Disappointing Application Cycle

[royalewthcheese]

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But ya, I applied to 25 total schools, divided among 7 safeties, 7 mid-tiers, and the rest top 25 so ya I pretty much covered all bases. Perhaps the fact that my application was complete in mid September had a minor role, but I guess I will never know.

No, I applied to 14 of the top 25 medical schools and applied to 25 medical schools overall because I knew the process would be competitive, just not to the extent that it turned out to be.

Let's be honest, 14 top 25 schools, 7 mid-tier, and 4 unranked in research.

 

[OasisFTW]

partly to express my frustration and partly to ask for reasons as to why it happened. i definitely im not going to reapply, it is not worth it.

 

[thenthdegree]

Oasis,

You really remind me of myself in a lot of aspects my first time around, a lot of the same regrets and disappointments. My story is pretty similar: I did my undergrad in three years, graduating with a BS in Chemistry and a BA in German, plus pre-med track courses. I had crazy amounts of AP credits which let me basically decide which field I wanted to pursue because no matter what I chose my gen eds were taken care of. I was in the honors program, did study abroad and research for a number of semesters. I wasn't at a name-brand school - I was accepted to U Chicago (my dream school 🙂) for undergrad, but ended up going in-state (Iowa) for financial reasons. I probably had a little bit more research experience too - I worked full-time for two summers in bioinformatics and in the chemistry and biology departments as both a research assistant and later a teaching assistant before graduating. I also got a 37 on my MCATs.

So I thought I had a pretty strong academic record, but being honest with myself I hadn't done much in the way of actual hospital-related activity. I also was aiming for a top-25 school and one of the reasons I didn't get in the first time around was definitely due to my ignorance of just how much other people are doing to prepare for med school. I made the excuse to myself that I hadn't had enough time to add volunteering to research, teaching and a truly enormous courseload, but I did have time to enjoy myself and 3 hours per week at a hospital would not have taken anything away from me. In my case I would really say that indecision was the biggest problem. I come from a similar white-collar background to what you mentioned, and I can imagine that you're a pretty smart guy and have a lot of interests. The fact that you majored in economics and were an AP wizard would clue me in to this. I can bet that like me, a lot of your frustation stems from the fact that you expect a lot from yourself and might think that if you had only focused on this earlier you might be in a "name" place. While that might be true, my advice would be don't sweat it. The head of gynecological oncology in my mom's department in the hospital went to Bowdoin undergrad and no-name school for his MD, but is absolutely brilliant and dedicated, not to mention highly respected and makes more money than God.

So, like the other people here say, be glad you got in. I had to take a year off and work full-time in research, volunteer, and get my name on a few publications before I got in. For some reason I retook the MCATs and got a 39, you can do the marginal cost/benefit analysis on that if you want to 😀

 

[LuciusVorenus]

As everyone else pointed out research is the main problem. 1 semester of research is barely enough for schools that aren't research power houses, much less schools that base their entire medical institutions around research.

1 year of volunteering...also eh

I think you assessed it fine yourself, there just wasn't anything *special* about your application. Maybe you should have just waited the extra year you had from graduating early and done some other ECs.

Honesty, a 3.7 is a really good GPA, but not high enough for a top 20 school. But maybe I'm just biased because I live in California and our STATE schools need a 3.7+.

Also, med school is med school. Who cares? How many of your patients do you think really know the US news world rankings for medical schools 🙄

 

[riverjib]

I applied during this application cycle, and although I got into a couple medical schools, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Illinois, and had interviews at Duke, Case Western, and Northwestern, I was pretty disappointed that I did not get into a top 25 medical school. Here is basically my profile. I graduated from Northwestern in 3 years with a 3.7 GPA and a degree in economics, took the MCAT this past summer after I graduated, and got a 37. I thought my stats, along with my extracurriculars which I thought covered the bases (1 summer of research at Feinberg, shadowing 3 doctors, 1 year of volunteering at a free health clinic in Chicago) would be able to get me into a top med school which obviously did not happen. As I look back to what went wrong, I know it wasn't my interviews or essays as all my answers were thoughtful and were presented in a confident, self assured manner. I think the problem was the substance of my overall application, in the sense that I didn't spend a summer abroad in a poor country or didn't have a publication due to the fact that my research experience was only a summer. In a sense, there was no fascinating or unique circumstance that I could share because of my vanilla E.C.'s and the fact that I come from a pretty privileged background, as both of my parents are physicians. But honestly, is it really my fault that I have lived a pretty good life? I guess I could have taken a year off to further strengthen my application, but I know that most of my friends who go abroad in public health programs end up partying instead of really "making a difference", and I could not see myself doing that. Furthermore, I find research really boring and could not force myself to do that for a year. To close, I think I realize that in order to get into these top schools, it was more a matter of me not doing the aforementioned activities instead of just bad luck. What do you guys think?

Wow, I hope you edited your essays better than you did this post. That might have been issue #1. Issue #2 is your blatant arrogance about your "vanilla" ECs and the fact that it's "not your fault" that you're an entitled kid and you couldn't be bothered to work with anyone who actually *needs* help. Ugh. Is this a joke???? Please tell me it is! If it's not, please give your much-coveted spots to someone who actually gives a s**t about patients! You're obnoxious...and I'm only HOPING that you're acting this way intentionally!!!!

