Getting Desperate

[danceroriginale]

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This is starting to stink more and more.

So here's my story. I'm a physics undergrad who realized that I couldn't spend my life tweaking transistors, so I took some pre-med classes, did some biological research, and decided to apply to med school. I applyed in 2003 hoping to get in for 2004. None of the secondaries I sent in garnered interviews, so I took a step back and looked at it again. I decided to take the MCATs again, after a year and half more of studying, but ended up getting the same score that I did the first time which was in the low 30s. I applied this year with that score, some great research experience (1st author paper included), and volunteer work at a hospital in the ED.

I finished all my secondaries by late October and here's what's happened so far: I'm on hold at about 6 places. They've reviewed my secondary and decided not to reject me yet, but they aren't offering me an interview. Its January now, and I haven't heard anything from these places. I'm getting extremely frustrated and desperate. Does anyone have suggestions as to what I should be doing?

 

[silas2642]

What's your gpa? If it's in the 3.5 range, then you should be fine numbers wise because an mcat in the low thirties is a good score. It sounds as if you may be short on clinical experience, though; volunteering in a hospital is good, but you may need more. Have you tried shadowing a physician? IMO it's extremely helpful if a doctor who has mentored you can write a letter of recommendation saying that you will be a future asset to the medical community. What are your other extracurriculars? Do you do any sports, are you involved in any other community activities? What sets you apart from the other 35,000 applicants? Why do you want to go into medicine? Did you write a strong and clear personal statement that shows who you are and why you are passionate about medicine, or did you rely on numbers alone to carry you through? What schools did you apply to?

As for what you should be doing now, I'd start sending out letters of interest, update letters, transcripts, etc. to the schools that have you on hold to let them know that you really want to go to their schools. If you wind up empty handed at the end of this application cycle, then definitely give these schools a call and find out why they didn't grant you an interview. This could be really useful information if you have to reapply next year.

 

[CatsandCradles]

This is starting to stink more and more.

So here's my story. I'm a physics undergrad who realized that I couldn't spend my life tweaking transistors, so I took some pre-med classes, did some biological research, and decided to apply to med school. I applyed in 2003 hoping to get in for 2004. None of the secondaries I sent in garnered interviews, so I took a step back and looked at it again. I decided to take the MCATs again, after a year and half more of studying, but ended up getting the same score that I did the first time which was in the low 30s. I applied this year with that score, some great research experience (1st author paper included), and volunteer work at a hospital in the ED.

I finished all my secondaries by late October and here's what's happened so far: I'm on hold at about 6 places. They've reviewed my secondary and decided not to reject me yet, but they aren't offering me an interview. Its January now, and I haven't heard anything from these places. I'm getting extremely frustrated and desperate. Does anyone have suggestions as to what I should be doing?

I think you'll get in somewhere. Did you perhaps apply to some of the really prestigious medical schools? It might be the ultra tight competition.

Just hang in there. You'll go someplace with those statistics.

Really you will. You might not get in this year, but with a 30+ and 3.5gpa> your better than a lot of applicants. You are certaintly better than me.

Also physician shadowing is very important as well and getting LORs help a lot too. Having an ECs that are not medically related also helps.

Now I am a DO student so I don't know a lot about AMCAS, but if you don't get in this year, then next year be sure to start doing AMCAS immediately so you can get the secondaries in by early September at the latest. That might help you a bit.

Let's face it, your going to get into medical school one way or another. It might take another year, but you are going to get in somewhere.

 

[danceroriginale]

I think you'll get in somewhere. Did you perhaps apply to some of the really prestigious medical schools? It might be the ultra tight competition.

Just hang in there. You'll go someplace with those statistics.

Really you will. You might not get in this year, but with a 30+ and 3.5gpa> your better than a lot of applicants. You are certaintly better than me.

Also physician shadowing is very important as well and getting LORs help a lot too. Having an ECs that are not medically related also helps.

Now I am a DO student so I don't know a lot about AMCAS, but if you don't get in this year, then next year be sure to start doing AMCAS immediately so you can get the secondaries in by early September at the latest. That might help you a bit.

Let's face it, your going to get into medical school one way or another. It might take another year, but you are going to get in somewhere.

See that's the thing--my GPA is okay, a 3.1, but not a 3.5. I've never been a great test taker, and it showed in some of my classes. I've been a dancer since I was 7, and have gotten awards for it; I've been mentoring kids since high school. I don't have many ECs, but the ones that I have I've done for a long time. The ER volunteer office is writing another letter for me, and I should be able to start shadowing an ER doctor soon.

