Texas Reapplicants, There Is Hope!

[Lmcarroll20]

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I am a reapplicant this year, and I wanted to share my situation with those of you out there who may not be having much luck right now.

*DISCLAIMER* - I have not yet been accepted to a school, but if I was a betting man (which I am) I would not hesitate to put money on saying that I will be accepted soon.

So last year I had one interview at a DO school. I was matched to this school, but with the hardest decision I've ever had to make, I turned it down. The two main reasons I did this: 1) I have a significant other that would have been in a different city, and things were (and still are 🙂) progressing very well, and 2) I was confident in reapplying! (you HAVE to be confident in yourself!)

This year, I have recieved 5 relatively early MD interviews out of the 7 Tx schools I applied to (I did not reapply to UNT or Baylor). I even got an invite for OOS, but its waaaaay too far away. Anyways, I did several things to improve my application. I would love to share with you all what I did, but I won't respond with details unless someone wants the details. There's no point in writing if no one is interested! One thing I'll include though is that I did NOT retake the MCAT, if that helps anyone!

Respond if you want any details or have any questions. I consider myself to be VERY familiar with the system and the application/interview season since I have been through it almost two full times now.

Good Luck!

 

[Richardh]

congrats Lmcarroll20 😀

 

[yaspar]

What are my chances of being accepted this cycle? I applied last year when I was not a TX resident and applied again this year as a TX resident. My stats are NOT pretty but let me know your advice/opinion please. Overall GPA 3.09, undergrad gpa 3.07, science gpa 2.85, poor MCAT 16O applying to UTMB, UT San Antonio, and UT Houston. I am post-bac pre-med, volunteer and research experiences in community meds and public health, hoping to do family meds. Nine years working in finance in corporate America and internationally and just want to pursue my life-long dream of being a family physician serving the underserved primarily and advancing the science of medicine through research and implementing effective programs for poorer individuals and communities in particular. Thank you.

 

[noshie]

What are my chances of being accepted this cycle? I applied last year when I was not a TX resident and applied again this year as a TX resident. My stats are NOT pretty but let me know your advice/opinion please. Overall GPA 3.09, undergrad gpa 3.07, science gpa 2.85, poor MCAT 16O applying to UTMB, UT San Antonio, and UT Houston. I am post-bac pre-med, volunteer and research experiences in community meds and public health, hoping to do family meds. Nine years working in finance in corporate America and internationally and just want to pursue my life-long dream of being a family physician serving the underserved primarily and advancing the science of medicine through research and implementing effective programs for poorer individuals and communities in particular. Thank you.

I am surprised no one has said anything about this yet... 🙂 Well, Yaspar, I am going to have to tell you the hard and horrible truth. I don't want you to think that I am being mean or rude... I was once in your position, literally... I had a 16 on my MCAT with GPAs around yours when I applied to all of the schools in Texas the first time I applied, in 2006... So I have hindsight and insight into what you are going through…

First, Texas is very competitive… I knew that going into my first application cycle, but I had some amazing experiences, and I thought that numbers just can't be everything when you have so many other things going for you. Well… I was wrong. With your GPA and MCAT score as they are now, you will not get into med school this year. I say this with almost 100% certainty… Trust me, I have been there, and this is my third application cycle… The other two times I applied, in 2006 and 2008, I had a very low MCAT score. The first time I applied I started out with a 16, then I retook it a few months later and got a 19. I received no interviews… Then the second time I applied I retook the MCAT and got a 17… Again, no interviews. This year I increased my MCAT after some serious hard work and got a 27. I am positive that this is one of the main reasons that I have even received 2 Texas interviews this cycle.

I had to do a lot of things to better my application because I started out with such horrible stats (GPA and MCAT). I went to graduate school and got my masters in a hard science major, I received a 3.7 graduating GPA in that program. This showed that I could handle the difficult level of work that is needed in medical school. I have completed almost 4 years of research, with several publications. I have worked in the medical field for over 5 years, with direct patient contact. I could really go on and on… But the point is, you cannot just think that your numbers can get better. There is a point you hit where all you can do is fix your MCAT score, and when you realize that you will never become a physician until you do this, then you WILL do it.

You have to overcome your numbers. You need to get some more unique experiences and you need to fix that MCAT. It's going to take some hard work and serious dedication, but I am confident that if I can do it, you can do it. I suggest you focus on your MCAT right now, retake it in Jan or March of next year and get in some amazing experiences until then. If you need me to send you my detailed plan on how I raised my MCAT score 11 points, just let me know… It's definitely different trying to raise an MCAT score in the teens than it is when you just have a 20 something score and raise it a few points…

Lastly, I want to tell you that I know how hard it is to tell people your scores when they are so low. I think that the fact that you just came on here and posted them for everyone to see is really a big deal. That shows me that you know that you are not defined by your MCAT and GPA. This is the best attitude to have in this situation. Your numbers do not define you, and they certainly don't mean that you are not going to make a good physician. But, the first step in becoming a physician is to fix what you have and show the adcoms that you can do this, and you will do this. Good luck! I really wish the best for you.

 

[Ursa]

Great answer Noshie. Yaspar, I have to agree with her...you need to raise your MCAT significantly. To get into any MD schools (especially in Texas, like for me and Noshie) you will have to have >25...This is just because Texas is so competitive. Also, make sure whatever experience you get for the next few years has a GPA attached to it (grad school, postbac, etc.). There's no point in raising your MCAT and working in a clinic for two years if you are just going to reapply with the same GPA. Use the next couple of years to improve both stats.

It can be done. Keep your head up.

 

[Stephen2009]

I am a reapplicant this year, and I wanted to share my situation with those of you out there who may not be having much luck right now.

*DISCLAIMER* - I have not yet been accepted to a school, but if I was a betting man (which I am) I would not hesitate to put money on saying that I will be accepted soon.

So last year I had one interview at a DO school. I was matched to this school, but with the hardest decision I've ever had to make, I turned it down. The two main reasons I did this: 1) I have a significant other that would have been in a different city, and things were (and still are 🙂) progressing very well, and 2) I was confident in reapplying! (you HAVE to be confident in yourself!)

This year, I have recieved 5 relatively early MD interviews out of the 7 Tx schools I applied to (I did not reapply to UNT or Baylor). I even got an invite for OOS, but its waaaaay too far away. Anyways, I did several things to improve my application. I would love to share with you all what I did, but I won't respond with details unless someone wants the details. There's no point in writing if no one is interested! One thing I'll include though is that I did NOT retake the MCAT, if that helps anyone!

Respond if you want any details or have any questions. I consider myself to be VERY familiar with the system and the application/interview season since I have been through it almost two full times now.

Good Luck!

I'm interested so please do tell (in as much detail as you want!)! Thanks!

 

[chloec]

Noshie,
I would LOVE to know how you raised your MCAT! Im in almost the exact same situation as you were. My MCAt were very much similar to yours and I've taken it 3 times. I wont retake unitl I'm consistently scoring in my target range, (which I was doing right before I took my last MCAT, yet no improvement from previous scores). I decided to do teh Post-Bacc program at UTD and I'll be starting the Master's Program in Appllied Cognition & Neuroscience in January. Just liek you, I have enough shadowing experience, continue to work in a hospital with direct patient care for last 5 yrs, adn I'm only missing some research hrs. BUT you are SOOOOO Right, the MCAT is a Beast and I know its the only thing in my way! I would love to hear how your improved your score!