 

[FluffyRabbit]

I will admit, the only reason I would have liked to get into a top 25 school is for the name recognition and if that is a bit egotistical, so be it...

Nothing really wrong with that, all other things aside, prestige is a nice thing to have. It can't really hurt you, and it might even be helpful (how much we can debate forever) if you choose to do academia or a stupendously competitive residency.

However, premeds often care more about it than its true usefulness would justify.

dude that sucks. You had great stats but still got screwed.

If you really don't want to go to those med schools that accepted you, and since you did graduate college in 3 years, I would advise you spend a year at the London School of Economics-(One of the best econ/social sciences schools in the world) and then reapply while still working on research projects/clinical activities in London.

A lot of good research in economics is being done right here in the U.S. That being said, it's a really bad idea.

This is starting to be a pet peeve. Someone interviews at a school, gets rejected, and then says "I know it wasn't the interview." There is only one way to know how well an interview went. If you get accepted, it went well. If you get rejected, it did not go well. If you get waitlisted, it went OK. The fact is you did not significantly wow them, or prove to them that you were the right fit for their school, at the interview. If I were you, I would figure out before your residency interviews what you are doing wrong. Interviewing is about a lot more than being "thoughtful and self-assured".

You can have a completely average interview and still get in. The importance of the interview is weighed differently, related to the rest of your application, depending on the school (although I would estimate at more than 50% at most schools).

I know that if you got in, you probably didn't physically assault your interviewer. 🙂

The interview can be very important to a mere sanity check depending on the school. The fact that people often do badly during interviews and still get in while others get rejected after their interviewer tells them that they really rock seems to support the idea not every school pays that much attention to them. Considering interviews aren't that long and a lot schools just want a friendly conversation about anything under the sun, sometimes I wonder what new information they managed to extract.

I also notice while randomly stalking MDApps that people who have more impressive applications seem to be accepted more often post-interview (surprise!), and I don't think having better stats/ECs implies that you are naturally better at interviewing...

 

[bookfreak89]

Agreed, but I'm sure they had something else that made them stand out. Either perfect numbers, or they've really shown a dedication to helping the community, etc.

This. You need to overcompensate for something like lack of research and it seems the OP didn't do that from the information we were given.

 

[vandyfootball]

Terrible advice. He's weak in research and you advise him to get a grad degree in econ? Yesterday 11:03 PM

^^^ Dude, I never advised the OP to get a grad degree in Econ, I was telling him to take a couple of classes at LSE in Health Economics, and at the same time doing research at some research labs in London.

ya man, actually nw had a yearlong program at LSE which I thought about doing.

^^^ Yah, I meant somthing like the year long program, however, you don't have to do it through NU, you can do it on your own, and in that year, you won't be getting a grad degree (I think it takes like 2 years for an MBA or even a MPH)

Also, a word of advice to vandy, in your interviews do not ever mention the fact that you are thinking about getting an M.B.A. or becoming a part-time health care administrator, part-time physician in the future. I did that in my early admission interview to Northwestern University last year in order to stand out, and I realized months after I got rejected how terrible a strategy that was. Adcom's want to see your commitment to medicine, so if you mention economics make it related to health care reform, etc.

^^^ haha, I wasn't planning on getting an MBA but I was definitely going to play up the health economics perspective in interviews. Thanks for the advice on not doing that.

 

[Arjuna]

I feel bittersweet after reading this. On one hand, it is great that you were accepted somewhere, but on the other hand, you are feeling disappointed that you didn't get into a "Top 25". Look at it this way: You already got an excellent undergraduate education from a very good school (Northwestern) and are now going to another excellent school (UoI). The ECs that you mention are too formulaic and sound too cliched; and to be honest, your stats aren't exactly golden. If you had above a 3.85 BCPM and an MCAT above 37, then I would have more reason to whine. But in your case, getting in with the aforementioned stats is a crapshoot. (Heck, it is a crapshoot for even people with 4.0/40 MCAT) And you also mentioned that you find research "boring"; in that case, top 25 schools aren't exactly a good fit for you, as they all emphasize research. If you feel bad about not getting accepted into a top 25, then don't be, because research is pretty much required (and that too 1+ years) in order to have a fighting chance. But in the end, what matters, is that you were accepted somewhere. So be happy.

 

[thamsenman]

As someone who have actually finished undergrad in 3 years... I'd have to say no. Full course load was 4 classes/quarter and 3 quarters/year. I did 3 classes/quarter my last two years and 4 classes/quarter my first year. Go go AP classes.

But you are a little gay genius after all.

 

[Dial71]

It may seem harsh, but you should be happy that you were not accepted at any top 25 schools.

It is clear that you were not rejected due to your numbers. Instead, the it seems that the programs you interviewed at did not consider you a good fit. As stated previously in this thread, top 25 schools are focused largely on research and producing medical scientists. You outright stated that you dislike bench research. Your goals do not fit the mission of these schools.

There is nothing wrong with this. I am sure that you will make a fine clinician. However, there is no sense in forcing yourself to fit into a program that is a poor match for you. Sure it hurts, but it's time now to celebrate your acceptances and get ready to be a doctor.

Good luck, man.

