What's your application's greatest strength/weakness??

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
ladybug70 said:
This one's a toughie, what are your thoughts? Don't want to come off sounding conceited (for strengths) or as a weak applicant (for weakness).


www.mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?myid=06735
Click to expand...

Don't worry about sounding conceited regarding the strengths of your application. The med school admissions process is not the time for modesty.

You're right, you don't want to sound like a weak applicant. But you don't want to sound like a dishonest one either. For example, on the low verbal score one could say (if true) something like "When I came to this country 5 years ago, I couldn't speak a word of English. I'm proud of the fact that I was able to achieve a sufficient mastery of English in that short period of time to graduate with honors in a demanding curriculum etc, etc." In other words, be honest about weaknesses, but try to somehow spin them into positivies.
 
For weaknesses, no BS. They'll smell it a mile away. Be honest and tell them how you work on them - that's the important thing. Everyone has weaknesses. Not everyone deals with them in a constructive manner.
 
eternalrage said:
For weaknesses, no BS. They'll smell it a mile away. Be honest and tell them how you work on them - that's the important thing. Everyone has weaknesses. Not everyone deals with them in a constructive manner.
Click to expand...

Yes, Eternalrage's is obvious. Just look at his avatar. I personnally have difficulty hearing on one side. 🙂
 
Strength: MCAT score
Weakness: Research is so so
 
Strength: GPA? MCAT?

Weakness: so-so EC's, so-so recs, not very knowledgeable about current healthcare problems/issues, weak research experience, weak clinical experience
 
BigRedPremed said:
Strength: GPA? MCAT?

Weakness: so-so EC's, so-so recs, not very knowledgeable about current healthcare problems/issues, weak research experience, weak clinical experience
Click to expand...

Yeah I think my biggest interview weakness right now would be I don't have good answers to a lot of the health care questions I see asked. I'm going to have to read a book or two on the topic before interview season (next year).
 
Strength: broad variety of experiences with solid GPA
Weakness: modest MCAT

Overall, though, I think that my app looks good and that I appear charismatic in my interviews, and I've been pretty productive in the application cycle 🙂.
 
Strength: great MCAT verbal reasoning section, solid research experience and LOR's
Weakness: Poor physical sciences MCAT section, relatively little patient care exposure
 
Well, I'm done with this application stuff, but...

Strengths: Athletic training experience (LOTS of patient contact and I've gotten a ton of great comments about it during interviews), VR, BS, and PS scores

Weaknesses: Lack of research, not a ton of volunteer time, and writing score (but who cares about that anyway?)
 
strength: MCAT
weakness: GPA
 
Doesn't this question refer to personality more than academics? Wouldn't you say a weakness would be a trait or yours, rather than poor showing on one test?

Isn't the weakness the are asking about more of an character trait weakness rather than an application weakness?
 
degoo_ said:
Doesn't this question refer to personality more than academics? Wouldn't you say a weakness would be a trait or yours, rather than poor showing on one test?

Isn't the weakness the are asking about more of an character trait weakness rather than an application weakness?
Click to expand...
I think he's asking from an academic (GPA, MCAT, ECs) stand point rather than soft factors like personality etc.
 
Strength: ... thinking ...
Weakness: ... everything ... thinking ... yea that sums it up
 
Yea, but when that question is asked in an interview with nothing leading up to it, isn't it proper to assume it is a character question? It would suck if I some of my personality/character weaknesses, and all they wanted was, I got a C once.
 
He didn't ask for your strength/weaknesses. He asked for your application's strengths/weaknesses. Thus, it should be factors that are visible from the application (MCAT, GPA, EC's, recs, essays, etc.).
 
application strength: personal statement
application weakness: science gpa, verbal MCAT
 
Strengths: MCAT, GPA (although in Ontario, it's not exceptional)

Weaknesses: I suspect I'm not strong with interviews although I haven't had any, personal essays that should have been better (on second reading), so-so involvement ecs.
 
Since others are saying more, I'll add to my previous post.

Strengths:
-GPA (especially BCPM)
-Clinical experience (2 + years working in OR, 1 year in path lab, 2 years volunteering in orthopod's clinic)
-Research (I've done it, but not really published, so I am saying a strength just for having any lol)
-I tend to interview really well. I only say this because I finished 2nd in a statewide competition that's basis was doing mock job interviews. Plus I've gotten every job I ever interviewed for. I am somewhat hesitant about this though, because I don't how well performance in a job interview will translate into performance in a medical school interview.
Weakness:
-Lack of true community service volunteer work (I volunteered in an orthopods office, but I wasn't out feeding the homeless or anything).
-Haven't taken the MCAT yet!!
-Lack an understanding of the major problems in the current healthcare system, and possible solutions to those problems.
 
strength: ~3.9 GPA and amazing ECs, solid research as well.
weakness: applying so late and an okay mcat (31), and also being a canadian.
 
Strengths:
  • Volunteering (40+ hours)
  • AMSA Community Service Leader
  • Interview skills
  • Job shadowed an ER physician
  • English tutor (forgot)
  • Essays
  • Still a freshman...
Weaknesses:
  • A 3.0 GPA
  • 3 "W"s so far

I still got 2~3 years to work on this...
 
Strenghts:variety of EC, GPA, MCAT BS and PS
Weakness: MCAT VR and WS
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
Is my upbringing a weakness in my application?
Replies
7
Views
1K
sardinetoast
S
E
SDN Article: Finding Your Greatest Common Factors with Successful Students
Replies
0
Views
868
Emil Chuck
E
B
To ADCOMS: What's Your Interview Horror Story With an Applicant?
Replies
19
Views
3K
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
F
Hyper-specific Weakness is Dropping GPA. Are all 3.7x cGPAs equal?
Replies
4
Views
738
KnoxWhitley
K
D
Help Your Fellow Applicants: Withdraw If You've Decided!
Replies
0
Views
525
DoneDone3451
D
Top