- Joined
- Dec 13, 2016
- Messages
- 14
- Reaction score
- 2
Hi,
I'm new to creating new threads. I hope I didn't just break some big sdn law by posting so out-in-the-open like this. Anyway, we'll see.
So...this application cycle hasn't been too hot. I'm wondering what I need to fix for the next cycle if things don't work out.
sGPA: 3.99
cGPA: 3.98
Top 30 undergrad institution (whatever that means)
Asian (yeah, whatever that means)
took a year off and worked in a lab (volunteered)
MCAT: two takes (6-7 months apart; both during gap year)
1st (509: C/P 129, CARS 128, BS 127, P/S 125)
2nd(511: C/P 131, CARS 123, BS 128, P/S 129)
Major in Biochem with a humanities minor and taking a bunch of foreign language classes
research: 3 years (2 labs--each one year undergrad programs; 3rd lab in gap year), no publications, but yes presentations
doing a master's right now, during this application season, that is research heavy--GPA is fine, so far, thank God
hospital volunteering: I feel like it was adequate (high school+college)
shadowing doctors: feel like I got ok exposure (200+ hours in the OR)
activities: seemed ok to me (I checked with others and they said things looked good)
--I haven't done any global medical experience or anything like that
personal statement: when others read it, they liked it. Although they did lightly tell me to make it more about me-->I took their suggestion and tried my best to modify it to be more about me
applied to a bunch of schools: they were pretty much across the spectrum
result: probably like 10 rejections or something like that, haven't heard back from like 5, interviewed at three places (haven't heard back from any...two interviews were back in Sept--both are instate-inclined schools but I was classified as out of state)
have not heard anything back from instate schools, save one rejection
Problems that I see:
MCAT
--MCAT taken twice
--CARS score went down by a ton
--didn't mention/explain it in my primary application (I did in a couple updates to some schools but that was a few months into the cycle when the silence was stirring my brain)
Interviews:
--Could have been more lovey dovey in the interviews (I was pretty practical and straightforward--though the interviewers seemed happy with my responses)
--maybe my MO seemed scattered and too ambitious (I said I want to go in one field in medicine, research in two other areas, do some global work too. However, I remember focusing my responses on serving patients.)
--while I believe I stayed humble, maybe I underrepresented myself??
Solutions that I come up with for next time:
-Take the MCAT again (yeah, I should have just stuck with the first score, but didn't unfortunately; the second CARS score seemed completely random to me since none of my practice/previous score pointed to a dismal performance. The issue with a retake, aside from taking the test 3 times being very bad, is that I've exhausted CARS material.)
-get a job in health care that is close with patients--I feel like I should take a break from the research/industry-related work because ultimately I want to work with people more than anything. Of course, not many employers in social work want someone with a biochem background, so that'll take some effort on my part.
*********What should I do next time, oh sdn gurus? Aside from interview skills--which I hope to work on if that is the problem--what can I do to get to the interview invite stage? Reapplicants are not seen in the same view as first timers. Taking the MCAT three times is terrible. Although I'm praying that I can pull out a good, balanced score, I don't know where to go for CARS practice. I've done the AAMC CARS practice material twice now. Gone through the examkrackers 101 passage book and even a few kaplan tests. The problem is, in my view, only AAMC is representative. (Wait, should I even retake the MCAT? Or just explain it briefly in the next primary application?). Also, I wrote this application with my whole heart and it was pretty complete and polished, in my view (others said the same, but maybe we're all just missing something big...I don't know). What could I possibly add to the application to give it more charge, make it unique? I mean, it is already pretty unique with that MCAT score, haha. What are other weaknesses you see? My experiences, while interesting, would be pretty much the same in the next app. Should I get a job in between? Does anyone have any success stories with this? Like with getting into research-heavy schools? I don't know, everything has just been so upsetting but oh well, what's the next step?
I want to do something in the gap year that will add to what I want to do in the medical field in the future. Just because med school admission may be delayed doesn't mean everything else in life has to be too.
