Hey everyone,
I wanted to get everyones opinion on what I should do at this point at the med school application process.
Should I have a backup plan just in case I don't get accepted anywhere?
Quick Bio:
East Asian male
just graduated from Cornell University in Neurobiology and Behavior
uGPA: 3.65
sGPA: 3.61
MCAT: 28( 10-9-9), 33(12-10-11)
Clinical and Basic science research (each 1 year respectively) no publications
Significant volunteering in free clinic near school and shadowing experience in Mount Sinai Hospital, Columbia Presbyterian. Currently a research associate at a program in St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital doing emergency medicine research.
Received a scholarship for a 3 summer extended SMDEP-like program at Columbia P&S, and Icahn School of Medicine 2010-2012.
LoR Writers: 1 from basic science research, 1 from faculty advisor, 1 from the the physician who i did research with at Mt Sinai, and 1 from the associate dean of diversity at Mt Sinai
I submitted my application June 23rd after coming back from an extended Asia trip as a graduation present. The one thing that bugs me is that my school's health careers committee did not send out most of the letters for all of us applying until early september (9/10/13 for me). I received a couple of secondaries mostly at the end of August, but thank goodness I was pre-writing everything and was able to send them out as soon as I received them. My application was not complete until 9/13/13 after AMCAS FINALLY received the committee letter (I really do think that our committee dropped the ball on this for us, since they gave us a deadline to give all of our LoRs by March 2013. They said that when they sent our committee letters never affected an applicant's chance, but what's done is done.)
Applied to
Einstein
Stony Brook
Downstate
Columbia
Icahn at Mount Sinai
USUHS
Albany
Hofstra
Duke
Duke-NUS
University of Miami
Cooper
UMDNJ
RWJMS
NYU
Georgetown
From September until now, I have only received 4 interview invites: Duke-NUS, Albany, USUHS and Hofstra. I've received an email from Downstate to send an update on what I'm doing for this gap year, but I haven't heard from them in 6 weeks. I want to ask how my prospects are looking, since I haven't received another interview for a month now. I'm really keen on going to NYU, Downstate, Einstein, Stonybrook etc.
Since everything on my application was late, do I still stand a chance in receiving interviews from other schools? Especially since NYU has only 4 more weeks of interviewing left and I haven't heard a word from them.
I know that I'm still going to go through the process, but what is your honest evaluation of my situation right now? In the event that I might have to reapply again, what would you suggest that I do to make my application more competitive? Should I retake the MCATs/take post-bacc classes etc/get more research experience etc.? Please let me know what you guys recommend.
I wanted to get everyones opinion on what I should do at this point at the med school application process.
Should I have a backup plan just in case I don't get accepted anywhere?
Quick Bio:
East Asian male
just graduated from Cornell University in Neurobiology and Behavior
uGPA: 3.65
sGPA: 3.61
MCAT: 28( 10-9-9), 33(12-10-11)
Clinical and Basic science research (each 1 year respectively) no publications
Significant volunteering in free clinic near school and shadowing experience in Mount Sinai Hospital, Columbia Presbyterian. Currently a research associate at a program in St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital doing emergency medicine research.
Received a scholarship for a 3 summer extended SMDEP-like program at Columbia P&S, and Icahn School of Medicine 2010-2012.
LoR Writers: 1 from basic science research, 1 from faculty advisor, 1 from the the physician who i did research with at Mt Sinai, and 1 from the associate dean of diversity at Mt Sinai
I submitted my application June 23rd after coming back from an extended Asia trip as a graduation present. The one thing that bugs me is that my school's health careers committee did not send out most of the letters for all of us applying until early september (9/10/13 for me). I received a couple of secondaries mostly at the end of August, but thank goodness I was pre-writing everything and was able to send them out as soon as I received them. My application was not complete until 9/13/13 after AMCAS FINALLY received the committee letter (I really do think that our committee dropped the ball on this for us, since they gave us a deadline to give all of our LoRs by March 2013. They said that when they sent our committee letters never affected an applicant's chance, but what's done is done.)
Applied to
Einstein
Stony Brook
Downstate
Columbia
Icahn at Mount Sinai
USUHS
Albany
Hofstra
Duke
Duke-NUS
University of Miami
Cooper
UMDNJ
RWJMS
NYU
Georgetown
From September until now, I have only received 4 interview invites: Duke-NUS, Albany, USUHS and Hofstra. I've received an email from Downstate to send an update on what I'm doing for this gap year, but I haven't heard from them in 6 weeks. I want to ask how my prospects are looking, since I haven't received another interview for a month now. I'm really keen on going to NYU, Downstate, Einstein, Stonybrook etc.
Since everything on my application was late, do I still stand a chance in receiving interviews from other schools? Especially since NYU has only 4 more weeks of interviewing left and I haven't heard a word from them.
I know that I'm still going to go through the process, but what is your honest evaluation of my situation right now? In the event that I might have to reapply again, what would you suggest that I do to make my application more competitive? Should I retake the MCATs/take post-bacc classes etc/get more research experience etc.? Please let me know what you guys recommend.
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