WAMC for Top 20: (3.91, 516, Strong Narrative)

[amateurbater]

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[amateurbater]

The reason why I want a top medical school is simple: in the future, I want to be a policy advocate and change the unethical and downright predatory mechanisms of our healthcare industrial slaughterhouse. I faced it myself as a survivor. If you look at top doctors in public-facing positions, they’re all from top schools. Fauci, Atul Gawande, Sanjay Gupta, etc.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What networking did you do before applying? I presume a fair amount given your non clinical service/volunteering/leadership.

 

[amateurbater]

What networking did you do before applying? I presume a fair amount given your non clinical service/volunteering/leadership.

I just kinda got lucky, honestly. I’m not rich. I’m actually a first generation immigrant. I would say, if you want to find good connections and opportunities, always be on the lookout for things that you can obsess over. Be likable, kind, and genuine. Focus on growth over achievement; if you do, achievement will come naturally as you improve.

edit: Opportunities result in more opportunities. Meet as many people as you can and eventually you’ll find someone who you click with.

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence ?

 

[Goro]

"Healthcare industrial slaughterhouse"?

 

[amateurbater]

"Healthcare industrial slaughterhouse"?

Yeah, I’d call it that. It’s a slaughterhouse. We stratify our healthcare based upon income; the richest, healthiest, and whitest get the highest quality care, and poor minorities receive subpar care that either fails to save them or results in crippling medical debt. Hospital systems like UVAs send debt collectors after the uninsured who are charged exhorbiant prices based upon the illusive “chargemasters.” The system benefits from an unhealthy majority, which explains why the hospital I was a patient in only had a McDonald’s on the first floor. If the healthcare system purported to care about patients, then it would charge drug prices that are reasonable (instead of re-patenting generic drugs with slight changes). In Japan an MRI is $165 dollars. In the US, ancillary services like Alliance MRI charge $3,400. People are hit with out of network charges. Neither doctors and patients know how much anything costs. A physician’s salary, in the grand scheme of their debt, years of lost income, and such is pathetic when compared to mid levels who provide statistically worse care…but hey, they’re cheap and patients don’t know any better. I understand why there is so much medical mistrust. When I told a rural woman that I wanted to become an oncologist, she informed me that they were hiding the cure to cancer because it “wasn’t profitable.” That’s crazy, of course. But can you blame her for thinking that? When I was transporting critically ill patients, the first thing on their mind wasn’t their injury. It was the price of the ambulance ride. The language that medical schools, hospitals, and doctors use — “we care about our patients” — falls flat because patients KNOW that the most important thing about them is the size of their checkbook.

All this talk about equity, equality, and improving healthcare is moot if we don’t find out a way to control costs, cut the business out of care, and figure out a solution to this distinctly American crisis. I don’t know what it is. It can be the movement of narrative medicine, which focuses on humanizing the art of medicine above all else. Who knows? I’m stupid and angry and want to go to a medical school that helps me become knowledgeable and angry. Or at least gives me the power to turn my anger into political action.

 

[amateurbater]

Where is your state of residence ?

Texas.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I just kinda got lucky, honestly. I’m not rich. I’m actually a first generation immigrant. I would say, if you want to find good connections and opportunities, always be on the lookout for things that you can obsess over. Be likable, kind, and genuine. Focus on growth over achievement; if you do, achievement will come naturally as you improve.

edit: Opportunities result in more opportunities. Meet as many people as you can and eventually you’ll find someone who you click with.

You didn't answer my question directly so I will rephrase it. Did you network with any of the medical schools you want to attend?

 

[Faha]

Texas.

You should apply to all your Texas MD schools. You should be aware that OOS MD schools tend to avoid interviewing Texas residents since they know from years of experience that Texas applicants will attend a Texas school.

 

[amateurbater]

You didn't answer my question directly so I will rephrase it. Did you network with any of the medical schools you want to attend?

Oh, no. I did not. I thought it’d be pretty useless to do so, right?

 

[amateurbater]

You should apply to all your Texas MD schools. You should be aware that OOS MD schools tend to avoid interviewing Texas residents since they know from years of experience that Texas applicants will attend a Texas school.

I don’t want to practice nor stay in Texas. How do I let schools know that?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Oh, no. I did not. I thought it’d be pretty useless to do so, right?

Not necessarily, but since most schools shy away from Texas applicants, it would have been smart to network and signal your interest. I'm surprised since your description of your letter from that executive described you as taking initiative and being very self-motivated, right? So I take your answer that you didn't network as meaningful of where your focus had been.

