Criticize me

[Jas1360]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Take a look at my MDApp and give it to me straight. I need to focus because the season is not over. I will say that my profile is not 100% inclusive but there is enough information for critiquing.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Moosepig]

Hey Jas, best of luck on this cycle.

Your ECs seem fantastic to me. Lots of things that highlight a genuine passion for helping kids. Your clinical seems maybe a bit weak, how many hours did you get?

Obviously your stats are not great, on the weak side of things.

I am a bit confused by your small school list. Are finances a problem? If so that is tough to hear. I might not have applied to three super-reaches if they were, but there's nothing to be done now.

Are you currently in ROTC? Will they allow you another year if you don't get in?

I think, given your small school list your odds unfortunately are not good. Maybe the Uniformed will grab you.

If you go at it another cycle, I would try to apply to a lot more schools and a lot lower tier. You are a really good DO candidate, and a potential low tier and in state MD candidate. In the meantime, if there is a meantime, I would do clinical volunteering and maybe retake any Cs you got for your DO GPA.

Oh and have you shadowed? If not I would try to get that in ASAP for an update letter if it comes to that later in the cycle.

 

[Jas1360]

Hey Jas, best of luck on this cycle.

Your ECs seem fantastic to me. Lots of things that highlight a genuine passion for helping kids. Your clinical seems maybe a bit weak, how many hours did you get?

Obviously your stats are not great, on the weak side of things.

I am a bit confused by your small school list. Are finances a problem? If so that is tough to hear. I might not have applied to three super-reaches if they were, but there's nothing to be done now.

Are you currently in ROTC? Will they allow you another year if you don't get in?

I think, given your small school list your odds unfortunately are not good. Maybe the Uniformed will grab you.

If you go at it another cycle, I would try to apply to a lot more schools and a lot lower tier. You are a really good DO candidate, and a potential low tier and in state MD candidate. In the meantime, if there is a meantime, I would do clinical volunteering and maybe retake any Cs you got for your DO GPA.

Oh and have you shadowed? If not I would try to get that in ASAP for an update letter if it comes to that later in the cycle.

I've been trying to get into a really cool volunteer program at a clinic. Had issues with contacting person in charge and found out it was due to people rotating so hopefully I will have better luck with contacting soon.

The school list was small due to finances. Could not apply for FAP because there was no chance I could get financial information from parents. Also, had to choose which schools before I had my MCAT score so that was a problem.

My DO science GPA is about a 3.6 so that's not a problem, right?

 

[411309]

you are gold for DO but harvard and john hopkins? duke? and a puerto rico med school? I feel like you closed your eyes and randomly started pointing to schools and that determined where you would apply, lol. maybe add some DO schools if you have no problem with DO. your list could use some work imo...

 

[Jas1360]

I agree, Duke, Harvard, and Johns Hopkins were the top three schools I would want to go to if I had the numbers to get in. I did not have my MCAT score back when I put in my primary.

Puerto Rico was supposed to be a back up school based on their numbers in the MSAR but I did not realize their close ties policy. I have actually been to Puerto Rico so it was not a random choice.

I have a couple other DO schools but they are not listed because they are not my main focus. Of all the DO schools MSUCOM is my top choice.

I appreciate all the feedback so far. I am using this as my motivation to re-focus.

 

[Lucky Louie]

You've been out of school for a while, so schools will be very interested to see what you've been doing. Unfortunately your list of ECs and work are not really super-strong into the field of medicine. You're missing some experience, for instance, shadowing another doctor or getting some clinical volunteer work. Both your gpa and MCAT make you a bit weak for MD, but you'd have much more luck applying to a D.O. program.

What is most important for you to do is to polish up why you're applying and tie together your various ECs so it tells a story about who you are and why a school should accept you. If you get an interview, it's because they see a possibility in you, but it'll be super important to explain how all your diverse experiences and talents will make you a great doctor one day.

 

[Jas1360]

You've been out of school for a while, so schools will be very interested to see what you've been doing. Unfortunately your list of ECs and work are not really super-strong into the field of medicine. You're missing some experience, for instance, shadowing another doctor or getting some clinical volunteer work. Both your gpa and MCAT make you a bit weak for MD, but you'd have much more luck applying to a D.O. program.

What is most important for you to do is to polish up why you're applying and tie together your various ECs so it tells a story about who you are and why a school should accept you. If you get an interview, it's because they see a possibility in you, but it'll be super important to explain how all your diverse experiences and talents will make you a great doctor one day.

My story is a bit long and confusing but I am actually in school right now. I was in school awhile ago and took an extended break before deciding to return to pursue a medical degree.

When I returned to school I choose a biology degree knowing I was a pre-med student.

Here are my grades in recent science courses w/ labs:
BIO I and II A/A
CHE I and II A/A
PHY I and II A/B
O CHE I and II A/B
Physiology B
Genetics A
Neuroscience B (no lab available)

 

[Jas1360]

You've been out of school for a while, so schools will be very interested to see what you've been doing. Unfortunately your list of ECs and work are not really super-strong into the field of medicine. You're missing some experience, for instance, shadowing another doctor or getting some clinical volunteer work. Both your gpa and MCAT make you a bit weak for MD, but you'd have much more luck applying to a D.O. program.

