Third time re-applicant advice?

[premed5152]

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[mvsrocks]

Are you CA ORM?

 

[premed5152]

Are you CA ORM?

Nope haha VA ORM

 

[mvsrocks]

If you do need to reapply again, I'd apply to more MD schools and think about adding DO. The first time I applied, I had a very top heavy list of like 28 schools. This cycle, I improved my app and applied broadly to 41 schools, and I've been more successful.

Also, this cycle is very competitive, which may explain your current situation.

While your app looks balanced, nothing really sticks out to me. There isn't an x-factor, and your writing may be average as well. I'd consider trying to get a clinical research pub, maybe Americorps???, and really scrutinizing your writing. I also had to re-write secondaries, but I sometimes felt that my answers became thinner because I wanted to write about a new topic compared to last year. If you need to re-write secondaries for the 4th time, I would make it a synthesis of all the best parts of your previous responses. Get expert help if needed.

 

[premed5152]

If you do need to reapply again, I'd apply to more MD schools and think about adding DO. The first time I applied, I had a very top heavy list of like 28 schools. This cycle, I improved my app and applied broadly to 41 schools, and I've been more successful.

Also, this cycle is very competitive, which may explain your current situation.

While your app looks balanced, nothing really sticks out to me. There isn't an x-factor, and your writing may be average as well. I'd consider trying to get a clinical research pub, maybe Americorps???, and really scrutinizing your writing. I also had to re-write secondaries, but I sometimes felt that my answers became thinner because I wanted to write about a new topic compared to last year. If you need to re-write secondaries for the 4th time, I would make it a synthesis of all the best parts of your previous responses. Get expert help if needed.

41 schools...you’re amazing!!!

but yea..i’m even considering adding a DO school late into this cycle since my MCAT would expire next year but i’ve been on the fence since hearing so much about how step 1 becoming pass/fail + the merger might negatively affect DO residency options.

do you think sending an update letter about my promotion/ other volunteer activities i’ve done for the past few months help at this point?

 

[mvsrocks]

41 schools...you’re amazing!!!

do you think sending an update letter about my promotion/ other volunteer activities i’ve done for the past few months help at this point?

I spent spring break and beyond prewriting for those 41 schools. Would definitely not recommend applying to so many unless you prewrite.

People only recommend updates if they are significant and/or make up for a gap in your application. Unless you've added hundreds of hours to your volunteering, I don't know if it'll make much difference. Just my opinion tho, and you should ask others too.

 

[Goro]

41 schools...you’re amazing!!!

but yea..i’m even considering adding a DO school late into this cycle since my MCAT would expire next year but i’ve been on the fence since hearing so much about how step 1 becoming pass/fail + the merger might negatively affect DO residency options.

do you think sending an update letter about my promotion/ other volunteer activities i’ve done for the past few months help at this point?

Beggars can't be choosy, you need to have more than one DO school on your list if you have to reapply. Otherwise you're losing yet another year of attending salary.

Despite what you have been told, I suspect that your interview skills or what needs work on.

Affected the merger has been discussed to death in these forums, and if anything it is helped students get into good residencies not hurt them.

Step one going past fail has also been discussed to death. Residency directors will simply use step 2

 

[Ultimax]

You definitely need to apply broadly. My stats were similar to yours and I applied to 36 schools, because I did not want to be re-applicant.

 

[premed5152]

Beggars can't be choosy, you need to have more than one DO school on your list if you have to reapply. Otherwise you're losing yet another year of attending salary.

Despite what you have been told, I suspect that your interview skills or what needs work on.

Affected the merger has been discussed to death in these forums, and if anything it is helped students get into good residencies not hurt them.

Step one going past fail has also been discussed to death. Residency directors will simply use step 2

Goro! Thank you for stopping by and coming in with advice. And you’re absolutely right i didn’t mean to say only one DO school, I would definitely add more. And if I’m fortunate enough to somehow receive a II this cycle I’ll definitely try to better prepare.

