Do I apply this cycle or wait till next year? 520 MCAT, 3.87 cGPA

[pedneuro6894]

I applied ED to Maryland this year, just got the rejection email today. Now that it's official, I am trying to decide whether I should try and hammer out applications this weekend, or simply just wait till next cycle to apply again. Disclaimer: this is my 3rd application cycle.

1. 3.87 cGPA and 3.96 sGPA
2. 520 (130/127/132/131, 05/2022), 508 (130/125/128/125, 06/2021)
3. Maryland resident
4. White male
5. Assumption Unversity
6. Clinical Experience (volunteer and non-volunteer):
   • 1500+ hours as an MA at a Pediatrics and Family Medicine office (current job)
   • 430 hours as a patient care tech at UMass Memorial Medical Center on Neurology/Neurosurgery floor
   • 105 hours volunteering at University of Maryland Medical Center, 81 in Shock Trauma, 24 in Peds ER
7. Research experience and productivity:
   • 800 total hours of research through NSIP program at University of Maryland School of Medicine. 400 hours each summer of 2020 and 2021. First summer was with epidemiologist and I have a publication with her as 2nd author. Second summer was with neuropathologist, publication on the way.
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented:
   • 30 hours with the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgical Oncology at Boston Childrens
   • 28 hours shadowing two docs at Sinai hospital, one a neurologist in the ICU, one a neurosurgeon
9. Non-clinical volunteering:
   • 300 hours of running my own non-profit organization that entails a toy drive. I started it when I was 11, but the 300 hours only consists of the hours following college matriculation. The toys have been donated all over the Baltimore area, but now go to Johns Hopkins Childrens.
   • 55 hours coaching girls high school basketball summer leage
   • 50 hours helping run a lemonade stand that donates to families suffering from brain cancer in my area. Raises about 2500 each year
   • 22 hours volunteer tutoring middle and high school aged kids in my area
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc):
    • Collegiate football player at division 2 school. 3 year starter with multiple awards (see below)
    • RA in college
11. Relevant honors or awards:
    • First Team All-Conference for football 2021
    • 2x Academic All-Conference for football 2019, 2021
    • Scholar Athlete of the Year at my college my senior year
    • Emmanuel d’Alzon Crown and Shield Award: “Honors students who have distinguished themselves in the areas of leadership and service, chosen by the faculty and staff. The recipients of these awards have protected (shield) and furthered (crown) the interests of the student body and College.”
    • Departmental Award: “Chosen by the faculty, this award honors the most meritorious student in their primary program of study.” (Neuroscience Program)

In my personal essay, I talked about the adoption of my now 6 month old son, who is the full blood sibling of my adopted 2 year old sister. My parents adopted her last year, and her brother was born in March 2023, and to avoid him becoming a ward of the state, and to keep them growing up together, my wife and I adopted him. I tied that into my inspiration to medicine which was my cousins battle and ultimate passing from brain cancer, and how being a father has made me want to enter a pediatric field, and how it's inspired me to work on my teaching abilities for my role as a father and future role as a physician.

I know that my non-clinical volunteering could be better and that I need to "put myself out of my comfort zone". I'm currently training to be a companion for hospice patients, and will coach special olympics basketball this winter, but obviously that doesn't help me much with this cycle. I also know that my school lists the past two cycles were not good, and that applying ED this cycle may have not been the best idea, so to save myself from hearing that I'm making it known that I'm aware.

Essentially I need to know if it's even worth it to apply this late in the cycle to other schools, or do I just wait till next year when I can add those volunteering opportunities and improve on my writing. I've spoken to Mr.Smile about my writing, and while there are no red flags, it definitely could be better.

Whether or not I apply this cycle or next, here is my planned school list (numbers indicate number of times applied, not including what would be this year):
Georgetown (2)
George Washington (2)
Howard (2), this is merely for distance, I know it's an HBCU
Johns Hopkins (1)
Jefferson
Drexel (2)
Temple
Penn State (2 i think?)
Pittsburgh (1)
UMass
Tufts
Boston University
Harvard
Dartmouth
Brown
UConn (1 or 2 I can't remember)
Quinnipiac
UPenn
UVA
VCU (2)
Cooper at Rowan (1)
Rutgers

Edit: if I apply next year, I plan to apply to some DO's as well, so I would appreciate a small list of DO's that are in the DMV or New england area

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[Mr.Smile12]

Why don't you apply to DO schools now? You're not too late to try for VCOM, WVSOM, or PCOM. NYCOM and UNECOM too.

 

[MyOdyssey]

How many cycles have you applied with a 520 MCAT? Just one?

 

[pedneuro6894]

Why don't you apply to DO schools now? You're not too late to try for VCOM, WVSOM, or PCOM. NYCOM and UNECOM too.

DO schools are my absolute last option, so I’ll only apply as a last go round. Next year will also be my last go round for MD schools too cause my MCAT will expire. So I’d either apply to MD schools this cycle late, or apply to both next cycle for the last dance

 

[pedneuro6894]

How many cycles have you applied with a 520 MCAT? Just one?

2 if we count this current cycle, but essentially yes, just the 1 time last cycle because I applied ED this year

 

[MyOdyssey]

How many interviews have you received each cycle?

Are you limiting yourself geographically for some reason?

