Welp this cycle is sucking--Be brutally honest for direction to take

[Mr.Smile12]

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Not hateful and that wasnt referring to this thread particularly but the nonanswer part I felt was because when I look at these wamc threads and posts, everyone gives actual answers just based on hours and ec choice and stats. They dont go into this wrap around of saying we dont know without your whole app, or writing, or saying your activities have no narrative. It felt like a non answer and why I was frustrated because I just wanted answers off hours because writing comes with it and thats what should be holding me back not hours. So i just wanted clear cut answers and advice on what to do based on stats,hours, and main ecs not clubs/hobby. I did not see all the actual advice i got until now cuz I got a bunch of new replies that were actual directly helpful answers so that point went moot.

In this forum, we like to make sure we can protect everyone's choice to be anonymous. I don't think we really want a YouTube-recorded takedown of your application as many influencers are wont to do (especially with other people's applications and post clickbait headlines to warn you that you still can fail to get into medical school with perfect stats). Some of us are actually working on admissions committees, so it serves everyone to NOT share your entire application on the internet while it's under review. (This is one advantage of Advising On Call; you can share more of your application materials in confidence.)

I get it. We've baptized you in "science," and we all find satisfaction in a reductive factor or two that explains the universe. Unfortunately real life is not like this, and admissions is so much more art/persuasion than it is science.

Keep in mind what I have always told interviewing candidates: chances are good you are all going to be doctors and see each other again, perhaps even work with each other. Being civil and collegial with each other only helps you later, and don't worry... backstabbing colleagues are going to be there too.

 

[Firephoenix938]

@Firephoenix938 I totally understand where you’re coming from and I do want to apologize for my posts being dry and being overly critical. My intent is never to insult and I’m sorry that’s what happened.

My point in all of these threads and as a whole is that I’m in a unique position of applying a few times and sadly having to learn from my mistakes each cycle as I was a late career changer in undergrad with a very poor premed advisor (told me to just apply with all my research experiences and single clinical activity with a PS about how I fell into medicine after not wanting a PhD). I didn’t get in but got advice from other students I met, physicians, and adcoms. My app grew because of the advice I got, but only because I failed and I don’t want others to have to fail like I did to learn this. I’d much rather people get in their first time than be like me and have to give it multiple before getting an A. That’s why I and many others on here give our (sometimes overly critical and unsolicited) advice.

Just know you should be proud of your application because you did put your best foot forward and for graduating early you have a solid list of ECs. Also to clarify, I’m not asking you to quit soccer or weightlifting (I still do both myself and listed it on my app), but I listed them as one activity each. By combining similar things, you give yourself much more room to add clinical experiences or anything else you want to add while still showing adcoms you’re a human with cool interests.

Either way, don’t beat yourself up over things. You’re not a prick or an arse, you’re someone that’s been put in the pressure cooker of a medical school application cycle which brings out the worst in everyone. Hoping NeoMed pulls through for you or another school recognizes what you have to offer and sends you an II, but don’t let one **** cycle keep you down because you can grow so much from this and be a better physician because of it.

Took some time off before reading this, but you have nothing to apologize for. In all honesty, I thought u were also a first-time applicant, so it made me upset that someone was offering adcom-like info without being like ms1 or ms2+. I did not realize that you are also a multi-time reapplicant, and knowing that casts another perspective on your responses. If I were a reapplicant, I'd try my hardest to be critical and provide a harsher standard that if people don't meet they would still fall close to where they need to be. Rather than only telling people to meet the standard (and if they fall short, they get cooked). So knowing that, I truly apologize, as knowing this perspective, I definitely am grateful for your perspective. I also totally misunderstood what you meant about my other activities. I thought u meant to quit them rather than combine them. I'm probably gonna keep reffing because it is work under emotions and unruly people that it prepares you for, but I will probably combine my soccer club with power lifting. I also think I'll keep my volunteer coaching because I have a huge community focus theme, and it is a community-building EC (also, Reddit guides from the Med students and adcoms say sport volunteering can count as long as other stuff is done). But that'll reduce it from 3 to 2 activities. Thanks for that advice, and in my haste, I misunderstood u as insulting the fact that I wanted to do non-premed activities on the side as well. So I apologize again

And honestly, I truly do hope NEOMED pulls through, as it is a top 3 school choice since it is home, and my parents are aging. But if it doesn't go my way, it'll be a good time to gain some maturity. But I have high hopes I'll get in. I'm manifesting an Acceptance.

