MD Nervous, thinking about not applying

[NoahIndonesia]

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I spent the better part of my senior year trying to become a somewhat appealing MD Applicant. I'm 22 years old, fresh out of Undergrad, working at a Stanford Research Lab. I finished my undergrad in Virginia at George Mason University.

sGPA: 3.40 (ouch)
cGPA: 3.65
MCAT: 33 (11/11/11)
Major: Double major in Biology & Ecology
Research: Extensive, 2 Labs over 4 years, 10 conferences, and 1 pub second author, all in field of Ecology, specifically ESP/Polar Bears
EC's: President of Eco Society, Writer for Newspaper, President of Baptist Runners, Class Representative
Volunteering: 400 Hrs at Hospital, 100 Hrs shadowing ENT doc, 200 Hours at Soup Kitchen, 200 Hours with Eco society for Children, 2 Summer trips to Indonesia working with child maternal health coordinators

I recently read a SDN post that was similar to my own, and thought the advice was good, and wanted to give a go as well. I took the MCAT thrice. I don't want to get into why, but it was lack of preparation. I received a 20, a 21, and then a 33. The first two were taken a month apart, the last one was taken a year after. I also have an upward trend in GPA.


I'm in two minds as to whether or not to apply. I want to attend a MD school as I'd like to enter the ENT field. I'm just sort of down in the dumps, and would love some advice from adcoms @Goro @gyngyn @LizzyM . As a Research Assistant, I make around 35K a year, so throwing money at an app cycle when I'm not the best applicant I could be, with the possibility of not receiving any interviews, seems foolish to me.

 

[Goro]

Look, do you want to be a doctor? Life entails taking some risks. If you can't deal with rejection, then don't apply. BUT, even with the 3x MCAT scores, you're competitive for MD and DO schools.

MSAR Online is your friend. Apply strategically, starting with ALL medical schools in VA (except LUCOM).

Do your homework and also target schools that take only the best or most recent MCAT score.

I spent the better part of my senior year trying to become a somewhat appealing MD Applicant. I'm 22 years old, fresh out of Undergrad, working at a Stanford Research Lab. I finished my undergrad in Virginia at George Mason University.

sGPA: 3.40 (ouch)
cGPA: 3.65
MCAT: 33 (11/11/11)
Major: Double major in Biology & Ecology
Research: Extensive, 2 Labs over 4 years, 10 conferences, and 1 pub second author, all in field of Ecology, specifically ESP/Polar Bears
EC's: President of Eco Society, Writer for Newspaper, President of Baptist Runners, Class Representative
Volunteering: 400 Hrs at Hospital, 100 Hrs shadowing ENT doc, 200 Hours at Soup Kitchen, 200 Hours with Eco society for Children, 2 Summer trips to Indonesia working with child maternal health coordinators

I recently read a SDN post that was similar to my own, and thought the advice was good, and wanted to give a go as well. I took the MCAT thrice. I don't want to get into why, but it was lack of preparation. I received a 20, a 21, and then a 33. The first two were taken a month apart, the last one was taken a year after. I also have an upward trend in GPA.


I'm in two minds as to whether or not to apply. I want to attend a MD school as I'd like to enter the ENT field. I'm just sort of down in the dumps, and would love some advice from adcoms @Goro @gyngyn @LizzyM . As a Research Assistant, I make around 35K a year, so throwing money at an app cycle when I'm not the best applicant I could be, with the possibility of not receiving any interviews, seems foolish to me.

 

[gyngyn]

You can apply. With a focus on OOS schools that accept CA applicants like you there is a fair to good chance for MD and a great chance for DO..
Where is your list?

 

[NoahIndonesia]

You can apply. With a focus on OOS schools that accept CA applicants like you there is a fair to good chance for MD and a great chance for DO..
Where is your list?

I'm not a CA resident, but my parents file in DC, and that's where I'm filing too. So I don't think I have in-state anywhere.

I'm planning on applying to 35 schools, can you point out any that are bad choices?

1. EVMS
2. Tufts
3. Boston
4. Einstein
5. Mt. Sinai Icahn
6. Miami
7. Jefferson
8. Temple
9. Penn State
10. Georgetown
11. George Washington
12. Howard
13. VCU
14. Virginia Tech
15. NYMC
16. Vermont
17. Rush
18. Rosalind Franklin
19. Tulane
20. Oakland Beaumont
21. UT-San Antonio
22. Loma Linda
23. USC
24. Albany
25. Commonwealth
26. Cooper
27. University of Illinois
28. Marshall
29. Louisville
30. Florida Atlantic
31. Wake Forest
32. Hofstra
33. Dartmouth
34. Creighton
35. St. Louis
36. Case

 

[gyngyn]

Delete Howard, UTSA and Loma Linda (unless devout and dry).
You can keep Case, Sinai and USC for reaches, if you like.

