Medical Should I withdraw my application or move forward with application cycle?

[tantacles]

Hello,

I am a California resident with a 3.88 sGPA, 3.80cGPA, 518 MCAT. I have 100 hours clinical shadowing, 250 hours non-clinical volunteering (some of it medical related), 800 hours of research with no publications, 300 hours clerical job and I have a Medical Humanities Certificate (liberal arts education with a medical focus, looked at a lot of aspects of medicine that is not skill and science). I have received great feedback on my PS and my descriptions on WA.
However, I have been told by an ex-adcom member that I should strongly consider withdrawing and applying next year because I do not have clinical experience. I will be starting a clinical scribing and research position this week and I included it in my WA as a future experience (IK it doesn't count the same).
Since then I have been getting mixed opinions from many other medical students, advisors, ex-adcoms members. It's tearing me apart, idk what to do. Should I try my chances this year at a mid-tier? I'd love to stay in California and maybe USC or UCI are in my range? Maybe with COVID-19, there's going to be a higher number of people without clinical experience? How bad will it be if I'm a reapplicant next cycle? I would have a significant amount of clinical hours, maybe some abstracts or a publication, and some more non-clinical volunteering hours. If I can get into a mid-tier school in an area I'd like to be in, then I'd want to continue with my submitted application. It's not too late to withdraw and not be labeled a reapplicant, plus I'd get my money back

If you have already applied and put in applications, I would finish your secondaries and see what interviews you get, making sure you apply broadly. If you are starting a scribing position, it will give you clinical experience, and with your GPA and MCAT, I think you stand a good chance at getting in if every other part of your application is good. Not sure your chances at staying in California as that's hard for even the most competitive applicants, but if you apply broadly, I think you'll have a good chance at getting in.

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[Goro]

I semi agree with my wise colleague tentacles. Since your applications are in, you could wait and see what happens. But do keep in mind that secondaries are often a tax on the hopelessly naive.

Honestly at my school, the lack of clinical experience would get you rejected. Our thinking is, would you buy a brand new car without test driving it? Buy a new suit without trying it on?

I feel that it's important that you show that you know what you're getting into, and that you really want to be around sick people for the next 30 to 40 years.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Agree with the above two that you are low on the hours side, but I think you have a solid app and still have a fantastic chance at getting in somewhere (if you apply broadly and aren't picky). Make sure you perfect your interview skills so that you can nail every interview you do get. Yes, the secondaries can be expensive, but it's part of the process and in the long run, it's a drop in the bucket. I would pay the secondary fees to avoid waiting for ANOTHER year and loss of 250k+ salary (which is WAY more than secondary fees).

Apply outside of Cali for sure. You don't want your app to get sucked into the black hole of California where 4.0s are lost all the time. Go anywhere that will take you and become a doctor.

 

[tantacles]

@tantacles @Goro @TheBoneDoctah Thank all three of you for your responses. Do you think it's worth waiting an extra year to have a great chance at top 30 schools, especially now that Step 1 is P/NP? Can you speak on how reapplicants are viewed, and if that'll be a major disadvantage for me?

Goro, do you think the lack of clinical experience will get me rejected from other schools too, even though I am gaining hours during the application process?

Being a reapplicant is a big disadvantage, but if you haven't submitted secondaries, it might not matter. I would honestly take the chance and apply this year.

 

[tantacles]

Yes I can withdraw right now and I wouldn't be a reapplicant. I'd get my money back too.

there's no right answer except the one that's right for you. I would apply this year so you don't lose a year of attending salary, but it's ultimately up to you.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

I would apply. Get the show on the road!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I guess I'm a little confused because you have clinical shadowing (100 hours), so it's not like you have zero. Plus what is your non-clinical but medically related volunteering???

 

[Goro]

@tantacles @Goro @TheBoneDoctah Thank all three of you for your responses. Do you think it's worth waiting an extra year to have a great chance at top 30 schools, especially now that Step 1 is P/NP? Can you speak on how reapplicants are viewed, and if that'll be a major disadvantage for me?

Goro, do you think the lack of clinical experience will get me rejected from other schools too, even though I am gaining hours during the application process?

Honestly, it's a risk. But if you don't apply, your rejection rate will be 100%.

 

[tantacles]

@TheBoneDoctah @tanto007 What type of schools do you think I'd be admitted to? Honestly, I'm a bit picky, I would want to be somewhere I'd enjoy and be comfortable.

There is no guarantee with regard to which schools you will be admitted to, but with your stats, I would purchase the MSAR. Apply to 10 schools for which you're above the 90th percentile for MCAT and GPA, then 10 schools where you're in the middle of the road. Add in all of your state schools after that. Finally, avoid state schools that are not your home state unless they take a large proportion of out-of-staters.

You have a good shot.

 

[tantacles]

@tantacles @Goro @Mr.Smile12 With step 1 becoming P/NP, do you think it would be better to wait a year and get into a better school?

No. That's an opinion with no evidence behind it because we don't know what's going to happen and what will be weighted more heavily.

Also, what does "better" mean to you? With a 3.8 and a 518, you have a chance of getting into some very prestigious schools. Does it have to be Harvard or will you settle for Yale?