Hi everyone,
Just wanted to reach out to this forum as I frequented it during my second time applying. With the help of this forum (and many other mentors), I managed to turn a pretty terrible experience into a successful outcome. I just finished my M1 year at a US allopathic MD program. I know this advice is unsolicited, but if it helps someone then to me it's worth it. Basic story is as follows:
- Applied during the 2015/2016 cycle - about 30 schools with zero interviews
- Re-applied during the 2016/2017 cycle and was granted 6 interview invites (allopathic US MD) with 2 acceptances and 3 waitlists (turned down one interview because I had already been accepted)
Flaws in my first application:
- Very little clinical experience.
- Late application
- Not a great GPA (3.6ish, not great not terrible)
Strengths in my first application
- Great research
- Good MCAT (35)
Changes I made:
- Started scribing. I cannot overstate the impact that this clinical experience had on me as a person and as an applicant. It completely altered my viewpoint of medicine and gave me tools to talk about healthcare in an intelligent, informed way. The number of hours, while used as cutoffs, is irrelevant compared to what you take away from the experience. There is a reason schools want you to have clinical experience. Without it, your inexperience will show in your essays and your interviewing skills. Take the proper time you need to get familiar with the field and it will pay dividends in so many ways.
- Applying on time. Unless you are one of the top applicants you have no business applying even a few days late. Don't take the chance. It's not worth it. Your essays won't get magically better in a couple of days. You won't get lucky.
- The content and quality of my essays and interviewing skills improved dramatically after beginning scribing. I was able to answer "why medicine" in a much more eloquent and efficient manner.
- Asked a million questions. The first time I applied, one of my many fatal flaws was thinking I had to go about the process alone. Don't do that. Ask everyone who has some level of expertise regarding their advice.
Where I got advice to change my application:
- I did go to the pre-med office at my school, but it wasn't super helpful.
- Reached out to the admissions committee at my undergrad institution - they are the experts and they were very willing to help me.
- Reached out to medical students who had gotten accepted.
- This forum!
Miscellaneous advice and tidbits:
- The application process is fraught with uncertainty and fogginess. Accept the fact that there are things you can control and things that you can't. Accept the fact that there will be things that don't make any sense to you. Focus on what is under your control to change.
- Really work on the flaws in your application. I had the opportunity to get my masters at some decent programs, but better grades is not ultimately what I needed. If you need better grades, go get them. If you need a better MCAT, go get it. If you need more clinical experience, go get some. Don't spend time improving on aspects of your application that don't necessarily need improving.
- Not getting into medical school was a truly terrible experience. Don't take it personally. How you respond to the rejection is what defines you as a person, not the rejection itself. It does not have any bearing on how successful you will be as a medical student or doctor.
- Standing out with one essay or one interview is hard. Let your experiences speak for themselves and don't rely on a single event or essay to shape the course of your application cycle.
- Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I'm just one person with one experience.
Writing this was primarily a cathartic exercise for me, but I hope that it might help some of you. I'd be happy to answer any questions with the limited amount of experience that I have. I apologize in advance if I contradict advice you've received from more experienced professionals - again I'm just sharing my advice and experiences. Good luck with your future applications!
Just wanted to reach out to this forum as I frequented it during my second time applying. With the help of this forum (and many other mentors), I managed to turn a pretty terrible experience into a successful outcome. I just finished my M1 year at a US allopathic MD program. I know this advice is unsolicited, but if it helps someone then to me it's worth it. Basic story is as follows:
- Applied during the 2015/2016 cycle - about 30 schools with zero interviews
- Re-applied during the 2016/2017 cycle and was granted 6 interview invites (allopathic US MD) with 2 acceptances and 3 waitlists (turned down one interview because I had already been accepted)
Flaws in my first application:
- Very little clinical experience.
- Late application
- Not a great GPA (3.6ish, not great not terrible)
Strengths in my first application
- Great research
- Good MCAT (35)
Changes I made:
- Started scribing. I cannot overstate the impact that this clinical experience had on me as a person and as an applicant. It completely altered my viewpoint of medicine and gave me tools to talk about healthcare in an intelligent, informed way. The number of hours, while used as cutoffs, is irrelevant compared to what you take away from the experience. There is a reason schools want you to have clinical experience. Without it, your inexperience will show in your essays and your interviewing skills. Take the proper time you need to get familiar with the field and it will pay dividends in so many ways.
- Applying on time. Unless you are one of the top applicants you have no business applying even a few days late. Don't take the chance. It's not worth it. Your essays won't get magically better in a couple of days. You won't get lucky.
- The content and quality of my essays and interviewing skills improved dramatically after beginning scribing. I was able to answer "why medicine" in a much more eloquent and efficient manner.
- Asked a million questions. The first time I applied, one of my many fatal flaws was thinking I had to go about the process alone. Don't do that. Ask everyone who has some level of expertise regarding their advice.
Where I got advice to change my application:
- I did go to the pre-med office at my school, but it wasn't super helpful.
- Reached out to the admissions committee at my undergrad institution - they are the experts and they were very willing to help me.
- Reached out to medical students who had gotten accepted.
- This forum!
Miscellaneous advice and tidbits:
- The application process is fraught with uncertainty and fogginess. Accept the fact that there are things you can control and things that you can't. Accept the fact that there will be things that don't make any sense to you. Focus on what is under your control to change.
- Really work on the flaws in your application. I had the opportunity to get my masters at some decent programs, but better grades is not ultimately what I needed. If you need better grades, go get them. If you need a better MCAT, go get it. If you need more clinical experience, go get some. Don't spend time improving on aspects of your application that don't necessarily need improving.
- Not getting into medical school was a truly terrible experience. Don't take it personally. How you respond to the rejection is what defines you as a person, not the rejection itself. It does not have any bearing on how successful you will be as a medical student or doctor.
- Standing out with one essay or one interview is hard. Let your experiences speak for themselves and don't rely on a single event or essay to shape the course of your application cycle.
- Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I'm just one person with one experience.
Writing this was primarily a cathartic exercise for me, but I hope that it might help some of you. I'd be happy to answer any questions with the limited amount of experience that I have. I apologize in advance if I contradict advice you've received from more experienced professionals - again I'm just sharing my advice and experiences. Good luck with your future applications!
