Another Panic Thread

[Sheiko]

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At this point in the cycle I'm staring to get concerned and would appreciate hearing people's thoughts on where I may have gone wrong and how to strengthen my app for next year. My school list was made by an advisor but I'm now realizing it was too top heavy. omplete at all schools by the end of July.


Graduated spring 2015, been doing basic science research since (2 papers submitted)
3.65 GPA (~3.9 my junior and senior year), 34 MCAT (12/10VR/12)
~250 hours volunteering in ED, lots of shadowing, currently do HIV testing and volunteer at hospice (~50 hours each)
~75 hours tutoring middle schoolers during undergrad
worked in a lab in undergrad, 1 paper published
summer fellowship doing clinical research
a few academic honors

My schools are as follows:

Cornell (reject)
Columbia
Sinai
Hopkins (reject)
U Pitt (reject)
Emory
Gtown (reject)
Quinnipiac (reject)
Jefferson
Tufts (deferred post interview)
U Cinci
U Conn (IS/alma mater)
Rush
Case+CCLCM (rejected from both)
Einstein
Drexel

Outside of the first 4 schools I felt I have a solid chance at the rest. What should I be working on to improve for next year? Thought on my chances of getting more interviews?
My undergrad advisor, as well as others that read it, said my PS was solid. I doubt any of my letters were negative.

I sincerely appreciate any thoughts you'd be willing to share.

 

[stevvo111]

all your "stats" look good. did you have 1 bad grade that was off?

re-read your personal statement. Make sure it can confidently and without any doubt answer the reason YOU want to 1. become a doctor 2. study medicine. Make sure your personal statement matches your application. Ex. it wouldn't make sense for you to say "I wanna go into medicine for the people" when you've only done 75hrs of volunteering work. It would make more sense for you to say "I wanna go into medicine for the science and it's application to curing people".
I dunno what your ps looks like, and I'm sure you've worked on it extensively, but I remember when I applied, it was interesting to see how people would write one thing but it wouldn't match.

Make sure you have hobbies and fun things you like to do for fun outside of school. Schools wanna see you are a real person and not some pre-med drone. So write about any fun/interesting/curious/unique things you do that no one else does (or that you can do better than others). Everyone who applies is more or less capable of learning medicine, what differentiates someone is how interesting or "cool" they are. It also makes the interview fun rather than a chore. If you aren't doing anything for fun, start doing something fun it's important in med school and beyond.

Just think about it.... your stats and background match 100s if not 1000s of other applicants (including the volunteering and research and pubs). What makes you different? Being a fun person? Adding significantly to your future class skills and talents that no one else has? Work on these if you dont have any. I'm sure you do, but your above description might not have included it.

 

[Goro]

Essays and possibly the low level of non-clinical volunteering seem to be the biggest issues. Pitt was also a reach.

Suggest that you have more eyeballs look over your app, and apply to more schools. Also, do much more service to others less fortunate than yourself. Keep up the work in the hospice.

You may have a red flag of a LOR too.

These are schools worth targeting next year:


U VM
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush (note: very service/experience oriented with a 150hr service requirement. Avg student has 800 hours of community service, and >1800 hours of health care exposure.)
Rosy Franklin
NYMC
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Tulane
USC/Keck
Dartmouth
MCW
Loyola
Emory
BU
Mayo (both)
Hofstra
Western MI
Oakland-B
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
U Conn

 

[Danny L]

Essays and possibly the low level of non-clinical volunteering seem to be the biggest issues. Pitt was also a reach.

Suggest that you have more eyeballs look over your app, and apply to more schools. Also, do much more service to others less fortunate than yourself. Keep up the work in the hospice.

You may have a red flag of a LOR too.

These are schools worth targeting next year:


U VM
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush (note: very service/experience oriented with a 150hr service requirement. Avg student has 800 hours of community service, and >1800 hours of health care exposure.)
Rosy Franklin
NYMC
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Tulane
USC/Keck
Dartmouth
MCW
Loyola
Emory
BU
Mayo (both)
Hofstra
Western MI
Oakland-B
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
U Conn

How much would you recommend for non-clinical volunteering then?

