Medical Waitlist Advice

[gyngyn]

I was waitlisted at the only MD school I interviewed at. I loooved the school, and I am interested in surgery, so I would rather go MD than a "top" DO school. I also preferred the location, curriculum, community, etc of the school, so I would much rather attend there.

I was wondering if writing a letter of intent and/or updating the school on a new research project that I just started (which happens to be with a physician who is an alumni of said MD school). I currently work with two physicians who graduated from this MD school. Is it really all about who you know? As in should I ask the physicians who i work with to possibly put in a good word for me?

If it is a ranked waitlist, the LOI will have no effect.
If either of these physicians has maintained a strong relationship with the school, a call to the admissions dean may have a small positive effect. This effect will not move the needle into another stratum of acceptances, but it may edge it up a bit in the stratum into which your application was sorted.
We are not supposed to consider letters submitted outside of the AMCAS letter system.

 

[Goro]

Thank you for your response. Realistically, if I go DO (which I'm fine with and honestly think there are some benefits to going DO), how well would I have to do in medical school and on the USMLE to get into general surgery and/or an i-6 CT residency?

General Surgery will be an uphill challenge, but not impossible. Subspecialties will be difficult.

read this:
www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NRMP-2018-Program-Director-Survey-for-WWW.pdf
see page 149