Reapp 35 3.67

[rudziutki]

Hi all, long-time lurker who needs to come of the lurker closet for help. I got rejected from my last school yesterday and I officially need to reapp. I am feeling very lost and hopeless right now, and just need some advice/criticism on what I should be doing in the next few months to give myself a better chance this time around:

Complete most schools between September 1 - September10
sGPA/cGPA 3.68/3.67
MCAT: 35
ECs: ED volunteering (1 year), 100 hours shadowing 5 diff specialties, 3 months volunteering at an underserved clinic, 3 years full-time research (2 pubs, ~10-15 abstracts, 1 poster), part-time grocery store work (20-30 hours/week) throughout college. Misc hobbies.

6 LORs: 2 science professors and 1 non-science fro my college, 2 from research supervisors, 1 from a professor I got friendly with at work.

I also come from a from a low-income single-parent household, but I'm white so I don't think that will help me out. My college was also a bottom of the road unranked school since I did badly in high school, so take that for what you will. In any case, I will be applying as underprivileged this time around.

I applied broadly (25 schools in the northeast), and got 3 interviews at Case Western, CCLCM, and UMass but was waitlisted at Case and rejected from the other two post-interview... my interviews at Case/CCLCM were fine AFAIK, and my interviews at UMass (my top choice) were excellent.

I didn't really do any ECs in college since I wasn't thinking of medical school at that time, and I'm assuming that that is the major weakness of my app. I just recently started volunteering every other week for Habitat for Humanity, and I am applying right now for Big Brother Big Sister so I can have a 'leadership' EC. I am also thinking to sign up as a tutor somewhere if I can find an opening.

Anyone else have general advice for my app? I have also been working in the same lab for 3 years at this point, and I need to give serious consideration whether I should just continue working there for the next year (safest option), or whether I need to consider something else.

I am also wondering if I should consider applying MD/PhD this time around, especially to the schools that rejected me last cycle.

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[Aerus]

Hi all, long-time lurker who needs to come of the lurker closet for help. I got rejected from my last school yesterday and I officially need to reapp. I am feeling very lost and hopeless right now, and just need some advice/criticism on what I should be doing in the next few months to give myself a better chance this time around:

Complete most schools between September 1 - September10
sGPA/cGPA 3.68/3.67
MCAT: 35
ECs: ED volunteering (1 year), 100 hours shadowing 5 diff specialties, 3 months volunteering at an underserved clinic, 3 years full-time research (2 pubs, ~10-15 abstracts, 1 poster), part-time grocery store work (20-30 hours/week) throughout college. Misc hobbies.

6 LORs: 2 science professors and 1 non-science fro my college, 2 from research supervisors, 1 from a professor I got friendly with at work.

I also come from a from a low-income single-parent household, but I'm white so I don't think that will help me out. My college was also a bottom of the road unranked school since I did badly in high school, so take that for what you will. In any case, I will be applying as underprivileged this time around.

I applied broadly (25 schools in the northeast), and got 3 interviews at Case Western, CCLCM, and UMass but was waitlisted at Case and rejected from the other two post-interview... my interviews at Case/CCLCM were fine AFAIK, and my interviews at UMass (my top choice) were excellent.

I didn't really do any ECs in college since I wasn't thinking of medical school at that time, and I'm assuming that that is the major weakness of my app. I just recently started volunteering every other week for Habitat for Humanity, and I am applying right now for Big Brother Big Sister so I can have a 'leadership' EC. I am also thinking to sign up as a tutor somewhere if I can find an opening... I don't think I am that passionate about any of these ECs, but I'm wondering if they will significantly improve my chances?

Anyone else have general advice for my app? I have also been working in the same lab for 3 years at this point, and I need to give serious consideration whether I should just continue working there for the next year (safest option), or whether I need to consider something else.

I am also wondering if I should consider applying MD/PhD this time around, especially to the schools that rejected me last cycle. I am going to turn 26 in a few months so I REALLY do not want to delay my training by another 3 years... at the same time, if it gives me the best chance to matriculate somewhere, I would seriously consider it.

I think the biggest concern was that you were complete so late in the game. By the time you're ready for interviews, most of the spots are gone.

 

[Goro]

Bone up on the volunteering and I think you'll be OK this time around. MD/PhD is highly competitive (think 3.8+ GPA) and so suggest not trying for it, and definitely not at the schools that rejected you. Your numbers are good and you should get more interview invites this time around.

Try calling the schools you interviewed at to see if you can get any sort of feedback as to why you were rejected.

Hi all, long-time lurker who needs to come of the lurker closet for help. I got rejected from my last school yesterday and I officially need to reapp. I am feeling very lost and hopeless right now, and just need some advice/criticism on what I should be doing in the next few months to give myself a better chance this time around:

Complete most schools between September 1 - September10
sGPA/cGPA 3.68/3.67
MCAT: 35
ECs: ED volunteering (1 year), 100 hours shadowing 5 diff specialties, 3 months volunteering at an underserved clinic, 3 years full-time research (2 pubs, ~10-15 abstracts, 1 poster), part-time grocery store work (20-30 hours/week) throughout college. Misc hobbies.