As it stands it sounds like you would be a great candidate for a Fulbright or similar opportunity. I would apply after you were done with it so you can be more clear that you wanted to be a physician with a vision and track record. It also may help you break that "Texas" residency stamp from your application and put you in play for more schools.

 

[amateurbater]

Not necessarily, but since most schools shy away from Texas applicants, it would have been smart to network and signal your interest.

As it stands it sounds like you would be a great candidate for a Fulbright or similar opportunity. I would apply after you were done with it so you can be more clear that you wanted to be a physician with a vision and track record. It also may help you break that "Texad" residency stamp from your application and put you in play for more schools.

Wow, I did not know that about TX applicants. If I don’t get admitted this year anywhere, I will for sure do the Fulbright. Maybe retake the MCAT after finishing all my prereqs. For me, I thought medical school applications were ALL based on merit, and networking would prove useless.

 

[Faha]

I don’t want to practice nor stay in Texas. How do I let schools know that?

If you have a connection to the school or state it may help. Was your undergraduate school in another state ?

 

[amateurbater]

If you have a connection to the school or state it may help. Was your undergraduate school in another state ?

No lmao it was in Texas. Yeah I see why I’ve gotten no IIs so far.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Wow, I did not know that about TX applicants. If I don’t get admitted this year anywhere, I will for sure do the Fulbright. Maybe retake the MCAT after finishing all my prereqs. For me, I thought medical school applications were ALL based on merit, and networking would prove useless.

Oh dear. So you haven't submitted to TMDSAS at all? I'm guessing then you haven't been around many pre-meds or your prehealth advising office. If you are at a Texas university, I can't imagine this never coming up. And we talk about it a lot on this forum.

You already took the MCAT twice with barely a nudge, right (-1 on the retake)? I think you need to recalibrate your expectations because you don't need to retake the MCAT unless the scores expire.

I have been lucky to have advised some people who got prestigious international scholarships who wanted to go to medical school. Many got into their state schools but networked like heck through national advocacy organizations to rub shoulders with the high influencer class. They especially like people who came up outside the brand name schools because having everyone around you be similar to you when it comes to academic pedigree doesn't always help.

 

[amateurbater]

Oh dear. So you haven't submitted to TMDSAS at all? I'm guessing then you haven't been around many pre-meds or your prehealth advising office. If you are at a Texas university, I can't imagine this never coming up. And we talk about it a lot on this forum.

You already took the MCAT twice with barely a nudge, right (-1 on the retake)? I think you need to recalibrate your expectations because you don't need to retake the MCAT unless the scores expire.

I have been lucky to have advised some people who got prestigious international scholarships who wanted to go to medical school. Many got into their state schools but networked like heck through national advocacy organizations to rub shoulders with the high influencer class. They especially like people who came up outside the brand name schools because having everyone around you be similar to you when it comes to academic pedigree doesn't always help.

I applied to three TMDSAS schools. I only discovered this form after I had already applied, and my pre health advising team/premeds didn’t really ever mention an OOS anti-Texas bias. Thank you for your input.

 

[Goro]

I don’t want to practice nor stay in Texas. How do I let schools know that?

I have to be blunt here, it doesn't matter what you want, it's about what the schools want. The out-of-state schools don't care about your wanting to leave TX unless you are superstar.

OOS DO schools don't have the bias that MD schools do.

Chances to become an MD are best with the Texas schools. It will only be 4 years. That will go by very quickly.

And yes, admissions is based upon Merit, but how are medical schools going to make a decision when they receive thousands of applications? So networking helps, in that you can get your face known to people within the school system, and more importantly get valuable advice about the particular schools that you were interested in.

Just a caveat, networking is far more important for the competitive specialties.

 

[amateurbater]

I have to be blunt here, it doesn't matter what you want, it's about what the schools want. The out-of-state schools don't care about your wanting to leave TX unless you are superstar.

OOS DO schools don't have the bias that MD schools do.

Chances to become an MD are best with the Texas schools. It will only be 4 years. That will go by very quickly.

And yes, admissions is based upon Merit, but how are medical schools going to make a decision when they receive thousands of applications? So networking helps, in that you can get your face known to people within the school system, and more importantly get valuable advice about the particular schools that you were interested in.

Just a caveat, networking is far more important for the competitive specialties.

