Need to be real with myself, should I be applying MD this cycle or just take a gap year?

[CalBear456]

Hello Everyone,

So my primary application has been verified already and so far I only tagged on two Allopathic schools ( one for initial verification and another school). My cumulative gpa is a 3.84 and science gpa is a 3.78 from a T20 California school.

My extracurriculars are good, and I have a pub as well a national conference oral presentation.

However, I do not have an MCAT score yet. As of now I'm scheduled to take it on September 12th with a score turnaround time of September 29th.

I understand that I will have the two week period where I will be waiting for my score to pre-write most of my secondaries so that they will be ready to be submitted by September 29th.

Am I doing myself a disservice by applying this cycle and submitted secondaries by sep 29th or is it best for me to apply next cycle instead? @LizzyM @Catalystik @gyngyn @gonnif @Moko

Thanks and I hope you all are safe

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[Goro]

That should be a doable timeline. Do NOT take the exam until you are 100% ready, though.

The DO cycle is longer, so you have more breathing space with that.

 

[LizzyM]

What are you scoring in practice tests? If it is >510, you should be fine. If not, or if you are not well on test day, void the test and abort the cycle and start fresh next Spring. Otherwise, you'll be at the end of the line but we save some interview slots for top applicants who arrive late, particularly this year.

 

[Hopefulpremed123]

I thought @gonnif said that having secondaries and MCAT and letters in by October 1st was considered on time this cycle?

Is this not the case anymore? Just for my own curiosity sake.... what date in October is considered the absolute final date to send in secondaries before which it’s late for this cycle? @LizzyM @Catalystik @gyngyn
@Goro

 

[KnightDoc]

I thought @gonnif said that having secondaries and MCAT and letters in by October 1st was considered on time this cycle?

Is this not the case anymore? Just for my own curiosity sake.... what date in October is considered the absolute final date to send in secondaries before which it’s late for this cycle? @LizzyM @Catalystik @gyngyn
@Goro

The mistake you are making is taking what any single person says here as gospel. What @gonnif says about "on time" might or might not be true at his school, and he doesn't even have a school. It's just one opinion, albeit an educated one, but it's based on nothing other than a feeling, because no one, not even the great @gonnif, has any experience to draw on in this area since this is a once in a lifetime situation.

What you need to understand is that there is no such thing as an "absolute final date to send in secondaries before which it’s late for this cycle" other than the application deadline published by each school. The only reality is that the admissions process is rolling, it has already begun, hundreds of thousands of individual applications have already been submitted and completed, and the process continues.

The perception and reality is that earlier is always better than later, but, as @LizzyM said, all schools save some IIs for really good applications that arrive late for whatever reason. Whether there will be more spots saved this year due to the situation is anyone's guess, as many excellent schools are reporting more applications being completed earlier than last year.

TL;DR -- there is no absolute final date until the deadline, but each day that goes by after sometime around Labor Day, even this year, your chances are a little less than the day before. This is never necessarily fatal until the very end, but is highly dependent on how outstanding your application is as compared to the rest of a particular school's pool.

The fact that IIs have started going out a few short weeks after secondaries were submitted, just like every other year, is evidence that the process this year is going to be just like every other year, albeit pushed back by a few weeks, at least in the beginning of the cycle. People who think they have a few extra months this cycle due to COVID, because a few people on SDN think that should be the case, risk being very disappointed next spring.

 

[gyngyn]

I thought @gonnif said that having secondaries and MCAT and letters in by October 1st was considered on time this cycle?

Is this not the case anymore? Just for my own curiosity sake.... what date in October is considered the absolute final date to send in secondaries before which it’s late for this cycle? @LizzyM @Catalystik @gyngyn
@Goro

There is no "final date" for a really strong candidate (as long as it is before the deadline).
For a weaker candidate, there may be no date soon enough to make a difference.