You definitely need to apply broadly. My stats were similar to yours and I applied to 36 schools, because I did not want to be re-applicant.

Yup seems to be my biggest mistake. Thank you!

 

[LunaOri]

Numbers are good, so the problem is either with your writing or your interview skills. I agree that you should add some DO schools to the mix. Best of luck!

 

[Osteosaur]

I'm a multi-time reapplicant with 3.6/515. My ECs were a bit better than yours.

I don't want to be presumptuous but you seem like a pretty average applicant, all in all, and that's not bad. But I think you thought 514/3.8 would make you competitive at upper end schools. It doesn't. You're competing with people with good numbers and extraordinary ECs (starting businesses and charities).

-You need to apply to way more schools. Like you need to apply everywhere (I did 40 MD and 15 DO!). I made the mistake of doing 10 "near home" my first cycle. You can't do that. You just need to get in.
-When did you apply? It needs to be early.
-Schools might get sick of looking at an unchanged application year after year. Even if you have 'new secondaries' are you adding anymore legitimate assets? Maybe just change up your volunteering or add a new hobby? Spice it up and make it memorable.
-You need to start looking at DO schools. You have better numbers for there, and a fresh start. Don't sit in this mire where you could be a resident by now if you didn't go DO. If you don't make it in that first shot you need to be of the mindset 'I'd be lucky to go DO and do FM anywhere' if you want to be a doctor.

Get some new eyes on your essays. Maybe you got comfortable with the reader, maybe they got comfortable with you.

 

[candbgirl]

I really like the idea of getting new eyes on your application. After this many cycles you need to shake things up someway.

 

[Isoval]

If this is your third cycle, you need DO schools. Like yesterday.

 

[Dral]

I'm a multi-time reapplicant with 3.6/515. My ECs were a bit better than yours.

I don't want to be presumptuous but you seem like a pretty average applicant, all in all, and that's not bad. But I think you thought 514/3.8 would make you competitive at upper end schools. It doesn't. You're competing with people with good numbers and extraordinary ECs (starting businesses and charities).

-You need to apply to way more schools. Like you need to apply everywhere (I did 40 MD and 15 DO!). I made the mistake of doing 10 "near home" my first cycle. You can't do that. You just need to get in.
-When did you apply? It needs to be early.
-Schools might get sick of looking at an unchanged application year after year. Even if you have 'new secondaries' are you adding anymore legitimate assets? Maybe just change up your volunteering or add a new hobby? Spice it up and make it memorable.
-You need to start looking at DO schools. You have better numbers for there, and a fresh start. Don't sit in this mire where you could be a resident by now if you didn't go DO. If you don't make it in that first shot you need to be of the mindset 'I'd be lucky to go DO and do FM anywhere' if you want to be a doctor.

Get some new eyes on your essays. Maybe you got comfortable with the reader, maybe they got comfortable with you.

Agree with this. Back when I applied I had an equivalent of 519 mcat and just shy of 3.9gpa. I decided to 'shoot for the stars'. I got interviews, but only one acceptance. I think my interviewing skills were my issue back then to be honest, but I wrongly assumed my good stats would gain ground for me.

Either way, echo what others have said....apply more broadly and practice interview skills. I never did it (luckily past all that school/residency/fellowship interview stuff), but I hear that toastmasters is a good way to gain some skills. I'm not sure if they have an online format now with the pandemic...everything is of course more difficult now due to that.

If you are motivated and aren't successful this cycle, consider an MCAT course if you retake. It helped me a ton. If you do it, you have to do everything they say...ESPECIALLY the practice tests. I took the mcat twice and got equiv of 508. Did grad school for like 6 years, then took Kaplan. After you take all the practice tests with them (one or two per weekend leading up to the exam), when you go to take the real thing it's like it's your job. I shot up to a 519 even being 6 years out from my prereq classes.

Anyway, best of luck!