Gap Year: SMP or more clinical experience?

[adeline221]

Hello

In need of some true talk/tough love to help me decide how to best improve my application and gear up for the year(s?) before my next re-app! (Here's looking at you Dr.Midlife, Goro, *cheers*)

California Resident
cGPA: 3.64 sGPA: 3.42

• UC Molecular Cell Biology Major

MCAT: 28 (5/2013) 32 (1/2014) 10 VR 12 PS 10 BS

EC's:

• 2000+ Non-clinical Volunteering:
  • [edit for anonymity]
• Clinical Experience:
  • 200+Clerical Staff/Volunteer (on-going)
  • 400+ER/Surgery Desk Volunteer
  • 290+ Shadowing (2 Primary,Endocrinologist, Cardiologist) + Summer Cardiology Internship
• Instructor:
  • First Aid/CPR/AED instructor
    
  • Peer Adviser (for both Major and Minor)
  • Tutor K-12 (current)

I applied to 22 schools in early July, 20 secondaries that I turned in by late July and August, and came out with 0 interviews despite holds. I have since realized after reading the SDN threads that I was being too naive about my application and should have been more realistic about my stats seeing that I am also a California applicant (a;sldkfj;alskdjf)

The following is my own self evaluation and I would truly, greatly, deeply appreciate any thoughts and opinions to either support or refute any of my assumptions:

1. No research experience. I want a career in primary care and despite getting A's in my lab courses, I did not like the idea of pursuing MD/Ph.D or a career with bench research. I was told by my medical adviser that doing research was not mandatory to apply. But after talking to peers who have made it in this past cycle, one of the common factors is that all of them have done some form of research for at least a year +.
2. I did not clock enough clinical hours by the time I turned in my first application. I did project hours into the future on my app, but I am assuming since many others who applied already clocked significant hours by the time they turned in theirs, mine was less credible
3. c/sGPA is not competitive enough for many of the schools I applied to.
4. Should apply more broadly. But being the optimistic first timer I was, I applied to the following:

All UC's (did not receive secondaries from LA or SD)
Washington (first one hurts the most... dream school but earliest to reject)
USC
Georgetown
Temple
Drexel
Rosalind Franklin
Penn State
Tufts
Boston U.
U. of Colorado
Georgia
Emory
N. Carolina
Brown
Stanford (one of those won't know unless i apply sort of decisions)
Duke
​

SO.
In terms of a game plan. I know that I need to make some significant changes to my application before I re-apply, but I would love to hear which options would help me the most:

1. SMP: Accepted to BU MAMs and thought this could help me with research + prove determination/caliber for med school classes. However, I've read many other threads discouraging those with 3.5+ from doing an SMP because of the $$$, but I got B's in lecture portion for Orgo and Physics so my sGPA is not as competitive. I fought hard to get all A's in my upper-division science classes to show an upward trend and I think that made up for some of my cGPA. This option could also open up access to new LOR for next cycle. [small scholarship and not loaded by any means, but I will do what it takes to make my chances better next app cycle so if its 40k a year, 40k a year it'll be]
2. Lab Technician position and continue ER/Surgery Desk and Clinical volunteer experiences: I would be working in a renal lab, but not necessarily doing any academic research. I am not sure if this is considered beneficial to the bench lab/research component, or just extra work/EC experience. Plus side is that I can continue to log in more hours and show continuity of over 2+ years at stated positions as well.
3. Americorp: In the midst of applying for a healthcare related exp. but understand that placing in CA is probably equally difficult .....Still, I would like to hear opinions if this would theoretically benefit my application more as it would be a 40hr + per week of clinical exp. and responsibility (not just busy work or shadowing)

Really most stuck on 1 and 2 since 3 is still in the works.. But any suggestions, opinions would be very welcome!!

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[sovereign0]

I think that a combination of your Assumption 1 and 3, coupled with your school list contributed the most to the results of this cycle. While it is true that research isn't required, a good amount of the schools you applied to (especially upper-tier schools) are big fans of research experience. No research & a low GPA are likely the reasons for not hearing back from most of the schools you applied to.

I wouldn't recommend an SMP unless you are certain you can nail a 4.0 GPA. As you mentioned, it is expensive and does you no good if you can't show a mastery of the coursework. An advantage to doing the SMP would be the access to research experience.

Also, as far as I know UWash is very picky when it comes to students outside of the WWAMI region. I would guess (but am not certain) that it would be difficult for a CA resident to get in absent exceptional stats.

 

[qwerty89]

All UC's (did not receive secondaries from LA or SD)

Washington (first one hurts the most... dream school but earliest to reject)
USC
Georgetown
Temple
Drexel
Rosalind Franklin
Penn State
Tufts
Boston U.
U. of Colorado
Georgia
Emory
N. Carolina
Brown
Stanford (one of those won't know unless i apply sort of decisions)
Duke​

​

Thats a terrible list of schools. Duke, Stanford, UCSF, UCLA, UCSD, Emory, Colorado, Washington, USC were all reaches. Brown takes VERY few outside their PLME program. Your list of 20 schools (already small) now becomes 10.