I'm new to creating new threads. I hope I didn't just break some big sdn law by posting so out-in-the-open like this. Anyway, we'll see.
So...this application cycle hasn't been too hot. I'm wondering what I need to fix for the next cycle if things don't work out.
sGPA: 3.99
cGPA: 3.98
Top 30 undergrad institution (whatever that means)
Asian (yeah, whatever that means)
took a year off and worked in a lab (volunteered)
MCAT: two takes (6-7 months apart; both during gap year)
1st (509: C/P 129, CARS 128, BS 127, P/S 125)
2nd(511: C/P 131, CARS 123, BS 128, P/S 129)
Major in Biochem with a humanities minor and taking a bunch of foreign language classes
research: 3 years (2 labs--each one year undergrad programs; 3rd lab in gap year), no publications, but yes presentations
doing a master's right now, during this application season, that is research heavy--GPA is fine, so far, thank God
hospital volunteering: I feel like it was adequate (high school+college)
shadowing doctors: feel like I got ok exposure (200+ hours in the OR)
activities: seemed ok to me (I checked with others and they said things looked good)
--I haven't done any global medical experience or anything like that
personal statement: when others read it, they liked it. Although they did lightly tell me to make it more about me-->I took their suggestion and tried my best to modify it to be more about me
applied to a bunch of schools: they were pretty much across the spectrum
result: probably like 10 rejections or something like that, haven't heard back from like 5, interviewed at three places (haven't heard back from any...two interviews were back in Sept--both are instate-inclined schools but I was classified as out of state)
have not heard anything back from instate schools, save one rejection
Problems that I see:
MCAT
--MCAT taken twice
--CARS score went down by a ton
--didn't mention/explain it in my primary application (I did in a couple updates to some schools but that was a few months into the cycle when the silence was stirring my brain)
Interviews:
--Could have been more lovey dovey in the interviews (I was pretty practical and straightforward--though the interviewers seemed happy with my responses)
--maybe my MO seemed scattered and too ambitious (I said I want to go in one field in medicine, research in two other areas, do some global work too. However, I remember focusing my responses on serving patients.)
--while I believe I stayed humble, maybe I underrepresented myself??
Solutions that I come up with for next time:
-Take the MCAT again (yeah, I should have just stuck with the first score, but didn't unfortunately; the second CARS score seemed completely random to me since none of my practice/previous score pointed to a dismal performance. The issue with a retake, aside from taking the test 3 times being very bad, is that I've exhausted CARS material.)
-get a job in health care that is close with patients--I feel like I should take a break from the research/industry-related work because ultimately I want to work with people more than anything. Of course, not many employers in social work want someone with a biochem background, so that'll take some effort on my part.
*********What should I do next time, oh sdn gurus? Aside from interview skills--which I hope to work on if that is the problem--what can I do to get to the interview invite stage? Reapplicants are not seen in the same view as first timers. Taking the MCAT three times is terrible. Although I'm praying that I can pull out a good, balanced score, I don't know where to go for CARS practice. I've done the AAMC CARS practice material twice now. Gone through the examkrackers 101 passage book and even a few kaplan tests. The problem is, in my view, only AAMC is representative. (Wait, should I even retake the MCAT? Or just explain it briefly in the next primary application?). Also, I wrote this application with my whole heart and it was pretty complete and polished, in my view (others said the same, but maybe we're all just missing something big...I don't know). What could I possibly add to the application to give it more charge, make it unique? I mean, it is already pretty unique with that MCAT score, haha. What are other weaknesses you see? My experiences, while interesting, would be pretty much the same in the next app. Should I get a job in between? Does anyone have any success stories with this? Like with getting into research-heavy schools? I don't know, everything has just been so upsetting but oh well, what's the next step?
I want to do something in the gap year that will add to what I want to do in the medical field in the future. Just because med school admission may be delayed doesn't mean everything else in life has to be too.
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