MD & DO WAMC 4.0/522 Reapp Research Heavy

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tusan2000

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PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE THIS MESSAGE

Hi all, am currently preparing for a reapplication. Have already received great advice from some of the experts on SDN but still wanted to make this more public post to get more perspectives as I start reapplying in earnest.

Going to try to thread the needle between being too vague and being too identifiable. Am still on two WLs, so am a bit paranoid about this post being tracked down by the programs I'm still in the running for. Happy to DM more specific info if that would help people give better advice.

Applied to 16 MD PhD programs and 2 MD programs this cycle (see below for list) with the majority of my completion dates falling between August-October. Was invited to interview at 4 MD PhD programs (t5, t30, and 2 t50s) and ultimately actually interviewed at 3 (t10 and 2 t50s). Currently waitlisted at the t5 and one of the t50s. Would be overjoyed to get off the WLs and pursue my MD PhD dreams, but am not betting on it at this point, especially as funding shenanigans continue and programs get more cautious and conservative with acceptances.

For various personal reasons, I am leaning towards applying MD only this next round. I do still have the research bug, but my understanding is that I should have a chance to get back into research in a major way later if I can get into the appropriate residencies.

Anyways, WAMC if I reapply MD only this cycle? Any advice on what I can do before and during the next app cycle to improve my chances of acceptance?

Previously submitted primary plus expected improvements when resubmitting primary:
  1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
    - AMCAS cGPA 3.99, sGPA 4.00
  2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown. Include all (non-voided) attempts.
    - Total 522
  3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
    - CA
  4. Ethnicity and/or race
    - Asian
  5. Undergraduate institution or category
    - T1 large public research university
  6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
    - ~150 hrs as predominantly front desk volunteer in large safety net hospital, will add for reapp primary ~130 hrs volunteering on patient care floor in same hospital helping nurses clean, move, feed, etc. patients
    - exploring also adding some hospice volunteering but will have to stop current hospital volunteering so not entirely sure that it is worth, thoughts?
    - planning to pursue actual clinic work (dialysis tech, scribe, MA, etc.) after finishing secondary submissions
  7. Research experience and productivity
    - ~3000 hrs total, will add 1720 hrs for reapp primary; various basic science research experiences including full time work during gap years
    - co authored a conference poster before primary submission, co authored a paper published in ~30 IF Nature Portfolio journal during secondaries, will add a co author preprint (currently under review) for reapp primary
  8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
    - ~80 hrs total in primary care settings, planning to add more but have only secured some geriatric shadowing currently
  9. Non-clinical volunteering HELP DESIRED
    - ~50 hrs science outreach at underserved elementary schools
    - ~200 hrs mentoring low income high schoolers in robotics
    - Consider this to be a weak point right now. Figure I have the time to roughly add ~100 hrs before submitting reapp primary. Currently deciding on whether or not to engage in either crisis text line (CTL) or foodbank or both. Have a fairly deep personal reason and interest in doing CTL. That being said, as has been pointed out to me, foodbank would be actually in person and could help me grow in ways that I have not been able to since I haven't really engaged in these types of activities before. Right now, leaning towards just doing both for ~50 hrs each. Thoughts on the best course of action here? Split my attention and do both or really dive into just one of these activities?
  10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
    - ~100 hrs as a STEM course tutor
  11. Relevant honors or awards
    - 2 major merit scholarships
    - 1 minor funding award for undergrad research
    - several academic recognitions (e.g. Dean's List, etc.)
  12. Anything else not listed you think might be important
    - have LOR from all research mentors and several science professors
    - imo, writing was rushed and not great, working to make it much better this time
    - also working to ensure that apps are going to be completed much earlier this time
Completed application at the following programs (actually submitted primary to 33 MD PhD and MD programs):
  1. Harvard MSTP
  2. Stanford MSTP
  3. UCSF MSTP
  4. Columbia MSTP
  5. UPenn MSTP
  6. UCLA MSTP
  7. Northwestern MSTP
  8. UMich MSTP
  9. Cornell MSTP
  10. UCSD MSTP
  11. Mayo MSTP
  12. URochester MSTP
  13. UC Irvine MSTP
  14. Einstein MSTP
  15. UMinnesota MSTP
  16. UC Davis MD PhD
  17. USC MD
  18. SKMC MD
Rough School List for MD only Reapp:
way too large rn, appreciate suggestions on what schools to remove or add including DO, trying to shave this down to ~30-35 programs, figure its probably best to focus on schools that favor stats and research given state of my current app?
  1. Harvard (reapplicant)
  2. Johns Hopkins (reapplicant)
  3. UPenn (reapplicant)
  4. Columbia (reapplicant)
  5. Duke
  6. Stanford (reapplicant)
  7. UCSF (reapplicant)
  8. Vanderbilt
  9. WashU St Louis
  10. Cornell (reapplicant)
  11. NYU (reapplicant)
  12. Yale (reapplicant)
  13. Mayo (reapplicant)
  14. Northwestern (reapplicant)
  15. UMich (reapplicant)
  16. UPitt (reapplicant)
  17. Mt. Sinai (reapplicant)
  18. UChicago (reapplicant)
  19. UCLA (reapplicant)
  20. UCSD (reapplicant)
  21. Emory
  22. Case Western
  23. UColorado
  24. Ohio State (reapplicant)
  25. USC (reapplicant)
  26. UVirginia
  27. Boston Uni
  28. URochester (reapplicant)
  29. UCincinnati
  30. Einstein (reapplicant)
  31. UC Irvine (reapplicant)
  32. Dartmouth
  33. Wake Forest
  34. UC Davis (reapplicant) grew up right next to them
  35. Tufts (reapplicant)
  36. SKMC (reapplicant)
  37. UIllinois
  38. UArizona Tucson birthplace
  39. Virginia Tech
  40. NYMC
  41. Albany
  42. California Northstate
  43. California University of Science and Medicine
  44. Carle (reapplicant)
  45. Kaiser (reapplicant)
  46. UPenn (reapplicant) Edit: meant Penn State
  47. UArizona Phoenix (reapplicant)
  48. Western Michigan
 
