Planning for next year

[Trigar20]

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I applied this cycle and while I interviewed at 3 schools, but I'm starting to think about possible contingencies.

I'm considering retaking the mcat, applying to Phd programs or just continuing to work for a year. I recently attempted a kaplan diagnostic and did pretty well since the last time I studied for it was 2 years ago (balanced 33).
My plan is to get an md/phd but I didn't apply to combined programs, instead I applied to schools that would allow me to bridge over. I am considering phd programs that would allow me to enter with advanced standing, if accepted, because of my masters degree.

I'm stumped as to which area of my application I should focus on.

Quick facts:
- Undergraduate cGPA: 3.5, Undergraduate sGPA: 3.4. (Upward trend jr+sr year (>3.7 each semester)
- Graduate GPA: 3.75 (MS, Neuroscience)
- MCAT: 29 (b:10, v: 7, p: 12); 32 (11, 12, 9)
- >1000 hours volunteering with ambulance company
- >650 hours shadowing
- >90 hours teaching at after school high school program
- 3 research experiences. Currently conducting clinical cadaveric research. Published >3 papers, >10 poster/oral presentations.

Last cycle (before finishing my masters degree), I spoke with admissions counselors and they all said my gGPA would significantly help me this year. Besides from that, I followed their advice to increase shadowing hours and volunteering. One school pointed out my physical science MCAT score (9). So, I guess that's why I'm disappointed with only 3 interviews, one of which I was wait listed at last week. I appreciate any help. Slowly losing my mind trying to figure out my next step.

 

[Trigar20]

Sorry for the bump. I've decided to withhold applying to Phd programs for another year. Does anybody see any areas I should focus on to enhance my application for an update or an improvement for next cycle?

 

[DrMidlife]

1. With average undergrad stats, you need a better MCAT. Doesn't really matter what your grad GPA is, unfortunately, because that doesn't work as a comparison with other applicants. Your numbers scream AVERAGE and the only one you can change is your MCAT. (EDIT: I didn't see that you had a 32 MCAT retake. That negates this point - you don't scream AVERAGE with a 32. A 29 is a screamer.)

2. Do anything and everything to figure out what else is going on. Get your interview schools to give you feedback. Worry hard about your LORs - did somebody sell you out? Find an older faculty member who isn't particularly kind to mock interview you and make you WORK on your presentation. Rewrite everything in your app and get professional review.

3. Be early. Submit with everything done on June 1. Retake the MCAT by April. (EDIT: only retake the MCAT if you HAVE TO.)

It's November, so you should be able to get all this done to be ready to apply again in June. But only do it it you're REALLY sure you want this. If you're considering a PhD instead, that says you're not all that sure.

Best of luck to you.

 

[battousai]

My advice is to wait it out. Have you heard back from the other two schools you interviewed at? Although it seems that you should be doing something right now, it's still kind of early in the cycle and you may get more interviews/an acceptance yet. If you don't hear anything else by January, I would suggest studying for the MCAT again and retaking in April/May. How many schools did you apply to this year and last year?

 

[Trigar20]

1. With average undergrad stats, you need a better MCAT. Doesn't really matter what your grad GPA is, unfortunately, because that doesn't work as a comparison with other applicants. Your numbers scream AVERAGE and the only one you can change is your MCAT.

2. Do anything and everything to figure out what else is going on. Get your interview schools to give you feedback. Worry hard about your LORs - did somebody sell you out? Find an older faculty member who isn't particularly kind to mock interview you and make you WORK on your presentation. Rewrite everything in your app and get professional review.

3. Be early. Submit with everything done on June 1. Retake the MCAT by April.

It's November, so you should be able to get all this done to be ready to apply again in June. But only do it it you're REALLY sure you want this. If you're considering a PhD instead, that says you're not all that sure.

Best of luck to you.

Thanks for the advice. My premed advisor said my LORs were all strong. Do you recommend any professional consulting companies to do the review? I saw that Kaplan had one but it's expensive.

My advice is to wait it out. Have you heard back from the other two schools you interviewed at? Although it seems that you should be doing something right now, it's still kind of early in the cycle and you may get more interviews/an acceptance yet. If you don't hear anything else by January, I would suggest studying for the MCAT again and retaking in April/May. How many schools did you apply to this year and last year?

Haven't heard back yet. The admissions offices said second week in november would be the earliest for my interview dates.

This year I applied to 30 schools and last year I only applied to 8. Last year, my plan was to beef up my resume during the year (MS, shadowing, research) and hopefully updating schools during the year would help, but I didn't really have high hopes. I was surprised to have an interview last year, but it was at my undergrad institution, which I was under qualified for. I was put on the high priority wait list but ultimately wasn't accepted, the admissions office said nobody was pulled from the list last cycle.

I definitely plan to take the MCAT again but would schools look down that I am retaking it with a decent score?

 

[DrMidlife]

I missed the 32 on a retake - that changes my take on things, editing above.

 

[Trigar20]

I missed the 32 on a retake - that changes my take on things, editing above.

