Help (Finishing my application)

[E pur si muove]

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So, I'm a junior.

Scored a 40 on my MCAT (15PS, 11WR, 14BS)
GPA = 3.7 in Cell and Molecular Biology (Bad freshman year)
I honestly don't have much extracurricular... I have been working jobs to pay for school, and I haven't really reached out about letters of rec either.

Any advice?

 

[Oso]

Do you have any shadowing? clinical experience (ex. hospital volunteer)? You should reach out to profs for letters. Depending on your answers to my first two questions, it may be beneficial to wait a year and focus on EC's before applying. Academically you look awesome.

 

[NoDakDok]

This should be in WAMC.

Also, I think the most resounding answer here is going to be that you take a gap year if you legitimately don't have any medical experience. Unless you have significant research experience/publications to woo some top-tier schools, 4 months to put together a convincing application from the ground up is questionable at best, even with that MCAT.

So, I'm a junior.

If you plan on applying this cycle, be ready to submit by June 1st of this year.

Scored a 40 on my MCAT (15PS, 11WR, 14BS)

Incredible score and an even better breakdown.

GPA = 3.7 in Cell and Molecular Biology (Bad freshman year)

Your GPA is fine. Never bring up "bad" unless it's brought up first. For example, I doubt anyone would have questioned your GPA if you hadn't said that, including me. Even after reading your GPA I was focused on your great MCAT, until you said that last part.

I honestly don't have much extracurricular... I have been working jobs to pay for school,

Reasonable. However, you need to know medicine is right for you. Do you have any hospital experience (work or volunteering)? Shadowing? What extracurricular work have you done? Participate in any activities outside of school? Research? etc.

and I haven't really reached out about letters of rec either.

You're going to want to start getting your letters. But it sounds like you haven't talked to many people about your application, and possibly not gotten to know many people you would get a letter of recommendation from (many come from extracurricular work). Do you have a couple professors and work supervisors that know you well personally and would write solid letters?

 

[E pur si muove]

I have some volunteering at the University Medical Center, but it's not much. I will be starting a research project with one of the professors over at the HSC here next week. An old professor linked me up with the professor. It's working on developmental genetics (evo-devo). Not sure what kind of research they look for but I hope this helps a bit.

 

[Oso]

I have some volunteering at the University Medical Center, but it's not much. I will be starting a research project with one of the professors over at the HSC here next week. An old professor linked me up with the professor. It's working on developmental genetics (evo-devo). Not sure what kind of research they look for but I hope this helps a bit.

Roughly how much? And what about shadowing? Unfortunately, starting that research right before applying probably won't do much to improve your app. I feel like I'm always suggesting this, but I think if you were open to the idea of a gap year, you'd do pretty well in the app cycle

 

[E pur si muove]

Are you applying this cycle? The research gig may possibly give you an opportunity for another LOR. More importantly, you need clinical experience as well. You said you did some volunteering, is it a significant amount of hours? I recommend some physician shadowing as well if you haven't already. Your app would likely benefit from a gap year to gain more medically-relevant experiences. I see you are a TX resident, are you only applying to TX schools? Because then you might be okay.

Well does Baylor or Southwestern sound out of reach?

I might apply out of state, but not sure where yet...

 

[E pur si muove]

Roughly how much? And what about shadowing? Unfortunately, starting that research right before applying probably won't do much to improve your app. I feel like I'm always suggesting this, but I think if you were open to the idea of a gap year, you'd do pretty well in the app cycle

Is it bad to apply, get denied, then reapply the next year?

 

[NoDakDok]

How open are you to taking a gap year? With your numbers you are not necessarily not going to have a shot at getting in, as you certainly could (especially as a TX resident), but a gap year to expand your extracurricular work would make you an incredibly competitive applicant.

I have some volunteering at the University Medical Center, but it's not much. I will be starting a research project with one of the professors over at the HSC here next week. An old professor linked me up with the professor. It's working on developmental genetics (evo-devo). Not sure what kind of research they look for but I hope this helps a bit.

If you could do good work on that research project, find work as a scribe (essentially combines a job and shadowing into one, AdComs LOVE scribes), and do something neat in addition to working as a scribe during your gap year (research + some community project) I could honestly see you going anywhere.

 

[LostinLift]

Is it bad to apply, get denied, then reapply the next year?

Yes. Most schools look down upon reapplicants. If you DESPERATELY want to get into medical school this year and cannot take a year off, then you should apply broadly because you will most likely get in somewhere.


Take a year off, get more hospital experience - not just for the application, but to make sure YOU want to do it. There are way too many burnt out, depressed, regretful doctors who would not go into medicine again. Another year of research and experience will put you in great position to get into many schools.

 

[NoDakDok]

Is it bad to apply, get denied, then reapply the next year?

