Reapplicant/Somewhat unique situation - add some top schools ($ not a concern)

[fakeeagle]

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PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE - put some specific info abt my app and dont wanna get identified lol

Find myself in a kind of unique situation, recently earned some extra $ and have 1.5 weeks fully off work. It's not mid August yet, so I wanted to get everyone's thoughts on a couple qs I had, especially the experts ( @Goro @Moko @LizzyM @Faha) I really appreciate your input.

Question 1 - I'm a reapplicant. Last year my major issues (IMO) were: my only "clinical" experience was a QI project - mentioned I spoke directly with underserved patients to identify struggles, but also mentioned working w hospital admin/leadership to integrate a program, and the raw numerical impact this had. I heard from others this is not really "clinical" per se - would adcoms see this as non clinical (marked it non clinical this year), and so was that the app killer?

Also: zero narrative, few very late secondaries, secondaries 6-10 weeks after receipt, very top heavy list, a lot of issues

Here's my new WAMC

1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS: 3.74c, 3.7s, strong upward trend with ~80+ credits of 3.95+
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown. Include all (non-voided) attempts: 519
3. Ethnicity and/or race: Asian
4. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
   (New) ED Scribe - ~400 hours - both Emergency and Out patient
5. ~2.8k hours this cycle, strong PI letters, 2 manuscripts:
   
   (New, Previously in revision) 1 published at Nature Neuroscience
   
   (New, + 300 hours Previously just submitted) 1 which final round revisions are almost complete for Nature
   Will likely be a update letter. Both mid author
   
   A lot of posters/presentations ranging from school to international, and my own presentations to mid author abstracts
   
   (New + 700-1000 hours) Also working on a separate project independently, a while from publication, but we had some interesting findings I included, can write about it well in my secondaries, will be in my LOR etc.
   
   All from the same (very closely connected) labs (independent stuff from a much newer lab, but still very related)
   
   
6. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   ~ 100 hours, Primary Care, Outpatient, Hospitalist, DR, IR, Ortho
   
   
7. Non-clinical volunteering
   
   A. Started a education related program for underserved communities sponsored by well known company (this was on my previous app)
   
   (New) Program working in multiple states, has local partners/volunteer network in multiple underserved communities nationally, working with a few hundred this year. (1500 hrs total, up from 700)
   
   (New) Since last app - Definitely have been working in more inner city and underserved areas this year, gained a lot of experience/perspective working in these areas, and more stories in secondaries
   
   B. At a hospital for several months (~ 500 hours, labeled it non clinical, hoping people upgrade to clinical if they agree) (Note: This was my only clinical experience last year)
   
   Worked with uninsured/SUD/unhoused etc. patients predominantly, spoke to patients to understand difficulties
   
   Based on this piloted a program and tool (daily check ins with patients, advocated for adding more resources to discharge plans etc.) to decrease negative outcomes, pilot decreased negative outcomes 3-fold in uninsured patients
   
   (New) Was rolled-out hospital wide, contributed strongly to a further decrease in negative outcomes (included numbers on my app). Contributed strongly to a major hospital award, and was implemented across 20-30 hospitals.
   
   (New, 400 hrs) Not a new activity, but newly included due to space. Basically coached several underserved students/communities for the past few years.
   
   
8. Participated in a recognizable sport/activity for a long time:
   
   - achieved awards/certification from the sport's governing body at both national and international level, competed with success at national/international level
   - (Top 3 (New) in a National Championship event, recognitions at both national and international level,
   - (New) competed vs/defeated high level pros including one ranked top 3 globally
   
   New - added some hours and a couple accomplishments

Between applications:
- Added 500 hrs of scribing, before the iffy QI was my only clinical. Hope that helps
- My papers were previously submitted - now accepted and in revision
- Program I founded went from working in 1 area to working across the nation, built a big national team/partners, more sponsors (including F500s), worked in multiple communities with way more students etc.
- QI project was implemented in ~30 hospitals

Last year: List was all T20-30 and a few others. This year applied to a few T20s and others (Keck, Ohio State, Colorado, Rochester, UVA, Boston, Einstein, Dartmouth, Irvine, Davis, UMass, Tufts, Cincinnati, RWJ, NYMC, Rosalind Franklin, RUSH, VTECH, Hofstra, Quinnipiac, Wayne State, Kaiser, SLU, CUSM, U AZ - Phoenix, Western Michigan, VCU)

Perhaps most importantly:
0 narrative last year, wrote based on my pre health advisors suggestion to not mention anyth non medical etc.

This year: Started off with my initial dream to go pro in the activity in my WAMC, how that changed (very specific experiences (with very close friends in the sport/activity in my WAMC, and with family) that built my desire to serve a specific patient population, and how I explored research and clinical activities that shaped me into the type of doctor I want to be - multiple T20 students who were on adcom really liked it.

