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desperate4help

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I am very desperate for advice... I may have to reapply for a third time.

I applied twice for the 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 cycle.
First cycle I got 0 interviews. 30 MCAT 3.65 SGPA 3.65 CGPA

This cycle I got 6 interviews. I really felt like I made significant improvements. I applied very broadly- 30 low-mid tier schools. Currently on two waitlist and had 4 post interview rejects.
33 12-9VS-12 MCAT 3.70 SGPA 3.70CGPA
A lot of various hospital volunteer work
2 years research with presentation
1 year strong community service with leadership
Various minor shadowing.
Interviewers have told me they love my personal statement...
LOR's average-good.

I really do not think I screwed up my interviews... I am fairly average at least with regards to interviewing.


I have been unemployed for the past 2010-2011 cycle am and afraid that this will look very bad if I reapply.... I have been tutoring,volunteering at hospitals, and doing community service... Yet I feel like this does not make up for being unemployed.. I am afraid I cannot reapply this cycle because I don't have a job, and I don't have substantial LOR's to add either. But I can't take another year off... I can't get out of this unemployment period and was really hoping to go back to school.

I am also taking a histology class at a community college right now, and I think I will be getting a B because I didn't take it too seriously... I know I may have made a big mistake, how bad will this look?

I am at a loss for what happened this cycle.. .I really thought I would get in somewhere...

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First off, that sucks. 33/3.7 and you should get in somewhere--maybe one of those waitlists will pan out.
If you're worried you'll get a B in histology, send the transcript and submit your 2012 AMCAS before the spring grades post and it shouldn't matter. As far as weak spots... hard to say. Could be a bad LOR, (do you have a committee letter? Has anyone given you feedback on why they rejected you?) or maybe you don't interview quite as well as you think. (I know, I know, it's easy to say that on the internet--but it could be true.)
Really though, 6 interviews out of 30 with a 33/3.7 seems low. Is there any other red flag on your AMCAS primary? A misdemeanor? Disciplinary action? If there's really nothing else wrong, then all I can think of is bad luck. Hopefully you're due for a turnaround.

I am very desperate for advice... I may have to reapply for a third time.

I applied twice for the 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 cycle.
First cycle I got 0 interviews. 30 MCAT 3.65 SGPA 3.65 CGPA

This cycle I got 6 interviews. I really felt like I made significant improvements. I applied very broadly- 30 low-mid tier schools. Currently on two waitlist and had 4 post interview rejects.
33 12-9VS-12 MCAT 3.70 SGPA 3.70CGPA
A lot of various hospital volunteer work
2 years research with presentation
1 year strong community service with leadership
Various minor shadowing.
Interviewers have told me they love my personal statement...
LOR's average-good.

I really do not think I screwed up my interviews... I am fairly average at least with regards to interviewing.


I have been unemployed for the past 2010-2011 cycle am and afraid that this will look very bad if I reapply.... I have been tutoring,volunteering at hospitals, and doing community service... Yet I feel like this does not make up for being unemployed.. I am afraid I cannot reapply this cycle because I don't have a job, and I don't have substantial LOR's to add either. But I can't take another year off... I can't get out of this unemployment period and was really hoping to go back to school.

I am also taking a histology class at a community college right now, and I think I will be getting a B because I didn't take it too seriously... I know I may have made a big mistake, how bad will this look?

I am at a loss for what happened this cycle.. .I really thought I would get in somewhere...
 
Thank you for the advice regarding the trascript and my spring grades. I didn't even think of that :D.

What does it mean if I am getting so little interview invites for the number of schools I applied? I didn't even apply to many reach schools either.

Not sure about red flags. No misdeamors, or disciplinary action though
 
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Hopefully you'll get off a waitlist.

If not, contact the schools that rejected you.
Get some feedback about your application.

Another thing, technically you can't see you LORs.
Have an advisor or someone give you feedback about the content.
Make sure you don't have a poor letter messing up you app.

Do a mock interview with someone who interviews med student applicants. Get feedback about what you can improve.

The bottom line is that there are more qualified applicants than spots available these days. Sometimes good applicants just don't get in for random reasosns. Do everything you can to improve on things within your control.

Also, did you apply to DO schools?
I don't like to think of them as "back-ups", but the application process is a little less competitive. They will still get you to your goal of being a physician.

If you don't get off the waitlists this year, apply to MD and DO next time.

:luck:
 
Yup, chalk it up to bad luck. Keep your fingers crossed that whomever reads your app next time is in a good mood and didn't get in a fight with his/her significant other before reading your file. I have friends that got into UCLA, UCSD, and Columbia med schools on a second try without doing a single thing to improve their apps from the year before...
 
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