Reapplicant Guidance (3.55/508)

[bluemushroom03]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Looking for feedback on my application as I prepare for a reapp and hope for some waitlist success

Background

• NY Resident (ties to FL and CT)
• ORM and URM (mixed)
• T25 university (degree in neuroscience in 2025)

Stats

• GPA = 3.55 cumulative and science (upward trend with 3.9+ senior year)
• MCAT = 505 -> 508

Experiences

• Research = 2k hours from two different labs
  • Second lab was MME, LOR from PI, and had some posters
  • First lab was also bio prof, LOR, and 1 poster at conference
• Paid clinical = 550 at submission + 1.8k projected (MA during gap year)
  • ED scribe for 550 (MME)
  • Derm MA for 300 of projected
  • Urology MA for 1500 of projected
    • Started gap year in derm which was on primary and secondary but then switched to urology and updated schools if allowed
• Non-paid clinical = 115
  • Hospital volunteer = 75
  • Remote Area Medical = 40
• Volunteering = 510 + 400 projected
  • Harm reduction group (founder+prez at uni and continuing a local chapter, LOR from advisor) = 400 + 400 projected (MME)
  • Cooking for hospice patients = 110
• Teaching = 60
  • TA for biochem = 60
• Leadership (other)
  • Leadership skills instructor = 140
• Shadowing = 45
  • cardiology & psych
• Had a bunch of hobbies and niche interests that were also discussed in interviews

School List (50 schools yikes)

[td width="131pt"]UCLA David Geffen[/td] [td]UCSF[/td] [td]USC Keck[/td] [td]U of Colorado[/td] [td]George Washington[/td] [td]Georgetown[/td] [td]Nova MD[/td] [td]FAU[/td] [td]UMiami[/td] [td]FIU[/td] [td]UCF[/td] [td]Emory[/td] [td]RFU Chicago Med[/td] [td]UIC[/td] [td]Loyola[/td] [td]Rush[/td] [td]Tulane[/td] [td]U of Michigan[/td] [td]Michigan State[/td] [td]Boston U[/td] [td]Tufts[/td] [td]Einstein[/td] [td]Mount Sinai[/td] [td]Albany Med[/td] [td]NYMC[/td] [td]SUNY Stony Brook[/td] [td]SUNY Downstate[/td] [td]SUNY Upstate[/td] [td]SUNY Buffalo[/td] [td]Hofstra[/td] [td]Cornell[/td] [td]Wake Forest[/td] [td]Ohio State[/td] [td]Drexel[/td] [td]Thomas Jefferson[/td] [td]Temple[/td] [td]Pitt[/td] [td]Penn State[/td] [td]MCW[/td] [td]Virginia Tech[/td] [td]EVMS[/td] [td]VCU[/td] [td]UVM[/td] [td]Quinnipiac[/td] [td]U of Conn[/td] [td]Mass Chan[/td] [td]Belmont[/td] [td]TCU[/td] [td]Dartmouth[/td] [td]Methodist[/td]

Cycle Results
Interviews

• UConn (WL)
• Stony Brook (WL)
• Rush (R)
• Methodist (R)

Pre-II Holds

• NYMC (no decision yet)
• SUNY Upstate (R)

My Thoughts
I think the most obvious drawback to my app is my stats. I know they aren't ideal and I should have applied DO but I didn't want to face hurdles matching into certain specialties cause of DO stigma in the Match. Also my writing could have improved in secondaries and be sent in sooner if I didn't send 50 applications with 1/3 of those not even being realistic given my stats. By the end of it I think the quality went down. Additionally, most secondaries were sent in mid/late August which did not help me.

There really isn't anything I can do about my stats except retake the MCAT for a 3rd time but I don't think I can cram it in a couple months before AMCAS opens again and submit early. Hopefully with my MA experience this past year I can create a more cohesive narrative and improve my writing.

Thanks for reading all of this!

 

[Faha]

Many of the schools you applied to were unrealistic with your stats. I suggest these schools if you reapply:
All 4 SUNYs
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
UConn
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
Methodist
Belmont
NOVA MD
Alice Walton
TCU
Ponce (St. Louis)
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Roseman
Brigham Young (when it opens)
Also apply to DO schools and you are competitive for all DO schools. I suggest these schools:
Touro-NY
NYITCOM
UNECOM
LECOM
WVSOM
CUSOM
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
TUNCOM
AZCOM
CCOM

 

[bluemushroom03]

Thanks! How should I go about re-writing? I was able to get 4 interviews so I don't think my writing was too bad but can we reuse certain essays in our primaries and secondaries?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

There is something about your profile that got your 4 interviews. Your service orientation hours are lower than what Rush prefers but you got an interview with them. Your stats are also a bit lower than I expect for an interview. Get feedback if you can from Rush if you don't get an A.

 

[bluemushroom03]

Thanks! I will try to email Rush and see what feedback I can get from them. Even though my hours were low, one of my MME was a non-clinical volunteering experience I started at my university that was talked a lot about in my secondaries, primary, and in the interview.

 

[A224B]

I'm pretty sure you'll get in this year between the DO programs and the extra MA hours.

 

[bluemushroom03]

Many of the schools you applied to were unrealistic with your stats. I suggest these schools if you reapply:
All 4 SUNYs
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
UConn
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
Methodist
Belmont
NOVA MD
Alice Walton
TCU
Ponce (St. Louis)
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Roseman
Brigham Young (when it opens)
Also apply to DO schools and you are competitive for all DO schools. I suggest these schools:
Touro-NY
NYITCOM
UNECOM
LECOM
WVSOM
CUSOM
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
TUNCOM
AZCOM
CCOM

If I was born in FL, raised there, and have immediate family there, which FL schools should I add?

 

[Faha]

If I was born in FL, raised there, and have immediate family there, which FL schools should I add?

Central Florida, Florida Atlantic, Florida International.