so scared of re applying

[havil]

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i want to retake the mcat and re apply next year. the problem is that next year is my senior year and after that i have nothing to do while i await my acceptances/rejections.

i dont wanna do a masters program, idk what i will do

this is lowkey gonna be the reason why i just might just apply to a for profit DO school just incase, as a back up plan instead of re applying.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Well we need more information to really give you advice about this. Do a WAMC form.

But in general- yes, DOs are doctors too, and even many MD students now don’t get to do the competitive specialty they want to do. Times are changing. Nothing wrong with DO school at all.

If you can’t be happy in IM, FM, peds, or general surgery, I wouldn’t personally go to medical school in 2024. Cause you’ll probably end up in one of those. You can obviously grind and become a dermatologist or whatever, but you need to go in knowing you can have a great app to one of those fields and still not match into it. The only real con to DO is that you’ll be less competitive for ROAD specialties, but again, if you NEED to do ROAD to live with yourself as an attending, don’t go to medical school.

 

[havil]

If you can’t be happy in IM, FM, peds, or general surgery

honestly FM is in my top 3 career list

The only real con to DO is that you’ll be less competitive for ROAD specialties,

even for top DO schools like rowan?

 

[Hollow Knight]

honestly FM is in my top 3 career list


even for top DO schools like rowan?

You can still match competitive stuff as a DO, it's just harder.

My point is not to get wound up about your MCAT (which you haven't even told us). If you go into Family Medicine you'll get paid the same as a DO as I will as an MD, nobody cares.

 

[ophthoaspirant]

You can still match competitive stuff as a DO, it's just harder.

My point is not to get wound up about your MCAT (which you haven't even told us). If you go into Family Medicine you'll get paid the same as a DO as I will as an MD, nobody cares.

A few of my acquaintances are doing MD-PhD, and one is doing a DO-PhD at MSU. You are correct, even many MD students now don’t get to do the competitive specialty they want to do with a Step 2 of 260+. Even ones that publish case reports. It seems as though extensive research is now becoming a real soft requirement for competitive specialties.

 

[DarkBluMage]

This belongs in the pre-med forum btw
What’s your MCAT score? Also the rest of your app is important too. If your app has gaps outside of the MCAT then just improving the MCAT doesn’t mean there won’t be a need to reapply. You should fill out a WAMC form in the pre-med section if you actually want advice.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

My friend, I counted yesterday out of curiosity and you have made 10+ posts so recently that they're still in the first page of the various premed forums. You really need to chill out and try googling stuff instead of spamming the forum with really similar questions because you're anxious.

Apply DO if you want a better chance of matriculating esp as an international with mid stats. Understand that DO makes competitive specialties less likely. That's all there is to it.

 

[havil]

aside from the fact that you have to wait another year to apply ofcourse, what are the downsides? I was always under the impression that you are basically evaluated the same.

should someone shoot their shot and just apply? or should they wait until tehir application is better

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

aside from the fact that you have to wait another year to apply ofcourse, what are the downsides? I was always under the impression that you are basically evaluated the same.

should someone shoot their shot and just apply? or should they wait until tehir application is better

The common advice is to apply when you're ready/your app is the best it can be. Applying is expensive and being a reapplicant can be a negative mark, esp if you haven't done a ton in the gap.

 

[eigen]

Go work for a year or two.

Honestly, students who are "worried" about what they would do without school if they don't get into medical school are often the ones who I do not see doing well in their applications, at least among my students. They're usually too fixated on the "school" side of medicine, and less focused on all of the rest.

Presumably, you want to be a physician because you want to help provide medical care, and in some way improve peoples lives. So go work as a CNA, an EMT, or an MA. You will be gaining experience, and you will be helping provide medical care and improving peoples lives. Or go do Americorps, or go work for a non-profit looking at patient advocacy.

Figure out why you want to be a doctor, and look at things you can do that will be in the same vein, and do those.

 

[Moko]

Go work for a year or two.

Honestly, students who are "worried" about what they would do without school if they don't get into medical school are often the ones who I do not see doing well in their applications, at least among my students. They're usually too fixated on the "school" side of medicine, and less focused on all of the rest.

