School list without retaking MCAT / Application strengthening: c/sGPA: 3.89 | MCAT (2020) 520

[supercoolinitials]

I am in my second gap year, both of which have been clinical experiences as an MA/scribe in different specialties in different cities. I applied this cycle but have had minimal success. Applied to 33 schools, received secondaries at all of them, invited to interview at 3, technically still waiting to hear from 10.

I am trying to identify the cause of my poor results. Obviously lacking non-clinical volunteering, but where else?

Also, any advice on building my school list around those that will accept an August 2020 MCAT?

1. cGPA and sGPA 3.89 (+/- 0.1)
2. MCAT 520: 130/129/129/132
3. Residency: Connecticut
4. Race: White
5. Education: University of Michigan – Ann Arbor – BS Biology
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer) – 4500+ hours as Medical Assistant (full-time x 2 years) + Patient Sitter (part-time x 1 semester) + Volunteering
7. Research experience and productivity – Summer research assistant at Yale Radiology, 603 hours, fourth-named author on 1 publication + technically presented my research at Yale
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented – shadowed my PCP x 45 hours, Interventional Radiologist x 20 hours, Orthopedist x 20 hours ; worked in dermatology and allergy/asthma/immunology x 2000 hours each
9. Non-clinical volunteering – None
10. Other extracurricular activities – College rugby (3800 hours – player/president/senior officer x 3 years) ; intro bio tutor (100 hours) + Patient sitter (350 hours)
11. Relevant honors or awards – Phi Beta Kappa ; Intra-team rugby awards for work ethic + upstanding behavior
12. Anything else: LOR’s from 2 science profs (didn’t know me very well) + 1 philosophy prof (knew me very well) + a Physician Assistant for whom I worked for a year + college rugby coach. If/when I reapply, I will have a LOR from the physician I work for currently, and I plan to start volunteering as a tutor and for a local homeless shelter

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[docbrown1985]

Seeing as how all your other stats are stellar, it's likely because you have no non-clinical volunteering like you mentioned. Your personal statement and/or other essays on the application may be weak too. Also depends on your school list. If you've only applied to the top schools, despite your stellar stats, it'll still be uber competitive.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Let's hope your three interviews go in your favor. Where did you interview? 3 interviews is not that bad.

 

[MrPuff]

I'm sorry your cycle is not going well. To be honest, I'm shocked. How does someone with a 3.9/520 and a metric ****ton of ECs not have an acceptance by now; after applying to 33 schools? SMH.

 

[KaiBuzz]

You’re obviously a smart person so I’m surprised you applied with 0 non clinical volunteer hours. No guidance from UMich premed office? You’ll need to start accumulating hours yesterday if you plan to reapply in May.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Agree, you seem to be getting told that you need to do nonclinical volunteering... it's time to heed that advice.

Also, when were you complete?

 

[MrPuff]

So, in theory, you could cure cancer but if you don't have 50 hours of scrubbing pots and pans at the local soup kitchen you're not getting in?

 

[GoSpursGo]

So, in theory, you could cure cancer but if you don't have 50 hours of scrubbing pots and pans at the local soup kitchen you're not getting in?

I mean, the OP didn't cure cancer. They've got a lot of relevant experience and I'm also fundamentally surprised they haven't gotten an acceptance yet (though I suspect they still have a very good chance), but since the question is "what do I need to improve" the answer seems obvious.

This is also a place where a school list and information on when the OP was complete would be helpful.

 

[MrPuff]

Obviously, there is a hefty dose of sarcasm in my last post. That said, there's got to be a bad LOR, an IA, a poorly written PS, or another red flag that has kept the OP from getting an acceptance. Something is not adding up. I agree that they should have non-clinical extracurricular activities on their application, but can it be THE reason they aren't having a better cycle?

 

[GoSpursGo]

Obviously, there is a hefty dose of sarcasm in my last post. That said, there's got to be a bad LOR, an IA, a poorly written PS, or another red flag that has kept the OP from getting an acceptance. Something is not adding up. I agree that they should have non-clinical extracurricular activities on their application, but can it be THE reason they aren't having a better cycle?

I generally suspect the answer is in the school list or application timeline, but those are all possibilities as well.

 

[MrPuff]

I don't disagree with you. If the OP applied to Useless News' top 33 schools and/or applied late after being out of college for two years that would be most unfortunate, indeed.

