To reapply or not?

[Phys2001]

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Hi! I have just about finished the 2025-2026 cycle and am seeking input on next steps. To preface the following, my overarching goal is surgery as of now. I am looking to secure a residency at an academic center (this will be important as I review the cycle results).

Residence
CA and ORM

Major
Molecular Bio and minor in chemistry

Stats
cGPA: 3.85
sGPA: 3.89
MCAT: 496 -> 504 -> 506 (496 not included in this reapp since it has been 3yrs)

Activities
Clinical
1. EMT (860hrs)
2. ER technician (760hrs)
3. Cardiovascular clinic focused on underserved populations (100hrs)
4. Shadowing (100hrs)
5. Hospital volunteer (70hrs)
Research
1. ~5000 hours
2. 7 pubs with one being as first author
3. Two presentations, one resulting in an award
4. One research internship early in undergrad (500hrs)
Non-clinical
1. Memoir writing for world-renowned epidemiologist (50hrs)
2. Co-founder of education program that serves underserved populations (~2500hrs)
3. Climate club co-founder in community college (300hrs)
4. Karate (500hrs)

Personal Statement
The multifactorial approach to medicine and how it connects me to my upbringing. Spoke afterward about my ambitions to become a physician-scientist while intertwining my experiences with stories.

Gap Year
1

Schools Applied To
KP, USC, Lewis Katz, Loma Linda, LSU, Loyola, Mayo, Michigan State University, Morehouse, NYU, Oakland Beaumont, Ohio State, Penn State, UPenn, Rush, Sidney Kimmel, Stanford, SUNY, Texas A&M, Tufts, Tulane, University of Central Florida, Pritzker, University of Hawaii, University of Illinois, University of Missouri, University of Pittsburgh, Wright State, UC Riverside, UC San Francisco, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, UC Irvine

Cycle Results:
UCSF II (JMP and traditional) -> WL for both
Midwestern II -> Waiting to hear back
Touro COM Montana II -> Accepted

Notes
Again, my goal is to attend a gen surg residency at an academic center. Is this possible at a school like Touro COM Montana? I have spoken with students and heard positive things about the faculty and research opportunities. It is important to keep in mind that Touro COM Montana is not P/F! Given this, I am leaning towards fully matriculating...

Additionally, in the previous cycle, I was not the best at submitting secondaries on time and submitted in early July.

New School List
Likely
UC Riverside, CUSM, Loma Linda, Drexel, RFU, Creighton, Eastern Virginia, Oakland Beaumont, Frist College of Medicine at Belmont, Alice L. Walton, University of Toledo, Saint Louis, Wayne
Target
UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Wake Forest, Hofstra, Albany, New York Medical College, Tulane, Hackensack, Temple, Tufts, Medical College of Wisconsin, Loyola Stritch, Quinnipiac, Rush, George Washington
Reach
UC San Francisco, UC Los Angeles, USC, Stanford, Dartmouth, Mt. Sinai, Uniformed Services University
DO
WesternU College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Touro University California, Midwestern Univ Chicago COM (CCOM), Midwestern Univ Arizona COM (AZCOM), Philadelphia COM (PCOM), Kansas City University COM, Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University COM, Univ of North Texas TCOM, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine

Any thoughts on taking Touro COM Montana? Any thoughts on the new school list? Any advice/thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Phys2001]

Hi! I have just about finished the 2025-2026 cycle and am seeking input on next steps. To preface the following, my overarching goal is surgery as of now. I am looking to secure a residency at an academic center (this will be important as I review the cycle results).

