I dont like the school I got into, should I reapply next fall?

[phosphorus pet]

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Here is my situation: I applied to 9 total schools this fall. I heard back from four for interviews (UVA, UT-Southwestern, NYU and the University of Oklahoma). I was accepted at OU, waitlisted at UVA and haven’t heard anything from the other two – which I assume means waitlist/rejection.

I believe the main hole in my app is the lack of volunteer and hospital experience. My ECs read: Zoology Teaching Assistant, lots of research, student government coordinator, and limited volunteering at a hospital (about 60 total hours).

I really did not like my experience at OU. I am positive it is an excellent school – just not somewhere I can see myself enjoying the next four years. I am considering turning down OU and trying to beef up my application for next fall (i.e. volunteering a lot, picking up another major and minor, and continuing with the things I am doing currently).

Does anyone have any advice for me? Will turning down the chance to be a doctor at my state school hurt me if I reapply next year? Is it possible to defer enrollment at OU for a year and then reapply next year in the hopes that I can go to a dream school of mine? In the end, am I justified in believing that my lack of volunteering and hospital experience is a huge hole in my app? Please feel free to check out my mdapplicants profile and give me your assessment:

MDApplicants.com

Thanks.

 

[andi_cvr]

You may still hear from UTSouthwestern now that the match for TX residents is over. Good luck.

 

[Zymogen]

I've often wondered what I would do if I am one day in a situation like you are now. Yes, you stats seem as though you are certainly qualified for a top school. Could you get into a top school if you futher build your application and re-applied?

I would say yes.

However, how much is it worth it to you personally? Weigh you interests and goals. Consider location and family. Talk to experienced doctors(not that SDNers are bad). The only remotely significant resource with regards to the future that we have as growing students is the experiences of our elders (i.e. doctors). Good Luck.

 

[drmota]

as i was walking in for my first meeting with my pre-med counselor a few years back, i saw this kid walking out with his eyes completely bloodshot and on the verge of tears. after walking in my advisor went on to tell me the story about how that kid had applied to med schools 2 years before and only got into Penn State. He turned them down to apply the next year to more schools. it was already april of the next year and he didn't have any interviews. he had been crying to her for about 30 minutes about how stupid he was to not take that penn state spot. she said he was gonna give up his dream of being a doctor and do something out (this may have been his emotion talking). dont let this happen. remember, you graduate from med school ---> you are an M.D. if you get in, go. you'll regret it if you dont.
-mota

 

[Rafa]

I can't say what I'd do if I were in your position, but this is why it's always a good idea not to apply to schools you really wouldn't like to go to if they were the only ones you got into. I'm totally not blaming you or anything - just thinking aloud. Over the past month, I've been trimming down the schools I'm going to apply to next year with this in mind.

However, if I were you, I wouldn't make any sudden moves just yet. It's the first week of February. Many schools aren't going to even start interviewing (much less sending out admissions) until next month. I'd sit tight and stay busy. If you don't like where you are come Mayday, *then* decide. But don't fret now. Life's too short to spend it worrying about things before their time.

 

[phosphorus pet]

...He turned them down to apply the next year to more schools. it was already april of the next year and he didn't have any interviews. he had been crying to her for about 30 minutes about how stupid he was to not take that penn state spot. she said he was gonna give up his dream of being a doctor and do something out (this may have been his emotion talking). dont let this happen. remember, you graduate from med school ---> you are an M.D. if you get in, go. you'll regret it if you dont.
-mota

Ya, this is the main thing I am worried about. But, is it possible to defer that admission and still reapply next fall or will they find out? Anyone know?

 

[PhillyEaglesFan]

I'm with DaMota.

What's your primary goal, becoming a doctor or getting into med school? There is a difference. I would take the acceptance. Also, I don't know if "happiness" is a reliable measure to go by. Sure, some schools might attract you more than others, but being happy at a school is more likely to depend on you yourself, rather than the school. Happiness doesn't come pre-packaged. If you relax, keep an open mind, and make an effort to enjoy yourself at OU, you should be just fine.

