Prepping for reapplication, 2 Ws and no other interviews...

[smallbear2025]

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Hi all. I'm kind of freaking out and having a lot of toxic and negative thoughts after receiving a waitlist decision from my last interview. I would greatly appreciate some advice as to what I should do next. I feel lost, stuck, sad, distressed, and hopeless. Please help, any advice or thoughts are appreciated <3

About me: I am a first-generation American from a mixed asian-latinx household. CA resident. I graduated in 2024 from a T20 school with a 3.86 GPA, 3.87 sGPA, neurobiology major. I took the MCAT 2x, first was a 512 (128/128/128/128) and second was 516 (127/130/129/130). I am on 1.5 gap years (now maybe have to take a third)

leadership:
1150 hours as vp of sorority
research:
330 hours biomedical neuroscience lab in portugal RA summer
400 hours developmental psych RA during undergrad - ME
160 H + (20 anticipated) for case series pub in plastics (from current ma job)
clinical:
1030 hours derm MA over 3 separate summers - ME
1330 hours + (1500 anticipated) Plastics/reconstructive surgical MA (gap year job) - ME
70 hours + (80 anticipated) surgical shadowing
other:
220 hours non-clinical paid employment at psychologists office
Study abroad semester in Spain
volunteering: my weakest category
35 hours + (200 anticipated) non clinical, reading tutor for library gap year)
30 hours + (100 anticipated) non clinical, emotional support / companionship to elderly (gap year)
60 hours hospital transporter
+ free clinic volunteer (started during gap year after secondaries, updated all schools with details) (accumulated ~40 hours in past 3 months, will crank it up now for reapplication, in the running for a lead volunteer position)

I applied to 35 MD programs. Around 15 schools had higher stats than me that I considered reaches, the rest were all target or below my stats. Every single essay I wrote was proofread at least 10 times with the help of counselors, advisors, and MD mentors. I submitted every secondary within 14 days, some even within 1 week. I received 2 interview invitations in September from target/ lower tier schools (both OOS, one public and one private) and was waitlisted at both. I have been rejected from about 9 schools (most of them high reaches like stanford, ucsf, brown, etc) but radio silence from all others except an I-hold from UCSD in Sept. I did multiple mock interviews and received positive feedback from all. I have been volunteering as much as I can this past 1.5 years in my gap year since applying (but I have also have a full time job and live in SF and cannot afford to volunteer for 10+ hours a week).

I genuinely don't know what I could have done differently except raise my volunteer hours and change my story / angle. PS was about how my immigrant mother's cancer diagnosis when I was young sparked a desire to go into medicine to use science+research to impact patient stories that would otherwise be unheard (using patient anecdotes etc). I thought I did everything right. I poured my heart and soul into my applications. I don't know what to do.

Should I hold out for the Ws? For more interviews? Should I send a second round of update/interest letters even though I did so in Nov (and I have no more updates)? what type of job should I look for the next year? I have started applying for clinical research jobs in preparation for the next cycle, but not sure if this is the right direction. Thank you kindly, any advice is appreciated!

 

[Faha]

Which schools did you apply to? Where were your interviews?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

You have 2 WL's, so it's smart to plan reapplying.

My impressions: yes, your non-clinical experience hours are lower when you submitted your application. I would prefer seeing more involvement in social needs (food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation) of at least 150 hours before you submit. Hospital transport is arguably a clinical experience. In fact, your sorority leadership involvement apparently defined your campus involvement and possible community service outreach.

However, I also think your clinical experience doesn't show a lot of breadth when it comes to specialties. I don't see any primary care specialties (pediatrics, family medicine, geriatrics, or emergency medicine). I don't see a lot of "stress" like the Pitt in your experiences. Maybe that's the difference.

 

[smallbear2025]

Welcome to the forums.

You have 2 WL's, so it's smart to plan reapplying.

My impressions: yes, your non-clinical experience hours are lower when you submitted your application. I would prefer seeing more involvement in social needs (food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation) of at least 150 hours before you submit. Hospital transport is arguably a clinical experience. In fact, your sorority leadership involvement apparently defined your campus involvement and possible community service outreach.

However, I also think your clinical experience doesn't show a lot of breadth when it comes to specialties. I don't see any primary care specialties (pediatrics, family medicine, geriatrics, or emergency medicine). I don't see a lot of "stress" like the Pitt in your experiences. Maybe that's the difference.

Hi! thank you for your input. completely agree. I also potentially did not frame the sorority leadership experience in the proper way. It did include quite a bit of service work for a non-profit associated with our org and community education that I organized on SVSH, drug abuse, etc, so maybe i need to focus on that more next time. as for the stress of my clinical experiences, I agree i could have diversified, its just that those were the opportunities I was able to find in my area that would offer as much hands-on experience as possible and for the sake of longitudinal care i thought it best to stick it out rather than change it up.

 

[Dral]

As you already know, your lack of volunteer work is what stands out. The rest of your app is pretty solid.

Maybe try to get some hours in a really solid volunteer opportunity in categories Mr.Smile12 mentioned. Also, try to get maybe 10 or 20 hours shadowing primary care.

 

[smallbear2025]

As you already know, your lack of volunteer work is what stands out. The rest of your app is pretty solid.

Maybe try to get some hours in a really solid volunteer opportunity in categories Mr.Smile12 mentioned. Also, try to get maybe 10 or 20 hours shadowing primary care.

is it important that it be non-clinical? I've been looking into volunteering for a mobil clinic that assists the local houseless population. I have already been volunteering at a local free-clinic serving uninsured patients, so would something like that be less impactful?

 

[Dral]

Actually I think that would be great if it combines working with less fortunate people in a clinical setting.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

is it important that it be non-clinical? I've been looking into volunteering for a mobil clinic that assists the local houseless population. I have already been volunteering at a local free-clinic serving uninsured patients, so would something like that be less impactful?

If you are anywhere around Los Angeles:

Healthcare on Wheels

Los Angeles County’s mobile clinics and street medicine teams are responding to the emergency that is homelessness. The Department of Health Services-Housing for Health division deploys them countywide, including regular stops at the Metro station near MacArthur Park.

homeless.lacounty.gov

 

[A224B]

It really doesn't make any sense that you only have 2 IIs with that resume and stats. I see CA ORMs with lower stats and red flags getting twice that number this cycle. Your volunteering kind of sucks but it shouldn't be a total dealbreaker. It's probably worth having someone currently in admissions read your PS and your app.