Residence
CA and ORM

Major
Molecular Bio and minor in chemistry

Stats
cGPA: 3.85
sGPA: 3.89
MCAT: 496 -> 504 -> 506 (496 not included in this reapp since it has been 3yrs)

Activities
Clinical
1. EMT (860hrs)
2. ER technician (760hrs)
3. Cardiovascular clinic focused on underserved populations (100hrs)
4. Shadowing (100hrs)
5. Hospital volunteer (70hrs)
Research
1. ~5000 hours
2. 7 pubs with one being as first author
3. Two presentations, one resulting in an award
4. One research internship early in undergrad (500hrs)
Non-clinical
1. Memoir writing for world-renowned epidemiologist (50hrs)
2. Co-founder of education program that serves underserved populations (~2500hrs)
3. Climate club co-founder in community college (300hrs)
4. Karate (500hrs)

Personal Statement
The multifactorial approach to medicine and how it connects me to my upbringing. Spoke afterward about my ambitions to become a physician-scientist while intertwining my experiences with stories.

Gap Year
1

Schools Applied To
KP, USC, Lewis Katz, Loma Linda, LSU, Loyola, Mayo, Michigan State University, Morehouse, NYU, Oakland Beaumont, Ohio State, Penn State, UPenn, Rush, Sidney Kimmel, Stanford, SUNY, Texas A&M, Tufts, Tulane, University of Central Florida, Pritzker, University of Hawaii, University of Illinois, University of Missouri, University of Pittsburgh, Wright State, UC Riverside, UC San Francisco, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, UC Irvine

Cycle Results:
UCSF II (JMP and traditional) -> WL for both
Midwestern II -> Waiting to hear back
Touro COM Montana II -> Accepted

Notes
Again, my goal is to attend a gen surg residency at an academic center. Is this possible at a school like Touro COM Montana? I have spoken with students and heard positive things about the faculty and research opportunities. It is important to keep in mind that Touro COM Montana is not P/F!

Additionally, in the previous cycle, I was not the best at submitting secondaries on time and submitted in early July.

New School List
Likely
UC Riverside, CUSM, Loma Linda, Drexel, RFU, Creighton, Eastern Virginia, Oakland Beaumont, Frist College of Medicine at Belmont, Alice L. Walton, University of Toledo, Saint Louis, Wayne
Target
UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Wake Forest, Hofstra, Albany, New York Medical College, Tulane, Hackensack, Temple, Tufts, Medical College of Wisconsin, Loyola Stritch, Quinnipiac, Rush, George Washington
Reach
UC San Francisco, UC Los Angeles, USC, Stanford, Dartmouth, Mt. Sinai, Uniformed Services University

Any thoughts on taking Touro COM Montana? Any thoughts on the new school list? Any advice/thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

FYI - UCSF JMP CTE is June 1 and UCSF traditional CTE is July 1. Two updates and one LOI have been dropped off in person.

 

[Goro]

If you're going to reapply to MD schools, invest in MSAR online and and target those private MD schools whose matriculant scores are closest to your own.

You had a lot of donations on your list. The schools don't need the money. Take your dad out for Father's Day instead.

Pray tell, can you enlighten us as to why you applied to UPenn? Or did you mean Penn state?

 

[Med Ed]

MCAT: 496 -> 504 -> 506 (496 not included in this reapp since it has been 3yrs)

Schools see all your MCAT scores, including the ones that have expired. I wouldn't waste the money on Stanford.

I am not sure what to tell you about Touro Montana. On the one hand, it does not seem like a logical stepping stone to a university surgery program. On the other hand, beggars cannot be choosers. I don't think it's unreasonable to reapply, especially considering how atrocious your first school list was.

 

[Phys2001]

Schools see all your MCAT scores, including the ones that have expired. I wouldn't waste the money on Stanford.

I am not sure what to tell you about Touro Montana. On the one hand, it does not seem like a logical stepping stone to a university surgery program. On the other hand, beggars cannot be choosers. I don't think it's unreasonable to reapply, especially considering how atrocious your first school list was.

My main qualm right now about reapplying is that I have not addressed the number-one red flag on my application: the MCAT. I applied to Stanford only because most of my research was conducted there.

 

[Phys2001]

If you're going to reapply to MD schools, invest in MSAR online and and target those private MD schools whose matriculant scores are closest to your own.

You had a lot of donations on your list. The schools don't need the money. Take your dad out for Father's Day instead.

