Looking for advice, re-applicant

[QuentonCassidy3]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hey everyone, long time lurker here looking for some absolutely, much appreciated advice. I'm currently a re-applicant and things aren't looking too great up to this point for me. I interviewed at 3 schools last year--> wait-listed and ultimately not accepted. This year, 4 interviews, 4 waitlists. What do you guys recommend I do at this point, in terms of helping my odds of getting off the waitlist somewhere this cycle along with coming up with contingency plans regarding what I should do next year if I need to apply for a third time. Here are some stats:

I come from a disadvantaged background, low SES, not an URM from cali, graduated from a top public university last June, 3.8+ total and science GPA, 27 MCAT on first attempt (8 PS, 7 VR, 12 BS) and a 29 on my second attempt (10 PS, 9 VR, 10 BS). I spent over 3 years doing basic science research leading to a poster presentation at a national conference but no publication. Spent 2 years conducting clinical research. Involved in 2 free clinics, shadowed a few doctors for about 3 years total, involved in a few non-clinical volunteering activities including tutoring and mentoring children growing up in a disadvantaged community similar to my childhood community, raise money for a charity that helps fund surgeries in a 3rd world country by singing almost every weekend, and currently I'm working as a scribe (was not able to put this in my primary app due to not being employed in June but I already updated every school with this information).

Any feedback/advice would be greatly appreciated, especially from adcom members!!!

 

[einsteinm]

Hmm. With 4 interviews, your app seems to be in order. The MCAT score limited you from getting more IIs. You might get off a wait list come April 30th. The only thing you can do at this point is send letters to those schools expressing your interest (this is something to do but may not necessarily help). They will know where their waitlisted applicants have been accepted near April 1 and may even want to snag you up knowing you'll go to their school if accepted. If this cycle doesn't work out, consider retaking the MCAT + apply early to MD and DO.

 

[QuentonCassidy3]

Thank you for the feedback. Should I continue scribing and being involved in my volunteer activities next year or would a post-bac/masters program of some sort be more beneficial in the unfortunate chance that things don't work out?

 

[K1NG]

Your GPA is great, so additional coursework isn't necessary. If you need to improve numbers, start with the mcat. Did you contact the schools that rejected you last cycle and this cycle? Did you apply DO?

 

[QuentonCassidy3]

I contacted many schools last cycle. They all said I applied late (I wasn't complete until early September due to waiting for 2nd MCAT score) and that there would be a good chance for an interview if I applied early. I applied early this cycle and got things done ASAP, however a majority of the schools that I contacted last year didn't offer me an interview. I have yet to contact schools this cycle, however. I did not apply DO

 

[Ophthoseidon]

I think with 4 II's the biggest factor has to be interviewing skills if you have been waitlisted at every one. I would try to see if your school has support services where you can do a mock interview and get feedback. But who knows? I would think 4 wait lists would yield at least 1 acceptance if you're on first tiers on all of them.

 

[kyamh]

It's not even your MCAT score per se that is holding you back, but that your MCAT score didn't improve much when you retook the exam...which isn't ideal. Keep your chin up, 4 waitlists give you a good shot, but definitely consider DO if you are going to apply again.

 

[ridethecliche]

Yeah, your second mcat score was a wash relative to the first one. You'd need to score atleast a 32-33 for the retake to be meaningful. Would have had to get atleast a 31 on the first retake for it to matter.

Applying early might help but you need to improve your app since you're dead in the water if your app is the same.

 

[QuentonCassidy3]

Thanks for the continued feedback folks, really appreciate it! I actually beat the mock interview resources at my university to death last year. I was told each time I did a mock interview that I interviewed quite well so I'm not quite sure if that may or may not be my issue : /.

 

[MightBeACylon439]

Thanks for the continued feedback folks, really appreciate it! I actually beat the mock interview resources at my university to death last year. I was told each time I did a mock interview that I interviewed quite well so I'm not quite sure if that may or may not be my issue : /.

From what I've read from the adcoms here if you're stats are on the fence, even a stellar interview can land you on the waitlist. From your stats it looks like more volunteering is the most that you can do to improve your app short of retaking the MCAT and getting 90%th percentile.

Make sure you apply D.O. next year as well. The downside to D.O. is you might get crap from your classmates, the upside is that you get trained to be a physician in the united states.

 

[QuentonCassidy3]

Thank you so much for the feedback everyone. Would @gyngyn @Goro or @LizzyM like to chime in, I'd appreciate their feedback as well!

 

[QuentonCassidy3]

Also, does anyone have any insight or opinions regarding these two programs:

https://medicine.buffalo.edu/education/md/diversity/post-bacc.html

http://www.medstudent.ucla.edu/offices/aeo/rap.cfm

 

[bluemachine]

which schools are you currently waiting on? it may help to see if these schools have active waitlists. you can pm me if youd like to keep it private

 

[QuentonCassidy3]

I can't seem to send you a PM