need advice. please help

[dice404]

Hey guys, so here's my situation. I am finishing up my last semester of college, and I am trying to figure out what I should do if I need to re-apply to medical school. I applied last summer/fall, and this cycle hasn't quite gone the way I'd hoped. I was complete at about 15 schools, and I only received one interview. My stats are as follows:

cumGPA: 3.66
BCPM: 3.78
MCAT: 10VR 10PS 11BS for a 31O


ECs:
chemistry/calculus tutor at my university

80hrs volunteering in endoscopy at my local hospital

40hrs shadowing my uncle at his private practice

150+ hrs shadowing an orthopedic surgeon (I scrub for all cases. He also lets me assist in procedures. For example, for removal of, say, am I.M. femur nail, he makes the incision, does a blunt probe dissection, moves soft tissue so the end of the nail is accessible, and then I get to position the extraction device, and remove the nail.)

I did research at my home institution's school last summer (40-50hrs per week)

took a 6 week phlebotomy training course at my local CC

I'm currently doing research at my university


I'd also like to add that i switched by major to chemistry my sophomore year, and I'm still graduating on time. Almost none of my credits from freshman year counted towards my degree, so I'm basically finishing my chemistry degree in three years.


I honestly felt as though I'd get more interviews this cycle applying to 15 schools. I didn't apply top-heavy either. I did, however, apply a little late. I didn't get many of my secondaries in until the end of October because I received them all around midterm time, and my midterms sort of took priority. In short, my turn around time was not very good.


So anyway, I've been wait listed at my home institution. I realize I still have a chance. This school's waitlist tends to move fast, and I've heard that about a third of the class comes off of the waitlist. Still, I'm trying to prepare myself for rejection.


Here's my dilemma, I'm taking a very rigorous course load at the moment, 22 credit hours. My coursework consists of pchem II, pchem lab, genetics, genetics lab, biochem II, bioinformatics, math methods in physical science, a gen ed, and research. Now, ever since I've switched my major, I've had semester GPAs at or above 3.8. It looks likes the best I'm going to be able to do this semester is around 3.5. So much for finishing up strong. Then again, a 3.5 is nothing to scoff at.

So, here's my question. Am I competitive enough to apply again, even with my lackluster final semester, or should I apply to a high linkage SMP like the one at Tulane?

Thanks in advance

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[Catalystik]

No, you don't need an SMP. Even with the lower cGPA this term, you could reverse the impression that leaves with some upper-level Bio postbac work, getting As. Taking 22 credit hours wasn't the best choice, but I understand you wanted to graduate on time.

Any legal problems or institutional actions that would reflect poorly on you?

Are you confident of your LORs?

How has your application improved since you last applied? If the answer is that it hasn't, that wouldn't look good for a reapplication to the same schools. To my mind, a good answer to this question is a more important than the GPA dip is a negative.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Your GPA/MCAT are fine. Try doing some extra ECs on your year off (maybe get a job, do some non-medical volunteering) and apply again. This time apply early (submit primary as soon as you can in June and do the secondaries as soon as you get them), and just to be safe try and do more than 15. Make sure you have a good mix of safeties, middles, and reaches.

If you have an inkling that your LORs might not be the best, try and get 2 or so new ones and mix and match them with your old ones and see what happens?

 

[dice404]

Ok, I appreciate the advice. I've already landed a full time job doing research at my home institution following graduation. I guess in my free time I'll take a couple of upper level bio classes at a local university and fit in some volunteering. Unfortunately, I did have to disclose an institutional action, however. I was documented by a resident assistant in February of my freshman year for having beer in my room. On my application, I addressed this issue directly, owned up to my actions, didn't make any excuses, and explained how I had grown from the experience. I figured that this would be a negative, but I really hope adcoms don't immediately put me in the "no thank you" pile once they see this. Do you see this as being some insurmountable obstacle that only time can suppress? I feel as though four years of nothing but positive pursuits should really demonstrate how I've grown and matured, and that this institutional action is not reflective of who I am.

 

[dice404]

Also, I am very confident in my LORs. I carefully chose people who I know very well and that think very highly of me. I can say with the utmost confidence that my letter writers put me in the best possible light.

 

[CougarMD]

Moving to WAMC