Has your cycle gone well? I'm really hoping you've gotten tons of interviews and hopefully an acceptance this time around. Will pray for you to get an acceptance this cycle. You'll be a great doctor.

Apologies again, and thanks for dealing with my headahh

 

[whichbreath]

I think you’re catastrophizing. What are you even rambling about. Didn’t read. NEOMED starts sending out offers late Dec

 

[Firephoenix938]

I think you’re catastrophizing. What are you even rambling about. Didn’t read. NEOMED starts sending out offers late Dec

Most decisions are made in January. One single interview. Why wouldn't I try and see what to do for a reapplication tf lol?

 

[whichbreath]

Most decisions are made in January. One single interview. Why wouldn't I try and see what to do for a reapplication tf lol?

I had thought you were being ganged up on but the conversation is more sane than I thought. I think that if you can get one of your 8 abstracts into the “accepted” or “published” state that would be good for your application. Also echoing some of the other posters, most of your service is where you are in an expert position so it might be like leadership, I’m looking at food bank as your primary non-clinical volunteer and you should prob try to get more hours for that.
For clinical a job is nice but you are a freakin college senior — volunteer or paid would both be fine. I think 300 hours would be plenty
A lot of people get in at the end of the cycle or are only starting to get II’s after Dec (nor 100% sure on this) and people have definitely gotten in but I think you’re still spiraling a bit and wanted to shut you up before you wrecked yourself

 

[Firephoenix938]

I had thought you were being ganged up on but the conversation is more sane than I thought. I think that if you can get one of your 8 abstracts into the “accepted” or “published” state that would be good for your application. Also echoing some of the other posters, most of your service is where you are in an expert position so it might be like leadership, I’m looking at food bank as your primary non-clinical volunteer and you should prob try to get more hours for that.
For clinical a job is nice but you are a freakin college senior — volunteer or paid would both be fine. I think 300 hours would be plenty
A lot of people get in at the end of the cycle or are only starting to get II’s after Dec (nor 100% sure on this) and people have definitely gotten in but I think you’re still spiraling a bit and wanted to shut you up before you wrecked yourself

Preciate all that. Unfortunately i may have wrecked myself if you’ve seen the entire thread and some of my replies/actions lol. But all i can do is move forward

 

[Firephoenix938]

I had thought you were being ganged up on but the conversation is more sane than I thought. I think that if you can get one of your 8 abstracts into the “accepted” or “published” state that would be good for your application. Also echoing some of the other posters, most of your service is where you are in an expert position so it might be like leadership, I’m looking at food bank as your primary non-clinical volunteer and you should prob try to get more hours for that.
For clinical a job is nice but you are a freakin college senior — volunteer or paid would both be fine. I think 300 hours would be plenty
A lot of people get in at the end of the cycle or are only starting to get II’s after Dec (nor 100% sure on this) and people have definitely gotten in but I think you’re still spiraling a bit and wanted to shut you up before you wrecked yourself

I forgot to add that 6/8 have been accepted abstracts. The thing is, the full papers are still under review for official publication unfortunately

 

[Firephoenix938]

WAIT, I'M A FRIKING IDIOT. ALL MY ABSTRACTS HAVE DOIS. I guess i have 4 published abstracts that underwent committee review and was put in american journal of gastroenterology. WHATTTTTT. I could have submitted these dois lmfao in my application I'm so chopped.