 

[Goro]

> 200 hrs.
Also, look up the posts from the wise @gonnif on reapplying too soon. Follow his advice.

How much would you recommend for non-clinical volunteering then?

 

[Danny L]

> 200 hrs.
Also, look up the posts from the wise @gonnif on reapplying too soon. Follow his advice.

Ok thanks! Would you recommend that much for clinical volunteering as well, or just clinical experience in general

 

[Sheiko]

all your "stats" look good. did you have 1 bad grade that was off?

re-read your personal statement. Make sure it can confidently and without any doubt answer the reason YOU want to 1. become a doctor 2. study medicine.
...
Make sure you have hobbies and fun things you like to do for fun outside of school.
...
What makes you different?

No one particular class, I just had an all around mediocre performance my first two years, it took a a little time for me to find my groove. Regarding hobbies, I definitely talked about that in my application! In particular I really like cooking, running (did my first half marathon and a spartan "beast" race in the summer) and powerlifitng (looking to compete in my first meet in May). I also mentioned in my app that I worked on a farm from 14-21, which I think is unique. My interviewers at Tufts were both very interested in that. So I like to think I didn't come across as another "pre-med drone" in my application.

While I worked hard on my personal statement, maybe it could've been better.

Essays and possibly the low level of non-clinical volunteering seem to be the biggest issues. Pitt was also a reach.

Suggest that you have more eyeballs look over your app, and apply to more schools. Also, do much more service to others less fortunate than yourself. Keep up the work in the hospice.

I agree that I could use more non-clinical/service oriented activities. I'm hoping I could spend my next year continuing doing HIV testing, or doing something working with the homeless community near me. Do you think this would be a wise use of my time?

I realize now I took my advisor's word as gospel and should've worked on my school list more. Looking back, I had no business applying to several of those schools.

Thanks again for your comments, I appreciate it.

 

[Sheiko]

While this thread is up, I have a stupid question.

I took the MCAT late August 2014. Now I know most schools say it's valid for "three years" but I'm not clear if this is three years from matriculation (in which case I would have to retake) or three years from the submission of your app. Will I have to retake it if I reapply?

 

[Eternal_Premed_Struggle]

While this thread is up, I have a stupid question.

I took the MCAT late August 2014. Now I know most schools say it's valid for "three years" but I'm not clear if this is three years from matriculation (in which case I would have to retake) or three years from the submission of your app. Will I have to retake it if I reapply?

I believe if you took it in 2014, it would only be accepted until matriculation in 2017. You're probably gonna have to retake.

 

[Sheiko]

I believe if you took it in 2014, it would only be accepted until matriculation in 2017. You're probably gonna have to retake.

Yeah I figured as much. Thanks

 

[Goro]

Yes for both, especially if you're aiming high.

Ok thanks! Would you recommend that much for clinical volunteering as well, or just clinical experience in general

 

[Goro]

Stop the HIV testing IF it's not done for at-risk populations. I do like the idea of working with the homeless. There will be a lot more after Ben Carson gets into the Dep't of HUD.

Most pre-med advisors are *****s.

I agree that I could use more non-clinical/service oriented activities. I'm hoping I could spend my next year continuing doing HIV testing, or doing something working with the homeless community near me. Do you think this would be a wise use of my time?

I realize now I took my advisor's word as gospel and should've worked on my school list more. Looking back, I had no business applying to several of those schools.

Thanks again for your comments, I appreciate it.

 

[Danny L]

Yes for both, especially if you're aiming high.

Huh do those not over lap? I know not all clinical experience is volunteering but I thought all clinical volunteering was clinical experience

Anyway if someone is "on pace" for 200 hrs (ie, they hit 100+ their junior year, but since they only did volunteering their junior year that's all they have) should they mark down their application a little when self evaluating or could I let that slide? I don't know what will happen 2nd semester but as of right now I feel my clinical experience might be on the lighter side

 

[Goro]

Clinical experiences can be paid or volunteer. You can have either. This is the part about "know what you're getting into.

Non-clinical volunteering is different. This is the part about showing off your altruism and humanism. Medicine is a service profession, after all.