 

[USArmyDoc]

My premed advisor was telling me she had a conversation with an adcom member at a school a classmate was just waitlisted at. The committee member said that if the student has some where to go and doesn't take it this year they will question that student's judgement.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Personally I would think you would be taking one heck of a risk by blowing off a school to which you've been accepted, for the chance to maybe get accepted somewhere else.

 

[BobBarker]

Pretty sure that they'll find out through AMCAS.. Go to OU, if you don't get in somewhere else. I had a 12/6 interview at OU, thought the interview went great, also. Decent enough stats, 28O, 3.8 GPA, bio major, Spanish minor, so I thought I was a lock and was getting pretty pumped up to go there. Well, I got rejected instead. Reason being they thought I had high enough intelligence to excel academically but did not have "passion" enough for medicine. They asked me what I would do if not medicine, and I replied a PhD in genetics. I guess I seemed to like genetics a tad too much, in their opinions. Now I have to hope for OSU to come through for me, or I'm out a year. If I that doesn't work out, I'm going to have to scramble like hell and start studying for the April MCAT (stupidly, I studied a grand total of about 15 hours for the August MCAT), while also bust my balls to get all A's in 15 hours of pretty tough sciences.

 

[Tribeca]

First, wait for NYU and UT's decisions. But I mainly agree with mota and others. You got an acceptance, and if you go, you're going to be an MD. If you don't take your chance now, it'll be like gambling your chance of being an MD. If you reapply next year, schools may also see that you were accepted to OU and didn't go (i'm not sure, check on this). Also, what if the feeling of being unhappy at OU was just a first impression? You might end up liking it after all. The good thing is, since OU's your state school, tuition will be low. If you do decide to reapply, i suggest you apply to more schools next time.

 

[Sam212]

Dude, STFU and go to OU. Top school won't get you anywhere, your own abilities and performance in med school will.

 

[riceman04]

Here is my situation: I applied to 9 total schools this fall. I heard back from four for interviews (UVA, UT-Southwestern, NYU and the University of Oklahoma). I was accepted at OU, waitlisted at UVA and haven’t heard anything from the other two – which I assume means waitlist/rejection.

I believe the main hole in my app is the lack of volunteer and hospital experience. My ECs read: Zoology Teaching Assistant, lots of research, student government coordinator, and limited volunteering at a hospital (about 60 total hours).

I really did not like my experience at OU. I am positive it is an excellent school – just not somewhere I can see myself enjoying the next four years. I am considering turning down OU and trying to beef up my application for next fall (i.e. volunteering a lot, picking up another major and minor, and continuing with the things I am doing currently).

Does anyone have any advice for me? Will turning down the chance to be a doctor at my state school hurt me if I reapply next year? Is it possible to defer enrollment at OU for a year and then reapply next year in the hopes that I can go to a dream school of mine? In the end, am I justified in believing that my lack of volunteering and hospital experience is a huge hole in my app? Please feel free to check out my mdapplicants profile and give me your assessment:

MDApplicants.com

Thanks.

Ok, so I am not attacking you at all...but I want to know what attracted you to that school initially (when you first started applying)?

 

[happydays]

Dude, STFU and go to OU. Top school won't get you anywhere, your own abilities and performance in med school will.

Unless that top school is HMS or JH, you're mostly on your own anyway. Do well on your boards, in you classes, in your clinicals and you should be able to get into any specialty you want.

 

[Pewl]

are you kidding me?

OP, If you do not accept this offer from your own STATE school I will personally hunt you down, staple you to a wall, and repeatedly hurl billiard balls at your head.

There are those of us out here who are desperate to get into ANY med school, let alone their own state school!

TAKE THE ACCEPTANCE AND BE HAPPY!

😡

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

I have to say I pretty much disagree with everyone on this one..I think you should reapply if that's really what you want. I mean, If I was in a position to be choosy about med schools I wouldn't want to spend my 20's in Oklahoma either.

You have a 34 and a 3.92. You got 4 interviews with only 9 applications. Certainly you will do just as well if not better next year, because you will have improved your application and can apply to more schools. Now, if this time you only apply to schools you would go to (I would say at least 20), and not just top-20, then you are set.