6 LORs: 2 science professors and 1 non-science fro my college, 2 from research supervisors, 1 from a professor I got friendly with at work.

I also come from a from a low-income single-parent household, but I'm white so I don't think that will help me out. My college was also a bottom of the road unranked school since I did badly in high school, so take that for what you will. In any case, I will be applying as underprivileged this time around.

I applied broadly (25 schools in the northeast), and got 3 interviews at Case Western, CCLCM, and UMass but was waitlisted at Case and rejected from the other two post-interview... my interviews at Case/CCLCM were fine AFAIK, and my interviews at UMass (my top choice) were excellent.

I didn't really do any ECs in college since I wasn't thinking of medical school at that time, and I'm assuming that that is the major weakness of my app. I just recently started volunteering every other week for Habitat for Humanity, and I am applying right now for Big Brother Big Sister so I can have a 'leadership' EC. I am also thinking to sign up as a tutor somewhere if I can find an opening... I don't think I am that passionate about any of these ECs, but I'm wondering if they will significantly improve my chances?

Anyone else have general advice for my app? I have also been working in the same lab for 3 years at this point, and I need to give serious consideration whether I should just continue working there for the next year (safest option), or whether I need to consider something else.

I am also wondering if I should consider applying MD/PhD this time around, especially to the schools that rejected me last cycle. I am going to turn 26 in a few months so I REALLY do not want to delay my training by another 3 years... at the same time, if it gives me the best chance to matriculate somewhere, I would seriously consider it.

 

[khrisskhoras]

Bone up on the volunteering and I think you'll be OK this time around. MD/PhD is highly competitive (think 3.8+ GPA) and so suggest not trying for it, and definitely not at the schools that rejected you. Your numbers are good and you should get more interview invites this time around.

Try calling the schools you interviewed at to see if you can get any sort of feedback as to why you were rejected.

I disagree. His research credentials (weighed much more heavily for MD/PhD from what I know) are strong and more than sufficient for most MD/PhDs. Yes the GPA is a downer, but only slightly so. His MCAT is about average for MD/PhD and his overall resume should land him some interviews. Probably not at top 10 or 20 MD/PhD schools, but he def has a chance at some.

OP, what is the distribution of you MCAT score? If you scored an 11+ on verbal, that's a good sign.

 

[cookiemonsters]

Unfortunately UMass is a bit on an inexplicable school OP. Good luck with your reapp

 

[Alejandro]

Hey there,

Sorry to hear how things have gone for you over this past cycle. Applying takes up a lot of time, effort, and money, and to do it again can be dreadful.

Few things:
1) Apply early. If there is anything you can learn while lurking SDN, it's that you gotta be complete by late july. I had a lower gpa than you when I applied but managed 8 interviews. That being said, perhaps my EC's bumped me up, but still-being complete in September seems late to me.

2) I believe your EC's really don't demonstrate that much of an interest in medicine. Sure, you have research which is great, but otherwise I feel like medicine is a fleeting interest for you-while in fact it probably isn't. I'd really get some more volunteering in. When I volunteered, I volunteered at three different hospitals simply because I was only allowed one-4 hr shift/week. So I tried to diversify and work with what I had. Basically, if I were an adcom, I'd want to see that you were truly committed to healthcare.

3) Habitat for humanity is nice, but again, I'd focus on healthcare-related activities. If you still continue, I'd focus on what you learn about leadership from these activities.

4) An important point I cannot stress enough is looking through some of your activities, and trying to ascertain how these activities have shaped you. And to be honest, if not much has, perhaps that could be the problem. I had a fair number of ECs where I used them all as analogies towards how such an experience would help me as an aspiring physician. I believe it shows maturity and an ability to think outside the box.

Perhaps one activity I might recommend would be to become a tutor. A thought.

 

[rudziutki]

TY for the responses everyone. Your advice is my lifeline right now.

Bone up on the volunteering and I think you'll be OK this time around. MD/PhD is highly competitive (think 3.8+ GPA) and so suggest not trying for it, and definitely not at the schools that rejected you. Your numbers are good and you should get more interview invites this time around.

The reason I am toying with the idea of MD/PhD is because I was interviewed at CCLCM - one of the most selective MD programs in the country - based mostly on the merit of my research and my LORs from my research supervisors (I work at HMS, so that probably helps). If it helped me so much there, I wonder how much it would help with an MD/PhD program. At the same time, I will be almost 27 by the time I matriculate assuming I get in this next cycle... I am not pumped for the idea of being in school until I am 34-35. Plus, don't MD/PhD programs ask if you are applying MD as well to see if you are actually serious about academic medicine? I would only want to matriculate to a MD/PhD if it's my last resort to get in somewhere, so my lack of enthusiasm might be transparent.

The reason I thought of applying MD/PhD to the schools that previously rejected was because I figured MD/PhD had their own admissions separate from the MD admissions... at the same time, they would probably see I applied MD last year and just reject me for that anyway, huh?