Huh do those not over lap? I know not all clinical experience is volunteering but I thought all clinical volunteering was clinical experience

Anyway if someone is "on pace" for 200 hrs (ie, they hit 100+ their junior year, but since they only did volunteering their junior year that's all they have) should they mark down their application a little when self evaluating or could I let that slide? I don't know what will happen 2nd semester but as of right now I feel my clinical experience might be on the lighter side

 

[Strauss&Co.]

Yeah I figured as much. Thanks

I looked into this the other day, and it's dependent on the school. Some schools will accept an MCAT taken within three years of submitting your application, some schools will accept an MCAT taken within three years of matriculation, some will accept the old MCAT next cycle with a preference toward the new one, while others will not accept the old MCAT at all next cycle. You will have to verify on a school-by-school basis and cross reference it with your list. This is one of several reasons why I will not be reapplying a third time in the event that I am denied this cycle. I refuse to take that test again after signing away 4 months of my life to crank out the score I did the first time I took it.

Here is a list of schools with their most up-to-date policy on accepting the old MCAT scores. https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...b166-43396de8daaa/mcat_policies_june_2016.pdf

 

[ed*26]

I may have missed it, but where are you in-state? How many of your in-state schools did you apply to? You seem like a fine applicant, but a heck of a lot of great applicants still only get into their state schools.

 

[Sheiko]

Stop the HIV testing IF it's not done for at-risk populations. I do like the idea of working with the homeless. There will be a lot more after Ben Carson gets into the Dep't of HUD.

Most pre-med advisors are *****s.

All our testing efforts are aimed at the LGBT and homeless communities.
As for pre-med advisors being *****s, I'm starting to realize that.

 

[Sheiko]

I may have missed it, but where are you in-state? How many of your in-state schools did you apply to? You seem like a fine applicant, but a heck of a lot of great applicants still only get into their state schools.

I am a CT resident. We only have one state school, my alma mater (U Conn). I have yet to hear from them, but the admissions office said they will be interviewing though March I believe.

 

[Goro]

Have Netter on the list as well.

I am a CT resident. We only have one state school, my alma mater (U Conn). I have yet to hear from them, but the admissions office said they will be interviewing though March I believe.

 

[Sheiko]

I wanted to bump this and get some thoughts on my plan to improve for next year.

For work, I'm looking to get a job doing research (either basic or clinical) or something more clinical like scribing. I would also continue HIV testing with at risk populations (possible that I could turn this into a full time job) and volunteering at hospice. I would have ~150-200 hours for both activities on my AMCAS for the next application cycle. Possibly another volunteering gig at a homeless shelter/soup kitchen.

I would also re-write my personal statement and have to retake the MCAT. I'll have a better school list as well. Will these improvements be enough? Or should I take 2 years off and re apply in 2018? I've already taken 2 gap years, but I'd prefer waiting an extra year to applying a third time. Any other suggestions?

I appreciate any advice, especially from the adcoms on here @LizzyM @Catalystik @gyngyn

 

[Strauss&Co.]

I wanted to bump this and get some thoughts on my plan to improve for next year.

For work, I'm looking to get a job doing research (either basic or clinical) or something more clinical like scribing. I would also continue HIV testing with at risk populations (possible that I could turn this into a full time job) and volunteering at hospice. I would have ~150-200 hours for both activities on my AMCAS for the next application cycle. Possibly another volunteering gig at a homeless shelter/soup kitchen.

I would also re-write my personal statement and have to retake the MCAT. I'll have a better school list as well. Will these improvements be enough? Or should I take 2 years off and re apply in 2018? I've already taken 2 gap years, but I'd prefer waiting an extra year to applying a third time. Any other suggestions?

I appreciate any advice, especially from the adcoms on here @LizzyM @Catalystik

If you are able to study enough to knock out a great new-MCAT score in time to apply in 2017, there's nothing that stands out to me as a reason to wait until 2018. Of course, don't rule yourself out of this cycle just yet.

 

[Sheiko]

If you are able to study enough to knock out a great new-MCAT score in time to apply in 2017, there's nothing that stands out to me as a reason to wait until 2018. Of course, don't rule yourself out of this cycle just yet.

I think if I take it in early/mid May I could prepare for it enough to get a score on par with my old one. Last time I studied three months for it, I could get 14-16 weeks in no problem if I start in mid January.