High Stat Reapplicant

[lunarwater]

Hi Guys,
I applied this current cycle, and thought I was having a fairly successful cycle with 4 II. However, since, I have had 2 post-II rejections and 2 WL. I just want to be prepared for a reapplication and have a few specific questions in the case that I reapply:

1) Some of my schools will not take my August 2017 MCAT due to it being too old (6 on my old list: UNC, UVA, NYU, Mayo, Northwestern, Michigan). However I have identified other schools that would take it according to MSARS and added them below. Should I just avoid these old school/ reach out to adcoms or should I consider retaking the MCAT?

2) Working in clinical research, I have realized that that is not for me. I want to help patients before they develop disease and work in primary care/ internal med. On one hand, I do not know about leaving a job that has given me the experiences that I know will make me a good doctor. On the other hand, there is very little growth in this position (no pubs, another year of the same experiences may not add anything to my app). I am thinking of leaving this job to do an Americorps position that is ideally involved with addressing socioeconomic disparities. I think this would be something that builds my lacking leadership and nonclinical volunteering experience. Is this advisable?

3) Any tips on School List are appreciated I know I shot high, so feel free to be critical.

Here is a little about me:
From North Carolina
Undergrad: T10
Major: Econ/Global Health
cGPA: 3.86; sGPA: 3.85; MCAT: 519: 130/129/130/130 (august 2017)
Clinical volunteering: about 500 hrs (200 hrs at US hospitals and ~300 at a clinic abroad)
Paid clinical experience: about 1500 hrs (This was not in my initial app as I have been a CRC this past year)
Non-clinical volunteering: about 50 hrs (this might be a weak spot)
Research: 1000 hours, 2 Theses in humanities (1 pending publication). 1 3rd author abstract
Leadership: Was on Freshman coucil, but nothing major since (During Gap joined a Global Health program to learn how to become a leader in the field)
Shadowing: 50 hrs when applying (+500 now as part of my CRC job, in procedure room and Clinic)
Gap year: Clinical Research Coordinator. A lot of direct patient contact conducting follow-up visit but 0 pubs as I work only on big pharma studies
Recs: Chem prof from 2nd semester senior year (A+ in class) , Global Health Thesis adviser, Economics Thesis adviser, Stats prof I kept a good relationship with (will add 2 doctors I have worked with this year)
Awards: Won a few departmental awards at graduation. Also recently invited to Phi Beta Kappa

School List, (assume R unless otherwise noted):
UNC WL
Wake Forest
Emory
Stanford
Columbia
U Chicago
Baylor
Vanderbilt
UVA
Yale
Duke WL
Pitt
Northwestern
Mayo
UCSF
Tufts
NYU II-> R
Case Western II-> R
Rochester
Michigan
Hopkins
Harvard
Cornell

Schools I plan to add:
ECU
NYU LI
Ohio State
Wash U
UPenn
UTSW
UT
Maybe DO?

Edit: UNC WL

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[CindyLieu]

I cant speak to anything but maybe one thing. If that 500 hrs of shadowing is also included in the 1500 you plan to claim as clinical experience, I would not overlap. Typically you cant use the same hours to count in two places (although, I'm not an applicant and could be wrong, but when looking at other professional programs, that's what I've seen). Plus 500 seems like a lot to claim for shadowing anyway especially in one area based on what I've seen in the forums

 

[lunarwater]

I cant speak to anything but maybe one thing. If that 500 hrs of shadowing is also included in the 1500 you plan to claim as clinical experience, I would not overlap. Typically you cant use the same hours to count in two places (although, I'm not an applicant and could be wrong, but when looking at other professional programs, that's what I've seen). Plus 500 seems like a lot to claim for shadowing anyway especially in one area based on what I've seen in the forums

Thanks for the input. You are definitely right that I should not double count hours. I just thought 30 hours seems a bit low, so I wanted to show how that has changed since I originally applied. Instead of putting this in an activity for shadowing, I guess I would explicitly just state what my CRC duties include and how much time I took doing each (i.e. 300 hrs shadowing cases and collecting research data; 100 hours shadowing in clinic to help conduct research follow-ups etc)

 

[CindyLieu]

Thanks for the input. You are definitely right that I should not double count hours. I just thought 30 hours seems a bit low, so I wanted to show how that has changed since I originally applied. Instead of putting this in an activity for shadowing, I guess I would explicitly just state what my CRC duties include and how much time I took doing each (i.e. 300 hrs shadowing cases and collecting research data; 100 hours shadowing in clinic to help conduct research follow-ups etc)

Sounds like a plan. And if you can, shadow different specialties even if it's only a day. The hours still count and honestly (I'm not even applying but basing this on what I've experienced in life) a variety in shadowing shows in interest in the profession as a whole, gives you different perspectives and can set you up for some great networking.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

For these top medical schools, research is crucial. I'd suggest finding a position where you will be doing something meaningful (i.e. more than just sitting at a bench all day waiting for a gel to run) and can get publications out of.

You should also consider applying to less competitive schools.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[Goro]

For these top medical schools, research is crucial. I'd suggest finding a position where you will be doing something meaningful (i.e. more than just sitting at a bench all day waiting for a gel to run) and can get publications out of.

You should also consider applying to less competitive schools.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

But not so "less competitive that OP will be resource protected out of them.

OP does need to work on interview skills, and take a gap year to boost the nonclinical ECs.

 

[lunarwater]

For these top medical schools, research is crucial. I'd suggest finding a position where you will be doing something meaningful (i.e. more than just sitting at a bench all day waiting for a gel to run) and can get publications out of.

You should also consider applying to less competitive schools.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

But not so "less competitive that OP will be resource protected out of them.

OP does need to work on interview skills, and take a gap year to boost the nonclinical ECs.

Thanks for the input guys. Really appreciate you taking the time to read my post.

Kevin, you make a great point and really do capture my hesitancy of staying at my current position pretty accurately. At the margin, the additionally clinical experience with no research prospects does not really add meaningfully to my app.

Goro, I totally agree that I need to work more on my nonclinical work, and out of personal interest, I am already applying for Americorps positions to help bolster my application where I think it is the weakest. I will also take more time preparing for interviews. I remember going into my first one extremely unprepared, but I know I improved significantly throughout the season and I hope this progress and practice carries through to the next cycle.