Accepted But...

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
C

CyborgF2K10

New Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
1
Members don't see this ad.
Background:
I am an ORM currently in the honors program at the university I attend, have a near 4.0 GPA in an engineering major, have a large variety of ECs, and interview well. However, I did not do so well on the MCAT (~30) since I only studied two weeks prior to taking it.

Situation:
I have already been accepted at one of my state schools, and I am still waiting on another school for their final decision (currently on hold). But...

Thoughts:
I am currently thinking about taking a year off to study/retake the MCAT (could get more clinical/research experience at the same time I guess...), and then obviously reapply this coming cycle. I know I can do that much better if I actually put in the proper time and effort to study for the MCAT. That being said, I would still apply to my state schools along with the "higher ranked" medical schools with the better MCAT score.

Questions:
Will it really be worth it to take a year off and decline an acceptance? How big of a difference does it really make whether you attend a "higher ranked" school or not? Does/should my interest to specialize in cardiology play a factor?
 
CyborgF2K10 said:
Background:
I am an ORM currently in the honors program at the university I attend, have a near 4.0 GPA in an engineering major, have a large variety of ECs, and interview well. However, I did not do so well on the MCAT (~30) since I only studied two weeks prior to taking it.

Situation:
I have already been accepted at one of my state schools, and I am still waiting on another school for their final decision (currently on hold). But...

Thoughts:
I am currently thinking about taking a year off to study/retake the MCAT (could get more clinical/research experience at the same time I guess...), and then obviously reapply this coming cycle. I know I can do that much better if I actually put in the proper time and effort to study for the MCAT. That being said, I would still apply to my state schools along with the "higher ranked" medical schools with the better MCAT score.

Questions:
Will it really be worth it to take a year off and decline an acceptance? How big of a difference does it really make whether you attend a "higher ranked" school or not? Does/should my interest to specialize in cardiology play a factor?
Click to expand...

lolwut? :wtf:
 
If nothing else, I applaud your energy. My application season is essentially over, and I'm exhausted. (And I know people who interviewed at far more schools than I did...how do they do it?!)
 
CyborgF2K10 said:
Background:
I am an ORM currently in the honors program at the university I attend, have a near 4.0 GPA in an engineering major, have a large variety of ECs, and interview well. However, I did not do so well on the MCAT (~30) since I only studied two weeks prior to taking it.

Situation:
I have already been accepted at one of my state schools, and I am still waiting on another school for their final decision (currently on hold). But...

Thoughts:
I am currently thinking about taking a year off to study/retake the MCAT (could get more clinical/research experience at the same time I guess...), and then obviously reapply this coming cycle. I know I can do that much better if I actually put in the proper time and effort to study for the MCAT. That being said, I would still apply to my state schools along with the "higher ranked" medical schools with the better MCAT score.

Questions:
Will it really be worth it to take a year off and decline an acceptance? How big of a difference does it really make whether you attend a "higher ranked" school or not? Does/should my interest to specialize in cardiology play a factor?
Click to expand...

First what's an ORM?

Second you've been accepted, why on earth would you want to go through this again?

Third it doesn't matter a whole lot where you go for cards...or really anything else if you work hard in med school.

Fourth, I second Brodude
 
You can go to a go to a top school and do crappy on your boards and not go cardiology. Top school does not equal cardiology. A lot depends on you.

I'd go to your state school.


ORM = over-represented majority/minority = white, indian, or asian.
 
Last edited:
From what I've been told, the medical school name doesn't really matter unless you want to go into plastics, radiation oncology, derm, or something uber competitive. Even if those specialties are your dream, you can overcome the slight disadvantage of a lesser known school with research in your specialty of interest and some extracurriculars (along with AOA and honors for rotations and subIs).

I personally wouldn't risk losing my acceptance because I wanted to go to a different school unless I felt like I didn't belong socially, professionally, or didn't have a similar mission as that school.