Last edited:
You should accumulate 150+ hours at the food bank before you submit your application (not crisis text since that is not in person).
I suggest these schools from your list:
Reaction score 0









PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE THIS MESSAGE

Hi all, am currently preparing for a reapplication. Have already received great advice from some of the experts on SDN but still wanted to make this more public post to get more perspectives as I start reapplying in earnest.

Going to try to thread the needle between being too vague and being too identifiable. Am still on two WLs, so am a bit paranoid about this post being tracked down by the programs I'm still in the running for. Happy to DM more specific info if that would help people give better advice.

Applied to 16 MD PhD programs and 2 MD programs this cycle (see below for list) with the majority of my completion dates falling between August-October. Was invited to interview at 4 MD PhD programs (t5, t30, and 2 t50s) and ultimately actually interviewed at 3 (t10 and 2 t50s). Currently waitlisted at the t5 and one of the t50s. Would be overjoyed to get off the WLs and pursue my MD PhD dreams, but am not betting on it at this point, especially as funding shenanigans continue and programs get more cautious and conservative with acceptances.

For various personal reasons, I am leaning towards applying MD only this next round. I do still have the research bug, but my understanding is that I should have a chance to get back into research in a major way later if I can get into the appropriate residencies.

Anyways, WAMC if I reapply MD only this cycle? Any advice on what I can do before and during the next app cycle to improve my chances of acceptance?

