True that if accepted to MD program, you must attend or be 'blacklisted' in future app cycles?

[YossarianLives]

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Having a tough choice in whether to apply this cycle or next cycle. I have high stats (3.95/522), but virtually no clinical experience. I was told that if I apply this year and don't get accepted, it would hurt my chances as a reapplicant at that school.

The more distressing thing, however, is that someone mentioned that if I DID get into an MD program (say, one of my "safeties") that I would have to attend that program, or other schools would see that if I decided to apply for the next cycle and would 'blacklist' me more or less.

If all this is true, I think it's definitely best to wait a year. Because I wouldn't want to jeopardize my chances at my first-choice schools if they say "no" and being a reapplicant would hurt, but applying to a lower-tier school and getting accepted would mean I couldn't have in a choice in what to do from there.

could someone clarify this for me, and if you'd like, I'd love some advice on what you'd do in my shoes! The only downside of waiting a year is that I am a non-traditional student, and so I don't want to get too much older!

 

[Dox4lyfe]

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Apply when you're most competitive: since you're a non-trad (and I'm assuming your stats are set in stone) just take the extra year and get a ton of clinical experience.

2. Only apply to the schools you would be happy going to. Even if it's one of your low-tier options: this way, even if you get into your last choice school, you'll still be happy in the end. You don't want to be stuck with an acceptance to a school you never liked to begin with.

 

[mspeedwagon]

A safety school is "a school you would definitely attend if you didn't get into another school." You'll absolutely kill your chances at all other medical schools. It's a question on both AMCAS and AACOMAS if you were ever accepted to medical school before and why did you not attend. "The school I got into wasn't good enough for me and I'm hoping to go a better school" is absolutely not an acceptable answer.

 

[bannie22]

I would apply to the schools you would be happy to matriculate at. Dont forget there are many more years and application processes to go....

 

[bbbcccppp]

I am assuming that you might want some more time to make the decision if you only got in to your lower tier places. So the question makes perfect sense to me. I find it hard to believe that Harvard would begrudge a person's decline of u of Bleh but that is what is being posted above.....


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[CyrilFiggis]

You know what you call a person who gets accepted to any medical school?

 

[OchemOficionado]

You know what you call a person who gets accepted to any medical school?

A future medical student.

 

[DokterMom]

So your options are:

- Apply this year, but set a relatively high 'floor', eliminating 'safety' schools you would not be happy with.
- Or wait and apply next year.

If you decide to apply this year, do some SDN searches so you can target your applications wisely.

- Look for schools that are reputed to be "stat ******" and DO apply to those.
- Look for schools that are "mission driven" and DO NOT apply there (assuming their missions are public service, not research)

When deciding, take a good honest look at what you've got outside of your numbers since those items will surely be your weakest link. Then set about fixing those holes ASAP so you will be able to demonstrate intent and altruism should you land any interviews.

 

[cke11]

If the rest of your application is good and your stats are amazing, then why not wait a year, get some clinical experience under your belt and have the option to essentially go anywhere you want?

 

[eljefemdfuturo]

If you're only accepted to a DO program but then decide you didn't like it, would you still have a harder time getting into an MD program the next cycle?

 

[Shirafune]

If you're only accepted to a DO program but then decide you didn't like it, would you still have a harder time getting into an MD program the next cycle?

Depends on the secondary asked by MD programs you applied to. Some ask for any previous medical school acceptance in which case you would need to elaborate. Some ask for prior acceptances to MD programs which wouldn't be a problem in this particular scenario.

 

[njtrimed]

If you're that smart, you'll have no problem ranking at the top of your class, crushing the boards, and matching into whatever speciality you want from any U.S. allopathic school. By that metric, you're better off at whichever school will leave you the least in debt, even if that means attending one of your "safety" schools. Plenty of people have multiple options and choose a state school over a higher tier school for that reason.

 

[tantacles]

If you are not willing to attend a safety school, do not apply to it. Only apply to schools you would attend and you can avoid this problem (and the associated cost) altogether.

