What went wrong?

[nu2004]

Man... okay... forgive my stupidity here, but now I'm all confused. Does working full-time as a medical assistant for a year in a private practice under two specialty physicians not count as shadowing? Nor does working with various physicians full-time for a month in India? The suggestion for me to shadow physicians keeps getting brought up and I don't understand why. It seems like my experience as a medical assistant alone is a step above and beyond shadowing since I hold more responsibility and have greater patient contact.

So to clarify, I've both volunteered in a hospital (ER), volunteered under various physicians in India during which I was examining and working directly with patients- including an OB/GYN, free clinic, and ER- and currently work in a private practice, where I received a letter of rec from both the physicians I work for.

Er... so what am I missing here? I'm not challenging the suggestion of shadowing a physician, I just don't quite understand how my previous experiences don't fulfill that already.

I know you started this thread, but what frequently happens around here is that someone asks a question specific to their situation and then elements of their question(s) become the subject of general advice given by people with more experience or perspective. Also, when there are so many people participating in a thread, it becomes difficult to comb through and discern the attributes of everyone posting. Your experience probably does not require that you shadow a physician in order to show that you understand the doctor/patient dynamic and other aspects of the job.

fin.

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[gplex86]

Man... okay... forgive my stupidity here, but now I'm all confused. Does working full-time as a medical assistant for a year in a private practice under two specialty physicians not count as shadowing? Nor does working with various physicians full-time for a month in India? The suggestion for me to shadow physicians keeps getting brought up and I don't understand why. It seems like my experience as a medical assistant alone is a step above and beyond shadowing since I hold more responsibility and have greater patient contact.

So to clarify, I've both volunteered in a hospital (ER), volunteered under various physicians in India during which I was examining and working directly with patients- including an OB/GYN, free clinic, government hospital and ER- and currently work in a private practice, where I received a letter of rec from both the physicians I work for.

Er... so what am I missing here? I'm not challenging the suggestion of shadowing a physician, I just don't quite understand how my previous experiences don't fulfill that already.

I apologize for getting your gender wrong.

The difference between shadowing and working is, well, your role. That may sound silly, but I've done EMT work and shadowing work and there's a big difference. As an EMT, my job was to do my JOB, which means I was taking vital signs, putting in IV's (as an EMT-S), etc. That's work.

If you're shadowing, then your there as a STUDENT. When I shadowed a doctor, I stood in the exam room the whole time and watched her diagnose. I asked pertinent questions about the condition. While she was scribbling stuff down, I asked the patients additional questions. She listened to the patient's chest, and then I went and did the same. She looked in the patients mouth, and then so did I. "See anything?" She'd ask. "Hear anything?" I wasn't there to help the doctor with anything - SHE was doing ME a favor by letting me learn and interact. My presence slowed her down considerably, but that was the point.

So in the end I submitted two LOR's. One was from my EMT instructor who vouched for my hard work and skills. The letter from the doctor I shadowed spoke about everything I saw and did, how great I was with the patients, and how motivated I was to learn medicine. The EMT letter conveyed what a good EMT I was. My shadowing letter conveyed that I can do so much more. She vouched for my character and, in her opinion, what I great doctor I'd make. And you better believe I mentioned all of what I saw and did in shadowing and as an EMT in my personal statement. And then, as the next step, I used it as confirmation of my desire to become (in my case) a primary care physician.

Again, it's your role. And when I say look into your LOR's, I mean to make sure they're vouching for what a great doctor YOU WILL BE, not just what a great medical assistant YOU WERE. Because for all I know, you've already done all of this - but you need to make sure it's getting through to admissions. You or your letter writers may not have spun this the right way.

Does that help at all?

 

[decafplease]

Thank you to to the pre-med student giving advice to the OP who discounted my experience because I am a PGY1 resident physician and therefore do not have the adequate experience to give advice to the OP.

