MD 37 MCAT, 3.99 GPA, reapplicant

[Keladry]

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I'm currently on 3 waitlists (Yale, UConn, SUNY Downstate) and awaiting one post-interview decision (Albert Einstein), but I'm figuring I may not get in anywhere and gearing up to reapply. I think my biggest mistake was applying late (complete at most schools Oct-Dec), so I'm planning on submitting everything the very first day. Could I get some feedback on my school list? (I'm a CT resident, by the way.)

UConn
Quinnipiac
Yale
Stanford
Georgetown
GW
UChicago
Northwestern
Rosalind Franklin
Harvard
BU
Tufts
Columbia
Cornell
Mount Sinai
NYU
Albert Einstein
UPenn
Pitt
Jefferson
Penn State
Brown

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

Yikes! Great stats, if you also have solid ECs then you just have some bad luck! Applying late definitely hurt you this cycle. Hopefully a waitlist works out. Make sure you send in some updates to show all the schools you are interested!

Are these all schools you applied to last cycle, or are there any new ones?

 

[Keladry]

Yikes! Great stats, if you also have solid ECs then you just have some bad luck! Applying late definitely hurt you this cycle. Hopefully a waitlist works out. Make sure you send in some updates to show all the schools you are interested!

Are these all schools you applied to last cycle, or are there any new ones?

Thanks! My ECs are pretty decent, not as fantastic as some but no red flags/serious gaps.
Yep, planning on sending out updates in a week or two - will be submitting an abstract for a poster presentation at an international conference this summer, so I want to be able to include that, once it's accepted.

I added a few new ones: Quinnipiac, Rosalind Franklin, BU, UPenn, Pitt, Jefferson, and Penn State. All the rest I applied to this cycle.

 

[ThisCouldBeYou]

Putting together a decent list takes a lot into consideration which go way beyond the gpa/MCAT/state you listed. Can you explain what you're looking for (other than a Medical degree!) Why ____?_____.

 

[Keladry]

Putting together a decent list takes a lot into consideration which go way beyond the gpa/MCAT/state you listed. Can you explain what you're looking for (other than a Medical degree!) Why ____?_____.

I'm not entirely sure I understand what you're getting at, but I'll do my best to answer, and let me know if I've completely missed your point.

I'd prefer east coast/urban-ish (as the list suggests). I want opportunities to serve the community and to have early patient exposure, which just about all of the schools offer. Some are definitely better for patient exposure than others, but most/all have free clinics I can volunteer at, at least. Opportunities to improve my medical Spanish (whether through formal electives or just exposure to Spanish-speaking communities and patients) would be a huge plus. Research does interest me, but it's definitely not the strongest part of my application and not my primary focus, so I would probably be fine doing it anywhere. I'm really interested in public health, so opportunities to pursue that would be great.

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

I'm not entirely sure I understand what you're getting at, but I'll do my best to answer, and let me know if I've completely missed your point.

I'd prefer east coast/urban-ish (as the list suggests). I want opportunities to serve the community and to have early patient exposure, which just about all of the schools offer. Some are definitely better for patient exposure than others, but most/all have free clinics I can volunteer at, at least. Opportunities to improve my medical Spanish (whether through formal electives or just exposure to Spanish-speaking communities and patients) would be a huge plus. Research does interest me, but it's definitely not the strongest part of my application and not my primary focus, so I would probably be fine doing it anywhere. I'm really interested in public health, so opportunities to pursue that would be great.

If you got 4 interviews at some top schools while applying late your app is pretty solid for sure. If you apply early this cycle you are in really good shape (I'm not sure about being a reapp at some of those schools, but it's prob not too big of a deal.). I think you will also be very competitive at the schools you added. Maybe consider Temple, Drexel, and Rush for good measure and too keep you in an Urban east coast city.

I think the biggest thing to consider is what you will do in a gap year. If you are interested in public heath definitely take this as an opportunity to look for jobs in that area. Also look into some MD/MPH programs at different schools if that's what you are leaning towards.

Good luck!

 

[gyngyn]

What was your self assessment of the interviews?

 

[Keladry]

If you got 4 interviews at some top schools while applying late your app is pretty solid for sure. If you apply early this cycle you are in really good shape (I'm not sure about being a reapp at some of those schools, but it's prob not too big of a deal.). I think you will also be very competitive at the schools you added. Maybe consider Temple, Drexel, and Rush for good measure and too keep you in an Urban east coast city.

I think the biggest thing to consider is what you will do in a gap year. If you are interested in public heath definitely take this as an opportunity to look for jobs in that area. Also look into some MD/MPH programs at different schools if that's what you are leaning towards.

Good luck!

Thanks - I'll take a look at those schools. I'm definitely looking into MD/MPHs. Again, thanks for the advice.

What was your self assessment of the interviews?

I think they went pretty well. There were a few times when my answers weren't as good as they could have been, but overall, I think I did a good job of communicating what I wanted to and showing my enthusiasm. A lot of them turned out to be pretty conversational, and a few ran over the time limits, which I took as a good sign. I doubt I stood out in my interviewers' minds as the most amazing interviewee ever, but I also doubt that my interviewing skills were a red flag.

 

[ThisCouldBeYou]

You may also want to spend some time this year working on your Spanish, if that's an interest.

 

[Keladry]

You may also want to spend some time this year working on your Spanish, if that's an interest.

Yeah, I definitely am - I'm nearly fluent, working on increasing my technical and medical vocabulary at the moment.