 

[happydays]

Very many people with 3.9+ and 32+ MCAT go to non-top-10 schools. If you go to UO, there's a 90% chance that you WON'T be the smartest person there. Someone last year got into Harvard, but went to Wayne State with a 40 MCAT (this is not from mdapp, this is from my own school's stats). I'd recommend that you don't reapply unless you're 100% sure that 1. you WILL get into a top school, and 2. you'll die unless you do so.

 

[JSK44]

I agree with everything said so far. And I too, had wondered what I would do if I only received acceptances from schools I only sort of wanted to go to.

The only thing I want to add is that, taking a completely different angle here, 4 years is a long time to hate your location, your school, your peers, etc. I feel like (and this is complete speculation) medical school in general will be pretty tough, and being in a place you are unhappy and depressed with will only compound that. So if it is between you settling now for a place you are certain you will be unhappy with, or reapplying next year to go somewhere you'll love, you have to weigh that risk. And see if its worth it to you!

 

[Law2Doc]

Here is my situation: I applied to 9 total schools this fall. I heard back from four for interviews (UVA, UT-Southwestern, NYU and the University of Oklahoma). I was accepted at OU, waitlisted at UVA and haven’t heard anything from the other two – which I assume means waitlist/rejection.

I believe the main hole in my app is the lack of volunteer and hospital experience. My ECs read: Zoology Teaching Assistant, lots of research, student government coordinator, and limited volunteering at a hospital (about 60 total hours).

I really did not like my experience at OU. I am positive it is an excellent school – just not somewhere I can see myself enjoying the next four years. I am considering turning down OU and trying to beef up my application for next fall (i.e. volunteering a lot, picking up another major and minor, and continuing with the things I am doing currently).

Does anyone have any advice for me? Will turning down the chance to be a doctor at my state school hurt me if I reapply next year? Is it possible to defer enrollment at OU for a year and then reapply next year in the hopes that I can go to a dream school of mine? In the end, am I justified in believing that my lack of volunteering and hospital experience is a huge hole in my app? Please feel free to check out my mdapplicants profile and give me your assessment:

MDApplicants.com

Thanks.

Couple things to consider: (1) your biggest problem was probably that you applied to so few schools. Getting 4 interviews and one acceptance out of nine is quite good, and shouldn't have been unexpected. You shouldn't apply someplace you would never consider going. (2) Don't assume that you know what it is that cost you some of the spots. Could have been the lack of clinical volunteering, but could have been something else (interviewing skills or a bad LOR or not being particularly solid in your "why medicine" reasons?). Set up an appointment with a dean to find out if you are going to try this gambit. As should be evident from your experience, admission to the top ten schools is not based on mere numerical stats, and an applicant to such schools needs to also be equally impressive in some non-academic ways. (3) Some of the more competitive schools are not as reapplicant friendly, and most expect some substantial improvement to your application by the next cycle. ECs might do it, or they might not. (4) The fact that you turned down an MD spot to reapply might send the wrong message to some schools -- that you are more interested in the prestige and name than in becoming a doctor. I would think after this, no "safety" school will touch you, if they know about this round.
The bottom line is that you are in at medical school, and all allo schools are quite good. If you do well, and rock the boards, etc. You will have the opportunity to match into a residency program somewhere else in 4 years. I think if you gamble the way you suggest, your med school options may very well get worse, not better.
BTW, no, you cannot defer at one school and spend the year applying to others -- doesn't work that way.
In sum, you can become an equally good doctor and end up in the same place either way. The inside of a library/hospital looks largely the same at every school, which is where you will spend much of the next four years. Why risk it?

 

[synapse lapse]

It's such a crap shoot, who knows. If it were me I wouldn't have applied to a school I wouldn't go to, and if I had great stats and didn't like it after interviewing, I might defer a year, though probably not. As DaMota said you never know. I have a friend here who is MSTP who turned down an acceptance last year looking for a better school. He got it, but it really does matter if you are going that route, or if you have an interest in Academic medicine, though residency probably matters more. Anyhow tough choice, luck 👍

 

[Depakote]

As a reapplicant who didn't get in last year, I submit that the topic creator is a whiner.

Find happiness where you wind up. Don't get greedy. You do that, you're gonna get burned.


Edit for clarification.