Your only lower tier schools such as RFU, Drexel or mid tier like Georgetown & BU get literally 10K + applications. Need to add other schools that take lots of OOS students. I.E. MCW, SLU, Loyola, etc and don't get 10K + applications each.

Take a look at http://www.career.ucla.edu/Portals/...2013 Medical School Admissions Statistics.pdffrom UCLA Career Center Website.

source: http://www.career.ucla.edu/Students/Resources-Reports-and-Media/Med-School-Stats

 

[qwerty89]

From that link at UCLA there were a grand total of only 8 people from 2010-2013 (4 years) that were accepted to Stanford. Wow.

 

[Chocolatepumpkinpie]

Hi! If money is not a problem, do the SMP. It would help you boost your GPA and the class itself is well structured. If you are not interested in research, I don't think being a lab tech would make you happy.

 

[bruwin2011]

Even if you have the money, an SMP is a risk because if you don't get a GPA higher than your uGPA than it will do you a lot of damage and you will be worse off than you are now. Also SMPs foster a horrible, and extremely stressful environment to be in because everyone knows it's sink or swim and their last shot at med school is on the line. In my opinion I think your biggest weaknesses were that you don't have any research, you applied to only top schools, and you didn't apply to enough schools. You GPA isn't horrible (especially coming from a UC) and it wasn't your B in orgo and physics that killed you.

As @qwerty89 said, you only had about 10 schools that you metrically met, and GW and Georgetown are not even ideal because of the number of applicants they get each year.

I don't think you should do a SMP but rather get a job as a clinical research coordinator (clinical+ research=killing 2 birds with 1 stone and if you hate research, at least its not wetlab). The thing is, even if you want to go into primary care, most medical schools require research as part of their curriculum so you should have some experience. Also make sure to apply early, apply broadly (30+ schools, mainly of schools that are not reach schools) , update your LORs, and add your new clinical experience to your 15 EC list/rewrite things if necessary. You should also consider applying to osteopathic programs; they don't have as big of an emphasis on research, they are more catered towards a career in primary care and they appreciate unique community experiences.

Best of luck, and feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

[Goro]

Here' s a more realistic list for you. You'll need to do your homework and find out which schools do not average. For dream schools like Stanford, take you mom out to dinner instead of wasting your app fee.

UCD
UCI
UCR if you're from the Inland Empire
Rush
NYMC
Creighton
Albany
Rosy Franklin
Drexel
Temple
Loma Linda (but read their list of don'ts)
MCW
St. Louis U
WVU
Jefferson
Creighton
Tulane
Loyola
GWU
Georgetown
Tufts
U Miami
Wake Forest
EVMS
U VM
VCU

All new MD programs except Hofstra, Central MI, Va Tech
Any DO program. Start with TUCOM-CA and Western​

 

[adeline221]

Thank you all for the advice!

I have been applying to local research coordinator positions, but so far I haven't had any bites. Many of them told me that they would like to see more years of previous exp. or at least a Masters in the field. Ironically, I was also told that I was overqualified for the lab tech positions... So between a rock and a hard place, graduate school is sounding very tempting :/ Just to get the ball rolling sooner than later!

As an addendum:
I recently heard back from Brown and was accepted into their MPH program for this fall.
I am now leaning towards the program because I think I would really enjoy the curriculum (without the risk that may be associated with taking classes at an SMP) and the friendly research environment that is available there. There is even a possibility of continuing to work with the same organization in China to do more research studies through the Global Health track. I know some have discouraged re-applicants to use an MPH as a major change to their application, but from a graduate work, research opp, and new letter of rec perspective, wouldn't this be a good choice?

To make a long story short, is it logical to think that the classwork/ research from a MPH would benefit me as a re-applicant?

 

[t0bes]

bump

 

[GrapesofRath]

Your school list was by far the biggest issue last application cycle. There were so many schools that were a complete waste; Duke, Stanford, Brown, UNC, Georgia and really Emory, Colorado Washington(depending on what part of CA you are from) and BU weren't great application decisions either. That's probably at least half your list. You applied to about 5 of Goro's schools on his list(which is a good one). Now, the fact you got zero interviews entertains the possibility there is something lacking in your application so it certainly is reasonable to want to wait another year before re-applying but if you do wait research and being able to get clinical experience including perhaps that beyond a volunteer(scribe position PCT etc) would both be extremely beneficial for you.

IF we are being honest there are tons of applications just like this particularly from a state like California and with little in the way of making you stand out you can see why last cycle wasn't favorable. An SMP is a horrible idea; your stats aren't the issue and if you do poorly you have completely wrecked your application. Whether you want to apply again this cycle or wait and boost your application and wait is entirely up to you; either option is justifiable although I tend to lean towards the latter. If you boost your application by waiting a year and re-apply with that list, you should be competitive.