Lost

[deleted993380]

I don't know what to do with myself. This is my fourth application cycle and I just got rejected from the school I felt like I had the best chance at. Four years of constant rejection has beaten the hell out of me. I thought I was competitive? Or at least competitive enough. I don't know what to do and my mental health is at an all time low.
GPA: 3.43
MCAT 506
400+ hours of volunteering at a hospital and a soup kitchen
Almost 1000 hours as a medical scribe between the emergency room and a clinic.

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[mvsrocks]

Sorry about the barrage of questions, but: What is your state of residence? Are you ORM or URM? Did you get any feedback from schools that rejected you in previous cycles? How many schools did you apply to? What have you done to improve your application between each cycle? Have you retaken the MCAT?

Just from the info you provided, your stats are below average for MD and your activities are quite common. It doesn't tell me much about you as a person. Are there any aspects of medicine that particularly interest you? If so, I'd search for volunteering opportunities that are related.

 

[deleted993380]

Sorry about the barrage of questions, but: What is your state of residence? Are you ORM or URM? Did you get any feedback from schools that rejected you in previous cycles? How many schools did you apply to? What have you done to improve your application between each cycle? Have you retaken the MCAT?

Just from the info you provided, your stats are below average for MD and your activities are quite common. It doesn't tell me much about you as a person. Are there any aspects of medicine that particularly interest you? If so, I'd search for volunteering opportunities that are related.

Ohio, ORM. I got feedback last year that I needed to up my volunteer hours (I have 400) and get a letter of Rec from a doctor (I had one attached to an update letter I sent months before). I only applied to four DO schools this cycle and this was my first interview. I work as a medical scribe so that has been the only thing I’ve done this past year. I’ve retaken the mcat 3 times, 11 point growth since first one.

 

[deleted1048149]

Is there a reason you only applied to 4 schools? I have somewhat similar stats and lower EC hours than you and got a lot of DO love... but I applied much, much broader

 

[deleted993380]

Is there a reason you only applied to 4 schools? I have somewhat similar stats and lower EC hours than you and got a lot of DO love... but I applied much, much broader

I will apply to more schools now but I was just so defeated going into my fourth application cycle I just picked schools I had the best chance with.

 

[deleted1048149]

I will apply to more schools now but I was just so defeated going into my fourth application cycle I just picked schools I had the best chance with.

Not trying to be accusatory or insensitive. Just, if you haven't had a lot of success, limiting your chances seems a bit counter-intuitive.

I highly doubt your stats or your ECs are what is keeping you out of DO schools. For this next cycle, I would really reassess your personal statement, essays, and interview skills and see what they portray about you. There is obviously some sort of glaring red flag that is keeping you from success cycle after cycle. Do you have any IAs? Have you had help reviewing and revising your PS and secondaries? Do you have a strong and coherent narrative? All of these things are just as important as raw stats, and with your stats you SHOULD be able to last a DO A.

If you wanna talk a bit more in-depth, feel free to DM me. Disclaimer, I'm just an applicant and have no insight into what ADCOMS think or are looking for. But I have had pretty good DO success this cycle so may be able to offer some advice.

 

[deleted993380]

If I'm getting interviews, doesn't that sort of imply that I'm shooting myself in the foot during those? Even when everyone tells me my interview performances went great? And is it too late to apply to more schools this cycle? I don't know if I can stomach another cycle this has been the most soul crushing experience of my entire life

 

[mvsrocks]

If I'm getting interviews, doesn't that sort of imply that I'm shooting myself in the foot during those? Even when everyone tells me my interview performances went great? And is it too late to apply to more schools this cycle? I don't know if I can stomach another cycle this has been the most soul crushing experience of my entire life

Even though the interview has the greatest impact on your chances after II, it's not like the rest of your application suddenly doesn't matter. Instead, adcoms often use a staircase analogy. Top of stairs=acceptance. Different applicants start off at different steps depending on application strength. Some only need an average interview to make it to the top. Others need an amazing one and progress many steps to the top. You may have started at the bottom of the stairs.

 

[deleted993380]

Even though the interview has the greatest impact on your chances after II, it's not like the rest of your application suddenly doesn't matter. Instead, adcoms often use a staircase analogy. Top of stairs=acceptance. Different applicants start off at different steps depending on application strength. Some only need an average interview to make it to the top. Others need an amazing one and progress many steps to the top. You may have started at the bottom of the stairs.