Thanks for following up. One school of the schools from last cycle mentioned I should improve my mcat. IIRC, the email said that average applicants to X school have Y MCAT, and at least a 10-11 in each category. Therefore, I should consider retaking because a 9 is below average.

I was rejected from one school I interviewed at, but I expected it. I really didn't like the school, it's new and has a horrible curriculum. I asked questions about the curriculum at the end of the interview, which led the interviewer to rant about how she didn't like the it and lost faith in the mission statement of the school.

I called the school I'm waitlisted at and the admission's office told me that my interview went really well, all my extracurricular activities are good, and I have no red flags. Basically, to me, that sounds like my GPA and MCAT are the obvious problem.

Studying for the MCAT isn't really a big deal to me. I enjoyed studying for it last time, and that was before I really learned how to study properly. I know I need to really do well and I can't get less than a 32.

Also, if I do retake the mcat, I would have to work part time in my lab (I'll still be able to work from home to publish, but probably not any 1st authorships). Would adcoms dislike stopping research and having a hole in my resume? I figured I could restart tutoring high school students. Also, are you familiar with any of the professional review consultants?

 

[DrMidlife]

Thanks for following up. One school of the schools from last cycle mentioned I should improve my mcat. IIRC, the email said that average applicants to X school have Y MCAT, and at least a 10-11 in each category. Therefore, I should consider retaking because a 9 is below average.

I don't like that advice. A 32 with a 9 in it has no red flags, particularly if you look at the previous score. Am I correct that your verbal went up 5? There's no MCAT work to do here, and if you retake, you take on risk.

I was rejected from one school I interviewed at, but I expected it. I really didn't like the school, it's new and has a horrible curriculum. I asked questions about the curriculum at the end of the interview, which led the interviewer to rant about how she didn't like the it and lost faith in the mission statement of the school.

You may have a red flag here. Work with me: I don't know you, I don't know how you come across, I'm just trying to help.

As a premed you don't get to have opinions on curriculum. As a med student you still don't get to have opinions. You have absolutely no basis from which to judge the value of a medical education, and your opinion on medical education has exactly no value. If you come across as a premed who expects to have his/her opinions and judgments on various matters taken seriously and respected, that's a problem. You don't get to tell med school admissions committees anything about anything except the work you have personally performed and the responsibilities you actually had, regardless of how much you think you know.

A med school is looking at you and the 100 other students worthy of your seat, and they're looking HARD for reasons to kick you out of the YES pile. You have to give them exactly no reasons to kick you out of the pile, and then be so dang charming and appealing and fresh as a candidate that your head interviewer FIGHTS for you against the other 100 students who are squeaky clean and charming and appealing etc.

I called the school I'm waitlisted at and the admission's office told me that my interview went really well, all my extracurricular activities are good, and I have no red flags. Basically, to me, that sounds like my GPA and MCAT are the obvious problem.

I recommend taking on a healthy dose of paranoia that you may be arrogant, which may be coming across in your app/interview. You will not get a straight answer from a med school admissions office if you try to find out if your attitude was a problem in your interview. Know why? Because arrogant premeds argue and med school admissions offices don't cater to that. They have absolutely no obligation to cater to that.

Drawing a conclusion that your GPA (which is fine) and your MCAT (which is fine) are your problems says to me that you may be resistant to considering your personality, because such consideration takes humility. Premeds are not humble as a demographic. But humility may be the key. Do you have the humility to consider whether your attitude shows an entitled arrogant know-it-all that med school adcoms simply can't stand and are delighted to detect-and-reject?

Again, I don't know you, no idea if I'm right, just trying to give you things to consider.

Studying for the MCAT isn't really a big deal to me. I enjoyed studying for it last time, and that was before I really learned how to study properly. I know I need to really do well and I can't get less than a 32.

Just be aware that you have nothing left to prove with your MCAT, and that the risk is that your score can go down. You showed a major improvement on your 2nd take, and a 3rd take here would just be weird.

Also, if I do retake the mcat, I would have to work part time in my lab (I'll still be able to work from home to publish, but probably not any 1st authorships). Would adcoms dislike stopping research and having a hole in my resume?

Premed research that doesn't including publishing doesn't ever have a hole in it if you stop. It was nonpublished research for some period of time that you either can or cannot talk about intelligently during an interview. There's no other measurement that will be applied to it. Nonpublished premed research is pounded into the dirt by published premed research.

Also, are you familiar with any of the professional review consultants?

It's been a while, but on the west coast people use Judy Colwell and elsewhere people use MedEdits. I wouldn't hire anybody from advertising and I wouldn't ever hire somebody from an operation as huge as Kaplan. Kaplan test prep is a product but an editor/adviser can't be packaged, you need actual talent and experience. Search SDN for other recommendations but be a smart consumer.

Best of luck to you.

 

[gyngyn]

Your MCAT is fine. Another retake would look foolish. Improvements lie elsewhere.

 

[Goro]

Once again I strongly concur with my learned colleague.

Your MCAT is fine. Another retake would look foolish. Improvements lie elsewhere.