Look, I'm no longer interested in beating a dead horse. I was in a particularly snarky mood last night and was overly defensive to nu2004's comments. beanbean, I truly didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry. I do respect you as a physician and a future colleague. I wasn't suggesting that your experience was inadequate. I was responding to nu2004's assertion that your resident status qualified you as *almost* an adcom. I shouldn't have dragged you into my defensive, snippy battle.

nu2004, truce? I apologize. I'm not interested in battling this out. You (and some others) are going to think "receptionist" (much to my and other MAs' chagrin) when you hear "medical assistant." So what? I know the value of my clinical experience and that's what I will focus on in my app. I think the OP probably did the same, or will next cycle, anyway. I'm confident that what I've learned will speak for itself during interviews and secondaries.

I've learned a lesson here. It's not fair to make assumptions based on titles. I'll do my best to be less defensive when someone discounts my experiences because I'm confident in the value of my work.

Congrats on your successful cycle, nu2004. beanbean, again, I'm sorry to have directed my defensive words towards you. Good luck, Little Etoile. I'm sure you'll do great next cycle.

 

[decafplease]

duplicate post

 

[decafplease]

Again, it's your role. And when I say look into your LOR's, I mean to make sure they're vouching for what a great doctor YOU WILL BE, not just what a great medical assistant YOU WERE. Because for all I know, you've already done all of this - but you need to make sure it's getting through to admissions. You or your letter writers may not have spun this the right way.

Does that help at all?

I think this is a great point. A lot of what you can learn from any clinical experience job has to be pursued. Being a great MA or ER tech isn't going to get you into medical school. Being inquisitive and aware of opportunities during that time will tip off your letter writer to your future potential as an MD. But it doesn't hurt to be good at what you do, too.

 

[majik1213]

i think your science GPA combined with a 29 MCAT killed ya. I have a 29 too and I'm not doing too hot at all .. 0 acceptances. 3 waitlists. 3 rejections.

 

[beanbean]

No problem Decaf. The application process can be very frustrating and this time of year mnay people are particularly stressed.

I think this thread is important for two reasons. One, the OP has gotten some good advice re: her situation. Two, various posts have illustrated how people have different conceptions regarding what a particular job title implies. Not recognizing this and assuming your job title means the same to everyone can put an applicant at a disadvantage.

 

[Raidergate]

The receptionist sit in the front and read magazines while the MAs sweat it out in the trenches with the doc's.

 

[premedrod]

Guys.... I need help. I'm sorry, I get annoyed just as much as the next person with these type of "What are my chances?" threads, but I am seriously at a loss and could use any and all advice.

The quick summary: I applied to twenty-nine schools and only had one interview which resulted in a low-tier waitlist. I'm not sure where I went wrong.

The low-down on me (sorry for the tl;dr length, but I don't have an apps page):

MCAT: 10P 9B 10V Writing: R
GPA: 3.6 cum, 3.3 science, 4.0 non-science, from UC Berkeley
Major: Molecular and Cell Bio, with emphasis in Neuro

Clinical:
-Volunteered in clinical program in India full-time for four weeks
-Volunteer in Oakland's Children's Hospital ER for ~100 hours
-Been working full-time as a medical assistant since last May (took a year and a half off since graduating)

So basically, I have over 2,000 clinical hours logged to date.

Research:
-Worked in a psych lab for a semester
-Published article in a student-run medical journal
-Annual attendant of neuroaesthetics conference at UC Berkeley

EC's:
-President of Alpha Gamma Honor Society
-President of Students for Integrative Medicine (which included organizing and running our annual Integrative Medicine Conference)
-Premed Honor Society Member
-Health educator in the underserved Oakland School District
-Wrote and directed my own short play
-Developed and taught integrative medicine course on campus for two semesters

Awards:
-UC Berkeley scholarship
-Alpha Gamma Sigma Excellence in Service award and scholarship

Work:
-Private tutor
-Floral designer all throughout college to support myself

General:
-Pretty interesting background: Dad is a Buddhist priest and head member of the Native American Church community so I grew up with a very diverse upbringing (I'm Caucasian, if you're wondering) and was exposed to a wide variety of cultures and medical practices
-My dad barely graduated high school, mom never did. Grew up low-income.