Good luck!:luck:
 
Last edited:
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
 
You will be looked down for turning down a med acceptance
 
good thing you wasted all that money on apps and traveling to be accepted to schools you won't even bother attending. next time you apply try to limit yourself to top schools since you obviously deserve to go to one. state schools are for chumps.
 
I wouldn't do it all over again unless I hated the particular school with a blind, furious passion. And I would never even apply to a school I hate with a passion in the first place.

So I vote no, stick with what you have (It's your choice though).
 
kpcrew2oo2 said:
good thing you wasted all that money on apps and traveling to be accepted to schools you won't even bother attending. next time you apply try to limit yourself to top schools since you obviously deserve to go to one. state schools are for chumps.
Click to expand...
...I filled out a minimum number (< 10) of secondary applications. I never said I deserve to go to a top school, and I obviously am willing to attend my state school or else I wouldn't have applied. Notice I put "higher ranked" in quotations, and said I would still apply to my state schools if I did decide to retake the MCAT to reapply for the next cycle. My question was only to get some general feedback and opinions regarding my situation/thoughts.
 
Last edited:
kduck said:
+1 Instead of wasting all your energy, dedication, and money retaking the MCAT and applying again, use it to kick butt in med school.
Click to expand...

Pretty much. Your state school is not going to hold you back as long as you do well (not average) on your boards, do research, honors, blah blah blah.. all the good stuff!
 
kduck said:
+1 Instead of wasting all your energy, dedication, and money retaking the MCAT and applying again, use it to kick butt in med school.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm kind of shocked that you're even considering this. I mean, if money isn't an option and you want to turn down guaranteed acceptance to apply again, go ahead. But here are the caveats:

1. You might not do much better on the MCAT
2. Your state school might reject you the second time around
3. Schools that are ranked higher might reject you.
4. Loss of attending earnings for a year of your life.

I say don't do it.
 
CyborgF2K10 said:
Background:
I am an ORM currently in the honors program at the university I attend, have a near 4.0 GPA in an engineering major, have a large variety of ECs, and interview well. However, I did not do so well on the MCAT (~30) since I only studied two weeks prior to taking it.

Situation:
I have already been accepted at one of my state schools, and I am still waiting on another school for their final decision (currently on hold). But...

Thoughts:
I am currently thinking about taking a year off to study/retake the MCAT (could get more clinical/research experience at the same time I guess...), and then obviously reapply this coming cycle. I know I can do that much better if I actually put in the proper time and effort to study for the MCAT. That being said, I would still apply to my state schools along with the "higher ranked" medical schools with the better MCAT score.

Questions:
Will it really be worth it to take a year off and decline an acceptance? How big of a difference does it really make whether you attend a "higher ranked" school or not? Does/should my interest to specialize in cardiology play a factor?
Click to expand...

I started a thread about a month ago on my situation which is very similar to yours, and I received very similar feedback to the kind that you're getting. 🙂
 
Why apply to schools that put you in this position? You gotta cash in on your acceptance. It's too risky not to
 
I guarantee you're not going to match into a cardiology residency no matter where you go.
 
gettheleadout said:
Isn't cardiology an IM fellowship? Are there categorical cards residencies?
Click to expand...

Yes, no.

There were once some joint programs, and there might be a few out there, but they definitely aren't entered through the match.
 
gettheleadout said:
I've gotten mixed info about this for a while without actually looking into it so I'll just ask now:

Isn't cardiology an IM fellowship? Are there categorical cards residencies?
Click to expand...

I'm far from the best person to answer this, but my cousin graduated from Georgetown med and is a cardiologist now. I asked him the same question and he told me it definitely is an IM fellowship.

n=1
 
You are unsure if you're on a path that will get you into the cardio fellowship you're ultimately aiming for. You're willing to delay things by an extra year to improve your chances. Let me suggest that delaying for a year to retake your MCAT is not the smart way to use that year. You'd be far, far better off starting med school now, working hard, and then taking that year off to do cardio research during med school. If you're going to spend a year of your life to try to slightly improve your odds, at least spend that year wisely.