OP, what is the distribution of you MCAT score? If you scored an 11+ on verbal, that's a good sign.

I took it twice. English is my first lanuage and *hillbilly acent* I read real gewd English, but I didn't really study for verbal the first time around... was getting 8-10s on my practice tests, and just went into test day way too optimistic.

What's the importance of an 11+ VR?

Few things:
2) I believe your EC's really don't demonstrate that much of an interest in medicine. Sure, you have research which is great, but otherwise I feel like medicine is a fleeting interest for you-while in fact it probably isn't. I'd really get some more volunteering in. When I volunteered, I volunteered at three different hospitals simply because I was only allowed one-4 hr shift/week. So I tried to diversify and work with what I had. Basically, if I were an adcom, I'd want to see that you were truly committed to healthcare.

3) Habitat for humanity is nice, but again, I'd focus on healthcare-related activities. If you still continue, I'd focus on what you learn about leadership from these activities.

4) An important point I cannot stress enough is looking through some of your activities, and trying to ascertain how these activities have shaped you. And to be honest, if not much has, perhaps that could be the problem. I had a fair number of ECs where I used them all as analogies towards how such an experience would help me as an aspiring physician. I believe it shows maturity and an ability to think outside the box.

Perhaps one activity I might recommend would be to become a tutor. A thought.

I thought my clinical volunteering should be fine... I only volunteered at one hospital, but it was ~8 hours/week for ~14 months, so that came out to several hundred hours on my AMCAS. I also volunteered at an underserved clinic for 3-4 months at about 6 hours a week, and did around 100 hours of shadowing. All these activities entailed patient interaction, so I honestly thought that my clinical experience would be above average.

The Habitat ReStore volunteering is just because it was a readily available non-medical EC (I have none), and I enjoy doing repair/DIY work at home. I only started it about 2 weeks ago, but I plan to continue until the fall or so just to keep it ongoing while I have interviews. I honestly don't enjoy it, they make me sweep the floor lol.

I will try to get a position somewhere as a tutor... I am concerned at this point that the earliest I will be bale to start is May, and schools might not care about such a recent involvement in activities. I will probably look like one of those 'zero to Mother Theresa' students that planes2doc complains about lol. Is it OK to include informal tutoring? I tutored students at school if they ever walked up to me in the library (I was there a lot), and I tutored the daughter of someone at my old job a few times for free. I just don't really have a reference for these things.

__________

 

[Alejandro]

Ah. your volunteering seems a lot more sound now that you've elaborated on it. Have you gotten to know your nurses yet? I'd recommend maybe getting an LOR from a charge nurse. Juss sayin.

Hm. sweeping the floors? And you don't like it? Hm. I dunno, I'm not sure how much you can really elaborate on it on your apps then...womp.

 

[red doctober]

If you'd rather go MD than MD/PhD, definitely don't apply MD/PhD. I am going to disagree with Goro for once though. I think that your GPA is fine for MD/PhD, your MCAT is where it should be, and your research record will definitely catch some attention. Schools you'd be reapplying to may or may not bring up the question why you applied MD-only previously, but I think if you have a good answer, it won't kill your chances. That being said, if you don't actually want to do MD/PhD and think it's just your in to getting into med school, you'll be sorely mistaken. Trust me, if you don't act like you have research pumping through your veins, they'll see right through it.

 

[Alejandro]

And if they don't see right through it, everyone will see it when you end up doing your PhD years.

 

[khrisskhoras]

What's the importance of an 11+ VR?

An 11+ verbal is in the 95+ percentile. Verbal is a section that tests ability to read and interpret, which is perhaps the most important skill you could have as an MD/PhD. Reading papers and interpreting them is key to kickstarting a successful project. At least this is my opinion based on my experiences.

 

[khrisskhoras]

If you'd rather go MD than MD/PhD, definitely don't apply MD/PhD. I am going to disagree with Goro for once though. I think that your GPA is fine for MD/PhD, your MCAT is where it should be, and your research record will definitely catch some attention. Schools you'd be reapplying to may or may not bring up the question why you applied MD-only previously, but I think if you have a good answer, it won't kill your chances. That being said, if you don't actually want to do MD/PhD and think it's just your in to getting into med school, you'll be sorely mistaken. Trust me, if you don't act like you have research pumping through your veins, they'll see right through it.

This is absolutely fact.

 

[anguisette]

Yup, also wouldn't recommend applying MD/PhD if you have ANY doubts about it or you don't truly love research. Yes, you got an interview at CCLCM, but what if they rejected you because they could see you weren't truly invested in academic medicine? Keep that in mind.

Also, don't give up hope on Case. Their deadline is today for all the accepted applicants and there will probably be a good deal of waitlist movement soon.

If you are preparing for a re-app, revamp some of your essays, apply early and apply broadly (just echoing what everyone else is saying). I have a similar app so if you want some critique on your school list, PM me.

 

[rudziutki]

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