How would you have done it?

[mr.mkitty]

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Now that much of the application cycle is drawing to a close, I was curious on applicant's thoughts about what they would have done differently before applying to medical school ( in terms of increasing their chances of getting in).
Personally, I would have shadowed at least a couple doctors and invested a little more time into research. This cycle I had zero shadowing hours and less than 100 total research hours on my AMCAS.
Additionally, I would have written my secondary essays better. I think I flew through some of them too fast and didn't give enough thought.
I was fortunate enough to gain a couple acceptances, but was still unpleasantly surprised with the lack of interest from schools that I thought I would have at least received IIs from. I think I was too optimistic about my chances due to my stats and some of my experiences.

What are your guys' thoughts?
Lets make this potentially useful for future applicants!

 

[Petrichor1]

haha, I'm applying with 0 shadowing hours...well no time to learn from pros

 

[takeurmeds02]

I would have decreased my MCAT studying time because I got really burnt out to where I was so over it even while taking the actual test haha. I noticed some of the questions I guessed on where the same topics that I knowingly didn't bother to learn too well. I would have also done more practice tests and tried to use more sources for the current MCAT. Those probably would have brought my score up and made me a more attractive candidate to most of schools I applied to.


I kind of haphazardly fell into my other experiences throughout the years without too much thought of how it would impact my overall profile...luckily it worked out

 

[mr.mkitty]

haha, I'm applying with 0 shadowing hours...well no time to learn from pros

It was something that was brought up during each of my interviews; one interviewee stressed the fact that I really should have had shadowing hours.
For future applicants, you mise well just check off the box... At the least.

 

[mr.mkitty]

I would have decreased my MCAT studying time because I got really burnt out to where I was so over it even while taking the actual test haha. I noticed some of the questions I guessed on where the same topics that I knowingly didn't bother to learn too well. I would have also done more practice tests and tried to use more sources for the current MCAT. Those probably would have brought my score up and made me a more attractive candidate to most of schools I applied to.

I thought doing a multitude of practice tests was extremely helpful in getting a high MCAT score.
However, after this application process, I realize I put too much weight on thinking that getting a good MCAT score would get me into all the schools.

 

[Pastamahn]

I had very minimal clinical volunteering and exposure, which I'm sure didn't help me.

 

[takeurmeds02]

I thought doing a multitude of practice tests was extremely helpful in getting a high MCAT score.
However, after this application process, I realize I put too much weight on thinking that getting a good MCAT score would get me into all the schools.

Well, I'm also URM, nontrad with diversified ECs including smaller research pubs. Most, if not all of my interviewers told me that my MCAT would have opened up a lot more doors if it was higher bc everything else was pretty solid...at any rate, it worked out for me bc I got into my top choice

 

[HybridEarth]

Although I had a successful cycle, I would have invested more than just 100 hours of volunteering.

 

[Lost in Translation]

I had very minimal clinical volunteering and exposure, which I'm didn't help me.

>didn't help me
>gets into WUSTL
gr8 b8 m8 r8 8/8

 

[Pastamahn]

>didn't help me
>gets into WUSTL
gr8 b8 m8 r8 8/8

Well I was WL at my state school with very cheap tuition (so was a top school for this reason) and is a school that is fairly primary care/community health focused so the lack of clinical experience I'm sure hindered my app there. Whereas WUSM is a school more score/research based so the lack of clinical care is less of an issue there, in my opinion. My post was in no way an attempt to brag, it was simply me listing something I wish I would have done more of.

 

[VegasPreMed]

Knowing what I know now?

I would have only applied to the schools that accepted me.

i keed. i keed. I would probably have grabbed some shadowing hours in primary care and surgery for the exposure.

 

[Petrichor1]

It was something that was brought up during each of my interviews; one interviewee stressed the fact that I really should have had shadowing hours.
For future applicants, you mise well just check off the box... At the least.

but if you have like very low #, is that still a question to be asked? What about for those who have unofficially shadowed plenty of physicians because of their job?

 

[NotAnotherPreMed]

I'll definitely say I wish I'd studied more for the MCAT..my GPA is very competitive at a top 10 school and my MCAT..while not bad per se (96% percentile) didn't push me over the 'lets invite him to interview' range for many schools. I got a few top 20 interviews however could have gotten even more had I gotten 2-3 points more on my MCAT.

 

[bluepeach9]

I had very minimal clinical volunteering and exposure, which I'm sure didn't help me.

I just looked at your MDapps profile. Congrats on those acceptances! I was just wondering…are you URM by any chance?

