MD Looking to improve for 2015 Cycle (3.66 cGPA, 3.69 sGPA, 33 MCAT | CA Resident)

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

justy461

New Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2014
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
A little background:

I graduated in 2013 from a UC school in California with a B.S. in bioengineering: pre-medical. I applied last cycle (for the 2014 class) and was waitlisted at 4 MD schools. I applied to ~30 medical schools (relatively broadly) and got almost all of my secondaries but only 4 interviews.

3.66 cGPA
3.69 sGPA
33 MCAT (12 PS | 10 V | 11 BS) taken 3/23/13

My primary was submitted on 6/20 (I believe applications opened relatively late this cycle) and processed on 7/24. My turn around time for secondaries were ~5-7 days.

The general tone of my application was one of service and clinical care.

Extra Curricular Activities from Aug 2009 - Jun 2013
Review Board Member for Undergraduate Research Journal~100
Radiology Department Volunteer~120
Various Physician Shadowing~50
Clinical Volunteer Abroad in Peru~80
President of Undergraduate Org (Current Events Discussion)~300
Paid Math/Science Tutoring~60
Volunteer English Tutor for International Center~100
Undergraduate Research Assistant~2000
Pre-med Fraternity Member~300

School List: (perhaps a bit top-heavy)
Albany Medical College
Boston University School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Drexel University College of Medicine
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
George Washington University Sch of Med & Health Sci
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Jefferson Medical Coll. of Thomas Jefferson Univ.
Keck Sch. of Med.University of Southern California
Mayo Medical School
Medical College of Wisconsin
New York Medical College
Oregon Health and Science University
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Temple University School of Medicine
The Commonwealth Medical College
The Ohio State Univ. Coll. of Med.
The University of Toledo College of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
University of California San Diego
University of California San Francisco
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
University of California, Irvine- College/Medicine
University of California-Riverside School of Medicine
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
University of Colorado School of Medicine
University of Illinois at Chicago-College of Medic
University of Maryland School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Den
University of Virginia School of Medicine
University of Washington School of Medicine
University of Wisconsin
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Wake Forest School of Medicine of Wake Forest Baptist Medical

After Graduation Activities from Jun 2013 - Present
Lab Technician Full Time (paper under review)~1 year
Research Associate Full Time~1 month
Start up Research Analyst Part Time~4 months

Results:
Received all except 1 secondary (U of Washington)
Interviewed at NYMC, Albany, Temple, and Penn State (all waitlisted/no acceptances)

Current situation:

I am guessing my application was weak in terms of clinical experience and extra curricular activities. During my year off, I worked as a lab technician in a cardiovascular genetics lab in the medical school. I am currently working (job of ~1 month) with molecular biology research for a leading chemical production company. I was considering a career in research (life sciences or bioengineering) but have realized that this is probably not for me.

I have reconsidered applying to medical school once again and have a medical scribe/assistant position available to me. I am strongly considering leaving my current job in industry (which pays very well but most likely leads to a different career path) in order to pursue medicine again.
  1. I think my application has more than enough research and believe my time would be better spent improving my weaknesses (which I believe is clinical experience + interesting ECs). Of course, this is my personal opinion and I would like to know what others think to help me put my situation into a better perspective.

  2. I have looked for other clinical exposure opportunities on the weekends/nights but have not been very successful for a number of reasons (I would be part time, minimal clinical experience, most clinics are not open on the weekends, etc). If you have any suggestions as to some specific healthcare exposure opportunities or resources, please let me know.

I am extremely anxious and scared about this decision as there is never a guarantee of acceptance to medical school. I am interested as to what fellow pre-meds have to say about my situation as well as any specific suggestions for me (ECs, volunteering, retake MCAT? etc.) to make the most of the next 8 months before the next application cycle.

PM me for more details/more detailed discussions. Thanks for your insight.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
The only weakness I can see is clinical experience. Perhaps we can give more insight if you provide a list of schools? When did you submit?
 