 

[Shredder]

Here is my situation: I applied to 9 total schools this fall. I heard back from four for interviews (UVA, UT-Southwestern, NYU and the University of Oklahoma). I was accepted at OU, waitlisted at UVA and haven’t heard anything from the other two – which I assume means waitlist/rejection.

I believe the main hole in my app is the lack of volunteer and hospital experience. My ECs read: Zoology Teaching Assistant, lots of research, student government coordinator, and limited volunteering at a hospital (about 60 total hours).

I really did not like my experience at OU. I am positive it is an excellent school – just not somewhere I can see myself enjoying the next four years. I am considering turning down OU and trying to beef up my application for next fall (i.e. volunteering a lot, picking up another major and minor, and continuing with the things I am doing currently).

Does anyone have any advice for me? Will turning down the chance to be a doctor at my state school hurt me if I reapply next year? Is it possible to defer enrollment at OU for a year and then reapply next year in the hopes that I can go to a dream school of mine? In the end, am I justified in believing that my lack of volunteering and hospital experience is a huge hole in my app? Please feel free to check out my mdapplicants profile and give me your assessment:

MDApplicants.com

Thanks.

same here--i go to utexas for undergrad and dont like it too much, so far only accepted at ohio state. decent med school but way too much like ut, doubt ill be happy. ive considered reapplying, but its such a hassle...dunno, lets hope we hear from elsewhere and ease our anxiety. no volunteering here too, but i refuse to do any no matter what happens. ideological reasons. 60 hours of volunteer sounds ok, better than 0

id say im with zoomzoom and jsk44, in the reapply camp pretty much. whats a year compared to 4 yrs of relative unhappiness, thats not the way to go through med school. its not like applying to colleges where the only alternative to going to a school is working at best buy for the interim year. you can probably do something worthwhile. as for applying to schools you want to go to...its a mystery, i personally didnt complete 4 or 5

 

[Art]

One must be very cautious about turning down an acceptance to medical school and hoping to "upgrade" by re-applying. There are many factors that go into an admission decision including a desire to go into medicine. Declining an offer of admission may be percieved as an indication that the applicant does not really want to go to medical school. You may want to ask how many re-applicants are admitted to the schools you want to attend. If the number is very low, your chances of success on re-application will also be very low.

 

[dilated]

One must be very cautious about turning down an acceptance to medical school and hoping to "upgrade" by re-applying. There are many factors that go into an admission decision including a desire to go into medicine. Declining an offer of admission may be percieved as an indication that the applicant does not really want to go to medical school. You may want to ask how many re-applicants are admitted to the schools you want to attend. If the number is very low, your chances of success on re-application will also be very low.

So don't say you declined an offer because you thought OU sucked balls. Say your mom got hit by a meteor or you were attacked by killer bees and needed a year to get all the honey out of your veins.

Personally I was afraid I was going to be in this dilemma and I was leaning towards taking another year. Not because the school was crappy, but because the location would have made me totally miserable.

 

[Caligrl]

Ya, this is the main thing I am worried about. But, is it possible to defer that admission and still reapply next fall or will they find out? Anyone know?

I don't think that you can reapply through AMCAS while holding a deferred acceptance.

Really, what makes the difference here is not the name of the school---it is your drive to become a physician and succeed in your classes. Someone in the bottom of their class at Harvard med is less likely to get a good residency than a top student from a state school who has excellent letters, clerkships etc.

You've worked so hard to get where you are----I would take the acceptance and not risk reapplying. You're in med school, it is only 4 years and once you are a med student studying 100+ hours/week, I bet you will find that where you are doesn't really matter. Focus on doing well and shoot for a residency in your deired location instead (which matters just as much, if not more than where you went to med school.