 

[M1i]

@KnightDoc is absolutely correct assessment. The concept of “lateness” simply means that being in by date X, timing will have little if any impact on your chances. That is, your application will get full attention. This has to do with the capacity for how many applications they can evaluate and review with time and resources they have. Weaker applications later in the cycle get less consideration simply because of time. Prior to this year as I always said for many cycles, by Labor Day for all candidates for all schools, particularly at highly competitive programs. For most solid candidates at most programs mid-late Sept was fine.

this year, adding a week or two to this is reasonable, hence my opinion that by Oct 1 is reasonable for most candidate at most schools. As @gyngyn noted timing doesnt help a weak candidate

Does this 'unofficial', before labor day, deadline include the time for Application verification? In other words, If my app hasn't been verified yet and I were to submit within the next two days, would I be considered 'late' ?? (MCAT score and transcripts have already been received by AAMC)

 

[KnightDoc]

Does this 'unofficial', before labor day, deadline include the time for Application verification? In other words, If my app hasn't been verified yet and I were to submit within the next two days, would I be considered 'late' ?? (MCAT score and transcripts have already been received by AAMC)

"Considered late" is not a real thing; it's a SDN thing! Schools don't consider applications early or late (at least until after their published deadline!). They just process them as they come in. The reality is, however, that with rolling admissions, there are only so many IIs to go around.

The earliest applications can potentially be considered for all of them, while, of course, later applications can only be considered for those that remain. This is why earlier is always better, even though, as all of the wise adcoms have pointed out, they will always find a way to interview outstanding candidates who meet the deadline while subpar candidates will not receive interviews just because they were complete very early.

The direct answer to your question is the deadline, whether or not official, includes EVERYTHING (with a COVID exception this year for MCAT scores at many schools). Again, you are not considered "early" or "late" by schools, but they don't even see your primary until it is verified by AMCAS. After that, they don't look at it until it is complete (secondary, LORs and MCAT -- see MCAT exception above, which has never applied before this year, but is an accommodation many schools are extending due to the test cancellations from March-May).

Bottom line -- nobody is looking at an application that isn't verified, and doesn't include a secondary and all required LORs. Period. So, submitting in the next two days would be fine and won't be late. In fact, it won't be anything, other than starting the clock on verification. Until you are verified, it won't be transmitted to schools, and you won't see secondaries until after that. So asking about the next two days is irrelevant, because you likely won't see secondaries until well after Labor Day at this point.

 

[CalBear456]

What are you scoring in practice tests? If it is >510, you should be fine. If not, or if you are not well on test day, void the test and abort the cycle and start fresh next Spring. Otherwise, you'll be at the end of the line but we save some interview slots for top applicants who arrive late, particularly this year.

Hi LizzyM I am scoring a 512 currently. Hopefully I can continue improving and be ready to go on test day. Do you recommend I add on the rest of my schools after receiving my score back or maybe do it based on my practice test scores closer to my test day? That way I can receive secondaries earlier and be ready to submit by the end of September.

There is no "final date" for a really strong candidate (as long as it is before the deadline).
Likewise, for a weaker candiadte, there may be no date soon enough to make a difference.

Do you know if UC's are screening for secondaries this year because i know traditionally it can take a while to receive them. Or are they giving secondaries to everyone sending in a primary if they meet the gpa cutoff?

I previously heard you say that you don't think being complete in October for an already competitive applicant, won't result in a significant disadvantage. Do you still feel this is the case?

 

[gyngyn]

Do you know if UC's are screening for secondaries this year because i know traditionally it can take a while to receive them. Or are they giving secondaries to everyone sending in a primary if they meet the gpa cutoff?

I previously heard you say that you don't think being complete in October for an already competitive applicant, won't result in a significant disadvantage. Do you still feel this is the case?

Each UC is an independent entity. Even if I were completely sure about one, I might be entirely wrong about the others.

 

[CalBear456]

Each UC is an independent entity. Even if I were completely sure about one, I might be entirely wrong about the others.

Got it! Thanks for your input Gyngyn it was really helpful.

Also, I previously heard you say that you don't think being complete in October for an already competitive applicant, would result in a significant disadvantage. Do you still feel this is the case?

 

[KnightDoc]

Got it! Thanks for your input Gonnif it was really helpful.