The only weakness I can see is clinical experience. Perhaps we can give more insight if you provide a list of schools? When did you submit?
Thank you for the quick reply! I'm in the process of editing that information into my post, haha.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
All of that also looks good. I'd say your problem was either clinical experience, your average GPA, or the fact that you are from CA. :p
 
All of that also looks good. I'd say your problem was either clinical experience, your average GPA, or the fact that you are from CA. :p

GPA/MCAT is definitely good enough to get some acceptances though. Have you asked the schools why you were waitlisted/rejected/not-accepted yet? Sometimes they give good feedback. Also, do you think your essays/interviewing skills may need some work? 4 out of 30 interviews isn't bad at all.
 
GPA/MCAT is definitely good enough to get some acceptances though. Have you asked the schools why you were waitlisted/rejected/not-accepted yet? Sometimes they give good feedback. Also, do you think your essays/interviewing skills may need some work? 4 out of 30 interviews isn't bad at all.
I've sent e-mails to the admissions but never received any feedback. I thought my essays were pretty good and my interviewing skills definitely improved throughout the year (more time to experience the interviews as well as practice).
 
There are a few additional schools I would recommend applying to. These are Quinnipiac, Hofstra, Oakland Beaumont, Western Michigan, St. Louis, Loyola, Creighton.
Where were your interviews this past year? You have many OOS public schools on your list that strongly favor their own residents.
 
There are a few additional schools I would recommend applying to. These are Quinnipiac, Hofstra, Oakland Beaumont, Western Michigan, St. Louis, Loyola, Creighton.
Where were your interviews this past year? You have many OOS public schools on your list that strongly favor their own residents.
I interviewed at Temple, Penn State, Albany, and NYMC. Thanks for your recommendations!
 
I've sent e-mails to the admissions but never received any feedback. I thought my essays were pretty good and my interviewing skills definitely improved throughout the year (more time to experience the interviews as well as practice).

I see. I'd call them and try to get some feedback. E-mails are very easy to ignore/look over though. I feel like they'd give you solid feedback more than random people on the internet =) (besides the adcoms of course, such as Goro/gyngyn/LizzyM etc)
 
Based on the 4 schools where you interviewed, you could receive some interviews from the schools I listed. I think you were unlucky in this recent application cycle. Usually 4 interviews will result in at least 1 acceptance. I saw some stats for NYMC from 2 to 3 years ago. Approximately 1,300 interviews, 700 acceptances and 200 matriculated. Now an unknown number of the original 1,300 interviewees may have subsequently withdrawn their applications post interview (but before an acceptance) when they received acceptances elsewhere. So by July there may have been only 900 ( a theoretical estimate as only the school knows the actual number) remaining in their post interview applicant pool which means that 700 of those 900 received acceptances. It would be similar for the other 3 schools. Once you receive an interview the odds of an acceptance are well over 50% if you stay in the applicant pool until classes start. If you can interview at 6 or more schools in this cycle I would be surprised if you did not receive an acceptance somewhere by next July.
 
I interviewed at Temple, Penn State, Albany, and NYMC. Thanks for your recommendations!
There were only about 10 schools where you had a fair to good chance at an interview so I am not surprised to see you were interviewed at 4 of them.

As noted by @Faha, you need to add about half a dozen schools where you will be a first time applicant and I think you should dump the low yield choices.
 
I'm 99% sure I know you in real life. Glad to see that you're going to give medicine another shot! Good luck with everything!
 
There were only about 10 schools where you had a fair to good chance at an interview so I am not surprised to see you were interviewed at 4 of them.

As noted by @Faha, you need to add about half a dozen schools where you will be a first time applicant and I think you should dump the low yield choices.

Thanks for the advice. I was wondering if you had any insight as to if I would have any chance reapplying to any California schools. Would it be possible for me to improve my application (and if so, should I be focusing on clinical experiences, MCAT, or anything else in specific?) to a point where I would have a chance? Thanks!
 
Thanks for the advice. I was wondering if you had any insight as to if I would have any chance reapplying to any California schools. Would it be possible for me to improve my application (and if so, should I be focusing on clinical experiences, MCAT, or anything else in specific?) to a point where I would have a chance? Thanks!
If you are a re-applicant at all of them and you applied with your current stats, your chances are slim at the CA schools. If you are from the Inland Empire you have a shot at UCR (unless you already interviewed and did not get in). I know you are going to apply to them anyway, though!

It's not so much that there is something wrong with your application. We just have so many good ones to choose from.

No matter what, don't apply to UW again. That's just wasted $. I would delete several more but I think you already know which ones should go.
 
Top