I want to prepare for the worst case scenario

[pewpew95]

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Happy new year's guys!!

I want to be fully prepared for this upcoming application cycle so I wanted to get advice on whether I should reapply for 2018-2019 or 2019-2020. I'm still waiting to hear back from some schools but if I apply this upcoming cycle, I will need to apply through my school's pre health committee again. That application is due in April and I will need to get my LOR's in order ahead of time.

My 2017-2018 application:
-3.73 uGPA, 3.5ish sGPA
-MCAT 511 (126/127/128/130) after retaking a 507 (126/125/128/128)
-Submitted primary on June 28th, marked complete July 28th, completed all secondaries throughout August
-Several leadership experiences showing initiative
- ~350 hours non clinical volunteering and ~200 hours clinical volunteering
- ~300 hours research with a poster at a large national conference
- ~100 hours shadowing

My new application:
- Grad school experience in a hard science
-GPA's may dip or stay the same due to B's in both my fall semester courses (8 credits total) and depending on whether I get A's in my 9 credits this semester
- >600 hours in molecular research
- >600 hours in medical scribing
- ~100 continued volunteer hours at a free clinic
- will change my experiences section to mention a global education certificate
- rewriting my personal statement/experiences and pre-writing all my secondaries so I submit my primary earlier and my secondaries within a week of receiving

I applied to the following MD programs this cycle:
NYMC (interviewed, waitlisted)
WVU (interviewed, waitlisted)
Wake Forest (Interview pending)
VCU (interviewed, waiting to hear back)
Rush
Temple
Jefferson
Drexel
Rosy franklin
Loyola
UMiami
Albert Einstein
Albany (rejected)
GW (rejected)
Georgetown (rejected)
EVMS (rejected)
Dartmouth (rejected)
Mayo (rejected)
Hofstra (rejected)
Stony Brook (rejected)
Boston (rejected)

I was planning on replacing the reach schools with low tiers such as Tulane, Creighton, and Wayne State, and add in UVA (a state school) as my only reach and 5 DO schools.

I'm unsure about LOR's - I haven't established many new connections with the factualty in my graduate program since the courses are all speaker series, and since I've only been in a lab for 2 months. I'm planning on asking the same LOR writers I used for the last cycle as well as well as a doctor from the free clinic, unless I skip a cycle and wait for better LOR's from professors/PI in my grad program.

Should I skip a year between cycles or would my application be ready enough to apply this upcoming cycle?

 

[nymd22]

What do you think your greatest weaknesses were?

 

[pewpew95]

What do you think your greatest weaknesses were?

Obviously I wish I could raise my GPA/MCAT but I'm wary of taking the MCAT a third time (not sure if I can score >515) and I don't think my GPA will budge much since I have so many credit hours. But other than that, I thought I was lacking in clinical experience (which I've been working on) and I definitely could have written better PS/experiences/secondaries.

That's all IMO of course, I'm not sure if there is anything else I'm really weak in

 

[nymd22]

Obviously I wish I could raise my GPA/MCAT but I'm wary of taking the MCAT a third time (not sure if I can score >515) and I don't think my GPA will budge much since I have so many credit hours. But other than that, I thought I was lacking in clinical experience (which I've been working on) and I definitely could have written better PS/experiences/secondaries.

That's all IMO of course, I'm not sure if there is anything else I'm really weak in

I think your stats are fine, and I personally feel like you should be ready to reapply this coming cycle. It looks like you did a lot to improve your application, especially since you don't have anything glaring like and IA/low GPA.

 

[JonathanHusky]

did you apply with the 507 MCAT score previously or was this your first time applying?

 

[Goro]

Applying to UVA will be a donation unless you are a VA resident.

Happy new year's guys!!

I want to be fully prepared for this upcoming application cycle so I wanted to get advice on whether I should reapply for 2018-2019 or 2019-2020. I'm still waiting to hear back from some schools but if I apply this upcoming cycle, I will need to apply through my school's pre health committee again. That application is due in April and I will need to get my LOR's in order ahead of time.

