Poor cycle despite a good application - where can I improve?

[mdmedmd]

Hi everyone,

My 3 II turned into 3 WL in the last few days and want to get some insights on what went wrong:

Background/Stats

• graduated summa cum laude in a STEM field at HYPS with research awards
• overall GPA > 3.9, MCAT > 524
• ORM (Asian male)
• international throughout college but acquired a green card before app/during gap year

App

• Lots of research: conducted mentored research for 3 years in undergrad, culminating in a senior thesis and pub (second author) in a high-tier journal (Impact factor > 10); spent 2 gap years conducting clinical research, resulting in numerous abstracts/conference presentations, a pub (co-author), and submitted several first-author pubs (updated schools pre and/or post-II)
• Decent amount of volunteering: led a health screening program for 3 years, tutored low-income students, mentored refugee students through the college app process, COVID tracking, ED volunteer, free clinic volunteer, etc.
• Clinical exposure: shadowed various physicians, obtain consent for study enrollment and conduct assessments on patients, screening program, ED volunteer, shadowing program in Europe
• Performed in university orchestra, founded a non-profit to host virtual concerts in nursing homes during the pandemic
• Breakdown by hours: 6500 hours of research (undergrad, summer internship, and gap years), 800 hours of clinical exposure, 1300 hours of service work, 350 hours of teaching, 1200 hours of music

School list
JHU*
Geisel*
WashU*
Einstein
Columbia
Emory
Harvard
Icahn
Feinberg
NYU Grossman
Perelman
Stanford
Brown
UCLA
UCSF
Pritzker
UConn (state school)
UMich
UNC
UPitt
Rochester
Virginia
Yale

* received II -> WL, all others were pre-II R's

Potential weaknesses

• No truly unique X-factor
• Late secondaries: I submitted my primary application in early June but took ~a month from receiving secondaries to return them (submitted in early July - mid August)
• No long-term commitments: many of my service activities was cut off due to the pandemic during my junior year, but I started new ones during and after.
• old MCAT: took it late 2020 because I was intending to apply sooner. But it was valid for all the programs I've applied to.
• I paid money to shadow abroad during my freshman year. I later learned this may be seen unfavorably but decided to include it in my W/A because it was personally impactful—perhaps this hurt my app more than it helped...

My advisor, PI, and current MD students reviewed my app and essays. They all said I would have no problem getting in somewhere, but I am facing a really underwhelming cycle. I am especially surprised I didn't get an interview from my state school. I would love your insights on areas I can improve on for a possible re-app.

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[Mr.Smile12]

I would like a breakdown of hours. I think you could have gotten yield protected from your state school, located in the Northeast. Not sure what your culture or mission fit are.

We will see. Good luck.

 

[Faha]

There is a lot of waitlist movement in April and May. In some years Washington University has gone deep into their waitlist to fill their class.

 

[mdmedmd]

I would like a breakdown of hours. I think you could have gotten yield protected from your state school, located in the Northeast. Not sure what your culture or mission fit are.

We will see. Good luck.

Thank you for the comments. I've added the breakdown above. My app is quite research-heavy and often got questions on why I wasn't pursuing an MD-PhD on my interview trail.

 

[mdmedmd]

There is a lot of waitlist movement in April and May. In some years Washington University has gone deep into their waitlist to fill their class.

certainly hoping there is some movement this year!

 

[lacrossegirl420]

Honestly am extremely surprised you didn’t get a lot more interviews / offers at T10’s. Your application looks fantastic. I don’t really have any suggestions since everything looks great, but wanted to wish you the best for this cycle / a more successful cycle if you need to reapply

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Then for all I can tell, it comes down to mission and culture fit. I presume given the advising resources you have that your application was technically good and no LOR issues.

That said, if you had that many hours of research with awards, I would have asked why not PhD or MSTP. I am a proponent of saying where your hours are is where your passion lies. I don't have your application but going by your calculations, 800 hours of clinical exposure vs 6000 in research... did the 800 hours come in the last two years since you graduated? I am guessing some screeners thought you didn't have enough recent experience to get interviews. Again, I'm not sure with your clinical research responsibilities, but enough screeners did not give you credit as clinical experience if applicable.

