Re-applicant, wondering if I should still apply this cycle

[karnisu]

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Hey everyone, while I'm writing my secondaries I'm wracking my brain on whether I should still apply this cycle or not. I applied last cycle and I want to make my next application cycle my last. I applied very late (after August) last cycle which I think greatly affected my chances. Though my biggest issue is that I have not shadowed any doctors. It's honestly a complete oversight on my part and I am trying to get some shadowing done in the next few months. However, I don't know if that is good enough to get interview invites

Here are my other application details:
Major: Bioengineering
Minor: Computer Science (I talk a lot in my application about how I am interested in the interesection between tech and healthcare)
GPA: 3.78 (sGPA of 3.88)
MCAT: 514 (130/128/130/126)
EC's: 270 hrs volunteering (200 in Pediatrics, 70 in a nursing home), CNA training (50 hrs of training at nursing home, I did this to get patient exposure), Resident Advisor at University Residence Hall(~1000 hrs), Research (400 hrs) and some other stuff, 400 hrs at an internship at United Healthcare Company

My counselor told me that I should have no problem applying this cycle but an AD COM from Carver College of Medicine told me I need to boost my clinical volunteering and do some shadowing. Honestly I am just very lost on what to do and I will appreciate any advice. I know I can speaking passionately about medicine but without shadowing I think it will hurt my case. I just graduated a few months ago and started working an IT job. Would postponing for a year hurt my application in any way? I really appreciate your honesty!

 

[Med Ed]

Hey everyone, while I'm writing my secondaries I'm wracking my brain on whether I should still apply this cycle or not. I applied last cycle and I want to make my next application cycle my last. I applied very late (after August) last cycle which I think greatly affected my chances. Though my biggest issue is that I have not shadowed any doctors. It's honestly a complete oversight on my part and I am trying to get some shadowing done in the next few months. However, I don't know if that is good enough to get interview invites

Here are my other application details:
Major: Bioengineering
Minor: Computer Science (I talk a lot in my application about how I am interested in the interesection between tech and healthcare)
GPA: 3.78 (sGPA of 3.88)
MCAT: 514 (130/128/130/126)
EC's: 270 hrs volunteering (200 in Pediatrics, 70 in a nursing home), CNA training (50 hrs of training at nursing home, I did this to get patient exposure), Resident Advisor at University Residence Hall(~1000 hrs), Research (400 hrs) and some other stuff, 400 hrs at an internship at United Healthcare Company

My counselor told me that I should have no problem applying this cycle but an AD COM from Carver College of Medicine told me I need to boost my clinical volunteering and do some shadowing. Honestly I am just very lost on what to do and I will appreciate any advice. I know I can speaking passionately about medicine but without shadowing I think it will hurt my case. I just graduated a few months ago and started working an IT job. Would postponing for a year hurt my application in any way? I really appreciate your honesty!

It's the second half of July. If you're still debating whether to apply this cycle the answer is clear: no.

Buff up your volunteering (clinical and non-clinical), get some shadowing (point of diminishing returns is ~50 hours), and apply early for the 2019-2020 cycle. You have good metrics in a tough major, if you're PS/secondaries are decent and you interview reasonably well then you will likely be successful.

 

[candbgirl]

Why are you writing secondaries if you haven’t submitted your primarys? Anyway, you need shadowing(50 hours with several hours shadowing a primary care doc in his office, clinic and hospital) and from what you shared it seems like you don’t have nonclinical volunteering(service to those less fortunate than yourself). You need about 150 hours of that.

I’d wait and reapply next year on the first day. If you spend this year filling in the gaps in your application and buffing up the rest you should do well. ADCOMS expect reapplicants to have significantly improved their application. Can you honestly say you have?

 

[Goro]

Hey everyone, while I'm writing my secondaries I'm wracking my brain on whether I should still apply this cycle or not. I applied last cycle and I want to make my next application cycle my last. I applied very late (after August) last cycle which I think greatly affected my chances. Though my biggest issue is that I have not shadowed any doctors. It's honestly a complete oversight on my part and I am trying to get some shadowing done in the next few months. However, I don't know if that is good enough to get interview invites

Here are my other application details:
Major: Bioengineering
Minor: Computer Science (I talk a lot in my application about how I am interested in the interesection between tech and healthcare)
GPA: 3.78 (sGPA of 3.88)
MCAT: 514 (130/128/130/126)
EC's: 270 hrs volunteering (200 in Pediatrics, 70 in a nursing home), CNA training (50 hrs of training at nursing home, I did this to get patient exposure), Resident Advisor at University Residence Hall(~1000 hrs), Research (400 hrs) and some other stuff, 400 hrs at an internship at United Healthcare Company

My counselor told me that I should have no problem applying this cycle but an AD COM from Carver College of Medicine told me I need to boost my clinical volunteering and do some shadowing. Honestly I am just very lost on what to do and I will appreciate any advice. I know I can speaking passionately about medicine but without shadowing I think it will hurt my case. I just graduated a few months ago and started working an IT job. Would postponing for a year hurt my application in any way? I really appreciate your honesty!

You're in a marathon now, not a sprint. Thus, you apply with the best possible app, even if it means skipping an app cycle. Med schools aren't going anywhere.

You have a clear deficit in your app with a lack of shadowing. Thus, get shadowing. You have plenty of patient contact experience, so you either had too little when you applied last year, or you have a massive red flag that the Carver Adcom member couldn't discuss, like a bad LOR.

I suggest you also get off campus and out of your comfort zone and engage in service to others less fortunate than yourself.

Also rewrite all essays and have multiple eyeballs vet them

 

[karnisu]

Thank you all so much for the feedback! I have one more question which might be hard to answer. I know that the colleges I sent my primary application to will consider me as a reapplicant next year. If I cancel my secondaries right now will they hold that against me when I am applying next year? Would it be worth emailing them to ask them about it? I think they will see me as reckless for finishing my primary but I think my decision to postpone for another year will help balance that out?

 

[Med Ed]

Thank you all so much for the feedback! I have one more question which might be hard to answer. I know that the colleges I sent my primary application to will consider me as a reapplicant next year. If I cancel my secondaries right now will they hold that against me when I am applying next year? Would it be worth emailing them to ask them about it? I think they will see me as reckless for finishing my primary but I think my decision to postpone for another year will help balance that out?

Right now every school is buried in applications, no one cares about yours in particular. If you want to send the various admissions offices a quick email saying you have decided to abort the cycle in favor of strengthening your application then do so.