Try not to feel too bad. It's actually a blessing to know sooner rather than to be clinging to false hope through the remainder of the cycle. Also, DOs tend to have late WL movement, as people trade up to MDs when MD WLs start to move at the end of April, so try to remain positive. With 4 shots, the odds are pretty decent you are going to get a call.
I will say now too, that OU HCOM (my #1 choice) told me "Our meeting [about waitlist movement] is scheduled for April so hold tight" and in multiple meetings post waitlist that "you belong here" etc. but I am so defeated after 0 movement seen I dont know how much I can trust the admins
Just try to hang in. It's not easy for anyone, so know that you are not alone. Specifically with respect to DO, a lot of that WL movement will be driven by people "upgrading" to MD, so it should come as no surprise that a lot of DO movement will come after MD movement, which doesn't really start until people reduce MD As to 3 on 4/15 and to 1 on 4/30. I know it's tough, but there really is nothing to do bu be patient at this point inthe cycle. Good luck!!
OU HCOM is a great school, hope you get in there!
It isnt about giving it 100%. It's about pushing through the pain, sadness and dissapointment. I had to reapply after a brutal cycle 4 II's, 4 WL's, and ngl it was awful. BUT, if you're ready to reapp (significant changes to your app or broader school list or improved interviewing) then grind it out. You'll be thanking yourself in September when all of your secondaries are out.
I am really feeling this right now 🙁( I'm just distracting myself by redoing my application for next year and burying myself in work while also praying like crazy. I know I shouldn't hold out much hope but it is so hard not to.
Unfortunately, I have kept my partner in Limbo. I am also on a single waitlist but lucky it is a "highest priority waitlist" to my state school. Luckily my partner provides me with a lot of reassurance which helps. Hopefully yours does the same. What I have been doing is having two plans. Plan A if I get an acceptance so I have already found housing at the school im waitlisted at. Plan B if I dont get an acceptance, other housing etc. Sadly, this is my SECOND time applying.
That’s awesome, I’m sure you’ll get good news soon then!! No idea about my ranking yet but should find out soon. But you’re right, my partner has been holding it down too. Just sucks from our end to keep them in limbo
My wife is more stressed than me unfortunately. I am on 3 WLs, and WL-Purgatory ain’t fun. We knew there was a possibility I wouldn’t get in this cycle before I applied last year, and we knew there was a chance I’d get in but it would be late in the cycle or off a WL. But it’s a different feeling to actually experience it. Our lease ended beginning of April so we are living with my in-laws right now (luckily it’s a big house and they were kind enough to let us occupy their attic for $500/month). I just count our blessings. We have 3 WLs at 3 good institutions, all 3 are taking people off their WLs, 2 of them have very good WL movement from past years, we are both employed and saving money for med school (I’m a paramedic and she’s a dental hygienist). So I’m optimistic even though I’d take an acceptance sooner rather than later.
apply broadly. 35+
Apply very broadly. The two schools I have acceptances at are the two schools I was advised to not apply to, due to regional bias or not taking many OOS. You know your application best, so if you think you fit the specific mission then apply.
Being disappointed is natural, and your one WL could still possibly turn into an A. That said, your takeaway from your cycle should be that not applying broadly with a sub par GPA (unless you are a URM, in which case 3.55 is pretty close to average for matriculants) was a risky move.
Hey worst comes to worst you'll have a job that let's you pay that extra 200k off pretty quickly.
Yes, it makes total sense. Pre-II Rs can be rationalized as a numbers game, with 80-90% of people being eliminated at this stage. It's not personal, especially because they haven't even met you.
What is this April 15th deadline you have mentioned? Narrowing acceptances to 3? Is this a hard deadline?
The AAMC suggests all applicants with multiple acceptances withdraw down to 3 acceptances by April 15. This is not a hard deadline.
I'm not an expert here, but I don't think it's a bad idea to send a letter of interest or intent before your decision as long as the school accepts it and it's a quality letter. Write with a purpose not just to submit something. If you have genuine interest that you would like to talk about or decided on why you would write a letter of intent to one school, I say go for it!
The deadline I mentioned is 4/30, not 4/15. 4/15 is a soft deadline that AAMC recommends people reduce to 3 As by, but there is no enforcement mechanism for it. It's courtesy for fellow applicants, if you are so inclined, because it will help schools prepare for WL movement. But it's really no biggie, because the real action will begin within 2 weeks regardless.
So sorry for the questions, but what is "PTE"?
Plan to enroll.
The "plan to enroll" option allows you to stay on waitlists. If you receive an A from the waitlist, I imagine you are given a period of time to decide which acceptance to keep (your original A or the new one from the waitlist). However, once you select "commit to enroll" you must withdraw from waitlists as well. Each school as their own commit to enroll deadline, so it is good to figure out when it is. It is typically sometime in the summer, about a month before orientation.
Your instincts are good. Letters before decisions have very little impact, other than at schools like Mayo that actively solicit them, because what can you really convey in a letter, pre-decision, that you couldn't in your application and interview?
Pretty much.
out of curiosity, are there similar regulations for DO?
I'm very far from a DO expert, but I don't think so. Coincidentally, I answered a similar question just yesterday in another thread!
Word.
With your stats you should not give up, try one more time taking in account what you can improve. Read up on how to interview and practice with anyone who can help. Volunteer in an ER, hospice or become a CNA. If you are really serious, in 6 months, you could undertake training and become a paid EMT building clinical hours which med schools love to see. Good luck on whatever you decide.
Hard to say. Getting off a T20 WL is definitely more difficult than at a lower ranked school, but, then again, you are a stronger than typical candidate by virtue of getting the T20 IIs. The question is, where are you relative to everyone else on the T20 WLs, and what kind of movement are they going to have?
