- Joined
- May 9, 2013
- Messages
- 586
- Reaction score
- 287
Dear @Goro, @gyngyn, @Catalystik, @LizzyM, @Med Ed, @gonnif, and @HomeSkool:
Question 1: I am trying to decide whether to reapply this cycle or wait until my third and final shot before my MCAT score expires. WAMC? Should I skip a cycle?
Estimated stats at time of application if I apply this upcoming cycle (2018-2019):
Whenever I apply, to mitigate the risk of not getting in, I will apply early and broadly to DO schools, my state MD school, and MD schools that reward reinvention and do holistic review.
Question 2: Might a DIY thesis give me research credit? It is hypothesis-driven rational/theoretical (as opposed to empirical/experimental) research.
For reference, the description of level 4 research on the WARS says:
Question 3: What else should I do to improve my application if I skip a cycle? What might increase my chances enough to make it worth it? Should I go back to school again as a post-bacc (I'd rather go write, work, and volunteer in India for a few months, but I would consider biting the bullet…again).
I'm very grateful for your help. Thank you.
Question 1: I am trying to decide whether to reapply this cycle or wait until my third and final shot before my MCAT score expires. WAMC? Should I skip a cycle?
Estimated stats at time of application if I apply this upcoming cycle (2018-2019):
- cGPA: ~3.36
- sGPA: ~3.39
- Strong, consistent upward trend starting from when I returned to college as premed in January 2015.
- MCAT: 519
- State of residence: Oregon
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Undergraduate: a non-prestigious university
- Clinical Community Service: Hospital volunteer on Family Medicine and Acute Care units, ~300 hours , ~Nov 2016-present.
- Shadowing: ~60 hours in a decent variety of specialties, including Family Medicine.
- Non-clinical community service: ESL teacher to Spanish-speaking day laborers and other assorted tasks to support the community and the organization. ~80 hours. November 2017-present (~6.5 months).
- Part-time paid teaching (~5 months).
- 100 hours of volunteering in a lab for 3 months. No results.
- As of today, ~343 hours working on an independent study / DIY senior thesis since January 24th, 2018. Only about 80% finished. Will require several hundred more hours to finish properly.
- Everything probably the same except:
- 150+ hours of non-clinical community service combined as an ESL teacher and a neighborhood mediator for ~1.5 and ~1 year, respectively.
- Clinical experience: >300 hours, probably including some documented experience in India.
- More teaching, hopefully for at least 1 year.
- At least a finished DIY thesis from my independent study course, I hope.
Whenever I apply, to mitigate the risk of not getting in, I will apply early and broadly to DO schools, my state MD school, and MD schools that reward reinvention and do holistic review.
Question 2: Might a DIY thesis give me research credit? It is hypothesis-driven rational/theoretical (as opposed to empirical/experimental) research.
For reference, the description of level 4 research on the WARS says:
"Significant, sustained research activity, generally for at least 2 years. Applicants in this category may have a poster presentation, a middle author publication in a medium- or low-impact journal, an abstract, or a thesis. These applicants have a strong research focus and perform research above the level of the average undergraduate (emphasis added; @WedgeDawg 2017)."
Question 3: What else should I do to improve my application if I skip a cycle? What might increase my chances enough to make it worth it? Should I go back to school again as a post-bacc (I'd rather go write, work, and volunteer in India for a few months, but I would consider biting the bullet…again).
I'm very grateful for your help. Thank you.
