our top choice DO school. Five years ago when we set out on this journey, we couldn't have expected all the hills we have had to climb or the hoops we have had to jump through. BUT we made it! I know we are struggling financially. I know you have been out of work for about a year. Thank you for never letting me know how bad it is. Thank you for telling me to focus on school rather than work. Thank you for never "burdening" me with it. But now, you dont have to worry about me. I'm going to be a doctor. I know this was your dream as much (if not more) as mine. We made it. We are in a bad place financially but we'll make it through it. We always have. I believe in you as much as you believe in me. Thank you, for everything!! What more is there to say....
Click to expand...

This was really sweet 🙂 I think we can all agree that we have a lot to be thankful for, including the people who supported us and brought us this far. I know I wouldn't be here without them.
 
Just some "coming close to the end of the cycle" advice. If you're financially able and your mcat is your limiting factor go ahead and hire a tutor or take a class. I signed up for tutoring 2 weeks ago and so far so good... I have yet to hear back from 2 schools but I'm going on the assumption that they'll be rejections. Don't wait around til the end of the cycle to determine that you should have made moves months ago. That 2015+ MCAT is going to be a beast and nobody wants to get stuck taking that if they're used to the old mcat, especially if you've taken it twice already like myself. Blehck!!
I'm also accepting the fact that I'll probably have to work again next year. The grownup working world is sooo hard to balance with the "wanna be a student again" world. I just want to live in one world at a time 🙁

Press on!
 
No idea what to do at this point.

34 MCAT (so no point taking it again)
3.5 GPA/3.6 Science GPA (nothing I can do about that)
Tons of research, clinical, non-clinical volunteer etc.
Very good essays and overall application (according to my adviser's at BU and Harvard etc.)
Dr. Ann McKee at BU told me my application was excellent and I should have no problem getting many interviews and several acceptances.
I've been published in Nature, New England Journal of Medicine, and had interviews in NY Times.
Applied to a very broad range of schools. (Not top heavy at all)

and yet... Not one single interview. What the heck!?
 
SLM914 said:
No idea what to do at this point.

34 MCAT (so no point taking it again)
3.5 GPA/3.6 Science GPA (nothing I can do about that)
Tons of research, clinical, non-clinical volunteer etc.
Very good essays and overall application (according to my adviser's at BU and Harvard etc.)
Dr. Ann McKee at BU told me my application was excellent and I should have no problem getting many interviews and several acceptances.
I've been published in Nature, New England Journal of Medicine, and had interviews in NY Times.
Applied to a very broad range of schools. (Not top heavy at all)

and yet... Not one single interview. What the heck!?
Click to expand...

This is crazy!
 
SLM914 said:
No idea what to do at this point.

34 MCAT (so no point taking it again)
3.5 GPA/3.6 Science GPA (nothing I can do about that)
Tons of research, clinical, non-clinical volunteer etc.
Very good essays and overall application (according to my adviser's at BU and Harvard etc.)
Dr. Ann McKee at BU told me my application was excellent and I should have no problem getting many interviews and several acceptances.
I've been published in Nature, New England Journal of Medicine, and had interviews in NY Times.
Applied to a very broad range of schools. (Not top heavy at all)

and yet... Not one single interview. What the heck!?
Click to expand...

Hey man... I've only heard of that happening once before and it was to a kid who took the MCAT with extended time. Any chance you did?
 
SLM914 said:
No idea what to do at this point.

34 MCAT (so no point taking it again)
3.5 GPA/3.6 Science GPA (nothing I can do about that)
Tons of research, clinical, non-clinical volunteer etc.
Very good essays and overall application (according to my adviser's at BU and Harvard etc.)
Dr. Ann McKee at BU told me my application was excellent and I should have no problem getting many interviews and several acceptances.
I've been published in Nature, New England Journal of Medicine, and had interviews in NY Times.
Applied to a very broad range of schools. (Not top heavy at all)

and yet... Not one single interview. What the heck!?
Click to expand...

The only possibilities that come to mind are that you are either applied late or have a red flag LOR. Really can't think of any other reason why you would not have at least a handful of interviews.

-Bill
 
SLM914 said:
No idea what to do at this point.