Also, I previously heard you say that you don't think being complete in October for an already competitive applicant, would result in a significant disadvantage. Do you still feel this is the case?

That wasn't my takeaway. I thought it meant that a really strong candidate would always have a shot, not that a competitive applicant would not be disadvantaged by submitting two months after IIs started going out. Remember -- "disadvantage" does not mean DOA. It means having a relatively lower chance of success by virtue of the fact that literally hundreds of IIs will have already been issued that you have no chance of receiving.

 

[CalBear456]

That wasn't my takeaway. I thought it meant that a really strong candidate would always have a shot, not that a competitive applicant would not be disadvantaged by submitting two months after IIs started going out. Remember -- "disadvantage" does not mean DOA. It means having a relatively lower chance of success by virtue of the fact that literally hundreds of IIs will have already been issued that you have no chance of receiving.

Do you recommend I add on the rest of my schools after receiving my score back or maybe do it based on my practice test scores closer to my test day? That way I can receive secondaries earlier and be ready to submit by the end of September, when I get my score. @gyngyn @LizzyM

 

[KnightDoc]

Do you recommend I add on the rest of my schools after receiving my score back or maybe do it based on my practice test scores closer to my test day? That way I can receive secondaries earlier and be ready to submit by the end of September, when I get my score. @gyngyn @LizzyM

Honestly, at this point I'm not sure that it matters. By far the most important thing is to do well on the MCAT, so I don't think it makes sense to take time away from that to write secondaries. Assuming you are going to work on secondaries after you take the test, I also don't think the two weeks between the middle and end of September is going to make a difference, so why not just wait for the score? The advantage to that is that if your score sucks, you avoid the expense of the secondaries and whatever stigma comes from potentially being a reapplicant.

 

[deleted1064759]

Do you recommend I add on the rest of my schools after receiving my score back or maybe do it based on my practice test scores closer to my test day? That way I can receive secondaries earlier and be ready to submit by the end of September, when I get my score. @gyngyn @LizzyM

I would add the night of your MCAT or Sunday night (if you test on Saturday) and want to take the weekend off before secondary grinding. This way you can start pumping out secondaries and the only thing schools will be waiting on is your MCAT.

This is only if you plan to apply this year no matter what score you receive, because if you don't get the score you want you'll end up being a reapp to all these schools. That's typically why people add one school for verification and then the rest after score release (to not be a reapp).

 

[deleted804295]

What are you scoring in practice tests? If it is >510, you should be fine. If not, or if you are not well on test day, void the test and abort the cycle and start fresh next Spring. Otherwise, you'll be at the end of the line but we save some interview slots for top applicants who arrive late, particularly this year.

Maybe >515?

Being late with a mediocre MCAT in the 510-513 range will do OP no favors.

 

[deleted1064759]

Maybe >515?

Being late with a mediocre MCAT in the 510-513 range will do OP no favors.

IIRC LizzyM's school wants 3 sections above 129 and no section below 126. This may be a few years old though.

 

[KnightDoc]

IIRC LizzyM's school wants 3 sections above 129 and no section below 126. This may be a few years old though.

Maybe, but @LizzyM's school is not the barometer by which we should deem ourselves worthy. This is literally like saying if you don't have a reasonable chance of getting into Harvard, you shouldn't bother applying anywhere.

 

[deleted1064759]

Maybe, but @LizzyM's school is not the barometer by which we should deem ourselves worthy. This is literally like saying if you don't have a reasonable chance of getting into Harvard, you shouldn't bother applying anywhere.

Of course, I was just replying to sunbodi:

Maybe >515?

 

[KnightDoc]

Of course, I was just replying to sunbodi:

I know, but picking one of the most competitive schools in the country was just a bad example. In any event, even your numbers work out to at least 516, so does that mean you were agreeing with @Sunbodi?

 

[CalBear456]

I know, but picking one of the most competitive schools in the country was just a bad example. In any event, even your numbers work out to at least 516, so does that mean you were agreeing with @Sunbodi?

I read previously that you are also yet to submit your primary application right? What is your plan going forward in terms of taking the mcat and submitting the primary and when you plan on submitting secondaries?

