Is being a reapplicant good or bad?

[woltej1]

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As a reapplicant are your chances as good or worse as a first timer, specifically at places you applied the first time around. I'm talking generalities here as I know it is pretty specific to your application and improvement over the first for your individual odds.

Example: say your MCAT score and ECs were weak, you then improve your MCAT and get a few good ECs, are you just on par with everyone or better or worse.

 

[DrMidlife]

Kind of a pointless question, correct? I mean, will you do something differently depending on the answer? Will "yes there's anti-reapplicant bias" make you not reapply?

In med school and in practice, the only times you retake or redo anything are when you screw up, which can cost you your MD or license. So generally speaking, the question with a reapplicant who had damage is "why couldn't they get it right the first time like most of our other 5000 applicants?" and "do they think they get to retake board exams?" But lots of reapplicants end up succeeding, usually because they fix and improve and recommit and persevere and mature etc.

So no, you're not on an even playing field, but being a first time applicant isn't even playing field either. Your chances are so dependent on so many variables that your reapplicant status is just not something to focus on.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Synapsin]

my bank account says it's a bad thing...

 

[Goro]

There are people that like determination, so being a reapplicant can be good, when it's combined with improvement. It's bad when it's NOT combined with improvement.

As a reapplicant are your chances as good or worse as a first timer, specifically at places you applied the first time around. I'm talking generalities here as I know it is pretty specific to your application and improvement over the first for your individual odds.

Example: say your MCAT score and ECs were weak, you then improve your MCAT and get a few good ECs, are you just on par with everyone or better or worse.

 

[woltej1]

Kind of a pointless question, correct? I mean, will you do something differently depending on the answer? Will "yes there's anti-reapplicant bias" make you not reapply?

In med school and in practice, the only times you retake or redo anything are when you screw up, which can cost you your MD or license. So generally speaking, the question with a reapplicant who had damage is "why couldn't they get it right the first time like most of our other 5000 applicants?" and "do they think they get to retake board exams?" But lots of reapplicants end up succeeding, usually because they fix and improve and recommit and persevere and mature etc.

So no, you're not on an even playing field, but being a first time applicant isn't even playing field either. Your chances are so dependent on so many variables that your reapplicant status is just not something to focus on.

Best of luck to you.

nothing wrong with a little mental preparation or to temper expectations.