No DO list?

 

[NoahIndonesia]

Delete Howard, UTSA and Loma Linda (unless devout and dry).
You can keep Case and USC for reaches, if you like.

No DO list?

See that's what I'm worried about. I'd much rather wait a year than apply DO. If I'm going to enter a 4-year course of study, I want absolutely every single door open for me. And I've spoken to my pre-health advisor about this, and I could care less what letters I etch onto the end of my name. If I saw the amount of DO's getting into ENT as I do MD, I would much rather prefer not freaking out over this application, and applying straight DO. But that's not the case.

And additionally, you think Case and USC are bigger reaches for me than Dartmouth and Wake? Wake is a dream school for me.

I am religious (though I'm Jewish), so I'm applying to Loma Linda...maybe they'll dig it? And I want to keep Howard, because they small-pool DC residents. I agree on UTSA...would love to live in TX but chances aren't great, I'll get rid of it.

 

[gyngyn]

See that's what I'm worried about. I'd much rather wait a year than apply DO. If I'm going to enter a 4-year course of study, I want absolutely every single door open for me. And I've spoken to my pre-health advisor about this, and I could care less what letters I etch onto the end of my name. If I saw the amount of DO's getting into ENT as I do MD, I would much rather prefer not freaking out over this application, and applying straight DO. But that's not the case.

And additionally, you think Case and USC are bigger reaches for me than Dartmouth and Wake? Wake is a dream school for me.

I am religious (though I'm Jewish), so I'm applying to Loma Linda...maybe they'll dig it? And I want to keep Howard, because they small-pool DC residents. I agree on UTSA...would love to live in TX but chances aren't great, I'll get rid of it.

Wake has a 33 median, Dartmouth's median is 34, USC has a 35 median. Case's 10th% is 33! Do you have the MSAR?
Multiple bad MCAT's make your reaches even less likely, sorry...

 

[NoahIndonesia]

Wake has a 33 median, Dartmouth's median is 34, USC has a 35 median. Case's 10th% is 33! Do you have the MSAR?
Multiple bad MCAT's make your reaches even less likely, sorry...

I do have the MSAR, but I was going mainly off of GPA. I wouldn't mind dropping Case then.

I wondered about applying to Meharry or Morehouse, would that be a dumb move as I'm not a URM?

 

[gyngyn]

I do have the MSAR, but I was going mainly off of GPA. I wouldn't mind dropping Case then.

I wondered about applying to Meharry or Morehouse, would that be a dumb move as I'm not a URM?

Yes, unless you have a validated commitment to a lifetime of service to their mission. The same goes for Howard.

 

[Goro]

I suggest

1. EVMS
2. Tufts
3. Boston
4. Einstein
5. Miami
6. Jefferson
7. Temple
8. Georgetown
9. George Washington
10. VCU
11. Virginia Tech
12. NYMC
13. Vermont
14. Rush
15. Rosalind Franklin
16. Tulane
17. Oakland Beaumont
18. Albany
19. Commonwealth
20. Cooper
21. Florida Atlantic
22. Wake Forest
23. Hofstra
24. Creighton
25. St. Louis
26. All other new MD schools
27. Loyola

Also, worry about getting into medical school before worrying about getting into a specialty. And don't think that just because you have an MD that you can just waltz into a competitive speciality. They're competitive for a reason.

 

[NoahIndonesia]

@Goro I know, I know. I feel like I screwed around so much during undergrad, and finally picked myself up senior year, that I just sort of want to show myself I can be the best student possible. That coupled with my interest in ENT makes it a goal. Nothing's easy. I definitely won't be able to waltz into this specialty, I mean, it's iffy if I'll get into Medical School at this point!

 

[NoahIndonesia]

Also, I wanted to apply to UT Austin Dell, it's a new school, but in TX, worth the TMDSAS?

@Catalystik @NickNaylor any words of wisdom? I really have enjoyed y'alls post on SDN like I have goro, gyngyn and LizzyM's

 

[Dr Granger]

Also, I wanted to apply to UT Austin Dell, it's a new school, but in TX, worth the TMDSAS?

@Catalystik @NickNaylor any words of wisdom? I really have enjoyed y'alls post on SDN like I have goro, gyngyn and LizzyM's

Dell is going to have appox 50 seats. Texas schools requires 90% of the students to be IS. I would guess they would have 1 or 2 OOS in their inaugural class. Your chances would be slim. Personally, I couldn't justify the $140 TMDSAS fee and the secondary fee (if they have one) for just that one school

 

[Goro]

They won't need the donation in the form of your app fee.

Also, I wanted to apply to UT Austin Dell, it's a new school, but in TX, worth the TMDSAS?

@Catalystik @NickNaylor any words of wisdom? I really have enjoyed y'alls post on SDN like I have goro, gyngyn and LizzyM's