 

[Shredder]

i think it could be seen as an attribute if you decide to reapply in hopes of going somewhere top notch. you could sincerely say that you really mean business (medicine, I should say) and its important that you go somewhere good to help you advance medicine. isnt that the kind of students big name schools try to produce anyway? any schools can churn out residents and even competitively matching ones, but it takes more to make top leaders, researchers and such. paradigm shifters you could say. whether you envision being this kind of person or not, you could use it as the logic and i would personally find it compelling if i heard it, as an adcom/interviewer that is. gtg hope that made sense

 

[weezer230]

I would have to agree with most everyone here --- GO TO WHERE YOU GET IN AND DO NOT GET GREEDY! What was the logic when you were filling out primary and secondary applications? Were you like "I am going to apply to A, B, and C, but if i get into C i will not attend." Why did you go through the trouble (and spend all the money) if you have no intention attending that school. I am certain that despite your competitive stats schools are going to frown on the fact that you did not attend school the year you intended to (this upcoming year). You will certainly get asked (if you get interviewed next time around), "so what happened last year?" Unless you lie you would answer, "Ummmm.... I wanted to go to a better school so i decided wait and reapply. You see I don't want to be a doctor as much as i want to be a doctor from a "better medical school." The name on my diploma dictates the caliber of physician that I am going to become."

Overall, my advice is go to the school, I am sure it is a great school and your first impression might be off. All schools are fine. Good luck.

 

[nikibean]

4 years is a long time to hate your location, your school, your peers, etc. I feel like (and this is complete speculation) medical school in general will be pretty tough, and being in a place you are unhappy and depressed with will only compound that. So if it is between you settling now for a place you are certain you will be unhappy with, or reapplying next year to go somewhere you'll love, you have to weigh that risk. And see if its worth it to you!

Except for the fact that many people have to leave where they love (ask the Californian applicants). It's not a place you're really going to be *living* for 4 years as much as *training*. Don't give up your spot in med school. OU has a great reputation, and by virtue of being there you will change the environment. We forget that what we bring to a place automatically changes it. Plus, your 3rd and 4th years involve clinical rotations anyway, in a variety of places. Even if OU is the only place you get in, you're further ahead than most people. Take what you get- don't screw yourself next year.

 

[Orthodoc40]

You have NO guarantees, get it? ZERO, that if you re-apply you will be accepted anywhere. No matter WHAT you do in this next year.

Is it worth the risk to you?

If it is, you can bet that next year, admissions committees will be wondering why it was worth the risk to you. And how much better will your application now look? Try not at all - probably will look worse to them.

Be glad you're in somewhere. If you really do hate the school, try to be one of those rare people that manages to transfer somewhere else. But if you turn it down it could be at your own peril...

 

[63768]

i'd say take the acceptance. you never know how it'll be. and if it really is that bad, you can apply to transfer. and if that doesn't work, most schools only require 2 years of class training then the 3rd year is all in hospitals and the 4th year can be done away. so it's not really 4 years of hell. applying again having gotten an acceptance will show up and will not be taken lightly.

 

[Bernito]

Keep in my that although you will be off another full year, your application will be due in June (for the best chance to 'upgrade'). How much will you be able to change your application in 4 months compared to this cycle?

 

[ahumdinger]

How does the waitlist work at UVA? Is it ranked or unranked? Is there usually a lot of movement from the waitlist? Rather than wasting another year (that's TIME + MONEY!) to reapply, try to do something about that waitlist. If it's unranked, then bombard the school with letters of intent!! Advertise yourself and show them that you really want to go there! If that doesn't work, then just be happy with your current acceptance. You're saving a lot of money, and it's an MD no matter what. You never know, maybe you'll really love your classmates and the experience won't be as horrible as you expect!
Good luck!

 

[gostudy]

It has been hinted before but not explicitly stated.

Pre meds yet to apply:

DO NOT APPLY TO ANY SCHOOLS YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO ATTEND.

Pre med advisors will tell you this over and over. You should think long and hard about the schools to which you apply. It is better to apply only to the schools you like, get rejected to all, and re-apply the next year than to apply to schools you don't like and decline acceptances to re-apply the next year.

 

[browniegirl86]

DO NOT APPLY TO ANY SCHOOLS YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO ATTEND.

I definitely agree with you. But I think, in the OP's case, the negative impression of the school only happened post-interview. The OP seems to have applied to the school with every intention of attending if accepted, but then had a terrible experience at the interview day.

That's my impression, at least.

 

[beefballs]

Hold off as long as you can. You went to OU for ugrad, you can always do res elsewhere, plus if you get accepted and don't go it may come up as a question next cycle regarding your commitment to medicine.

Also why apply to a school you don't want to go there, were you not familiar with school before you applied?