Pray tell, can you enlighten us as to why you applied to UPenn? Or did you mean Penn state?

My main qualm right now about reapplying is that I have not addressed the number-one red flag on my application: the MCAT. Right, I realize how horrible the first school list was. This time around, I chose schools that were more closely aligned with my application, with a much stronger emphasis on the MCAT filter.

 

[Goro]

My main qualm right now about reapplying is that I have not addressed the number-one red flag on my application: the MCAT. Right, I realize how horrible the first school list was. This time around, I chose schools that were more closely aligned with my application, with a much stronger emphasis on the MCAT filter.

With a 506 score, here are the schools I suggest.

Belmont (maybe)
EVMS
Loma Linda (only if you are SDA or a very devout Christian)
MCW
Oakland-B
Rosy Franklin
Rush
Temple
U VM
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
Your state school(s).
Any DO program. Include PacNW first. I can't recommend LMU, SOMA, RVU, BCOM, Noorda, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. Avoid those new schools that haven't graduated a class yet, if at all possible.

 

[RMR_1]

Hi! I have just about finished the 2025-2026 cycle and am seeking input on next steps. To preface the following, my overarching goal is surgery as of now. I am looking to secure a residency at an academic center (this will be important as I review the cycle results).

Residence
CA and ORM

Activities
Clinical
1. EMT (860hrs)
2. ER technician (760hrs)
3. Cardiovascular clinic focused on underserved populations (100hrs)
4. Shadowing (100hrs)
5. Hospital volunteer (70hrs)
Research
1. ~5000 hours
2. 7 pubs with one being as first author
3. Two presentations, one resulting in an award
4. One research internship early in undergrad (500hrs)
Non-clinical
1. Memoir writing for world-renowned epidemiologist (50hrs)
2. Co-founder of education program that serves underserved populations (~2500hrs)
3. Climate club co-founder in community college (300hrs)
4. Karate (500hrs)

Schools Applied To
KP, USC, Lewis Katz, Loma Linda, LSU, Loyola, Mayo, Michigan State University, Morehouse, NYU, Oakland Beaumont, Ohio State, Penn State, UPenn, Rush, Sidney Kimmel, Stanford, SUNY, Texas A&M, Tufts, Tulane, University of Central Florida, Pritzker, University of Hawaii, University of Illinois, University of Missouri, University of Pittsburgh, Wright S

Likely
UC Riverside, CUSM, Loma Linda, Drexel, RFU, Creighton, Eastern Virginia, Oakland Beaumont, Frist College of Medicine at Belmont, Alice L. Walton, University of Toledo, Saint Louis, Wayne
Target
UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Wake Forest, Hofstra, Albany, New York Medical College, Tulane, Hackensack, Temple, Tufts, Medical College of Wisconsin, Loyola Stritch, Quinnipiac, Rush, George Washington
Reach
UC San Francisco, UC Los Angeles, USC, Stanford, Dartmouth, Mt. Sinai, Uniformed Services University
DO
WesternU College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Touro University California, Midwestern Univ Chicago COM (CCOM), Midwestern Univ Arizona COM (AZCOM), Philadelphia COM (PCOM), Kansas City University COM, Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University COM, Univ of North Texas TCOM, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine

Any thoughts on taking Touro COM Montana? Any thoughts on the new school list? Any advice/thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Frist College of Medicine has not graduated a class yet, I believe.

When you re-apply, you have to up the ante and make your app 2x or more as good as it was the first time AND prove that you learned from what you did wrong the first time.

ADCOMs want to see that you:
1. Have an outstanding application, which is not only better than other students' apps but better than yours was the first time around, and
2. Have a hook, or something that makes you different from the other apps.

Hope that this helped and good luck.

 

[Goro]

Frist College of Medicine has not graduated a class yet, I believe.

When you re-apply, you have to up the ante and make your app 2x or more as good as it was the first time AND prove that you learned from what you did wrong the first time.

ADCOMs want to see that you:
1. Have an outstanding application, which is not only better than other students' apps but better than yours was the first time around, and
2. Have a hook, or something that makes you different from the other apps.

