Reapplicant Advice

[PremedWanderer]

Hey, just a re-applicant looking for some advice this cycle as to how I can go forward. Currently on 2 WLs, one top tier, but there's a high chance at this point that those do not pan out, and I'm looking for advice on if I'm ready to reapply.


OH state, ORM
cGPA: 3.88
sGPA: -3.85
MCAT: 520 (131/128/130/131)
Secondaries complete first week September last time

Hours listed on previous application:
- Research lab ( no pubs/posters): 700 hours
- Shadowing (Oncologist+ER specialist): 22+5 hours completed
- Clinical volunteering : 75 hours complete at the time, projected an extra 75
- Crisis Counselor: 125 hours complete at the time, 125 projected.
- TA for Engineering department: 170 hours completed at the time, 340 projected
- TA for Chemistry Department: 400 hours completed
- Volunteer tutor with pass the class: 30 hours completed at time, 70 projected
- Won 2 hackathons, continued developing project

LORs: - 2 Science profs (required for some universities I'm applying to), one of whom I worked for as a TA while also being his student multiple times. Will be reusing these,
have continued working with one of the science profs on the side in helping integrate ANKI into his students cirriculum
- One professor from my program (biomedical engineering) He is now my PI, and will be asking him to write a letter moreso based around my work with him in our research rather than me as a student
- One professor from a general education course who I was close with. Will likely be reusing this
- One faculty member I worked under while TAing Asking a new professor I worked under most recently, as I took an active role in guiding students outside of class,
and mentoring them towards research and innovation patenting.

Since this time, quite a bit has changed with regards to my experience, and I will be posting the changes now.
- I've begun researching with a professor due to my old lab banning undergraduates due to covid. Will be working -400 hours, and publishing as a middle author in the fall hopefully
-I've shadowed 2 more physicians (neurologist and nephrologist) for an additional 53 hours combined (total 80 across 4 specialties now)
-I've gotten more clinical volunteer hours than projected (approx 200 right now)
-I've gotten more TAing work than projected (600 hours done)
-I've gotten more volunteer tutoring/mentorship and different forms than projected -125 hours
-I've begun working for ScribeAmerica this month, and will be working for the entirety of the year full time ( 2000 hours total)
-I'll continue volunteering as a Crisis Counselor, 200 hours done rn, will be completing 200 more hopefully within a year.
-In the process of getting my project for the hackathons (stroke recovery glove) patented with my University.

I've worked quite hard on preparing myself for a new application, but I had a few concerns.
1) I was wondering if for the reapplication, I would be ok in using some of the material from my previous personal statement, albeit in a different way. I currently have my new personal statement rooted a lot more in the things I've learned over this year, but the initial seed which drew me to medicine (the focus for my first personal statement), has not really changed. I was wondering if a small part (around 1/7 paragraphs, could still draw back to this seed, as I feel that it improves my current essay.

2) I was wondering if my LORs are different enough. Without a doubt I feel I chose the individuals most likely to provide me strong letters, and with one of my previous professors now being my PI, I was hoping that it may bring a new angle to me. Schools I called for feedback told me that my LORs were not negatively affecting my candidacy, and rather it was a lack of clinical exposure, but I wanted second opinions here, as while I'm updating a few of the writers, despite the contents being different, the writers are the same for the most part.

3) Should I hold off on applying, or would my current application show sufficient growth to justify a reapplication? I understand that its difficult to show a great deal of growth within a year, especially given the pandemic, but I've tried my best to accumulate experiences which I thought would help me if I fell into this scenario. That said, I may be rushing, and would love to get different perspectives on if I am rushing to reapply, and should wait another year prior to doing so.

Thank you so much once again for all of your help. SDN has been invaluable to me, and I appreciate the assistance of all of the students and Adcom members here.

EDIT: Schools list- Total 26 Schools:
Schools List:

OSU

Pitt

Case

Cinci

Wright State

NEOMED

Toledo EVMS U Vermont U Iowa Vanderbilt Dartmouth WUSTL MCW U Wisconsin Madison Einstein Boston U Mt. Sinai Hofstra Rochester Temple Jefferson Upenn Cornell Emory Northwestern

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[GAMING4FUNN]

How many schools did you apply to? Additionally, how many interview invites did you receive? (I am assuming 2).
Could you also please list the schools you applied to get a better picture of what pool of applicants you were competing against.

 

[PremedWanderer]

How many schools did you apply to? Additionally, how many interview invites did you receive? (I am assuming 2).
Could you also please list the schools you applied to get a better picture of what pool of applicants you were competing against.

Hey, thanks so much for the response. I just updated my post to add that! Also, I received 2 interview invites, that is correct.

 

[Goro]

Hey, just a re-applicant looking for some advice this cycle as to how I can go forward. Currently on 2 WLs, one top tier, but there's a high chance at this point that those do not pan out, and I'm looking for advice on if I'm ready to reapply.


