Hi guys! Current med school applicant still stuck in this current cycle, and trying to get feedback on my application. I have a feeling I may need to reapply, and wanted to see how I could better my application. The following information offers a little bit more insight on me and my application:
State of Residence: Connecticut
GPAs:
Undergrad Cumulative: 3.94 (** from the university i graduated from, 3.91 overall including my transfer)
Undergrad Science: 3.93
MS in Addiction Psychology: 4.0
MCAT Cumulative score: 515
> Chem & Physical foundation: 128
> CARS: 129
> Bio & Biochem: 129
> Psych: 129
Research experience:
>Year long research experience working on a pediatric endocrinology study being done at Yale School of Medicine; was named second co-author and research was submitted to the ADA for publication.
Clinical experience:
>~600 hrs working overnights as a technician in the oncology department of my local hospital
>~200 hrs (and continuing) working in the hospital psych department with dual-diagnosis PTs counseling/writing treatment plants/PT notes/discharges
>~180 hrs working in a patient care facility for Alzheimer's PTs
>~40 hrs shadowing in a pediatric endocrinology clinic
>~10 hrs shadowing a wound care physician (and dressing/staging wounds)
Extracurricular:
> 2 years of college volleyball (career cut short because I fractured both femurs); 1x NCAA appearance
> 4 years of college swim; 2 year captain of the team
> 2 years of representing the swim team for the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC)
> 2 years of University Senate elected on behalf all NCAA teams to represent athletics
> 2 years of working as a waitress/bartender
> 2 years as a high school volleyball coach
Volunteering:
> 80 hours volunteering as an assistant volleyball coach for one season at a Catholic high school
Misc:
>Two additional things I included in my application that I thought would be important to note here is that I took two gap years between high school and college. Out of college I was scouted and signed by a modeling agency in NYC, and during that time I walked 4 seasons of New York Fashion Week, a season at Milan Fashion Week, and shot a Nordstrom campaign. I noted that while it was a cool opportunity, it made me realize how much I missed learning and how unfulfilled I felt as a model-- and how that was what ultimately inspired my return to school.
>I also talked about what it was going through college with a chronic illness-- if you couldn't tell by all my endocrinology work, I am type 1 diabetic. Part of my app I talked about balancing school and extracurriculars and work (so that I could afford my insulin) all while staying on top of my blood sugar levels and A1C.
> Context on the two broken femurs: that's actually how I began swimming in college. On my app, I talked about how fracturing both of my femurs lead me to walk away from volleyball and focus on swim. I was learned to adapt to the situation I was dealt and taught me about resilience, and being flexible to deviations from my plans.
Schools and Timelines:
I received secondary applications for all of my schools (I applied only to MD this cycle but am open to DO), and so far I've received the following responses:
> Rejections: Stanford, SUNY Downstate, Columbia, Dartmouth, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Brown, Georgetown
>Waitlisted: UC San Diego
> Still waiting to hear back from: Wake Forest, Duke, Uconn, Yale, Harvard, Tufts
I completed my primary app within days of opening, but due to COVID my original MCAT was cancelled and postponed so I didn't have my MCAT test scores until early August. I started my secondary apps upon receiving them (like mid-to-late August after my MCAT scores were received), and continued working on them through September.
I apologize for the LONG read-- and want to sincerely thank those that read this far! Is there any advice on how I can improve my application for next cycle or if there are any further experiences I should seek out that could make me a stronger candidate? Through my master's I'm working on getting a literature review published, but otherwise I'm not really sure what else I could do with possible interim time or how I should feel about this cycle.
State of Residence: Connecticut
GPAs:
Undergrad Cumulative: 3.94 (** from the university i graduated from, 3.91 overall including my transfer)
Undergrad Science: 3.93
MS in Addiction Psychology: 4.0
MCAT Cumulative score: 515
> Chem & Physical foundation: 128
> CARS: 129
> Bio & Biochem: 129
> Psych: 129
Research experience:
>Year long research experience working on a pediatric endocrinology study being done at Yale School of Medicine; was named second co-author and research was submitted to the ADA for publication.
Clinical experience:
>~600 hrs working overnights as a technician in the oncology department of my local hospital
>~200 hrs (and continuing) working in the hospital psych department with dual-diagnosis PTs counseling/writing treatment plants/PT notes/discharges
>~180 hrs working in a patient care facility for Alzheimer's PTs
>~40 hrs shadowing in a pediatric endocrinology clinic
>~10 hrs shadowing a wound care physician (and dressing/staging wounds)
Extracurricular:
> 2 years of college volleyball (career cut short because I fractured both femurs); 1x NCAA appearance
> 4 years of college swim; 2 year captain of the team
> 2 years of representing the swim team for the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC)
> 2 years of University Senate elected on behalf all NCAA teams to represent athletics
> 2 years of working as a waitress/bartender
> 2 years as a high school volleyball coach
Volunteering:
> 80 hours volunteering as an assistant volleyball coach for one season at a Catholic high school
Misc:
>Two additional things I included in my application that I thought would be important to note here is that I took two gap years between high school and college. Out of college I was scouted and signed by a modeling agency in NYC, and during that time I walked 4 seasons of New York Fashion Week, a season at Milan Fashion Week, and shot a Nordstrom campaign. I noted that while it was a cool opportunity, it made me realize how much I missed learning and how unfulfilled I felt as a model-- and how that was what ultimately inspired my return to school.
>I also talked about what it was going through college with a chronic illness-- if you couldn't tell by all my endocrinology work, I am type 1 diabetic. Part of my app I talked about balancing school and extracurriculars and work (so that I could afford my insulin) all while staying on top of my blood sugar levels and A1C.
> Context on the two broken femurs: that's actually how I began swimming in college. On my app, I talked about how fracturing both of my femurs lead me to walk away from volleyball and focus on swim. I was learned to adapt to the situation I was dealt and taught me about resilience, and being flexible to deviations from my plans.
Schools and Timelines:
I received secondary applications for all of my schools (I applied only to MD this cycle but am open to DO), and so far I've received the following responses:
> Rejections: Stanford, SUNY Downstate, Columbia, Dartmouth, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Brown, Georgetown
>Waitlisted: UC San Diego
> Still waiting to hear back from: Wake Forest, Duke, Uconn, Yale, Harvard, Tufts
I completed my primary app within days of opening, but due to COVID my original MCAT was cancelled and postponed so I didn't have my MCAT test scores until early August. I started my secondary apps upon receiving them (like mid-to-late August after my MCAT scores were received), and continued working on them through September.
I apologize for the LONG read-- and want to sincerely thank those that read this far! Is there any advice on how I can improve my application for next cycle or if there are any further experiences I should seek out that could make me a stronger candidate? Through my master's I'm working on getting a literature review published, but otherwise I'm not really sure what else I could do with possible interim time or how I should feel about this cycle.
