MD Apply this cycle or take another gap year?

[medic86]

Hi guys!

After receiving my MCAT score today (which I accurately predicted, unfortunately), I finally decided to make a post here. I know my overall application is weak, which is why I'm here for advice on whether I should apply this cycle or take another gap year to apply with a stronger application. Listed below are my stats for either option, with pros/cons listed below. I have considered DO programs, and will likely take that route if I have a failed application cycle.

This application cycle (2016 matriculation):
GA resident, ORM
AMCAS GPA: 3.52 overall, 3.81 science
MCAT: 28 (9/9/10)

Military experience

• 4 years in the military with over 3 years of direct patient care experience
• Leadership experience
• Awards

Research experience

• Will have work published, but probably not before AMCAS submission

Volunteering

• BLS instructor while I was in the Army
• A few times at a food bank (~5 hours a month)
• There are some opportunities that I’m exploring – will have more experience soon (but I'm afraid it's not enough).
• UPDATE: American Cancer Society Road to Recovery Driver (as of February)

Shadowing

• A couple shifts with an EM physician (I worked very closely with a wide range of physicians while I was in the military and picked their brains)

Work Experience

• Biology tutor (4 hours per week, previous fall semester and this spring semester)
• Research assistant (10 hours per week, this spring semester)

School Activities

• Committee Chair for the Pre-Medical Student organization at my university

The big weaknesses I recognize: weak overall GPA, weak MCAT, and weak volunteering history. I am concerned that if I apply this cycle, medical schools will view my relatively recent and short volunteering experience as "box-checking". For personal reasons, I was unable to get started with volunteering sooner. Because of all of this, I am seriously considering taking another gap year.


Next application cycle (2017 matriculation):
If I take another gap year, with summer grades + 9-12 additional hours in the fall (finishing a minor/plugging possible pre-requisite problems by taking statistics since I CLEPed/DSST'd it previously):

AMCAS GPA: 3.57 - 3.58 overall, 3.87 - 3.88 science
MCAT: will likely retake (with more time to study)

Pros:

• I will have an established volunteering history
• Possibly doing better on the MCAT
• I will have multiple publications
• My GPAs will be slightly higher

Cons:

• Possibly doing worse on the MCAT
• Another year.

Are my chances hopeless for this cycle? Would it be better to take a gap year? I appreciate any advice you ladies and gentleman may have to offer.

Thanks for reading!
-medic86

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[gyngyn]

I think you should give it a shot.
Your military experience is like adding 4-5 points to your MCAT score.

 

[samac]

I think you should give it a shot.
Your military experience is like adding 4-5 points to your MCAT score.

Agreed.

 

[medic86]

I think you should give it a shot.
Your military experience is like adding 4-5 points to your MCAT score.

Thanks for the encouragement, gyngyn!

Here's my provisional school list. I know some of the schools on here are absolutely bonkers for me to have and probably shouldn't be on the list. If you believe that a school should be removed, I will remove it straight away. The only reach school that I'm going to keep for sure is Emory.

@Goro, would you happen to have any suggestions that I may have overlooked?

Schools

• Baylor
• Boston University
• Drexel
• Duke
• Eastern Virginia Medical School
• Emory
• Florida Atlantic University
• Florida International University
• George Washington
• Georgetown
• Medical College of Georgia
• Mercer
• New York Medical College
• Thomas Jefferson
• Temple
• Commonwealth
• University of South Florida
• University of Arizona – Phoenix
• University of Kentucky
• University of North Carolina
• University of Tennessee
• University of Virginia
• Wake Forest

Thanks again, everyone!

 

[gyngyn]

Have you looked at Duke's curriculum?

 

[medic86]

Have you looked at Duke's curriculum?

I've only glanced at it. Should I be concerned with the rigor?

Should I definitely remove this one?

 

[Goro]

Since you're in GA, try PCOM-GA, VCOM-SC and CUSOM, if you're interested in staying nearby.

Suggest adding Albany, all other new MD schools, the South Carolina schools, and Tulane. Baylor is also a reach.

Schools

• Baylor
• Boston University
• Drexel
• Duke
• Eastern Virginia Medical School
• Emory
• Florida Atlantic University
• Florida International University
• George Washington
• Georgetown
• Medical College of Georgia
• Mercer
• New York Medical College
• Thomas Jefferson
• Temple
• Commonwealth
• University of South Florida
• University of Arizona – Phoenix
• University of Kentucky
• University of North Carolina
• University of Tennessee
• University of Virginia
• Wake Forest

 

[gyngyn]

I've only glanced at it. Should I be concerned with the rigor?

Should I definitely remove this one?

It's not for everyone. Your call.

 

[medic86]

I really appreciate the advice, gyngyn and Goro!

I get the feeling that I've underestimated the impact that military experience can have on an application.

 

[medic86]

@Catalystik Here's my WAMC thread, Catalystik. I've updated it with other pertinent information since February.

Thanks for offering to look!

 

[Catalystik]

@Catalystik Here's my WAMC thread, Catalystik. I've updated it with other pertinent information since February.

Thanks for offering to look!

How many years of research do you have? Besides the pending pub, any posters/presentations? If given the chance, what would be your ideal career destination given the choice ( research-focused, primary care, specialty, etc)?

 

[medic86]

How many years of research do you have? Besides the pending pub, any posters/presentations? If given the chance, what would be your ideal career destination given the choice ( research-focused, primary care, specialty, etc)?

Unfortunately, I only have around 6 months of research experience. Thankfully, I go to a small school, and I immediately started out with a paid position with my PI who I get to work directly under (we have no graduate students or post-docs). I have averaged about 20 hours a week since January (10 hours paid), so in this short amount of time I have accumulated a lot of bench experience ranging from doing simple PCRs to being trained to set up and run an Ion Torrent next generation sequencer. We also hit the ground running on my writing skills, and my first paper will be submitted by mid-June at the latest.