Presumably, you want to be a physician because you want to help provide medical care, and in some way improve peoples lives. So go work as a CNA, an EMT, or an MA. You will be gaining experience, and you will be helping provide medical care and improving peoples lives. Or go do Americorps, or go work for a non-profit looking at patient advocacy.

Figure out why you want to be a doctor, and look at things you can do that will be in the same vein, and do those.

The other benefit of a gap year is gaining some real world experience and the valuable perspective that comes with it. This perspective can be very helpful during the clinical years and definitely in residency. Just my thoughts.

 

[eigen]

Yup!

I'm pro gap year, but also work with a lot of students who work really hard to go straight in (and many are quite successful).

But there's a huge difference in approach, attitude, and success of those who want to work to be where they can apply early, and those who are "scared" of a gap year / not going straight.

One of my colleagues used to say that their favorite interview question to ask students was "tell me about your next few years if you don't get in" or "what will you do if you don't get into medical school". Because it showed a huge difference between students who had never thought about options outside of medicine, and those who had reasons the preferred medicine but had thought through other alternatives and how they would work out.

 

[havil]

being a reapplicant can be a negative mark,

in what sense? would u say its better to withhold a bad application and apply in the next cycle granted that you know ur stats would be much better?

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

in what sense? would u say its better to withhold a bad application and apply in the next cycle granted that you know ur stats would be much better?

This sounds like common sense. "Should I apply now with worse grades or later with better grades?" Don't ignore the advice these other people are giving you, it seems very relevant.

 

[havil]

This sounds like common sense. "Should I apply now with worse grades or later with better grades?" Don't ignore the advice these other people are giving you, it seems very relevant.

i thought when you re apply you start with a clean slate, thats why i thought i might as well shoot my shot

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

i thought when you re apply you start with a clean slate, thats why i thought i might as well shoot my shot

No, schools can see that you've applied before and most have a secondary along the lines of "what did you do to improve if you had to reapply?"

 

[Goro]

i thought when you re apply you start with a clean slate, thats why i thought i might as well shoot my shot

You thought wrong. Very wrong.

 

[AJS59]

i thought when you re apply you start with a clean slate, thats why i thought i might as well shoot my shot

You don't. The whole point of reapplying is a measuring stick to show how you've improved yourself and to show that you have the maturity of recognizing where you need to demonstrate growth. This is sort of the reason why typically (not always, but typically) reapplying for more than 2 cycles beyond the original cycle becomes a stain that is hard to wash out of one's application: it's because rather than an applicant taking time to demonstrate growth, they rush headlong into another cycle.

Judging on your post history (are you applying this cycle? Did you apply this cycle?), here's my 2 cents of advice: Don't apply until you are actually ready. Like really truly ready and you've made your application as good as it possibly can be. Even if that means taking a gap year (or two! or three!) before applying. People in this thread have tossed out some good ideas and if you post a WAMC we can help you make a more informed decision. I understand your desire to get into med school and anxiety about what you would do before matriculation but understand that it is now the norm for people to take gap years; at my undergraduate institution, some 80% of successful matriculants took at least 1 gap year.

 

[Hollow Knight]

A few of my acquaintances are doing MD-PhD, and one is doing a DO-PhD at MSU. You are correct, even many MD students now don’t get to do the competitive specialty they want to do with a Step 2 of 260+. Even ones that publish case reports. It seems as though extensive research is now becoming a real soft requirement for competitive specialties.

It’s a bloodbath these days. I feel sorry for the people in my class who aren’t doing ortho or derm for the money and just really honestly love the subject matter.

 

[havil]

No, schools can see that you've applied before and most have a secondary along the lines of "what did you do to improve if you had to reapply?"

and is that the only drawback of being a re applicant? is taht you have to change up ur app? or is being a reapplicant inherently negative?

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

and is that the only drawback of being a re applicant? is taht you have to change up ur app? or is being a reapplicant inherently negative?

Many schools will only let you apply two times. You should be really sure before you apply. You've gotten a lot of feedback about this, man. You're asking the same questions slightly differently over and over and expecting something different each time, so I'm not sure what you want to hear.