My 2017-2018 application:
-3.73 uGPA, 3.5ish sGPA
-MCAT 511 (126/127/128/130) after retaking a 507 (126/125/128/128)
-Submitted primary on June 28th, marked complete July 28th, completed all secondaries throughout August
-Several leadership experiences showing initiative
- ~350 hours non clinical volunteering and ~200 hours clinical volunteering
- ~300 hours research with a poster at a large national conference
- ~100 hours shadowing

My new application:
- Grad school experience in a hard science
-GPA's may dip or stay the same due to B's in both my fall semester courses (8 credits total) and depending on whether I get A's in my 9 credits this semester
- >600 hours in molecular research
- >600 hours in medical scribing
- ~100 continued volunteer hours at a free clinic
- will change my experiences section to mention a global education certificate
- rewriting my personal statement/experiences and pre-writing all my secondaries so I submit my primary earlier and my secondaries within a week of receiving

I applied to the following MD programs this cycle:
NYMC (interviewed, waiting to hear back)
WVU (interviewed, waitlisted)
Wake Forest (Interview pending)
Rush
Temple
Jefferson
Drexel
Rosy franklin
VCU
Loyola
UMiami
Albert Einstein
Albany (rejected)
GW (rejected)
Georgetown (rejected)
EVMS (rejected)
Dartmouth (rejected)
Mayo (rejected)
Hofstra (rejected)
Stony Brook (rejected)
Boston (rejected)

I was planning on replacing the reach schools with low tiers such as Tulane, Creighton, and Wayne State, and add in UVA as my only reach and 5 DO schools.

I'm unsure about LOR's - I haven't established many new connections with the factualty in my graduate program since the courses are all speaker series, and since I've only been in a lab for 2 months. I'm planning on asking the same LOR writers I used for the last cycle as well as well as a doctor from the free clinic, unless I skip a cycle and wait for better LOR's from professors/PI in my grad program.

Should I skip a year between cycles or would my application be ready enough to apply this upcoming cycle?

 

[buckoh24]

Im kinda in a similar spot (505 to a 511, 3.6cGPA, etc, 1 II, 14 rejections). I think an important thing is how you present your ECs in your primary and secondaries. I put bodybuilding but spun it to show how it has helped me be dedicated and set goals while pushing through setbacks. Let your passion show through your writing. If you arent the best writer, have a friend/family member look over it if they are good at writing.

 

[pewpew95]

Applying to UVA will be a donation unless you are a VA resident.

Yep I live in VA

 

[pewpew95]

did you apply with the 507 MCAT score previously or was this your first time applying?

It was my first time applying

Many medical schools offer specific pages of advice for reapplicants, something I find few students look into. This would be true whether or not you are a specific reapplicant to that school. Below are links to a few and please note most say the most common mistake among reapplicants is applying again too soon

Additionally, the Associate Dean of Admissions at Ohio State University Medical School has prepared a reapplicant guide which is attached

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Reapplicants - Miller School of Medicine Admissions
Roughly 20% of the students who apply to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in any given year are reapplicants. Data that we have collected indicate they have a lower acceptance rate than do first time applicants

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Heath
http://www.med.wisc.edu/education/md/admissions/reapplying/31716
(emphasis in the original)
There should be significant improvements in your application before reapplying. This might mean not reapplying the very next year. The most common error made by reapplicants is that they submit their next application too soon.

The Ohio State University College of Medicine
The Ohio State University College of Medicine - Tips & Advice
To maximize the chances of giving off this perception, you must allow enough time before reapplying. This will undoubtedly be the hardest part of the process, but be patient; if you rush it, you may join the ranks of those who are applying for a third time.

University of Minnesota Medical School
Re-Applicant
Though you can submit a second application immediately after your first application, you may want to consider waiting a year if you feel you need more experiences that help you demonstrate the essential and desired qualities of an ideal medical student.

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Reapplicants — admit
Our Ideal Candidate — admit

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
http://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/admissions/re-applicants/

LSU Health Shreveport
Re-Applicants

University of Missouri
http://medicine.missouri.edu/admissions/nontraditional.html

East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine
whatif

Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSC)
https://www.unthsc.edu/texas-colleg...ants-home/common-mistakes-made-by-applicants/

Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
http://www.com.msu.edu/Admissions/Guidelines_For_Success/Reapplication.htm

I was expecting this response from you 😛 I'm not worried about waiting an extra year at this point, but I know my parents won't be happy (I think I'm PM'ed you about this before) edit: i'm also worried about having to take the MCAT a third time, since some schools may not accept an April 2017 test if I'm applying for 2020 entry

 

[treatem-and-streetem]

It was my first time applying
You don’t

It was my first time applying
511 is good enough for med school. I wouldn’t retake it. Just improve your application in other ways. The MCAT is important but it is also just a piece of what needs to be a well rounded application. If you took the 2017 MCAT you will be fine to apply to the 19-20 cycle as well.