Previously submitted primary plus expected improvements when resubmitting primary:
  1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
    - AMCAS cGPA 3.99, sGPA 4.00
  2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown. Include all (non-voided) attempts.
    - Total 522
  3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
    - CA
  4. Ethnicity and/or race
    - Asian
  5. Undergraduate institution or category
    - T1 large public research university
  6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
    - ~150 hrs as predominantly front desk volunteer in large safety net hospital, will add for reapp primary ~130 hrs volunteering on patient care floor in same hospital helping nurses clean, move, feed, etc. patients
    - exploring also adding some hospice volunteering but will have to stop current hospital volunteering so not entirely sure that it is worth, thoughts?
    - planning to pursue actual clinic work (dialysis tech, scribe, MA, etc.) after finishing secondary submissions
  7. Research experience and productivity
    - ~3000 hrs total, will add 1720 hrs for reapp primary; various basic science research experiences including full time work during gap years
    - co authored a conference poster before primary submission, co authored a paper published in ~30 IF Nature Portfolio journal during secondaries, will add a co author preprint (currently under review) for reapp primary
  8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
    - ~80 hrs total in primary care settings, planning to add more but have only secured some geriatric shadowing currently
  9. Non-clinical volunteering HELP DESIRED
    - ~50 hrs science outreach at underserved elementary schools
    - ~200 hrs mentoring low income high schoolers in robotics
    - Consider this to be a weak point right now. Figure I have the time to roughly add ~100 hrs before submitting reapp primary. Currently deciding on whether or not to engage in either crisis text line (CTL) or foodbank or both. Have a fairly deep personal reason and interest in doing CTL. That being said, as has been pointed out to me, foodbank would be actually in person and could help me grow in ways that I have not been able to since I haven't really engaged in these types of activities before. Right now, leaning towards just doing both for ~50 hrs each. Thoughts on the best course of action here? Split my attention and do both or really dive into just one of these activities?
  10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
    - ~100 hrs as a STEM course tutor
  11. Relevant honors or awards
    - 2 major merit scholarships
    - 1 minor funding award for undergrad research
    - several academic recognitions (e.g. Dean's List, etc.)
  12. Anything else not listed you think might be important
    - have LOR from all research mentors and several science professors
    - imo, writing was rushed and not great, working to make it much better this time
    - also working to ensure that apps are going to be completed much earlier this time
Completed application at the following programs (actually submitted primary to 33 MD PhD and MD programs):
  1. Harvard MSTP
  2. Stanford MSTP
  3. UCSF MSTP
  4. Columbia MSTP
  5. UPenn MSTP
  6. UCLA MSTP
  7. Northwestern MSTP
  8. UMich MSTP
  9. Cornell MSTP
  10. UCSD MSTP
  11. Mayo MSTP
  12. URochester MSTP
  13. UC Irvine MSTP
  14. Einstein MSTP
  15. UMinnesota MSTP
  16. UC Davis MD PhD
  17. USC MD
  18. SKMC MD
Rough School List for MD only Reapp:
way too large rn, appreciate suggestions on what schools to remove or add including DO, trying to shave this down to ~30-35 programs, figure its probably best to focus on schools that favor stats and research given state of my current app?
  1. Harvard (reapplicant)
  2. Johns Hopkins (reapplicant)
  3. UPenn (reapplicant)
  4. Columbia (reapplicant)
  5. Duke
  6. Stanford (reapplicant)
  7. UCSF (reapplicant)
  8. Vanderbilt
  9. WashU St Louis
  10. Cornell (reapplicant)
  11. NYU (reapplicant)
  12. Yale (reapplicant)
  13. Mayo (reapplicant)
  14. Northwestern (reapplicant)
  15. UMich (reapplicant)
  16. UPitt (reapplicant)
  17. Mt. Sinai (reapplicant)
  18. UChicago (reapplicant)
  19. UCLA (reapplicant)
  20. UCSD (reapplicant)
  21. Emory
  22. Case Western
  23. UColorado
  24. USC (reapplicant)
  25. UVirginia
  26. Boston Uni
  27. URochester (reapplicant)
  28. UCincinnati
  29. Einstein (reapplicant)
  30. UC Irvine (reapplicant)
  31. Dartmouth
  32. UC Davis (reapplicant) grew up right next to them
  33. Tufts (reapplicant)
  34. SKMC (reapplicant)
  35. UArizona Tucson birthplace
  36. Virginia Tech
  37. California University of Science and Medicine
  38. Kaiser (reapplicant)
  39. UPenn (reapplicant)
 
You should accumulate 150+ hours at the food bank before you submit your application (not crisis text since that is not in person).
I suggest these schools from your list:

  1. Harvard (reapplicant)
  2. Johns Hopkins (reapplicant)
  3. UPenn (reapplicant)
  4. Columbia (reapplicant)
  5. Duke
  6. Stanford (reapplicant)
  7. UCSF (reapplicant)
  8. Vanderbilt
  9. WashU St Louis
  10. Cornell (reapplicant)
  11. NYU (reapplicant)
  12. Yale (reapplicant)
  13. Mayo (reapplicant)
  14. Northwestern (reapplicant)
  15. UMich (reapplicant)
  16. UPitt (reapplicant)
  17. Mt. Sinai (reapplicant)
  18. UChicago (reapplicant)
  19. UCLA (reapplicant)
  20. UCSD (reapplicant)
  21. Emory
  22. Case Western
  23. UColorado
  24. USC (reapplicant)
  25. UVirginia
  26. Boston Uni
  27. URochester (reapplicant)
  28. UCincinnati
  29. Einstein (reapplicant)
  30. UC Irvine (reapplicant)
  31. Dartmouth
  32. UC Davis (reapplicant) grew up right next to them
  33. Tufts (reapplicant)
  34. SKMC (reapplicant)
  35. UArizona Tucson birthplace
  36. Virginia Tech
  37. California University of Science and Medicine
  38. Kaiser (reapplicant)
  39. UPenn (reapplicant)
Thank you for your response. Just to clarify regarding the nonclinical volunteering, you are suggesting then that I forgo CTL and completely dedicate myself to the foodbank volunteering I have arranged, correct? Would this not be seen as cramming last minute to check a box? Also, your suggested school list seems very top heavy? I'm all for going to a top school, but I think this cycle's results is demonstrating that I should probably fill out my list with schools that are a little less competitive.
 