 

[havil]

Many schools will only let you apply two times. You should be really sure before you apply. You've gotten a lot of feedback about this, man. You're asking the same questions slightly differently over and over and expecting something different each time, so I'm not sure what you want to hear.

srry

 

[Goro]

and is that the only drawback of being a re applicant? is taht you have to change up ur app? or is being a reapplicant inherently negative?

1. Yes
2. No

It's an SDN urban legend that reapps are lethal. They're not.

 

[MDMechEngr]

......You are correct, even many MD students now don’t get to do the competitive specialty they want to do with a Step 2 of 260+. Even ones that publish case reports. It seems as though extensive research is now becoming a real soft requirement for competitive specialties.

I hope you are attending an MD school because the ophto match rate was 75% for MD and 33% for DO this year. These match rate numbers are inflated because the SF match calculation only included those that recieved at least one interview invite. There are a number of applicants that do not receive any invites and they are omitted from the denomiator of the match calc.

It is specialty dependent, but extensive research is not needed for Optho if you have a 260+ S2 and the rest of your application is good. The reality is DOs have to work much harder (5 to 6 away sub-I's, more reserach, research year, and hustle) because MD and DO are not equal in the residency match, which affects the rest of your life. Just giving people a reality check.

sorryt to get side tracked.

 

[Goro]

I hope you are attending an MD school because the ophto match rate was 75% for MD and 33% for DO this year. These match rate numbers are inflated because the SF match calculation only included those that recieved at least one interview invite. There are a number of applicants that do not receive any invites and they are omitted from the denomiator of the match calc.

It is specialty dependent, but extensive research is not needed for Optho if you have a 260+ S2 and the rest of your application is good. The reality is DOs have to work much harder (5 to 6 away sub-I's, more reserach, research year, and hustle) because MD and DO are not equal in the residency match, which affects the rest of your life. Just giving people a reality check.

sorryt to get side tracked.

OP is an international student and is definitely not opthal caliber.

 

[LindaAccepted]

in what sense? would u say its better to withhold a bad application and apply in the next cycle granted that you know ur stats would be much better?

yes

 

[LindaAccepted]

and is that the only drawback of being a re applicant? is taht you have to change up ur app? or is being a reapplicant inherently negative?

There are a lot of "drawbacks" to applying and getting rejected:

1. It costs (depending on how many schools you apply to) money to apply and application fees alone can add up quickly to a few thousand dollars.
2. it costs in terms of emotional energy and investment.
3. It takes a lot of time to submit good primary and secondary applications, and it's absolutely critical to do so if other elements of your application are weak.

The other drawback of reapplication is that first application effort, money, and time goes down the drain. You could have saved the money and used the time to improve your qualifications.

Do schools hold it against you if you apply once and reapply? No. Lots of people do that. But to apply with an application that you don't feel is up to snuff or is not "acceptable," is just a waste.

 

[eigen]

in what sense? would u say its better to withhold a bad application and apply in the next cycle granted that you know ur stats would be much better?

100%.

 

[ophthoaspirant]

I hope you are attending an MD school because the ophto match rate was 75% for MD and 33% for DO this year. These match rate numbers are inflated because the SF match calculation only included those that recieved at least one interview invite. There are a number of applicants that do not receive any invites and they are omitted from the denomiator of the match calc.

It is specialty dependent, but extensive research is not needed for Optho if you have a 260+ S2 and the rest of your application is good. The reality is DOs have to work much harder (5 to 6 away sub-I's, more reserach, research year, and hustle) because MD and DO are not equal in the residency match, which affects the rest of your life. Just giving people a reality check.

sorryt to get side tracked.

"rest of application" being good is the tricky part. Almost all MD applicants with 260+ S2 scores to academic ophtho residencies have publications involving case reports/chart reviews, away rotations, good LORs, and are from Tier 1 or Tier 2 medical schools (based on the most recent USNWR tier-based ranking). How are residency PDs supposed to decide who to invite for interviews? Some applicants will have connections but the rest will probably need more extensive research based on what I am hearing.