Brief Profile:
Research -->Three years in the same laboratory. -->Minor publication (third author).
Teaching -->Multiple classes, including upper divisions
Volunteering -->About a year of it. Clinically related, but definitely not too hands on. -->Pretty extensive shadowing
Multiple academic awards.
// Applications //
Application Cycle One: 07/04/2009
Undergraduate college: state
Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences
Total MCAT SCORE: 525
MCAT Section Scores:
B/B 131,
C/P 132,
CARS 132
Overall GPA: 3.99
Science GPA: 3.99
Summary of Application Experience
Apply early and broadly--even if you have high scores--medical school is expensive as high hell and you want to maximize your chance at a lucrative financial aid offer or scholarship. Medical school is going to be tough wherever you go. Don\'t let one school convince you they are the best.
If you still haven\'t taken the MCAT, you need to ace that thing. Particularly if you have other areas of weakness. I\'ve had friends with fantastic GPAs and good stories go without an acceptance this past cycle and I think the problem was a sub-stellar but solid MCAT (30-32) combined with minor weaknesses (state school, weak clinical experience) in other areas of the application.
Smile in your interviews. Try your best to maintain a sense of humor about the entire process. Things could not have worked out better for me in the end but there were some bitter and stressful moments. I was pretty shocked by how many pre-interview rejections I received considering my stats. Probably due to the fact that I attended a state school and was sort of weak on the clinical side.
I put my heart into a few of my secondary essays for Duke and I think it payed off tremendously.
Forgive people for being tools or jerks on interview day--they\'re just as stressed out and insecure as you are.
Stay with student hosts when possible. Buy them a meal or some beer or something.
Forget about being able to gauge your performance post-interview.. I was fairly sure that I would be outright rejected at Duke post-interview, because they really come after you with some tough questions. Obviously, I was completely clueless.
