- Joined
- Apr 28, 2020
- Messages
- 26
- Reaction score
- 32
Hi Everyone,
I am in need of some guidance on my application and preparing for yet another re-application for this upcoming cycle. Here are some stats about me for reference:
GPA: 3.96, Starting off at a community college for 1 year, then transferred and finished at a T-20 public school in Cali in 2 years, so graduated at 21.
ORM in CA.
MCAT: 508 (129/125/129/125) in 2021, then 506 (128/125/126/127) in 2022.
ECs: Research: 4 publications, 1 of which was done at a T-5 school where I volunteered for an entire summer full-time. Both Clinical and Lab Based works.
Clinical Experience: Worked as a Scribe freshmen year of college (300 hours), and I have been working as a scribe again at a different clinic for my gap year (about 700 hours so far). Also volunteered as a Physicist during COVID (200 hours).
Volunteer: I have volunteered at a variety of local orgs (Homeless Shelter, COVID-Clinic, Tobacco Non-Profit Intern and started a tutoring service for the SAT for underserved students- everything total is prob around 1500 hours, if not more.
Leadership: Tutoring Service, I held board positions in some clubs at school, and tutored several subjects.
Personal Statement: I thought it was pretty average. I would not say it was a weakness but definitely not anything very unique.
Shadowing: About 100 hours total of different specialties.
First Cycle: Applied with a 508 while a junior in college still, did not receive any interviews. Only applied to MD schools.
Second Cycle (Current): Retook the MCAT, and despite scoring higher on practice tests, score dropped to a 506. I applied to both MD and DO schools and got 2 interviews, 1 to my local DO school and 1 to a T-5 school that I was a strong mission fit for. I am waitlisted to my local DO school and got rejected to my only MD choice.
I do not have a plan of where to go from here. Currently, I know I have to retake the MCAT and do significantly better than my last 2 attempts. My concern is obviously that I already tried a retake and did my best, but my score did not move much. I plan on cutting back hours at work and testing late May. This cycle, I realized I also did not have any DO shadowing hours or letters of rec so I will work on that, probably a reason why I did not have much luck with the Do cycle either. I also am not sure what to do during a second gap year. Will continuing my scribing be helpful to my application? I would not be moving up in a leadership position, and it would be the same job continued. i will also continue working with my local non-profits, but I am genuinely confused on how to best help my chances for next cycle.
Thank you for any help/words of wisdom. I suppose the good news is that I am still only 22 and have a supportive family, but it is quite deflating to have to take the MCAT again, and I can not even bear thinking about having to prepare a re-app even though that is what it is looking like right now.
I am in need of some guidance on my application and preparing for yet another re-application for this upcoming cycle. Here are some stats about me for reference:
GPA: 3.96, Starting off at a community college for 1 year, then transferred and finished at a T-20 public school in Cali in 2 years, so graduated at 21.
ORM in CA.
MCAT: 508 (129/125/129/125) in 2021, then 506 (128/125/126/127) in 2022.
ECs: Research: 4 publications, 1 of which was done at a T-5 school where I volunteered for an entire summer full-time. Both Clinical and Lab Based works.
Clinical Experience: Worked as a Scribe freshmen year of college (300 hours), and I have been working as a scribe again at a different clinic for my gap year (about 700 hours so far). Also volunteered as a Physicist during COVID (200 hours).
Volunteer: I have volunteered at a variety of local orgs (Homeless Shelter, COVID-Clinic, Tobacco Non-Profit Intern and started a tutoring service for the SAT for underserved students- everything total is prob around 1500 hours, if not more.
Leadership: Tutoring Service, I held board positions in some clubs at school, and tutored several subjects.
Personal Statement: I thought it was pretty average. I would not say it was a weakness but definitely not anything very unique.
Shadowing: About 100 hours total of different specialties.
First Cycle: Applied with a 508 while a junior in college still, did not receive any interviews. Only applied to MD schools.
Second Cycle (Current): Retook the MCAT, and despite scoring higher on practice tests, score dropped to a 506. I applied to both MD and DO schools and got 2 interviews, 1 to my local DO school and 1 to a T-5 school that I was a strong mission fit for. I am waitlisted to my local DO school and got rejected to my only MD choice.
I do not have a plan of where to go from here. Currently, I know I have to retake the MCAT and do significantly better than my last 2 attempts. My concern is obviously that I already tried a retake and did my best, but my score did not move much. I plan on cutting back hours at work and testing late May. This cycle, I realized I also did not have any DO shadowing hours or letters of rec so I will work on that, probably a reason why I did not have much luck with the Do cycle either. I also am not sure what to do during a second gap year. Will continuing my scribing be helpful to my application? I would not be moving up in a leadership position, and it would be the same job continued. i will also continue working with my local non-profits, but I am genuinely confused on how to best help my chances for next cycle.
Thank you for any help/words of wisdom. I suppose the good news is that I am still only 22 and have a supportive family, but it is quite deflating to have to take the MCAT again, and I can not even bear thinking about having to prepare a re-app even though that is what it is looking like right now.
