Reply to Medical School Admissions

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "Medical School Admissions - rejection, gap year"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Anyone have a student applying this cycle? Are they a senior, or did they do a gap year(s)? If a gap year, what are they doing in the gap? How is it going?

DC did not apply widely and was "R"'d from top choice. May be forced to do gap year and reassess. Trying to determine what most valuable experience would be in the interim. [b]Paramedic? Research? Not sure about research opportunities if not actively a student.[/b][/quote]

Depends on her weaknesses. Clinical related is always helpful. Reapplying applicants will have harder time next year. Why didn’t she just take a gap year to begin with. Hindsight is 20/20 I know.[/quote]
Why will reapplying applicants have a harder time next year?[/quote]

She can reapply obviously, but she needs to show "significant" changes from this cycle application. What makes it difficult is they know she got R'ed this cycle and if her application looks the same/similar, that's an easy reject. Each school has so many well qualified applicants, it makes it that much more difficult. [/quote]

eh, this will only be true for the schools she's applied to this year. she'll apply more widely next cycle.

what about a post-bacc? [/quote]
This isn’t true. Reapplicants have a lower admission (at all schools, not just the one they applied to) and they want to see significant improvements on the second application. That’s why it’s risky to throw out an application before the applicant is ready and the application is looking good and to not widely apply. I have one in this application cycle and they took a gap year last year  to round of their application and avoid this situation. They did research in the gap year (which is hard to find, we had connections). They have received three acceptances so far this cycle. If you can get published that’s probably best as so many kids are doing EMT and CNA type jobs. [/quote]
This is a little doomsday and judgmental. Obviously, if you're not a full-time student who is working and studying for the MCAT, you have more time to focus on research and "rounding off" your app. Seems like admissions committee would be aware of this and not hold initial application against the applicant.[/quote]
Are you the Op? 
I think you are in for a wild ride if so. [/quote]
Couldn't an app always be "better," though, with more time? More MCAT retakes, more research, more clinicals...heck, why not go ahead and get a PhD and THEN, and only then, apply?[/quote]

Well, op’s kid found out the hard way what happens when the app isn’t good enough.  Current medical school admissions expectations require a year or two year gap to get a competitive application for most kids.[/quote]
Then why do they interview and admit students who are still currently in undergrad? [/quote]
Because those students clearly were superstars and had better stats. It's about 20% and decreasing. [/quote]

For undergrads from ivy and similar undergrads, about 40% get in as seniors (no gap), and the med schools they go to tend to be top-20 level!  A gap is not needed for a large segment of these students, and not desired by many of them. Some admissions committees have begun to speak out that they do not prefer gaps (UCD), rather top students think gaps are preferred and tend to take them especially if not from top schools that have a culture of a large group of non-gappers. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics