Is there a limit to how many times you can apply?

[Foreveryours91]

Basically is there a limit to how many times a person can apply to medical school? I've heard some people saying at certain schools the limit is 3. I'm not really informed about this matter, so can anyone explain how this would work?

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[coolingglasses]

Not that I know of.

But that begs the question of... what the hell are you doing that you had to apply more than twice?

 

[Foreveryours91]

I never applied even once if that question is being directed towards me. It's good to know all the facts before I apply the next cycle.

 

[coolingglasses]

I never applied even once if that question is being directed towards me. It's good to know all the facts before I apply the next cycle.

It's a general question for anyone who thinks they've reached the limit. And I'm sure AdComs will wonder the same.

 

[MedPR]

Some MD schools will not consider your application after X amount of tries. For example, if you apply to Loyola twice and don't get in, their website basically tells you not to apply again. I don't know if there are any DOs like that though.

 

[Goro]

There is no limit, but after 3x, I would think that the applicant would recognize that there's a message in all that, and move on. Cluelessness is a trait I try to screen out of my interviewees.

Basically is there a limit to how many times a person can apply to medical school? I've heard some people saying at certain schools the limit is 3. I'm not really informed about this matter, so can anyone explain how this would work?

 

[MedPR]

There is no limit, but after 3x, I would think that the applicant would recognize that there's a message in all that, and move on. Cluelessness is a trait I try to screen out of my interviewees.

When does perseverance/commitment become cluelessness?

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[Goro]

"The definition of insanity is doign the same thing over and over and expecting a different result".

Perseverence is good when you show that one disappointment doesnt' dissuade you from your true calling. However, it becomes cluelessness when you don't realize that multiple rejections year after year is a sign that you're not mediical school calibre.

I've seen a lot of pre-meds mistake perseverence for competance. Medical school is hard,and wanting something badly doesn't mean that you can do the job.

When does perseverance/commitment become cluelessness?

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[DocVapor]

I would think that perserverance becomes cluelessness if there is no meaningful improvement in the applicant between cycles. The lazy pre-med that thinks "I didn't get in this year, but if I reapply next year they will think I'm really serious and they'll let me in" and then doesn't do anything is the clueless one.

For instance, take these two hypotheticals, both initially equal, subpar "stats."

Pre-Med #1: Applied once, got rejected, lived at home and did a week or two of shadowing, applied again, got rejected, wash, rinse, repeated, reapplied, ???

Pre-Med #2: Applied once, got rejected, obtained EMT certification and did a few weeks of shadowing, reapplied, rejected. Obtained advanced EMT certification, retook classes, improved GPA, improved MCAT, better rec letters, reapplied, and ???

This isn't to say that Pre-Med #2 might still never get in, but his app would be given a more serious look.

 

[MedPR]

"The definition of insanity is doign the same thing over and over and expecting a different result".

Perseverence is good when you show that one disappointment doesnt' dissuade you from your true calling. However, it becomes cluelessness when you don't realize that multiple rejections year after year is a sign that you're not mediical school calibre.

I've seen a lot of pre-meds mistake perseverence for competance. Medical school is hard,and wanting something badly doesn't mean that you can do the job.

Oh I strongly agree, I was just curious how you viewed it. There's only so much one can do in a year to improve their app and if they have the money they might as well try each year until they get it right.

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[Mbeas]

I'll leave this here

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=935940

 

[sbuxaddict]

I remember reading a post by someone who claimed to have applied seven times, and said he got in because his school was impressed with his dedication/perseverance to medicine.
Of course, now I can't find that post.

 

[DrWily]

42.

 

[MedPR]

I would think that perserverance becomes cluelessness if there is no meaningful improvement in the applicant between cycles. The lazy pre-med that thinks "I didn't get in this year, but if I reapply next year they will think I'm really serious and they'll let me in" and then doesn't do anything is the clueless one.

For instance, take these two hypotheticals, both initially equal, subpar "stats."

Pre-Med #1: Applied once, got rejected, lived at home and did a week or two of shadowing, applied again, got rejected, wash, rinse, repeated, reapplied, ???

Pre-Med #2: Applied once, got rejected, obtained EMT certification and did a few weeks of shadowing, reapplied, rejected. Obtained advanced EMT certification, retook classes, improved GPA, improved MCAT, better rec letters, reapplied, and ???

This isn't to say that Pre-Med #2 might still never get in, but his app would be given a more serious look.

I like how you use EMT in your example. Is pre-med #2 you?

Also, pre-med #2 is still moderately clueless because in the first reapp cycle they didn't address their low stats, then in the second reapp cycle they didn't continue with ECs.

 

[DocVapor]

I like how you use EMT in your example. Is pre-med #2 you?

I'm not sure I understand your question? Wasn't particularly trying to rank anything, just typed as it came to my mind. I was a neuroscience major in undergrad, planning on going to med school. Got my EMT-B during undergrad and goofed off doing too much volunteering at the rescue squad sophomore/junior years, and let my grades fall. Got things back together for senior year but it wasn't enough to get an acceptance anywhere. Decided to get away from healthcare for a bit, got into auto racing for a couple years. Came back and got my EMT-I and began working as a transport medic. Retook physics and orgo, then applied for a formal post-bacc teaching the "extra" courses. Did well and got accepted to the same medical school that hosts the post-bacc.

 

[MedPR]

I'm not sure I understand your question? Wasn't particularly trying to rank anything, just typed as it came to my mind. I am a nationally registered EMT-I, but I also had to retake courses and did post-bacc work before I was accepted to medical school.

I've just found that people who do EMT as a pre-med think it's super special and like to mention the significance of it. Hence me asking if you were pre-med #2.

 

[DocVapor]

I've just found that people who do EMT as a pre-med think it's super special and like to mention the significance of it. Hence me asking if you were pre-med #2.

Yeah it's really not that much of a BFD. I enjoyed it so much during undergrad it's what kept me out of med school. If med school hadn't panned out I would probably be going the flight medic route instead.

 

[MedPR]

Yeah it's really not that much of a BFD. I enjoyed it so much during undergrad it's what kept me out of med school. If med school hadn't panned out I would probably be going the flight medic route instead.

I'm sure it's really cool. If I knew I could've gotten an emt license in only a few months I would've done that this year.

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[Goro]

An n=1 is meaningless. There are always exceptions. However, one has to be reasonable with both expectations and reality. Just because one person wins the Lotto doesn't mean I will.

I'll leave this here

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=935940

 

[deleted357625]

no but like many have already said it poses the next question it depends on the reason why you are reapplying and if you are really cut out for it ?

 

[IslandStyle808]

An n=1 is meaningless. There are always exceptions. However, one has to be reasonable with both expectations and reality. Just because one person wins the Lotto doesn't mean I will.

I guess this is true but there are some situations I will never understand. For example, there was a girl who applied MD 3 times on this form and got in the 3rd try. The biggest thing was that her GPA was 3.7 and her MCAT was above a 30 (before 1st try). Her ECs were pretty good too.

I also know 2 people who took >=3 times to get in and did. One of them had a 3.7 GPA as well but did not apply broadly (mainly wanted to be close to family so he only applied locally). Thus I could understand to some degree why it took him 3 times but still he had the GPA, MCAT, and ECs to be a good medical student.

The process just does not make sense to me. Would persistence in their cases be due to "cluelessness?"