 

[deleted1064759]

I know, but picking one of the most competitive schools in the country was just a bad example. In any event, even your numbers work out to at least 516, so does that mean you were agreeing with @Sunbodi?

Yeah I mean I guess so. The median is like 511 so probably best to be above that by a few points if you're applying later. There's people who still get in so there's no hard and fast rule and only you can judge the strength of your ECs/story and how it will be perceived.

 

[deleted1064759]

I read previously that you are also yet to submit your primary application right? What is your plan going forward in terms of taking the mcat and submitting the primary and when you plan on submitting secondaries?

Yeah KD, you should really get your primary in at least man. It's fine to sacrifice some MCAT study time.

 

[KnightDoc]

I read previously that you are also yet to submit your primary application right? What is your plan going forward in terms of taking the mcat and submitting the primary and when you plan on submitting secondaries?

I just took the MCAT, and am waiting for my score. While I am anxious to apply this cycle, I am REALLY nervous about my ECs, and have taken the advice of the adcoms to heart about not rushing an application and to try to avoid being a reapplicant at all costs.

So COVID really dealt me a double whammy in terms of killing ECs since March, which destroyed my summer research, PLUS everything that was going on last spring, plus I honestly don't know what's going to happen in the fall. My hours are consequently literally hundreds of hours less than I planned, plus I don't have any research at all.

It also screwed up my MCAT, by pushing it back several times from April to ultimately August. I could have submitted a primary in May, but didn't know at that point whether I'd be able to take the MCAT at all, plus I was uptight about the ECs. I still am, and so am now telling myself I want to see the MCAT before making a final decision.

If I don't apply this year though, it's really not going to be because I'm afraid I'm late. It's because the adcoms have convinced me that my ECs won't be competitive when compared to most of the rest of the pool. If you look carefully at some of my past posts, you'll notice I've been pretty strident in my feeling that expectations for ECs will be lower in future cycles if the crisis doesn't end soon, because more and more people will be in my position. The adcoms have been telling me I'm kidding myself, and only time will tell, but I do agree with them that I'll be uncompetitive this year because relatively few people are in my position for this cycle.

Bottom line, though, if I was committed to applying this cycle regardless, I would have submitted a throwaway to be verified by now, and would be prewriting secondaries to be submitted as soon as I received them after receiving my score in a few weeks.

As has been stated repeatedly, submitting secondaries after Labor Day isn't a death sentence (it never is), but it reduces your chances a little bit every day after that point unless you are really outstanding. I think more of us suffer from imposter syndrome than think we are truly outstanding.

I also think people are kidding themselves if they think they are going to have a lot of slack on the back end due to COVID. Schools have signaled that the accommodation is screening for secondaries (and maybe IIs) without the MCAT, NOT pushing their timelines back. My being screened with my ECs and no MCAT would not have done me any favors. Plus, with all the BS going on with the MCAT, I just couldn't focus on prewriting secondaries between May and now. While things are slightly delayed due to the later start this year, very few schools have indicated that they are extending deadlines, or key decision dates next spring, so the process seems to be proceeding pretty much as usual.

 

[deleted1064759]

Bottom line, though, if I was committed to applying this cycle regardless, I would have submitted a throwaway to be verified by now, and would be prewriting secondaries to be submitted as soon as I received them after receiving my score in a few weeks.

Sounds like you know what you're doing and I agree with your point about people having gaps in their ECs next year. All the knowledge you have on the app cycle I'm sure you'll have a strong app whether you apply this year or next year.

 

[KnightDoc]

Sounds like you know what you're doing and I agree with your point about people having gaps in their ECs next year. All the knowledge you have on the app cycle I'm sure you'll have a strong app whether you apply this year or next year.

Thank you very much for saying that. Time will tell!

I've been obsessing about this since last year, so if med school doesn't work out I could always try to be an admissions advisor, but then I would just invite the same criticism that I'm nothing more than a wannabe that some people on SDN tagged me with last year!