 

[MrCheetah]

I applied during this application cycle, and although I got into a couple medical schools, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Illinois, and had interviews at Duke, Case Western, and Northwestern, I was pretty disappointed that I did not get into a top 25 medical school. Here is basically my profile. I graduated from Northwestern in 3 years with a 3.7 GPA and a degree in economics, took the MCAT this past summer after I graduated, and got a 37. I thought my stats, along with my extracurriculars which I thought covered the bases (1 summer of research at Feinberg, shadowing 3 doctors, 1 year of volunteering at a free health clinic in Chicago) would be able to get me into a top med school which obviously did not happen. As I look back to what went wrong, I know it wasn't my interviews or essays as all my answers were thoughtful and were presented in a confident, self assured manner. I think the problem was the substance of my overall application, in the sense that I didn't spend a summer abroad in a poor country or didn't have a publication due to the fact that my research experience was only a summer. In a sense, there was no fascinating or unique circumstance that I could share because of my vanilla E.C.'s and the fact that I come from a pretty privileged background, as both of my parents are physicians. But honestly, is it really my fault that I have lived a pretty good life? I guess I could have taken a year off to further strengthen my application, but I know that most of my friends who go abroad in public health programs end up partying instead of really "making a difference", and I could not see myself doing that. Furthermore, I find research really boring and could not force myself to do that for a year. To close, I think I realize that in order to get into these top schools, it was more a matter of me not doing the aforementioned activities instead of just bad luck. What do you guys think?

I think that you are a pompous, immature, and entitled jerk. Like venting on here will do anything for you. You ONLY got into two schools. So what? Just shut up and go to U of I.

 

[Howisbabbyformd]

I applied during this application cycle, and although I got into a couple medical schools, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Illinois, and had interviews at Duke, Case Western, and Northwestern, I was pretty disappointed that I did not get into a top 25 medical school. Here is basically my profile. I graduated from Northwestern in 3 years with a 3.7 GPA and a degree in economics, took the MCAT this past summer after I graduated, and got a 37. I thought my stats, along with my extracurriculars which I thought covered the bases (1 summer of research at Feinberg, shadowing 3 doctors, 1 year of volunteering at a free health clinic in Chicago) would be able to get me into a top med school which obviously did not happen. As I look back to what went wrong, I know it wasn't my interviews or essays as all my answers were thoughtful and were presented in a confident, self assured manner. I think the problem was the substance of my overall application, in the sense that I didn't spend a summer abroad in a poor country or didn't have a publication due to the fact that my research experience was only a summer. In a sense, there was no fascinating or unique circumstance that I could share because of my vanilla E.C.'s and the fact that I come from a pretty privileged background, as both of my parents are physicians. But honestly, is it really my fault that I have lived a pretty good life? I guess I could have taken a year off to further strengthen my application, but I know that most of my friends who go abroad in public health programs end up partying instead of really "making a difference", and I could not see myself doing that. Furthermore, I find research really boring and could not force myself to do that for a year. To close, I think I realize that in order to get into these top schools, it was more a matter of me not doing the aforementioned activities instead of just bad luck. What do you guys think?

Oh I feel so sorry for you 🙄 Cry me a freakin' river.

 

[ksegnhu]

.

 

[88pich14]

Top 25 schools want to pump out future leaders in medicine. You've got the numbers but you have absolutely nothing else in your app that shows your potential as a future leader. Any significant community service/ leadership experience would have done the job, not just research.

That being said, you are fortunate enough to have been accepted to multiple schools. This is certainly something to celebrate. Congrats!

 

[Perforin]

Wow, people are pretty harsh on this guy. I see nothing wrong with being disappointed after working your butt off and doing great on the MCAT and not getting into a top 25 medical school. And, unfortunately, a lot of it comes down to things like researching or doing work in Africa or something.

I'm a 2nd year medical student, and after talking to our admissions committee they have let me know that they get tons of applicants with "great" stats that just look the same, and often times they just pick somebody that has something unique about them and can add to the diversity of the class.

That doesn't bode well for somebody for somebody from the "typical" background. I won't go into what I think that is, but I think everybody has a general idea.

But, let me reassure you by saying that it doesn't really matter where you do your medical school, in my opinion, if you do really well on Step 1, and in other parts of med school, but Step 1 especially.

Most residency programs (I've talked to a few directors) don't really care where you went to school, even somewhere like Hopkins can produce a few dorks/idiots that no one likes. What is important to many residencies is step 1. Do very well on that, and it won't matter what med school you went to. Although it may help just a bit more if you did well on step 1 and went to a top 25. And residency, from what I've heard, is where you really learn to become a doctor.

I wish you the best, and sorry you didn't get into the top 25 you wanted, but things will work out just fine.

 

[dweji16]

... I think the problem was the substance of my overall application, in the sense that I didn't spend a summer abroad in a poor country or didn't have a publication due to the fact that my research experience was only a summer. In a sense, there was no fascinating or unique circumstance that I could share because of my vanilla E.C.'s and the fact that I come from a pretty privileged background, as both of my parents are physicians. But honestly, is it really my fault that I have lived a pretty good life? I guess I could have taken a year off to further strengthen my application, but I know that most of my friends who go abroad in public health programs end up partying instead of really "making a difference", and I could not see myself doing that. ...