Maybe if you had racked up 1000+ hours as a medical assistant, scribe, or PCT, you could have gotten more notice. Of course your citizenship status may have also played into your options.

 

[deleted1145155]

Happens. Sometimes perfect applications go under like that. Do you think your narrative could use some more work for why medicine? Perhaps the lack of continuity in activities? School list was fine but slightly top heavy. I would add more in range schools, though tbh idk if you would get yield protected.

I hope you get in this cycle.

 

[lacrossegirl420]

I don’t think the list was top-heavy at all, coming into the cycle if you had only applied to T10’s I would have been confident you’d still come out with several offers. Your app looks stronger than mine and I had multiple offers from top schools.
I’d suggest thinking about who your LOR’s were from and maybe taking a closer look at your statements/personal statement

 

[deleted1145155]

I don’t think the list was top-heavy at all, coming into the cycle if you had only applied to T10’s I would have been confident you’d still come out with several offers. Your app looks stronger than mine and I had multiple offers from top schools.
I’d suggest thinking about who your LOR’s were from and maybe taking a closer look at your statements/personal statement

The list is majorly T10s and T20s; its def top heavy. I had a lower MCAT and I got into 2 T5s.

Add more schools. You never know.

 

[deleted1145155]

Consider some of the FL schools like UF, UCF, USF, also consider UAB, UMN, Ohio State. I would try to go for schools like that in addition to the ones you have on your list.

 

[Frigidcold]

The list is majorly T10s and T20s; its def top heavy. I had a lower MCAT and I got into 2 T5s.

Add more schools. You never know.

I disagree. My application was fairly similar to OP's. The majority of my IIs and As came from T10s. Largely ignored by schools outside the T20.

His profile is very research heavy which doesn't appeal as much to the mission of most state schools. Poor fit.

There's a still a decent chance that one of those WLs turns into an A. Good luck OP!

 

[mdmedmd]

Then for all I can tell, it comes down to mission and culture fit. I presume given the advising resources you have that your application was technically good and no LOR issues.

That said, if you had that many hours of research with awards, I would have asked why not PhD or MSTP. I am a proponent of saying where your hours are is where your passion lies. I don't have your application but going by your calculations, 800 hours of clinical exposure vs 6000 in research... did the 800 hours come in the last two years since you graduated? I am guessing some screeners thought you didn't have enough recent experience to get interviews. Again, I'm not sure with your clinical research responsibilities, but enough screeners did not give you credit as clinical experience if applicable.

Maybe if you had racked up 1000+ hours as a medical assistant, scribe, or PCT, you could have gotten more notice. Of course your citizenship status may have also played into your options.

I think that could be it. Looking back, I could have had a better chance applying MD-PhD. The only reason I didn’t pursue the path was because of the length of training.

 

[mdmedmd]

Consider some of the FL schools like UF, UCF, USF, also consider UAB, UMN, Ohio State. I would try to go for schools like that in addition to the ones you have on your list.

Thanks for the suggestion! I largely avoided these schools because of in-state bias but could be worth a try.

 

[chilly_md]

Thanks for the suggestion! I largely avoided these schools because of in-state bias but could be worth a try.

Do not try those. You can try Ohio State and USF but the others will not take OOS students without ties.

What was your hour breakdown by activity? Was a large part of your clinical experience in shadowing? How much of your volunteering was COVID tracking and tutoring vs the others? Leave off the shadowing abroad next time.

You can PM a copy of your PS if you’d like another opinion, especially on whether it focused enough on the clinical aspects of why you want to pursue medicine. With 3 interviews, hopefully you get off the WL. Interview skills would be the first thing to work on if you don’t.

If you have to reapply, I suggest:

JHU
Geisel
WashU
Einstein
Columbia
Emory
Icahn
Feinberg
Perelman
Brown
UConn (state school)
UMich
UPitt
Rochester
Virginia
Vanderbilt
Iowa
Hofstra
Ohio State
Case
Cleveland Clinic
Cincinnati
Saint Louis
UMass
Boston
Miami
USF
Jefferson
Mayo
Wisconsin (Madison)

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I think that could be it. Looking back, I could have had a better chance applying MD-PhD. The only reason I didn’t pursue the path was because of the length of training.

Possibly. No guarantees in that process, but if you can reasonably talk about your projects and future interests needing both degrees, who knows.