help another potential re-applicant needs advice

[reece05]

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here's the short version of it....

graduated in 2006 with intl business degree, finish the required science courses without doing a formal post-bac....
GPA is 3.79/ sGPA- 3.66
30MCAT breakdown 10PS 11V 9BS

been office manager of a small medical practice for 3+ years now-- work as a research intern at NYS Psychiatric Institute for 2 years-
I've shadowed several doctors several years ago
did some volunteering in DC at a hospital 2 summers ago


I still have some schools I haven't heard from, but no interviews yet, and complete with all secondaries by the end of August--

I am a re-applicant, (first time a applied late, not many schools, and the schools i applied to were not broad enough) If I have to reapply again I have nothing new to add to my app, and when I have contacted schools to ask for weaknesses on my application, the 2 that responded told me that there was nothing that stood out as weak, but there were just more applicants that seemed a better "fit" for that school.

If I do reapply, I am not sure if I should switch jobs, do more volunteering, apply to an SMP (but I don't want my GPA to fall) I am also worried I will have to retake my General Chemistry Classes-- I took them in 2004 and am some schools will not accept them.

Any words of wisdom, or advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[HughMyron]

If you could get your MCAT up a couple points, it would probably mean you get flooded with interviews. That's all I can see, the rest of your app looks great.

 

[reece05]

thanks! i know i feel thats really the only thing i could do as well!
still hoping for some love from the schools i haven't heard from though so i don't have to take the MCAT again 🙁

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

thanks! i know i feel thats really the only thing i could do as well!
still hoping for some love from the schools i haven't heard from though so i don't have to take the MCAT again 🙁

You have some great experiences! Definitely no glaring weaknesses that I can see. Retaking the MCAT would be a bummer... but you are right on the cusp where it is useful (presuming you would increase it). maybe ask LizzyM (that seems to be a default answer 😛) I feel like a 30 should score you interviews at some lower tier schools.

Use the personal statement readers. (PM me yours and I can look at it if you want)

What schools did you apply to?

 

[reece05]

You have some great experiences! Definitely no glaring weaknesses that I can see. Retaking the MCAT would be a bummer... but you are right on the cusp where it is useful (presuming you would increase it). maybe ask LizzyM (that seems to be a default answer 😛) I feel like a 30 should score you interviews at some lower tier schools.

Use the personal statement readers. (PM me yours and I can look at it if you want)

What schools did you apply to?

Thanks! I will definitely PM it to you tonight!
NY is my state residency


Hofstra- rejected
Stonybrook
NYMC-rejected
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Upstate-rejected
SUNY Downstate
Albany
NYUM
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Ros Franklin
GW- rejected
Georgetown- rejected
Rush
Loyola Chicago
Tulane- rejected
Creighton
BU-rejected
Quinnipac
University of Miami ( have a couple family ties there)
UVM
Univ. of Ne ( from there originally, family is still there)

I'm just worried because i haven't done anything to "improve" my application this past year--

 

[Faha]

I think the schools you applied to are appropriate for your stats. Most medical schools interview into March and a few into April so you may receive an interview this application season. If you end up reapplying consider adding Rochester, St. Louis and Oakland-Beaumont. There are also 3 new medical schools ( Palm Beach, Northstate-California and King College Abingdon, VA ) that have tentative 1st year classes for August 2014 . With your stats you should be able to receive an acceptance to a DO school. There are 2 in New York state but apply to at least 10 to increase your chances of at least one acceptance. There are too many applicants that are unwilling to apply to DO schools. Your eventual goal should be a license to practice medicine. Whether it is a MD or a DO either one will suffice for a license to practice medicine.

 

[eDITN]

Did you get a good amount of people to read your PS? What about secondary essays?

I'm surprised that you haven't gotten any interviews at all especially considering that you apply early and fairly broadly. Hang in there - I wouldn't be surprised if you got one or two interviews before the cycle is over. Send in some LOIs.

 

[reece05]

Did you get a good amount of people to read your PS? What about secondary essays?

I'm surprised that you haven't gotten any interviews at all especially considering that you apply early and fairly broadly. Hang in there - I wouldn't be surprised if you got one or two interviews before the cycle is over. Send in some LOIs.

