Reapplication Advice PLEASE HELP

[girlinmed]

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Hello!!!

I am currently on the waitlist for 2 schools (one MD and one DO). They were also the only 2 interviews I received this cycle as well (this was my first cycle). I applied to 20 MD schools and 1 DO school. I really believe that my lack of any other interviews/acceptances was due to my MCAT score, and the fact that I ended up applying super late to the one DO school I applied to.

Basically, I am now trying to submit my application this upcoming week.

I've made tweaks and stuff to my work/activities paragraphs and added a new most meaningful activity (what I've been doing this past year), but I'm wondering if I really have to redo my entire personal statement. I really like my personal statement and really do think it still represents me. There are a few changes that I want to make, but it's not nearly enough to make it a "different" personal statement.

My undergrad overall GPA is a 3.3, BCPM 3.02. (I had some problems my freshman and sophomore year that REALLY screwed with my GPA, but by second semester junior year I was getting all A's and even did a 5th year to finish some of the premed prereqs).

I also got a Master's in Medical Science last year which was a program for pre-meds with GPAs like mine who needed to take more upper level science courses to prove themselves, it basically emulated 1st year med school. It was all biochemistry, biology, neuroscience, genetics, physics, cell biology, anatomy, physiology, etc.).

My master's GPA was a 3.88.

My MCAT is a 505. However, I am currently studying to retake it on July 13th (this is so my application can technically be complete in August when my score comes back, because I am going to do all of my secondaries in between July 13th and when my score comes back). I have high hopes that I'm going to do much better.

Work/Activities:
-Medical assistant this past year, all clinical (1500 hours)
-Community free health clinic, clinical (55 hours)
-Different community free health clinic as a pharmacy tech and patient educator (200 hours)
-Human trafficking hotline volunteer (400 hours)
-Volunteer doula, supported multiple mothers with their labor and delivery!! (120 hours)
-Emergency room medical scribe (580 hours)
-Emergency responder in another country (280 hours)
-Sexual assault campus educator in undergrad (200 hours)
-Shadowing (145 hours)
-Psychology research assistant (200 hours)
-A cappella member (1500 hours)

OVERALL:
-I feel like my lack of interviews/acceptances is due to my undegrad gpa (which nothing I can do about now except do a post-bacc/masters, which i did) and my low MCAT.
-I am retaking the MCAT July 13th.
-My primary application is done aside for the fact that I have not re-written my personal statement. I do believe that my personal statement is still representative of me and I still really like it. I also know that so many schools give you a "reapplicant" prompt anyways so I can talk more about what I've done this year there (along with it also being one of my most meaningful activities).
I really want to submit my application within the next week and a half, but I am wondering how vital it is that I actually fully rewrite my personal statement, as I feel like the main issue with my app is my stats.

PLEASEEEE let me know your thoughts I'd love all the help I can get. I'm STRESSING about re-writing this personal statement and getting it in so soon when Im also studying for MCAT right now. THANK YOU PEOPLE!!! I promise to be helpful to others on their application insights as well!!!!

 

[deleted1177773]

Hi, fellow reapplicant here! I have been told by many pre-health people and on a few of my reapplication review sessions how important it is to change ur personal statement completely. They said it’s fine to keep the why medicine and some of the experiences, but when they pull up your old application and compare it to this new one it should be different. For me, I ended up completely changing mine minus one of my experiences. I did a new hook, two new experiences(3 total one the same), and new conclusion. I think that shows the most improvement to adcoms that you learned something since last year applying. They also supposedly read your w/a first so it is helpful to really hammer home why u want to be a physician differently in a new personal statement. As for if it’s feasible, I rewrote mine in like 2 days. Because of all I learned last cycle, I knew what I wanted my essay to be like. Then I used maybe a week or so to send out the essay for edits and feedback. People on SDN and google have been super helpful for feedback! I think you can do it🙂 good luck with your MCAT!!

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence ? Where was your MD interview ?

 

[girlinmed]

Hi, fellow reapplicant here! I have been told by many pre-health people and on a few of my reapplication review sessions how important it is to change ur personal statement completely. They said it’s fine to keep the why medicine and some of the experiences, but when they pull up your old application and compare it to this new one it should be different. For me, I ended up completely changing mine minus one of my experiences. I did a new hook, two new experiences(3 total one the same), and new conclusion. I think that shows the most improvement to adcoms that you learned something since last year applying. They also supposedly read your w/a first so it is helpful to really hammer home why u want to be a physician differently in a new personal statement. As for if it’s feasible, I rewrote mine in like 2 days. Because of all I learned last cycle, I knew what I wanted my essay to be like. Then I used maybe a week or so to send out the essay for edits and feedback. People on SDN and google have been super helpful for feedback! I think you can do it🙂 good luck with your MCAT!!

thank you!!! this was really helpful and made me feel a lot less anxious so I really appreciate it!! Was there anyone on SDN/google that were helpful that you'd recommend?

 

[girlinmed]

Where is your state of residence ? Where was your MD interview ?

Michigan residence, MSU CHM

 

[Faha]

August is not late to submit your DO application. You could submit your MD application in June to one MD school and add more schools in August depending on what your new MCAT score is. Post your score here when available.

 

[deleted1177773]

thank you!!! this was really helpful and made me feel a lot less anxious so I really appreciate it!! Was there anyone on SDN/google that were helpful that you'd recommend?

Anyone from the personal statement page that’s listed? A few people helped me!

 

[Dral]

If you only applied to one DO school and got an interview, submitting 'late' to that school is not the problem. When you interview, you are generally judged on that (and possibly other merits of your app, not including timeliness of submission - or lack thereof).

I think you are correct that your lower end GPA and MCAT are a main issue here.

While you did well in your masters program, your undergrad GPA is what schools primary scrutinize.

I believe your strategy depends on your retake. If you do well (>510), I would say go with a good mix of MD and DO schools. Folks such as Faha and Goro can help you intelligently form a good list of schools to which you should apply.

If you score about the same, I think you can put a few appropriate MD schools on your reapply list, but I would focus primarily on DO schools from the get go.

 

[girlinmed]

Thank you so much to everyone for the advice! This forum really is so helpful and I truly appreciate it. I will update here when I get my score in a few months 🙂