individual feedbacks after rejection?

[Kasra321]

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!! updated

The application cycle is almost over with many people securing an acceptance or two. Yet, I haven't received a single interview. I've lost hope as most interview spots are probably taken at this point. To be honest, I didn't expect this at all.
Anyways, I'm moving on. But I really want to know what went wrong and what I need to do for the next cycle. I was hoping to get some feedback from this community. Any comments is appreciated.

GPA: 3.98
MCAT: 521 [132, 125(CARS), 132, 132]
Major: Neurobiology
Minor: Management
UC Davis (transferred from cc)
CA resident
Primary verified late August.
Secondaries submitted by mid-late Sept

** I also went to a medical school outside the US for 4 years. But I had to quit due to immigration. I started all over again from community college. And my previous school didn't release my transcripts in accordance to their policies. (I discussed it with a few advisers and they thought it shouldn't be a problem.)

Community service : ~50-100hrs

Work: 4years of part-time/full-time as a photographer/videographer

Leadership: director at a national pre-health conference
Officer at a few clubs
Biochemistry Tutor for one quarter
Mol. Bio. Lab assistant for one quarter

Research: 1 year at my previous school
2 year in UCD
1 summer project
1 publication

Clinical: nothing really. I pretty much relied on my 4 years of being a medical student

Reflecting on my PS and secondary answers, I think they were generally ok. That said, I could have done a better job at making a more compelling case. There were no technical error though.


School list:

Boston University
Case Western Reserve
Columbia
UCLA (Geffen)
Harvard
Icahn Mount Sinai
USC Keck
Mayo (MN)
NYU
Northwestern Feinberg
Oregon Health and Science
UPenn - Perelman
Stanford
SUNY Downstate
Tufts
University of Arizona Phoenix
UC San Diego
UCSF
UC Davis
UC Irvine
Pritzker
University of Michigan
UNC Chapel Hill
Pittsburgh
Washington University in St. Luis
University of Washington (Seattle)
Cornell
Yale

I personally could think of 3 downfalls in my application.
1. Lack of clinical experience in the US
2. Late submission
3. PS / secondaries could have been better

These three, combined with an unconventional academic history and a top heavy list of schools.

I've already started a 6 months clinical internship at a cardiac rehabilitation center internship that give me around 200hrs.
I'm also looking for a job as a medical interpreter or a scribe.

Any specific tips for writing a strong PS, specially for top 20 schools?

Thank you!!!

 

[Faha]

When did you submit your application and which schools did you apply to? Where is your state of residence?

 

[Kasra321]

When did you submit your application and which schools did you apply to? Where is your state of residence?

I was completed late Aug/early Sept.
CA resident
And I applied to 25 schools, ~15 top tier and ~10 mid range schools, including all the California MD schools except UCR, Loma Linda and Northstate


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Faha]

If you have no success this cycle reapply in June. Apply to any schools that interview you this cycle. Also consider adding schools that are not top tier such as:
Tufts
Boston University
Vermont
Quinnipiac
New York Medical College
Hofstra
Einstein
Rochester
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
GW
Georgetown
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Miami
Cincinnati
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane
Arizona (Phoenix and Tuscon)
any new private schools that open in 2018 (Roseman, Seton Hall, Henricopolis, etc).
You could also try the DO schools in CA, AZ, Nevada.
You could still receive interviews this cycle since some schools interview as late as March.

 

[Goro]

My school has accepted foreign med school students.

 

[Naruhodo]

I am also wondering about how to go about asking for feedback from a school that has rejected me (and whether it is worth doing so). The first time I applied to medical school (MD/PhD programs mostly), I had thoroughly convinced myself that it was my average MCAT that was my major impediment to medical school. In retrospect, I wish I'd asked for feedback, especially from the school at which I interviewed about how I could have improved my application overall.

Fast forward a PhD later and I'm fortunate to have a strong recent MCAT and a couple interviews that I'm excited about. I am hopeful that things might work out this time. Still, I recently got my first rejection of the season and I am so tempted to ask what I could have done better. I know admissions offices are barraged with these sorts of requests, but is there any way to go about it that is respectful of their time and might actually elicit a useful response? On the one hand I feel like I should wait until the craziest part of the season is past for the admissions office, but on the other it would be nice to know what the concerns are so that I can try to address them in update letters to the programs I haven't heard back from yet. Thoughts?