Schools I applied to:

Albany Medical College

Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Drexel University College of Medicine George Washington University Sch of Med & Hlth Sci Georgetown University School of Medicine Harvard Medical School

Jefferson Medical Coll. of Thomas Jefferson Univ.
Keck Sch. of Med.University of Southern California
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medici
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York Medical College

New York University

Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Scien Stanford University School of Medicine Temple University School of Medicine
The Ohio State Univ. Coll. of Med.
The University of Vermont College of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
UCLA PRIME

University of California San Diego University of California San Francisco University of California, Davis School of Medicine University of California, Irvine- College/Medicine University of Chicago - Pritzker
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine University of Rochester School of Medicine and Den




Some are reach schools, yes, and yes, I have lower stats for the UCs, but I am a California native so I had to give it a shot. I feel like other than that I had a pretty good list. I received secondaries from all but two schools which makes makes me think that my personal statement isn't the area of concern.

I realize that my science GPA is a little low, but sources on here indicate that since it's from Berkeley- one of the most notoriously difficult and competitive schools- maybe it would be theoretically bumped up a little in the admissions process. Also, my MCAT could be better, but it's not horrible, either.

Only other issue is that I didn't get my secondaries in until September/October. Again, not great, but not necessarily the kiss of death if everything else is good. There are plenty of people who applied when I did or later and were offered more interviews and even acceptances.

I'm fairly certain my LORs were good. Two were from MDs that I work for and I know those were strong.

As far as interviewing, I'm naturally *really* outgoing, friendly, etc.. I thoroughly prepared for the one interview I had and made an excellent case for why I would be a good fit. The interviewer even commented on it and agreed. I wrote a hand-written thank you note, and a total of three letters to the dean pre- and post-interview, including a letter of intent. Again, result was low-tier waitlist.

So what went wrong? What's holding me back that needs the most improvement? I'm thinking about reapplying this year and retaking the MCAT to get a better score (I spent way too much time prepping to study last time and not enough time actually studying), but I'm worried because nothing else on my app has changed since last year. On the other hand, if the MCAT is the only thing holding me back and I improve it, no changes otherwise shouldn't matter, right?

Eesh. Sorry for the novel, kiddoids, but I could really use some help.

geez homez...
some are reach schools? you have got to be kidding me...i would say all of them are reach schools except albany...
reading through your EC stuff, many of it seems irrelevant or superficial. did you have many ppl read your PS before sending it off? how were your letter of recs?

I'm kinda in your boat with the gpa and mcat. i'm planning on taking the MCAT a second time to score over 35. maybe you should do the same? you need to not apply to places like harvard and stanford unless you know for sure that you got something good to talk about...
this is just my two cents. sorry if i was harsh. i'm just giving an objective opinion and i obviously have no grounds to make these opinions so yah...please dont hate me for giving the advice i gave. if you have some for me, ill be happy to read it unless its inappropriate...hahaha

 

[ZarbK2]

About half the people at my interview were complete *******s, whistling at the dean, picking their nose and eating it while the dean was talking 2 feet in front of them, making racist jokes, completely obnoxious, etc. I'm sure none of them realized it. The acceptance rate for an interviewee at that school was 50%, I got in. Hm.

But wait, what's the point of that wall-o-text I just wrote?

You probably came off as a bitch!I'm not saying you need to go to Africa and save a village, I think the life experience nonsense is a bunch of bull****. I'll have time to save people when I'm a doctor, not when I'm some schmuck in a polo shirt.

 

[theCamel]

hey --

your app looks good enough to get you into med school. tighten up your MCAT if you can, and apply early like everyone said. your science GPA s not ideal but don't sweat it, not much you can do at this point about it. it's not ideal but it's not prohibitive.

honestly, you seem like somebody that would be a great interview, so i don't see the harm in re-applying to a similar range of schools. if you do better on the MCAT you shouldn't need 30+ apps to get a decent # of interviews. send me your PS if you need another set of eyes to look at it.

good luck!

 

[nu2004]

I think this is a great point. A lot of what you can learn from any clinical experience job has to be pursued. Being a great MA or ER tech isn't going to get you into medical school. Being inquisitive and aware of opportunities during that time will tip off your letter writer to your future potential as an MD. But it doesn't hurt to be good at what you do, too.

great points; i agree.

