overqualified?

[asama527]

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Does anyone know if med schools reject people because they think they are "overqualified?" Would medical schools look at someone's application, determine that the candidate would get into a better medical school and reject them in order to protect their numbers? What are you thoughs about this?

 

[Bones2008]

I think it's very fair to say that many schools wait to interview candidates they think are "overqualified" until later in the process. Think about it from their perspective. Why would they want to spend the first precious few months on people who will likely not go to their school? It's more advantageous for the adcoms to get people in early who they feel are considering their schools as more than a safety. The earlier one gets in somewhere, the more time he/she has get psyched up about it before May 15.

 

[Tritonslo]

Some schools most definitely do. I actually talked with the Assistant Dean of Admissions at BU and was told that prior to last year* they denied admissions to anyone who had great stats (mentioned was 36+ AND 3.8+) unless they had a tie to the school or the area. The rational was that someone say from California with these stats is most likely going to get into a California school so why waste everyones time and money by interviewing them.

So, if anyone with stellar stats wants to go to a middle tier school that they have no visible tie to its a good idea to write a letter to that school to let them know you are very serious.

*BU now considers applicants with high stats more closely.

 

[NYCheartlMD]

I have been wondering the same thing... I definetely have some loop wholes in my application (specifically MCAT scores), but in terms of grades and experiences I am overqualified in some places-- I have even been reject because of that (BU, for eg).

I even talked to someone who has been on admcom at a NYC school. I told him that I considered doing a post-bac to strenghen my credentials, he said that will make me overqualified and might get rejected (i've done the pre-reqs, worked and have a masters degree).

To what extend is strenghtening your application advantagous? What if you have larger dreams than just a private practice? Would that make you a bad fit for a specific med school? Do you think that is a fair selection factor?

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by NYCheartlMD

To what extend is strenghtening your application advantagous? What if you have larger dreams than just a private practice? Would that make you a bad fit for a specific med school? Do you think that is a fair selection factor?

If you don't get into medical school, that's a pretty good reason to strengthen your application 😀. If your grades are not the issue and from your post they aren't, then seriously consider retaking the MCAT.

As to what would make you a bad fit, I guess it depends on the school's philosophy and yours(ie. you want a research career and the school is known for primary care).

 

[NYCheartlMD]

Originally posted by Kashue
If you don't get into medical school, that's a pretty good reason to strengthen your application 😀. If your grades are not the issue and from your post they aren't, then seriously consider retaking the MCAT.

As to what would make you a bad fit, I guess it depends on the school's philosophy and yours(ie. you want a research career and the school is known for primary care).

Well, in my case-- I have retaken the MCAT (several times) without much change... it is just happens that my strenghs as an applicant are the ones that make me be a bad MCAT tester. (things about myself and my life that i cannot chnage).

To what extend do you think that the school's mission should prevail? Is it partially a question of resources-- both yours and that of the school? May be even if you go there, you won't be happy-- it doesn't fit with your philosophy?

(Sorry, for brainstorming-- but i think that these are important questions that we, as applicants and future doctors, should consider.

 

[Kashue]

Shrug, I've gotten interviews from schools that are known to churn out primary care clinicians to those that are known for research/academics and some in between.

However, I did express an interest in research/academics in my Temple interview(Temple is known for producing primary care givers) and lo and behold, I got waitlisted.

 

[asama527]

Thanks for the input. I was asked at one of my interviews

1. You're going to get into medical school somewhere. Can you REALLY convince me that you would choose this med school over some of the other ones on your list.

2. Someone I just don't think you would be happy here. What do you think?

I don't really know, but it sounds like a formula for "wailt-list" to me. What do you all think?