Reapplicant Advice Please

[YouTrain7]

I am currently a senior about to graduate and re-apply, so any advice for steps to take or schools to add/drop would be very appreciated!!!

• State/Country of Residence: NJ
• Ties to other States/Regions: School in Florida
• URM? (Y/N): N
• Year in School: Senior
• Undergraduate Major(s)/Minor(s): Bio major, Math minor
• Graduate Degrees (if applicable): N/A
• Cumulative GPA: ~3.45 (Strong upwards curve 2.93 first year-> 3.7 next 3 years)
• Science GPA: ~3.3 (Same upwards curve)
• MCAT Score(s): 512 (126/128/128/130)
• Research Experience:
  • 40 hours in undergrad lab studying biological effects of vitamin D.
  • Projected 2100 clinical research coordinator hours during gap year
• Publications/Abstracts/Posters (include how you were credited e.g. First author, second author, etc.): n/a
• Clinical Experience (paid or volunteer):
  • 120 hours in Leper Hospital in Egypt
  • 60 hours in ICU of Miami Hospital
  • Projected 2100 clinical research coordinator hours during gap year
• Physician Shadowing:
  • 40 hours each for anesthesiology unit, eye hospital in Egypt, and ophthalmologist office
• Non-Clinical Volunteering:
  • 700+ hours at Orthodox Church over 5 years
• Other Extracurricular Activities:
  • Workshop Leader for Biology course for one semester (50ish hours)
  • On-Campus COVID Public Health Ambassador for one semester (50ish hours)
  • Executive member of Fraternity for a year (150 hours)
• Other Employment History: None
• Immediate family members in medicine? (Y/N): Y
• Specialty of Interest (if applicable): Any
• Interest in Primary Care (Y/N): Y
• Interest in Rural Health (Y/N): Y
• Medical School List:

Reaches:

1. Georgetown
2. Temple
3. Penn State
4. Jefferson
5. Miami

Targets:

1. Albany
2. Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson
3. Rutgers Newark
4. Nova MD
5. Hackensack Meridian
6. SUNY
7. Loyola
8. Toledo
9. EVMS
10. Geisinger
11. West Virginia
12. Tulane (Secondary edit)
13. FSU (Secondary edit)
14. FIU
15. FAU
16. New York Medical College
17. Louisville
18. Wright state
19. Vermont
20. Quinnipiac
21. PCOM
22. Nova DO
23. Midwestern
24. Rowan
25. MCU
26. Ohio DO

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[chzsux]

So did you get any interviews last cycle?

My thoughts about your application is that it is very lacking in terms of clinical experience. First of all, those 120 hours in Egypt may be looked at unfavorably or considered "lesser" compared to clinical voluneering in the USA and your 60 hours in the ICU are not enough. Your shadowing and volunteering are fine but just be careful of how you spin the religious aspect of your volunteering - try to be more focused on the kinds of people you helped. Also, unless you start your clinical research coordinating job before you submit, you won't be allowed to include it on your application. Furthermore, adcoms honestly don't really care about projected hours because a lot of the time, projected hours don't get done because of things like injuries, family issues, personal matters, moving out of state, etc.

 

[ChocolateChip>Oreos]

Also- Projected hours dont count on the application
Increase clinical experience/service to unfortunate communities
I'd take Ohio DO school off- they prefer in state
Would add some DO schools- DMU/KCU/LECOM/Touro

 

[YouTrain7]

So did you get any interviews last cycle?

My thoughts about your application is that it is very lacking in terms of clinical experience. First of all, those 120 hours in Egypt may be looked at unfavorably or considered "lesser" compared to clinical voluneering in the USA and your 60 hours in the ICU are not enough. Your shadowing and volunteering are fine but just be careful of how you spin the religious aspect of your volunteering - try to be more focused on the kinds of people you helped. Also, unless you start your clinical research coordinating job before you submit, you won't be allowed to include it on your application. Furthermore, adcoms honestly don't really care about projected hours because a lot of the time, projected hours don't get done because of things like injuries, family issues, personal matters, moving out of state, etc.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get any interviews last cycle. You’re right about the fact that I need more clinical hours, but I’ve actually been working at the clinical research job for about 2 months now, so I can still include it on my application. The volunteering I spun in the aspect of community and reaching out to those outside of my church.

overall, I feel with an improved school list, experiences, and gpa, I’ll have a much better shot this time even though I didn’t get interviews last cycle

 

[chzsux]