 

[supercoolinitials]

Let's hope your three interviews go in your favor. Where did you interview? 3 interviews is not that bad.

One led to low on a waitlist, one resulted in a rejection, and still waiting on the third. Interview was 1/4

Agree, you seem to be getting told that you need to do nonclinical volunteering... it's time to heed that advice.

Also, when were you complete?

Sumitted AMCAS first week of June, submitted secondaries about 1-2/day from late June through early August... not great by any means

Seeing as how all your other stats are stellar, it's likely because you have no non-clinical volunteering like you mentioned. Your personal statement and/or other essays on the application may be weak too. Also depends on your school list. If you've only applied to the top schools, despite your stellar stats, it'll still be uber competitive.

I mean, the OP didn't cure cancer. They've got a lot of relevant experience and I'm also fundamentally surprised they haven't gotten an acceptance yet (though I suspect they still have a very good chance), but since the question is "what do I need to improve" the answer seems obvious.

This is also a place where a school list and information on when the OP was complete would be helpful.

School list:
Umass, Tufts, NYMC, Cornell, cincinnati, UofIllinois, Uconn, Columbia, Buffalo, OSU, UVM, MC of Wisc, Wake Forest, Rosalind Franklin, University of Toledo, Albany, Wayne State, Stonybrook, Oakland, Albert Einstein, Northwestern, Upenn, Wash U St Louis, Rochester, Umich, SUNY upstate, VCU, Case Western, Uchicago, UNC, NYU Grossman, Darmouth, Univ of Indiana

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Obviously, there is a hefty dose of sarcasm in my last post. That said, there's got to be a bad LOR, an IA, a poorly written PS, or another red flag that has kept the OP from getting an acceptance. Something is not adding up. I agree that they should have non-clinical extracurricular activities on their application, but can it be THE reason they aren't having a better cycle?

It could be a significant reason. Unless you actually have the application and interviews, it is just speculation.

 

[MrPuff]

My apologies, I thought WAMC was a place for applicants to come and have people speculate on their chances of admittance, which schools might accept them, as well as, speculate which improvements/deficiencies they might need to address. I'm a noobie here, so please bear with me.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

My apologies, I thought WAMC was a place for applicants to come and have people speculate on their chances of admittance, which schools might accept them, as well as, speculate which improvements/deficiencies they might need to address. I'm a noobie here, so please bear with me.

It is but we can't read your mind. Holistic review matters to complement metrics trends. That said, you had success with three interviews but it seems your outcomes are not favorable for an acceptable (but you don't know until you get a decision). We can give you impressions, but we are limited to what you tell us.

Based on what I have seen, your lack of non clinical volunteering is a big challenge and a likely impediment. There may be other things but I would need more information, which would likely identify you.

How do you describe your passion and purpose to be involved in patient care as a physician?

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Go get some nonclinical volunteering in case you have to reapply. I’d get 300+ hours. Good luck.

 

[Angler]

Not only timeliness of secondaries, but quality of writing in those secondaries matters as well.

 

[chilly_md]

One led to low on a waitlist, one resulted in a rejection, and still waiting on the third. Interview was 1/4


Sumitted AMCAS first week of June, submitted secondaries about 1-2/day from late June through early August... not great by any means



School list:
Umass, Tufts, NYMC, Cornell, cincinnati, UofIllinois, Uconn, Columbia, Buffalo, OSU, UVM, MC of Wisc, Wake Forest, Rosalind Franklin, University of Toledo, Albany, Wayne State, Stonybrook, Oakland, Albert Einstein, Northwestern, Upenn, Wash U St Louis, Rochester, Umich, SUNY upstate, VCU, Case Western, Uchicago, UNC, NYU Grossman, Darmouth, Univ of Indiana

Lot of schools that don’t take OOS students really or thought you’d choose a different school over them (Oakland, Toledo, Albany etc).

Get non-clinical volunteering as others have already said and work on interview skills since you did get to that stage for 3 of them.

I suggest:
UMass
UConn
Cornell
Cinci
Ohio State
Case
Mayo
Wisconsin Madison
Einstein
Rochester
Hofstra
WUSTL
UVA
Dartmouth
Miami
USF
Colorado
Saint Louis
Iowa
Jefferson
Tufts
Boston
Michigan
Western Michigan
Vanderbilt
Emory
Duke
Sinai
Pitt