That said, if you've got the chops to do well, I don't think you need to take a year off at all. Take a look at who is in cardiology fellowships. Here's a link to start you out: link. Note the medical schools that cardio fellows in great cardio program went to. Plenty of them went to state schools or mid-ranked private schools. If you need the prestige of a "higher ranked" medical school to be happy with yourself, that's one thing, but don't fool yourself into thinking it's necessary to get where you want to go.
 
I haven't applied yet, but I know I would not give up an acceptance and risk losing it. Any med school acceptance is not worth gambling with. Take it and run.
 
go to your state school.

If it makes you feel any better, if you state school is cheaper:
A) thats a good thing in and of itself and
B) you can rest assured that plenty of people who got into better schools probably chose your state school for reasons of proximity and cost. You can pretend to be one of these people.
 
Turning down an acceptance and then applying a good thing is not looked upon favorably by any adcom. While you may get into another school, I have a hard time believing that your application season next year will be much more successful.

Plus, if you want to do cardiology (also note, most people change their minds in school), where you do your residency matters most. Work hard in med school, do cards research, and get into the best IM residency you can.

Turning down an acceptance to try and get into a "better" school next year is risky and is in no way a more secure way to a cards career. Take what you have now and run with it.
 
First of all, lots of people who are REALLY smart turn down top ranked schools to go to their state schools. For instance, I'm from MASS and know people who have turned down Harvard and Yale to go to UMASS, which is ranked in the 50s this year according US News. The reason being is that even smart people with 4.0s and 38's on the MCAT want to save a little money. The point is 1) don't underestimate the people at your own state institution because they may have turned down great schools to stay close to home, save money etc 2) medical schools know this and respect a student's choice to choose his/her state school.

Secondly, you can succeed anywhere. A friend of mine at a state school ranked in the 50 or 60s got AOA and intereviewed for ENT residencies at Hopkins, Harvard, UCSF, Emory.

Instead of taking a year to study your butt off and ace the MCAT, why dont you study your butt off at Med School and ace the Step 1. Step 1>>>>>>>MCAT.
 
RedSox10 said:
First of all, lots of people who are REALLY smart turn down top ranked schools to go to their state schools. For instance, I'm from MASS and know people who have turned down Harvard and Yale to go to UMASS, which is ranked in the 50s this year according US News. The reason being is that even smart people with 4.0s and 38's on the MCAT want to save a little money. The point is 1) don't underestimate the people at your own state institution because they may have turned down great schools to stay close to home, save money etc 2) medical schools know this and respect a student's choice to choose his/her state school.

Secondly, you can succeed anywhere. A friend of mine at a state school ranked in the 50 or 60s got AOA and intereviewed for ENT residencies at Hopkins, Harvard, UCSF, Emory.

Instead of taking a year to study your butt off and ace the MCAT, why dont you study your butt off at Med School and ace the Step 1. Step 1>>>>>>>MCAT.
Click to expand...

QFT. 👍
 
First of all, lots of people who are REALLY smart turn down top ranked schools to go to their state schools. For instance, I'm from MASS and know people who have turned down Harvard and Yale to go to UMASS, which is ranked in the 50s this year according US News. The reason being is that even smart people with 4.0s and 38's on the MCAT want to save a little money.
Click to expand...

I was under the impression that very high tier research schools such as Harvard and Yale have a good amount of scholarship and grant money and that very few if any people end up paying the full quoted cost of attending these schools. Am I wrong in assuming that? It depends on what your opinion of 'little money' is too. If you are talking 10k a year or less I would say go to the higher tier school. That kind of money is minuscule compared to even the possibility of having some sort of an advantage of attending those schools.

But yeah OP... dont turn down an acceptance. I would understand if you were choosing between two schools that you were accepted to, but applying again and assuming you'll do better seems incredibly risky.
 