While this may be true in some instances...

I actually did my practicum for public health abroad, and spent it being exposed to all sorts of lovely diseases (doctor told me I might have dengue... no vaccine ), despite getting all the shots necessary...

I worked 13 hours a day, had to write reports each night afterward, and eventually got bronchitis for a good 2 months after I got back... bronchitis, after being in a tropical country... huh?

I agree that there are some students who abuse the privilege to learn... but many do work hard (much harder than me) and really do their best to give all the help necessary. And for our school, the way our programs are set up, you're too sick or tired to even stay awake at night, much less party. We're really worked to make the most of our time there.

Your frustration is understandable, but on the other side, I feel that there are many others who make the most of it and pull through. Especially since most schools nowadays have either very clear cut missions of either research or community service, applicants need to try to stand out in either of these arenas. Maybe because you didn't do enough in either, (like you said.. vanilla ECs) is the reason. It seems the top schools really try to emphasize one or the other.

 

[scrambizle]

OP, if you want to go to a top residency program, especially in a competitive field, you'll need to do research in med school. Your board scores, grades, and AOA will open up doors, but research is just as important to to academic residencies. They want to produce division and department chairs, etc., and the way you get those jobs is with scholarly activity. That being said, clinical research may appeal to you more than bench research.

 

[slowbutsteady]

Yes, I am definitely lucky to get in somewhere. I know a good amount of people at Northwestern who weren't able to get in anywhere and I realize that my post would seem to be in poor taste to someone who did not get in this cycle, but my intention was not for that to happen. This post, I guess, is a therapeutic way for me to list my regrets to make sure it doesn't happen again in medical school, nothing more. In the end, it really doesn't matter where you go to medical school and I will be a doctor.

We are not your shrink. Go whine elsewhere.

 

[GodisGood12]

I get that this guy should be thankful and more happy about his outcome.
But I feel like everyone is attacking him a bit too much and we have a tendency here on SDN to be very cynical and attacking, it gets old fast....

OP, While I admit your post came off a bit too self-confident, I honestly understand where your coming from. Lets not kid ourselves there are plenty of people who apply that are truly disappointed if they arent admitted into a top notch program especially if they have the stats or MCAT, and while I do think they should be humble about it and thankful, I can't blame them. Different people have different standards. I promise if all of you had 37 MCATs and high GPAs you also would feel a bit let down not getting into a top school. Its easy for us down here to criticize because we simply don't know how it feels.

Eitherway, I think you should try to get over this disappointment as soon as possible, just get over it, tell yourself its stupid. You got into a good medical school, and think of it this way, if you feel like youve worked extra hard, itll pay off in Medical School and youll distinguish yourself there.

 

[EMTI]

I also have no sympathy for you here.

Both your parents are physicians? At least you admit you come from a privileged background. But many of us have to work our backsides off to get here, and would be thrilled to get into ANY medical school. It's shameless of you to parade around here like you're disappointed for not making Hopkins, or wherever. You sound very "cookie cutter." And I can guarantee these Ivys see a thousand of you every day. Also, if you presented yourself as you did here, I can understand why they didn't accept you.

Best of luck, but sounds as if you may need to reevaluate why you want to become a physician-

 

[masturhu]

Honestly there is no reason to attack the OP for how he feels. I'm sure a lot of people would feel the same in his shoes. He knows he's smart (probably smarter than a lot of the people who got into top 25 schools) but he didn't end up getting in.

The thing about this is that people know this happens. The medical field is so competitive and that there isn't really an "objective" basis to get the best and brightest doctors. So even if you don't go to a top 25 med school and do very well, you'll have A LOT of doors opened.

 

[TaylorMDhopeful]

Knock out the STEP, honors some classes/rotations in medical school, prepare for interviews and then get that coveted "elite" residency (MGH, Hopkins etc). Residency is what really matters anyway.

 

[Appless]

Honestly there is no reason to attack the OP for how he feels. I'm sure a lot of people would feel the same in his shoes. He knows he's smart (probably smarter than a lot of the people who got into top 25 schools) but he didn't end up getting in.

The thing about this is that people know this happens. The medical field is so competitive and that there isn't really an "objective" basis to get the best and brightest doctors. So even if you don't go to a top 25 med school and do very well, you'll have A LOT of doors opened.

i agree no reason to attack. So hes dissapointed he didnt achieve his goal? Im sure some of us can certianly relate to that. Not everyone gets into your top choice (i know i didnt) and if you dont, it can be a bit disheartening having to go to a school you didnt really want to. I get why people would think hes whiny etc etc. But no reason to jump all over the guy.

 

[jlimback]

I will admit, the only reason I would have liked to get into a top 25 school is for the name recognition and if that is a bit egotistical, so be it.

I think the whole situation, with you going to a less-than-preferred school, will have a good effect on the "rounding out" of your ego. IMHO, an ego is the first step towards becoming a bad doc.

Really, many of us here know the pain of not getting into a school we wanted to....most often based on some deficiency on our parts. So, we can relate to your feelings.

Albeit fate, god, or whatever you choose to attribute your situation to, you are likely to be better off where you are. Who knows, you may actually find yourself to like the school/classmates.