34 MCAT (so no point taking it again)
3.5 GPA/3.6 Science GPA (nothing I can do about that)
Tons of research, clinical, non-clinical volunteer etc.
Very good essays and overall application (according to my adviser's at BU and Harvard etc.)
Dr. Ann McKee at BU told me my application was excellent and I should have no problem getting many interviews and several acceptances.
I've been published in Nature, New England Journal of Medicine, and had interviews in NY Times.
Applied to a very broad range of schools. (Not top heavy at all)

and yet... Not one single interview. What the heck!?
Click to expand...

Did you apply early?

You may be falling in that weird zone where everything is not awesome, thereby hurting your top-tier choices. Meanwhile, the excellent ECs may be intimidating the mids and lows.
 
BillrothI said:
The only possibilities that come to mind are that you are either applied late or have a red flag LOR. Really can't think of any other reason why you would not have at least a handful of interviews.

-Bill
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I applied the second the application went live and sent all my secondaries very quickly.
 
ISRmedschool said:
Hey man... I've only heard of that happening once before and it was to a kid who took the MCAT with extended time. Any chance you did?
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Interesting. No, I didn't have extended time... but I did have accommodations... I have Crohn's Disease and needed extra bathroom breaks.... God I hope that's not the reason.
 
SLM914 said:
No idea what to do at this point.

34 MCAT (so no point taking it again)
3.5 GPA/3.6 Science GPA (nothing I can do about that)
Tons of research, clinical, non-clinical volunteer etc.
Very good essays and overall application (according to my adviser's at BU and Harvard etc.)
Dr. Ann McKee at BU told me my application was excellent and I should have no problem getting many interviews and several acceptances.
I've been published in Nature, New England Journal of Medicine, and had interviews in NY Times.
Applied to a very broad range of schools. (Not top heavy at all)

and yet... Not one single interview. What the heck!?
Click to expand...
Are you a non trad?
 
ekdoctobe said:
Are you a non trad?
Click to expand...

I graduated BU in 2012. I've worked for two years in a Harvard radiology lab (which is how I was able to get so many publications). Not a re-applicant.. just wanted to take some time to work and deal with some medical issues before starting medical school.

The only possibilities that come to mind are that you are either applied late or have a red flag LOR. Really can't think of any other reason why you would not have at least a handful of interviews.

-Bill
Click to expand...

The red flag LOR would be the only other thing I can think of as well. All except one of my LOR's are from professors/collegues/etc. that really liked me and had only good things to say. The one exception to that rule came from my pre-med Orgo professor who didn't really know me, but I got an A in his class and ran the tutoring center for Orgo.
 
Truthfully this whole situation is just downright frustrating and embarrassing.

Most of my friends know I was a good student and did well on the MCAT. So they are constantly asking me how many places I've gotten into, where am I going etc. I have just kinda gone with the answer "oh i have a few options". It's going to be really embarrassing when I tell them I didn't get in anywhere.

My old roommate even scored 3 points lower than me on the MCAT and had a similar GPA (don't know exactly) and worked in the same lab as me this past year. He got 12 interviews and 4 acceptances!!! He assumes I did even better and am just really modest or something....

damn life sucks right now. just so confused
 
SLM - it might behoove you to post a semi-detailed account of your cycle over in the WAMC subforum. One of the adcom members over there may be able to help you out more than we can.

It does seem very strange that you haven't gotten any acceptances, much less IIs.

-Bill
 
SLM914 said:
sorry all for the rant. I'll stop now
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There almost has to be a substantial issue in your application. I have a strikingly similar timeline and research background (but a GPA much, much lower) and had a number of MD interviews. I hope you can figure out the problem if things don't work out in your favor -- you should have been a shoo-in. As Bill said, it will be very helpful to post more details (a school list, any negatives that might affect your application, etc) in the WAMC section. With the information you have provided, there is no reason for your lack of success.
 
SLM914 said:
sorry all for the rant. I'll stop now
Click to expand...

I'd be ranting. I have the same LizzyM but swapped for gpa/mcat and an IA, I at least got a few interviews even it I'm waitlisted. You have my sympathies...

If it is a PS issue or something at least you can fix it for next cycle and get those 12+ interviews
 
I've uploaded my application here with the all the things that could possibly identify me or my lab redacted (I think). You could probably still figure it out if you try... but please don't. I redacted my PS too, just in case someone comes along this page one day and thinks it would be a great PS to "borrow".