About half the people at my interview were complete *******s, whistling at the dean, picking their nose and eating it while the dean was talking 2 feet in front of them, making racist jokes, completely obnoxious, etc. I'm sure none of them realized it. The acceptance rate for an interviewee at that school was 50%, I got in. Hm.

But wait, what's the point of that wall-o-text I just wrote?

You probably came off as a bitch!I'm not saying you need to go to Africa and save a village, I think the life experience nonsense is a bunch of bull****. I'll have time to save people when I'm a doctor, not when I'm some schmuck in a polo shirt.

the only coherent thoughts in this jumble of internet diarrhea are offensive. the fact that you were accepted to a medical school makes the baby jesus cry.

 

[neuro1617]

So I haven't read through every post but just from reading through yours, it looks like the 29 MCAT, science GPA and especially 9 Bio on the MCAT could have done it. Really to be competitive for most schools you need 10's across the board. One score below a 10 in any area could hurt your chances significantly. And you say you come from Berkeley which is notoriously competitive and rigorous..they would, accordingly, expect your MCAT scores to show this. Also your list of schools doesn't include many safeties. Other than that I'm not sure....

 

[Little Etoile]

Also your list of schools doesn't include many safeties.

Honestly I don't quite know what safeties I have available to me. Many people's safeties are their state schools, but being a CA resident I hardly have that luxury. Any recommendations?

 

[Asp]

Actually, I'd say a majority of schools do!

They are averages because approximately HALF the students are below them (and thus were interviewed).

The OP is Caucasian.

 

[Asp]

I think the life experience nonsense is a bunch of bull****. I'll have time to save people when I'm a doctor, not when I'm some schmuck in a polo shirt.

I've been watching you from a distance
The distance sees through your disguise
All I want from you is your hurting
I want to heal you
I want to save you from the dark

Give unto me your troubles
I'll endure your suffering
Place onto me your burden
I'll drink your deadly poison

Why should I care if they hurt you
Somehow it matters more to me
Than if I were hurting myself
Save you (save you)
I'll save you

yeaahh..

 

[scarletgirl777]

Honestly I don't quite know what safeties I have available to me. Many people's safeties are their state schools, but being a CA resident I hardly have that luxury. Any recommendations?

wow, rankings do not always equal numbers! UC Davis has an average MCAT section score of 10.3 for matriculants...which means you need a 31 to be above average! Now I understand why Cali people complain so much. If you COULD do better by at least 4 points, then you really should retake. In terms of what to add, I'd say buy an MSAR and look over data for interviewing OOS.

 

[dEterm1ned]

So I haven't read through every post but just from reading through yours, it looks like the 29 MCAT, science GPA and especially 9 Bio on the MCAT could have done it. Really to be competitive for most schools you need 10's across the board. One score below a 10 in any area could hurt your chances significantly. And you say you come from Berkeley which is notoriously competitive and rigorous..they would, accordingly, expect your MCAT scores to show this. Also your list of schools doesn't include many safeties. Other than that I'm not sure....

No, not really.

 

[ZagDoc]

What have you done academically since graduation? If you haven't taken any courses, maybe they see a lack of committment. You should stay involved in school to raise your gpa and maintain your academic stamina.

Normally I'd blast this statement since its a large misconception pre-meds have about "the year off," but since your GPA, especially BCPM, is smack in the middle of that gray zone, there may be some merit to it.

That being said, your MCAT and GPA aren't as bad as people are making it out to be. With your ECs, it should have been enough to get you a couple acceptances this cycle. You're in a tough spot in that your numbers are good enough that you likely didn't get screened out for secondaries based on GPA or MCAT, but your GPA and MCAT were low enough to land you at the bottom of the competitive-pile post-screen.

Might be your PS. Did you have at least a dozen people read your PS? What you write can come off as entirely different to different people.

Might be your secondaries. How did you tackle your secondaries? Did you read up on the schools you were applying to before writing them in order to integrate meaningful ties to the school's mission and unique characteristics in your essays?

I definitely echo the sentiments about getting things in earlier, because that IS one thing you can tangibly do to drastically raise your chances at admission. I also got most my secondaries to completed status september-october, but also took the written MCAT back when itd take 7-8 weeks to get scores verified. I think theres some truth to the statement that the timeline has been bumped up since the MCAT went computerized.

