Third time applicant needs advice!

[mackwell]

So as the title states I'm a third time applicant and really looking for some input for what will hopefully be my last application cycle. The first time I applied I had to withdraw my application before doing any secondaries because I didn't feel I had an adequate amount of clinical exposure and wanted to make sure I really wanted to be in the medical field. The second application I still felt was inadequate, and I had some family problems to take care of, so I applied to about 5 schools just to see what would happen. I received one interview at WVU, and unfortunately was rejected. I did receive some feedback after my rejection, and was told that all of my letters of recommendation were outdated and addressed to dental schools, as I had applied to and attended dental school for 3 months in 2012. They were also concerned because I didn't include a transcript or letter of good standing from the dean of the dental school in my application, although I did explain my reasons for withdrawing in my personal statement and during my interview with them.

I have done my best to fix these weak spots in my application. I found out that my pre-med advisors mixed up my old letters of recommendation for dental school, with my newer letters intended for my medical school application. I've had them recheck all the letters and verify that they are in fact the correct ones before writing my committee letter. I have also received a letter of recommendation from the dean of the dental school, to support my claim that I left on good terms with high grades.

The last weak spot would probably be my lack of research, which I know probably diminishes my chances at the top tier schools. At this point I really don't care, I just want to be a medical student! So if you have any advice or suggestions on how to present my application and which schools I should apply to, I'd very much appreciate it.



GPA: 3.99 (science and non-science)


MCAT: 38 (10PS 13VR 15BS) (taken 06/2014)

Clinical Volunteering:

180 hours over year long period (ongoing) as a tattoo removal assistant (basically a social organization that provides cheap tattoo removal for ex-convicts, transients, those under the poverty line. Worked with different doctors every shift, and had first hand experience bandaging, interacting with patients).

60 hours as a Chinese Medicine assistant. checked inpatients, assisted acupuncturist, worked in the herbal pharmacy mixing/preparing medicinal concoctions.

144 hours volunteering at an assisted living home for elderly people with various medical problems. Helped out with activities of daily living (ADL), transfers, mobility, incontinence, meals, hygiene, etc.

Physician shadowing:

24 hours with Multi-lab Facility Manager. This guy oversaw all the rapid response labs, so I got to spend time seeing the administrative side of things as well as talk to hematologists, and other lab workers.

28 hours with a radiologist

20 hours with a gastroenterologist

Research:

none


Nonclinical volunteer activities:

CAT (cat adoption team) for 80 hours, worked as an adoption specialist, making matches between cats and people and informing them of policies, filling paperwork.

Employment:

- Deckhand on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska for four summers prior to dental school

- Was a bartender and MCAT tutor for a year after withdrawing from dental school

- Started working as a painter for a small company a year ago. Have since been promoted to foreman, duties include handling teams of painters, meeting with clients for bids/estimates, interviewing potential employees, setting budgets and making sure the team doesn't exceed them.

- Will begin working as a caregiver for a man who contracted spinal meningitis as an infant and developed cognitive and behavioral difficulties, epilepsy, and decreased intellectual development. I will be moving to Hilo, Hawaii to take this job, and will remain there until I hopefully have to move again for medical school.



School List (in no particular order)

List of Medical Schools

1. OHSU (OR) MD state
This is my state school; preference is given to in-state residents which helps my chances of getting in. Good location close to family.

2. Baylor (TX) MD private
Relatively high MCAT 33.1, 75.3% in-state, research oriented, a reach school due to lack of research.

3. Loma Linda University (CA) MD private
-Clinical focus, good graduation rate and pass rate. OOS friendly. Medical mission trips appeal to me. However I'm not LDS, but I am a practicing catholic.

4. Creighton (NE) MD private
-OOS friendly, low avg MCAT 30, might not accept CC pre-reqs?

5. UC San Francisco (CA) MD public
-Most OOS friendly public school in CA?

6. Mayo (MN) MD private
- Highly ranked, highly regarded for the quality of their medical program, MCAT 33, small class size 50, research oriented. Under 50,000 a year. Reach school due to lack of research

7. Miami-miller (FL) MD private

8. UC San Diego (CA) MD public

9. St. Louis (MO) MD private

10.Vanderbilt (TN) MD private
- Reach due to lack of research.