 

[mwsapphire]

The only time it won't get you blacklisted is if you have legit reason to not attend the school ( they've been put on probation, or are a sketchy, for profit school that's I'm not mentioning here). There was a thread about this here recently.
I would take the year to get clinical experience. You already have great stats and other EC's, so why not wait and have the best possible app.

 

[Tchotchke]

Do something meaningful and clinical this year and you will be a shoe-in for next cycle at top schools.

 

[deargodpleasejustplease]

No.

I had a friend who got into a low tier school two cycles ago. He was unhappy. Depressed.

Applied again last cycle and got into a top 5 school.

 

[mwsapphire]

Oh I know that it's not the for profit part that's the issue, but I just wanted to make clear what school I was referring to without making the actual name obvious.

 

[Bethany555]

Are you blacklisted? In a literal sense, most schools don't blacklist you (although some probably do). My classmate was accepted to Michigan and decided to reapply next cycle and got into Penn as well as other top 10 schools. Additionally, I have two friends from college that turned down lower-tier, private schools. They reapplied: one is now going to their state school, and the other, to BU.

Should you do this? Probably not worth the risk. If you truly have no clinical experience, I would recommend taking a gap year. If you have ~100 hours and top-notch research, you'll likely get interest from top schools.

 

[cactusman]

If you're that smart, you'll have no problem ranking at the top of your class, crushing the boards, and matching into whatever speciality you want from any U.S. allopathic school. By that metric, you're better off at whichever school will leave you the least in debt, even if that means attending one of your "safety" schools. Plenty of people have multiple options and choose a state school over a higher tier school for that reason.

The MCAT is at best moderately correlated with USMLE Step 1, and people on this site seem to overestimate the ability to predict med school performance, although you may be right that OP could match any specialty they aim for.

 

[ace_inhibitor111]

Not too mention, a high MCAT or even being smart for that matter doesn't translate to high clinical grades. So you can't say he will be top of the class even at a low tier school.

 

[ace_inhibitor111]

Also, on topic, my friend applied and got accepted to Rosalind Franklin 3-4 years ago, but withdrew because of some sketchy things he heard about the school. He applied again for two cycles and managed to get a few interviews (one after he emailed begging them to consider him). He unfortunately did not get in either time. So that's an n=1 anecdote supporting that claim.

 

[Skarl]

I'm guessing this is also you?

Is It possible to get into a school without clinical experience w/ a high GPA/MCAT? (serious) • r/premed

And yes turning down an MD offer without good reason will likely hurt your chances reapplying in the future

 

[njtrimed]

The MCAT is at best moderately correlated with USMLE Step 1, and people on this site seem to overestimate the ability to predict med school performance, although you may be right that OP could match any specialty they aim for.

My post was meant to be somewhat tongue in cheek, as the OP strongly implied that s/he is above mid-/lower tier schools and belongs only at a top MD program, and it's better to lose the sense of entitlement now instead of later. And while I haven't read studies on this, I've had quite a few friends who scored in the low 30s on the MCAT who scored >250 on step 1, and others who scored 35+ and taught for Kaplan and scored 210-225 on step 1. Success in med school is determined by taking nothing for granted and working hard along the way, and while a top-ranked school may help somewhat in the match, performance is far more important. I've met no shortage of brilliant, hardworking people in medical school who would be equally successful in a lower or higher tier school than ours.

 

[YossarianLives]

I'm guessing this is also you?

Is It possible to get into a school without clinical experience w/ a high GPA/MCAT? (serious) • r/premed

And yes turning down an MD offer without good reason will likely hurt your chances reapplying in the future

Hah yes. Trying to get multiple sources of info. I think I'm best served just taking the year off and dedicating myself to getting into the best schools I can next cycle.

 

[deargodpleasejustplease]

Are you saying you had a friend who choose to apply to a low-tier school, was accepted, and enrolled?

He did not enroll.

 

[tantacles]

Hah yes. Trying to get multiple sources of info. I think I'm best served just taking the year off and dedicating myself to getting into the best schools I can next cycle.

Sounds like a great idea!


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