WAMC - Reapplicant (3.69 518)

[deleted1198462]

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Hi all, would greatly appreciate feedback regarding my chances at the schools I applied to, and what I can do in the meantime to continue strengthening my application.

GPA: 3.69 sGPA: 3.55 upward trending
MCAT 518 (126 chem: 131 Bio: 131 Psych: 130 Cars)
Small Liberal Arts College in Wisconsin

950 Paid Clinical Hours (Behavioral Health, all of my time was spent directly interacting with patients)
25 Hours Shadowing (pediatric CICU, ICU, Anesthesia)

200 Science Hours Research (Microbio and Biochem) currently employed as a research assistant at a medical college. No publications but hope to be on a paper by the end of the year.
350 Medical Ethics/Philosophy Research (Health inequites in LGBTQIA+ and Ethics of Suicide) earned Philosophy discipline's award for my thesis on the Ethics of Suicide

350 Nonclinical volunteer hours (Highschool Soccer Coach)
2000+ Nonclinical work hours
RA and Tutor
Student Org Leader with Mission to reduce Sexual Assault on Campus
DIII athletics, team captain, school/conference awards

By the end of the fall I will have completed 50ish hours volunteering at a behavioral hospital and will keep doing this throughout the year, but this started after primary app went in. I also hope to get some primary care shadowing done this fall, but obviously this again won't have made it onto the application.

I attempted to angle my essays towards psychiatry, and medical ethics as these are my genuine passions. I applied to MD/MA bioethics programs when offered. I applied to 17 schools listed below. Last year I had 1 interview.

Medical College of Wisconsin
UW Madison
Georgetown (MD/PhD in philosophy)
Rush
Loyola
Creighton
UCSD (probably a reach)
Uniformed Services School
Tufts
St. Louis
Penn State
Wake Forest
Albany
Vermont
Tulane
Louisville
Maryland

 

[Faha]

Your lack of non clinical volunteering will limit your chances for interviews. Rush and Loyola expect many hundreds or thousands of hours of non clinical volunteering. UCSD admits few non residents with no connection to the state. I suggest adding more schools this week and consider these:
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
TCU
Belmont
NOVA MD
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Hackensack
Hofstra
New York Medical College
UMass
Iowa
Indiana

 

[Mr.Smile12]

USUHS is an interesting choice; are you applying HPSP? Did you grow up in a rural community?

2000+ non-clinical work hours is a lot... what did you do?

Obviously soccer has defined you when it comes to your volunteering as a coach. Do you have significant experience working or volunteering in shelters for women and children? Many shelters welcome volunteers with a background similar to your own.

What successes did you have from last cycle (which one interviewed you, and any feedback for a reapp)?

 

[deleted1198462]

USUHS is an interesting choice; are you applying HPSP? Did you grow up in a rural community?

2000+ non-clinical work hours is a lot... what did you do?

Obviously soccer has defined you when it comes to your volunteering as a coach. Do you have significant experience working or volunteering in shelters for women and children? Many shelters welcome volunteers with a background similar to your own.

What successes did you have from last cycle (which one interviewed you, and any feedback for a reapp)?

Yes I grew up rural. Most of that work was at a farm down the road from my house growing Christmas trees, and selling them in the winter. I've also done a lot of landscaping/manual labor type work.

I applied HPSP last cycle, and am considering it again, service in the medical corps certainly interests me and seems compelling, but I'll admit I'm not 100% certain its what I want to do. 4-7 years after residency is a long time.

I do not have any significance working in a shelter, but that is a great suggestion and I will begin looking for that!

I interviewed at MCW's regional campus that shares a campus with my undergrad (St. Norbert). The feedback I got was to get experience outside of behavioral health, and to define why MD, as opposed to psych PhD or some other role.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[deleted1198462]

Your lack of non clinical volunteering will limit your chances for interviews. Rush and Loyola expect many hundreds or thousands of hours of non clinical volunteering. UCSD admits few non residents with no connection to the state. I suggest adding more schools this week and consider these:
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
TCU
Belmont
NOVA MD
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Hackensack
Hofstra
New York Medical College
UMass
Iowa
Indiana

I greatly appreciate the feedback. Is there a particular reason I may fit these schools better? I will take your advice and add maybe 1-2 (it's just getting so expensive lol). Maybe GW and Drexel, I applied to those last year as well?

Thanks again!

 

[deleted1198462]

Yes I grew up rural. Most of that work was at a farm down the road from my house growing Christmas trees, and selling them in the winter. I've also done a lot of landscaping/manual labor type work.

I applied HPSP last cycle, and am considering it again, service in the medical corps certainly interests me and seems compelling, but I'll admit I'm not 100% certain its what I want to do. 4-7 years after residency is a long time.

I do not have any significance working in a shelter, but that is a great suggestion and I will begin looking for that!

I interviewed at MCW's regional campus that shares a campus with my undergrad (St. Norbert). The feedback I got was to get experience outside of behavioral health, and to define why MD, as opposed to psych PhD or some other role.

Thanks for the feedback!

I forgot to mention, I am currently employed at MCW, so definitely the most hopeful about getting in here!

 

[Faha]

I greatly appreciate the feedback. Is there a particular reason I may fit these schools better? I will take your advice and add maybe 1-2 (it's just getting so expensive lol). Maybe GW and Drexel, I applied to those last year as well?

Thanks again!

Since you have had one unsuccessful cycle you need to apply broadly to maximize your chances for interviews. I see ~10 schools that you applied to where you have a reasonable chance for an interview. 25 schools where you could receive an interview increases your chances significantly.

 

[deleted1198462]

Since you have had one unsuccessful cycle you need to apply broadly to maximize your chances for interviews. I see ~10 schools that you applied to where you have a reasonable chance for an interview. 25 schools where you could receive an interview increases your chances significantly.

Sounds like a plan, thank you very much for the advice.