hey chilipino,
if you've already reached "wait-list" status at med schools,
then it shows that you do have what it takes to enter
med school in the US, since the admissions committee knows
you're qualified, it's just they have limited space.
May 15 just passed, when all accepted students
were suppose to choose their schools (i know that's the case
for AMCAS), meaning each med school should have more
vacancies as accepted students give up their spots....hence,
I would recommend that you contact the 2 schools you were wait-listed at and let them know in writing and by phone that you
still have a vested interest in their school for this fall 2003.
for X, Y, Z reasons (a particular program you liked, the students,
the faculty you met, etc.) and perhaps list any new accomplishments you've made since you applied.
Since you will be spending the rest of your life pursuing
a career you love (medicine), I really don't think 1 more year
is a waste of time....I know people who got in after their 3rd try and they were already 28+....you're only 23, so you still have time
to get into med school in the US. also $$ wise, you can
continue to work and save lots more money....overall,
i think it's worth it to apply again here in the US rather than
going to the Philippines and coming up with that $10000+ cash donation up front and getting all 6 copies of those "duly notarized good moral certificates of clearance from the Philippine police and the Mother Superior of Our Lady of Infinite Misery Convent.
Also should you decide to apply for the 3rd time, list
a brief list of your credentials on each time you applied
and see where you where you can significantly improve more:
e.g. analyze where you can 'significantly' improve
in your application the third time by seeing where
you didn't improve much on your 2nd try:
- did you apply with the same GPA 2nd time (maybe improve
GPA by taking a few more upper division bio classes at
a well regarded university)
- did you apply w/o a significant increase on your MCAT
score (e.g. 25-->26 only?...any individual section score that
could have improved more?)
- were your LOR's at most mediocre? how was your DO
recommendation letter? how was your pre-med committee
letter? were they submitted well ahead of time?
- on your personal statement, does it sound canned?
did you back up your reasons for wanting to pursue
medicine with concrete examples, such as a particular
patient you've encountered or other profound experiences?
- on your interview, did you briefly sum up all the reasons why
you deserve a spot in their class at the end? did you show
enthusiasm in your interview even if the interviewer seemed
apathetic? did you respond to each snotty remark from
your interviewer with a positive response and a smile
?
- did u submit your AMCAS/AACOMAS late in august and your
secondaries in novemeber, when you could have submitted
them much earlier (june for primaries, aug/sept for secondaries)
- what schools did you apply to? for MD, did you only apply
to top schools or schools with too many applicants....do your
math and apply for med schools that accepts >10% of total
applicants or for schools where less than 2500 apply....for DO,
did you only apply for PCOM, Western, Touro with many
applicants and not at the ones with less applicants such as
Pikeville or West Virginia?
or better yet, call the med schools you didn't get accepted to and ask them directly how you can improve your credentials....if the schools are nice and happy to advise you, then that's a sign you should apply for that school again.....on your secondary, say that you appreciated that they took the time to help you out..
.......if they're rude and tell you you to get a life, then that's a sign that you should NOT apply for them.
well hope this helps and if you need more help, feel
free to let me know or e-mail me directly.
good luck!