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MD Applicants

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  • Application cycles: 05/31/2012
  • Demographics: Male, 11, Caucasian
  • Home state: Ohio
  • Last Active: 01/28/2019

// Applications //

Application Cycle One: 05/31/2012

  • Undergraduate college: The five and dime.
  • Undergraduate Area of study: Psychology/Social Sciences
  • Total MCAT SCORE: 472
  • MCAT Section Scores: B/B 118, C/P 118, P/S 118, CARS 118
  • Overall GPA: 3.96
  • Science GPA: 0.01

Summary of Application Experience

Applying MD only.

Game Time

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MCAT: 30+
GPA: 3.80+
Research: A healthy dose
ECs: I have a wide range of interests that naturally led me to have rather unique experiences.
LORs: 4...To my understanding, they are very good.


22 Interview Invites

University of Wisconsin
Mayo Medical School
The Ohio State University
Jefferson Medical College
University of Maryland
University of Michigan
University of Cincinnati
Saint Louis University

Withdrew from 8 of above schools pre-interview.



Reflections



An honest beginning:

At the beginning of the cycle, there were two specific schools that I considered tied as my top choices. Both were affiliated with sublime health systems, offered countless research opportunities, were located in regions that I found desirable, and were perennially situated in the Top 20. I spent long hours working on their respective secondary applications and submitted them as soon as I possibly could. I was THRILLED to be invited to interview at both shortly after submitting my secondaries in mid-summer... the quick turn around, to me, was a good sign and I scheduled interviews [for each] very early in the season.

After interviewing at both, they effortlessly remained at the top of my list (even despite being invited to ~20 other schools and actually interviewing at over half of them...for me, personally, none came close). Now, the problem with early interviews (at non-rolling schools, at least) is that you have to suffer through the subsequent ~6 months of silence waiting for their decision (oh the crosses that we bear, heh).

I hoped for plenty, but expected nothing.

The season marched on and, in the meantime, I was fortunate to gain acceptance into a handful of other programs. When asked by family/friends, I told them, I am almost positive that I will be attending XYZ SOM. It was a research-oriented Top ~25 institution located in a delightful city and maintained a nice sense of community among its students. However, SDN members (whom were current students from this school) gave mixed reviews. There were some horror stories about preclinical grading, 3rd year rotations, location assignments, etc. I began to get a little apprehensive about my certainty of attending... Maybe I still have to go back and rethink things?

A sudden change of plans:

At this point in time (Feb), I am floored by the fact that one of the aforementioned top choices accepted me on the first day for decisions. Historically, the school was somewhat notorious for waitlisting the overwhelming majority of its interviewees -- only accepting approx 10-15% outright. Long story short, I was not expecting good news...at all. Frankly, I was hoping to simply not get rejected -- I honestly would have been satisfied with a waitlist spot! Nevertheless, it was certainly the sweetest event of the season; more memorable than my first acceptance back in October and definitely more fulfilling than my invite to interview at (*gasp*) Harvard... This acceptance was the only one where I literally feared having a heart attack while I was getting the news in real time.

Looking forward, I will hear back from my other top choice in early March. It will be a terribly tough decision to make if I hear back positively from them as well. The differences between these two schools in name/prestige is negligible. Furthermore, both have established and respected residency programs in the few different specialties that grasp my interests. Both have excellent research opportunities. Both have high caliber students that will be among the future leaders in medicine -- the kind of people that it will be both humbling/inspiring to work side by side and learn medicine with. Both can get me to where I want to go and then some. However, the differences in their curriculum/environment/location is glaringly significant -- both with their own respective pros and cons. Oh well, we will see...

Outlook:

Regardless of what the upcoming weeks hold, I can honestly say that I could not be any happier with the outcome of this cycle.

Final thoughts:

Despite what common sentiment might propagate, the applicants with astronomical stats arent necessarily weird/strange/socially awkward/etc. In fact, everyone seemed pretty sociable across the spectrum of interviews that I attended. Its a nice comfort blanket to prescribe to the ideal that 42 MCAT and a 4.0 GPA? Guarantee that guy is socially retarded. Not the case. Some people are just rockstars. Im far from one in the numbers department, but I tried my best to hang tough. Just remember when youre on that interview day, sitting at the conference table with what appears to be a whos who of ivy league champs -- youre there for a reason, too. Dont be intimidated. Be yourself.

Do surround yourself with good people... I was truly fortunate to have an amazing PI that took me under their wing years ago and helped guide me in developing my current CV. I had (and still have, heh) a fantastic SO that isnt too demanding, but is understanding of my time commitments and is supportive of my goals. I am thankful for the longitudinal relationships that I formed over the years and the meaningful LORs that come from such bonds.

Dont base your self-worth on something as trivial and subjective as medical school admissions. When it comes down to getting rejections (and, trust me, Ive received more than my fair share), perhaps the person that reviewed your app had an awful morning and the gavel fell on all applicants that day. You know what youre worth. You dont need a stranger that glazes through your entire life in 3 minutes to determine it for you.

I leave you with an axiom of sorts: Hard work pays off. And, lastly, dont merely settle for an outcome -- do your utmost to get what youre worth.

No applications have been submitted yet during this cycle.

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