What are my chances as a re-applicant

[mdtobe061]

Hi everyone, I was just wondering if you'd give me some thoughts on where I am at and where I should apply. I am a re-applicant and this is my second cycle.

Traditional B.S. in Biochemistry (graduation may 2020) Expected cGPA: 3.75 * positive trend Expected sGPA: 3.58 MCAT (May 2019): 512 (131/128/129/124)

ORM: I am a first-generation Vietnamese immigrant with US citizenship. Single-parent household with two much younger siblings that I take care of a lot. I am bi-lingual in English and Vietnamese and proficient in French.

Undergraduate institution: Big 10 university, #46 best colleges, #13 top public schools

Volunteering: Home-help aid for the elderly and disadvantaged: 95 hours Face mask sewing for the same elderly population during the COVID-19 pandemic: 40 Ronald McDonald House: 2 hours Psychology tutoring: 66 hours

Shadowing hours: 108 (multiple doctors and health practitioners)

Research hours: 1355, I worked in the associate dean of the medical school's research lab and conducted my own primary project work in single-stranded DNA binding proteins

Leadership: I was the president of the Game Design and Development Club for two years and was a founding board member of our state's first Doctors Without Borders-Student Chapter for 1.5 years. I have presented my research in 3 poster sessions (2 at my undergraduate's research symposium and once at the American Society for Molecular Biology and Biochemistry National Conference).

LOR: 1 from my PI (dean of the medical school), 1 from my biochemistry professor (an author of Lehninger's biochemistry), 1 from my oncology professor (who stated I was in his top 5%), 1 from my classical studies professors, 1 from my volunteering coordinator

Disadvantages: I lived in Vietnam for 5 years before immigrating to the US and our family has had a lot of medical struggles. Additionally, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia after years of struggling with my health problems.

Last cycle: I applied really late and got 1 interview and was waitlisted. I applied to roughly 20 schools.

Please let me know what you think or if you need any more info. Thanks!

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[Faha]

Where is your state of residence ? Where are you on the waitlist ?

 

[mdtobe061]

Where is your state of residence ? Where are you on the waitlist ?

I am a WI resident and am #49. It's still early and before 4/30 but I do not think that I will be a part of the matriculating class

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools when you reapply:
U Wisconsin
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
Iowa
Indiana
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
St. Louis
Creighton
TCU-UNT
NOVA MD
Eastern Virginia
George Washington
Georgetown
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Seton Hall
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Apply in June and submit all your secondaries by July.
Also apply to several DO schools and I suggest these:
DMU-COM
CCOM
MU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
AZCOM
CUSOM
TUNCOM

 

[mdtobe061]

I suggest these schools when you reapply:
U Wisconsin
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
Iowa
Indiana
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
St. Louis
Creighton
TCU-UNT
NOVA MD
Eastern Virginia
George Washington
Georgetown
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Seton Hall
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Apply in June and submit all your secondaries by July.
Also apply to several DO schools and I suggest these:
DMU-COM
CCOM
MU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
AZCOM
CUSOM
TUNCOM

Do you think that I should apply to DO when I haven't had much exposure? I followed an allopathic route and only found out about DO junior year while applying.

 

[Faha]

There is no guarantee that you will receive a MD acceptance. So it you want to risk reapplying for a 3rd cycle then do not apply to DO schools. If you prefer to apply to MD only then that is the risk.

 

[mdtobe061]

There is no guarantee that you will receive a MD acceptance. So it you want to risk reapplying for a 3rd cycle then do not apply to DO schools. If you prefer to apply to MD only then that is the risk.

I am not opposed to it. I'm just worried if my lack of exposure to DO would negatively impact my chances more. I will definitely look into the DO schools though! Thank you for your help.

 

[mdtobe061]

I would look more into the Viet as URM thing for different schools. I know some schools will consider them URM but I think most have them in the same subset as "Asian." It's been a debate here on SDN and Reddit numerous times on whether to consider them (and Hmongs, Cambodians, etc.) as URM. But if you listed it similarly last cycle and already did your research, then I'm sure it's fine. Hoping for some large waitlist movement for you but if not, good luck this next cycle!

Thanks! I will look into that. I was in the mindset of Vietnamese as a URM since I live in WI where the Viet population isn't very large. I did fill out the disadvantaged statement and talked about my experiences growing up as an asian, low-income student in rural WI. I wasn't planning on a lot of CA schools simply because of the whole asian as an ORM debate there and because I'm OOS.

 

[candbgirl]

What have you done to significantly improved your application to reapply? Schools will expect significant improvement. Unless I’m misreading your post, it seems like you have no clinical experience. What you have listed for volunteering is fine for nonclinical volunteering but where is your face to face interaction with the sick, injured and dying? I’m thinking it might be there since you are on a WL but I don’t see it.

 

[mdtobe061]

What have you done to significantly improved your application to reapply? Schools will expect significant improvement. Unless I’m misreading your post, it seems like you have no clinical experience. What you have listed for volunteering is fine for nonclinical volunteering but where is your face to face interaction with the sick, injured and dying? I’m thinking it might be there since you are on a WL but I don’t see it.

I forgot to add in my clinical hours. I have 49 hours as a behavioral technician where I worked with autistic patients.

 

[CorgiLoaf]

I forgot to add in my clinical hours. I have 49 hours as a behavioral technician where I worked with autistic patients.

49 hours when you applied last time, or 49 hours since your application? 49 clinical hours is very much on the low side.
Do you have any other clinical experience working in clinics/hospitals? Have you interacted with medically ill patients?
This is a big red flag, even more so if you didn't get any additional exposure during your reapplication year.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

raises hand... so did you get an interview at the school where the dean (where you got your LOR) works?

You have to apply early, and you've got to be strategic with picking schools.

 

[CorgiLoaf]

Thanks! I will look into that. I was in the mindset of Vietnamese as a URM since I live in WI where the Viet population isn't very large. I did fill out the disadvantaged statement and talked about my experiences growing up as an asian, low-income student in rural WI. I wasn't planning on a lot of CA schools simply because of the whole asian as an ORM debate there and because I'm OOS.

Also, I would be careful about this. Officially, the AAMC states: "Underrepresented in medicine means those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population."

From 2010 data, Vietnamese physicians made up approximately 0.588% of the physician workforce, while Vietnamese individuals made up approximately 0.5% of the total US population. They may be URM in different areas, but I don't think being Viet can be considered URM given AAMC's definition. I'm Asian myself and I know there has been a lot of debate recently about different subgroups.

 

[mdtobe061]

raises hand... so did you get an interview at the school where the dean (where you got your LOR) works?

You have to apply early, and you've got to be strategic with picking schools.

Yes I did! I'm waitlisted there though