**This is an opinion...take with your daily grain of salt.**

 

[Brigade4Radiant]

Figures that the person with an extreme entitlement complex with multiple acceptances would complain about URMs taking his rightful place in the top 25 schools.

 

[Food]

I will admit, the only reason I would have liked to get into a top 25 school is for the name recognition and if that is a bit egotistical, so be it. I don't think there is anything wrong with having some sort of ambition and competitiveness in life. Also, I don't think it's entitlement in the sense that I worked extremely hard for the 3 years I was at Northwestern. Furthermore, I spent pretty much the entire past summer studying for the MCAT and my score was good enough to get into one of these places. Is it a crime to not want to do a year of hardcore research after working so hard already? I guess my main point is that I don't feel doing research has anything do with being an effective doctor, and I wish that what we define to be the top medical schools are based on which schools are the best at research.

Compared to your fellow pre-meds from Northwestern, I bet you are mediocre at best. You having studied the whole summer for the MCAT doesn't set you apart at all. I studied for 1/3 of the summer and got a 38. I count myself lucky to get into a couple of my state schools. Plus yeah, it really doesn't help that your parents are physicians. For better or for worse, I really do think it means you had more opportunity to explore the field and have better exposure to it, plus probably the financial resources to actually study abroad or go on a mission trip. From the way you're writing, it just doesn't seem like you have a good concept of what hard work really is. It's not that you need to do research as a doctor. But doing it for 3+ years and having an amazing LOR from a PI shows that you will work as hard as is necessary to learn and prove yourself. It is the same with people who start Non-Profits. You don't seem to understand who you are competing with at the top 25. Your attitude seems to be, "I worked hard, have a high MCAT and GPA, therefore I should get in". The trouble is there are people applying with higher MCATs and GPAs and actually demonstrate some amazing qualities either through extensive research, unique experiences with volunteering or traveling, etc. I know people who have made it into top 10 med schools, and trust me they deserved it.

 

[Food]

i agree no reason to attack. So hes dissapointed he didnt achieve his goal? Im sure some of us can certianly relate to that. Not everyone gets into your top choice (i know i didnt) and if you dont, it can be a bit disheartening having to go to a school you didnt really want to. I get why people would think hes whiny etc etc. But no reason to jump all over the guy.

You're right - I've been in his position. Except that last year I didn't get into any medical school at all. I just hope, for his sake, that he realizes his own mistakes in this. Ultimately you have a choice to either blame the system or blame yourself. I have found that it is much more constructive to blame yourself, as long as you don't wallow in self-pity.

 

[Food]

partly to express my frustration and partly to ask for reasons as to why it happened. i definitely im not going to reapply, it is not worth it.

Actually, after reading this, I take back what I said. This is exactly what I said last year after getting rejected everywhere without an interview despite a great MCAT and slightly below avg. GPA. You should definitely re-apply. Truuuust me. Somehow things work themselves out in the end. You did your undergrad in only 3 years anyway, you might as well try again. Do something amazing this year. And never give up with telling schools about all the stuff you're doing.

 

[AKPMD]

OP=troll.

please don't feed it.

 

[OasisFTW]

OP=troll.

please don't feed it.

I'm not a troll, this is actually what happened. Good to see some people are backing me up on this. Thanks for the support. Also although I was mediocre or even below average in terms of my EC's compared to my fellow northwestern kids, I was definitely above average with the other parts of my application, as the average nw kid who got into med school had a gpa of 3..5 and a MCAT of 33. But ya, I agree with all of your points about not doing enough other stuff, and I will try to do more of that in med school.

 

[doc4life2010]

I'm not a troll, this is actually what happened. Good to see some people are backing me up on this. Thanks for the support. Also although I was mediocre or even below average in terms of my EC's compared to my fellow northwestern kids, I was definitely above average with the other parts of my application, as the average nw kid who got into med school had a gpa of 3..5 and a MCAT of 33. But ya, I agree with all of your points about not doing enough other stuff, and I will try to do more of that in med school.

dude i feel you man....not to hijack your thread but wanted to give you a perspective of my situation:

i also attended a peer institution of northwestern for undergrad..had a 3.8+ GPA but a very low-30 MCAT..I come from a disadvantaged background but am not URM and could not afford a MCAT prep class though I studied my a** off for 10-12 hrs a day for 3 months..i had some of the best letters of recommendation that my pre-med committee has seen (most of my interviewers said this also), started a NGO in South Africa when I was a freshmen in undergrad, couple years of research with presentations at national conferences, Phi Beta Kappa, graduated magna cum laude, hundreds of hours of clinical work, among many other significant leadership roles and awards etc..was complete everywhere by beginning of Sept...and did not get into any school and applied to 28 schools but only get a few interviews (none of my safeties gave me an interview but I got an interview at Harvard--the only top 10 school to give me an interview, and only got 1 interview at a top 20) and am currently sitting on several waitlists and my only post-interview rejection was at Harvard..while there is a URM from my school who has a 3.6 and 33 and is attending Hopkins but he comes from a privileged background and got into UPenn, Columbia, Duke, Yale, Boston University, and Mt. Sinai and his EC's were purely average (i.e. secretary of pre-med society)---I am not saying he doesnt deserve those acceptances because his stats are decent..I am complaining about my own situation and find it weird that I did not get even get the opportunity to interview from any of those schools despite my higher GPA and comparable MCAT score though mine was a couple points lower...I know I will get flamed but please dont get me wrong I am not blaming URMs because many of them are truly bright and much much much much smarter than me and had to go through many unfair obstacles to get where they are at and deserve all the acceptances in the world..I am blaming the flaws of the system which was originally designed for people with disadvantages in life that prevented them from entering medicine and hence they were under-represented but there are people who take advantage of this system that was never originally designed for them (ie the privileged kid from my school).