Then I guess it’s time to flirt.


Thank you, everyone. You guys put the admission process in perspective for me.

 

[Goro]

Then I guess it’s time to flirt.


Thank you, everyone. You guys put the admission process in perspective for me.

If you're really interested in changing Healthcare delivery in america, becoming a doctor is not the way to go. Get a law degree and go into politics or healthcare administration

 

[amateurbater]

If you're really interested in changing Healthcare delivery in america, becoming a doctor is not the way to go. Get a law degree and go into politics or healthcare administration

Those are actually two of the routes I’m considering later in my career actually. Either a MD/JD, MD/MBA, or MD/MPP. But I want to spend a few decades as a doctor really getting an understanding of how medicine works and what patient care truly means. I’m far more interested in medicine as an art rather than as just a crude science. I’ll just be sure to rub a lot of shoulders.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Good luck. If you are gunning hard for that top 20 acceptance, and it seems like you are, I’d recommend doing the Fulbright first - it will only benefit your application. You’re a rare example of someone gunning for a top 20 for the right reasons. If you could retake the MCAT and break a 520 after the Fulbright it would help you. PM me for tips on the MCAT.

EDITED:

As you are now, you are a solid candidate for any medical school outside the top 20. For top 20 schools…you’re towards the back of the pack due to the MCAT. Your story’s great. If this is truly your passion, you might just apply to top schools this cycle; if you don’t get in, do the Fulbright and reapply. You have a very compelling narrative. I’m also not all that sure how hell bent you are on practicing medicine; I get the sense that if you did not get into a top school you would choose law or public health and try to make an impact that way. Or at least strongly consider that.

 

[amateurbater]

Good luck. If you are gunning hard for that top 20 acceptance, and it seems like you are, I’d recommend doing the Fulbright first - it will only benefit your application. You’re a rare example of someone gunning for a top 20 for the right reasons. If you could retake the MCAT and break a 520 after the Fulbright it would help you. PM me for tips on the MCAT.

EDITED:

As you are now, you are a solid candidate for any medical school outside the top 20. For top 20 schools…you’re towards the back of the pack due to the MCAT. Your story’s great. If this is truly your passion, you might just apply to top schools this cycle; if you don’t get in, do the Fulbright and reapply. You have a very compelling narrative. I’m also not all that sure how hell bent you are on practicing medicine; I get the sense that if you did not get into a top school you would choose law or public health and try to make an impact that way. Or at least strongly consider that.

Thank you for your comments and your support. For me, I don’t plan on being a practicing physician forever. However, that doesn’t mean I will give up on trying to become one in the first place. As frustrating as a profession it may be, I think there’s an unspoken artistry to it. You don't get any closer to the razor's edge of the human condition than as a doctor. Maybe in the marines. As for my desire to work with others to build a better healthcare system, I don't think that will be possible as just a lawyer or hospital administrator. According to "An American Sickness," part of the reason why we have the system we do today is because of consultants outside of medicine (the usual suspects: Deloitte, McKinsey, BcG). Again, I don't want to sound like a punk kid, but I don't understand why doctors outsource responsibility. In the doctor-patient dyad, they're on the left side of the dash. I wouldn't trust anyone else to design a system that benefits patients more. Yet, there are so few MDs working as administrators or writing healthcare laws. Hence: why I want to be a doctor. I plan on spending 10 months doing a Fulbright even if I get into medical school. If I don't get in this year, it's not too big a deal. I'd just reapply again and broaden my school list. Though I will prioritize T-20s, because they have strong attached MPP/JD/MBA programs, I'd rather be a doctor from nowhere rather than a lawyer from Harvard. Though I can't change the world, I can certainly change a few lives.

As for the MCAT, I will definitely retake it again should I not get in this year. I underestimated it. I spent too much time learning content, having had prerequisite gaps, and not enough time drilling actual questions. Foolishly, there were only 30 days between my first test and my retake.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Thank you for your comments and your support. For me, I don’t plan on being a practicing physician forever. However, that doesn’t mean I will give up on trying to become one in the first place. As frustrating as a profession it may be, I think there’s an unspoken artistry to it. You don't get any closer to the razor's edge of the human condition than as a doctor. Maybe in the marines. As for my desire to work with others to build a better healthcare system, I don't think that will be possible as just a lawyer or hospital administrator. According to "An American Sickness," part of the reason why we have the system we do today is because of consultants outside of medicine (the usual suspects: Deloitte, McKinsey, BcG). Again, I don't want to sound like a punk kid, but I don't understand why doctors outsource responsibility. In the doctor-patient dyad, they're on the left side of the dash. I wouldn't trust anyone else to design a system that benefits patients more. Yet, there are so few MDs working as administrators or writing healthcare laws. Hence: why I want to be a doctor. I plan on spending 10 months doing a Fulbright even if I get into medical school. If I don't get in this year, it's not too big a deal. I'd just reapply again and broaden my school list. Though I will prioritize T-20s, because they have strong attached MPP/JD/MBA programs, I'd rather be a doctor from nowhere rather than a lawyer from Harvard. Though I can't change the world, I can certainly change a few lives.

