What should I improve in?

[flyingpig07]

Hi all, I'm looking to reapply for the third time this summer. I'm looking to improve my application in all aspects and was wondering whether I should take some online classes at my local community college to boost my GPA (sGPA to at least 3.70; does this make a difference or am I delusional thinking it looks better?). I already have all my pre-requisites, I was considering taking Anatomy and Medical Terminology which are beneficial for medical school. Or is there some other aspect I should focus on gaining more hours/experience? Should I quit my clinical job this year for a research position?

For context:
GPA: 3.735
sGPA: 3.66
MCAT: 515
Clinical experience: 1600 hours as PCT in ICU
Research: 320 hours, no publications
Non-clinical volunteering: 450 hours; spread across 3 different food pantries
Non-clinical work: 600 hours as laboratory assistant, 500 hours as private tutor
Shadowing: 80 hours
Extracurriculars: involvement in cultural club (leadership) and science/health club

Thank you in advance!

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[ClashRoyaleKing]

You should post in the WAMC sub forum for a more in depth analysis. Your stats are fine, there is no need to take additional classes. What happened in your first 2 cycles? How is this cycle going? What was your school list? What state do you live in?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

OP is on at least 2 WL post-II, both IS. It might work out but you never know. Continue your food pantry work. Grades and MCAT are good. Keep working on interviewing.

 

[chilly_md]

Moved to Re-Applicants forum.

 

[flyingpig07]

You should post in the WAMC sub forum for a more in depth analysis. Your stats are fine, there is no need to take additional classes. What happened in your first 2 cycles? How is this cycle going? What was your school list? What state do you live in?

Hey there! In my first cycle, I received two IS IIs, resulting in waitlisted and eventual rejection. This cycle, I haven't received any IIs which is worrying me that something major went wrong... Instead of graduating a semester early, I did part-time school to boost my volunteer and clinical hours. I ended my last semester in my only class with a B+ and wondering if that's my huge red flag. That's why I was thinking of supplementing with additional courses.

 

[flyingpig07]

OP is on at least 2 WL post-II, both IS. It might work out but you never know. Continue your food pantry work. Grades and MCAT are good. Keep working on interviewing.

My first cycle I was! This cycle... no IIs (': Thank you for your input, I will definitely continue my food pantry work; I will actually be transitioning to working as a social media manager for the current food pantry I am at!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hey there! In my first cycle, I received two IS IIs, resulting in waitlisted and eventual rejection. This cycle, I haven't received any IIs which is worrying me that something major went wrong... Instead of graduating a semester early, I did part-time school to boost my volunteer and clinical hours. I ended my last semester in my only class with a B+ and wondering if that's my huge red flag. That's why I was thinking of supplementing with additional courses.

So how did you improve your application from the first application? Why do you think you struck out with the two schools that interviewed you previously?

 

[future.docc]

Hey there! In my first cycle, I received two IS IIs, resulting in waitlisted and eventual rejection. This cycle, I haven't received any IIs which is worrying me that something major went wrong... Instead of graduating a semester early, I did part-time school to boost my volunteer and clinical hours. I ended my last semester in my only class with a B+ and wondering if that's my huge red flag. That's why I was thinking of supplementing with additional courses.

you are making me want to cry. The B+ DOES NOT MATTER. YOU HAVE GREAT STATS! dm me and ill send you my email. Maybe I can help. Might be some red flags on your app that you are not aware of.

 

[chilly_md]

What was your full school list each time?

 

[flyingpig07]

So how did you improve your application from the first application? Why do you think you struck out with the two schools that interviewed you previously?

Between the two applications, I increased my clinical and volunteer hours a lot! When I first applied, I had just started my clinical job and didn't have anything noteworthy to talk about and used projected hours. During this cycle, I had a lot of patient stories/lessons/experiences I used in my writing as well as actual hours. I began volunteering more, tutoring more, and shadowing after submitting my application so those weren't included but I did add them to update letters.

I honestly think my interviewing skills were lacking and should've worked on preparing more.

 

[flyingpig07]

you are making me want to cry. The B+ DOES NOT MATTER. YOU HAVE GREAT STATS! dm me and ill send you my email. Maybe I can help. Might be some red flags on your app that you are not aware of.

Thank you for the reassurance. I've been beating myself up since graduating about that. I'll DM you now!

 

[flyingpig07]

What was your full school list each time?

The school list in the first cycle was very top-heavy. I'm a MI resident: Boston, Case Western, Central Michigan, Columbia, Indiana, Kaiser, MSU, NYU, Northwestern, Oakland, OSU, UChicago, Michigan, Wayne, Western Michigan

This cycle was still really top-heavy (I didn't learn my lesson), but I doubled my school list: Boston, Case Western, Rosalind, Columbia, Drexel, Duke, Geisel, Georgetown, Icahn, Indiana, John Hopkins, Loyola, Michigan State, Northwestern, NYU, OSU, Perelman, Rush, UToledo, Tufts, UChicago, Michigan, Pitt, Wake Forest, WashU, Wayne.

I'm open to any medical school list suggestions. Will likely be purchasing MSAR soon to help me better select schools within my range.

