I Was Waitlisted for Medical School. Now What? | Ask Dr. Gray: Premed Q&A Ep. 133
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 พ.ค. 2021
- How should you prepare to reapply if you are on a waitlist? Should you register to take the MCAT again when you could end up getting accepted last minute? How do I know what went wrong with my application? All those questions and more on today's Ask Dr. Gray: Premed Q&A!
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This week on Ask Dr. Gray: Premed Q&A, I spoke to a student who applied to medical school and received 5 interviews. After being waitlisted at all 5 interviews, she is wondering if her MCAT might be the obstacle on the road to a med school acceptance.
We discuss:
• When to start thinking about reapplying to medical school when on a waitlist.
• What did she do to prepare for interviews, and how did it go?
• What should be done differently for MCAT prep as she retakes it a 3rd time.
• How she has been preparing for medical school since applying.
• Should you keep your essays and activity descriptions the same when applying again to medical schools.
• The biggest missed opportunities to tell medical schools about who you are.
For more episodes of Ask Dr. Gray: Premed Q&A, check out askdrgray.com. - บันเทิง
![10 Rapid-Fire Questions From a Premed Student [Answered] | Ask Dr. Gray: Premed Q&A Ep.128](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zUS4J8WaQn4/mqdefault.jpg)
I know it's totally anecdotal, but I had a 518 MCAT and interviewed at 7 schools and got waitlisted at 5 and accepted to 2. I didn't wait to see the waitlists because of how stressful the process was, so I'm sorry you have to deal with that. I feel like there's so much waitlist movement at this time, I'd be really surprised if you didn't get in. Either way, good luck! There's a lot of people at my school who were accepted after being rejected the first time around, so the fact you got interviews is amazing and you definitely have a better chance of getting in, especially if you can ask the admissions team about specific areas they thought you were lacking and improve!
@C B Which is why I say it's anecdotal. I'm friends with a lot of people who scored under 510 at my school as well. It's definitely possible. The point of saying my score was that a lot of people assume I got in everywhere I applied, when I actually applied very broadly and got accepted to only 2 schools. It's not all MCAT that will get you in, though it's an important piece.
@C B Something anecdotal is just something based on personal experience. Every person's story is anecdotal and not the rule when it comes to the application process. Again, the point I was making is that while I had a high score, I had around the same amount of interviews as her (implying she has already done something right, because if they wouldn't seriously consider her then why would they waste their time?). I never said not to retake the MCAT. If I was in this position, the most obvious thing to do would be to improve the MCAT, but I don't see what's wrong about trying to send a positive message when everyone is always so cynical about the application process. If the median of a school is a 512 for example, half the people accepted are above and half below. If 50% of people accepted are below that number, how would getting in with a score in the 60th percentile be an exception? We don't even know which schools she applied to or their averages. She could be right at the 50% mark, in which case she's very likely to get in off the waitlist based on MCAT alone.
I am actually quite surprise she had 5 interviews with a 506, which is pretty low for MDs. I assume she had interviews from DO schools.
It ain’t always about the sxore
People get in with lower
@@margaretiwu9091 no duh. But those are the exceptions not the rule. Just because Stephen hawking was in a wheelchair doesn’t mean that most theoretical physicists are going to be handicapped.
Does it matter? A physician is a physician at this point.
@@tybera1114 I didn't say whether it matters MDs or DOs. Only stating the fact that 5 interviews with 506 MCAT is very unusual especially she didn't mention she applied to DO schools. And for some students, they would choose MDs over DOs.
I got a 508 - big drop from practice tests (which were 515+) - really hoping I am lucky enough to get in to med school with this score but am worried - I like Dr. Gray a lot and he does give extremely helpful advice, but I think he trivializes the importance of your MCAT score a little bit too much - or maybe I'm wrong (I hope so).
My school has a median of around 515 and I'm best friends with people who had under 508, it's not over till it's over, keep fighting
508 is great for DO.
Hey there same thing happened to me with same score. I got in this cycle! Mcat is only one part of a lot of other things
You and me both bro, 508 | 130, 125, 127, 126, really was hoping for a miracle on CARS and I was shocked about psych/soc. That 130 is only cause I’m a Biochem and Chemistry Major
Good advice from Dr. Gray-if you end up waiting for a waitlist offer and aren't ready to apply again, you're looking at waiting another 2 years before matriculation.
Did we get an update on this student since this was recorded before March?
Hi, Dr. Gray (or anyone else who has any advice). I currently have an academic misconduct allegation against me. It will most likely be on my record. I was wondering if you had any advice for me if you happen to see this comment. I was planning on submitting my application this month but upon this occurring I am currently losing my mind. I’m extremely devastated and have been told left and right that my med school dream is over. It’s been really heart breaking.
Honestly I was also told my issue was a stats thing after I interviewed, but 5 years later after looking at my old application it was definitely more than just stats. Especially since I interviewed at my state school. I wonder if she were actually take a deep dive into what her application is telling the reader than she could identify the actually issue. I would constantly tell myself and others that I was doing all the right things for my application, but my application didn't show that. So maybe that's the issue here. Because a 505/506 sounds reasonable to me.
I wonder if she's heard anything yet- best of luck!
Hi, How can one be on your show?
I think she needs an MCAT study course if she's potentially facing a third application cycle with a 506
I am a premed and already 27. I am so sad and disappointed of my life path every day I see or hear someone much younger than me got into medical school. I “differed dream” is mine!
Medical school admissions are not 100% fair. It says more about the system than about you
I have done many interviews in my job, and I have some advise for her. Eye contact. Don’t let your eyes wander. You want to connect with your interviewer. I know she said her interviews went well, but you never know.
Would you recommend looking into the camera for virtual interviews then?
yeah, i'm sure looking at the camera on the computer would make her a great doctor
I guess I’m a little confused. Is she only applying MD? 506 is a good score for most programs. Why take it again?
506 is relatively low for most MD programs
@C B exactly. She should go DO and not worry about retaking it.
Ryan needs to explain this better. He also seems to flip flop a lot on what he says.
What a horrifying story. Thanks for anxiety doc.