 

[Dr.Cut.em.up]

Your stats are fine. The sGPA is pretty average tho. Your school list needs work. You had quite a few reaches there.

 

[pewpew95]

@ajb24 Okay, that's what I was worried about. But I'll call the schools I'm planning to apply to and doublecheck.

Your stats are fine. The sGPA is pretty average tho. Your school list needs work. You had quite a few reaches there.

You're right. I thought I had enough schools at my stats median.

 

[treatem-and-streetem]

@ajb24 Okay, that's what I was worried about. But I'll call the schools I'm planning to apply to and doublecheck.



You're right. I thought I had enough schools at my stats median.

Yeah if I’m you I would really work on making sure I write a better application. Also they are right you need to apply more intelligently and broaden your range of schools.

 

[JonathanHusky]

It was my first time applying

i think you should've applied w/ the 507, retaking and only improving 4 points didn't help you significantly... I would just drop any reach schools if I were you, med school application process is such a crapshoot even the schools your stats are within the averages for are reach schools lol.. whenever you do apply, throw more DO schools in the mix, more low tiered MDs, and have a bunch of people look over your essays

 

[bananafish94]

-3.73 uGPA, 3.5ish sGPA

This is just about average, so no significant issues here.

-MCAT 511 (126/127/128/130) after retaking a 507 (126/125/128/128)

This average of the two scores comes out to about the matriculant average, so this is fine.

- ~350 hours non clinical volunteering and ~200 hours clinical volunteering
- ~300 hours research with a poster at a large national conference
- ~100 hours shadowing

Nice.

-GPA's may dip

Don't let this happen!

- >600 hours in molecular research
- >600 hours in medical scribing
- ~100 continued volunteer hours at a free clinic

Nice.

I'm planning on asking the same LOR writers I used for the last cycle as well as well as a doctor from the free clinic,

That's a good idea, have them write an updated letter and try to add one if possible.

Overall, your application looks completely fine. You got interviews, so you can conclusively say that there's nothing wrong with your letters of recommendation, personal statements, or anything like that. I think that you fall into the trap that many do, including myself. Your stats are average, which means that you have to apply to schools that accept average stats, but unfortunately everyone else does that as well which means that you are competing against thousands upon thousands of people at low-yield schools.

I personally don't see any reason why you shouldn't apply right away next year. I know that Gonnif advises against this and he know more than me, but everything in your application seems totally up to snuff. I'd do a little bit more research on your MD school list and make sure you're applying to places in range of your stats and that grant interviews to people from your state. I would also add a healthy mix of DO schools.

That being said, this might all be academic because there's a good chance you'll get in anyway. Good luck!

 

[pewpew95]

This is just about average, so no significant issues here.


This average of the two scores comes out to about the matriculant average, so this is fine.


Nice.


Don't let this happen!


Nice.


That's a good idea, have them write an updated letter and try to add one if possible.

Overall, your application looks completely fine. You got interviews, so you can conclusively say that there's nothing wrong with your letters of recommendation, personal statements, or anything like that. I think that you fall into the trap that many do, including myself. Your stats are average, which means that you have to apply to schools that accept average stats, but unfortunately everyone else does that as well which means that you are competing against thousands upon thousands of people at low-yield schools.

I personally don't see any reason why you shouldn't apply right away next year. I know that Gonnif advises against this and he know more than me, but everything in your application seems totally up to snuff. I'd do a little bit more research on your MD school list and make sure you're applying to places in range of your stats and that grant interviews to people from your state. I would also add a healthy mix of DO schools.

That being said, this might all be academic because there's a good chance you'll get in anyway. Good luck!

I really want to follow your advice and apply this cycle (If I have to) since I've been improving my application throughout the cycle! But I'm also worried that adcoms will think I'm jumping the gun with applying in the next immediate cycle. I think what I'm going to do is talk to the adcom at my local school where I applied this year, and decide if the benefit of starting school 1 year earlier outweighs the risk of having to apply a 3rd time.

I really do appreciate the feedback!