Most of the schools that I applied to this time were small. Believe me, my ego was shot down after the first application cycle, I didn't dare apply to the big ones this time. I've put so much of my time and energy (and money) into this application cycle. And I really don't think I can put myself thru the expense and heartache of another one.

 

[.edu-MD]

I finished all my secondaries by late October and here's what's happened so far: I'm on hold at about 6 places.

Don't underestimate the disadvantage of completing your secondaries late. A vast number of schools have rolling admissions and start handing out acceptances in mid-October. If your secondary isn't complete until late October, you likely won't even get to committee for an initial review until sometime in December if you're lucky. Then with a 1-2 month lead time for interviews, there will be fewer interview spots left AND fewer class spots left. I had an interview the first week of January (a few days ago) and was told by my interviewer not to be surprised to get a waitlist letter because they'll likely have already sent out their quota of acceptances by the time my file gets voted on.

A low 30s MCAT is good enough to score an interview at many schools. The 3.1 GPA might be a question mark (is that overal or BCPM?), especially depending on the school it's from (which I was told at another interview does matter).

If you do need to reapply, file the earliest you can and turn the secondaries around within a day or two of receiving them.

 

[Touchdown]

Last year I applied as a 3.2/32 MCAT and got two interviews and one waitlist. You are close, you may get in and you may not, if you dont get in this year I suggest you do a SMP.

 

[skypilot]

Don't underestimate the disadvantage of completing your secondaries late.
.

An applicant with stats like yours should have secondaries complete by the end of July.

 

[t33sg1rl]

If this cycle doesn't work out for you, I'd strongly recommend NOT applying for 2007, but using the year to boost your GPA.
Some easy ways:
1) Take 100 and 200 level science/math classes at your local community college/state school. Look for vaguely medically related classes if you can-a good place to start might be Medical Assisting classes like Medical Terminology 101. If you can't get A's in that, then med school might not be for you.
2) Take graduate classes. On your AMCAS, all your undergrad work is lumped together, but your graduate classes are separate. Thus, you can take one lousy grad class and your app will read: Undergrad 3.1/Graduate 4.0.
I used the #2 route-my undergrad GPA was 3.2, BCMP 2.7. I took 12 credit hours of very demanding graduate work and got a 3.6 GPA.
The other thing to do is evaluate your application as a whole. Use your PS to bring together seemingly unrelated things. Since you have an engineering background, perhaps you could fake interest in biomedical engineering? That way it looks as though you have been on ONE career path, with ONE plan, from the very beginning. That's what I did-I had absolutely NO volunteering/shadowing, but tons of medical research experience, so I said that I intended to have a research/academic career (not exactly true), because that's the career path that my application supported.
And your MCAT is perfect... I did really well on the MCAT and I think it actually hurt me-one admissions counselor told me that with my MCAT, it made my app sound like I was looking for a free pass to med school based only on my MCAT scores.

 

[MoosePilot]

An applicant with stats like yours should have secondaries complete by the end of July.

I agree with the advantage of sending stuff in asap if you ever have to apply again. Try to be the first person to complete each step - AMCAS submission and transcripts, secondaries, and schedule the first interview date they offer you. It helped me and I needed it.

 

[skypilot]

If this cycle doesn't work out for you, I'd strongly recommend NOT applying for 2007, but using the year to boost your GPA.
Some easy ways:
1) Take 100 and 200 level science/math classes at your local community college/state school. Look for vaguely medically related classes if you can-a good place to start might be Medical Assisting classes like Medical Terminology 101. If you can't get A's in that, then med school might not be for you.
2) Take graduate classes. On your AMCAS, all your undergrad work is lumped together, but your graduate classes are separate. Thus, you can take one lousy grad class and your app will read: Undergrad 3.1/Graduate 4.0.
I used the #2 route-my undergrad GPA was 3.2, BCMP 2.7. I took 12 credit hours of very demanding graduate work and got a 3.6 GPA.
.

These are excellent ideas. It is unfair but some of the screening will be done based on just one or two GPA numbers. You are polishing your application, doing things that will either make your application stand out (like graduate work or a moving personal statement) or make it blend in by taking courses to boost your GPA to the average. The idea is to keep your folder from being tossed into the rejected pile due to mediocrity.

 

[danceroriginale]

Okay, I guess I need to clarify--the last secondary I finished was like the 2nd week of october, and I had only gotten it by the end of september. Everything else was completed within two weeks of receipt, but nothings happening still.