Whether adding more MD programs at this point is wise is a tough question. @Faha @Goro

 

[pedneuro6894]

How many interviews have you received each cycle?

Are you limiting yourself geographically for some reason?

Whether adding more MD programs at this point is wise is a tough question.

None the first cycle (12 schools with 508), 1 the second (18 schools with 520)

Yes, but the past two cycles were much more strict than the list I have now. They weren’t good fits either, which I have since learned. I have a young kid and my wife works. Trying to apply to schools somewhat near family so we have help. She’s from mass and I’m from maryland.

 

[Faha]

You would be better off to apply in June 2024. In general, applying early decision to a school is not a good strategy unless you have received some advance indication from the school that they are very interested in you. What happened in your situation is a common scenario in early decision- a rejection that occurs in September and then the applicant is already late in the cycle for other schools.

 

[candbgirl]

Did you talk to the Dean(or anyone ) at Maryland before you applied ED?
If you want apply this cycle apply apply tomDO. It’s very late for MD, especially for a third time applicant. Have you talked to anyone at any of the schools you’ve applied to?How many interviews did you have in past cycles? What were the results-WL, OUT RIGHT REJECTION?

 

[MyOdyssey]

Op

Consider waiting until next year to reapply while building up your service to less fortunate others component.

Perhaps network with student organizations that serve or cater to medical students with kids while loosening your geographic restrictions.

 

[MyOdyssey]

I meant NONclinical service to less fortunate others.

 

[pedneuro6894]

You would be better off to apply in June 2024. In general, applying early decision to a school is not a good strategy unless you have received some advance indication from the school that they are very interested in you. What happened in your situation is a common scenario in early decision- a rejection that occurs in September and then the applicant is already late in the cycle for other schools.

Will do. Do you think my school list is okay?

 

[pedneuro6894]

Op

Consider waiting until next year to reapply while building up your service to less fortunate others component.

Perhaps network with student organizations that serve or cater to medical students with kids while loosening your geographic restrictions.

Do you know of any of these organizations?

 

[MyOdyssey]

Do you know of any of these organizations?

I do not. I did a quick search for “medical students with kids” and found this article:

Having Children In Medical School - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

Perhaps the author of this piece might have some leads.

 

[Faha]

Will do. Do you think my school list is okay?

Yes, but you should apply more broadly and include these:
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
New York Medical College
West Virginia
Rochester
Cincinnati
Hackensack

 

[CurtSmithsMulletBraids]

DO schools are my absolute last option, so I’ll only apply as a last go round. Next year will also be my last go round for MD schools too cause my MCAT will expire. So I’d either apply to MD schools this cycle late, or apply to both next cycle for the last dance

There's no reason to apply to DO schools with your stats. I feel like the suggestion is just so you won't be MD competition, because holy shhh are you a threat. The whole thing reads like an adcoms wet dream. Go for MD next cycle and just maybe diversify your shadowing to show that you are not locked into your pedneuro track.

 

[pedneuro6894]

@Faha @MyOdyssey @Mr.Smile12 my current job is the Medical Assistant position at the family medicine practice, with a current total of probably 2000+ hours. Do you think it would be smart to venture out and look into getting a job in research, or stay at the MA position? I really like the job and it’s probably my best preparation for med school with the overall knowledge I’m learning, but I’m wondering if that would help my application to have more research?

Also, do you think the hospice volunteering and special Olympics coaching are good options to help boost my non-clinical volunteering for less fortunate others, or are adcoms looking for something else specifically?

 

[pedneuro6894]

Btw, thank you for everyone’s advice and opinions, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it!!

 

[MyOdyssey]

@Faha @MyOdyssey @Mr.Smile12 my current job is the Medical Assistant position at the family medicine practice, with a current total of probably 2000+ hours. Do you think it would be smart to venture out and look into getting a job in research, or stay at the MA position? I really like the job and it’s probably my best preparation for med school with the overall knowledge I’m learning, but I’m wondering if that would help my application to have more research?

Also, do you think the hospice volunteering and special Olympics coaching are good options to help boost my non-clinical volunteering for less fortunate others, or are adcoms looking for something else specifically?

The unaveraged 520 + high GPA makes you a candidate for T30 research powerhouses. 2 pubs is also above average. If you live in Maryland, consider doing a NIH postbacc by applying through the program’s website: minimum 1 year commitment. A lot of research powerhouses want candidates with high stats & thousands of hours of research.

Coaching Special Olympics - yes.

Hospice - maybe; some adcoms regard that as clinical, not nonclinical. Are the residents there receiving medical care under your attention or just receiving help with living? Ie are they patients, as well as patients, or perhaps some of each?

 

[pedneuro6894]

Hospice - maybe; some adcoms regard that as clinical, not nonclinical. Are the residents there receiving medical care under your attention or just receiving help with living? Ie are they patients, as well as patients, or perhaps some of each?

I’m not allowed to provide any medical care or help with ADLs. My only purpose is to be a companion, someone to talk to and be with during their last days, hours, minutes. I'm essentially just a buddy for hospice patients.

 

[MyOdyssey]

I’m not allowed to provide any medical care or help with ADLs. My only purpose is to be a companion, someone to talk to and be with during their last days, hours, minutes. I'm essentially just a buddy for hospice patients.

That sounds nonclinical to me.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

ECs are excellent as are your stats. That 520 MCAT should help you a lot.