11. Wake Forest (NC) MD private

12. Arizona (AZ) MD public

13. Emory (GA) MD private

14. Medical College of Wisconsin

15. Rosalind Franklin (IL)

16. Ohio State University (OH)

17. University of Minnesota

18. Rush (IL)

19. Southern Cal Keck

20. John A. Burns School of Medicine (HI)


In addition to those, I'm also interested in applying to all of the Texas schools. I have friends from Houston and I think it would be an awesome place to live, not to mention the low cost of tuition and living. I am filling out the TMDSAS currently, hope submitting by the 15th of June isn't too late. If anyone has some information on non-residents applying to Texas schools please let me know.

Thanks for reading!

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[To be MD]

Your scores are fine and your ECs are really interesting.

I would say that your personal statement, secondary responses, and interviews were the three things that held you back... because everything else checks out. Work and work and work and work on those three things.

School list looks fine. I would add University of Nevada. They're right next door. A little known fact about applying to both public and private schools: if you live in a neighboring state, you are looked upon more favorably than someone coming from the other side of the country. Use that to your advantage.

 

[Faha]

The Texas schools give a strong preference to Texas residents. Your efforts are better directed to other schools. Consider adding schools such as:
Loyola
Georgetown
Einstein
Hofstra (they like high MCAT)
Vermont
Both U Arizona Tuscon and Phoenix and also Mayo AZ (new school)
University Nevada. There is also a 2nd University of Nevada school that will be accepting applications sometime this year as well as Roseman.

 

[Goro]

Without research, you can write off the research powerhouses.

I recommend:
U VM
Tufts

U Toledo
U Cincy
U AZ

Miami

St. Louis

Albany

Rochester

Rush (note: very service/experience oriented with a 150hr service requirement. Avg student has 800 hours of community service, and >1800 hours of health care exposure.)

Rosy Franklin

NYMC

EVMS

Wake Forest

Jefferson

Temple

Drexel

Creighton

Tulane

Dartmouth

MCW

Loyola

USF Morsani

BU

Both Mayos (maybe)

Oakland-B

U WV

Hofstra

 

[GrapesofRath]

Between being a 3rd time applicant with stats this high and leaving a previous career track abruptly(even if you were doing well) you have factors that can flag you as a riskier candidate to some evaluators.

It's really important to know where all you are a reapplicant at, particularly for your first app cycle where you didnt even submit a secondary. Many schools where you are a reapp at with a 4.0/38 are not going to be the ones most likely to interview you. Likewise, some of these schools youve listed like Keck dont accept 3rd time applicantions.

Aiming too "low" per se and just filling up your list with the classic lower tiers isnt going to do anything for you either. You're a rather low yield candidate to RFU Rush and Creighton type schools.

 

[@Hazel-rah]

Aiming too "low" per se and just filling up your list with the classic lower tiers isnt going to do anything for you either. You're a rather low yield candidate to RFU Rush and Creighton type schools.

@GrapesofRath , what do you mean by this? You mean OP would easily be accepted to these schools (Rush and Creighton)? I can't work out what you mean by "low yield candidate."
Thanks

 

[GrapesofRath]

@GrapesofRath , what do you mean by this? You mean OP would easily be accepted to these schools (Rush and Creighton)? I can't work out what you mean by "low yield candidate."
Thanks

These schools generally don't interview many people with stats this high that are way above the 90th percentile. Every school knows which type of applicant is and isn't likely to attend. For these types of schools the crowd with 38s tend to be identified as the type unlikely to attend. When such applicants are given interviews there is likely some kind of reason to believe they have at least somewhat of a fair shot at attending( ie from the region went to UG there etc).

Frankly just like applying to Harvard with a 28 is a donation so is often applying to RFU with a 4.0/38. They just have too many higher yield candidates to focus on. This is why state schools in situations like this are so important. If OP applied last cycle to their state school and didn't even get a II by chance they need to really try and figure out why to the best of their capabilities