 

[Doctor Bagel]

As a person who might very well go to OU next year, I've got to say I wouldn't give up your acceptance. Also, OU doesn't allow deferrals, so that's a no-go anyway. OU seems to have been getting some bad press here recently in the interview feedback area, but how much does an interview really tell you about a school? From what I've heard, there are all types of people there, so we'll all find a place. Admittedly, I'm not too excited about living in Oklahoma City, but if you hate it, you can always go to Tulsa for your last two years. In contrast to some false information posted in tne class thread, you don't have to stay in Oklahoma for the rest of your life after attending OU. In fact, the majority of students leave the state for their residencies.

 

[JSK44]

I definitely agree with you. But I think, in the OP's case, the negative impression of the school only happened post-interview. The OP seems to have applied to the school with every intention of attending if accepted, but then had a terrible experience at the interview day.

That's my impression, at least.

Me too! I personally had no idea what I was doing when I sent out my primaries (it pretty much came down to me ripping out pages of my MSAR book), and I made cuts at each step when I figured out a little more about the school. For me, going on interviews was really the only way I got a feeling for the school.

... You guys who knew a ton about every school you applied to are lucky! ... and a lot less poor than I am now! Be happy 😀

 

[gostudy]

I definitely agree with you. But I think, in the OP's case, the negative impression of the school only happened post-interview. The OP seems to have applied to the school with every intention of attending if accepted, but then had a terrible experience at the interview day.

That's my impression, at least.

Sure. The OP's case is definitely unique. I was posting more for those pre meds yet to apply.

 

[velo]

If you have an acceptance DON'T TURN IT DOWN

Your belief that you can get in somewhere "better" is based on the assumption that your application will only get stronger between now and then. I contend your file will actually be weaker.

1) Its Feburary now, meaning if you start today you have only 5-6 months to make your application stronger. You can do a little volunteering (which really isn't that big of a deal) plus you'll have to find something else to do to answer the all too important "what have you been doing with your time off question.

2a) The fact that you got in this cycle and turned down your only acceptance is going to look HORRIBLE. Schools want to fill their classes--when they accept someone they want there to be a good chance that that person will matriculate. The fact that you choose to wait a year rather than go a school you applied to and were accepted is going to raise serious doubts about whether you will attend their school if accepted.

2b) Its also going to look horrible because it will call into question your motivation to be a physician. You may have good reasons for turning down the school--but those reasons will be put under the microscope by your interviewers.

3) General stigma of being a reapplicant.


I think your chances are worse if you turn this down and try again. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush

 

[yellowpersuazio]

i think it could be seen as an attribute if you decide to reapply in hopes of going somewhere top notch. you could sincerely say that you really mean business (medicine, I should say) and its important that you go somewhere good to help you advance medicine. isnt that the kind of students big name schools try to produce anyway? any schools can churn out residents and even competitively matching ones, but it takes more to make top leaders, researchers and such. paradigm shifters you could say. whether you envision being this kind of person or not, you could use it as the logic and i would personally find it compelling if i heard it, as an adcom/interviewer that is. gtg hope that made sense

That doesn't make sense at all...

Top notch schools aren't going to want some whining douchebag who turned down a school's acceptance last year because it was "below" him and didn't have the big name that he wanted. The school you go to itself isn't going to determine how good of a doctor you will become or how well you do in it. If you were really committed to entering medicine, the path to get there shouldn't matter all that much. It's what you make of it.

Also, you need really good reasons to defer matriculation, i.e. a year of medical missions out of the country, intense research, etc., not applying to other schools. And like someone else said, what are you going to do in 4 months that will up your application? Alot of schools will ask on their secondaries whether or not you've been accepted to medical schools in the past, and if you have, you're at a huge disadvantage unless you have a REAL compelling story...not the "I just didn't like the school" reason you're giving.

 

[almost_there]

May I present some alternatives to the OP?

1. Don't give up hope on your waitlists and haven't-yet-heards. If there is somewhere you really like, I suggest you write to the admissions office/director of admissions and tell him/her that it is your first choice, and why that is.

2. Go to the second-look weekend (if there is one) at OU -- see what your classmates are like. You might be pleasantly surprised.

