MD & DO Reapplicant- please help me with my school list! cGPA/sGPA 3.88, 517 MCAT

[premed2718]

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[ScreenName23]

Hey just wondering which schools you'll be a reapplicant at? It's nice to have a fresh list with some schools you didn't apply to last time on it. Very surprised you didn't get in the first time....Is that your only MCAT?

 

[starspells]

You need more clinical experience. Your numbers are good for everywhere

 

[premed2718]

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[starspells]

@starspells thanks! But I can't apply everywhere due to financial constraints... any recommendations on schools to add/take away?

As for clinical - I'm thinking of volunteering at a hospice - would doing that in the next four months be helpful to my app or hurtful because it seems like I'm just doing it for the resume? (when in fact I'm not, I love volunteering either way, just need to spend my time doing more clinical vs non-clinical volunteering)

So, @Catalystik says 1.5 years & 150 hours of clinical volunteering is usually sufficient. Volunteering a few months before applications often does look like box checking/that you rushed into medicine but I think the fact that you have shadowing and some clinical hours from a medical mission trip could probably help over look that. I think hospice is a great way to get clinical experience!

 

[ScreenName23]

@ScreenName23 updated my original post with *'s by the ones I applied to last time and thinking of reapplying.
It's my only MCAT, I think what hurt me the most last time was my lack of research experience (only started after UG) as well as I was applying at age 20 with less experience than most people who were older. After 2 gap years post-undergrad and a wholly new perspective, I feel a lot more confident about my experience and app this time around.

@starspells thanks! But I can't apply everywhere due to financial constraints... any recommendations on schools to add/take away?

As for clinical - I'm thinking of volunteering at a hospice - would doing that in the next four months be helpful to my app or hurtful because it seems like I'm just doing it for the resume? (when in fact I'm not, I love volunteering either way, just need to spend my time doing more clinical vs non-clinical volunteering)

If y'all have a free moment - @Goro @gyngyn @LizzyM do you have any ideas of what schools I should add/remove? Would greatly appreciate your valued input 🙂 No worries if you're busy though.

Hey thanks for updating it. I'm interested because I'm also a reapplicant but I applied last time with a lower MCAT and therefore to a completely different set of schools than I am this time with my new scores, and I was wondering if you had a similar issue.

Well since I'm only just applying this upcoming cycle I don't have a ton of useful in put other than what I thought I had because I thought we might be been in a similar spot lol.

Here's hoping us reapplicants can have some luck this next round!

 

[Ampharos]

Looks like your last year list was pretty high if the reapp schools were the only schools you applied to last cycle.

More clinical hours domestically. Abroad trips don't count. Would recommend at least 100+.

Don't really see any glaring weaknesses besides that. Maybe if you applied too late last cycle. Good luck! Maybe add some more schools in the Midwest.

 

[Goro]

Agree 100% here with starspells.


The Peru trip will be discounted as medical tourism.

Did you get any feedback from the schools that rejected you last year???

Forget UCSD...everyone wants to go there. Forget UNC and OHSU (heavy IS bias). Add U Miami and Tulane to the list, along with U VM and VCU.

Have multiple eyeballs look over your essays.

Did you get any IIs last year? If so, then your interview skills are suspect.
If not, then you might have a red flag of an LOR.

No IAs that you're not telling us about?

You need more clinical experience. Your numbers are good for everywhere

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

@Goro

Yeah it's puzzling how OP didn't get in anywhere despite those numbers. I think one of the main problems OP encountered the first time they applied is that they applied very top heavy without having done a lot of research. And most of the schools they applied to that weren't top tier were non-Georgian schools with IS preference

 

[gyngyn]

What are all your MCAT results?

 

[ScreenName23]

What are all your MCAT results?

OP said it's their only MCAT. Unless your checking on subsections?

It's my only MCAT,

 

[gyngyn]

OP said it's their only MCAT. Unless your checking on subsections?

Sorry. You're right. I got the two of you confused.

 

[premed2718]

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