No interviews Yet as a re-applicant, need advice planning.

[swkrple]

Let me first preface this post my saying that I recognize that this may be a bit early to be making this post however as November approaches and that worry in the back of my head is starting to set it in I just wanted to know what my options are moving forward. Just for some context, I am a reapplicant with this being my 2ndcycle (first being 2022-2023) and have applied to 18 MD schools, and 3 DO. I have received 2 R’s from MD schools and no II’s this cycle and submitted most MD secondaries by the end of August and DO by September. My suspicion is that my secondaries may have been lackluster with regards to mission fit particularly for OOS schools, but I am a bit stumped as to why I haven’t heard back from any IS schools. Regardless, I do think it is always best to be planning and was wondering what I could do by next cycle to bolster my application.


Stats: 513/4.0 c/sGPA. ORM, VA resident applying in and out of state; IS undergrad.
Significant amounts of clinical experience (mostly as a scribe/MA) over the last few years. Currently employed FT as a scribe in a Peds Ortho practice. About 250 clinical volunteering and 200 non clinical (All through the Indian Student Association at my UG institution). Only one semester of research in a cancer lab (maybe 50 hours, 60 if I am generous)


With no II’s, I am wondering what I could do now to supplement by application. Would it be worthwhile to quit my current job (have been employed for 10 months) and find new clinical or research experiences? I am planning on starting to volunteer locally on the weekends teaching swimming to intellectually disabled children but other than this I have no new changes planned. I do believe that the clinical aspect of my application is the strongest but my nonclinical volunteering experience doesn’t really shout that I have stepped out of my comfort zone and maybe this could be holding me back. I feel like I am stuck in a bit of a pickle because if I find myself as third time reapplicant next cycle I might be running into the trap of not being able to show significant growth. Any and all advice is appreciated

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[Mr.Smile12]

I don't think we've seen a WAMC from you.

 

[Goro]

For starters, apply to more DO schools NOW.

 

[chilly_md]

The major error on AMCAS that you posted about likely didn't help at whichever 18 MD schools you applied to:

AMCAS MASSIVE Activity Error

Made HUGE mistake on my AMCAS application. It seems as though I left place holder text in one of my activities descriptions so it is just a bunch of random letters. I thought I had triple checked all of them but it seems I missed this one. I am already verified and have received secondaries but...

forums.studentdoctor.net

As Goro said, applying to several more DO schools (including VCOM) is essential. You didn't really change your app from last year it seems so it isn't surprising that you are getting the same results.

 

[swkrple]

The major error on AMCAS that you posted about likely didn't help at whichever 18 MD schools you applied to:

AMCAS MASSIVE Activity Error

Made HUGE mistake on my AMCAS application. It seems as though I left place holder text in one of my activities descriptions so it is just a bunch of random letters. I thought I had triple checked all of them but it seems I missed this one. I am already verified and have received secondaries but...

forums.studentdoctor.net

As Goro said, applying to several more DO schools (including VCOM) is essential. You didn't really change your app from last year it seems so it isn't surprising that you are getting the same results.

I submitted to VCOM in late august and have submitted more DO schools as of today. With regards to my application changing from last year the major change would just be my new scribe job and the research experience. I am probably being significantly hindered because of the AMCAS mistake but at this point I'd like do whatever I can. Is there anything else I can do to supplement in the meantime?

 

[chilly_md]

I submitted to VCOM in late august and have submitted more DO schools as of today. With regards to my application changing from last year the major change would just be my new scribe job and the research experience. I am probably being significantly hindered because of the AMCAS mistake but at this point I'd like do whatever I can. Is there anything else I can do to supplement in the meantime?

Get off campus to volunteer. Food bank, soup kitchen, Big Brothers Big Sisters etc. You already had a lot of clinical experience if you were working as a scribe or MA before, so the new job didn't add anything.

I do not know where you applied for MD outside your state schools (which are OOS friendly as opposed to many schools which accept a majority in-state), but a lot of the schools you should have applied to do not value research as much as they do service. 50 hours is not really worth putting on an app either tbh. That essentially is going to lab 1x a week for a semester, and most of that time was learning how things worked logistically and basic protocols.