Improve my chances

[Usurp the Coup]

I was waitlisted by NOVA Southeastern and Quinnipiac. 13 other schools rejected me, including Vanderbilt without asking for a secondary application. The range of schools that rejected me outright without interview was from Harvard to LECOM in Florida.

I want to apply again either this next cycle or in two years time.

Here are my credentials:

UMass Amherst graduate (25 y/o)
GPA: 3.55
science GPA: 3.7
MCAT: 33 (taken last April) (12 PS, 10 BS, 11 VR)
Major: Spanish (3.7 GPA)

Work experience:
Camp counselor (3 summers)
Student fundraiser (3 years)

Volunteer experience:
Big Brother Big Sisters (twice, two years each)

I began the pre-med classes my second semester junior year and wrapped it up in December 2011 when I graduated. I haven't been able to get any work in research or EMS (I am EMT-B certified) when I have applied for those jobs. I have been working 40 hours/week in a kitchen since I graduated from college. The job is on UMass's campus and I will be unemployed this summer until classes resume next fall unless I can find more employment.

Here is my plan: I am currently taking medical biochemistry through UNECOM. In addition, I think I am going to stay in the Amherst area and volunteer 20 hours/week at a survival center. Since that won't take up too much time, I was thinking I would find a job (I need to pay the bills and don't want to dip into my savings because I don't think unemployment benefits would cover rent/bills/etc). If I can't find a job, I will add another 2 classes (I have not taken A+P or microbiology).

To wrap it up, I haven't been able to find a job in medicine. My goal in medicine is to practice with poor people, because I want to help the poor, so in the mean time I am going to volunteer in a survival center. I haven't been able to find a paid or unpaid research gig. I thought my credentials were good enough to get me into medical school, but I guess not yet.

Any advice will be heeded.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Usurp the Coup]

Also, I worked the camp counselor job 40 hours/week in the summers, but that was 5 years ago. The fundraising job was 12-15 hours/week. Big brother was 4-5 hours/week. I have never shadowed a doctor, but my father is one and we talk a lot about medicine and physician experience, if that counts for anything.

 

[Goro]

I think your problem was lacking any sort of patient contact expereince, and not enough volunteer work. Doing Big Brother was good, but apparently not enough. Your cGPA was slightly below avg but did your list include too many out-of-reach schools? According to my MSAR, Vanderbilt's avg cGPA was 3.8, and the range was 3.6-4.0, so your cGPA wouldn't have made it into the Class of 2010.

Did you contact the Admissions offices of your wiatlist schools to see if they'd give you any feedback?

Suggest re-applying to lower tier schools like NYMC and Rosy Franklin, if you didn't do so.

Also, you're fine for any DO program.
Oh, and chatting about medicine with your dad doesn't count for beans.

Also, I worked the camp counselor job 40 hours/week in the summers, but that was 5 years ago. The fundraising job was 12-15 hours/week. Big brother was 4-5 hours/week. I have never shadowed a doctor, but my father is one and we talk a lot about medicine and physician experience, if that counts for anything.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

OK, so clearly the numbers aren't the problem (3.55/3.7 are pretty average. not stellar but average). I think that the issue is that there is no meat on your application. If you decided junior year that you wanted to go to medical school, you should have 4 years of med-related activities. The med committees will notice that there aren't any medical EC's (research/patient care/shadowing). Even had you volunteered once a week at a local ambulance service, it would fill a gap.

If I were you, I would focus less on what classes you need to take and more on how to round out your application.

EDIT: Goro beat me to the punch

 

[Usurp the Coup]

Alright, I have sent out e-mails to the schools that waitlisted me asking for feedback. Thanks for the help, I am much obliged to those with knowledge in this process.

I think I still want to help out with the survival center, but I am going to look at also doing some time volunteering at a nursing home or a medical clinic in Springfield to get some patient contact and experience.

Considering I spent the past year only working in a kitchen and not doing any sort of extracurricular, class, or volunteer work, do you all think I would be wasting my time applying this cycle? Should I wait for 2014-2015? This cycle, NYMC and UMass (I am instate) rejected me and I never heard anything back from UVM. Keep in mind that I took my MCAT in April 2012.

 

[a1b2c3d4]

Clinical experience is what you're lacking. Look into scribe opportunities in your area.