I have been a long time lurker on SDN, especially on this particular forum. Over the years I have received incredibly useful information from some of you guys and I feel that it is time for me to return the favor. Being a reapplicant is not easy or advisable, but it doesn't mean that it will prevent you from gaining acceptance. Rejection also doesn't always mean that you are not cut out to be a doctor. Let's face it, there is a ton of talent out there and we all are competing with the cream of the crop, which I believe is a GOOD thing for medicine.
A little about me, I am a third time applicant. Here is a breakdown of how my apps went over the years:
2010
cGPA: 3.75-3.85
sGPA: 3.7-3.8
MCAT: 28O (Mistake #1)
Average ECs: Research and 4 years of working at a hospital. (Mistake #2)
LORs: Average at best. Mostly from professors whose courses I did very well in, but whom I did not necessarily know very well. (Mistake #3)
Result: 2ii/8 rejections at MD schools, which ultimately led to 2 waitlists. I also applied relatively late in the cycle with my secondaries complete by late September/October. Luckily, the interviews I had were early in the year (all before Thanksgiving), but the results were not as I had hoped.
2011
(The fact that I even applied was mistake #4)
My stats stayed the same (not addressing the MCAT was poor judgment on my part). Although my MCAT remained low, I felt that applying late the year before held me back more than my MCAT score. I also spent the previous application year doing a research fellowship at the lab I worked in during undergrad, which led to 3 publications including 1 co-first author. Most importantly, I spend a ton of time volunteering (I will touch on this more later).
Result: The result was nearly the same: 2ii/13rejections and 1 waitlist and 1 rejection post interview (this interview went very poorly so I was not surprised) all at MD schools. In the end, rushing to apply this particular year was a mistake, waste of money, time, and energy. Luckily I realized this early on and spent the year improving my app in case I had to reapply.
2012
A lot changed:
MCAT: Broke 30 and raised my writing score significantly. I did not take an MCAT class, instead I studied with a group and used EK and PR materials. I also focused entirely on practice problems, only reviewing subjects that I struggled with. In my opinion, sitting in an MCAT prep class reviewing material and learning cookie cutter testing strategies is a waste of time and money (for most students). You should do problems, and when you have trouble with a subject read the background material and discuss it with a study group to get their input. PR and EK literally have thousands of problems that you can do, and I did them all. Also take as much time as you need to prepare. Some people need 1 month others need a year. I needed about 2-3 months spending 20-30 hrs per week studying.
GPA: Improved (not that it was terrible before, but I took a few upper level Bio courses for work. It certainly doesn't hurt to show that you're still interested in learning.)
ECs were much better: More publications; spent time abroad; random stuff like triathlons and running marathons; and lots of volunteering. I can't say this enough, volunteer, volunteer, volunteer!!!
LORS: Replaced my old letters with ones from my research mentors and physicians whom I have been shadowing. Also had my committee letter updated.
Results thus far: 4MD ii 4 DO ii, 1 MD acceptance to my dream school, and I'm still in the running everywhere else.
This has been a long post, but to those of you who were in my shoes, I hope that you have gained some clarity on how to take steps toward improving your chances. The truth is that there is no secret to this process; you have to simply do the best you can and make improvements when your best isn't good enough. However, if I had to point to one thing that tipped the scale in my favor this year it would have to be the lessons that I learned volunteering. I won't specify what I did because that's not the point, plus I would like to maintain some anonymity. I will say that my volunteer experiences made me more mature and empathetic. These changes in my character were reflected in my personal statement and secondary essays. Medicine is about serving others and making sacrifices. This is why most medical schools require you to volunteer while you are a student. You don't have to save babies in Africa or rescue giant pandas in China to be involved in a fulfilling service project. You can find equally meaningful volunteer opportunities at your local homeless shelter, senior center, or hospital. As a physician, you better be used to being around people who are different from you and you better be able to relate to them in some way, so go out there and step outside of your comfort zone as much as possible.
The MCAT is also very important (and so are your grades)! Let's face it, the MCAT sucks and a good score does not mean you are smarter than someone else or will be a better doctor, but you have to demonstrate a high level proficiency on standardized tests in order to convince adcoms that you can succeed in medicine. Sure there are examples of people with poor MCAT scores who gain acceptance and do very well, but these individuals are not the norm and if you decide to simply role the dice with weak scores (as I did) you have to accept the fact that the numbers are not going to be in your favor and you will likely be wasting your money. Instead, you should take a year or two off and really focus on addressing your weak areas, whether they are grades; or test scores; or poor ECs. Get a job, work on your app, make some money, and grow up a little. Research is a good option.