I REALLY just want to do it once and be successful, so I'm trying to be deliberate and smart about it. The pandemic screwed up all my plans from March through next year (at a minimum), but I'm just trying to adjust, not whine about it, and be thankful that so far the impact on me and my family has been far less than on many others.

 

[CalBear456]

Thank you very much for saying that. Time will tell!

I've been obsessing about this since last year, so if med school doesn't work out I could always try to be an admissions advisor, but then I would just invite the same criticism that I'm nothing more than a wannabe that some people on SDN tagged me with last year!

I REALLY just want to do it once and be successful, so I'm trying to be deliberate and smart about it. The pandemic screwed up all my plans from March through next year (at a minimum), but I'm just trying to adjust, not whine about it, and be thankful that so far the impact on me and my family has been far less than on many others.

Thanks for sharing your story KnightDoc, I can only imagine how much thought you put into this and so You are definitely making the right call. The most important thing is you and your family are safe and i can tell you that my own family members have been diagnosed with COVID and have recovered so it definitely hits home.

You provided such great advice and I honestly would like to take your opinion into consideration. I graduated last year from university and have been studying for the MCAT ever since October or so and honestly as much as I want to blame it on COVID or other personal issues, there was no excuse for me to still not have a score right now. I messed up. I messed up big time and I have a lot of regrets. I graduated with a 3.83 gpa, good extracurriculars and seemingly everything was set in place for me to do well on the MCAT but I screwed it up. I don't want this year to go to waste because it feels like it has and at the same time I feel like I screwed up my chances for MD this cycle. I'm definitely not getting any younger and my parents will also not be okay with the idea of another gap year (I'm 23 right now). I don't feel too great about another year either.

My MD app is verified and I have already submitted around 6 DO secondaries. Like I mentioned before my MCAT is scheduled for September 12th. I spent way too much time on content and not on practice questions and so nothing stuck and I just found myself repeatedly going back and going through the material so slowly. Anyways, I will try to do my best on this exam but do you have any advice on how I should proceed? I'm kicking myself because even though I am completely okay with DO, It feels like I didn't even give myself a fighting chance

 

[CalBear456]

Thanks for sharing your story KnightDoc, I can only imagine how much thought you put into this and so You are definitely making the right call. The most important thing is you and your family are safe and i can tell you that my own family members have been diagnosed with COVID and have recovered so it definitely hits home.

You provided such great advice and I honestly would like to take your opinion into consideration. I graduated last year from university and have been studying for the MCAT ever since October or so and honestly as much as I want to blame it on COVID or other personal issues, there was no excuse for me to still not have a score right now. I messed up. I messed up big time and I have a lot of regrets. I graduated with a 3.83 gpa, good extracurriculars and seemingly everything was set in place for me to do well on the MCAT but I screwed it up. I don't want this year to go to waste because it feels like it has and at the same time I feel like I screwed up my chances for MD this cycle. I'm definitely not getting any younger and my parents will also not be okay with the idea of another gap year (I'm 23 right now). I don't feel too great about another year either.

My MD app is verified and I have already submitted around 6 DO secondaries. Like I mentioned before my MCAT is scheduled for September 12th. I spent way too much time on content and not on practice questions and so nothing stuck and I just found myself repeatedly going back and going through the material so slowly. Anyways, I will try to do my best on this exam but do you have any advice on how I should proceed? I'm kicking myself because even though I am completely okay with DO, It feels like I didn't even give myself a fighting chance

Sorry I'm 23 not 24 haha. If this cycle, I'll be 24 when I matriculate.

 

[KnightDoc]

Thanks for sharing your story KnightDoc, I can only imagine how much thought you put into this and so You are definitely making the right call. The most important thing is you and your family are safe and i can tell you that my own family members have been diagnosed with COVID and have recovered so it definitely hits home.

You provided such great advice and I honestly would like to take your opinion into consideration. I graduated last year from university and have been studying for the MCAT ever since October or so and honestly as much as I want to blame it on COVID or other personal issues, there was no excuse for me to still not have a score right now. I messed up. I messed up big time and I have a lot of regrets. I graduated with a 3.83 gpa, good extracurriculars and seemingly everything was set in place for me to do well on the MCAT but I screwed it up. I don't want this year to go to waste because it feels like it has and at the same time I feel like I screwed up my chances for MD this cycle. I'm definitely not getting any younger and my parents will also not be okay with the idea of another gap year (I'm 24 right now). I don't feel too great about another year either.

