MD & DO How to improve? Potential re-app

[9w1]

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[Catalystik]

hi, i'm a current applicant wondering how i can improve my app if i have to reapply. i'm hoping to target weak points in my app to work starting from dec/jan.

3.8 cGPA, 3.7 sGPA
11/10/11 MCAT
ORM male
applied this cycle to ~25 M.D. schools (complete in july/early august), lots of silences so far and looks like 1 post-interview rejection (got passed over for later interviewers). only applied low & mid-tier.

120 hours clinical (hospital and free clinic)
~800-900 hours research (3rd author translational research manuscript... dunno if it'll get published, we're trying)
130 hours shadowing (majority is a pcp + one specialist)
about 200 hours non-clinical volunteering (mostly with the homeless) over 3 years
worked for a non-profit for 2 years (with leadership & creating service projects)
leader of a service organization
won a grant and started a service project in local community geared towards underserved

lors: good, probably not phenomenal
ps: decent, possibly pretty bland
secondaries: not sure?
interviewing skills: not sure?

i know it's a little bit early but i'm thinking about which opportunities i should seek out for next semester.
thanks!

-Over how many months did you gain the clinical experience? Have you continued to add to it since submission? From my point of view it's somewhat on the light side.
-Of the 25 schools you applied to, how many had a Lizzy M score > 70?
-What is your home state?
-Any posters or presentations?
-Any interesting hobbies, sports, or artistic endeavors to help make you memorable?
-Any institutional actions or legal issues?
-What could you do to get stronger LORs?
-Did the quality of your Secondary essays match that of the PS?

 

[9w1]

-Over how many months did you gain the clinical experience? Have you continued to add to it since submission? From my point of view it's somewhat on the light side.
-Of the 25 schools you applied to, how many had a Lizzy M score > 70?
-What is your home state?
-Any posters or presentations?
-Any interesting hobbies, sports, or artistic endeavors to help make you memorable?
-Any institutional actions or legal issues?
-What could you do to get stronger LORs?
-Did the quality of your Secondary essays match that of the PS?

Thanks for replying! I know my clinical experience is weak and it might be the sticking point.
1. It wasn't continuous -- about 60 hours from freshman year (about 4 months), about 30 from sophomore year (over 4 months), then 30 from junior year (also over 4 months). Where I am it's difficult to get meaningful clinical exposure, and when you do get the opportunity, it's not for many hours. If I took a gap year I would look for a medical scribe type position or something more full-time and continuous. I have not added to it since submission, however I will be free to volunteer as much as necessary next semester.
2. I believe 5 of them, but they are all around 71. I was rejected from one of them and interviewed at another (my IS).
3. Would prefer not to reveal, but I received II's from my state schools.
4. No posters or presentations.
5. One pretty unique hobby, one sport but only for fun, and one artistic endeavor but also just for fun.
6. No IA's or legal issues.
7. I'm not really sure. I asked professors whose classes I did really well in and got to know fairly well, as well as a PI I've known for ~2 years.
8. Yes.

 

[Catalystik]

1) You might consider branching out into other more accessible venues for active clinical experience beyond hospitals and the free clinic, like hospice, inpatient Alzheimer's Unit, skilled-level nursing home, rehab center, VA, family-planning, or even private clinics, or a free-standing surgicenter. A clinical job would be fine, too.

5) Hopefully, you included them on the application.

9) Also, how would you evaluate your interview skills? Did you practice before going?

 

[9w1]

1. Those are great suggestions, thank you.
5. Yes, and I managed to speak about them at my interviews.
9. It's hard for me to evaluate myself, but I think I am not a bad interviewer. In my leadership and service experiences I have learned to be a confident, articulate, and thoughtful speaker. I tried to apply those skills as best as I could. I practiced in that I looked over potential common questions and thought about how I would answer them, but I didn't memorize or rehearse any lines. During the interview itself I gave natural and honest answers. I was a little nervous at my first interview but took note of that for my second, which I thought went better (I got positive feedback from my interviewers). I tried to be very focused on making sure I answered the questions they posed.

 

[Doug Underhill]

You have no posters, presentations, or publications for 900 hours of research? How were you in the lab that much and your PI didn't even have you attend a poster session? Can you articulate what you actually did in the lab and why it was meaningful?

 

[Goro]

What was your school list?

Keep in mind it's still early and they may be working their way down the pile to your app.

Were you able to get any feedback from the school that rejected you?

hi, i'm a current applicant wondering how i can improve my app if i have to reapply. i'm hoping to target weak points in my app to work on starting from dec/jan.

3.8 cGPA, 3.7 sGPA
11/10/11 MCAT
ORM male
applied this cycle to ~25 M.D. schools (complete in july/early august), lots of silences so far and looks like 1 post-interview rejection (got passed over for later interviewers). only applied low & mid-tier.

120 hours clinical (hospital and free clinic)
~800-900 hours research (3rd author translational research manuscript... dunno if it'll get published, we're trying)
130 hours shadowing (majority is a pcp + one specialist)
about 200 hours non-clinical volunteering (mostly with the homeless) over 3 years
worked for a non-profit for 2 years (with leadership & creating service projects)
leader of a service organization
won a grant and started a service project in local community geared towards underserved

lors: good, probably not phenomenal
ps: decent, possibly pretty bland
secondaries: not sure?
interviewing skills: not sure?

i know it's a little bit early but i'm thinking about which opportunities i should seek out for next semester.
thanks!

 

[ProudMD]

What was your school list?

Keep in mind it's still early and they may be working their way down the pile to your app.

Were you able to get any feedback from the school that rejected you?

This. Plenty of people interview after the new year and get acceptances. We are still relatively early in the cycle.

I am going to steal Goro's line: patience is a virtue, the need for instant gratification is not!

Hang in there - you should be fine.