OH state, ORM
cGPA: 3.88
sGPA: -3.85
MCAT: 520 (131/128/130/131)
Secondaries complete first week September last time

Hours listed on previous application:
- Research lab ( no pubs/posters): 700 hours
- Shadowing (Oncologist+ER specialist): 22+5 hours completed
- Clinical volunteering : 75 hours complete at the time, projected an extra 75
- Crisis Counselor: 125 hours complete at the time, 125 projected.
- TA for Engineering department: 170 hours completed at the time, 340 projected
- TA for Chemistry Department: 400 hours completed
- Volunteer tutor with pass the class: 30 hours completed at time, 70 projected
- Won 2 hackathons, continued developing project

LORs: - 2 Science profs (required for some universities I'm applying to), one of whom I worked for as a TA while also being his student multiple times. Will be reusing these,
have continued working with one of the science profs on the side in helping integrate ANKI into his students cirriculum
- One professor from my program (biomedical engineering) He is now my PI, and will be asking him to write a letter moreso based around my work with him in our research rather than me as a student
- One professor from a general education course who I was close with. Will likely be reusing this
- One faculty member I worked under while TAing Asking a new professor I worked under most recently, as I took an active role in guiding students outside of class,
and mentoring them towards research and innovation patenting.

Since this time, quite a bit has changed with regards to my experience, and I will be posting the changes now.
- I've begun researching with a professor due to my old lab banning undergraduates due to covid. Will be working -400 hours, and publishing as a middle author in the fall hopefully
-I've shadowed 2 more physicians (neurologist and nephrologist) for an additional 53 hours combined (total 80 across 4 specialties now)
-I've gotten more clinical volunteer hours than projected (approx 200 right now)
-I've gotten more TAing work than projected (600 hours done)
-I've gotten more volunteer tutoring/mentorship and different forms than projected -125 hours
-I've begun working for ScribeAmerica this month, and will be working for the entirety of the year full time ( 2000 hours total)
-I'll continue volunteering as a Crisis Counselor, 200 hours done rn, will be completing 200 more hopefully within a year.
-In the process of getting my project for the hackathons (stroke recovery glove) patented with my University.

I've worked quite hard on preparing myself for a new application, but I had a few concerns.
1) I was wondering if for the reapplication, I would be ok in using some of the material from my previous personal statement, albeit in a different way. I currently have my new personal statement rooted a lot more in the things I've learned over this year, but the initial seed which drew me to medicine (the focus for my first personal statement), has not really changed. I was wondering if a small part (around 1/7 paragraphs, could still draw back to this seed, as I feel that it improves my current essay.

2) I was wondering if my LORs are different enough. Without a doubt I feel I chose the individuals most likely to provide me strong letters, and with one of my previous professors now being my PI, I was hoping that it may bring a new angle to me. Schools I called for feedback told me that my LORs were not negatively affecting my candidacy, and rather it was a lack of clinical exposure, but I wanted second opinions here, as while I'm updating a few of the writers, despite the contents being different, the writers are the same for the most part.

3) Should I hold off on applying, or would my current application show sufficient growth to justify a reapplication? I understand that its difficult to show a great deal of growth within a year, especially given the pandemic, but I've tried my best to accumulate experiences which I thought would help me if I fell into this scenario. That said, I may be rushing, and would love to get different perspectives on if I am rushing to reapply, and should wait another year prior to doing so.

Thank you so much once again for all of your help. SDN has been invaluable to me, and I appreciate the assistance of all of the students and Adcom members here.

EDIT: Schools list- Total 26 Schools:
Schools List:

OSU

Pitt

Case

Cinci

Wright State

NEOMED

Toledo EVMS U Vermont U Iowa Vanderbilt Dartmouth WUSTL MCW U Wisconsin Madison Einstein Boston U Mt. Sinai Hofstra Rochester Temple Jefferson Upenn Cornell Emory Northwestern

List is good.

 

[PremedWanderer]

List is good.

Thank you so much! Would I be rushing if I reapplied this cycle?

 

[Goro]

Thank you so much! Would I be rushing if I reapplied this cycle?

How many hours of non-clinical volunteering? Off campus, especially

 

[PremedWanderer]

How many hours of non-clinical volunteering? Off campus, especially

I'd say roughly 300-400 total complete to date,with them being largely split between crisis counseling (online), and volunteering to tutor underprivileged teenagers and kindergartners in the greater Columbus area (technically off campus I guess). I also had some with elderly assistance prior to the pandemic, but that was only 30 hours.

 

[Goro]

I'd say roughly 300-400 total complete to date,with them being largely split between crisis counseling (online), and volunteering to tutor underprivileged teenagers and kindergartners in the greater Columbus area (technically off campus I guess). I also had some with elderly assistance prior to the pandemic, but that was only 30 hours.

You are indeed good to go!

Rewrite all essays and have multiple eyeballs vet them.

As this is your second try, add some DO schools as insurance if you get no love by November

 

[PremedWanderer]

You are indeed good to go!

Rewrite all essays and have multiple eyeballs vet them.

As this is your second try, add some DO schools as insurance if you get no love by November

Sounds good, will work hard to make it count this time. Thanks so much!