3. Take more than one year off -- actually go and pursue something you're interested in that you might not otherwise get to do after medical school. It's extremely valuable life experience, and will also make your future application much more compelling to medical schools. Work, travel! You'll distinguish yourself from the normal pool of applicants, particularly if you do different things than the "typical" premed. And you'll probably be happier when you're actually in med school...

Good luck!

a_t

 

[LizzyM]

Have you considered the costs:

of applying one more time?

of the higher tuition that you are sure to pay from 2007-2011 over what you would pay in 2006-2010?

of the higher tuition that you are almost sure to pay at any school other than your state school?

of the year of lost wages as a practicing physician (consider what you would make in 2014 if you graduate in 2010 rather than in 2011 or later)?

And what if you don't get any offers next year??

Maybe I'm a little too "risk adverse" but I'd not give up a firm offer this year for the hope of an offer next year.

 

[browniegirl86]

Sure. The OP's case is definitely unique. I was posting more for those pre meds yet to apply.

Gotcha. I just noticed a lot of people on this thread alluding to the same message, and thought I'd put in my two cents based on the post.

I definitely wish I had known more about some of the schools where I applied. Still, I will admit that I applied to some state schools (TX) where I have never wanted to go, just because I would have felt like an idiot if I ended up with no acceptances and could possibly have gotten into a lower-tier state school. Live and learn, I guess.

 

[Law2Doc]

If you have an acceptance DON'T TURN IT DOWN

Your belief that you can get in somewhere "better" is based on the assumption that your application will only get stronger between now and then. I contend your file will actually be weaker.

1) Its Feburary now, meaning if you start today you have only 5-6 months to make your application stronger. You can do a little volunteering (which really isn't that big of a deal) plus you'll have to find something else to do to answer the all too important "what have you been doing with your time off question.

2a) The fact that you got in this cycle and turned down your only acceptance is going to look HORRIBLE. Schools want to fill their classes--when they accept someone they want there to be a good chance that that person will matriculate. The fact that you choose to wait a year rather than go a school you applied to and were accepted is going to raise serious doubts about whether you will attend their school if accepted.

2b) Its also going to look horrible because it will call into question your motivation to be a physician. You may have good reasons for turning down the school--but those reasons will be put under the microscope by your interviewers.

3) General stigma of being a reapplicant.


I think your chances are worse if you turn this down and try again. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush

Agree with this post completely. And would also add that there will now also be one school that certainly will not accept you (as they were spurned once).

 

[thegenius]

May I present some alternatives to the OP?

1. Don't give up hope on your waitlists and haven't-yet-heards. If there is somewhere you really like, I suggest you write to the admissions office/director of admissions and tell him/her that it is your first choice, and why that is.

2. Go to the second-look weekend (if there is one) at OU -- see what your classmates are like. You might be pleasantly surprised.

3. Take more than one year off -- actually go and pursue something you're interested in that you might not otherwise get to do after medical school. It's extremely valuable life experience, and will also make your future application much more compelling to medical schools. Work, travel! You'll distinguish yourself from the normal pool of applicants, particularly if you do different things than the "typical" premed. And you'll probably be happier when you're actually in med school...

Good luck!

a_t

EXCELLENT ideas! I would (in order)

1) wait until May 15th before making any decision

1a) actually, wait a few weeks before classes start (mid July) before making a decision on where to go, or not to go.

2) defer one year - be a normal person and work somewhere. get mind off medicine.

I think the risky thing is that you are saying OU is not desirable while other schools are more desirable. What happens if next year you get into another undesirable school, but not OU?

Some people might argue that you should only apply to schools that you are willing to go to. The problem is that you may know nothing about a school besides it's location. I applied to Temple thinking that I would like to live in Philadelphia, but after visiting the school and Philly I realized I wouldn't want to go to school anywhere in Philly. Something I only could have realized after applying.

 

[Herman Bloom]

Just a dose of reality here: Your profile looks identical (from an adcom's perspective) to 90% of the applicant pool. There is nothing unique about your situation, except for the fact that you have an acceptance when many do not.

Go ahead, turn it down. But if you don't get in next year, don't wonder how a top ten med school could possibly turn down someone with a 3.9, a 34, and altogether unremarkable ECs.

