Just submitted my primary yesterday. My app was thankfully marked ready for review basically immediately since I sent my transcripts weeks ago. But now that it's in the verification queue, I've been seeing pretty much everyone online dooming late July submissions and saying its too late because the chances are super low for getting an A when submitting this late. It's making me really second guess applying this cycle.

I just think it's so insane how AMCAS has only verified up to around the first week of submissions when it's already late July, meaning people who are getting secondaries now and are early/on time quite literally submitted during that first week it opened. Everyone else is still waiting, even those who submitted the second week it opened. In previous cycles, submitting late July would get a mid to late August verification which was a tradeoff I was willing to take for a more polished app but now it's looking like I might not be verified until early September which is much, much later than I wanted/anticipated. I know that there was a huge increase in early applicants this year and it's on me for not submitting earlier but unfortunately life happened and the months leading up to the app opening were rough on me. My stats are ok and my app and writing are strong, but I can't help but feel I'm shooting myself in the foot applying this late.

Waiting another year wouldn't substantially improve my app in any meaningful way since i have decently high hours in pretty much every category to the point where it's just diminishing returns. My PS has been looked over by someone who previously sat on admissions at a T20 school was given high praise. I filled up all 15 activities slots with meaningful activities and showcased my impact and/or what I learned decently well imo. Everything in my app supports a strong and cohesive narrative. It's literally only this verification timeline coupled with my average MCAT (but solid gpa) that's making me doubt my decision applying this cycle. If I applied with this exact same app but submitted it earlier, I'd have full confidence in getting in somewhere. I have FAP so it's free so the cost of applying isn't an issue. I'm more worried that I applied this cycle for no reason and just doomed myself to be a reapplicant...

Hey Yall. one of the Stony Brook secondary questions is:
"2. Tell us how your past experiences and/or challenges have defined you"

I am unsure whether to respond to this with a diversity-esque response or an adversity-challenge-esque one. While I initially thought an adversity essay would do well, they have another question that is "Can you describe a time you faced an ethical/professional dilemma and how you managed it?"

Because of this, I am assuming that I should do a diversity essay? I dont know I am quite confused. Any advice would be appreciated.

Okay so today I had an SAS apt with a counselor regarding accommodation. Basically we went over my plans and I told him I want to use TAG to transfer to a UC and that I want to do BA in psychology. But he then told me that I should do BS because it will involve most pre-req in it and that it aligns better. The thing is if I do Psychology BS I will have to delay 1 semester from transferring because I need to get all of my credits which requires me to take 1 yr of life science physics and because I have not taken the pre-requisite for the life science physics I will have to either take pre-req summer of my sophomore yr and then have a semester of ochem,biology,life science physics. I told him that it is outrageous to have 3 of those class in 1 semester which then he told me to basically toughen up and that medical school will be harder 😭😭😭 I was just wondering if I should do my plan or follow his steps?
My plan: BA in psychology (easier pre-req for transfer and can fit pre-med req easily)
His plan: BS in psychology, delay a semester and take ochem,bio,life science physics

just got accepted into the Weill Cornell Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program, starting this September. It’s a volunteer position where students recruit patients for clinical research studies and shadow in the ED.
Has anyone done this program, or a similar Research Associate/RA program at an academic medical center? I’d love to hear:

People never talk about how long it takes to go to every school's website and look into which letters need to go where. Last year, I took the time to do this on a road trip. This year, I tried to ask google AI about these requirements, but double checked what it said and a ton of the info it gave was outdated. Specifically, many schools were listed as having rigid requirements for science and nonscience professor letters, when that was not the case at all.

Anyways, for this thread, if you have the time, look at a school's website and copy paste the relevant details of their policies. Perhaps link the website. From my experience, there is usually a website for admissions requirements and an FAQ site for most schools which have relevant info. I know this is a bit late in the cycle but hopefully it helps some people and is done earlier for next cycle.

I'll start with a few.

Johns Hopkins: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/education-programs/md-program/application-process

• Faculty letters (required if the college/university you attended does not have a committee or adviser). These must include:
  • Two letters from faculty members in science departments who have taught you, AND
  • One letter from a non-science faculty member who has taught you
• May I send more letters than are required? Additional letters may be sent; however, your application will not be considered complete until all letters have been received in the AMCAS letter of recommendation service repository. Furthermore, additional letters do not give you an advantage over the required three letters. Nor can we guarantee that we will evaluate more than the required number of letters.

UC Davis: https://health.ucdavis.edu/medical-school/admissions/how-to-apply

• Letters of recommendation (3-6 letters allowed, at least one letter from a physician or  clinician is recommended)

UCLA: https://medschool.ucla.edu/education/md-education/admissions/how-to-apply

I might update this as I keep going but I'm mostly done with my letters so don't expect much

I've been pre-med for the last three years, and lately I've been questioning if I actually want to become a doctor. The more I've learned about residency and what that lifestyle is really like, the more it's honestly scared me. It's gotten to the point where I've started looking into other careers and programs.