My MD app is verified and I have already submitted around 6 DO secondaries. Like I mentioned before my MCAT is scheduled for September 12th. I spent way too much time on content and not on practice questions and so nothing stuck and I just found myself repeatedly going back and going through the material so slowly. Anyways, I will try to do my best on this exam but do you have any advice on how I should proceed? I'm kicking myself because even though I am completely okay with DO, It feels like I didn't even give myself a fighting chance

First of all, I am so sorry to hear about COVID. Has the recovery been complete, or are they still struggling like so many others?

With respect to advice, it's easy for me to say because I'm not in your shoes and don't have to deal with your parents' expectations, but I am walking the walk. I would not apply until I was absolutely ready, even if it meant delaying gratification for an unplanned additional year. It's a long life (hopefully!), and what seems like an eternity, even at age 24, is NOTHING in the scheme of a 40+ year career.

With respect to DO, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, but if you feel you have the potential for MD and it is important to you, you owe it to yourself to give it your best shot before "settling" for something else. It sucks that MCAT studying has not gone as planned, but you were definitely smart to push it back rather than doing what so many others do which is taking a shot even though they are not adequately prepared, figuring they could always retake it. As with the application cycle itself, it is far better to do it right once than to have to deal with whatever bias exists with retakers, or reapplicants.

As I said, I took it in August and am probably not applying this cycle for a different reason, but I honestly cannot imagine planning to take it on 9/12 and still applying this cycle. On the other hand, your ECs are fine, so you could have already submitted without the score, but haven't, to date. As others have said, if you get a 515+, it might very well work out for you.

At this point, why not just keep chugging along and see what your FLs look like in the beginning of September? If they are above 515, take the test and stick to your plan about prewriting secondaries and submitting after you receive your score. If not, strongly consider canceling the test and starting over in January. Same thing if you take the test and don't like your score when it comes back.

If you become either annoyed or impatient, there is nothing wrong with DO, which has the benefit of both lower MCAT expectations and a later cycle. You will be in really good shape with your GPA and decent ECs applying DO in October, even with a MCAT in the low 500s. Of course, you could also apply MD at the same time, as long as you understand those would be more like Hail Marys, and you'll probably end up DO if you end up applying in October with a MCAT <513.

 

[CalBear456]

First of all, I am so sorry to hear about COVID. Has the recovery been complete, or are they still struggling like so many others?

With respect to advice, it's easy for me to say because I'm not in your shoes and don't have to deal with your parents' expectations, but I am walking the walk. I would not apply until I was absolutely ready, even if it meant delaying gratification for an unplanned additional year. It's a long life (hopefully!), and what seems like an eternity, even at age 24, is NOTHING in the scheme of a 40+ year career.

With respect to DO, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, but if you feel you have the potential for MD and it is important to you, you owe it to yourself to give it your best shot before "settling" for something else. It sucks that MCAT studying has not gone as planned, but you were definitely smart to push it back rather than doing what so many others do which is taking a shot even though they are not adequately prepared, figuring they could always retake it. As with the application cycle itself, it is far better to do it right once than to have to deal with whatever bias exists with retakers, or reapplicants.

As I said, I took it in August and am probably not applying this cycle for a different reason, but I honestly cannot imagine planning to take it on 9/12 and still applying this cycle. On the other hand, your ECs are fine, so you could have already submitted without the score, but haven't, to date. As others have said, if you get a 515+, it might very well work out for you.

At this point, why not just keep chugging along and see what your FLs look like in the beginning of September? If they are above 515, take the test and stick to your plan about prewriting secondaries and submitting after you receive your score. If not, strongly consider canceling the test and starting over in January. Same thing if you take the test and don't like your score when it comes back.

