Re-apply now vs next year? School list help request

[hboats]

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Hi SDN.

Originally I was planning to take a cycle off but am now considering going straight into my second cycle and would like to prepare a school list in the event that I do decide to apply back to back on June 1st. I'm a semi-nontrad now approaching a fourth gap year. I thought my application was decent last year but I think I dropped the ball on my school list. This time around, I've completely re-written my personal statement and am polishing that up with more feedback, and will plan on applying to more appropriate schools. I'll outline my app and school list and would really appreciate any feedback (either on school list or taking a year off between cycles). I'm a CA ORM.

LizzyM: 68.2

Extracurriculars:

• Paid clinical employment
  • 2 years full-time MA/scribe in orthopedics
  • Half year full-time technician in ophthalmology
• Paid research
  • Just accepted a position in clinical research to start this summer
• Leadership/research
  • Year long capstone project with underserved population with poster presentation
• Shadowing: Something like 30 formal hours across a few different specialties
• Volunteer: Around 40 hours over a few months in a couple different areas--one of which I can talk pretty strongly about. Will project more hours in app.

I have 5 letters from professors and physicians that I'm confident in.

Here's my working school list:

• UC Davis
• UC Irvine
• UC San Diego
• UC San Francisco
• USC
• New Kaiser Medical School
• Dartmouth
• Einstein
• University of Vermont
• Rochester
• Western Michigan
• Saint Louis University
• Quinnipiac
• USF Morsani
• Wake Forest
• WVU
• U of Iowa
• U of Cincinatti
• Medical College of Wisconsin
• George Washington
• Georgetown
• Sidney Kimmel
• Drexel
• Temple
• Penn State
• Loyola
• Rosalind Franklin
• Rush
• Tufts
• Tulane
• Albany
• NYMC

I would like to refine my list as much as possible so please let me know if there are any that I haven't included but I should, or vice versa.

Also, does anyone have any insights on the most reputable DO programs? I'll be expanding my application to include DO as well.

As a re-applicant, I'm thinking of applying 30 MD and maybe 5 DO.

Open to all feedback but I'll go ahead and tag @Goro @gyngyn @LizzyM and @Faha as these are some of the prominent users I've seen on the forums.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Goro]

The following will be donations

• 
  
• UC San Diego
• UC San Francisco
• USC
• USF Morsani
• U of Iowa
• U of Cincinatti

 

[gyngyn]

MCAT?

 

[hboats]

MCAT?

511

 

[gyngyn]

511

Is that your only one?

 

[hboats]

Is that your only one?

Yeah. With balanced subsections.

 

[gyngyn]

Yeah. With balanced subsections.

I count 14 schools on your list where you have a fair to good chance at an interview.
That's usually enough.
You could add Illinois (if you can stomach the OOS tuition!).

 

[LizzyM]

Did you interview at all in the last cycle?
You have 40 hours of volunteering over 4 years of college plus 3 gap years? And all of that came in a period of just a few months?

 

[hboats]

I count 14 schools on your list where you have a fair to good chance at an interview.
That's usually enough.
You could add Illinois (if you can stomach the OOS tuition!).

Thank you. Mind sharing which 14 those were? And off the top of your head are there any schools I'm missing on my list?

 

[hboats]

Did you interview at all in the last cycle?
You have 40 hours of volunteering over 4 years of college plus 3 gap years? And all of that came in a period of just a few months?

I had one interview and am on the WL. Fingers crossed this summer but looking on to another cycle.

re: volunteering. That's correct. I didn't decide medical school was for me until about a year after graduating college and working in the ortho office. Since then my time after work was spent on a DIY post bacc and studying for the MCAT. Tried to squeeze in what volunteering I could after learning that it was important to admissions, but I prioritized working, class, and MCAT studying.

Do you think my low volunteering hours will be enough to disqualify me from medical school? Or do adcoms take into account the context of those low hours?

Thanks in advance.

 

[LizzyM]

You don't appear to be someone who has always enjoyed helping others and made it a priority. Some schools are looking for people who have gravitated toward that kind of activity because they enjoy it even if they weren't planning on medical school at the time.
That's water under the bridge now, and you can't change the past or change your natural prediliction to spend your time in ways other than in doing volunteer service. That could make you less desirable as a candidate than someone who has consistently been helping others over many years.

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools from your list

• UC Davis
• UC Irvine
• New Kaiser Medical School
• Einstein
• University of Vermont
• Rochester
• Western Michigan
• Saint Louis University
• Quinnipiac
• Wake Forest
• WVU
• Medical College of Wisconsin
• George Washington
• Georgetown
• Sidney Kimmel
• Drexel
• Temple
• Penn State
• Loyola
• Rosalind Franklin
• Rush
• Tufts
• Tulane
• Albany
• NYMC

You could add these schools to your application
California University
Loma Linda
Seton Hall
Eastern Virginia
NOVA MD
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Creighton
TCU-UNT
Also apply to at least 8 DO schools

 

[hboats]

I suggest these schools from your list

• UC Davis
• UC Irvine
• New Kaiser Medical School
• Einstein
• University of Vermont
• Rochester
• Western Michigan
• Saint Louis University
• Quinnipiac
• Wake Forest
• WVU
• Medical College of Wisconsin
• George Washington
• Georgetown
• Sidney Kimmel
• Drexel
• Temple
• Penn State
• Loyola
• Rosalind Franklin
• Rush
• Tufts
• Tulane
• Albany
• NYMC

You could add these schools to your application
California University
Loma Linda
Seton Hall
Eastern Virginia
NOVA MD
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Creighton
TCU-UNT
Also apply to at least 8 DO schools

Thank you! I didn't know about TCU and will likely be adding it along with some of the others you mentioned.

 

[erdoc111]

Why not start volunteering every weekend for 6-8 hours a day? By this time next year you would have a much better application on volunteer hours alone. It is a glaring issue with your application. I agree with LizzyM. You should start to volunteer in the community more if getting in med school is important to you. Best wishes!

 

[hboats]

Why not start volunteering every weekend for 6-8 hours a day? By this time next year you would have a much better application on volunteer hours alone. It is a glaring issue with your application. I agree with LizzyM. You should start to volunteer in the community more if getting in med school is important to you. Best wishes!

Hi thanks for the feedback. I will definitely be trying to find weekend opportunities once I heal from an injury I’m dealing with right now.

 

[gyngyn]

Thank you. Mind sharing which 14 those were?

I'll bet you can guess (at least most of them!).

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

Reapply DO and make sure you have everything set. Make sure your letters are strong. Apply broadly. Have the PS readers go over your PS.