I hope that my story helps those of you still struggling to get into medical school. Just know that if you put in the work, follow the rules (yes there are rules, eg good MCAT good grades, ect), get a little creative when things don't work out, and demonstrate your passion and determination through your ECs then you'll eventually get in. Also, it is important to surround yourself with people who have your best interest in mind. If you have a PI that just wants cheap labor or a significant other that wants you give up on med school and find a "real job" then cut them loose! I have been very lucky to have mentors and friends that have always had my back, but I have seen others who were not so lucky. Don't be afraid to ask for help and make connections wherever you can, this is your life. If you have a weak area that needs addressing, I would advise against rolling the dice like I did my first two cycles and work on improving your app. Good luck to you all, and don't ever give up on your dream.🙂
A little about me, I am a third time applicant. Here is a breakdown of how my apps went over the years:
2010
cGPA: 3.75-3.85
sGPA: 3.7-3.8
MCAT: 28O (Mistake #1)
Average ECs: Research and 4 years of working at a hospital. (Mistake #2)
LORs: Average at best. Mostly from professors whose courses I did very well in, but whom I did not necessarily know very well. (Mistake #3)
Result: 2ii/8 rejections at MD schools, which ultimately led to 2 waitlists. I also applied relatively late in the cycle with my secondaries complete by late September/October. Luckily, the interviews I had were early in the year (all before Thanksgiving), but the results were not as I had hoped.
2011
(The fact that I even applied was mistake #4)
My stats stayed the same (not addressing the MCAT was poor judgment on my part). Although my MCAT remained low, I felt that applying late the year before held me back more than my MCAT score. I also spent the previous application year doing a research fellowship at the lab I worked in during undergrad, which led to 3 publications including 1 co-first author. Most importantly, I spend a ton of time volunteering (I will touch on this more later).
Result: The result was nearly the same: 2ii/13rejections and 1 waitlist and 1 rejection post interview (this interview went very poorly so I was not surprised) all at MD schools. In the end, rushing to apply this particular year was a mistake, waste of money, time, and energy. Luckily I realized this early on and spent the year improving my app in case I had to reapply.
2012
A lot changed:
MCAT: Broke 30 and raised my writing score significantly. I did not take an MCAT class, instead I studied with a group and used EK and PR materials. I also focused entirely on practice problems, only reviewing subjects that I struggled with. In my opinion, sitting in an MCAT prep class reviewing material and learning cookie cutter testing strategies is a waste of time and money (for most students). You should do problems, and when you have trouble with a subject read the background material and discuss it with a study group to get their input. PR and EK literally have thousands of problems that you can do, and I did them all. Also take as much time as you need to prepare. Some people need 1 month others need a year. I needed about 2-3 months spending 20-30 hrs per week studying.
GPA: Improved (not that it was terrible before, but I took a few upper level Bio courses for work. It certainly doesn't hurt to show that you're still interested in learning.)
ECs were much better: More publications; spent time abroad; random stuff like triathlons and running marathons; and lots of volunteering. I can't say this enough, volunteer, volunteer, volunteer!!!
LORS: Replaced my old letters with ones from my research mentors and physicians whom I have been shadowing. Also had my committee letter updated.
Results thus far: 4MD ii 4 DO ii, 1 MD acceptance to my dream school, and I'm still in the running everywhere else.
This has been a long post, but to those of you who were in my shoes, I hope that you have gained some clarity on how to take steps toward improving your chances. The truth is that there is no secret to this process; you have to simply do the best you can and make improvements when your best isn't good enough. However, if I had to point to one thing that tipped the scale in my favor this year it would have to be the lessons that I learned volunteering. I won't specify what I did because that's not the point, plus I would like to maintain some anonymity. I will say that my volunteer experiences made me more mature and empathetic. These changes in my character were reflected in my personal statement and secondary essays. Medicine is about serving others and making sacrifices. This is why most medical schools require you to volunteer while you are a student. You don't have to save babies in Africa or rescue giant pandas in China to be involved in a fulfilling service project. You can find equally meaningful volunteer opportunities at your local homeless shelter, senior center, or hospital. As a physician, you better be used to being around people who are different from you and you better be able to relate to them in some way, so go out there and step outside of your comfort zone as much as possible.
The MCAT is also very important (and so are your grades)! Let's face it, the MCAT sucks and a good score does not mean you are smarter than someone else or will be a better doctor, but you have to demonstrate a high level proficiency on standardized tests in order to convince adcoms that you can succeed in medicine. Sure there are examples of people with poor MCAT scores who gain acceptance and do very well, but these individuals are not the norm and if you decide to simply role the dice with weak scores (as I did) you have to accept the fact that the numbers are not going to be in your favor and you will likely be wasting your money. Instead, you should take a year or two off and really focus on addressing your weak areas, whether they are grades; or test scores; or poor ECs. Get a job, work on your app, make some money, and grow up a little. Research is a good option.
I hope that my story helps those of you still struggling to get into medical school. Just know that if you put in the work, follow the rules (yes there are rules, eg good MCAT good grades, ect), get a little creative when things don't work out, and demonstrate your passion and determination through your ECs then you'll eventually get in. Also, it is important to surround yourself with people who have your best interest in mind. If you have a PI that just wants cheap labor or a significant other that wants you give up on med school and find a "real job" then cut them loose! I have been very lucky to have mentors and friends that have always had my back, but I have seen others who were not so lucky. Don't be afraid to ask for help and make connections wherever you can, this is your life. If you have a weak area that needs addressing, I would advise against rolling the dice like I did my first two cycles and work on improving your app. Good luck to you all, and don't ever give up on your dream.🙂
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