 

[Shredder]

The school you go to itself isn't going to determine how good of a doctor you will become or how well you do in it. If you were really committed to entering medicine, the path to get there shouldn't matter all that much. It's what you make of it.

theres a correlation between caliber of school one attends and measure of success attained. ppl argue that those ppl were better qualified to begin with, but the causation could be argued the other way as well--meaning the school in fact made the difference, at least partially. i would be interested to see if students were matched for qualifications and compared on the basis of school attended, what the outcome would be. some docs want to practice medicine, others want to change it. theres a distinction, and higher tier schools are better suited to the latter. i think people proclaim that all schools are equal just like they say all people are equal. a psychological sleight of hand to make everyone feel better, reality be damned. reputations dont arise out of thin air.

 

[thegenius]

theres a correlation between caliber of school one attends and measure of success attained. ppl argue that those ppl were better qualified to begin with, but the causation could be argued the other way as well--meaning the school in fact made the difference, at least partially. i would be interested to see if students were matched for qualifications and compared on the basis of school attended, what the outcome would be. some docs want to practice medicine, others want to change it. theres a distinction, and higher tier schools are better suited to the latter. i think people proclaim that all schools are equal just like they say all people are equal. a psychological sleight of hand to make everyone feel better, reality be damned. reputations dont arise out of thin air.

I love Shredder - there are very few people like him. Classic.

Well, you can make the arguments above, but you thoughts are in the minority (just like the unitary executive theory that Alito and about 20 other judges ascribe to).

Not all schools are equal - but I think they are more equal than most people might think. If you inversed the acceptances of the best schools with the worst schools, meaning that all Harvard students went to the worst allopathic school, JHU students went to the second worst allopathic school, etc., I would bet that Harvard would produce (on average) mediocre physicians, and the worst allopathic school would produce (on average) the top physicians of their class.

 

[Messerschmitts]

Short answer to OP: HEEEELLLL NOOOO

First of all, like everyone else said, it's not over yet. You may still get into somewhere else.

Second of all...do you have any idea how difficult it is to get into medical school, and how lucky you are to get in this time? No matter what your stats are like, there is no guarantee you'll even get interviews next time. The system as way too many applicants to be "fair"; a tremendous amount is based on pure luck. Be grateful, and be realistic. Trust me, you don't want to spin that roulette wheel again.

Also, honestly it's JUST FOUR YEARS. No matter how much you "hate" OU (and you admit you thought it was probably a fine school, just "not for you"), you just need to get through 4 years. You're not condemned to being there for the rest of your life. You can get through 4 years. Plenty people are going to a medical school that isn't exactly their "first choice". You have to take what you can get in this game. You will be in excellent company, I assure you.

Just go to medical school. I think with time you'll find your niche at OU and realise that it wasn't half so bad as you made it out to be. Don't dismiss a school just from an interview day experience. DON'T BE AN IDIOT. You're going to be an intern/resident someday, you're going to have to get used to humiliation and enduring bad things in hope of a better tomorrow. SUCK IT UP.

 

[yellowpersuazio]

theres a correlation between caliber of school one attends and measure of success attained. ppl argue that those ppl were better qualified to begin with, but the causation could be argued the other way as well--meaning the school in fact made the difference, at least partially. i would be interested to see if students were matched for qualifications and compared on the basis of school attended, what the outcome would be. some docs want to practice medicine, others want to change it. theres a distinction, and higher tier schools are better suited to the latter. i think people proclaim that all schools are equal just like they say all people are equal. a psychological sleight of hand to make everyone feel better, reality be damned. reputations dont arise out of thin air.

You make it sound as if schools who are not in the "top ten" churn out inefficient doctors who are unable to change medicine in a positive way. It's obvious blindsight, which seems to be the view of the majority of the public. Being a premed, I thought you could see the reality of the situation. It doesn't matter where a student attends, as long as he/she is committed and works hard enough. Sure, some may have to overcome this name game in order to prove themselves, but it is done. Notice how not all MD/PhD's come from one school...nor do competitive specialities only accept from a select number of schools.

I'd be interested in knowing where you applied and if you're going to a top tier school.