Everyone I showed my PS too said it was very good.

Edit: Removed the application, because as someone mentioned, you could still see some personal information
 
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ekdoctobe said:
I'm a reapp, as you know, so I was in your shoes. I didn't get any interview invites at all last cycle, so I'm not really in a position to take a "hey, it ain't over till it's over" posture. I used to get annoyed when people would say things like, just give it time, you'll definitely get an interview! I gave it time, and I didn't get one. The cycle ended.

Life went on.

Sadly, you may not get an interview. Or you might.

I know exactly how you feel, and I know what you are going through.

But from a practical standpoint, I would (did) try to push back this defeatist attitude. You can smell it a mile away. Interviewers can smell it a mile away. And I believe it can really kill an interview. For me, even in this, my second cycle, I only barely squeaked into a DO school. With all due respect to DO's, this was definitely NOT what I had in mind for my future. Sure, I've done my fair share of "woe is me" posting, but I consider it giving in to temptation, and I try not to do it (yes, this is me trying not to do it; imagine what my posts would look like if I weren't trying!). Defeatism is very seductive. I know that all too well.

Break the cycle, though.

Feel free to slam me with, oh it's easy for me to talk this way now that I've gotten in. I agree. But one thing that I think helped me get in in the first place was that I stayed positive MOST of the time. And I damn sure stayed positive during the few interviews that I got.

It's all about "fake it till you make it." If you feel like crap, pretend that you don't. Or at least don't dwell in it, and drown yourself. I tried as hard as I could to keep my "sympathy" posting to a minimum (sometimes I was successful, often not). But the more you communicate your tough situation to others in a sort of defeatist way, whether it's on here, FB, in "real life", or wherever, the worse you are going to feel. And when you finally DO get that interview, that negative attitude may seep through, and hurt your chances.

Staying positive isn't just a good idea for your own mental health. It's also a practical way to come off better in an interview and eventually get you into medical school.

Good luck!

Oh and if you do have to reapply, don't sweat it. In the end, all anyone knows is you're a doc. They barely even know whether you're an MD or a DO, let alone where you went to medical school, and especially not how many tries it took you to get in.
Click to expand...

I agree with you, but I'm just REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY frustrated not getting even "ONE" god darn interview! I can't help but feel defeated. Hopefully this phase will pass soon. I have already started working on my reapplication. I wish you all the luck my friend and thank you for writing to me 🙂
 
Couple of things from your app:

1. I personally thought your school list was heavy on the elite schools (Ivy, Hopkins, Top 20, Brown, etc.) and heavy on the less-competitive schools. There were relatively few schools in the solid middle-tier. Repeating what I mentioned above.

2. You come from an upper middle class Jewish background. Dad is doctor, high family income, etc. Maybe you got put into that group, and perhaps expectations are higher for that group. All speculation on my part, but it wouldn't surprise me given all the discussion here on applicants, their "profile," and how they get selected from the waitlist.
 
SLM914 said:
I've uploaded my application here with the all the things that could possibly identify me or my lab redacted (I think). You could probably still figure it out if you try... but please don't. I redacted my PS too, just in case someone comes along this page one day and thinks it would be a great PS to "borrow".

Everyone I showed my PS too said it was very good.
Click to expand...
Hey, you seem really qualified... I feel like it has to be the PS since I can't find anything wrong here. Your stats and ECs are solid, putting my application to shame. That being said, I think asking LizzyM or any adcoms from the schools you applied to for feedback would be best case. I would personally take down your amcas app on sdn though. I just don't think anything good can come from it being up for all to see. Maybe pm them to people instead?

But I feel your pain. This cycle is such a crapshoot. And seems so random and unfair. But know you have a strong app and don't have multiple glaring holes in their app cough mcat cough letters cough research cough GPA cough cough like me..

Good luck. Hope something comes along soon. I'm right there with you on being frustrated and embarrassed to tell my friends I've gotten in no where. We will get through it. We have to, right?
 
I would also suggest committing a year to a community service or volunteering if you have to reapply. Your stats and research experience are top notch, so volunteering would certainly seal the deal.
 
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