 

[Squamous Eddie]

I wouldn't have spent nearly as much time studying, going to lab, or teaching, and more time volunteering. I also would not have picked the lab I went into, as 3 years of work led to nothing but disappointment, lol. I was really proud of my GPA and MCAT and other ECs but have 1 acceptance out of 5 II's and got no OOS interviews. Probably would have sent my primary in on day 1, too. My cycle has been confusing, and while I am thankful for my acceptance, it can't be helped that I also feel a little disappointed, both in myself and at how it turned out.

 

[RockMcat520]

Now that much of the application cycle is drawing to a close, I was curious on applicant's thoughts about what they would have done differently before applying to medical school ( in terms of increasing their chances of getting in).
Personally, I would have shadowed at least a couple doctors and invested a little more time into research. This cycle I had zero shadowing hours and less than 100 total research hours on my AMCAS.
Additionally, I would have written my secondary essays better. I think I flew through some of them too fast and didn't give enough thought.
I was fortunate enough to gain a couple acceptances, but was still unpleasantly surprised with the lack of interest from schools that I thought I would have at least received IIs from. I think I was too optimistic about my chances due to my stats and some of my experiences.

What are your guys' thoughts?
Lets make this potentially useful for future applicants!

Thank you! I was wondering if shadowing different specialists as part of an internship is considered "shadowing"? I did an internship in the OR for 3 months, 6-8 hours per day. I observed anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons, cardio, urology surgeons, etc...

 

[whatever5]

I'd have taken my volunteer experiences more seriously.

 

[ChillDawg]

raised my gpa

 

[Dr. Retractor]

Studied for the MCAT outside of the practice tests
Applied to a broader range of schools (not just a bunch of reaches and a few safeties)

 

[gmbz]

Things I learned from this application cycle?

How much of a crap shoot it can be..

 

[Smoove]

I would've cranked up the hours on clinical volunteering and shadowing, also would've submitted primary on the very first day (just in case lol not sure if it actually had any effect on my cycle)

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

I would've not spent my first 2 years of undergrad living in a frat house getting blackout drunk 5 days a week. By doing so, maybe I would've gotten a respectable GPA.

Shy of that, I would've done undergrad research or TAing. My school allows 2 semesters (8 credit hours) of science courses to be contributed by research, and 4 of TAing. So I could've added 24 credit hours of straight 4.0 into my sGPA with minimal effort.

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

In all honesty, I wish I focused more on the MCAT rather than a summer. Also, going into College, I had the idea that you needed to get out in 4 years and then go to med school. I wish I knew beforehand that taking a year+ off was totally normal.

As for the app cycle, in all honesty, with the cards I had regarding MCAT/GPA/EC's, I think I had a successful app cycle and wouldn't have really changed anything.

 

[NotaCop]

Would have planned better and submitted amcas June 1 instead of early August. Couldn't really avoid this unfortunately due to a lot going on with school and life and a new job around may/June, but I did seriously underestimate the importance of getting stuff in early

 

[Lannister]

First of all, I would have taken at least one gap year. I'm so jealous of all the people I know who are taking a year off. Second, I would have done more research. Third, I would have taken regular ochem instead of the joke that was honors ochem, so I actually would've learned something and maybe wouldn't have bombed the chem/phys section of the MCAT.

 

[Glashutte32]

Less applications to "safety" schools, more target/reaches - I interviewed almost exclusively at schools where my stats were right in their middle range and received no invites where I was at or above the 90% for MCAT listed on MSAR.

 

[raiderette]

I would have done one more year of research, since I discovered too late that I enjoy it. I also would have done one volunteering gig versus doing thousands of hours through my philanthropy organization. I really thought I would have love from the Jesuit schools, but only got one II from schools that like community service.

 

[bananafish94]

I would wait until after I became a general chemistry/organic chemistry TA to take the MCAT, at which point the material would no longer be nearly as difficult for me. Also, more shadowing hours.

 

[mr.mkitty]

Another big thing I would have done was research schools just a little bit more..
I never bought MSAR and instead simply investigated schools from their websites.
I applied to Yale, but would never would have even wasted my money there had I realized how research heavy they are, along with their dissertation requirement.

 

[ifnotnowwren]

Ultimately I was accepted into one of my top choices but I could have saved a lot of time and money if I did the following things differently:
- push my mcat back and take a full gap year. I was working two jobs at the time I was studying and pushing my test back a month would have locked down a stellar score instead of a sufficient/ok one.
- apply early. I applied late because of my mcat date and I really should have moved the test back and applied in a year.
- secured my letter writers along the way, built better relationships with professors and then asked throughout my whole college career instead of at the end of it. Also look at necessary letters from the schools I was considering throughout college.
- pre write some of the secondaries or at least pre write some outlines for likely topics (diversity, challenge I faced, why medicine)
- take two weeks and just commit myself to doing a secondary a day. I wrote very well thought out essays and I was happy with what I sent, but ultimately I spent way too much time and effort here.

