Non traditional reapplicant looking for insight for successful application cycle (ideally in upcoming year)

[Dewax]

Hi! I’m looking for guidance as a non-traditional. I’m in my late 20s and as I’ve been doing a lot of reflection, I’m looking into reapplying for medical school.

I applied in 2018, but was waitlisted at a medical school and ended up emailing to give my waitlist spot to someone else at the time to pursue business-related and entrepreneurial ambitions.

While I’ve achieved a lot of entrepreneurship related goals these past few years, I’ve been feeling drawn back to medicine.

I graduated undergrad in 2016 and had a 3.79 BCPM GPA, 3.84 cumulative GPA. I took the MCAT 3 times since I did not perform as well as I would have liked first couple of times around (507.510.515).

I had 100+ hours of community service around my application
192 hours of research+
120 hours mentorship/teaching experience+
160 hours of shadowing+

But since applying, I have been immersed almost fully these past few years in business and entrepreneurship and lack community service, volunteering, and clinical shadowing/research experience.

I am planning to begin research again soon alongside a doctor who I shadowed in the past.

And I’ve been beginning to reach out to various hospitals to begin volunteering again.

I’m interested in pursuing an MD/MBA degree moving forward and ideally would like to apply by next cycle.

I believe the following steps I’d need to take would be

1. Retake the MCAT
2. Begin volunteering, community service, research again and potentially shadowing

What I’m uncertain about is other next steps and specifics about what would be important to apply successfully by next application cycle in 2025 (ex. How to go about recommendation letters, etc. since I have been out of school so long. I do have a professor I could reach out to back in the day who wrote me a letter, but it’s been so long (8 years since graduating as of today).

I have multiple physicians I could ask alongside clients I’ve assisted and worked with in health and fitness coaching and consulting.

I'm considering investing in an MCAT course like Blueprint or Med school insiders to help expedite the process of studying for the MCAT and also consulting services as well from Med School Insiders since I've heard good things.

I’d appreciate perspectives and guidance from experts/physicians who have a background as a non-traditional or who have insight into how to make this process successful based on experience.

I understand that in order to apply successfully a year from now, a lot of steps would need to be taken and would ideally like to not need to do a postbac/go get a masters, etc. as I feel that could significantly delay the application process.

Thank you in advance.

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[chicandtoughness]

I’ll let folks with more expertise chime in but you absolutely do not need to do a postbac or masters with those grades.

Honestly I don’t even know if you need to retake the MCAT. A 515 is nothing to sneeze at.

What might be helpful is sharing your school list from last time.

 

[BritainKittenMittens]

I’ll let folks with more expertise chime in but you absolutely do not need to do a postbac or masters with those grades.

Honestly I don’t even know if you need to retake the MCAT. A 515 is nothing to sneeze at.

What might be helpful is sharing your school list from last time.

That MCAT probably expired if he used it in 2018.

 

[Dewax]

I appreciate the feedback so far. The main concern that has me wondering if I'd need to go back to a postbac/masters are the rec letter requirements and age of my prerequisites, not so much the GPA. But yes ideally I would be aiming to not go back to a postbac/masters due to both tuition cost and time and since my GPA is where it is.

I believe BritainKittenMittens is correct since most schools only accept MCAT scores up to 3 years back as far as I know. The school list I applied to in hindsight was mainly to mid-upper level schools. I could have applied more broadly and would likely do so this time around.

I’ll let folks with more expertise chime in but you absolutely do not need to do a postbac or masters with those grades.

Honestly I don’t even know if you need to retake the MCAT. A 515 is nothing to sneeze at.

What might be helpful is sharing your school list from last time.

That MCAT probably expired if he used it in 2018.

 

[chicandtoughness]

That MCAT probably expired if he used it in 2018.

Good point. My reading comprehension skills disappeared after I got into med school 🤪

 

[gyngyn]

You could use your old science letter and take a single class anywhere for a second letter.
DO schools love a DO letter but most MD schools put little value on "physician" letters.
Those schools that request a clinical letter will take one from anyone that supervised you.

 

[Dewax]

You could use your old science letter and take a single class anywhere for a second letter.
DO schools love a DO letter but most MD schools put little value on "physician" letters.
Those schools that request a clinical letter will take one from anyone that supervised you.

Thank you for your insights. I didn't realize I could just reuse an old science letter from that long ago back in 2018 when I applied. I actually had a business professor submit a letter before too (I had 5 letter submitted that resulted in an interview). Would I actually be able to just use those past letters for re-application since I've been out of school this long?

 

[gyngyn]

Thank you for your insights. I didn't realize I could just reuse an old science letter from that long ago back in 2018 when I applied. I actually had a business professor submit a letter before too (I had 5 letter submitted that resulted in an interview). Would I actually be able to just use those past letters for re-application since I've been out of school this long?

Although you cannot submit the dated letter, you could contact the professor and tell him what you've been doing and ask if he can draft a new letter.
You can use the non-science letter in the same way.

 

[esob]

While I’ve achieved a lot of entrepreneurship related goals these past few years, I’ve been feeling drawn back to medicine.

I suggest that you flesh this out further before boarding the ship. A colloquial saying goes something like, "Only become a doctor if you can't imagine yourself doing something else." With a previous application cycle and subsequent long hiatus, the onus will be on conveying "why medicine" and "why now." As a non-trad, that question was asked me at almost every stage of the game, including through residency.

 

[Dewax]

I suggest that you flesh this out further before boarding the ship. A colloquial saying goes something like, "Only become a doctor if you can't imagine yourself doing something else." With a previous application cycle and subsequent long hiatus, the onus will be on conveying "why medicine" and "why now." As a non-trad, that question was asked me at almost every stage of the game, including through residency.

Thanks. I definitely plan on flushing this out more and appreciate you sharing your experience as a non-traditional.