Medical Late Acceptance from Waitlist/Applicant in Reapplication Process - turn it down?

[Question]

Hi all, a person close to me has received an acceptance off a waitlist that they expected no movement from. They have been strengthening their application over the last year and have already submitted their primary application for reapplication this cycle. They garnered interest from very selective programs, but did not gain acceptances and felt determined to improve on their clinical experience to feel better prepared for medical school. They reworked their personal statement and added more meaningful experiences. They now feel their current application is a truer representation of their potential. I have read similar threads about declining an acceptance to reapply and they usually become toxic so please refrain from those responses. The school they were offered admission to did not make the best impression during interviews with their own students airing criticisms of the program and administration. On top of this, they do not prioritize research, which is of interest to the applicant. They also expected to use the summer to maintain volunteer and work commitments and have a nonrefundable vacation after the medical school begins. Any advice would be appreciated, but again please be kind. How does a declined acceptance reflect on reapplication? I would appreciate any substantiated information about its visibility for admission committees or insights from any one with a similar experience. Thank you.

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[TheBoneDoctah]

If accepted to MD, go.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Do not decline an MD acceptance.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

This is not the first time this has ever happened. Congratulations, and take the offer (to your friend). If this person turned down the offer, there is no guarantee that the next cycle will be more successful.

 

[Goro]

This is not the first time this has ever happened. Congratulations, and take the offer (to your friend). If this person turned down the offer, there is no guarantee that the next cycle will be more successful.

Ditto. Your friend needs to avoid magic thinking

 

[lord999]

Declining an acceptance and getting reaccepted is quite rare. Your friend should know this, but unless there is an extreme mismatch with the school, your friend should take the acceptance given.

 

[Dral]

The only time I would say decline the offer is if it was a DO acceptance and they feel they have a great shot at MD. An example is if one applied to all reach MDs as well as some 'safety' DOs and only got in the DO, then I would say they could improve their app and then reapply more intelligently to MDs.

The way I understand it, schools do not know about a prior acceptance, especially if it is MD schools and the person had a DO acceptance. I think schools may get a list of all matriculants, but I don't think they know about acceptances.

Anyway, if this is an MD acceptance, I agree with the rest of my colleagues here and say take it.

To share my experience, I interviewed for a competitive specialty for residency. I interviewed at 15 programs, many of those top programs (NYU, Cornell, Mayo, Hopkins, etc). I didn't match and ended up scrambling (barely making it into the field at all) into what my be considered a lower program (it was for all intents and purposes the only spot left in the country). For a hot minute I considered trying again the next year to see if I got into a more prestigious program since I got interviews at those prestigious programs. I knew that just like med school, trying a second time usually means even less of a chance.

Don't be fooled by things you read on SDN or reddit. The people who post about getting in on a 2nd or 3rd app are here to spread their joy. The many many more people who are unsuccessful generally don't come here to tell the internet community about their self perceived failure.

I didn't go for a second try and am so thankful I didn't. No guarantees were there, I got the most out of my program and loved it, and have a great position currently.

So I understand and sympathize with the feeling of 'wanting more', but in the end, it's just better to go with the sure thing. In general, you have the power to get out of it what you want. For me, if I would have tried again and gotten a more prestigious program, I would go back in time and give myself a small pat on the back. If I tried again and didn't get in anywhere after declining a spot, I'd be going back in time and absolutely kicking my past self's butt.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

The only time I would say decline the offer is if it was a DO acceptance and they feel they have a great shot at MD. An example is if one applied to all reach MDs as well as some 'safety' DOs and only got in the DO, then I would say they could improve their app and then reapply more intelligently to MDs.

The way I understand it, schools do not know about a prior acceptance, especially if it is MD schools and the person had a DO acceptance. I think schools may get a list of all matriculants, but I don't think they know about acceptances.

Anyway, if this is an MD acceptance, I agree with the rest of my colleagues here and say take it.

To share my experience, I interviewed for a competitive specialty for residency. I interviewed at 15 programs, many of those top programs (NYU, Cornell, Mayo, Hopkins, etc). I didn't match and ended up scrambling (barely making it into the field at all) into what my be considered a lower program (it was for all intents and purposes the only spot left in the country). For a hot minute I considered trying again the next year to see if I got into a more prestigious program since I got interviews at those prestigious programs. I knew that just like med school, trying a second time usually means even less of a chance.

Don't be fooled by things you read on SDN or reddit. The people who post about getting in on a 2nd or 3rd app are here to spread their joy. The many many more people who are unsuccessful generally don't come here to tell the internet community about their self perceived failure.

I didn't go for a second try and am so thankful I didn't. No guarantees were there, I got the most out of my program and loved it, and have a great position currently.

So I understand and sympathize with the feeling of 'wanting more', but in the end, it's just better to go with the sure thing. In general, you have the power to get out of it what you want. For me, if I would have tried again and gotten a more prestigious program, I would go back in time and give myself a small pat on the back. If I tried again and didn't get in anywhere after declining a spot, I'd be going back in time and absolutely kicking my past self's butt.

100% agree.