 

[virchow?]

In hindsight, I would have:

• Applied earlier (I had no internet access for most of the summer...merp)
• Studied more for the MCAT (I spent ~100-150 hours over winte break?...merp)
• Gotten a LOR from a second science professor...merp

Whateva, worked out I guess. There's no such thing as a ~*~*~*perfect*~*~*~ app, but I def would have changed those 3 things.

 

[musicalfeet]

I would have taken off a lot of the schools that were "below" my stats or whatever, and replaced them with a couple of reach schools. I got rejected at pretty much all the schools that were on the "safe" side, especially the ones that I didn't have any interest in. For example, I probably should have taken off MCW, Drexel, Rosy Franklin and NYMC, and replaced it with Emory + some other reach schools. I pretty much counted my instates as "reaches", and didn't really bother with any other. Now I wonder "What if?".

While I agree this process feels random, I have this weird, odd feeling that schools somehow can figure out who is the best fit for you. All the schools I had interviews (even if I didn't go) at were at places I would have truly been happy and excited to be at. In fact, I'm actually glad I was waitlisted at a bunch of them, because I'm already struggling with deciding between 2 places.

 

[wagonwheel23]

I would have changed two things:

1) Take the old MCAT or delay my application a year so I could avoid an early administration of the new MCAT. I took the April test and submitted my AMCAS before I had my official scores. When my official scores came out, I fell slightly below my overall confidence interval due to falling below the CI for my psychology subsection. If I had taken the new MCAT later I would have either scored better on the psychology section due to test taker feedback or had time to re-take (though my overall score was in the 'do not retake' range).

2) Get more physician shadowing. I had solid clinical volunteering but lacked solid physician shadowing. This did not come up in any of my interviews but I am certain that it hurt me. Huge oversight on my part.

 

[takeurmeds02]

I'll definitely say I wish I'd studied more for the MCAT..my GPA is very competitive at a top 10 school and my MCAT..while not bad per se (96% percentile) didn't push me over the 'lets invite him to interview' range for many schools. I got a few top 20 interviews however could have gotten even more had I gotten 2-3 points more on my MCAT.

Dude with a competitive GPA and 96% percentile MCAT, it had to have been something else in your app that held you back. I refuse to believe it was due to your MCAT lol

 

[takeurmeds02]

For the those who are reading this looking for advice, APPLY EARLY, APPLY EARLY, APPLY EARLY and broadly...and prewrite your secondaries..

I personally know a handful of people who would have been successful if they would have submitted back in June or even July instead of September/October.

 

[JustAPhD]

I'll definitely say I wish I'd studied more for the MCAT..my GPA is very competitive at a top 10 school and my MCAT..while not bad per se (96% percentile) didn't push me over the 'lets invite him to interview' range for many schools. I got a few top 20 interviews however could have gotten even more had I gotten 2-3 points more on my MCAT.

Dude with a competitive GPA and 96% percentile MCAT, it had to have been something else in your app that held you back. I refuse to believe it was due to your MCAT lol

That's pretty much exactly what per se means.

Edit: Re-reading the initial post, he used it kind of wonky.

 

[MerYangBey]

My school list wasn't the greatest.
Advice: Kids don't apply almost exclusively to out of state public schools with $62,000 tuition. Even if you do get accepted to a few of them chances are you'll end up picking your instate school that you wanted to leave. I'm thankful for the success I've had this cycle but I can't help but feel some regret. I wish I discovered SDN a few months earlier.

 

[NotAnotherPreMed]

Dude with a competitive GPA and 96% percentile MCAT, it had to have been something else in your app that held you back. I refuse to believe it was due to your MCAT lol

That's pretty much exactly what per se means.

Edit: Re-reading the initial post, he used it kind of wonky.

I don't know man. a 35 MCAT esp for top 10-20 schools doesn't cut it when I'm from California and Asian. even with a great GPA..I had patents, national posters presentations, national competition wins, lot of volunteering, shadowing etc and I did receive a few top interviews so it's not like there was something wrong with my essays/recs. Made the cut in a few places and didn't make it in most others. As simple as that.

 

[Gingy]

1) Wish I could've applied on day 1. This was precluded by a mid-summer MCAT, but still...
2) Applied more broadly and to more schools! Ya live and ya learn.
3) Had a few more meaningful clinical exposures to include. Hopefully gap year experiences will serve me well toward that end.

My cycle's not over until an early March decision, but I think I'll be ok next cycle should reapplication prove necessary.

 

[NotWayneBrady]

I had a secondary that I used for a lot of my diversity questions that I wish I could have burned.

