Reapply vs Gap Year

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ephys259

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Applied to 31 MD schools -> 4 II -> 4WLs (WMed, USUHS, VCU, and Wake Forest) and have not heard anything back yet. I would love advice/input into whether I should apply again this coming cycle or wait until next year.

I view my low CARS score, low clinical experience, and my PS as some weak spots in my application. If I wait to apply, I would need to take my MCAT again and would increase clinical hours by getting a job as a scribe, EMT, etc. I ultimately think poor interview skills lead to the WL decisions. Also, my app wasn't submitted until middle of June b/c of a transcript issue.

1. 3.95cGPA, 3.96 sGPA
2. 514 MCAT (130, 124, 130, 130)
3. Virginia
4. ORM
5. T-5 Public University
6. Clinical Experience:
215 hours as hospital volunteer in ED and inpatient floors
7. About 2000 research hours
Worked as research tech during gap year in immunology/pharmacology lab, 1 paper currently in review and 2 in preparation (will be submitted in the next couple of months)
8. 27 total shadowing hours
10 with emergency room physician, 8 with cardiologist, 9 with pediatrician
9. 400 non-clinical volunteering hours
110 as food distribution volunteer
35 with habitat for humanity
205 with Red Cross Club
50 as a tutor teaching English to ESL student
10. Leadership: Program Director for hospital volunteer unit I was apart of for 1 year, VP of blood drives for 1 year and President for 1 year with Red Cross Club
Paid Employment: 2000 hours working as an assistant manager during the summer in food service, 350 hours working as an executive assistant online for a company

Applied to: USUHS, Brown, VCU, Wake Forest, Albany, New York Medical College, Albert Einstein, Penn State,Emory, Miami, Vermont, Dartmouth, EVMS, Quinnipiac, Wright State, Louisville, WVU, FAU, Buffalo, Rowan, NOVA Southeastern, Virginia Tech, UVA, Drexel, Tulane, FIU, USF Morsani, WMED, Rush, Geisinger, Thomas Jefferson

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Eh 4 IIs is probably enough that your application is good enough.

I say apply again to 40 schools. Add ones you got interview at.
 
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Hopefully you get off one of those WLs. Your assessment on poor interview skills is likely correct. I suggest practicing with mock interviews especially for MMI questions if that was a format used. You can probably set those up through the premed or career services office at your undergrad school. Having a lot of your non-clinical volunteering at the Red Cross Club could have been a weakness for you. Lot of schools are service oriented and would have preferred you spend more time off-campus helping in your community (like the Habitat and food distribution)

The list from last cycle did include several schools that take few OOS applicants without ties (Wright, Louisville etc). Try the following:

USUHS (For students who are a good fit for the service requirement as you know)
VCU
Wake Forest
Albany
New York Medical College
Albert Einstein
Penn State
Vermont
Dartmouth
EVMS
Quinnipiac
NOVA Southeastern
Virginia Tech
UVA
Drexel
Temple
Tulane
WMED
Thomas Jefferson
Hackensack
Creighton
SLU
George Washington
Georgetown
Oakland
Wayne State
Colorado
Rochester
Tufts
Rosalind Franklin
MCW

Add DO as you are a reapplicant. I suggest:

VCOM
KCOM
PCOM
KCU
CUSOM
DMU
Touro NY
 
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If you reapply, get professional help to improve your PS, all writing samples, and interviewing skills. Apply early. Your clinical hrs are light me so a gap year could help you if you are not put off by retaking MCAT. Your service hrs could also be improved so why not volunteer at a shelter or a hospice. Hopefully you will get off wait-list this cycle and this will be a moot point.
 
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