If you become either annoyed or impatient, there is nothing wrong with DO, which has the benefit of both lower MCAT expectations and a later cycle. You will be in really good shape with your GPA and decent ECs applying DO in October, even with a MCAT in the low 500s. Of course, you could also apply MD at the same time, as long as you understand those would be more like Hail Marys, and you'll probably end up DO if you end up applying in October with a MCAT <513.

Thanks for your advice. I think a lot will depend on my MCAT score for sure. I definitely don't want to study for this test again but I'm hopeful. Thanks for asking about my family, they are doing well.

So say if I get a 510-513. Would you still recommend I take my shot with MD provided I get my secondaries in by September 30th? I know people will call me crazy but I definitely plan on doing 40-50 schools. I know in the two week period when I get my score back I'll prob only finish around 20 maybe 25 at most. I submitted around 6 DO ones already so hopefully they will be of use. I'll prioritize my main schools to be in by September 29th and maybe the rest of the 20 or so I'll hopefully have done by October 2nd week.

 

[deleted804295]

I just took the MCAT, and am waiting for my score. While I am anxious to apply this cycle, I am REALLY nervous about my ECs, and have taken the advice of the adcoms to heart about not rushing an application and to try to avoid being a reapplicant at all costs.

So COVID really dealt me a double whammy in terms of killing ECs since March, which destroyed my summer research, PLUS everything that was going on last spring, plus I honestly don't know what's going to happen in the fall. My hours are consequently literally hundreds of hours less than I planned, plus I don't have any research at all.

It also screwed up my MCAT, by pushing it back several times from April to ultimately August. I could have submitted a primary in May, but didn't know at that point whether I'd be able to take the MCAT at all, plus I was uptight about the ECs. I still am, and so am now telling myself I want to see the MCAT before making a final decision.

If I don't apply this year though, it's really not going to be because I'm afraid I'm late. It's because the adcoms have convinced me that my ECs won't be competitive when compared to most of the rest of the pool. If you look carefully at some of my past posts, you'll notice I've been pretty strident in my feeling that expectations for ECs will be lower in future cycles if the crisis doesn't end soon, because more and more people will be in my position. The adcoms have been telling me I'm kidding myself, and only time will tell, but I do agree with them that I'll be uncompetitive this year because relatively few people are in my position for this cycle.

Bottom line, though, if I was committed to applying this cycle regardless, I would have submitted a throwaway to be verified by now, and would be prewriting secondaries to be submitted as soon as I received them after receiving my score in a few weeks.

As has been stated repeatedly, submitting secondaries after Labor Day isn't a death sentence (it never is), but it reduces your chances a little bit every day after that point unless you are really outstanding. I think more of us suffer from imposter syndrome than think we are truly outstanding.

I also think people are kidding themselves if they think they are going to have a lot of slack on the back end due to COVID. Schools have signaled that the accommodation is screening for secondaries (and maybe IIs) without the MCAT, NOT pushing their timelines back. My being screened with my ECs and no MCAT would not have done me any favors. Plus, with all the BS going on with the MCAT, I just couldn't focus on prewriting secondaries between May and now. While things are slightly delayed due to the later start this year, very few schools have indicated that they are extending deadlines, or key decision dates next spring, so the process seems to be proceeding pretty much as usual.

Based on everything you said you're not ready to apply this year and I think deep down you know this.

If you're looking for research I'd recommend looking into research that can be done remotely ie data analysis. ASAP is best. Adcoms enjoy seeing length in activities.

 

[deleted804295]

Sorry I'm 23 not 24 haha. If this cycle, I'll be 24 when I matriculate.

You're young. All of my classmates are much older (most took gap years and many are 26+)

 

[KnightDoc]

Thanks for your advice. I think a lot will depend on my MCAT score for sure. I definitely don't want to study for this test again but I'm hopeful. Thanks for asking about my family, they are doing well.

So say if I get a 510-513. Would you still recommend I take my shot with MD provided I get my secondaries in by September 30th? I know people will call me crazy but I definitely plan on doing 40-50 schools. I know in the two week period when I get my score back I'll prob only finish around 20 maybe 25 at most. I submitted around 6 DO ones already so hopefully they will be of use. I'll prioritize my main schools to be in by September 29th and maybe the rest of the 20 or so I'll hopefully have done by October 2nd week.

