Advice Needed

[bcd051]

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Hi, I'm new to the re-applicant forums and am looking for advice on where to strengthen my application.

A few things I already know this time around:
1) Apply ASAP: I didn't send in any supplementals until late October/early November because I took my MCAT on the very last possible date
2) Have LORs from science faculty: I didn't have any science LORs because I hadn't taken any hard sciences in 6 years
3) Have the required courses already finished: I had yet to start Physics or O Chem, but in Physics 1 and O Chem 1 I was able to earn A's in both, with both professors wanting to write LORs

My "vitals":
School
- MCAT: 32R (11P, 10V, 11B)
- Would be willing to retake the MCAT, but haven't practiced, so I'm not sure I would improve much
- uGPA: 3.39 (3.3 Sci*, 3.5 other) - *-before my new science courses were added
- Recently, earn A's in both Physics 1 and Organic 1 as well as a graduate level Health Psychology class
- Earned Masters in Health Administration from top 10 program (4.0 in 60 hours)

Work/Life
- 250 Hours of shadowing experience with an ophthalmologist (clinic and surgery)
- 5000 Hours of work in Anatomical Pathology lab at a local hospital (300+ Hours of patient contact)
- 10 Hours shadowing ENT surgeries
- 20+ Hours shadowing at a hospital cancer center with a variety of professionals (social worker, nutritionist, nurse, doctor, resident, etc.)
- Currently am working as a graduate research assistant, focusing on designing and implementing Health IT. Have 2 articles that are soon to be published, and earned a $15,000 grant to design standardized Health IT graduate school education modules from a government sponsored call for proposals.
- Starting in a few weeks, will be volunteering weekly at a local hospice

Schools I Applied to:
University of Missouri-Columbia
Saint Louis University (Got Master's here)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
AT Still - Kirksville
Erie COM

Basically, I'm wondering where I'm lacking and what I might need to improve upon. I'm not looking to get into any top tier medical schools, and my main focus has been to look to schools that are highly rated in either family medicine or primary care, which are my main areas of interest. I wonder if the schools listed are totally out of my league, or if my late application, no science LORs, and not having my pre-reqs done hurt me tremendously.

Thank you for any advice or suggestions!

 

[cabinbuilder]

Looking at your package the only things that come to mind are:


1.Applied too late. You should hit send on the day the cycle opens. All your numbers and experience looks fine. You didn't really apply to that many schools.

2. You personal statement sucks? I have seen so many that have started "Iwant to be a doctor", "I will be a good doctor", etc. DO NOT WRITE YOUR PS LIKE THIS. They know you want to be a doctor. It's supposed to be about you, your journey, your struggles, your passions, what incident sparked your medicine journey, your travels, etc. What you do, what you like.

Your choice of people you asked for letters? Are you sure they would give you a positive review? I only say that because I was going to have my under grad advisor write me one but a friend of mine told me (she had the same advisor) that he has said in passing that he didn't believe I would ever get into medical school. I did not ask him for a letter. Be sure they beleive in you and can make it personalized.

I see you applied to Erie, they want a well rounded individual who has lots of life experience who will bring diversity and new ideas to the class.

3. The way you come across in interviews? Nobody wanst a know-it-all, or someone who would be perceived a problem, doesn't make waves, is going to "play nice". etc.


You don't need to take the MCAT over, your numbers are good. It may be coming down to how you are perceived and whether you would have something personally to contribute.



I have a friend who graduated summa cum laude with a BS in biochem. She could not get into medical school I think because her personality was quite irritating and grating and I really think she was looked at as a potential problem in the interview. She finally gave up. Versus, I really believe I got into medical school because my life is like an action novel, I had lots of life experience and have worked every job out there. My MCAT score was under 25 but my GPA was good and I have a very strong personality and wasn't viewed as a problem.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Looks like you figured it out. Any reason you are applying to such a low number of school? If you can afford it, up the DO number. Your gpa is probably too low for an MD acceptance (it may happen, but the odds are against you), but you should be able to get a DO acceptance no problem.

 

[bcd051]

Looks like you figured it out. Any reason you are applying to such a low number of school? If you can afford it, up the DO number. Your gpa is probably too low for an MD acceptance (it may happen, but the odds are against you), but you should be able to get a DO acceptance no problem.

One of the reasons that I applied to so few schools was that, upon contacting them about my lack of hard science LORs, most suggested that while I don't need them, it will hurt my standing. I felt that, as late as I was applying, if other factors would hurt my ability to get consideration, I probably would not be accepted or given much of a chance.

To the poster before that, I didn't even get interviews. I think my personal statement was kind of standard but revolved around my experiences as an employee at the hospital where I worked for 2.5 years. I think that this time around, I am going to try to make my statement more interesting, rather than trying to write a "safe" personal statement. I think for DO schools I have a pretty strong application, with one problem, I don't have much experience working with D.O.s, I just really like the mentality and the mission of the DO.

Thanks for the advice, I think this time around I will do much better, because I am going to send in my apps IMMEDIATELY, like first day I can. Also, my GPA last semester was a 3.91 (all A's in science, one A- in English) despite missing 2 weeks due to surgery and a staph infection which required hospitalization right before finals. I hope that, in particular for MD schools, they will look and consider my recent grades more than my early undergrad grades.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

Make sure your LORs are from professors that know you. A science LOR from a professor who states: "Johnny was in my Organic Chemistry Class. He attended every class and asked good questions. He received an A in a very hard class. He will make an excellent doctor." is worthless. It tells the Adcoms nothing about you.

Get to know these professors. Go to office hours and discuss things with the. Then they will have something to write about.