CyborgF2K10 said:
Background:
I am an ORM currently in the honors program at the university I attend, have a near 4.0 GPA in an engineering major, have a large variety of ECs, and interview well. However, I did not do so well on the MCAT (~30) since I only studied two weeks prior to taking it.

Situation:
I have already been accepted at one of my state schools, and I am still waiting on another school for their final decision (currently on hold). But...

Thoughts:
I am currently thinking about taking a year off to study/retake the MCAT (could get more clinical/research experience at the same time I guess...), and then obviously reapply this coming cycle. I know I can do that much better if I actually put in the proper time and effort to study for the MCAT. That being said, I would still apply to my state schools along with the "higher ranked" medical schools with the better MCAT score.

Questions:
Will it really be worth it to take a year off and decline an acceptance? How big of a difference does it really make whether you attend a "higher ranked" school or not? Does/should my interest to specialize in cardiology play a factor?
Click to expand...

Take the acceptance. You can get into that specialty as long as you do well on your USMLE steps and pass your classes. Seriously, you are in. Take the acceptance and relax. People are waaaay too up tight on SDN.
 
DOCTAfoHIRE said:
I was under the impression that very high tier research schools such as Harvard and Yale have a good amount of scholarship and grant money and that very few if any people end up paying the full quoted cost of attending these schools. Am I wrong in assuming that? It depends on what your opinion of 'little money' is too. If you are talking 10k a year or less I would say go to the higher tier school. That kind of money is minuscule compared to even the possibility of having some sort of an advantage of attending those schools.

But yeah OP... dont turn down an acceptance. I would understand if you were choosing between two schools that you were accepted to, but applying again and assuming you'll do better seems incredibly risky.
Click to expand...

I have also heard that top schools tend to have more funding to give to the students as aid. That being said, I don't know the specifics of the financial aid packages. All I know is that I KNOW people who have turned down Harvard and Yale to go to Umass in the past year or two so perhaps the aid they did get from the top schools still didn't compare. I think Umass's tuition is like 14K and cost of living is pretty cheap, too.

I would agree with the above, though. If you had BOTH acceptences in hand one to a state school and one to a private "top" school, and the cost of attending was less than a 10K per year difference, then totally go for the "top". Unfortunately, this process is completely random and the worst thing you want to do is jinx the system, apply next year, get rejected from your cheaper state school, and then get no aid from more expensive schools and/or not get into any of your "top" schools.....
 
OP it sounds like you have an ego problem. Take your acceptance to your state school and don't look back. No one cares that you are a minority engineering major that has a 4.0, I know MANY (I'm EE). Your preparation for the mcat was poor, likely because of your ego. Learn from this mistake and prepare better for the steps and beyond. You can land a great cards residency from your state school.
 
This is probably the worst place you could have come for constructive feedback. I sent you a PM with my opinion that you should seek further advice from some other sources before making your ultimate decision.
 
equinsu ocha said:
You can land a great cards residency from your state school.
Click to expand...

There is no residency in cardiology! It's a post-internal medicine fellowship. You don't match into it straight from med school. Therefore, what matters more for cards fellowships is how well you do in your IM residency, and to a lesser extent the prestige of that program.
 
Always take a sure thing. Realize that your state school might not make this offer again if you turn them down now. I know a guy who did this, and didn't get into his dream school on his second try either, and now he's kinda screwed.
 
meme-are-you-kidding-me.png


That is all.
 
CyborgF2K10 said:
Questions:
Will it really be worth it to take a year off and decline an acceptance? How big of a difference does it really make whether you attend a "higher ranked" school or not? Does/should my interest to specialize in cardiology play a factor?
Click to expand...

In order to do Cardiology you first have to match into Internal Medicine. IM is one of the least competitive specialties you can go into. Go to your state school.
 
The common wisdom is that if you turn down an acceptance, and then become a reapplicant, you have shot yourself in the foot with most, if not all, ad coms who will toss your application in the trash. And the state school that you left at the altar will spit on you if you reapply.

If you turn down this acceptance, then you are a fool if you really want to become a doctor.
 