and i do blame myself also..I should have done better on the MCAT..bad choice on my part for taking it in end of July during the app cycle so I could not take it again by the time I received my score which was 4 points lower than my average

like the OP I do not feel any sort of entitlement but it hurts to not achieve the high goals that you set out for especially when you feel as though you are accomplished enough to achieve them...it hurts telling friends and family members, who too had high expectations, that I haven't gotten in anywhere...and frankly its kind of embarrassing..so yeah give the OP a break...OP, I can relate to your frustration and disappointment..am sure there are many more who can also...it sucks trust me but you use this as a defining moment to work even harder to achieve your dream for residency..i wish you all the best

 

[flip26]

i agree no reason to attack. So hes dissapointed he didnt achieve his goal? Im sure some of us can certianly relate to that. Not everyone gets into your top choice (i know i didnt) and if you dont, it can be a bit disheartening having to go to a school you didnt really want to. I get why people would think hes whiny etc etc. But no reason to jump all over the guy.

There is the problem with the OP. The only goal that matters is getting in somewhere. The goal of a certain ranking of school is a sign of immaturity or insecurity or an inflated sense of self.

I haven't attacked him, and won't, but he is hardly worthy of sympathy from anyone.

 

[BBender716]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DksSPZTZES0[/YOUTUBE]

 

[OasisFTW]

dude i feel you man....not to hijack your thread but wanted to give you a perspective of my situation:

i also attended a peer institution of northwestern for undergrad..had a 3.8+ GPA but a very low-30 MCAT..I come from a disadvantaged background but am not URM and could not afford a MCAT prep class though I studied my a** off for 10-12 hrs a day for 3 months..i had some of the best letters of recommendation that my pre-med committee has seen (most of my interviewers said this also), started a NGO in South Africa when I was a freshmen in undergrad, couple years of research with presentations at national conferences, Phi Beta Kappa, graduated magna cum laude, hundreds of hours of clinical work, among many other significant leadership roles and awards etc..was complete everywhere by beginning of Sept...and did not get into any school and applied to 28 schools but only get a few interviews (none of my safeties gave me an interview but I got an interview at Harvard--the only top 10 school to give me an interview, and only got 1 interview at a top 20) and am currently sitting on several waitlists and my only post-interview rejection was at Harvard..while there is a URM from my school who has a 3.6 and 33 and is attending Hopkins but he comes from a privileged background and got into UPenn, Columbia, Duke, Yale, Boston University, and Mt. Sinai and his EC's were purely average (i.e. secretary of pre-med society)---I am not saying he doesnt deserve those acceptances because his stats are decent..I am complaining about my own situation and find it weird that I did not get even get the opportunity to interview from any of those schools despite my higher GPA and comparable MCAT score though mine was a couple points lower...I know I will get flamed but please dont get me wrong I am not blaming URMs because many of them are truly bright and much much much much smarter than me and had to go through many unfair obstacles to get where they are at and deserve all the acceptances in the world..I am blaming the flaws of the system which was originally designed for people with disadvantages in life that prevented them from entering medicine and hence they were under-represented but there are people who take advantage of this system that was never originally designed for them (ie the privileged kid from my school).

and i do blame myself also..I should have done better on the MCAT..bad choice on my part for taking it in end of July during the app cycle so I could not take it again by the time I received my score which was 4 points lower than my average

like the OP I do not feel any sort of entitlement but it hurts to not achieve the high goals that you set out for especially when you feel as though you are accomplished enough to achieve them...it hurts telling friends and family members, who too had high expectations, that I haven't gotten in anywhere...and frankly its kind of embarrassing..so yeah give the OP a break...OP, I can relate to your frustration and disappointment..am sure there are many more who can also...it sucks trust me but you use this as a defining moment to work even harder to achieve your dream for residency..i wish you all the best

Thanks man, appreciate it a lot. Hopefully you get in somewhere and good luck.

 

[chelala]

Perhaps they should add taking history/sociology/ANY humanities classes to the list of requirements for med school.

I wish I lived in this magical world where skin color didn't matter, too, btw. How do I get there?

 

[OasisFTW]

Perhaps they should add taking history/sociology/ANY humanities classes to the list of requirements for med school.

I wish I lived in this magical world where skin color didn't matter, too, btw. How do I get there?

Good point on the humanities. Although med schools and advisors say that major does not matter, it does. At pretty much all my interviews and especially at the top schools, almost everyone majored in a science subject.