Yes, in general, it looks bad. Although this varies between programs.

 

[E pur si muove]

I mean I'd prefer to go straight to med school. I wont compromise and go to bad school though.

Honestly the big problem I had was I rushed my degree (I'm done with all my course work this semester) and I worked like 30 hours a week.

Thanks for the input everyone though.

 

[NoDakDok]

I mean I'd prefer to go straight to med school.

On the other side of the spectrum, many medical students and physicians wish they wouldn't have.

I wont compromise and go to bad school though.

There is no such thing as a bad US Allopathic Medical School.

Honestly the big problem I had was I rushed my degree (I'm done with all my course work this semester) and I worked like 30 hours a week.

It happens. It also sounds like you didn't enjoy it. I double-y think a gap year would be good for you then. Stepping back and getting a bit of perspective on life is very important.

I am going to second checking up with someone that knows more about the TX application business, and how someone in your predicament tends to do in TX. From what I have gathered, TX is incredibly favorable toward its applicants and you would likely still have a good shot at all their schools if you were immediately proactive. At the same time... While a 3.7/40 is incredible, extracurricular activity is the foundation of an application. Trust me, they didn't build the Burj Khalifa on a pile of excrement.

 

[mvenus929]

Well does Baylor or Southwestern sound out of reach?

I might apply out of state, but not sure where yet...

Baylor is on the AMCAS system, not the Texas system, I believe. Something to keep in mind.

Is it bad to apply, get denied, then reapply the next year?

Yes. You should put your best foot forward initially, not try and hope for the best. Your stats are strong, but you're really going to need some sort of clinical experience to pull this application cycle off. I, like many others, suggest you take a gap year. It can be a bit sad not going straight through, but I am worlds better because of my gap year (which I took because I was forced to, not voluntarily).

 

[NoDakDok]

Yes. You should put your best foot forward initially, not try and hope for the best. Your stats are strong, but you're really going to need some sort of clinical experience to pull this application cycle off. I, like many others, suggest you take a gap year. It can be a bit sad not going straight through, but I am worlds better because of my gap year (which I took because I was forced to, not voluntarily).

I second this personal experience.

 

[E pur si muove]

On the other side of the spectrum, many medical students and physicians wish they wouldn't have.



There is no such thing as a bad US Allopathic Medical School.



It happens. It also sounds like you didn't enjoy it. I double-y think a gap year would be good for you then. Stepping back and getting a bit of perspective on life is very important.

I am going to second checking up with someone that knows more about the TX application business, and how someone in your predicament tends to do in TX. From what I have gathered, TX is incredibly favorable toward its applicants and you would likely still have a good shot at all their schools if you were immediately proactive. At the same time... While a 3.7/40 is incredible, extracurricular activity is the foundation of an application. Trust me, they didn't build the Burj Khalifa on a pile of excrement.

Oh I loved my major. I honestly would love to do research. The thing is, I concentrated on informing myself and my grades (because my freshman year killed me), instead of getting out and doing stuff.

 

[NoDakDok]

Oh I loved my major. I honestly would love to do research. The thing is, I concentrated on informing myself and my grades (because my freshman year killed me), instead of getting out and doing stuff.

I think that's a pretty great transformative experience to integrate into your application - not about your grades, but your state of mind. I'm not kidding about ignoring your grades entirely, I literally killed an entire interview because I mentioned a poor grade when my overall GPA is good. It'd also be a great story to talk about in interviews. But you have to be able to show your dedication toward medicine and clinical work, both for the sake of your application and you. I'd suggest you start shadowing, or preferably swap your job to scribe work (or similar) if possible, as soon as you can.

Admissions committees seem to be extremely hesitant on taking applicants who have not demonstrated an understanding and a passion for medicine, and rightfully so.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

How open are you to taking a gap year? With your numbers you are not necessarily not going to have a shot at getting in, as you certainly could (especially as a TX resident), but a gap year to expand your extracurricular work would make you an incredibly competitive applicant.



If you could do good work on that research project, find work as a scribe (essentially combines a job and shadowing into one, AdComs LOVE scribes), and do something neat in addition to working as a scribe during your gap year (research + some community project) I could honestly see you going anywhere.

I mean I'd prefer to go straight to med school. I wont compromise and go to bad school though.

Honestly the big problem I had was I rushed my degree (I'm done with all my course work this semester) and I worked like 30 hours a week.

Thanks for the input everyone though.

I secondwhat @NoDakDok says about taking a gap year. This would make you competitive everywhere. As of now, the lack of clinical & research experience take away from what is otherwise an amazing application.

Use your PS to tie together your academics/extracurriculars into a story about what makes you you & why you're interested in medicine, and you're going to have an excellent application cycle. Best of luck.