Question for those who went from almost no IIs to several IIs the following cycle

[starspells]

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What changed? Did you get more clinical hours? Retake MCAT? Do an SMP? Apply earlier? Revamp PS? Apply to more schools?

I realize the current cycle is still young but if you are/were in this position, what did you change significantly about your application?

Personally I know one person who increased their clinical/nonclinical volunteering and they are doing much better this cycle. Another person I know didn't change a single thing aside from submitting the first day AMCAS opened and also seem to be doing much better.

 

[Whyamionhere]

From 1 to 6 so far this year:

1. Started a new clinical volunteering gig w underserved (already had another one in previous cycle that I continued and increased hours at)
2. Didn't retake MCAT/do SMP
3. Rewrote entire personal statement
4. Updated letters of rec - I know for a fact that one of them by the same person was 1000x better this year because I got to know him way better
5. New large research project
6. Two papers - 1 first author
7. Way more clinical hours through work
8. Continued all my activities from last year and just got more hours at them all

And some logistical stuff that helped and can't be discredited:
8. Applied 4 months earlier
9. Applied to a way better school list

 

[Levrone]

2 II total last year, 9 II so far mid october

Same grades and MCAT (3.6, 506)
AMCAS activities went from 6 to 15.
Was complete around same time (mid July)

Completely rewrote everything; PS, entire amcas primary, secondaries, everything. Wrote more eloquently and showed more passion.

From last cycle to this cycle, I:

Gained thousands of hours of clinical experience, hundreds of hours of non clinical work experience, 2 semesters worth of research experience, hundreds of hours of community service through 3 different organizations.

I think what was most important was I had so much more to talk about, have had so many meaningful experiences with patients and could truly show that there's nothing more I want than to be a kind, compassionate physician.

As someone else also said, i grew a lot thankfully

 

[doctorleospaceman]

I'm amazed at how much I've grown over the past year. Looking back, I probably wouldn't have accepted me last year either. I guess the words I'd use to describe myself at the time are naive and inexperienced (I'm sure I still am, but less so). Nothing makes you question your decisions and dreams more than getting turned down the first time around. I feel like I'm more grounded now and know better as to what I'm getting myself into which I think showed in the interview and personal statement.

If you want technicalities, I increased my GPA and graduated with a significant upward trend in difficult classes and more recently took up a scribe position. Though on its own, I think all these check boxes only played a small roll. I like to think that it's what I learned from all of it that earned me an acceptance.

 

[Lopweb22]

I went from 3II last year to 6II this cycle and got accepted at one of my favorite schools!

I did not retake my mcat and gpa remained the same.

1. Rewrote majority of activities.
2. Definately re-write PS! (Male sure not to make typos!)
3. Got more clinical experience and community service.
4. Continued activities from last year.
5. Got a new letter of rec from a physician i shadowed.
6. Applied super early compared to last year where i applied in september .

 

[freak7]

2. Definately re-write PS! (Male sure not to make typos!)

Well that was unfortunate

 

[Lopweb22]

Well that was unfortunate

 

[machete fred]

0 II to 4 II this year. Applied as early as possible, got lots more clinical experience, started a relatively unique EC, and generally did a much better job of picking schools and writing essays.

 

[NonTrad16]

Zero to 5 II's (3 MD, 2 DO). Applied to the same number of schools (~24), with half of the programs being new and half being reapplications. 3 II's are from new schools (2 DO, 1 MD), 2 MD are from schools where I'm a reapplicant.

I think the most important change I made was new volunteering gig (had basically zero non clinical community based --> nearly 100). I also continued older activities, rewrote everything (less biographical).

 

[Horse Apiece]

Zero to 5 II's (3 MD, 2 DO). Applied to the same number of schools (~24), with half of the programs being new and half being reapplications. 3 II's are from new schools (2 DO, 1 MD), 2 MD are from schools where I'm a reapplicant.

I think the most important change I made was new volunteering gig (had basically zero non clinical community based --> nearly 100). I also continued older activities, rewrote everything (less biographical).

Could you expand on how you wrote about your activities the second time around?

 

[Gryffindor20]

I retook the MCAT, lived and studied and volunteered in the Middle East for a year (in a war zone), volunteered full time in a veterinarian's office for about a month (because why not?), worked full time in research for almost two years, published several papers, trained and certified my cat as a Pet Partners therapy animal for special needs children and the elderly, studied French (just for the heck of it), learned to surf (sort of), cried a lot, cursed a little, and never gave up.

You are right. This cycle is still very young and it's still way too early to worry. Go apple picking, get off SDN, play a board game with a kid in the hospital, hang out with friends, watch the autumn leaves change color, and understand that if you really want to be a doctor, then you will be one.

 

[DameJulie]

Did you guys applied immediately after the first cycle? I was told that Adcoms discourage that...want to hear you guys' successful stories and input

 

[libertyyne]

I reapplied from last year. Didnt change much except broader school selection and complete in august instead of october. 0-3II

 

[DameJulie]

You are right. This cycle is still very young and it's still way too early to worry. Go apple picking, get off SDN, play a board game with a kid in the hospital, hang out with friends, watch the autumn leaves change color, and understand that if you really want to be a doctor, then you will be one.

Love that. Will try to live up to that sort of life while waiting for more axes and some good news

 

[LabTech12]

I applied 3 years ago, 0 IIs. Then i did this:
-increase sGPA
-retook MCAT
-thousands of hours of clinical experience
- volunteering with urban underserved
- New PS
- new letters of rec

Results: 10MD II

 

[boogerlice]

Re-applicant, I have not improved my MCAT or SMP. This is my list, in no particular order:
1. I scrapped my old application, and made sure that all of my activities did not only read like a monotonous stream, but rather as experiences about what I learned
2. I did some serious essay rewrites, and explained what it is that drives me to medicine and what I hope to accomplish
3. I applied a lot earlier
4. I made sure to include a lot of details to my application that while I always viewed as trivial, but they were questions that always popped up at interviews
5. More clinical exposure and clinical volunteering, this might be the most important part
6. Emphasized what made me "unique," along with my "story" and tried to interweave it with the whole application

I actually waited a few months before submitting, I could have submitted in July, but I was not really "proud" of how my app looked, and kept tweaking it until I could be "proud" of it. I know it sounds dumb, but, I'm doing better than last cycle.

Also, I think most schools want you to take a year off before applying again. They want you to explore more about what drives you and what you hope to accomplish. I'm already at half the interviews that I received last year, and I have only been verified for a few months. Hell, at one school I received an invite less than two weeks after I submitted my secondary .