 

[ClashRoyaleKing]

The school list in the first cycle was very top-heavy. I'm a MI resident: Boston, Case Western, Central Michigan, Columbia, Indiana, Kaiser, MSU, NYU, Northwestern, Oakland, OSU, UChicago, Michigan, Wayne, Western Michigan

This cycle was still really top-heavy (I didn't learn my lesson), but I doubled my school list: Boston, Case Western, Rosalind, Columbia, Drexel, Duke, Geisel, Georgetown, Icahn, Indiana, John Hopkins, Loyola, Michigan State, Northwestern, NYU, OSU, Perelman, Rush, UToledo, Tufts, UChicago, Michigan, Pitt, Wake Forest, WashU, Wayne.

I'm open to any medical school list suggestions. Will likely be purchasing MSAR soon to help me better select schools within my range.

I'm glad you shot your shot at some top schools (NYU and Penn were donations though). But you didn't include many mid tiers.

 

[chilly_md]

The school list in the first cycle was very top-heavy. I'm a MI resident: Boston, Case Western, Central Michigan, Columbia, Indiana, Kaiser, MSU, NYU, Northwestern, Oakland, OSU, UChicago, Michigan, Wayne, Western Michigan

This cycle was still really top-heavy (I didn't learn my lesson), but I doubled my school list: Boston, Case Western, Rosalind, Columbia, Drexel, Duke, Geisel, Georgetown, Icahn, Indiana, John Hopkins, Loyola, Michigan State, Northwestern, NYU, OSU, Perelman, Rush, UToledo, Tufts, UChicago, Michigan, Pitt, Wake Forest, WashU, Wayne.

I'm open to any medical school list suggestions. Will likely be purchasing MSAR soon to help me better select schools within my range.

You had many unrealistic schools, but I am surprised you did not receive interviews again the 2nd time around by some of your state schools in MI. Double check that you feel fully confident in your LORs and have some more people look over your essays.

I suggest:

All MI schools sans Michigan
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
UIC (high OOS tuition fyi)
MCW
Saint Louis
Creighton
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Hackensack
Tufts
Rochester
Einstein
Hofstra
Quinnipiac
Vermont
Dartmouth
Albany
NYMC
VCU
EVMS
Georgetown
George Washington
Nova MD
Belmont
TCU
Tulane
Colorado

You will need DO this time around too. I suggest:

Michigan State
PCOM
KCU
KCOM
CCOM (high tuition)
DMU
Marian

 

[flyingpig07]

You had many unrealistic schools, but I am surprised you did not receive interviews again the 2nd time around by some of your state schools in MI. Double check that you feel fully confident in your LORs and have some more people look over your essays.

I suggest:

All MI schools sans Michigan
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
UIC (high OOS tuition fyi)
MCW
Saint Louis
Creighton
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Hackensack
Tufts
Rochester
Einstein
Hofstra
Quinnipiac
Vermont
Dartmouth
Albany
NYMC
VCU
EVMS
Georgetown
George Washington
Nova MD
Belmont
TCU
Tulane
Colorado

You will need DO this time around too. I suggest:

Michigan State
PCOM
KCU
KCOM
CCOM (high tuition)
DMU
Marian

This is SO helpful thank you. And yes, I plan on applying to DO this time to increase my chances. I will have many people review my essays including a doctor I shadow and my previous English teacher. As for LORs, I will have a strong LOR from a nurse colleague, a strong LOR from a previous research mentor, an average LOR from a science teacher, an average to maybe strong LOR from an English teacher, and will be asking for one from my volunteering director and doctor I'm shadowing/have a relationship with.

One question: my research mentor was also my 'teacher' as I did it for credit which is listed on my transcript under a science course. Does this LOR double dip for the science professor requirement as well? Or should I cold email my science professors for a generic letter?

Also, how do you recommend I feel fully confident about LORs? I have received/read the LORs from the nurse and research mentor, everything else is unknown. Should I ask to see the letter before they submit it? Or should I just provide specific points for them to highlight?

 

[flyingpig07]

I'm glad you shot your shot at some top schools (NYU and Penn were donations though). But you didn't include many mid tiers.

Definitely the biggest weak point in my application, you're right.

 

[chilly_md]

This is SO helpful thank you. And yes, I plan on applying to DO this time to increase my chances. I will have many people review my essays including a doctor I shadow and my previous English teacher. As for LORs, I will have a strong LOR from a nurse colleague, a strong LOR from a previous research mentor, an average LOR from a science teacher, an average to maybe strong LOR from an English teacher, and will be asking for one from my volunteering director and doctor I'm shadowing/have a relationship with.

One question: my research mentor was also my 'teacher' as I did it for credit which is listed on my transcript under a science course. Does this LOR double dip for the science professor requirement as well? Or should I cold email my science professors for a generic letter?

Also, how do you recommend I feel fully confident about LORs? I have received/read the LORs from the nurse and research mentor, everything else is unknown. Should I ask to see the letter before they submit it? Or should I just provide specific points for them to highlight?

Most schools accept a research credit LOR as a science LOR and you have a more traditional one anyhow.

Have the letter writers read this:

Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant

The guidelines are intended to enhance the letter-writing process by providing a general framework of best practices and relevant content for letter writers.

students-residents.aamc.org

Do not ask to see the letter from the others. If you asked whether they could write a strong letter, and they said yes without reservations, that is usually a good sign. If you did not have much of a relationship though, it likely is a generic one, which at least is not as bad as a negative one.