Hope that this helped and good luck.

Correct about Frist, but MD schools have higher standards than DO schools, and so will have better resources in place.

 

[Phys2001]

With a 506 score, here are the schools I suggest.

Belmont (maybe)
EVMS
Loma Linda (only if you are SDA or a very devout Christian)
MCW
Oakland-B
Rosy Franklin
Rush
Temple
U VM
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
Your state school(s).
Any DO program. Include PacNW first. I can't recommend LMU, SOMA, RVU, BCOM, Noorda, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. Avoid those new schools that haven't graduated a class yet, if at all possible.

Thanks for the input Goro, deeply appreciated. What are your thoughts on the following MD list? FYI - I am a California ORM with my research happening at Stanford SOM. I am also applying to every combined program I can. I've tried to keep the list as OOS-friendly as possible via MSAR analysis.

• UC Riverside SOM
• California University of Science & Medicine (CUSM)
• Loma Linda University SOM
• Drexel University COM
• Rosalind Franklin University / Chicago Medical School
• Creighton University SOM
• Eastern Virginia MS (Macon & Joan Brock VHS @ ODU)
• Oakland Univ William Beaumont SOM
• Frist College of Medicine at Belmont
• Alice L. Walton School of Medicine
• University of Toledo COM & Life Sciences
• Saint Louis University SOM
• UC Davis SOM
• UC Irvine SOM
• UC San Diego SOM
• Wake Forest SOM
• Hofstra/Northwell (Zucker SOM)
• Albany Medical College
• New York Medical College
• Tulane University SOM
• Hackensack Meridian SOM
• Temple Lewis Katz SOM
• Tufts University SOM
• Medical College of Wisconsin
• Loyola Stritch SOM
• Quinnipiac Frank H. Netter SOM
• Rush Medical College
• George Washington SOM
• Larner College of Medicine at U Vermont
• UCSF SOM (reapply from WL)
• UCLA David Geffen SOM
• USC Keck SOM
• Stanford MD/MS Health Equity (REACH)
• Dartmouth Geisel SOM
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Wayne State University SOM
• Uniformed Services University (USUHS) — F. Edward Hébert SOM

What about this DO list?

• Arizona COM of Midwestern University (AZCOM)
• California Health Sciences University – COM (CHSU)
• Chicago COM of Midwestern University (CCOM)
• Des Moines University COM (DMU)
• Kansas City University COM
• Michigan State University COM
• New York Institute of Technology COM (NYITCOM), Long Island
• Nova Southeastern Univ – Dr. Kiran C. Patel COM (KPCOM)
• Ohio University Heritage COM (OU-HCOM)
• Pacific Northwest University COM (PNWU)
• Philadelphia COM / PCOM South Georgia (PCOM)
• Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
• Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (New York)
• Touro University COM – California (TUCOM)
• Western University COMP of the Pacific (Pomona)
• Western University COMP – Northwest (Lebanon, OR)

Thank you again.

 

[Goro]

If you have a connection to the Inland Empire, add UCR.

Your MCAT score is vastly below the averages for matriculating students for the schools on your list.

You're fine for all the do schools on your list.

 

[Med Ed]

Agree with @Goro about your MCAT. The conservative approach is to use the average of all takes, which for you is a 502.

Now look at your list. You are proposing to apply to Tufts, for instance. The average MCAT at Tufts is around 515-516. You are wasting your money applying there.

There are a handful of low-yield private MD schools where you may get lucky.

 

[Goro]

Also, Loma Linda is for seven day Adventists were extremely religious Christians who wish to serve Christ.

For somebody who did research, you need to do a better job at looking at the missions of schools.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

OP: I really hope you took the offer. There is no guarantee you'll get another chance.

 

[Phys2001]

OP: I really hope you took the offer. There is no guarantee you'll get another chance.

I did not take the offer, it did not align with my future goals; however, I just got accepted at Midwestern (Chicago), and will be accepting the offer. Thank you all for your help!