 

[y123]

I am considering reapplying next cycle since I haven't received a single interview this year. Despite having competitive stats (3.96, 521) and decent EC, I've been either getting rejections or sitting in silence all this season. I'm going to work on my application, but I really wanted to pin point my week points and improve them.

I was wondering if schools provide anyone with individual feedbacks about their applications?

The reason I ask is that I used to go to medical school overseas for four years. But I never graduated since I had to quit medical school due to immigration. One of the schools that rejected me said that was the deal breaker for them, and they rather have blank canvas students and don't have an existing mindset of medicine.

Another problem is my CARS score. I got 125 on CARS (and 132 on the other three sections). But I was advised not to retake the MCAT. If I have to retake MCAT, I need to know it asap to prepare for that.

Additional info:
CA resident
Applied to 25 md schools, ~15 top tier and ~10 mid range. Completed late Aug /early Sept

I appreciate any suggestions and inputs.

Cheers,



Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

This is really strange. I know someone who quit foreign med school, and he had no problem getting interviews. I do not think that is the problem. It shouldn't be a deal breaker for every single school. I think you should get someone to read your entire application.
Also, can you post your school list?

 

[Kasra321]

This is really strange. I know someone who quit foreign med school, and he had no problem getting interviews. I do not think that is the problem. It shouldn't be a deal breaker for every single school. I think you should get someone to read your entire application.
Also, can you post your school list?

That's what really baffles me. I have had multiple advisers read my entire application, and they don't seem to find any major deal breakers. The one that I talked to today told me maybe my narrative was not as inspiring to some adcoms. That said, even she admitted it's quite subjective and shouldn't be the mere reason I haven't received a single interview.

Anyways, here is my school list. And as s I mentioned earlier, I'm a CA resident.

Boston University
Case Western Reserve
Columbia
UCLA (Geffen)
Harvard
Icahn Mount Sinai
USC Keck
Mayo (MN)
NYU
Northwestern Feinberg
Oregon Health and Science
UPenn - Perelman
Stanford
SUNY Downstate
Tufts
University of Arizona Phoenix
UC San Diego
UCSF
UC Davis
UC Irvine
Pritzker
University of Michigan
UNC Chapel Hill
Pittsburgh
Washington St. Luis
Washington University
Cornell
Yale

 

[y123]

Your list is top-heavy, but it does match your stats. You said you have decent EC. Can you list your EC in details, especially the research part?
You listed WashU twice. Is one of them U Wash at Seattle? U Wash only takes people from several states, and Cali is not one of the states.
Which university do you attend? It matters a lot to top med schools.
With your stats, even borderline EC and application should land you some interviews.
You can add more mid-tier private schools and OOS-friendly public schools to your list.

 

[oopsaloo]

. [Better advice given by other members below.]

 

[Kasra321]

Can you list your EC in details, especially the research part?
QUOTE]






Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Employment:
• biology instructor (2007-2012)
• photographer/filmmaker (2012-now)

Research:
• RA at a clinical research on MS patient back in Iran, where I used to go to med school. (~1 year)
• Undergrad research in a neurobiology lab, lots of bench work, experiment design and data analysis (~ 2 years)
• Assisted in updating a chapter in a dermatology textbook, and also published (co-author) a review article in a low impact journal

Volunteer/community work:
~80hrs

Leadership:
• Director at a large nationalize-health conference (~1 year)
• Officer at multiple clubs

Clinical: I mostly relied on my previous medical school for this. That said, I had ~40hrs of shadowing xp. I also started a clinical internship after I submitted my apps.

 

[y123]

Shadowing doesn't count as clinical experience, so your US-based clinical experience is close to zero.
Your community service is also on the light side.
Other things:
Do you have a letter from your previous medical school that states you were in good academic standing? Did you send in all the post-secondary school transcripts?
You mentioned you had multiple people read your application package. Are those people who are familiar with the process (physicians who went to US schools, medical students, med school professors)? Did they read your entire package (bio, education, all activities, coursework, PS etc.)?
With stats that high and zero interview, it is almost certain there is a red flag somewhere.

