Wise SDNers, thank you so much for taking the time to offer advice on this forum. I’d really appreciate it if you could help me identify some weak points in my current application so I can apply smarter next cycle. Currently, I have no interviews (complete end of August through the first week of September).
Where I think I went wrong: Took a gap year job in research instead of scribing. Unrealistic school list. Very limited non-clinical volunteering. Applied late(ish).
I think I need more meaningful clinical experience, non-clinical volunteering, and need to apply DO (especially as a reinventor…). I am only hesitant to apply DO because I do not know how step going to p/f will affect DOs. After not receiving any MD interviews I know I am not in a place to be choosy...
I know I can apply to DO right now, but I want to give it another cycle and see if the improvements I can make in the meantime can give me any traction at MD programs for next year. I will definitely apply to both MD and DO schools next cycle.
App improvements for next (2021) cycle:
- 200 hours as an EMT (planned)
- 50 hours as COVID contact tracer
- 100 hours volunteering at a homeless shelter
- 50 hours crisis text line
- 2000 hours translational research + publication (some patient contact but the vast majority at the bench)
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Current (2020) application
State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US): IL
Ethnicity and/or race: ORM (white)
cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
First Bachelor’s GPA: 3.0
First Bachelor’s sGPA: 3.1
Second Bachelor’s GPA: 3.91 (60 credits)
Second Bachelor’s sGPA: 3.88 (41 credits science)
cGPA: 3.26
sGPA: 3.5
MCAT score(s) and breakdown
514 (128/128/129/129)
Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
310 hours - clinical volunteering across two organizations
Research experience and productivity
1500 hours basic science - poster
Shadowing experience and specialties represented
55 hours across 3 specialties
Non-clinical volunteering
~
40 hours, nothing very recent
Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
Organizing philanthropic events (several hundred people)
Student government
Peer tutoring
Current School List
U of Illinois
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Rush
Einstein
St. Louis
MCW (ties)
Stony Brook
Temple
BU
Emory
Georgetown
George Washington
Kaiser
Tulane
Mt. Sinai
NYMC - hold
Wisconsin (ties) - R
Indiana (ties) - R
