Re-applicant seeking advice for next cycle

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idkkuz

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Hey guys,

I’m trying to best improve my application for next cycle and would really appreciate any advice you may have. This medical cycle has definitely been humbling so feel free to be as honest as possible. Thanks in advance!

3.8s and cGPA
507(retake)
Not URM

UCF recent grad summer 2016 : Fl Resident

-250 hours clinical volunteering over 2 years
-2.5 years + research with publication submitted in review (co-author). Some semesters really involved, some not at all
-Microbio TA 3 semesters
-President and VP of a large Sports Club organization
-25 hours shadowing two different primary care docs (i’ll try to get more hours)
-100 hours ish hours non clinical volunteering (special olympics, salvation army, etc.)
-Employment: Medical Records Tech, Working with kids w/ disabilities (few summers), Working w/ a nonprofit for underserved (gap year)
-Some other minor stuff but don’t want to get too detailed

My school list consisted of all Florida schools, a handful out of state (Tulane, Rosalind Franklin, Oakland, Quinnipac) and only two DO schools in late October. I submitted the MD programs by late August/mid September. I also had my PS/secondaries revised several times.

I’m wondering what would be best to improve my application for next cycle. I feel like I have a lot of meaningful ECs that aren’t just cookie cutter/things I actually enjoyed. I am really interested in that aspect of serving others and probably need my application to show it even more.

Options

-MCAT improvement (realistically I don’t think I can improve by THAT much maybe a few points so idk if its a good idea).

-Employment: Clinical like scribe or whatnot.

-Employment: Volunteer based such as City Year/Americorps. I think I would really enjoy this but I feel as if its similar to my gap year job now so don’t know if it would add a ton.

-?

Next cycle I’m planning to submit my application ASAP and apply to more DO programs. Only issue is my science LOR are meh and will be reused from this cycle (unfortunately I don’t have much of an option here). I’m hoping to get a few more shadowing hours and to make sure my PS/Secondaries are perfect.

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Which DO schools did you apply to? Your stats are pretty good for DO. If you add a lot more volunteering, especially to underserved areas I would suggest Rush as well. If you're dead set on MD, I would probably recommend, if possible, stronger LOR in the sciences (if you're able to do more research, perhaps from the program PI) and applying much more broadly

I applied to Nova and RVU unfortunately not as early as i would have wanted. I definitely have solid letters outside of my science LOR's like my PI, employment, non science etc. I think a year of more commitment to service like City Year could be beneficial as well but not sure seeing as this past year I have been working with something very similar to it... Agree with applying to even more schools though for the following year.
 
It would be worth reapplying to all your Florida schools in June as well as the OOS schools you applied to. You could add these schools:
New York Medical College
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Medical College Wisconsin
Also apply to at least 10 DO schools and you are competitive for any DO school.
 
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Really appreciate both your advice @Faha @RogerDOC

Do you guys or @Goro @gonnif @LizzyM have any thoughts on whether I should try to add Americorps (something similar to what I'm doing this year) or try to become a scribe to improve my app?

As mentioned, definitely want to show my service side and what I do this year I absolutely love but still want to improve any deficiencies on my app.
 
what's your mcat breakdown?

you're a little light on volunteering and clinical exposure. would also recommend getting many opinions on your PS and applying day one of amcas and within first weeks of aacomas opening.
 
what's your mcat breakdown?

you're a little light on volunteering and clinical exposure. would also recommend getting many opinions on your PS and applying day one of amcas and within first weeks of aacomas opening.

My MCAT scores were balanced (all above 126 I believe). Definitely agree to apply ASAP and will get more non clinical volunteering!
 
You have several issues here:

1) applied way, way too late. All of our FL state schools start interviewing people via a rolling invitation process in August and the first acceptances go out in October. You want your apps to the FL schools (including secondaries) to be complete by the end of JULY at the latest. The DO app season is a bit longer and starts a bit later, but still, you were on the late side for those schools as well.

2) clinical experience is weak. Most applicants have way more than 25 hours of shadowing. For sure you need to rectify this by doing more.

3) did not apply broadly enough. I am calculating that you applied to about a dozen schools based on your OP; you should be applying to twice that number.

4) lukewarm LOR. Not sure how you know your science LOR isn't all that strong, but considering that most applicants have glowing LORs, you absolutely CANNOT apply to medical school with a LOR that you know for a fact doesn't call you the greatest thing since sliced bread. Get rid of that lukewarm LOR, and do whatever is necessary to make sure you can get someone to write you a stellar LOR to replace it.

Since you're in Orlando anyway, I highly recommend that you call REL Larkin in the UCF med school registrar's office and ask him about setting up a pre-app counseling session to help you figure out how best to improve your app. He may have some additional suggestions or insight for you. Hope this helps, and best of luck. :)
 
You have several issues here:

1) applied way, way too late. All of our FL state schools start interviewing people via a rolling invitation process in August and the first acceptances go out in October. You want your apps to the FL schools (including secondaries) to be complete by the end of JULY at the latest. The DO app season is a bit longer and starts a bit later, but still, you were on the late side for those schools as well.

2) clinical experience is weak. Most applicants have way more than 25 hours of shadowing. For sure you need to rectify this by doing more.

3) did not apply broadly enough. I am calculating that you applied to about a dozen schools based on your OP; you should be applying to twice that number.

4) lukewarm LOR. Not sure how you know your science LOR isn't all that strong, but considering that most applicants have glowing LORs, you absolutely CANNOT apply to medical school with a LOR that you know for a fact doesn't call you the greatest thing since sliced bread. Get rid of that lukewarm LOR, and do whatever is necessary to make sure you can get someone to write you a stellar LOR to replace it.

Since you're in Orlando anyway, I highly recommend that you call REL Larkin in the UCF med school registrar's office and ask him about setting up a pre-app counseling session to help you figure out how best to improve your app. He may have some additional suggestions or insight for you. Hope this helps, and best of luck. :)


Really appreciate you taking the time to write all that. Getting some more shadowing now and will apply to a lot more schools this upcoming cycle. I will 100% ask UCF how to improve my app for the next cycle. Thanks again
 
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@QofQuimica

Would you think a year of being a scribe/MA be better suited for my app or would something like Americorps (something I think I'd enjoy)? I have a decent amount of clinical volunteering and I'm working on the shadowing right now, BUT if a year of working medical experience is way better I might just have to suck it up.
 
@QofQuimica

Would you think a year of being a scribe/MA be better suited for my app or would something like Americorps (something I think I'd enjoy)? I have a decent amount of clinical volunteering and I'm working on the shadowing right now, BUT if a year of working medical experience is way better I might just have to suck it up.
I think if you'd rather do the Americorps, then that's fine. But you should do some more shadowing too on the side.
 
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