It's surprising that URM with good stats and decent ECs hasn't gotten a bite from at least one top school even if the school list is top heavy...Weak clinical volunteering? Red flags? Bad LORs? Bad PS/Secondary?
So, you haven't gotten an interview yet. What now?
- Thread starter bananafish94
- Start date
It's surprising that URM with good stats and decent ECs hasn't gotten a bite from at least one top school even if the school list is top heavy...Weak clinical volunteering? Red flags? Bad LORs? Bad PS/Secondary?
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2015
- Messages
- 3,426
- Reaction score
- 12,944
I'll take a stab at it:
-Obviously, his stats are competitive anywhere so we don't have to worry about that.
-Are those his only extracurriculars? All great of course, but generally I feel you want to put in a little more time with actual clinical experience (i.e. time around a hospital and patients). Hospital shadowing is all fine and good, but usually people are unable to shadow over a long time period and really get a feel for what the job is like.
-There are no back-up schools, no matter how good you are. Applying to 17 "elite" schools seems like the most likely culprit in this case.
-There are other unknown factors that we cannot speculate on. Perhaps the essays sound arrogant or give bad reasons for wanting to become a physician, for example.
-But there's still time. I'd be surprised if he didn't get an interview anywhere unless there is some sort of absurd red flag that we are not privy to.
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2005
- Messages
- 28,736
- Reaction score
- 53,853
If he is Palestinian then he is not URM and this is particularly true in Michigan. Is his second language Arabic? That might help in a small number of "markets" but not as valuable as Spanish.
How many top schools he applied to shouldn't matter. Each school makes its decisions independent of every other school. I would have expected an applicant to have at least 1 interview from a top 20 and at least 1 interview from a safety by now so something is not good.
Grades and scores are good.
Research might be good or it might be weak depending on his role. Top schools would expect a LOR from the PI.
His clinical experience appears weak if all he has is some shadowing and no volunteerism or employment in a clinical setting.
School clubs and committees are a dime a dozen, particularly at UMichigan and some of them don't seem to outlast their founders. Sometimes this can work to an applicant's favor (see my posts about the Frodo Film Club) but you need to make it look like more than padding.
Applying in August is late. I would expect that he'll have at least one interview by mid-January and at least one offer by June 1.
If he doesn't ever get an interview, I'd worry that there is a bad letter in his packet or that his essays are terrible.
How many top schools he applied to shouldn't matter. Each school makes its decisions independent of every other school. I would have expected an applicant to have at least 1 interview from a top 20 and at least 1 interview from a safety by now so something is not good.
Grades and scores are good.
Research might be good or it might be weak depending on his role. Top schools would expect a LOR from the PI.
His clinical experience appears weak if all he has is some shadowing and no volunteerism or employment in a clinical setting.
School clubs and committees are a dime a dozen, particularly at UMichigan and some of them don't seem to outlast their founders. Sometimes this can work to an applicant's favor (see my posts about the Frodo Film Club) but you need to make it look like more than padding.
Applying in August is late. I would expect that he'll have at least one interview by mid-January and at least one offer by June 1.
If he doesn't ever get an interview, I'd worry that there is a bad letter in his packet or that his essays are terrible.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2012
- Messages
- 7,691
- Reaction score
- 13,051
Sorry to be complicit in the hijacking of this thread, but did you friend have any active (i.e. non-shadowing) clinical experience? Experience where he was working in a patient care setting for the benefit of the patients?
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2015
- Messages
- 1,616
- Reaction score
- 3,251
im sorry but applying aug is SO late for the top schools. my home institution stops interviewing in december and is a top 20 school. i was complete aug 30th and grabbed an II for the last week of interviews offered. i really do regret not being complete earlier at the top schools even though it was out of my hands.
also this app screams EC padding with not a lot of real service to those less fortunate. I am convinced that clubs, leadership positions in these clubs etc. mean jack-**** to adcoms (with exceptions of course).
n = small but I have absolutely no involvement in any clubs and many of my peers do not either. We do have a lot of service to our communities though (within and outside our campus) and have interviews at several top 20s
Other things to look at include:
-quality of research + LOR from PI
-LORs in general
-Palestinian is not URM as far as i know
- quality of writing itself
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2010
- Messages
- 75,134
- Reaction score
- 120,714
Teaching moment: The apparent lack of patient contact experience is lethal. My own student interviewers would eat this person alive. It also appear that he never once got off campus except to shadow.