I did, i had several doctors, and a couple of outside people read it. (i work full time so i do not have a pre-med advisor) I didn't so much have people look over secondary essays, but i even when i read them now they don't seem terrible (especially enough to not get any interviews) I have my fingers crossed for some good news february.

I am definitely going to send LOI's again as well.

 

[tofuu]

tbh, you don't have to have anything major to improve. There are a few things you could do that will improve your application already: apply early, edit your personal statement, apply more broadly and to more schools.

Your application seems pretty solid for with a wide breadth of activities/experiences. GPA/MCAT are decent. With those numbers, you would benefit from applying June 1st. This date is going to creep on you before you know it. I don't know how much time you have to restudy and retake the MCAT or what your timeline is (how soon do you want to go to school, take another year off, etc.) I am going to assume that you want to get in as soon as possible so I would contact as many schools with interest/update letters as possible. I would also consider picking up some sort of volunteer/service activity that shows dedication to service (never a bad idea). I would maybe focus on one that allows you to share your interests, whatever they may be and one that doesn't take up too many hours in a week or even a month but something unique that you could talk about.

I would take a closer look at your personal statement/activities/secondary statements. The first year I applied, I received a lot of good feedback but at the same time, it still was not as finely polished as I had thought after going through a great deal of revision. Do not hesitate to ask for help.

Most of the schools will be seeing your application for the very first time. Another note: As a reapplicant myself, who faced the same issues, with having "nothing new," I have come to see that it is not always the number of activities but to what length can you talk about these activities showing you that you are more suited for medicine. Additionally, being a "reapplicant" is not as big of a deal as I thought. I found very few schools to ask if I was. Lastly, LOI's are one thing, but if you are in the area for any of the schools you applied to, definitely drop by/email and ask for a tour. This may or may not impact whether you get an interview, but you would no longer be just a number and a name on a computer screen. It will make a difference for some schools.

Feel free to PM me any questions, personal statement, etc. Best of luck!

 

[reece05]

tbh, you don't have to have anything major to improve. There are a few things you could do that will improve your application already: apply early, edit your personal statement, apply more broadly and to more schools.

Your application seems pretty solid for with a wide breadth of activities/experiences. GPA/MCAT are decent. With those numbers, you would benefit from applying June 1st. This date is going to creep on you before you know it. I don't know how much time you have to restudy and retake the MCAT or what your timeline is (how soon do you want to go to school, take another year off, etc.) I am going to assume that you want to get in as soon as possible so I would contact as many schools with interest/update letters as possible. I would also consider picking up some sort of volunteer/service activity that shows dedication to service (never a bad idea). I would maybe focus on one that allows you to share your interests, whatever they may be and one that doesn't take up too many hours in a week or even a month but something unique that you could talk about.

I would take a closer look at your personal statement/activities/secondary statements. The first year I applied, I received a lot of good feedback but at the same time, it still was not as finely polished as I had thought after going through a great deal of revision. Do not hesitate to ask for help.

Most of the schools will be seeing your application for the very first time. Another note: As a reapplicant myself, who faced the same issues, with having "nothing new," I have come to see that it is not always the number of activities but to what length can you talk about these activities showing you that you are more suited for medicine. Additionally, being a "reapplicant" is not as big of a deal as I thought. I found very few schools to ask if I was. Lastly, LOI's are one thing, but if you are in the area for any of the schools you applied to, definitely drop by/email and ask for a tour. This may or may not impact whether you get an interview, but you would no longer be just a number and a name on a computer screen. It will make a difference for some schools.

Feel free to PM me any questions, personal statement, etc. Best of luck!

Thanks for your advice! I would ideally like to be in school as soon as possible, but I'm just not sure of i should retake the mcat/or just really focus on my essays. I work close to 50 hours a week, and i know i would definitely not be able to take the mcat this spring to get about a 30

i think dropping by schools and asking for a tour is a great idea, i am in the nyc area so there are several schools i can readily go visit/make easily make a trip to!

 

[reece05]

so i know i am definitely reapplying-- won't be happening this year bc no new experience-
I feel I either need to retake MCAT or go through MS program, or both!
thinking about applying to the MS program- the institute of human nutrition at columbia--
i have a solid GPA, but i am wondering if being out of school for so long is what is hurting me, that and I would get some research experience through the program and some new LORS?

Thoughts or suggestions?