MD Is it worth applying?

[ARKR]

I've posted here before but I want to ask a slightly different question than I have in the past.
So here are my circumstances. 3.95 GPA, 3.95 sGPA, 39 MCAT (12/12/15)

5 LOR, Comittee letter from those LOR. I have lots of teaching experience in terms of volunteer tutoring (150 hours), paid tutoring(300 hours), and TAing(100 hours) (total =550hours). I founded/run a sports club and compete in intercollegiate competitions there. I've shadowed for 110 hours. I have other small achievements that I may or may not list, still deciding, but nothing that should be a major factor.

By the time I apply I will have roughly 150 hours of research, and roughly 40 hours of clinical volunteering. I will be doing both of those things throughout my gap year. By the time I interview(if I do so) I would have much more of both of these.

So my question is, given that I am weak in my clinical experience, is it worth the stigma of being a re applicant to give it a shot? How much is reapplying a bad thing?

Thanks for your advice

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[BrawnsNBrain]

I don't view reapplying as a bad thing as long as you've genuinely improved your application. Reapplying with the same application is a no-no in my opinion.

I think you need more clinical volunteer/non-shadowing experience, but you have a solid amount of shadowing experience. Mind if I ask why you are a reapplicant? Your stats are great so what happened last cycle that you improved on?

 

[ARKR]

Ah sorry perhaps I was unclear. I haven't applied yet, and am worried about being rejected, and then having to be a re applicant in the future. If I was a re applicant next year I would obviously do so, but with much more clinical volunteering(over 250 hours) and a full year of research under my belt (over 1000 hours). I would rather not wait, but if being a reapplicant is a really big risk I would wait....

I don't view reapplying as a bad thing as long as you've genuinely improved your application. Reapplying with the same application is a no-no in my opinion.

I think you need more clinical volunteer/non-shadowing experience, but you have a solid amount of shadowing experience. Mind if I ask why you are a reapplicant? Your stats are great so what happened last cycle that you improved on?

 

[gyngyn]

If you have enough clinical experience to convince us that you know what you are getting into, you will be fine. I'm not seeing it here but perhaps it exists. A reapplication with stats as good as yours should be avoided at all cost.

 

[ARKR]

If you have enough clinical experience to convince us that you know what you are getting into, you will be fine. I'm not seeing it here but perhaps it exists. A reapplication with stats as good as yours should be avoided at all cost.

Can I ask why that is?

 

[gyngyn]

Can I ask why that is?

The characteristics that distinguish the high stat re-applicant pool are not sought after.

 

[ashtonjam]

I was going to post my own thread but OP's stats and ECs nearly match mine exactly (same GPA/MCAT and hours/types of activities). I might as well post here and save space, so forgive me for thread hijacking.

The only differences are that I have more clinical volunteering (~170 hours, will continue during gap year) + research (~400 hours), and I don't do sports. Should I go ahead and submit this cycle given that I've secured my LORs/transcript and begun work on AMCAS? Will a lack of leadership and other ECs hurt a great deal?

 

[Goro]

100% agree. Get in the clinical hours and this time, you can aim high.


]I don't view reapplying as a bad thing as long as you've genuinely improved your application. Reapplying with the same application is a no-no in my opinion.

I think you need more clinical volunteer/non-shadowing experience, but you have a solid amount of shadowing experience. Mind if I ask why you are a reapplicant? Your stats are great so what happened last cycle that you improved on?[/QUOTE]