My advice, with those scores and that timing, would be to take your shot with MD, but plan on going DO, because that is where you will be most likely to have success in October. If you would rather reapply than attend DO (because, presumably, next year you will have a higher score and an earlier application), then don't apply DO at all (withdraw the six you have already submitted and don't submit any more).

Finally, if 510-13 is where your FLs have you in September and you think you can do better with more preparation, just pack it in and start over next year rather than taking the test, getting the 512, applying to 50 schools, only having DO acceptances, and then turning them down and being a MD reapplicant next year. If you are planning on doing 50 schools and they are not already done, you are going to have a VERY difficult time doing a decent job with them in only a few weeks at the end of September and beginning of October! 515+ is not a guarantee, but it very well could be the difference with applications submitted in October.

 

[KnightDoc]

Based on everything you said you're not ready to apply this year and I think deep down you know this.

If you're looking for research I'd recommend looking into research that can be done remotely ie data analysis. ASAP is best. Adcoms enjoy seeing length in activities.

Yup!! I have been strung along all summer. I'll do something remotely if I can't get my butt into a lab by the end of the year, but I am still hopeful. I've been bracing for this since MCATs were canceled, but I've been putting off a final decision while waiting to see what happens. I have a primary ready to go, but haven't pushed the button yet, and since it's August and nothing has happened yet, I know how this is ending this cycle.

 

[CalBear456]

@AnatomyGrey12 @Ho0v-man

I was hoping to get your advice because I have already submitting 6 DO secondaries (KCU, PCOM, TOURO CA, WESTERN, NYIT, DMU) because DO schools are interviewing without an MCAT. I am also 23 years old.

If I were to withdraw my DO apps, what would the consequence be for next cycle being a reapplicant?

Do you also have any suggestions based on my current predicament please? You were both very helpful to me before on the DO forum, so I wanted to ask for your advice as well. If it helps, I am interested in pursing a IM + ONCOLOGY fellowship.

 

[Ho0v-man]

@AnatomyGrey12 @Ho0v-man

I was hoping to get your advice because I have already submitting 6 DO secondaries (KCU, PCOM, TOURO CA, WESTERN, NYIT, DMU) because DO schools are interviewing without an MCAT. I am also 23 years old.

If I were to withdraw my DO apps, what would the consequence be for next cycle being a reapplicant?

Do you also have any suggestions based on my current predicament please? You were both very helpful to me before on the DO forum, so I wanted to ask for your advice as well. If it helps, I am interested in pursing a IM + ONCOLOGY fellowship.

Yes you’d be a reapplication bc since the mcat is not required, your application is complete.

It’s an unusual circumstance. OSU and other state schools are the best to go for in terms of research and clinical training followed by PCOM. After that, just rank based on location. I assume you want to live in the area of those schools.

Your fellowship opportunities have a lot to do with where you do your IM residency. And where you do your IM residency has to do with 1) board scores, 2)research, and most importantly 3) where you go to med school. All osteopathic schools are considered the same tier and one isn’t more prestigious than the other so go MD if you can.

 

[MyOdyssey]

@AnatomyGrey12 @Ho0v-man

I was hoping to get your advice because I have already submitting 6 DO secondaries (KCU, PCOM, TOURO CA, WESTERN, NYIT, DMU) because DO schools are interviewing without an MCAT. I am also 23 years old.

If I were to withdraw my DO apps, what would the consequence be for next cycle being a reapplicant?

Do you also have any suggestions based on my current predicament please? You were both very helpful to me before on the DO forum, so I wanted to ask for your advice as well. If it helps, I am interested in pursing a IM + ONCOLOGY fellowship.

You’re not ready to apply this cycle. You should prepare and take your best shot on the MCAT, then reapply next cycle with improved extracurriculars.

You’re not the only one in this predicament....

You should be doing things to better yourself, not worrying excessively about your situation. You’ll be happier applying early next cycle with a stronger application.