MD 3.83 GPA / 515 MCAT

[hr4mpp]

I am reapplying to medical school this June of 2016 and I was wondering if I'd have a better chance this year. I'm also wondering if I'd be competitive for MD/PhD programs in public health related areas.

Stats/Background
Degrees: BA in Neuroscience, MPH (will complete in May 2017)
Undergrad cGPA: 3.83
Undergrad sGPA: 3.8
MCAT: 515

Research
-4 summers & 1 fall semester at a molecular neuroscience lab* (~2000 hours, two poster presentations and a high school senior thesis) (*mostly while I was in high school, only one summer was after starting college)
-2 years as a research assistant in a behavioral neuroscience lab (600+ hours, no publications but a lot of independent work)
-1 semester as a research assistant for a public health research project (250+ hours, maybe a publication soon)
-1 year as a graduate mentor for a public health research project (300+ hours, independent work and leadership experience, maybe 1-2 publications soon)

Leadership
-Public relations committee chair for a medical related club (1.5 years)
-Design officer for my undergraduate research club (1.5 years)
-Layout editor for a multidisciplinary undergraduate research journal (1.5 years)
-Co-founder and creative director for my university's first public health student research journal (1 semester)

Clinical
-Volunteering at local hospital (~200 hours)
-Shadowing (~40 hours, but I'm hoping to add way more this summer)
-Medical brigade in Latin America (1 week, ~40 hours, shadowed GPs, dentists, and OBGYNs)

Other
-Worked as a paid graphic designer for my school's dining services marketing team (2 years)
-Worked as a paid consultant for a health technology company (1 summer)
-Entered an entrepreneurship cup with a mobile health technology idea (1 semester)
-Volunteering with various NGOs over the years focusing on women's empowerment in developing countries, and have volunteered in a developing country doing non-medical related work

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[Faha]

Where is your state of residence and when and where did you apply before? Any interviews?

 

[hr4mpp]

I am a Virginia resident, and I applied to 27 schools, about half of which were reach. I received no interviews, though that could partially be because I applied late (sent secondaries end of August) and I'm very young (due to graduating from undergrad a year early). Now I want to apply to some of these schools, most of which I already applied to (I still have to narrow it down). Also I am looking into applying to MD/PhD possibly at some of these schools and others that have PhD programs in public health:

Virginia Tech**
Wake Forest
Tulane
Eastern Virginia Medical School**
George Washington
Univeristy of Arizona
University of Illinois**
Virginia Commonwealth University**
Georgetown
Oregon**
Tufts
University of Southern California
Emory
Pennsylvania State**
University of Maryland**
Univeristy of Arizona - Phoenix**
Boston University**
Columbia
New York University
Cornell
University of Virginia
University of Pennsylvania
Stanford
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine**
Northwestern
University of Chicago
**new schools I did not apply to last time

 

[GrapesofRath]

Unless your list only consisted of top 20 schools and OOS public schools that take <15% OOS, something is quite off if you didnt get a single II out of 27 apps with a 3.8/34 if these are the ECs you have described. And it's not submitting the secondaries in late August that explains it at all.

 

[hr4mpp]

Could it be that I was 20 years old when I applied after my second year of college, since I was graduating from undergrad early?

 

[gyngyn]

Could it be that I was 20 years old when I applied after my second year of college, since I was graduating from undergrad early?

Age alone is not the impediment to young applicants.

 

[Takamori]

Were you going to graduate the next year?

 

[hr4mpp]

Were you going to graduate the next year?

Yes I only had one year left to graduate, so I felt that was a normal time to apply even though I was ahead. I was a little surprised about not getting any interviews since I applied to so many schools, and not all of them (about half) were top 20. Hopefully I do better this time and pick better schools to apply to. My PI (who I did research with for two years) suggested taking the MD/PhD route this time, since I have so much research experience, I found a field I love studying, and I will have an MPH. Does anyone know if admissions will value the MPH?

 

[Takamori]

Does anyone know if admissions will value the MPH?

I've been told it makes no difference.

 

[gyngyn]

I found a field I love studying, and I will have an MPH. Does anyone know if admissions will value the MPH?