Thank you for your response. Just to clarify regarding the nonclinical volunteering, you are suggesting then that I forgo CTL and completely dedicate myself to the foodbank volunteering I have arranged, correct? Would this not be seen as cramming last minute to check a box? Also, your suggested school list seems very top heavy? I'm all for going to a top school, but I think this cycle's results is demonstrating that I should probably fill out my list with schools that are a little less competitive.
Yes, forego crisis text line and accumulate as many hours as possible at the food bank. With a sGPA of 4.0 and a MCAT of 522 many lower tier schools will "yield protect" with your stats (they do not interview applicants with your stats since they know from years of experience that those applicants will decline an acceptance and attend a higher tier school instead).
 
I know you still have a shot at MD/PhD or MD with that many waitlists. Hopefully this is a moot exercise. I presume you are following the MSTP discussions in our Physician Scientists subforum.
 
I know you still have a shot at MD/PhD or MD with that many waitlists. Hopefully this is a moot exercise. I presume you are following the MSTP discussions in our Physician Scientists subforum.
Thanks for the optimism! Yeah, I am following the MSTP discussions, tho the news regarding funding seems to just get more and more dire. Anyways, just trying to put myself in a good position should things not pan out.
 
Thanks for the optimism! Yeah, I am following the MSTP discussions, tho the news regarding funding seems to just get more and more dire. Anyways, just trying to put myself in a good position should things not pan out.
Sure, but do you know if you would be considered for any available MD spots if they don't have your funding in MSTP? That remains my question.
 
Sure, but do you know if you would be considered for any available MD spots if they don't have your funding in MSTP? That remains my question.
I believe so? I am no the waitlists for the MD program also at the places I am currently waitlisted for MD PhD.
 
@Goro @LizzyM Hi, my cousin just name dropped you two as giving particularly good advice when he went through the app process a few years ago. Anything you would add to what Faha and Mr.Smile12 have already said?
 
I have to concur with the above. You need some service outside of your comfort zone and for the benefit of the most vulnerable in your community (unhoused, working poor, unemployed, those struggling with addiction, etc).

In any other year, you might have had a good chance at MSTP but this is a very bad time for those programs.
 
I have to concur with the above. You need some service outside of your comfort zone and for the benefit of the most vulnerable in your community (unhoused, working poor, unemployed, those struggling with addiction, etc).

In any other year, you might have had a good chance at MSTP but this is a very bad time for those programs.
Thank you for your response!
 
[*]Harvard (reapplicant)
[*]Johns Hopkins (reapplicant)
[*]UPenn (reapplicant)
[*]Columbia (reapplicant)
[*]Duke
[*]Stanford (reapplicant)
[*]UCSF (reapplicant)
[*]Vanderbilt
[*]WashU St Louis
[*]Cornell (reapplicant)
[*]NYU (reapplicant)
[*]Yale (reapplicant)
[*]Mayo (reapplicant)
[*]Northwestern (reapplicant)
[*]UMich (reapplicant)
[*]UPitt (reapplicant)
[*]Mt. Sinai (reapplicant)
[*]UChicago (reapplicant)
[*]UCSD (reapplicant)
[*]Emory
[*]Case Western
[*]UColorado
[*]Ohio State (reapplicant)
[*]USC (reapplicant)
[*]UVirginia
[*]Boston Uni
[*]URochester (reapplicant)
[*]UCincinnati
[*]Einstein (reapplicant)
[*]UC Irvine (reapplicant)
[*]Dartmouth
[*]UC Davis (reapplicant) grew up right next to them
[*]Tufts (reapplicant)
[*]SKMC (reapplicant)
[*]NYMC
[*]California University of Science and Medicine
[*]Kaiser (reapplicant)
[*]Western Michigan

Add
U VM
U Cincinnati
USF/Morsani

Work on interview skills
Do the food bank. Get over 200 hrs

Limit list to 25-35 schools.
 
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