Next steps? Reapply for this cycle?

[greenturf]

Hi! I applied this past cycle to 20 MD schools and 4 DO schools, received 5 IIs to MD schools, and am currently on 4 WLs (2 state schools, 1 low yield OOS, and 1 small program OOS). I'm planning on applying to a few 1-year MS or SMP programs to start this fall while doing more nonclinical volunteering. I'm also considering reapplying for med schools for entering in 2021, but I am certainly on the fence about this because I would be applying back-to-back without adding any significant new activities to my primary since my last app and I'll need to rework some notable changes into my PS/activities/essays soon at the very least. I believe two impactful mistakes I made this past cycle were: 1) my interview skills were not as great as they could have been and 2) I sent back most secondaries >1 month after receiving them. If anyone could share their thoughts or advice for me moving forward, I would really appreciate it!

• Biology Major, Chemistry Minor
• cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS
  • cGPA: 3.7
  • sGPA: 3.6
  • GPA trend was roughly 3.5, 3.6, 3.9, 3.9
• MCAT score(s) and breakdown
  • 511 (127/125/129/130) --> 511 (128/127/128/128) (in hindsight, it was very unwise of me to retake)
• State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
  • VA
• Ethnicity and/or race
  • Asian
  • Gender: Female
• Undergraduate institution or category
  • Good school in VA
• Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
  • Paid: Scribe (full time) – ~1500 hours over 1.5 years
  • Volunteer: Free Clinic MA – ~450 hours over 3.5 years
• Research experience and productivity
  • No lab, but I did list 1 activity section as Research/Lab to write about 3 different projects (2 that were large parts of courses I took and 1 independent project I did at the free clinic)
• Shadowing experience and specialties represented
  • Oncology - 100 hours
  • Anesthesiology - 5 hours
  • Pathology - 5 hours
  • EM - 20 hours
  • FM - 40 hours
• Non-clinical volunteering
  • Various projects through service club - 300 hours over 3 years
  • Several administrative tasks and community service events with the free clinic - 50 hours
• Paid employment (not medical/clinical)
  • None
• Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
  • TA for introductory biology course - 100 hours
  • Service club project leadership role - 70 hours
  • Cultural dance club - 350 hours
  • Gap year was starting scribing (full time) and continuing to volunteer at free clinic
• Relevant honors or awards
  • Dean's List for last 5 semesters
  • Milestone award for nonclinical volunteering hours
• LOR
  • 2 from science faculty
  • 1 from nonscience faculty
  • 1 from the free clinic's medical director

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[GreenDuck12]

Some secondaries will ask if you have applied before, and if so, how your application has changed/improved. If you don’t have significant changes to add then I would wait a year. Many programs recommend not applying back to back. look at @gonnif prior posts in which he links multiple medical schools that do not recommend applying In back to back years.

 

[Faha]

Where were your interviews and wait lists this past cycle ? Which schools did you apply to ? Are you willing to apply to DO schools ?

 

[greenturf]

Where were your interviews and wait lists this past cycle ? Which schools did you apply to ? Are you willing to apply to DO schools ?

Thank you both for your response! Yes, I'm certainly willing to apply to DO schools again. Last cycle's school list:

Albany Medical School

Cooper Rowan (II --> R)

Creighton

EVMS (II --> WL)

Frank H. Netter/Quinnipac (did not complete secondary)

Geisinger

George Washington (II --> WL)

Georgetown

Lewis Katz/Temple (II --> WL)

Loyola/Chicago Stritch

Medical College of Wisconsin

NYMC

Nova Southeastern

Robert Larner/UVT

Rush

Seton Hall-Hackensack (did not complete secondary)

Tulane (did not complete secondary)

VCU (II --> WL)

Wake Forest

Wright State/Boonshoft

VCOM (VA and SC)

LECOM

LUCOM

PCOM

 

[Faha]

You cannot receive an interview at a school unless you complete the secondary. Since you received 5 interviews and you are on 4 wait lists you obviously are seen as a desirable candidate to interview. You could reapply this cycle but include more schools. I am surprised you did not receive DO interviews.
I suggest these MD schools when you reapply:
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Tech
UVA
West Virginia
Wake Forest
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Seton Hall
Albany
New York Medical College
Vermont
Quinnipiac
NOVA MD
Tulane
TCU-UNT
Creighton
St. Louis
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
For DO schools consider these:
AZCOM
MU-COM
DMU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
CUSOM
VCOM (all schools)
WVSOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM

 

[Goro]

OP, work on interview skills.