Unfortunately, I didn’t get any interviews last cycle. You’re right about the fact that I need more clinical hours, but I’ve actually been working at the clinical research job for about 2 months now, so I can still include it on my application. The volunteering I spun in the aspect of community and reaching out to those outside of my church.

overall, I feel with an improved school list, experiences, and gpa, I’ll have a much better shot this time even though I didn’t get interviews last cycle

Great! Only thing I can say is to separate your current and projected clinical hours on your app

 

[Goro]

Unfortunately, I didn’t get any interviews last cycle. You’re right about the fact that I need more clinical hours, but I’ve actually been working at the clinical research job for about 2 months now, so I can still include it on my application. The volunteering I spun in the aspect of community and reaching out to those outside of my church.

overall, I feel with an improved school list, experiences, and gpa, I’ll have a much better shot this time even though I didn’t get interviews last cycle

Does your clinical research actually involve interaction with patients? If so, what exactly is it? Merely doing logistical work like calling them up and making app'ts isn't real patient contact experience.

 

[YouTrain7]

Does your clinical research actually involve interaction with patients? If so, what exactly is it? Merely doing logistical work like calling them up and making app'ts isn't real patient contact experience.

Yea, my job is actually mostly patient interactions! I've already started part-time and the majority of my job is meeting with patients, gathering their medical information, taking their basic vitals, doing ultrasounds/ekg's, and starting them on clinical drug trials. So it really is a lot of hands-on patient experience.

 

[YouTrain7]

Great! Only thing I can say is to separate your current and projected clinical hours on your app

Yea I will probably keep them both under the same activity, just specify in the writing that I've completed a certain number of hours so far and that I'm continuing with the projected ones

 

[Goro]

Yea, my job is actually mostly patient interactions! I've already started part-time and the majority of my job is meeting with patients, gathering their medical information, taking their basic vitals, doing ultrasounds/ekg's, and starting them on clinical drug trials. So it really is a lot of hands-on patient experience.

You're good to go

 

[cincincyreds]

I am currently a senior about to graduate and re-apply, so any advice for steps to take or schools to add/drop would be very appreciated!!!

• State/Country of Residence: NJ
• Ties to other States/Regions: School in Florida
• URM? (Y/N): N
• Year in School: Senior
• Undergraduate Major(s)/Minor(s): Bio major, Math minor
• Graduate Degrees (if applicable): N/A
• Cumulative GPA: ~3.45 (Strong upwards curve 2.93 first year-> 3.7 next 3 years)
• Science GPA: ~3.3 (Same upwards curve)
• MCAT Score(s): 512 (126/128/128/130)
• Research Experience:
  • 40 hours in undergrad lab studying biological effects of vitamin D.
  • Projected 2100 clinical research coordinator hours during gap year
• Publications/Abstracts/Posters (include how you were credited e.g. First author, second author, etc.): n/a
• Clinical Experience (paid or volunteer):
  • 120 hours in Leper Hospital in Egypt
  • 60 hours in ICU of Miami Hospital
  • Projected 2100 clinical research coordinator hours during gap year
• Physician Shadowing:
  • 40 hours each for anesthesiology unit, eye hospital in Egypt, and ophthalmologist office
• Non-Clinical Volunteering:
  • 700+ hours at Orthodox Church over 5 years
• Other Extracurricular Activities:
  • Workshop Leader for Biology course for one semester (50ish hours)
  • On-Campus COVID Public Health Ambassador for one semester (50ish hours)
  • Executive member of Fraternity for a year (150 hours)
• Other Employment History: None
• Immediate family members in medicine? (Y/N): Y
• Specialty of Interest (if applicable): Any
• Interest in Primary Care (Y/N): Y
• Interest in Rural Health (Y/N): Y
• Medical School List:

Reaches:

1. Georgetown
2. Temple
3. Penn State
4. Jefferson
5. Miami

Targets:

1. Albany
2. Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson
3. Rutgers Newark
4. Nova MD
5. Hackensack Meridian
6. SUNY
7. Loyola
8. Toledo
9. EVMS
10. Geisinger
11. West Virginia
12. Tulane (Secondary edit)
13. FSU (Secondary edit)
14. FIU
15. FAU
16. New York Medical College
17. Louisville
18. Wright state
19. Vermont
20. Quinnipiac
21. PCOM
22. Nova DO
23. Midwestern
24. Rowan
25. MCU
26. Ohio DO

GPA below 3.5 is the reason your not being looked at. Something like a SMP program to raise your gpa may help you out.

 

[gyngyn]

GPA below 3.5 is the reason your not being looked at. Something like a SMP program to raise your gpa may help you out.

SMP's do not raise the gpa in AMCAS.