To quote the wise gyngyn: "
“This not the application of a person who dearly wants to be a physician. It is the application of someone who wants to be a doctor as long as it is convenient,”
To quote the wise gyngyn: "
“This not the application of a person who dearly wants to be a physician. It is the application of someone who wants to be a doctor as long as it is convenient,”
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2016
- Messages
- 354
- Reaction score
- 694
I got this feeling on the interview circuit too. My lengthiest EC was a club/leadership position - from first semester freshman year to the last day of senior year. Not a single question about it. Lots of interest in the clinics I volunteered in throughout junior and senior year though. It was a very stark contrast to college apps, when everyone was scrambling to become Historian of Key Club etc because colleges ate it up. Such a nice change, I had a rough time getting those "titles" in HS.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2015
- Messages
- 1,616
- Reaction score
- 3,251
seriously. and in all honesty if i saw someone with lots of "president of XYZ club" on their ec list I would think to myself "damn, he/she must know how to throw a real good pizza party"
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2013
- Messages
- 8,183
- Reaction score
- 11,626
I noticed the same thing, there is NO volunteering. Having no nonclinical volunteering is bad enough, but no clinical either? You can't just shadow and expect that be sufficient, as it isn't. Also in agreement on the school list, it's too top heavy and that might have done him in as well.
I also really hope he is an Ohio resident based on the "back-up" schools he applied to. (Which there obviously is no such thing. No guarantees in med school applications).
Everything else is obviously speculation, as we don't know what his essays or LORs looked like.
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2013
- Messages
- 8,183
- Reaction score
- 11,626
I'd see that and think they invested way too much time on their clubs and not enough on other areas.
I'd think the same thing if I was an adcom and say a Penn Stater say they participated in THON. Everyone does, it isn't anything spectacular application wise (unless significant leadership stuff).
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2016
- Messages
- 42
- Reaction score
- 17
Depends. I got in with a 503 (which sadly, was a retake). My percentiles looked much stronger than my overall scores.
I had an above average gpa (not crazy high--just slightly above matriculation average), two strong LOR from science professors (whom I also researched alongside) and a really strong one from a surgeon that I work with. And my personal statement was pretty bomb (if I do say so myself😉).
Look at where your other stats stand before retaking.
Hey guys, I am in the middle of interview season. I have butchered 2 of my interviews, and I would like to know if there are more resources available for practicing interview questions aside from mock interview. I understand that it is not over, until it is over. However, I like to prepare myself for the future. I would like to know how re-applicants should approach with applying next year for medical school. Should I reconstruct my whole personal statement or tweaked parts of it and keep the main body? Should I revise my secondary essays as well, even though I was offered several interviews this season?
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2016
- Messages
- 405
- Reaction score
- 585
What do you specifically men "butchering your interviews"?
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2015
- Messages
- 238
- Reaction score
- 291
Have you seen the show "Dexter"?
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2015
- Messages
- 10,952
- Reaction score
- 22,510
Are we talking MD or DO? Also did you bring something else to the table? I mean people get in with lizzyMs in the mid to low 60's but that is usually their state school in a friendly state. Or they have a compelling story.
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2015
- Messages
- 815
- Reaction score
- 1,011
Palestinian is not considered URM.
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2015
- Messages
- 10,952
- Reaction score
- 22,510
I hope all his essays were not about his URM status.
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2015
- Messages
- 815
- Reaction score
- 1,011
Especially for UMich. In no way, shape, or form is any arabic nationality even remotely close to URM here in Michigan.
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2015
- Messages
- 3,426
- Reaction score
- 12,944
You just have to do it lots of times. When I was preparing for interviews I would practice with my family, friends, etc. in addition to the actual mock interviews. Anybody who will listen and can give you objective feedback...obviously, the more they know about the whole admissions process the better.
Yes, I would edit everything. If you were to send in the exact same essays it might seem lazy. But don't change it completely! Obviously they've served you decently this year.
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2016
- Messages
- 42
- Reaction score
- 17
MD. Aside from my MCAT, I'm well rounded. I have research experience (one year of bench work from undergrad that lead to publication, and currently working on a data analysis for a surgical population-I'm authoring but I don't think this was on my application yet), a couple years of healthcare experience working full time as a tech (this has tremendously helped me personally decide, but I don't know how well apps reflect this).
I didn't decide to pursue medical school until after I graduated, but I think I made it apparent to them that I have spend time exploring and know that it's right for me. Was unsure to apply because of my MCAT, but my physician "mentor" encouraged me to do so.
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2015
- Messages
- 10,952
- Reaction score
- 22,510
I am assuming it is your state school . Makes sense that you have a well rounded app besides the mcat.
So revise parts of personal statement, but keep the framework intact. thanks for the advice, really appreciate it
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2015
- Messages
- 3,426
- Reaction score
- 12,944
That seems to be the general gist of the advice I have read. You don't want to do a complete 180 and seem like your original essay was insincere, but you definitely don't want to seem like you can't be bothered to write a new one. Best of luck!
Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
