Concerns of a 2nd time applicant

[Pswags]

Hello all!

This is my particular scenario. I am an early graduate (1 semester) of college, and after 1 round of unsuccessful applications, will be applying again. I would like to know what my chances are.

Here are the relevant data:

Ethnicity: Indian American
Age: 21

Major:Neuroscience, Magna Cum Laude
GPA: 3.7 overall, 3.6 science
Last MCAT: 29R (retake to happen June 21st)

Work and Activities:

Research

• University of Florida: Department of Pharmacodynamics (2 years, 2 Poster Presentations)
• National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD, Poster Presentation
• National Institutes on Drug Abuse, Baltimore MD, Poster Presentation (2006)
• Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology (2004-2005), Philadelphia, PA

Honors and Distinctions

• Academic Scholarship Freshman Year
• Dean's list throughout college
• Phi Kappa Phi

Medical Volunteering:

• Adolescent Palliative Care Peer Mentoring (one of the single most imporant things on my AMCAS)
• Clincal Shadowing, 1 neurosurgeon (no rec, not asked) 1 pediatric general surgeon (1 rec, asked)

Leadership

• Elected Treasurer, vicepresident (2 years in a row) of the largest ethnic organization on campus, several distinct responsibilties

Personal Statement
PM for it, please.

Ladies and Gents, this is essentially what I submitted to med school last year. There are details within each bulletpoint, and if you want more information, please ask. But any help would be appreciated in judging how I'll fare next year.

This is what I plan on doing on my year off: I plan on going to India for 3 months to work alongside a free ophthalmology clinic to help provide accessible healthcare at subsidized (and in many cases, free) costs.

Afterwards, I want to assist in developing a non-profit organization for Edema And Lymphedema in the North Florida Region, find a job, and continue my involvement in the one of the greatest passions of my life, Streetlight (palliative care program. Check us out! http://streetlight.ufandshands.org/about-the-program/program-professionals/)

So, what do y'all think?

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[Keepitclassy]

What was your school list that you applied to last year? I'm assuming you also strictly applied to allopathic schools, or turned down acceptance to DO schools, because with those stats you shouldn't have had any problems getting accepted to either if your school list wasn't too top-heavy. At the very least you should've gotten a little lovin' from state schools (Unless you're a Cali resident)

 

[notbobtrustme]

https://www.aamc.org/download/157450/data/table24-mcatgpagridall2008-10.pdf.pdf

51.5% chance of admission somewhere.

Did you apply top heavy or something? Or did you tank the interviews?

 

[Pswags]

The schools I applied to were right in the midddle ange for their mcats, but the ones I was most concerned about were the the florida state schools, from whom I got not even a single interview. I promise I'm not trolling or joking. My advisors can't figure it out either. They mildly suggested it was my mcat that did me in. But 14 schools, 0 interviews.

Logically, one would ask about a criminal record (I have none, I checked)and my personal statement. This thread isn't the place to post it, but it is a decent PS. If you PM me, I would be glad to copy it over.

Its perplexing and for a good while there, I got depressed. But time to move on and try again!

 

[notbobtrustme]

How about your LORs? Perhaps there's a red flag in there?

 

[Pswags]

They're solid too.

1.) Director of my palliative care program
2.) PI of the lab i worked at the National Institutes on Drug Abuse
3.) PI at my university (associate professor)
4.) Neuroscience teach 1(TA'ed her class, one of my favorites of all time
5.) Neuroscience teach 2 (not my favorite, prob my weakest, still a stand up professor, though. Got a B, then A in his class)
6.) Art Teacher (non science)
7.) Character Letter from Peer (best friend! =D )

I don't think these are weak?

 

[theseeker4]

They're solid too.

1.) Director of my palliative care program
2.) PI of the lab i worked at the National Institutes on Drug Abuse
3.) PI at my university (associate professor)
4.) Neuroscience teach 1(TA'ed her class, one of my favorites of all time
5.) Neuroscience teach 2 (not my favorite, prob my weakest, still a stand up professor, though. Got a B, then A in his class)
6.) Art Teacher (non science)
7.) Character Letter from Peer (best friend! =D )

I don't think these are weak?

It isn't a question of being weak based on who they are from, it is a question of content. If anyone wrote anything to the effect of "solid student, but..." or even worse, "would not admit" (which happens) that would tank an otherwise excellent application.

Call each school you applied to and ask how they would recommend improving/what was deficient in your application. That should at least tell you what they are looking for that you didn't have last time.