It will give you something to talk about in an interview.

 

[hr4mpp]

If I did my undergrad and MPH at UVA, where I am in-state, will that help my chances at all?

 

[gyngyn]

If I did my undergrad and MPH at UVA, where I am in-state, will that help my chances at all?

You need to identify the reason that you didn't get interviews this year. Lack of an MPH seems unlikely.

 

[Deleted member 755173]

.

 

[hr4mpp]

You need to identify the reason that you didn't get interviews this year. Lack of an MPH seems unlikely.

Since I was young, and MPH might just show that I've gotten older and matured? Also how do I go about identifying the reasons I didn't get interviews? My advisors who have read my application and all essays didn't say anything besides a "perceived maturity issue with graduating early."

 

[gyngyn]

What do you mean by this? cause I'm only gonna be 19 when I apply..Will that affect me negatively?

It's not age, it's maturity.
Reading the applications of the very young is often painful due to the naivete that is normal in this age group.

 

[Nietzschelover]

You should research which of the 27 schools might be receptive to inquiry about what the problems were with your app, and then ask a few that were receptive to be very honest with you. Given your age and applying so early with these stats I imagine pulling your app will jog some thoughts/reasons. As @GrapesofRath noted, something is not adding up. If there is something big getting in the way you want to know that before you potentially reenact the error.

 

[gyngyn]

Since I was young, and MPH might just show that I've gotten older and matured? Also how do I go about identifying the reasons I didn't get interviews? My advisors who have read my application and all essays didn't say anything besides a "perceived maturity issue with graduating early."

Perceived maturity is a big issue at any age.

 

[hr4mpp]

Perceived maturity is a big issue at any age.

I am quoting "perceived maturity" because that is what someone said about early graduates. He told me he was not referring to my application or essays specifically.

 

[hr4mpp]

You should research which of the 27 schools might be receptive to inquiry about what the problems were with your app, and then ask a few that were receptive to be very honest with you. Given your age and applying so early with these stats I imagine pulling your app will jog some thoughts/reasons. As @GrapesofRath noted, something is not adding up. If there is something big getting in the way you want to know that before you potentially reenact the error.

Does anyone happen to know which schools are generally receptive to inquiry? Or how could I find that out besides scouring message boards? Should I just email them all and ask if they're willing to talk to me?

 

[gyngyn]

Does anyone happen to know which schools are generally receptive to inquiry? Or how could I find that out besides scouring message boards? Should I just email them all and ask if they're willing to talk to me?

Even at my own school, this type of "feedback" is so bland and general as to be effectively useless. In some states with only one school, they appear to give decent advice to their own IS applicants, though.

 

[Takamori]

I would call and politely ask what, in their opinion, needs to be improved. Also, I wouldn't rely on my school advisors and ask someone intelligent to critically evaluate my PS and other essays. Do you know any doctors or med students?

 

[gyngyn]

I would call and politely ask what, in their opinion, needs to be improved. Also, I wouldn't rely on my school advisors and ask someone intelligent to critically evaluate my PS and other essays. Do you know any doctors or med students?

Physicians in practice and students are pretty weak resources depending on their years in practice and personal experience (respectively).
Before sending my students out for presentations at their undergrad I review the basics of a good application. It's horrifying how little they know!

 

[Takamori]

It's horrifying how little they know!

It's terrifying how little my advisor knows (or cares)! I realized that once I discovered SDN.

 

[hr4mpp]

I would call and politely ask what, in their opinion, needs to be improved. Also, I wouldn't rely on my school advisors and ask someone intelligent to critically evaluate my PS and other essays. Do you know any doctors or med students?

I also had current med students (at schools I would love to go to) look at my essays before I sent them. And when I say advisors, I don't mean my school's premed advisors. I mean my own mentors that I have worked with doing research over the years, who know me well and all have advised dozens of successful med applicants before. My mentors are my previous PIs who have PhDs and one reads MD/PhD grant proposals at a school.

Who else would be a good person to look over my application/essays if not my advisors, current doctors, or students?

 

[piii]

Something must have gone very wrong in your essays or letters.