What now...

[Willfrye027]

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Long-time lurker here looking for some general guidance and good ideas. Long story short, I am on 3 wait lists. I do not feel confident about getting in off any of them and want to plan ahead for reapplying.

Stats: 3.5c GPA (major upward trend)
Mcat 33 (11,11,11)
White male, CA resident
Full time scribe in ED for 2 years now (scribe chief also)
Research in undergrad (presentation but not pubs)
Lots of non-medical volunteer hours with underserved and leadership

I applied early (first time applying), broadly, had good LORs (at least they knew me very well), and was told my written materials were very good. I feel like my interviews went well (at UCR, Cal north state, and VCU)

Relatively soon I am going to ask some schools what went wrong. I do know that my glaring weakness is probably GPA. I should have been taking classes already in preparation for this cycle to boost my GPA, but I'll be honest and say I was too confident in getting accepted with some early interviews (and too poor as well) to do this.

Here's my delema: what now? I feel like to reapply I need to have some significant changes in my app. Not much has changed since my initial app in terms of experiences, etc. I'm married and I have a demanding job, that's about all I got for the past year :/

Should I reapply in June and hope for "better luck" (and change up my school list?)

Focus solely on DO? (Only applied to Western, and late in the cycle-also a mistake...)

Take ANOTHER two years off so I can do a post bac for grade boosting? (Would have to retake MCAT, more loans, etc..)

Volunteer in another country or something like that?


I don't see a great option. Any body care to offer some guidance to a dejected applicant? Sorry for the long essay.

Thanks

 

[monkeezed]

First of all, sorry for your WLs. I can't offer any concrete advice but according to MSAR, VCU accepts 75 students from 100 WL students. Don't give up hope!

Also I think your GPA/MCAT is still competitive for a fair number of MD schools

 

[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

what was your original school list? Just out of curiosity

 

[Willfrye027]

First of all, sorry for your WLs. I can't offer any concrete advice but according to MSAR, VCU accepts 75 students from 100 WL students. Don't give up hope!

Also I think your GPA/MCAT is still competitive for a fair number of MD schools

Thanks! Lately I have felt like a negative nancy in terms of my chances at acceptance this round. Today I decided to be realistic Ralph and work on a plan. But you are right, there's still hope.

 

[Willfrye027]

School list

Loma Linda
UC Davis
ucla
UCR
Cal Northstate
University of Washington
Creighton
Tulane
OUWB
Indiana university
Chicago medical school
Wright state
Florida Atlantic
Hofstra
Frank H netter
Sidney Kimmel
Temple
Drexel
GWU
VCU
New York Medical College

 

[piii]

School list

Loma Linda
UC Davis
ucla
UCR
Cal Northstate
University of Washington
Creighton
Tulane
OUWB
Indiana university
Chicago medical school
Wright state
Florida Atlantic
Hofstra
Frank H netter
Sidney Kimmel
Temple
Drexel
GWU
VCU
New York Medical College

UW, Indiana, wright, fl Atlantic, (Loma linda if you aren't all about the Jeez) were all poor decisions. NYMC, GWU, Temple, Jeff, Drex, CMS are all low yield. Basically 11/ 20 were bad choices, or schools you shouldn't count on.

You should have applied to more OOS privates.

 

[Willfrye027]

You should have applied to more OOS privates.[/QUOTE]

That's the kind of advice I am looking for. Thanks.

 

[Med Ed]

UW, Indiana, wright, fl Atlantic, (Loma linda if you aren't all about the Jeez) were all poor decisions. NYMC, GWU, Temple, Jeff, Drex, CMS are all low yield. Basically 11/ 20 were bad choices, or schools you shouldn't count on.

You should have applied to more OOS privates.

Agree with UW, Indiana, and FAU. I would have swapped them out for Albany, MCW, and SLU.

The others may be low yield on an individual basis, but a 3.5/33 with an otherwise decent application is in the sweet spot for most of them. Applicants have to fling a lot of excrement in this process in order to get something to stick.

 

[piii]

Agree with UW, Indiana, and FAU. I would have swapped them out for Albany, MCW, and SLU.

The others may be low yield on an individual basis, but a 3.5/33 with an otherwise decent application is in the sweet spot for most of them. Applicants have to fling a lot of excrement in this process in order to get something to stick.

I totally agree I'm not saying to not apply to those schools. It's just because they're low yield you need to increase your school selection. Having those schools is fine if you have another 10 or so targets.

 

[GrapesofRath]

I counted 6 maybe 7 schools on your initial list that you could go in saying you had a reasonable shot at getting a II for. In California, you probably want that number to be doubled.

Having said that while it's tempting to blame the school list because it's a very easy fix there is definitely more to your app that prevented the acceptance. The first place to look is your interviewing: 3 IIs with a 3.5/33 and no acceptances means there's a real shot at least one of the interviews didnt go as well as it perhaps could have. This isnt a GPA issue or EC issue either. Presentation of yourself, both through your app and in the interview is the first thing I think is a good idea to reflect on and try to analyze where you could have gone better.

Of course this is all moot if you get off that UCR or VCU waitlist.

 

[Willfrye027]

I counted 6 maybe 7 schools on your initial list that you could go in saying you have a reasonable shot at getting a II for. In California, you want that number to be doubled.