 

[nu2004]

Honestly I don't quite know what safeties I have available to me. Many people's safeties are their state schools, but being a CA resident I hardly have that luxury. Any recommendations?

private universities with less competitive numbers

 

[neuro1617]

Honestly I don't quite know what safeties I have available to me. Many people's safeties are their state schools, but being a CA resident I hardly have that luxury. Any recommendations?

I wasn't talking about your in-state schools but any schools with numbers that aren't as competitive...ones w/ lower average GPA's and MCATs.

 

[neuro1617]

No, not really.

Yes, really. What would make you think that's not true? I've read various places that say this and heard it from an admissions officer. 10's in all VR, PS & BS will make you competitive for many schools & you should aim to have at least a 10 in each area & no areas that are weak, like an 8 or a 9.

 

[paranoid_eyes]

About half the people at my interview were complete *******s, whistling at the dean, picking their nose and eating it while the dean was talking 2 feet in front of them, making racist jokes, completely obnoxious, etc. I'm sure none of them realized it. The acceptance rate for an interviewee at that school was 50%, I got in. Hm.

But wait, what's the point of that wall-o-text I just wrote?

You probably came off as a bitch!I'm not saying you need to go to Africa and save a village, I think the life experience nonsense is a bunch of bull****. I'll have time to save people when I'm a doctor, not when I'm some schmuck in a polo shirt.

god i hope you guys all act like that during interviews....it'll make it so much easier

 

[dEterm1ned]

Yes, really. What would make you think that's not true? I've read various places that say this and heard it from an admissions officer. 10's in all VR, PS & BS will make you competitive for many schools & you should aim to have at least a 10 in each area & no areas that are weak, like an 8 or a 9.

Of course a 10 in each section makes you competitive, I am not arguing that. And I am sure she 'aimed' for 10s across the board, it just didn't happen.
I would have a hard time believing a 9 in a section would hurt her or anyone 'significantly'! Especially since it was only ONE 9.
I know plently of people, including myself who were accpepted with scores below 10 in one or more sections. That would lead me to believe it can't bet THAT significant.

 

[Cegar]

Battle of the anecdotes.

GO!

 

[dEterm1ned]

I know

 

[NJDIF]

private universities with less competitive numbers

we have a winner.

OP- do yourself a favor and buy an MSAR. go through it, and make a list of every school that matches your stats. i will guarantee you, that most of the schools youve listed will not make this list. however, after making the list, you will have your own 29 schools that you actually have a decent shot at. Harvard? AECOM? Pitt? Pritzker? Come on now...

 

[decafplease]

Battle of the anecdotes.

GO!

exactly what I was thinking...

 

[Little Etoile]

we have a winner.

OP- do yourself a favor and buy an MSAR. go through it, and make a list of every school that matches your stats. i will guarantee you, that most of the schools youve listed will not make this list. however, after making the list, you will have your own 29 schools that you actually have a decent shot at. Harvard? AECOM? Pitt? Pritzker? Come on now...

I *have* the MSAR. That's what I'm basing my question on. It seems like there aren't very many schools that accept a fair number of OOS that fall within my stats, so I'm not sure what schools people are suggesting. If someone could offer specific names, that would be helpful, because I feel like I'm missing something.

(Also, I should note that some of the few schools that do fall within my stats are in locations that I'm not willing to go to. I realize that cuts down my chances, but location is really important for my happiness and that takes priority.)

And as I said, I *know* that I listed reach schools. Some of them I applied to because of something specific that I thought gave me an edge. Harvard, for example, has one of the top programs in integrative medicine, which my UG career was built around. I have an alumni family member at Stanford, etc. etc. I applied broadly, as recommended. Beyond that, a lot of those schools *do* accept lower stat students if the rest of their application is strong. I was willing to spend the money/time on the off chance that I might be one of them. It may not be worth the risk for you, but it was for me. You can't fault me for that.

 

[flip26]

I *have* the MSAR. That's what I'm basing my question on. It seems like there aren't very many schools that accept a fair number of OOS that fall within my stats, so I'm not sure what schools people are suggesting. If someone could offer specific names, that would be helpful, because I feel like I'm missing something.

