Hi all,
I've just about finished my secondaries and want to strategize to make my third cycle my last.
This is my app for this cycle:
2023 - complete at 10 schools September/October
2024 (current) - complete at 35 schools early August to late September (30 schools in September)
I'm beating myself up a lot, and I don't think I have the money or energy to apply for a fourth cycle. For the 2025 cycle, it looks like my April 2022 MCAT will still be viable. I graduated in Dec 2020, so I took my prereqs from 2016 onwards. I will have to research if my prereqs have expired.
A couple of questions:
1) I want to take an unpaid leave of absence at my job (PI seems OK with it) from April to July and finish my secondaries by the first week of July. I can try to do Scribeamerica since all of my clinical experience is in the research setting. Would it be better to leave my job by February of 2024, and try to snag a part-time scribe job while I write my applications from April to July? Or is it alright if I try to get a scribing job after I've submitted my secondaries (and write in my secondaries that I'm currently looking for a job?)
The former would get me some hours and experiences to add to my app, but the latter would allow me to focus only on my app. Alternatively, If I keep my research job, I'll have 5000 research hours and 1000 clinical hours. Bad idea? This would probably be the best option, because I won't have to move, job search, and can finish up a project that I have created.
2) I want to add at least 10 DO schools. I will do my own research, but do you have any suggestions, given my profile, etc.? I will write my DO applications after MD, and finish them by the end of August. I believe the DO cycle runs later, so this is fine, timing-wise. I will try to shadow a DO as well.
Thank you again for your help. I'm grateful for the opportunity to connect with experts here free of cost.
I've just about finished my secondaries and want to strategize to make my third cycle my last.
This is my app for this cycle:
- cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS: cGPA 3.67 (3.17, 3.52, 3.90, 3.93), sGPA 3.57 (3.02, 3.25, 3.91, 3.87)
- MCAT score(s) and breakdown: 514 (128, 128, 128, 130), retake: 523 (129, 130, 132, 132)
- State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US): CA
- Ethnicity and/or race: ORM
- Undergraduate institution or category: T20 (or maybe just outside)
- Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer): 1000 hours Clinical Research Assistant (cardiac surgery patients), 36 hours hospital volunteering
- Research experience and productivity: 3000 hours Clinical Research Assistant, ~600 hours in other labs, a couple of pubs, posters etc.
- Shadowing experience and specialties represented: 48 hours split between Primary Care, Neurology and Anesthesiology, 6 hours virtual
- Non-clinical volunteering: 250 hours food pantry, 60 hours tutoring through computer science club (going to a local high school), 70 hours tutoring children, 36 hours mentoring immigrant children
- Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc): ~300 hours physics tutoring at university (paid), ~ 150 hours creating and running a club on campus close to my research interests, ~250 hours in a public health club working with an underserved population in Nepal. Have been training in Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu. I also speak a few languages other than English (minored in one of them), but not fluently
- Relevant honors or awards: Departmental Research Award from hospital
- Anything else not listed you think might be important: CASPER 4th quartile, Preview 7/9. Recommendation letters are from 2 science professors (one of whom taught me in an undergrad course and a graduate level course), 1 humanities professor, and PI and mentor from current lab
2023 - complete at 10 schools September/October
2024 (current) - complete at 35 schools early August to late September (30 schools in September)
I'm beating myself up a lot, and I don't think I have the money or energy to apply for a fourth cycle. For the 2025 cycle, it looks like my April 2022 MCAT will still be viable. I graduated in Dec 2020, so I took my prereqs from 2016 onwards. I will have to research if my prereqs have expired.
A couple of questions:
1) I want to take an unpaid leave of absence at my job (PI seems OK with it) from April to July and finish my secondaries by the first week of July. I can try to do Scribeamerica since all of my clinical experience is in the research setting. Would it be better to leave my job by February of 2024, and try to snag a part-time scribe job while I write my applications from April to July? Or is it alright if I try to get a scribing job after I've submitted my secondaries (and write in my secondaries that I'm currently looking for a job?)
The former would get me some hours and experiences to add to my app, but the latter would allow me to focus only on my app. Alternatively, If I keep my research job, I'll have 5000 research hours and 1000 clinical hours. Bad idea? This would probably be the best option, because I won't have to move, job search, and can finish up a project that I have created.
2) I want to add at least 10 DO schools. I will do my own research, but do you have any suggestions, given my profile, etc.? I will write my DO applications after MD, and finish them by the end of August. I believe the DO cycle runs later, so this is fine, timing-wise. I will try to shadow a DO as well.
Thank you again for your help. I'm grateful for the opportunity to connect with experts here free of cost.