Couple of other questions:
- ofc wondering if my lack of clinical experience last year sunk me as I mentioned before, but also are my improvements + much stronger writing enough to make a difference in people's opinion?
- Do I have enough non T20s? I ask because I find myself with extra time and money, and my overall dream is to become a academic physician-scientist, and I know a T20 can help. So would I be good to add a few more?
- I know my stats are not super high at the T20 level, but with the (imo) solid research/leadership/upward trend, is it possible and worth to shoot at some more T20s if I would be considered? These would kinda be my dream schools ofc

 

[Goro]

- ofc wondering if my lack of clinical experience last year sunk me as I mentioned before, but also are my improvements + much stronger writing enough to make a difference in people's opinion?

Yes and yes

- Do I have enough non T20s? I ask because I find myself with extra time and money, and my overall dream is to become a academic physician-scientist, and I know a T20 can help. So would I be good to add a few more?

If you're a CA resident, you should be applying to all CA schools.

- I know my stats are not super high at the T20 level, but with the (imo) solid research/leadership/upward trend, is it possible and worth to shoot at some more T20s if I would be considered?

ADD:
USF/Morsani
Emory
U VT
Netter
Hofstra
Brown
Case
UCF
U Mi
U VA
Pitt

 

[fakeeagle]

- ofc wondering if my lack of clinical experience last year sunk me as I mentioned before, but also are my improvements + much stronger writing enough to make a difference in people's opinion?

Yes and yes

- Do I have enough non T20s? I ask because I find myself with extra time and money, and my overall dream is to become a academic physician-scientist, and I know a T20 can help. So would I be good to add a few more?

If you're a CA resident, you should be applying to all CA schools.

- I know my stats are not super high at the T20 level, but with the (imo) solid research/leadership/upward trend, is it possible and worth to shoot at some more T20s if I would be considered?

ADD:
USF/Morsani
Emory
U VT
Netter
Hofstra
Brown
Case
UCF
U Mi
U VA
Pitt

Just to clarify - then per your read, the QI would be "non clinical" and I would have had 0 clinical experience last year? Just trying to understand how much I should be digging for

Also, I already submitted the school that interviewed me last year (One of HMS, Hopkins, Penn), Duke, Emory, Sinai, Pitt, Michigan, Case, UCSF/LA/SD. I also already submitted UVA, Hofstra, USF, Netter (which is Quinnipac, right). Also already have SKMC.

That leaves Brown (didn't do because of the ivy ug bias), and I'll look into UCF and Vermont.

I was also going to try Vanderbilt, Cornell, Columbia (research ties), Chicago.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Previously

F

Thread 'Potential Re-Applicant WAMC next cycle + Advice for a improved application'

Dec 29, 2024

.

• fakeeagle
• Replies: 12
• Forum: What Are My Chances? WAMC Medical

Since your old WAMC details are redacted, there's not much to compare against formally.

Good luck.

 

[Goro]

Just to clarify - then per your read, the QI would be "non clinical" and I would have had 0 clinical experience last year? Just trying to understand how much I should be digging for

What's done is done.
Your QI work don't count for clinical experience to me because it's more to a logistics thing; a survey. You were weren't doing anything for the patient directly, like bringing them ice, or reading to them or transporting them.

 

[fakeeagle]

What's done is done.
Your QI work don't count for clinical experience to me because it's more to a logistics thing; a survey. You were weren't doing anything for the patient directly, like bringing them ice, or reading to them or transporting them.

Yes, agree what's done is done, and thanks for the explanation!

The only reason I care is because I got completely shut out til the very last wave of the cycle last year when I got the shock II -- if most adcoms saw this as "non clinical", the results would make sense, and I would take the T5 II to mean I have no "red flag", esp because I was way below the 10th for the school haha. This is pretty relevant to me in terms of how much I should switch every LOR and why I ask. I hope that makes sense, and again, thank you for the response!

 

[fakeeagle]

Previously

F

Thread 'Potential Re-Applicant WAMC next cycle + Advice for a improved application'

Dec 29, 2024

.

• fakeeagle
• Replies: 12
• Forum: What Are My Chances? WAMC Medical

Since your old WAMC details are redacted, there's not much to compare against formally.

Good luck.

Yeah, I delete them pretty quick because even with vague-isms, I'd rather not get identified.

Last cycle in terms of raw things we can compare: My papers were in review or merely submitted, My independent project hadn't started (now we have some nice findings that we're building on), My program was in the process of getting one sponsor, and had only run once (now several times in several cities), the QI project had only pilot results (now it was implemented hospital wide at several hospitals), and for my EC/activity number 8: Most recently, I placed top 3 in a nationals, pretty highly in an international competition, and had success against opponents ranked top 3-5 in the world.

In terms of intangibles: I have a better idea of my future career goals, the patients I want to serve - many said I had no theme last year, and the same folks (students on T20 adcoms) said the theme came thru clearly this time around. Hope this is enough!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Your research productivity doesn't matter much to most adcoms, including the brand-name schools you want to get into, unless you're shooting for research-focused programs like MSTP or PhD. The projects don't impress me as much as your increased clinical and community service orientation activities would and how they inform me about your purpose as a physician. It's cool you rank in an international competition, but that's about it.

It's good you have some feedback, but I don't know if students have voting power with those adcoms. It's rare.