 

[ButImLETired]

I applied during this application cycle, and although I got into a couple medical schools, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Illinois, and had interviews at Duke, Case Western, and Northwestern, I was pretty disappointed that I did not get into a top 25 medical school. Here is basically my profile. I graduated from Northwestern in 3 years with a 3.7 GPA and a degree in economics, took the MCAT this past summer after I graduated, and got a 37. I thought my stats, along with my extracurriculars which I thought covered the bases (1 summer of research at Feinberg, shadowing 3 doctors, 1 year of volunteering at a free health clinic in Chicago) would be able to get me into a top med school which obviously did not happen. As I look back to what went wrong, I know it wasn't my interviews or essays as all my answers were thoughtful and were presented in a confident, self assured manner. I think the problem was the substance of my overall application, in the sense that I didn't spend a summer abroad in a poor country or didn't have a publication due to the fact that my research experience was only a summer. In a sense, there was no fascinating or unique circumstance that I could share because of my vanilla E.C.'s and the fact that I come from a pretty privileged background, as both of my parents are physicians. But honestly, is it really my fault that I have lived a pretty good life? I guess I could have taken a year off to further strengthen my application, but I know that most of my friends who go abroad in public health programs end up partying instead of really "making a difference", and I could not see myself doing that. Furthermore, I find research really boring and could not force myself to do that for a year. To close, I think I realize that in order to get into these top schools, it was more a matter of me not doing the aforementioned activities instead of just bad luck. What do you guys think?

Just from this, I can pinpoint a number of issues:

1) you followed the ABC's of med school application, and you did the bare minimum for all of them. Adcoms aren't stupid and realize you did the bare minimum. In general, a passionate applicant is better than one that just checked items off a checklist.

2) if you're talking about the USNews rankings, you're talking about RESEARCH rankings. To go to a top 25 school means to go to a school that is best known for its research dollars. That means that not only do they expect a good deal of research in your application, but they also expect it to be significant (meaning that it was an important part of your education) and they expect you to at least want to do some kind of research in the future. That's the only reason to go to a top 25 school, really- the resources. If you're not going to use those resources, and you don't fit their mission (which generally includes something about training scientists as well as physicians), then you're not going to get in.
PS- research is really a catch-all term. I don't mean just lab research. Clinical research, or global health research, or public health/community based stuff also counts. The point is, you have to be a curious, open-minded scientist.

3) Again, the fact that you rushed through college by graduating in 3 years indicates that a) you're probably very young, and that generally works to your disadvantage in admissions (medicine is a grown-up job), and b) you kinda missed the point of college in the first place. Unless you had economic reasons or very good other reasons to graduate so soon, it can indicate that you didn't really care enough to take classes that were more advanced than your major required, or stuff that was a little outside the box, that may have not been your cup of tea but could have enriched your learning. Again, this points to lack of curiosity, a sort of apathy toward education. It can sound as if you were like "ok, my parents are doctors, I want to be a doctor, so I'm going to get this college thing done as quickly as I can, get a 3.7, then I guess I should do research/volunteering/shadowing, and take the MCAT, and ok, I'm done".


The thing is, medicine is all about lifelong learning. You have to LOVE what you do, and you have to be incredibly curious and inquisitive, and you have to be willing to try and learn things you might not think are super interesting, and you meet patients from all walks of life. You need to be passionate about what you do in order to do this well, I think. Either way, count your blessings for having gotten into a couple of great places, and good luck with your education.

 

[IDoIt4Love]

LOL I can't believe you feel ENTITLED to get into a top 25. Nobody is entitled to that, and even when you are really qualified, it's still a crapshoot. A 3.7 and a few bare-bones extra-curriculars ain't that great, pal. I had a 3.7, way better E.C.s than you, and I sure as hell am not going to a top 25...or 30...or 40...so just take a seat and thank God for the great luck you've had this cycle, and the fact that you don't have to go through this process again.

 

[ButImLETired]

Actually, after reading this, I take back what I said. This is exactly what I said last year after getting rejected everywhere without an interview despite a great MCAT and slightly below avg. GPA. You should definitely re-apply. Truuuust me. Somehow things work themselves out in the end. You did your undergrad in only 3 years anyway, you might as well try again. Do something amazing this year. And never give up with telling schools about all the stuff you're doing.

This is basically the worst advice I've ever read.

 

[IDoIt4Love]

dude i feel you man....not to hijack your thread but wanted to give you a perspective of my situation:

i also attended a peer institution of northwestern for undergrad..had a 3.8+ GPA but a very low-30 MCAT..I come from a disadvantaged background but am not URM and could not afford a MCAT prep class though I studied my a** off for 10-12 hrs a day for 3 months..i had some of the best letters of recommendation that my pre-med committee has seen (most of my interviewers said this also), started a NGO in South Africa when I was a freshmen in undergrad, couple years of research with presentations at national conferences, Phi Beta Kappa, graduated magna cum laude, hundreds of hours of clinical work, among many other significant leadership roles and awards etc..was complete everywhere by beginning of Sept...and did not get into any school and applied to 28 schools but only get a few interviews (none of my safeties gave me an interview but I got an interview at Harvard--the only top 10 school to give me an interview, and only got 1 interview at a top 20) and am currently sitting on several waitlists and my only post-interview rejection was at Harvard..while there is a URM from my school who has a 3.6 and 33 and is attending Hopkins but he comes from a privileged background and got into UPenn, Columbia, Duke, Yale, Boston University, and Mt. Sinai and his EC's were purely average (i.e. secretary of pre-med society)---I am not saying he doesnt deserve those acceptances because his stats are decent..I am complaining about my own situation and find it weird that I did not get even get the opportunity to interview from any of those schools despite my higher GPA and comparable MCAT score though mine was a couple points lower...I know I will get flamed but please dont get me wrong I am not blaming URMs because many of them are truly bright and much much much much smarter than me and had to go through many unfair obstacles to get where they are at and deserve all the acceptances in the world..I am blaming the flaws of the system which was originally designed for people with disadvantages in life that prevented them from entering medicine and hence they were under-represented but there are people who take advantage of this system that was never originally designed for them (ie the privileged kid from my school).