I guess I can't shake the feeling I'm getting played. I can apply to as many schools as I want and the same **** is going to hold me back. At this point I've gotten so unlucky with all the waitlists I've been on and just the absolute lack of interest that this might be divine intervention telling me that God has no interest in me being a physician in any capacity. Might go just take the LSAT idk. This is definitely my last cycle and I just want to know what my chances are applying to other schools at this current moment.

 

[deleted1048149]

I guess I can't shake the feeling I'm getting played. I can apply to as many schools as I want and the same **** is going to hold me back. At this point I've gotten so unlucky with all the waitlists I've been on and just the absolute lack of interest that this might be divine intervention telling me that God has no interest in me being a physician in any capacity. Might go just take the LSAT idk. This is definitely my last cycle and I just want to know what my chances are applying to other schools at this current moment.

I'm sorry you're feeling this way. I would say that at this point in the cycle, you can apply to as many schools as you feel you have the money to throw away and would not expect much

 

[mvsrocks]

I guess I can't shake the feeling I'm getting played. I can apply to as many schools as I want and the same **** is going to hold me back. At this point I've gotten so unlucky with all the waitlists I've been on and just the absolute lack of interest that this might be divine intervention telling me that God has no interest in me being a physician in any capacity. Might go just take the LSAT idk. This is definitely my last cycle and I just want to know what my chances are applying to other schools at this current moment.

How many schools did you apply to in your previous cycles?

 

[deleted993380]

Usually between 7-10

 

[candbgirl]

Out of the four schools you applied to this year, how many interviews did you get? Were you placed on a WL after the interview or outright rejected?
In the past years how many interviews did you get?

I’m not sure you can apply anyplace now but check each school you are interested in and see what their application deadlines are.

 

[deleted993380]

Out of the four schools you applied to this year, how many interviews did you get? Were you placed on a WL after the interview or outright rejected?
In the past years how many interviews did you get?

I’m not sure you can apply anyplace now but check each school you are interested in and see what their application deadlines are.

I was on a waitlist last year and the year before, this year I’ve heard nothing back besides the rejection I just got. I think I’m just gonna apply to like 6-10 more schools as a last ditch effort idk what else I can do

 

[mvsrocks]

I was on a waitlist last year and the year before, this year I’ve heard nothing back besides the rejection I just got. I think I’m just gonna apply to like 6-10 more schools as a last ditch effort idk what else I can do

Is there a reason why you applied to so few schools each cycle? The average is like 15-16, probably like 20-25 on SDN.

 

[Osteosaur]

I'm sorry you are going through this. It took me 4 cycles to get in. Its really crushing, and you aren't that non-competitive. its up to you if you want to give it one more go or not. First off, being a doctor isn't the be-all end-all. There are plenty of other great careers. You are sacrificing a lot by existing in this limbo as I am sure you know.

The good news is you added volunteering and a DO letter and it got you an interview.

I think you are going to need to provide some more information. I am sorry if these questions sound blunt. They are not meant to make you feel bad, or regret wasted time. They are questions I asked myself.

1) What schools, exactly, did you apply to? Why so little?
2) You've applied 4 cycles but have 1,000 scribing hours. Working 50 weeks a year at a regular job should be giving you 2,000 hours or so. Are there any other ECs?
3) Did you apply late?
4) Did you recycle your essays each year or write new ones? Who is reading them?
5) Why did it take 4 cycles to finally add volunteering? Were you just a kid with a 506 and 3.43 previously?
6) Did you always apply to mixed MD/DO? At what point did you add DO schools?
7) Did you get interview coaching? Besides getting the scribe job have you ever had an interview before?
8) I bet through the entire cycle you were super nervous, and didn't add any new activities, and when you didn't get in you panicked and sent in another app because why not? Am I right? And as a result you did not change much from year to year.
9) What was your year-to-year list?

My biggest question is: Who was advising you? You should have been told to get more ECs earlier, and apply to more schools sooner, and so on. Are you doing this on your own based off SDN? That is what I did and I definitely missed a lot of things. You really need to apply to like 30+ schools, all the DO schools, anywhere that might look at a low-tier OOS applicant. Your main focus needs to be DO as a subpar MD applicant (unless you actually got an MD interview?)

Anyway, feel free to shoot me a PM if you want to discuss anything in private. You should start looking at a back-up plan at this point, too.

 

[candbgirl]

@Osteosaur such a good post and advice.