(Also, I should note that some of the few schools that do fall within my stats are in locations that I'm not willing to go to. I realize that cuts down my chances, but location is really important for my happiness and that takes priority.)

And as I said, I *know* that I listed reach schools. Some of them I applied to because of something specific that I thought gave me an edge. Harvard, for example, has one of the top programs in integrative medicine, which my UG career was built around. I have an alumni family member at Stanford, etc. etc. I applied broadly, as recommended. Beyond that, a lot of those schools *do* accept lower stat students if the rest of their application is strong. I was willing to spend the money/time on the off chance that I might be one of them. It may not be worth the risk for you, but it was for me. You can't fault me for that.

We are on page 3 and it seems you still do not understand what the concept of applying broadly means...it is not "broad" in a geographic sense, but in terms of your stats relative to the average stats for accepted or matriculated students.

Are your GPA and MCAT above the reported median for ANY of the schools on your application list, other than perhaps Albany? To apply "broadly" one should apply to a range of schools that fall below or right around your own stats, and then add a few above it...you have done exactly the opposite.

Also...find some schools not located in the DC to NY to Boston corridor...something not on either coast, maybe?

The problem is not that you can't seem to find schools that fall within your stats, but that you can't get it straight that it is YOUR stats that do not fall within or above the fat part of their accepted/matriculant range - your thinking here is backwards, or kind of self-centered or egotistical.

And you are overlooking a bunch of great schools with your east coast / west coast bias...

 

[nu2004]

I *have* the MSAR. That's what I'm basing my question on. It seems like there aren't very many schools that accept a fair number of OOS that fall within my stats, so I'm not sure what schools people are suggesting. If someone could offer specific names, that would be helpful, because I feel like I'm missing something.

(Also, I should note that some of the few schools that do fall within my stats are in locations that I'm not willing to go to. I realize that cuts down my chances, but location is really important for my happiness and that takes priority.)

And as I said, I *know* that I listed reach schools. Some of them I applied to because of something specific that I thought gave me an edge. Harvard, for example, has one of the top programs in integrative medicine, which my UG career was built around. I have an alumni family member at Stanford, etc. etc. I applied broadly, as recommended. Beyond that, a lot of those schools *do* accept lower stat students if the rest of their application is strong. I was willing to spend the money/time on the off chance that I might be one of them. It may not be worth the risk for you, but it was for me. You can't fault me for that.

based on this post, i can only conclude that you need to re-take the MCAT and hit a 42+. also, cure a disease while you are studying for your retake.

you clearly will not be happy with anything other than a top research university in a highly desirable location.

 

[nu2004]

rush
loyola
rosalind franklin
medical college wisconsin
temple
drexel
albany
nymc
georgetown
george washington
less competitive UC schools

also, don't assume that because a school does not take a lot of out-of-state kids that all of the OOS kids have amazing stats. that's only true for highly desirable state schools like UW and UCSF

 

[Little Etoile]

rush
loyola
rosalind franklin
medical college wisconsin
temple
drexel
albany
nymc
georgetown
george washington
less competitive UC schools

What?? I don't get it. Did you even read my post? I applied to all but two of those schools you recommended, including *all* of the UCs, so I don't know how I could apply to the "less" competitive UCs. Thank you for the suggestions, though. I already added Rush onto my potential list of schools for this cycle.

you clearly will not be happy with anything other than a top research university in a highly desirable location.

LOL. Actually, you described practically the antithesis of what I'm looking for. Your assumption was ridiculous and isn't based on anything I've written. You think Pittsburgh and Ohio are *desirable* locations? Not knocking on them, but I hardly think that's the adjective people would use to describe them.

I don't know why you guys are jumping on me. I asked a straight forward question and wanted some help. When I didn't understand, I asked for clarification. Chill. If you don't have something useful to offer, you're just making yourself look like a jackass and wasting bandwidth.

 

[Cegar]

Seriously.

The internet's not a truck you guys.