As for the MCAT, I will definitely retake it again should I not get in this year. I underestimated it. I spent too much time learning content, having had prerequisite gaps, and not enough time drilling actual questions. Foolishly, there were only 30 days between my first test and my retake.

Fair enough. It’s your call which schools you want to apply to. Ask @Goro and @LizzyM and whatever other adcoms might help…maybe @Moko and @gyngyn? There’s something to be said for doing a Fulbright and then coming back with a higher MCAT. There’s also something to be said for going for the good shot at a mid-tier MD acceptance, too. In your shoes…I don’t know what I’d do. Probably apply all top 20 this cycle. Withdraw if no acceptance to do the Fulbright. Do the Fulbright, study for the MCAT, do better next time. Then apply to a broad list of schools, depending on what you want to do with your life. You’d be competitive at most schools and have a shot at top 20s after the Fulbright; the shot would be better if you got a 521+ on a retake. Many schools average takes…I’d say a retake would only be beneficial if you broke a 520 on it. Shoot for 520+ on two consecutive AAMC practice tests taken timed under conditions as close to Test Day as you can get them.

As for the MCAT: official AAMC practice tests are your best friend. Third party test prep is only really useful for content review. Look at the material you got wrong and study that, then take another practice test. Keep doing that till you have the score you want. Feel free to PM me for MCAT advice - I got a 519 and worked as a tutor for one of the better test prep companies; my students averaged a 6.5 point increase on their scores.

 

[Goro]

Fair enough. It’s your call which schools you want to apply to. Ask @Goro and @LizzyM and whatever other adcoms might help…maybe @Moko and @gyngyn? There’s something to be said for doing a Fulbright and then coming back with a higher MCAT.

Just a word to the wise, the MCAT is as much an assessment of judgement as it is an assessment of knowledge competency.

 

[amateurbater]

Just a word to the wise, the MCAT is as much an assessment of judgement as it is an assessment of knowledge competency.

Yes, a neuron or two misfired when I decided to retake a 516. But how ballsy would a third retake be?

edit: also cute cat. super friendly looking.

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

Sorry to say that if you write about medicine as some sort of art form, the chance of getting into a top 20 is very slim to none. Don’t try to romanticize the profession. It is what it is. Medicine is HARD WORK. There’s really no art to it at all. It’s the reality. I would really be reluctant to accept someone who has this unrealistic view of the profession. Also the last place you want to exhibit your creative writing skills is your medical school application. So when you reapply, please keep that in mind.

 

[amateurbater]

Sorry to say that if you write about medicine as some sort of art form, the chance of getting into a top 20 is very slim to none. Don’t try to romanticize the profession. It is what it is. Medicine is HARD WORK. There’s really no art to it at all. It’s the reality. I would really be reluctant to accept someone who has this unrealistic view of the profession. Also the last place you want to exhibit your creative writing skills is your medical school application. So when you reapply, please keep that in mind.

Interesting perspective! I’d say art is hard work. It’s hard finding a way to express the Human Condition through acting, poetry, music, and art. It’s also really rewarding. Narrative is how I live my life. It’s also how I express myself. I didn’t want to go to an MFA program in creative writing because I didn’t want to be a loser writer writing about writing. One of the reasons I wanted medicine at all is because of physician writing. I mean, Robert Frost wrote a poem about being flabbergasted at a freakin’ fork in the road. Abraham Varghese had a lot more material than that lol. To be honest, talking with y’all has made me realized I’m less focused on getting into an illusive T20, and more focused on finding a good school that fits my philosophy towards medicine and life. Afterwards, I can go to a name brand school to get my JD or MBA since it matters more there anyway. @LeaveNoTrace I appreciate your advice. I’m going to follow it.