I come from kind of a stray lifestyle, and so I am close with a bunch of different families from a bunch of ethnic groups (korean/japanese/filipino/mexican) as well as my own family having mixes of african american, japanese, lebanese, and italian/english. What I think I was intending to go for was being exposed to a really culturally diverse community growing up around these families in LA... which I was!

What came out of my sleep deprived brain sounded like a middle class white kid trying to play every race card at once. It was pretty awful. I'm shocked I didn't get flat rejected sooner by all of the schools I sent that essay to.

Update: I checked my secondaries, I did get rejected by every school I sent that essay to except for 1.

 

[ditritium monoxide]

.

I wouldn't have spent nearly as much time studying, going to lab, or teaching, and more time volunteering. I also would not have picked the lab I went into, as 3 years of work led to nothing but disappointment, lol. I was really proud of my GPA and MCAT and other ECs but have 1 acceptance out of 5 II's and got no OOS interviews. Probably would have sent my primary in on day 1, too. My cycle has been confusing, and while I am thankful for my acceptance, it can't be helped that I also feel a little disappointed, both in myself and at how it turned out.

Damn, what we have done/plan to do in undergrad sounds really similar, and I have some concerns that this will be the way it'll turn out for me. Would you mind sharing some info? PM me if you want. Where did you apply?

 

[nRomaleos]

1. Take my MCAT in the summer instead of during the school year
2. Go to office hours more
3. I think if I just went to a few less parties, my GPA could've been a point higher

However, I think all of the above were just manifestations of me being unsure if medicine was the right path for half of college. It is crazy how motivation cranks to whole another level when I became certain about what I was trying to accomplish.

 

[justadream]

Schedule interviews for school you are less interested in first. Intentionally delay interviews for schools that you are more interested in for later.

 

[Glandzburg]

Schedule interviews for school you are less interested in first. Intentionally delay interviews for schools that you are more interested in for later.

I'm very glad that I interviewed at my current school third, because I straight up butchered my first interview.

 

[CHoge25]

Schedule interviews for school you are less interested in first. Intentionally delay interviews for schools that you are more interested in for later.

Is reasoning for this to practice your interview skills or what?

 

[justadream]

I'm very glad that I interviewed at my current school third, because I straight up butchered my first interview.

Is reasoning for this to practice your interview skills or what?

Yes, I got substantially better with practice (as in, big enough of a difference where it would decide accepted vs. WListed post-interview).

Mock interviews help but nothing beats the real thing.

 

[DrDorianTurkleton]

Also just a word of wisdom to many that may come looking through this thread:

I was also in the boat where I wanted to submit my application on the first day AMCAS was open for submission and in doing so, I left a few small mistakes that were annoying but in no way impacted my application cycle. Don't get me wrong, the "early" submission is HUGE but looking at the verification thread I remember that even people who submitted on like June 20th were still verified before the July 1st AMCAS transmission date.

Moral of the story: Don't feel like you need to submit "Day 1." As long as you submit within the first week or two, and barring any mishaps with AMCAS verification times, you will have all the advantages of applying early without feeling the rush of having to submit right away.

 

[Mansamusa]

Besides having my 1 bad interview be the one at my state school:

Go slow with secondaries. My insecurity came through on a few of them.

Apply to much fewer schools- schools actually do look for people who match their mission, so if you have a good hook the schools will come-a-bitin' and, also, don't bother applying to schools with tuition over $60K of COA over $85K/yr.

Trust your gut, and don't regret all those undergrad Cs

 

[Gingy]

Moral of the story: Don't feel like you need to submit "Day 1." As long as you submit within the first week or two, and barring any mishaps with AMCAS verification times, you will have all the advantages of applying early without feeling the rush of having to submit right away.

Probably true. However, this past cycle I was AMCAS verified at the end of August and had completed secondaries by early September. This cycle has been dismally unfruitful and I'll be applying on Day 1 next cycle for peace of mind. Even if next cycle goes poorly, I can't attribute that in any way to my submission date.

 

[danib2k15]

Would have
1. Pre-written my secondaries. What a damn crunch when they all came in at once hahah
2. Learned to be more patient when it comes to every part of this process
3. Done activities that I loved and not typical pre-med activities SOONER. Took me a while to actually just follow my passions which ultimately made me a stronger, far more individual applicant.\
4. Used MSAR in a smarter way when picking my school list. I could have been way more targeted (albeit I did have a successful cycle)
5. Taken notes AFTER my interview day at each school. You do actually forget things and it helps to have your thoughts from those moments (feelings about the school, etc.)
6. Only buy one outfit, anything else is excessive (I only ended up wearing one outfit to all of mine)
7. Traveled lighter - you never know what can happen haha. Almost left my suit at security once (thank you kind soul who chased after me)
8. EAT BREAKFAST before interviews
9. Stay calm, dangit. Stress does no good.