Having said that while it's tempting to blame the school list because it's a very easy fix there is definitely more to your app that prevented the acceptance. The first place to look is your interviewing: 3 IIs with a 3.5/33 and no acceptances means there's a real shot at least one of the interviews didnt go as well as it perhaps could have. This isnt a GPA issue or EC issue either. Presentation of yourself, both through your app and in the interview is the first thing I think is a good idea to reflect on and try to analyze where you could have gone better.

Of course this is all moot if you get off that UCR or VCU waitlist.

I have been thinking a lot about how I would better present myself if I reapply. What I am afraid of is trying to make the "quick fix" (school list and writing/interview skills) while ignoring a more glaring issue.

At my interview days for whatever reason people started talking about stats. I always had the lowest/near lowest in the group. Why would I get picked over someone with better stats, even if I interviewed a little bit better? That's probably where a lot of my angst is coming from.

 

[italiancowgirl]

Trust me, schools would rather have a doctor who is capable and competent +friendly and interesting rather than brilliant and incapable of carrying a conversation. Your stats put you in the capable/competent range, not the idiot range, or you would never have gotten the interview. Generally once you have the interview they have decided you can handle the academics and want to see if you have a personality that will mesh well! Poor confidence is the easiest way to tank an interview (or at least come off as nothing special). Not sure what the best thing is, since you seem in the range. Have you at least improved your ECs over the last year? If you can walk in and show you improved a number of ECs and you have a better list of schools to apply to you might have a pretty good shot. Find ways to check your interview skills, mock interviews and such. GL, wish I could say more but you seem to be in that intangible- good but not exciting enough range. (Since you mentioned it, international might seem appealing but is actually not viewed as anything special).

 

[Goro]

If you got waitlisted at CNU, then something is indeed very wrong. Suggest working on your interview skills first. Get more service hours too.

Suggest the following for next cycle if no love this one:

Loma Linda
UC Davis
UCR
Creighton
Chicago medical school
Frank H netter
Sidney Kimmel
Temple
Drexel
VCU
New York Medical College
U VT
Rush
MCW
Loyola
Wake
EVMS
Albany
SLU
Tufts
Any DO school, starting with TUNCOM, Western and Touro-CA

 

[Willfrye027]

If you got waitlisted at CNU, then something is indeed very wrong

That one surprised me. Until my cousin interviewed there (3.95, mcat 34, published, scribe, etc etc) also got wait listed. Could have been our interviews but I'm not so sure. He's choosing to attend UCI (with more than a few options). There were a lot of stellar applicants at the interview day I attended. I was surprised but it is what it is. We will see what happens to the wait list around April 30th- its not a first choice for many.


I will definitely be working on my DO app. Thanks for the school list 🙂

 

[Med Ed]

That one surprised me. Until my cousin interviewed there (3.95, mcat 34, published, scribe, etc etc) also got wait listed. Could have been our interviews but I'm not so sure. He's choosing to attend UCI (with more than a few options). There were a lot of stellar applicants at the interview day I attended. I was surprised but it is what it is. We will see what happens to the wait list around April 30th- its not a first choice for many.

Northstate is, shall we say, enjoying the fruits of its geographic location.

I'm going to suggest there is not a glaring structural issue with your application, or that you have poor interview skills. The simple fact is that you are a white male from CA with solid metrics, meaning you aren't exactly a unicorn. Based solely on your numbers, the AAMC's Table A-24.4. gives you 62% odds of matriculating, which is above average but far from a sure thing. If you do have to reapply, have some fresh eyes read your PS, practice your interviewing skills, improve your school list, and consider DO. There isn't much else to do.

 

[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

Northstate is, shall we say, enjoying the fruits of its geographic location.

I'm going to suggest there is not a glaring structural issue with your application, or that you have poor interview skills. The simple fact is that you are a white male from CA with solid metrics, meaning you aren't exactly a unicorn. Based solely on your numbers, the AAMC's Table A-24.4. gives you 62% odds of matriculating, which is above average but far from a sure thing. If you do have to reapply, have some fresh eyes read your PS, practice your interviewing skills, improve your school list, and consider DO. There isn't much else to do.

I agree. Interviews can be so hit or miss sometimes, especially coupled with how we perceive we did on them. For example, thought I nailed my IS school interview, but now waiting on a WL/reject from them. OOS public school interview that I thought I did horrible, with small amount of OOS matriculants? Accepted.

 

[NotWayneBrady]

I agree. Interviews can be so hit or miss sometimes, especially coupled with how we perceive we did on them. For example, thought I nailed my IS school interview, but now waiting on a WL/reject from them. OOS public school interview that I thought I did horrible, with small amount of OOS matriculants? Accepted.

Yep, you can't really accurately predict your own interview performance in most situations. I thought I nailed my WashU interview and UCSD MMI, results: total silence from WashU and insta-waitlist/incoming rejection from UCSD. This process is a bit of a crap-shoot.

 

[Willfrye027]

I am so glad nobody has told me to go back to school or do a postbac. That was probably my biggest fear (not that I wouldn't if it was necessary). Thanks everybody for all the solid advice. I really appreciate the willingness to read through all my crap and weigh in. Wish I would have checked my school list on here last roubd. Time to start writing a new PS!