Do I look like a box checker?

[noticemeadcomsenpai]

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[Toutie]

What did your application look like? GPA, MCAT, EC's? And how many and which schools did you apply to? Having some idea why you didn't succeed will give us an idea what you need to do.

 

[noticemeadcomsenpai]

What did your application look like? GPA, MCAT, EC's? And how many and which schools did you apply to? Having some idea why you didn't succeed will give us an idea what you need to do.

Appreciate your help.

 

[watermelon master]

You didn't apply to enough schools.

 

[Gurkhali]

LM 71. Applied to 11 schools, don't wanna list them all but most are middle tier such as Medical College of Wisconsin, Indiana University of Medicine, Rosalind Franklin Chicago Medical School, University of Illinois College of Medicine. Not gonna list the rest but I hope this gives you an idea.

ECs are as I listed above. Teaching kids at religious institution since high school, (current) about a year of research (poster presentation as well), about 20 hours of shadowing, 75 hours of hospital volunteering (continuing this). 50 hours community work with the human rights club at my school.

Appreciate your help.

Grades and Mcat are probably fine unless there's is a great disparity between the strength of the two (LizzyM doesn't reveal this info). Volunteering hours seem a bit low. Clinical experience seems too low. Shadowing needs to be 40+ hours imo. 11 schools might be too few. Consider adding a handful more next cycle.

I would recommend skipping the upcoming cycle to build your app and you should see success. Don't fret, just do what makes you fulfilled in the meantime and when you apply, you'll be more than ready to wow the Adcoms!

 

[Toutie]

You didn't have enough Clinical volunteering. You didn't have enough community volunteering. You didn't have enough shadowing. Beef up all of those. You didn't apply to enough schools. Might also want to add a few DO schools into the mix.

 

[noticemeadcomsenpai]

Grades and Mcat are probably fine unless there's is a great disparity between the strength of the two (LizzyM doesn't reveal this info). Volunteering hours seem a bit low. Clinical experience seems too low. Shadowing needs to be 40+ hours imo. 11 schools might be too few. Consider adding a handful more next cycle.

I would recommend skipping the upcoming cycle to build your app and you should see success. Don't fret, just do what makes you fulfilled in the meantime and when you apply, you'll be more than ready to wow the Adcoms!

Would you really recommend skipping the upcoming cycle? I wanted to avoid that... Then again I am unsure if 3-4 months is enough to improve clinical/nonclinical volunteering and shadowing.

 

[Toutie]

Would you really recommend skipping the upcoming cycle? I wanted to avoid that... Then again I am unsure if 3-4 months is enough to improve clinical/nonclinical volunteering and shadowing.

@gonnif usually suggests skipping a cycle to improve your chances of acceptance. He gives examples from several schools that state it is a mistake to reapply too soon.

 

[Gurkhali]

Would you really recommend skipping the upcoming cycle? I wanted to avoid that... Then again I am unsure if 3-4 months is enough to improve clinical/nonclinical volunteering and shadowing.

Well depending on when you started volunteering at those places, if you could get 100+ hours volunteering and clinical hours plus shadowing hours in 3-4 months along with the other obligations, then more power to you. Schools like long-term involvement so if you've been doing these things for awhile it should be fine.

 

[noticemeadcomsenpai]

You didn't have enough Clinical volunteering. You didn't have enough community volunteering. You didn't have enough shadowing. Beef up all of those. You didn't apply to enough schools. Might also want to add a few DO schools into the mix.

Appreciate the advice. The social service center would cover the community volunteering I think. I can increase my shadowing pretty quickly by shadowing a full day, correct? I'm continuing my hospital volunteering so I should hopefully have ~130 hours by the time I apply (I've been volunteering on and off since late 2015).

What is your opinion on hospice volunteering this late?

 

[Shovo]

Would you really recommend skipping the upcoming cycle? I wanted to avoid that... Then again I am unsure if 3-4 months is enough to improve clinical/nonclinical volunteering and shadowing.

I think you will be pretty successful in the upcoming cycle if you get those service hours within the next 3-4 months. Just expand your school list to 30 schools and you have a great shot of getting multiple interviews assuming you don't apply top-heavy.

 

[Toutie]

Hopefully @gonnif , @gyngyn , @Goro and a few other adcoms will come in here and offer their advice as how best to proceed.

 

[noticemeadcomsenpai]

Well depending on when you started volunteering at those places, if you could get 100+ hours volunteering and clinical hours plus shadowing hours in 3-4 months along with the other obligations, then more power to you. Schools like long-term involvement so if you've been doing these things for awhile it should be fine.

Well I started volunteering at the hospital in late 2015, and have volunteered on/off since then. I would be able to start volunteering at the social center this month, same with shadowing... I have been teaching at the religious institution since high school (literally over 1000 hours). Started as a volunteer and in the past two years have been given a bit less than minimum wage (not doing it for the money obviously). I shadowed in 2015 and early 2016.

Appreciate your advice.

 

[noticemeadcomsenpai]

I think you will be pretty successful in the upcoming cycle if you get those service hours within the next 3-4 months. Just expand your school list to 30 schools and you have a great shot of getting multiple interviews assuming you don't apply top-heavy.

Appreciate your help and positive vibes Shovo. I am definitely getting the message that I need to expand my school list (bye bye Midwest lol). I am going to take your advice and proceed with getting those service hours and stick with applying mid/low-heavy.

 

[gyngyn]

If a nonstrategic list were the only reason that the cycle went wrong, an immediate re-application would be fine.

 

[mwsapphire]

You didn't have enough Clinical volunteering. You didn't have enough community volunteering. You didn't have enough shadowing. Beef up all of those. You didn't apply to enough schools. Might also want to add a few DO schools into the mix.

I would beef up those clinical volunteering hours.It seems like the biggest hole in your application. Add some DO schools, but your LizzyM seems high enough to avoid doing that.