Identifying and Addressing Weaknesses for Reapplication, CA ORM

[sensationalandinsatiable]

From my application for the 2021-2022 Cycle:

1. cGPA: 3.65 and sGPA: 3.54
2. MCAT: 516 130/127/130/129
3. CA
4. ORM
5. Top Public UC
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
   1. Work: Ophthalmic Technician (900 hours) (1900 currently)(most meaningful experience)
   2. Volunteer:
      1. Emergency Department (30 hours) (most meaningful experience)
      2. Outpatient Nutrition Services (20 hours)
7. Research experience and productivity
   1. Virtual abstract presentation and abstract publication
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. 20 hours pathology shadowing, 5 hours optometry shadowing, 8 hours EM shadowing, 25 hours virtual shadowing
9. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. Coaching sports for underserved communities - (50 hours) (most meaningful experience)
   2. Hospital gift shop (100 hours)
   3. Peer mentoring (15 hours) (30 hours currently)
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
    1. Greek Fraternity treasurer for 1 year
    2. Anatomy lab TA for a semester (120 hours)
    3. Community service coordinator for a club (30 hours)
11. Relevant honors or awards: N/A
12. LORS:
    1. 2 decent letters from science professors
    2. 1 decent letter from physician I currently work with
13. Anything else not listed you think might be important:

Previous Schools Applied: Albany, Einstein, Rosalind Franklin, Hofstra, Drexel, EVMS, Quinnipiac, Dartmouth, George Washington, Georgetown, Kaiser, Keck, Temple, Oakland, Stony Brook, Rush, Rutgers NJ, Rutgers RWJ, Thomas Jefferson, SUNY Downstate, Tufts, Tulane, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UCSD, UCSF, University of Cincinnati, University of Colorado, University of Illinois, Miami, Larner, Rochester, Wisconsin, Morsani, VCU, and Homer Stryker

Weaknesses:

• Three C+s in core prerequisites
• Low clinical and non-clinical volunteering
• Commitment to earlier activities were not sustained
• No recent community service
• Submitted to AMCAS at the end of June 2021 and applied to 37 schools, having finished only 24 secondaries with half in August and the other half in September
• Potentially PS as I had only a few people read it

Going Forward:

• Gained 1000 additional hours as an ophthalmic technician and about 30 hours of peer mentoring since applying
• Currently searching for a community service opportunities as well as research assistant positions
• Updated LOR from the physician I work with
• Apply earlier and prewrite secondaries
• Utilize SDN more for help with writing my personal statement

Hey everyone, I am going into my third gap year and will be reapplying this upcoming cycle. After some reflection, I’m worried that I will not have shown significant improvement from this previous cycle and have doubts about applying this cycle. Assuming I begin a new volunteering opportunity soon and possibly research, would I have a shot as a reapplicant? What schools should I add/remove? Should I pursue more in-person shadowing? I would really appreciate any advice that I can get!

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[gyngyn]

Lack of service appears to be a weak point.

 

[loveschoollll]

Why is your school list full of hard to get in schools?

 

[Goro]

From my application for the 2021-2022 Cycle:

1. cGPA: 3.63 and sGPA: 3.52
   1. sGPA trend from first to fourth year: 3.35, 3.46, 3.22, 3.85
2. MCAT: 517 130/127/130/130
3. CA
4. ORM
5. Top Public UC
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
   1. Work: Ophthalmic Technician (900 hours) (1900 currently)(most meaningful experience)
   2. Volunteer:
      1. Emergency Department (30 hours) (most meaningful experience)
      2. Outpatient Nutrition Services (20 hours)
7. Research experience and productivity
   1. Virtual abstract presentation and abstract publication
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. 20 hours pathology shadowing, 5 hours optometry shadowing, 8 hours EM shadowing, 25 hours virtual shadowing
9. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. Coaching sports for underserved communities - (50 hours) (most meaningful experience)
   2. Hospital gift shop (100 hours)
   3. Peer mentoring (15 hours) (30 hours currently)
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
    1. Greek Fraternity treasurer for 1 year
    2. Anatomy lab TA for a semester (120 hours)
    3. Community service coordinator for a club (30 hours)
11. Relevant honors or awards: N/A
12. LORS:
    1. 2 decent letters from science professors
    2. 1 decent letter from physician I currently work with
13. Anything else not listed you think might be important:
    1. C+ in OChem 1 and 2 and Biochemistry
    2. Currently taking Physics 2 at a community college as my last prerequisite.

Previous Schools Applied: Albany, Einstein, Rosalind Franklin, Hofstra, Drexel, EVMS, Quinnipiac, Dartmouth, George Washington, Georgetown, Kaiser, Keck, Temple, Oakland, Stony Brook, Rush, Rutgers NJ, Rutgers RWJ, Thomas Jefferson, SUNY Downstate, Tufts, Tulane, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UCSD, UCSF, University of Cincinnati, University of Colorado, University of Illinois, Miami, Larner, Rochester, Wisconsin, Morsani, VCU, and Homer Stryker

Weaknesses:

• Three C+s in core prerequisites
• Low clinical and non-clinical volunteering
• Commitment to earlier activities were not sustained
• No recent community service
• Submitted to AMCAS at the end of June 2021 and applied to 37 schools, having finished only 24 secondaries with half in August and the other half in September
• Potentially PS as I had only a few people read it

Going Forward:

• Gained 1000 additional hours as an ophthalmic technician and about 30 hours of peer mentoring since applying
• Currently searching for a community service opportunities as well as research assistant positions
• Updated LOR from the physician I work with
• Apply earlier and prewrite secondaries
• Utilize SDN more for help with writing my personal statement

Hey everyone, I am going into my third gap year and will be reapplying this upcoming cycle. My only interview was from Keck early in the cycle which resulted in getting on the alternate list. After some reflection, I’m worried that I will not have shown significant improvement from this previous cycle and have doubts about applying this cycle. Assuming I begin a new volunteering opportunity soon and possibly research, would I have a shot as a reapplicant? What schools should I add/remove? Should I pursue more in-person shadowing? I would really appreciate any advice that I can get!

Do not assume that your high MCAT score will get you into more competitive MD schools. You are weak GPA is holding you back, as well as your lack of service.

You need to have DO schools on your list, as Beggars can't be choosy.

Your list had a good number of donations.