 

[dienekes88]

What?? I don't get it. Did you even read my post? I applied to all but two of those schools you recommended, including *all* of the UCs, so I don't know how I could apply to the "less" competitive UCs. Thank you for the suggestions, though. I already added Rush onto my potential list of schools for this cycle.

LOL. Actually, you described practically the antithesis of what I'm looking for. Your assumption was ridiculous and isn't based on anything I've written. You think Pittsburgh and Ohio are *desirable* locations? Not knocking on them, but I hardly think that's the adjective people would use to describe them.

I don't know why you guys are jumping on me. I asked a straight forward question and wanted some help. When I didn't understand, I asked for clarification. Chill. If you don't have something useful to offer, you're just making yourself look like a jackass and wasting bandwidth.

This is all a big misunderstanding

I think nu2004 just read your list wrong.

If you only read the first part of the line, then it looks like the following:

Albany Medical College

Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Keck Sch. of Med.University of Southern California
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medici
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York Medical College
Stanford University School of Medicine
The Ohio State Univ. Coll. of Med.
The University of Vermont College of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
UCLA PRIME
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

These are all great schools, and if you had considered *this* to be "broad," then nu2004 almost makes sense... most of those are great schools in desirable locations, and 15 schools is generally not considered "broad." However, reading only the beginning of each line eliminates nearly half of your list. Here it is... reformatted.

Albany Medical College

Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Drexel University College of Medicine
George Washington University Sch of Med & Hlth Sci
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Jefferson Medical Coll. of Thomas Jefferson Univ.
Keck Sch. of Med.University of Southern California
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York Medical College
New York University
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Stanford University School of Medicine
Temple University School of Medicine
The Ohio State Univ. Coll. of Med.
The University of Vermont College of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
UCLA PRIME

University of California San Diego
University of California San Francisco
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
University of California, Irvine- College/Medicine
University of Chicago - Pritzker
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine

That list is broad. 28 schools.

 

[87138]

Seriously.

The internet's not a truck you guys.

It's a series of tubes . . .

 

[nu2004]

I don't know why you guys are jumping on me. I asked a straight forward question and wanted some help. When I didn't understand, I asked for clarification. Chill. If you don't have something useful to offer, you're just making yourself look like a jackass and wasting bandwidth.

The fact of the matter is, I did not go back and look at your list of schools. I pulled ten or however many ideas out of my *** in a half-baked attempt to be helpful after flaming you.

Honestly, though, I'm not sure you 'deserve' much more than a good flaming. Your posts are becoming troll-like. You keep asking questions but refusing to listen to reasonable answers, or God forbid, doing some research on your own. I can't stop you from acting like a petulant little child. Just keep in mind that many of the people trying to help you have been accepted to medical school.

You're frustrated; we're frustrated. The problem here is that you aren't taking "ownership" of this situation, so to speak. Coming to SDN over and over and asking for a list of schools is inefficient. You know which schools are in your reach -- maybe you need to change something about your application to grab them.

My serious advice to you is to re-take the MCAT and aim for a 35+. That will be something that will really make your application stand out. Ask great writers what they would change about your essays.

Finally, write "the update letter to end all update letters" to the school whose waitlist you're on (if you haven't already withdrawn. again, i;m not reading the whole thread again). I have no idea if you have a reasonable chance of getting in off the waitlist, but a "hail mary" pass couldn't hurt at this point. Remember: they have NO IDEA what your status is at any other school. Until they've taken "final action" (i.e., accept or reject), the cards are in your hand. Something like this:

Dear Dean X of Medical School Y:

I made the idealistic but naive mistake this application cycle of only applying to medical schools at which I knew would be perfectly happy; that precisely fit my criteria for curriculum, location, etc. I have not yet been accepted to medical school, but your institution remains my top choice, and I hope that my decision to remain on your waitlist (despite slim chances for acceptance) is perceived by your office as a testament to that sentiment. If accepted to your medical school, you can be assured that I will work to take advantage of the innovative curriculum and all that other great stuff that only your school has. It will be my personal goal to graduate at the top of my class and to enhance the reputation of Medical School Y through my many years of distinguished practice.

I hope that you will take one more opportunity to evaluate my application and position on the waitlist. I eagerly await your response.

Sincerely,

Little Etoile