Employment:
• biology instructor (2007-2012)
• photographer/filmmaker (2012-now)

Research:
• RA at a clinical research on MS patient back in Iran, where I used to go to med school. (~1 year)
• Undergrad research in a neurobiology lab, lots of bench work, experiment design and data analysis (~ 2 years)
• Assisted in updating a chapter in a dermatology textbook, and also published (co-author) a review article in a low impact journal

Volunteer/community work:
~80hrs

Leadership:
• Director at a large nationalize-health conference (~1 year)
• Officer at multiple clubs

Clinical: I mostly relied on my previous medical school for this. That said, I had ~40hrs of shadowing xp. I also started a clinical internship after I submitted my apps.

 

[Kasra321]

u have no success this cycle reapply in June. Apply

Shadowing doesn't count as clinical experience, so your US-based clinical experience is close to zero.
Your community service is also on the light side.
Other things:
Do you have a letter from your previous medical school that states you were in good academic standing? Did you send in all the post-secondary school transcripts?
You mentioned you had multiple people read your application package. Are those people who are familiar with the process (physicians who went to US schools, medical students, med school professors)? Did they read your entire package (bio, education, all activities, coursework, PS etc.)?
With stats that high and zero interview, it is almost certain there is a red flag somewhere.

You're totally right. I should have done more clinical and community service. I thought I could get away with my previous medical education, but apparently, they're not buying it.

Unfortunately, I can't get them to write me a letter or any sort of approval. According to the Iranian laws, I shouldn't have left the country in the first place. As a result, my school never released my transcripts. And I highly doubt it if they're willing to endorse me now. That said, I have a note that says I used to be a student from xx to yy. I also have a few LORs from my previous school, but they're all dated 4-5 years ago.

I recently went over my entire application with our head pre-health adviser. She thought my application was generally good, but I could use a better narrative here and there for the next time. That said, it seems to me if there is a red flag that has sabotaged my application for all these 25+ schools I've applied to, it should be something objective.

I've been looking hard for that "red flag". It could be a combination of multiple factors. It has been a rough couple of months, but I'm moving on. I've already signed up for a clinical internship. I'm also looking for volunteer opportunities that let me interact with diverse communities. All I can do now is to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

 

[y123]

Unfortunately, I can't get them to write me a letter or any sort of approval. According to the Iranian laws, I shouldn't have left the country in the first place. As a result, my school never released my transcripts. And I highly doubt it if they're willing to endorse me now. That said, I have a note that says I used to be a student from xx to yy. I also have a few LORs from my previous school, but they're all dated 4-5 years ago.

It makes sense now.
If you did not list your Iranian medical school in your application, it is considered a fraud, since AAMC requires every single post-secondary school that you attended to be listed.
If you had listed your medical school, without a transcript from your previous school, your application might be considered incomplete. Many schools need foreign transcripts to be sent directly to the school prior to the interview. Also, without that transcript, even if you get in, you will not fulfill the matriculation requirement, since every post-secondary transcript has to be submitted. Also, withdrawing from a med school, even a foreign one, is a big deal. No letter or even a transcript to prove your good academic standing is probably a deal breaker.
I had no idea that a letter or a transcript would be so difficult to get in Iran. I am so sorry to hear that. When you apply the next time, I think you need to explain to every single school about your unique situation.

 

[oopsaloo]

It makes sense now.
If you did not list your Iranian medical school in your application, it is considered a fraud, since AAMC requires every single post-secondary school that you attended to be listed.
If you had listed your medical school, without a transcript from your previous school, your application might be considered incomplete. Many schools need foreign transcripts to be sent directly to the school prior to the interview. Also, without that transcript, even if you get in, you will not fulfill the matriculation requirement, since every post-secondary transcript has to be submitted. Also, withdrawing from a med school, even a foreign one, is a big deal. No letter or even a transcript to prove your good academic standing is probably a deal breaker.
I had no idea that a letter or a transcript would be so difficult to get in Iran. I am so sorry to hear that. When you apply the next time, I think you need to explain to every single school about your unique situation.

If this is the case, must be a very complicated situation. Best of luck, OP. Hang in there! At some point (once the app cycle ends?) try reaching out to a few schools for feedback so you have a clear picture going forward of what to change.