Help... need to know if I have a chance still...

[txpremed13]

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Okay so I am a re-applicant to TEXAS.
Am native born texan Resident and was rejected last year improved my mcat, gpa finishing 2nd b.s., and shadowed physician also started a MS program.

My numbers are 28P (8P, 10V, 10B) (most recent MCAT), 3.66GPa, 3.55sGPA.
I have 2 B.S. biology and microbiology.
Currently Working on a MS

Shadowed
2 D.O. physicians (Family & Ob/Gyn)
3 M.D. Physicians (Internal, G. Surgeon, Family)
Work:
I have worked as a pharmacy technician in hospital, Ltac, and hospital for the past 4 years. (12-30hrs/wk depending on place)
Prior to that 2 years in the Business Office and admissions office at a hospital
Extracurricular
I have volunteered with ALS family 2hrs/wk since oct. 2007
I have volunteered at summer camps with kids who have chronic disease.
Researched in a mouse genetic lab for 1&1/2years.

I submitted in july, TMDSAS released application Mid August.
I had 2ndaries submitted to TCOM early Sept, UTSW- Early Sept. TT and TAM- late Sept.

Applied 22 schools total including 10 D.O., 5 M.D. (extnd family lives in states applied too) out of state and 8 in TX.
What are my chances in Texas?
What are Chances out of state?
If not accepted should I reapply? How do I improve application again?

 

[Catalystik]

Thanks for posting in your own thread. Could you please go back and delete your previous post? (Leave a period, and you can remove everything else.)

Had you gotten your Secondaries in earlier in the cycle, I would feel optimistic about a Texas acceptance for you, but less so about an OOS MD school invite. The DO schools have a good chance of coming through for you, yet. As a reapplicant, you should have known that submitting so late decreased your chances.

To critique your application, let's assume that your PS is polished, and your LORs strong. If you're not so sure of this, you should have called schools that rejected you last year to get some input on these factors.

How to improve the application? I see no leadership or teaching mentioned, so those are areas for improvement. Your shadowing is strong. You have good research. But, it struck me that your clinical experience maybe could use augmentation. A pharmacy tech only gains clinical experience when they are counseling a patient. The job is relevant to medicine, but doesn't for the main part add to clinical experience much, in most cases. Volunteering to work with the ALS family sounds like a community service, but I've seen criticisms before of doing work with people who happen to have a medical condition being used for this purpose (if feeding, bathing, dressing, and an assist with daily living tasks counted, then babysitting would be a clinical experience). Thus, if you were not part of a therapeutic team, this may not be looked at as a clinical experience. The same goes for the summer camp experience. Now if you were handing out meds, dressing wounds, helping with physical therapy it would be clinical; it really depends on exactly what you were doing, and whether you adequately described it in the Activites area of the application so an adcomm would consider it 'clinical' experience.

If you really were not involved in clinical care at the direction of medical personel, you might benefit from some activity more clinical in nature. I know; it isn't fair that what you did wouldn't count, when filling water jugs and transporting people in a wheelchair in a hospital would be considered.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

your stats are pretty average for tx medical school acceptee's from other years

i think in terms of d.o schools your dead on at getting into a good one
for tx md schools you'll have to probably have a good and i do mean good interview

out of state : not good
instate: 50/50 probably

 

[txpremed13]

"To critique your application, let's assume that your PS is polished, and your LORs strong. If you're not so sure of this, you should have called schools that rejected you last year to get some input on these factors.

How to improve the application? I see no leadership or teaching mentioned, so those are areas for improvement. "

Thanks for this. To add my Ps was Very polished covering what i got from 2 of the important shadowing experiences with the family physicians. LOR came from HPAC committee and were VERY strong per my faculty advisor on committe.

Leadership-
TONS-
Historian of student alumni association
President 1 year SNMA (student national medical association) , sec 1 year SNMA, webmaster 6mths SNMA

Teaching-
I did 2 semesters worth of TA'ing as an undergrad.
With this info what can I improve? I think I can only do one more cycle stress.
I want to be a TX family prac Physician.

 

[Catalystik]

Did you list those leadership and teaching activities? Both are good. Actually, better than good.

How did you describe what you did for the clinical stuff?

 

[J ROD]

Average or slightly below as far as your stats go for Tx.

Strong ECs though.

I will say 40% chance at Tx MD...

OOS not much there...

DO schools.....excellent chance!!

 

[LRAccord624]

Have you interviewed anywhere yet? I can't imagine you haven't heard from any Texas schools so far...

 

[txpremed13]

Have you interviewed anywhere yet? I can't imagine you haven't heard from any Texas schools so far...

Listed both in the volunteer going in to detail about what I did exactly.
Clinical listed in detail Dr. shadowed and what learned from each then in PS went what i gained from the 2 family physicians and how that experience helped me stay motivated to being a physician.

Haven't been interviewed or heard from anyone. Also found out today that their is another applicant from out of state with the same name.... don't know if this is hurting my chances.

So is their a chance this late i'll get interviews? or is it game over?

 

[bannie22]

I am surprised he still hasnt have interviews. I felt that his application was strong enough for Texas schools. =/

I am surprised in fact.

 

[J ROD]

I am surprised he still hasnt have interviews. I felt that his application was strong enough for Texas schools. =/

I am surprised in fact.

me too!

just goes to show this is a wild and crazy process!!

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I am surprised he still hasnt have interviews. I felt that his application was strong enough for Texas schools. =/

I am surprised in fact.

he probably doesnt have a colorful last name
because thats how all medical schools pick out the ones they interview
but yah.. medical schools are too random..
you can have amazing stats and not get a interview for the same school someone with lower stats did

 

[bannie22]

yea. i bet u are white male and speak only english 😛

kidding. i hope they look at you. i feel that ur stats are quite sufficient for those texas schools! all the best!

 

[LRAccord624]

Yeah, if you haven't received any interviews in Tx, there is only a slim chance you will get one now. Most schools interview into mid-December, and a few do interview until early or mid-January. I know that UTH, UTSouthwestern, and possibly Texas Tech (based off a post in the Texas Tech thread) interview until January. Not sure about the others.

You have a much better chance of hearing from DO schools at this point.

I am really confused as to why you haven't received any interviews. I don't think you having the same name as an OOS has any bearing. If you end up not hearing from any schools, what I think you should do is contact the deans of admissions at every school (or pick a bunch that you REALLY care about) and ask to set up a meeting either by phone or in person, depending on how far you are from them, to talk about your application. You should ask them what weaknesses barred you from getting an interview at their school and what you can do until the next app cycle to better your application and show them what a great addition to their school you would be.

^ I wouldn't do this until you are 100% sure of your rejection, and interview season/acceptance time is OVER. This will ensure that the deans will have time to talk to you. Hope that helps.