What is most important for you to do is to polish up why you're applying and tie together your various ECs so it tells a story about who you are and why a school should accept you. If you get an interview, it's because they see a possibility in you, but it'll be super important to explain how all your diverse experiences and talents will make you a great doctor one day.

Really? I knew my MCAT was not good for a top tier school but I never thought it was weak for average MD programs.

 

[ArseneWengered]

Dang, you should have applied to more schools and to historically lower stat schools. With the combination of your GPA and MCAT, you'll likely get an interview at both Kentucky schools because they both have typically lower numbers. Having ties to a state usually does not matter. Knowing that schools have a hell of a lot of applicants, someone with 'some ties' does not mean anything because they will really skip past you for the guy that lives there (if they are looking at some people with similar numbers and looking for instate applicants).

MSUCOM will definitely show you some love, but that might be the only school outside of Louisville, UK, and the Military school. Just being realistic.

 

[Jas1360]

Dang, you should have applied to more schools and to historically lower stat schools. With the combination of your GPA and MCAT, you'll likely get an interview at both Kentucky schools because they both have typically lower numbers. Having ties to a state usually does not matter. Knowing that schools have a hell of a lot of applicants, someone with 'some ties' does not mean anything because they will really skip past you for the guy that lives there (if they are looking at some people with similar numbers and looking for instate applicants).

MSUCOM will definitely show you some love, but that might be the only school outside of Louisville, UK, and the Military school. Just being realistic.

Which MD schools would you suggest?

 

[Jas1360]

As far as "ties", do they care if your parents live in that state or if it is a state you graduated from? How about if you had family members go to that medical school?

Basically, which ties are important, if any?

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Why is msucom your top choice? For OOS students their tuition is like $70k/year. And the person above is right. Your gpa is very low for MD programs and you couple that with an average MCAT, an MD acceptance is going to be very tough. I would recommend more DO schools where you have a decent chance. All ties are important but there is no telling how much it will save an app. You will get a little preference over someone with NO ties, but not nearly as much as residents. You really should have applied smarter. Not sure why you HAD to submit your list before you applied. You could have saved a bunch of money.

 

[Jas1360]

There are specific reasons for the schools I picked. I agree my GPA is very low, I earned some bad grades about 8-10 years ago.

I would like to hear which schools I should have picked.

 

[Jas1360]

As far as MSUCOM tuition, there are programs that will make up the difference if you are staying in Michigan to practice medicine.

 

[ArseneWengered]

You could apply to NYCOM, CCOM, AZCOM, DMU and PCOM and likely get in without much of an effort with your MCAT.

You already applied to the best possible MDs for your position, UK and UL. Check regionally, maybe schools like Marshall and WVUSoM or VT.

 

[Jas1360]

Ok don't worry about DO schools I applied to some but I did not list them.

 

[ArseneWengered]

You've already attended the UK interview and was rejected? Louisville is historically a school with one of the lowest avgs in the country. If you don't hear good things from them, then it's unlikely you'll hear from any other allopathics.

 

[Jas1360]

You've already attended the UK interview and was rejected? Louisville is historically a school with one of the lowest avgs in the country. If you don't hear good things from them, then it's unlikely you'll hear from any other allopathics.

Yes, I knew those were my two best options so I was curious why every one thought I did not pick a good choice of schools or which schools would be better. It seemed to me that the only other schools with low stats were ones that had special requirements as far as residency or selecting a disadvantaged status.

So as far as ECs it sounds like I need to make sure I show shadowing and more clinical experience. Am I missing anything else?

 

[Eiot]

Take a look at my MDApp and give it to me straight. I need to focus because the season is not over. I will say that my profile is not 100% inclusive but there is enough information for critiquing.

Thank you in advance.

You got to go to airborne school after a few semesters of ROTC? What the eff.

 

[Jas1360]

You got to go to airborne school after a few semesters of ROTC? What the eff.

I was contracted, class leader, and scored 300 on APFT.

 

[Eiot]

I was contracted, class leader, and scored 300 on APFT.

I had squad leaders with sign-on bonuses and 300 PFTs that had to wait til their next reenlistment to go to airborne school. Please note my comments are all out of extreme jealousy.

 

[Lucky Louie]

I had squad leaders with sign-on bonuses and 300 PFTs that had to wait til their next reenlistment to go to airborne school. Please note my comments are all out of extreme jealousy.

See Jas? Your ECs can really tell an interesting story. That's how you'll be successful. Unfortunately the combination of your gpa AND mcat score make an acceptance into an allopathic program less likely. Instead, explore D.O. schools and you'll be golden.

 

[Jas1360]

I had squad leaders with sign-on bonuses and 300 PFTs that had to wait til their next reenlistment to go to airborne school. Please note my comments are all out of extreme jealousy.

I totally understand, there were guys there that had waited ten years to get a spot.

 

[Entadus]

edit: sorry necrobump🙁