Apply this cycle or strengthen application to be a more competitive my application for next cycle?

[JMed7]

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I've been debating for the past couple of weeks whether to apply this cycle or wait to strengthen my application for next cycle.

I graduated from a UC Davis two years ago and have been working as teacher. I haven't done anything related to the medical field since I graduated when I was involved in clubs and in a student run clinic. My plan A is to take the mcat this June and apply this cycle. Plan B is to get a job as an EMT ( recently completed the course) and apply next cycle giving myself more time to study and have recent work experience for my application. Any suggestions.


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[Cookiess]

Apply once and apply when you are ready. Don't rush it.

Whether you may be ready to apply this year depends on where you currently stand GPA-wise, how you are doing on your practice MCAT exams, and if you have any other weaknesses on your application. If your overall GPA and science GPA is below 3.4, you may need to improve those numbers before you apply. The other concern is that with a June MCAT, you wouldn't receive your scores until July (which is not too late as long as you submit your primary AMCAS application to be verified by mid-June and are ready to designate your schools in July as soon as your get your MCAT scores). You would have to get your LOR, personal statement, and activities ready in the next two months, on top of studying for the MCAT. If you have solid grades and feel like you can manage to prepare your app to submit by mid-June, you wouldn't be a significantly late applicant.

However, if you feel like you would rather space everything out and apply next year, then that's not a bad idea as well. If you go with Plan B, I would add some clinical and non-clinical volunteering throughout the year in addition to your EMT work.

 

[LizzyM]

I've been debating for the past couple of weeks whether to apply this cycle or wait to strengthen my application for next cycle.

I graduated from a UC Davis two years ago and have been working as teacher. I haven't done anything related to the medical field since I graduated when I was involved in clubs and in a student run clinic. My plan A is to take the mcat this June and apply this cycle. Plan B is to get a job as an EMT ( recently completed the course) and apply next cycle giving myself more time to study and have recent work experience for my application. Any suggestions.


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How would you feel if 1 year from today you were on one waitlist, had no offers and were looking at the logistics of reapplying. Do it right, do it once. Don't rush into this. The odds of getting in are less than 50-50 for the applicant pool as a whole (and stratified by race it is still less then 50-50 for each race/ethnicity). Do everything you can to make the odds in your favor before you take the leap.

 

[JMed7]

That's how I'm feeling now. I'm weighing the pros and cons and leaning towards waiting a bit. I'm currently half way through content review on the mcat but would like more time to work on my weak areas. Thanks for opinion really appreciate the perspective.


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[JMed7]

There you are, just aching to get into medical school. You feel the strong desire to do it now, to get that application in. The rush of excitement and anticipation make you overlook the questions: is the timing good? Will the schools like me? Will I make it all the way into matriculation? Then you find some many schools reject you, almost no interview invites, and maybe, you might get lucky with a waitlist . All in all, it leaves you in a messy, very unsatisfied state of affairs.

This is what I call "Premature Application," the problem of submitting before you are ready. Yes, we dont like to talk about it. It can be embarrassing, especially explaining to a school that rejected you the first time why they should now take you. It wastes time, money, and energy, and can make you a weaker candidate as reapplicants are looked at with perhaps more skepticism.

Apply when really strong, when the timing in right, when you can wake in the morning as a matriculate medical student and not feel like a used applicant thrown aside

Totally agree, going into this cycle I do feel a bit rushed. I would much rather work on getting a stronger mcat score and getting more work experience and volunteer work in the next year to include in my application. Thanks.


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[bearintraining]

I've been debating for the past couple of weeks whether to apply this cycle or wait to strengthen my application for next cycle.

I graduated from a UC Davis two years ago and have been working as teacher. I haven't done anything related to the medical field since I graduated when I was involved in clubs and in a student run clinic. My plan A is to take the mcat this June and apply this cycle. Plan B is to get a job as an EMT ( recently completed the course) and apply next cycle giving myself more time to study and have recent work experience for my application. Any suggestions.


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I would add to the advice above that don't think that being an EMT is an going to be an automatic ticket. Please get other clinical experience as well as volunteer experience, regardless of what job you choose to do during the year.