Hi everyone,
I want to thank you all for your help in advance.
I am currently on 2 WL’s and without an A I will be reapplying. I have taken one gap year so far. I am looking for ways to improve my application and feedback.
After looking over my app again, I realized that it was teaching-heavy as I had wanted to discuss the intersection between teaching and medicine but it might make a few people question why I didn’t pursue becoming a teacher instead. I also had a lot of overlap between my MMA designations and the experiences I highlighted in my PS. My school list also does seem top heavy and I would like help adding schools that align with my activities/stats or are OOS friendly
I received interviews from the following schools this cycle:
UCSD —> WL
SUNY Downstate —> WL
CUSM —> hold
UCSD was my top choice and first interview so the nerves likely impacted the way I came across during the MMIs.
Stats and Test Scores:
- sGPA: 3.93
- cGPA; 3.91
- MCAT: 519 (129/128/131/131)
- Preview: 4
- Casper: 4th Quartile
Demographics:
- Residency: CA
- Ethnicity/Race: ORM
- Undergrad: UC
Activities:
Clinical Experience; Total Hours: 840
Overall, do I have a better chance this year with the activities I participated in during my gap year? Are there any red flags that I need to address before reapplying?
I hope to take on a new clinical position during this gap year.
Thank you again for your insight and feedback!
I want to thank you all for your help in advance.
I am currently on 2 WL’s and without an A I will be reapplying. I have taken one gap year so far. I am looking for ways to improve my application and feedback.
After looking over my app again, I realized that it was teaching-heavy as I had wanted to discuss the intersection between teaching and medicine but it might make a few people question why I didn’t pursue becoming a teacher instead. I also had a lot of overlap between my MMA designations and the experiences I highlighted in my PS. My school list also does seem top heavy and I would like help adding schools that align with my activities/stats or are OOS friendly
I received interviews from the following schools this cycle:
UCSD —> WL
SUNY Downstate —> WL
CUSM —> hold
UCSD was my top choice and first interview so the nerves likely impacted the way I came across during the MMIs.
Stats and Test Scores:
- sGPA: 3.93
- cGPA; 3.91
- MCAT: 519 (129/128/131/131)
- Preview: 4
- Casper: 4th Quartile
Demographics:
- Residency: CA
- Ethnicity/Race: ORM
- Undergrad: UC
Activities:
Clinical Experience; Total Hours: 840
- MA/Scribe at Orthopedic Clinic: 250 hours (LOR) (prior MMA)
- Summer position during undergrad
- Was able to learn a lot of clinical skills and work closely with others as a part of a medical team
- Volunteer at primary care clinic with high minority population: 450 hours (added 150 hrs during gap yr)
- Shadowed physician initially
- Transitioned into helping with taking vitals and translating for nursing staff using first language
- Have been here since HS
- Scribe for clinic trips in Mexico: 80 hours (added 40 hrs during gap yr)
- Mostly scribed online during Telehealth visits with some in person MA work
- Conducted needs assessment and report for medical education team to create health literacy tools
- (New to app)Hospice Volunteer during gap year: 100 hours
- Started in January (just met age requirement for my program)
- Meet with patients weekly in B&C
- Will continue to do so during gap year
- Undergrad Neuro Lab: 300 hours
- Studied AD and spent most of my time analyzing images and assisting PI
- Lab Tech at same Neuro Lab during gap year: 1100 (LOR)
- Continued working on advanced imaging analysis and wet lab activities
- Taking charge of mini-projects
- Had to leave due to personal reasons
- Optician: 1000 hours (LOR)
- Have had this position since HS
- Meet with many patients but also work a lot with admin tasks
- Student Health Organization: 400 (prior MMA)
- One year as member, 2 years in leadership positions
- Oversaw recruitment
- Conducted needs assessment for severely underserved region to create health tools
- Volunteer at free clinic
- (New to app) Oversee student run projects focused on mental health and harm reduction
- (New to app)Crisis Textline Volunteer: 100 hours
- Started December and have helped ~60 individuals in crisis
- (New to app) Afterschool Teacher (new LOR)
- Started in March
- Teach ~40 elementary school students in underserved city
- Run 3 class (4-6th graders) and supplement their learning by planning curriculum and engagement activities
- Undergad Assistant for ochem lab: 100 hours (prior MMA)
- Helped peers with experiments and conceptual learning
- Volunteer Tutor: 350 (focused heavily on this in PS) (prior MMA) (LOR but may swap it out with new teaching LOR)
- Have been teaching low income students online weekly
- RA at undergrad
- Hobbies:
- Traveling
- Learning Spanish (started after taking med Spanish workshops in undergrad)
- UCI
- UCSD
- UCLA
- UCR
- USC
- UCSF
- CUSM
- Kaiser
- Stanford
- SUNY Downstate
- Icahn
- NYU
- NYMC
- Zucker
- Columbia
- Cornell
- U of A - Tuscon
- Georgetown
- Albert Einstein
- Harvard
- Yale
- Drexel
- U Hawaii
- Rush
- Warren Alpert
- Emory
- Boston U
Overall, do I have a better chance this year with the activities I participated in during my gap year? Are there any red flags that I need to address before reapplying?
I hope to take on a new clinical position during this gap year.
Thank you again for your insight and feedback!
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