Reapplication Advice

[Panda Majik]

I applied during the 2009-2010 cycle and am on the waitlist for 3 schools but there's really only still hope for one at this point. I'm on the fence about whether or not to reapply since I don't have much that changed for my application.

My basic stats:
GPA: 3.55
Science GPA: 3.5
MCAT: 33Q (9 B, 14 P, 10 V)
Major: Biomedical Engineering at a top 10 ranked program

I applied pretty much last minute last year (early Oct for primaries and Nov/Dec for secondaries). I'm pretty sure that's what hurt me the most since I got 3 interviews and got put on the waitlist at those 3 places.

I graduated in Jan and have just been doing research in a lab since then (I've been working in this lab since last summer). My clinical experience is weak - only 50 hours of shadowing. I don't have much time to really improve anything.

There's also been mixed opinions on this forum about whether or not to change the PS and other parts of the application. Not much time has passed since I applied and nothing has really changed so I don't plan on changing much of the application if I do reapply.

Additionally, I got accepted into the graduate program at Duke for Engineering and am debating between whether or not to even bother applying again this year. If so I would have to do it really quick to not make the same mistake of being late with getting everything in. I don't really want to be the type of applicant that gets a MS just to stay busy without any real intent of using the degree. I'm a practical person so I feel that if I go down the graduate program route I'd probably just stick with it since it just feels like it would go to waste if I end up going to med school later.

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[rbnsafsadgf]

How do you feel about waiting out a year and getting more clinical experience? Your app would then be even better. Your numbers are fine obviously, and your PS and LOR were good enough to get your interviews.

If medicine is really what you want to do (rather than engineering), it is worth a wait of a year or two. You can go light on a job and volunteer/shadow and have fun living life while not in school.

Or, just throw your app in now, and apply. How many schools did you apply to this last year? How did they fit?

 

[Panda Majik]

Yeah I'm just really on the fence about waiting another year. I have a friend who got into a DO school this year when all he really did for the past year was pursue his hobbies but it seemed like he was taking it a bit too easy. I would most likely feel uncomfortable with that, plus I need a job to pay for the bills.

With regards to career choice I'd really like to do something hands on and medically related and both medicine and engineering fit that bill. I know that in the scheme of things a year or two is not much when we're going to be working for 30-40 years.

I applied to 10 schools this past year. If I reapplied I would probably reapply to quite a few of them (not all but more than half).

 

[mommy2three]

it seems like your main issue last yr was the timing of your application. if you submit now and are in an earlier admission cycle you coudl possibly be in.
in the meantime i woud try to find some sort of work and do some more clinical work such as volunteering at a hopsital while you wait for an interview invite.
have you submitted updated CVs, additional LORs or LOIs (at least for the top school) for any of the schools you are on the waitlist for?

having recently gotten purged from waitlist limbo myself i send you only the best

 

[Panda Majik]

I decided that I'm going to reapply this year, but I would like some feedback on a few things.

1) I didn't really do any clinical stuff since last summer. Would it be too late to start now? Can I just add that type of information in an update at a later time?

2) I graduated in January and have been working in a lab since then so really not much has changed on my application since last year. Do I really need to change up my PS, EC write-ups, and secondaries by that much? I submitted everything pretty much last minute last year and got 3 interviews (WL at all 3) so I'm thinking that my application was decent - it was just the timing that was bad (not totally sure on this so if any one disagrees please comment).

3) If I get my AMCAS app in within the next week is it too late?