and i do blame myself also..I should have done better on the MCAT..bad choice on my part for taking it in end of July during the app cycle so I could not take it again by the time I received my score which was 4 points lower than my average

like the OP I do not feel any sort of entitlement but it hurts to not achieve the high goals that you set out for especially when you feel as though you are accomplished enough to achieve them...it hurts telling friends and family members, who too had high expectations, that I haven't gotten in anywhere...and frankly its kind of embarrassing..so yeah give the OP a break...OP, I can relate to your frustration and disappointment..am sure there are many more who can also...it sucks trust me but you use this as a defining moment to work even harder to achieve your dream for residency..i wish you all the best

dude, it is evident that you've put way more effort into all of this and have demonstrated way more passion about helping people, so the fact that right now you don't have a single acceptance IS shocking and you have every right to be upset. but the fact is, the OP got into TWO GOOD SCHOOLS and is still complaining that he didn't get in somewhere EVEN BETTER. that's really lame and immature.

 

[naijaboi]

OP, take your acceptances and run with it.

 

[JokerMD]

whats so good about top 25???

more important is cost, location, and grading system

 

[BrainBuff]

After reading this thread, a lot more people should have been banned from SDN.

I had not run into such a bunch of bitter people in a long time.... jeez

 

[mipp0]

I applied during this application cycle, and although I got into a couple medical schools, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Illinois, and had interviews at Duke, Case Western, and Northwestern, I was pretty disappointed that I did not get into a top 25 medical school. Here is basically my profile. I graduated from Northwestern in 3 years with a 3.7 GPA and a degree in economics, took the MCAT this past summer after I graduated, and got a 37. I thought my stats, along with my extracurriculars which I thought covered the bases (1 summer of research at Feinberg, shadowing 3 doctors, 1 year of volunteering at a free health clinic in Chicago) would be able to get me into a top med school which obviously did not happen. As I look back to what went wrong, I know it wasn't my interviews or essays as all my answers were thoughtful and were presented in a confident, self assured manner. I think the problem was the substance of my overall application, in the sense that I didn't spend a summer abroad in a poor country or didn't have a publication due to the fact that my research experience was only a summer. In a sense, there was no fascinating or unique circumstance that I could share because of my vanilla E.C.'s and the fact that I come from a pretty privileged background, as both of my parents are physicians. But honestly, is it really my fault that I have lived a pretty good life? I guess I could have taken a year off to further strengthen my application, but I know that most of my friends who go abroad in public health programs end up partying instead of really "making a difference", and I could not see myself doing that. Furthermore, I find research really boring and could not force myself to do that for a year. To close, I think I realize that in order to get into these top schools, it was more a matter of me not doing the aforementioned activities instead of just bad luck. What do you guys think?

Lol. No it isn't your fault that you lived a privileged life.

It's your fault for wasting it.

 

[CapnCrunch]

Maybe you should follow-up with the schools?

So many people always think their interview went dandy, but the truth is something different entirely. I'm sure maybe one school could get back to you and tell you where to improve rather than us (since everything seems fine with what you're telling us).

 

[Food]

Maybe you should follow-up with the schools?

So many people their interview went dandy, but the truth is something different entirely. I'm sure maybe one school could get back to you and tell you where to improve rather than us (since everything seems fine with what you're telling us).

Yeah...this is also a pretty big help. I'm not sure how responsive top 25s are with giving you feedback on your application, since they get such a ridiculous number, but if you are nice but assertive, you might get some useful information.

 

[VTBuc]

Wow, brother. I feel like you just walked into a wolfpack covered in raw steaks. I understand your frustration, but honestly...most people don't get any acceptances so just consider it a blessing that you got into two. Top-25 schools sound great and all but if you're not that into research, you won't be a good fit and you'll be stuck writing publications you have no passion for.

I don't think it's right for everyone to be trashing you about it, though. On SDN you have to be pretty politically correct because you are dealing with a bunch of neurotic, obsessive college students who are terrified of the future. Just keep that in mind. 😉 Most folks would love to be in your situation.

Relax, have a beer, and enjoy medical school next year.

 

[doc4life2010]

yeah most people on SDN are jerks and very short tempered (though they're probably much more controlled in real life and probably keep those kinds of opinions to themselves)..but hope they realize the patients they see for the rest of their lives are going to be extremely frustrating..at times entitled..and take things for granted..better get used to it..the frustrating things you see on SDN are nothing compared to what you're going to have to deal with when it comes to patients

 

[slowbutsteady]

After reading this thread, a lot more people should have been banned from SDN.

I had not run into such a bunch of bitter people in a long time.... jeez

But it's "internet bitter" not "real life bitter."