confusedfish
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Hi, Everyone!
I'm applying to medical school this cycle. I'm mostly going to apply through TMDSAS, but I will also put together an AMCAS school list depending on my upcoming MCAT score.
So, unfortunately, I'm a "re-applicant." I will be counted as one this cycle, even though I ended up not submitting any secondaries last TMDSAS cycle.
The reason I'm in this mess is because I originally submitted my primary application with my first MCAT score (504) and had planned to just update my application with my retake score. I took the advice from SDN and did not sit for the MCAT until I was scoring at least a 510 on my practice exams. However, on test day, I ran out of time the Chem and CARS sections and was completely thrown off for the rest of the test 🙁
I ended up scoring a 505, which was 10 points lower than what I was averaging on the AAMC FLs. I really think the huge score discrepancy can be attributed to my poor test-taking skills, test day anxiety, and the possibility that my FL averages were just inflated (even though the last full length I took was brand new to me, and it had been at least a year or two since I had seen each of the FLs).
I knew that I should have voided that test, but I didn’t for whatever reason. False sense of security, I guess? Now, I'm studying for my 3rd MCAT and will be taking it in April. Hopefully, that's the score I'll be applying with. I learned my lesson, and I will not submit my application until I have a score that I'm happy with. If all gos well, that means I am set to submit both TMDSAS and AMCAS the first week in june.
I'm definitely a less-than-perfect pre-med student. I feel like I need to have a higher MCAT score to compensate for my less than competitive science GPA and the few Ws that I have on my undergraduate transcript. I also recognize that I need to apply as early as possible.
Anywasy, this brings me to my main point. I really loved my personal statement and essays from last cycle. Not much has changed for me this past year because I've mostly been focusing on my DIY post-bacc and retaking the MCAT, so I wouldn’t say that a lot of my story or my "why medicine" has changed much. I can definitely try to make them stronger, but overall, my essays still resonate with me and I would honestly be proud to apply with them.
My question is: do I need to completely rewrite my application essays? I didn’t submit secondaries to any schools, so I wonder if they will be able to compare my applications. Will it look bad if my primary application through TMDSAS is essentially the same (with some otherwise minor updates like running a half-marathon, volunteering, and working as a substitute teacher)? And what about my activities section—should I redo those as well?
Also, would it be okay for me to ask 3 of my recommenders (a science professor, my hospital employer that I worked with for almost 2 years as a PCT, and a liberal arts professor that I took multiple classes with) from last cycle? I was planning on adding one new letter this cycle from one of my Fall 2025 science professors. Do I need a whole new set of recommendation letters instead?
Thank you all for your help in advance 🙂
I'm applying to medical school this cycle. I'm mostly going to apply through TMDSAS, but I will also put together an AMCAS school list depending on my upcoming MCAT score.
So, unfortunately, I'm a "re-applicant." I will be counted as one this cycle, even though I ended up not submitting any secondaries last TMDSAS cycle.
The reason I'm in this mess is because I originally submitted my primary application with my first MCAT score (504) and had planned to just update my application with my retake score. I took the advice from SDN and did not sit for the MCAT until I was scoring at least a 510 on my practice exams. However, on test day, I ran out of time the Chem and CARS sections and was completely thrown off for the rest of the test 🙁
I ended up scoring a 505, which was 10 points lower than what I was averaging on the AAMC FLs. I really think the huge score discrepancy can be attributed to my poor test-taking skills, test day anxiety, and the possibility that my FL averages were just inflated (even though the last full length I took was brand new to me, and it had been at least a year or two since I had seen each of the FLs).
I knew that I should have voided that test, but I didn’t for whatever reason. False sense of security, I guess? Now, I'm studying for my 3rd MCAT and will be taking it in April. Hopefully, that's the score I'll be applying with. I learned my lesson, and I will not submit my application until I have a score that I'm happy with. If all gos well, that means I am set to submit both TMDSAS and AMCAS the first week in june.
I'm definitely a less-than-perfect pre-med student. I feel like I need to have a higher MCAT score to compensate for my less than competitive science GPA and the few Ws that I have on my undergraduate transcript. I also recognize that I need to apply as early as possible.
Anywasy, this brings me to my main point. I really loved my personal statement and essays from last cycle. Not much has changed for me this past year because I've mostly been focusing on my DIY post-bacc and retaking the MCAT, so I wouldn’t say that a lot of my story or my "why medicine" has changed much. I can definitely try to make them stronger, but overall, my essays still resonate with me and I would honestly be proud to apply with them.
My question is: do I need to completely rewrite my application essays? I didn’t submit secondaries to any schools, so I wonder if they will be able to compare my applications. Will it look bad if my primary application through TMDSAS is essentially the same (with some otherwise minor updates like running a half-marathon, volunteering, and working as a substitute teacher)? And what about my activities section—should I redo those as well?
Also, would it be okay for me to ask 3 of my recommenders (a science professor, my hospital employer that I worked with for almost 2 years as a PCT, and a liberal arts professor that I took multiple classes with) from last cycle? I was planning on adding one new letter this cycle from one of my Fall 2025 science professors. Do I need a whole new set of recommendation letters instead?
Thank you all for your help in advance 🙂