I have one poster presentation (class project from a previous year) and one oral presentation (current project with PI) at a small student symposium that my university has every year.

Ultimately, in order of preference (as it stands now): EM-IM-CC combined residency > EM residency > surgery maybe?

I am interested in the EM-IM-CC combined residencies because of the options it potentially opens up. I understand it's pretty damn competitive, though. I am interested in academic medicine, but I'd be perfectly happy as a clinician if academic medicine is just not a possibility for me. (haha, I hope this wasn't just a long-winded "I'm open to anything" response. )

 

[Catalystik]

Unfortunately, I only have around 6 months of research experience. Thankfully, I go to a small school, and I immediately started out with a paid position with my PI who I get to work directly under (we have no graduate students or post-docs). I have averaged about 20 hours a week since January (10 hours paid), so in this short amount of time I have accumulated a lot of bench experience ranging from doing simple PCRs to being trained to set up and run an Ion Torrent next generation sequencer. We also hit the ground running on my writing skills, and my first paper will be submitted by mid-June at the latest.

I have one poster presentation (class project from a previous year) and one oral presentation (current project with PI) at a small student symposium that my university has every year.

Ultimately, in order of preference (as it stands now): EM-IM-CC combined residency > EM residency > surgery maybe?

I am interested in the EM-IM-CC combined residencies because of the options it potentially opens up. I understand it's pretty damn competitive, though. I am interested in academic medicine, but I'd be perfectly happy as a clinician if academic medicine is just not a possibility for me. (haha, I hope this wasn't just a long-winded "I'm open to anything" response. )

Assuming supportive LORs and good interview skills (and lack of legal entanglements), I think there's a good chance you'd get into multiple MD programs as you stand (and I've seen it happen for veterans with weaker stats than yours). I'm inclined to suggest you leave your Research as an MM, considering your career goals.

 

[medic86]

Assuming supportive LORs and good interview skills, I think there's a good chance you'd get into multiple MD programs as you stand (and I've seen it happen for veterans with weaker stats than yours). I'm inclined to suggest you leave your Research as an MM, considering your career goals.

Thank you so much for the help and encouragement, Catalystik!

 

[medic86]

Hi @Catalystik, @Goro, and @gyngyn!

I'm trying to finalize my school list before I apply. I was hoping you guys could offer some final input for my school list.

School list:

• Johns Hopkins
• Duke
• Columbia
• New York University
• Vanderbilt
• Baylor
• University of North Carolina
• Emory
• University of Virginia
• Dartmouth
• Albert Einstein
• Wake Forest
• University of Miami
• New York Medical College
• Albany
• Commonwealth
• Quinnipiac
• Hofstra
• Eastern Virginia
• Virginia Tech
• University of Arizona - Phoenix
• Medical College of Georgia
• Mercer
• Boston University
• Tufts
• Temple
• Jefferson

I know you all are very busy, and I appreciate all the help and encouragement you have given me!

 

[gyngyn]

I see a dozen schools that are likely to interview you.
That's usually enough.

 

[Goro]

I think the schools in next door SC might give you some love too.

And many thanks for your service to our country!

Hi @Catalystik, @Goro, and @gyngyn!

I'm trying to finalize my school list before I apply. I was hoping you guys could offer some final input for my school list.

School list:

• Johns Hopkins
• Duke
• Columbia
• New York University
• Vanderbilt
• Baylor
• University of North Carolina
• Emory
• University of Virginia
• Dartmouth
• Albert Einstein
• Wake Forest
• University of Miami
• New York Medical College
• Albany
• Commonwealth
• Quinnipiac
• Hofstra
• Eastern Virginia
• Virginia Tech
• University of Arizona - Phoenix
• Medical College of Georgia
• Mercer
• Boston University
• Tufts
• Temple
• Jefferson

I know you all are very busy, and I appreciate all the help and encouragement you have given me!

 

[Catalystik]

Considering you have only 6 months of research background, you've included some bold choices there. Would you (or your premed advisor) characterize your Leadership experience as striking enough to be a distraction from that?

 

[medic86]

Considering you have only 6 months of research background, you've included some bold choices there. Would you (or your premed advisor) characterize your Leadership experience as striking enough to be a distraction from that?

Oh, I know. I recognize that my chances are slim-to-none at some of those schools, but I figure I'll take a shot anyway (probably the exact same reason why so many applicants end up throwing money away - poor school choices).

My pre-med advisor doesn't know much about my leadership experience in the military. In my personal opinion, I wouldn't say it was anything special - it's just what a soldier is expected to eventually learn and do while they're in. That being said: In the emergency department, I was respected for my clinical skills and department knowledge, and was made responsible for the train-up of new medics assigned there. I was eventually promoted to a shift leader position, which I continued until just before I completed my term of service (~7 months or so). As a shift leader, I was completely responsible for the professional development of 2-3 medics assigned to me.

Thanks for your input, Catalystik! I will think about the question you posed. I'm glad you guys are around to give some much-needed objective input!

 

[itsogre]

• Johns Hopkins
• Duke
• Columbia
• New York University
• Vanderbilt
• Baylor

Try adding University of Maryland instead of JHU (UMD does appreciate military service alot)
I think a 28 MCAT will not get you into above schools (their 10% is probably at least a 32), even with military service
Vanderbilt is numbers focused, I believe (so are really any of these). At interviews, I met some former servicemen and military academy grads who interviewed at these schools, but they definitely had 31+ MCATs. These schools also appreciate productive research experience.
Best of luck though! No doubt you will do well in Georgia. You could also consider other Florida schools besides Miller.