You should reapply in another cycle. You will definitely get in somewhere.

In your situation, don't be afraid to throw away the good to go for the great.
 
I know someone who applied 3 times. First time, no acceptances. Second time, one from his state school turned it down his acceptance at a state school and next year was accepted into an MD/PhD from one of the best schools in the US/world. It is ultimately up to the person.

The rule of thumb is that admission people prefer strong candidates.
 
you should go ahead and withdraw from your acceptance and try for better schools. I'm sure there'll be a deserving person who will appreciate the seat.

You would have to be a fool to redo an app cycle.
 
Last edited:
It is ultimately up to the person.
Click to expand...
Not true. Being a reapplicant is a strike against you, and you're really rolling the dice reapplying after receiving an acceptance. It looks awful because it is an exceptionally arrogant thing to do. You can't just will your way into the school you want, regardless of how much pre-meds want it to be that way. Also, note that in addition to making a huge gamble, your friend also essentially paid a year's salary plus whatever undergrad loan interest he had to "upgrade" schools. Worth it? Almost certainly not.
 
CyborgF2K10 said:
...I filled out a minimum number (< 10) of secondary applications. I never said I deserve to go to a top school, and I obviously am willing to attend my state school or else I wouldn't have applied. Notice I put "higher ranked" in quotations, and said I would still apply to my state schools if I did decide to retake the MCAT to reapply for the next cycle. My question was only to get some general feedback and opinions regarding my situation/thoughts.
Click to expand...

You do realize that if you turn down an acceptance at your state school, they won't even glance at you again, right?

Go to your state school. The med school application process is weird, and nothing is a sure thing. One of the schools I reapplied to rejected me pre-interview, one rejected me post-interview, and one accepted me the day after I interviewed.
 
Barcu said:
Turning down an acceptance and then applying a good thing is not looked upon favorably by any adcom. While you may get into another school, I have a hard time believing that your application season next year will be much more successful.

Plus, if you want to do cardiology (also note, most people change their minds in school), where you do your residency matters most. Work hard in med school, do cards research, and get into the best IM residency you can.

Turning down an acceptance to try and get into a "better" school next year is risky and is in no way a more secure way to a cards career. Take what you have now and run with it.
Click to expand...

No one would know. AMCAS asks if youve ever matriculated to an allopathic school, not if youve ever been accepted. As long as you don't apply to the same school, no one will know.

That being said, turning down a US MD school because you think you all of a sudden deserve better is idiotic.
 
The engineer in me wants to point something out to you. You would at a minimum take a year longer to start medical school. Potentially 2 years, because it is a little late to start working on the MCAT and still applying early.

SOOOO the crux is that this is equivalent to giving up one (or two) years salary at the end of your career. So with 35+ years of inflation and making the math simple a cardiologist will make around 500,000. Therfore in you one to two years away you are giving up half a million to a million dollars.

Im not saying you shouldn't reapply, but ask yourself what you are getting at a different college. Is it worth a million bucks?

Secondly, if you really want to be a physician, you should just take this acceptance and run. It sounds petty. Like you are too good for this school. Your only goal in applying to medical school should be to become a doctor.
 
Why not turn down the acceptance so that your spot can be offered to someone else who's a tad more humble and wants it more than you do? 😉

Just kidding. But not really.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

The_Happy_Moose
Accepted off waitlist but forced to Commit to Enroll earlier than expected
Replies
2
Views
1K
wysdoc
wysdoc
ijustwannasaveppl
Accepted at a school but missing one pre-req?
Replies
5
Views
1K
deleted929944
D
J
  • Locked
3.6 GPA but 527 MCAT.
Replies
5
Views
1K
GoSpursGo
GoSpursGo
L
How to submit application update on portal (pre-II)? Accepted but not published manuscript
Replies
1
Views
559
AJS59
AJS59
K
Decent GPA but multiple B's in prerequisites?
Replies
3
Views
422
Jason1211
J
Top