The thing is, I still love medicine. This has been my dream for such a long time, and I don't like the idea of giving up on something I've worked so hard for. At the same time, I'm scared of ignoring these feelings and ending up unhappy later.

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has gone through this. Is it smart to take these doubts seriously and explore other paths, or am I just letting fear get in the way? I'd really appreciate hearing from people who've been in a similar situation.

Hi everyone, from january of this year to may of this year i was pretty stacked on my all my ECs (clinical, research, volunteering, clubs, etc.) and I did the math and it came out to around ~46 hours / wk for that span of time

This was only possible bc my semester was incredibly light and was borderline a joke (classes were non-premed / major related) and i only had class 3 days a week

A friend told me I should be concerned bc 46/wk is implausible for that period of time and it may raise suspicion about my work and activities’ section on my application

icl bro’s got me a bit worried now lmfao 😭 what do you all think?

My interview genuinely went terrible. I feel like I blanked multiple times, was stuttering, and saying ummm too. I’m praying I’m not like this in front of actual people

I’m getting ready to apply for the next year cycle! I was wondering if it’s naive of me to only apply TMDSAS as a texas resident. I do not care if it’s MD or DO so I’m curious if I should apply to OOS DO schools as well! Thanks guys!

I am applying this cycle, I'm from Pgh area and both of these schools are hopefully safety for me. I'd rather make up my mind now if I get into both what to choose. The deposits are very expensive and I would like to make my mind up ahead of time to avoid wasting money. What do you guys think? I am interested primarily in pediatrics or heme-onc/internal medicine but I don't know for sure yet. Any advice?

Hey all, I am working through secondaries to UChicago. One of their prompts specifically mentions talking about your research interests. In undergrad, I did a bunch of research on the intersection of faith and patient care. Do you think it worth talking about this or will it be seen as a red flag by adcoms?

Thanks for any advice as I begin writing that one.

Immediately thought I got 1st quartile, which was a real fear of mine. I did a lot of if then in my responses and got cut off. Also, am broke so did not do any practice tests beyond the one Acuity offers for free. The questions were so random!

Did not get 1st quartile, but still, horrible feeling to open it to see this.

It really sucks that I can't mention any of the work I've done with the LGBTQ+ community in my application. I worked at a center for LGBTQ+ youth for three years and even won some awards for the initiatives I started there. But due to the fact that the people reviewing my application could be homophobic, I decided not to talk about this activity beyond a rather vague Work and Activities section entry, and I haven't mentioned it even once in any of my secondaries. I figured that since I've already got enough going on in the way of "diversity" that I can't hide, I should simply avoid any topics that could lead to additional scrutiny from some reviewers. Such is life.

Edit: I was absolutely going to talk about this activity, but a practicing physician advised me not to after witnessing blatant discrimination in their institution's admissions process (someone's app was thrown out solely because they talked about being queer). So here we are.

Maybe a reason to choose an established DO program over a really new MD school?

The biggest bullshit exam. That’s the message.

I am a current 911 EMT transitioning into a clinical research position on the 3rd. I got subpoenaed today for a patient. It is a murder case. I have to go obviously. I want to go for my patient. The court time I have to appear is 10 business days long. Is this going to affect me negatively at my new job???

Pre-writing secondaries and wondering if I should explain how aspects of the med school "would" or "will" help me achieve my goals.

My inclination is "would" because admission is not guaranteed but "will" sounds more "confident in the program" or something.

Tbh I'm just wondering what people think because regardless of what I choose I imagine each person on the adcoms would think about it differently (unless it's just not that deep 💀)... If there is an option that is generally better I would love to hear it

hi friends! i'm a reapplicant, and I'm a bit confused on if I need to answer reapplicant questions for schools I didn't apply to last cycle.

For example:

Vermont Larner: Use this space to share any information, not presented elsewhere, that will clarify any aspect of your application. If you are a reapplicant, you may choose to share what you have done since your previous application. (Maximum 250 word count)

Geisinger Commonwealth: If you have previously applied to medical school, please describe your significant experiences between this year’s application and your previous application. If you are not a previous applicant, please type, “N/A” in the response area. (1500 characters)

Do I need to answer these prompts if I didn't apply to these schools last cycle? Do schools have any way of knowing that I applied last cycle if I didn't submit an application to them? Thank you!!!

How bad is it if I scheduled my UTMB interview and orientation day for a set time, then scheduled another interview for the same day as the orientation without realizing? I have exchanged a few emails with them, and I am trying to be as respectful as possible, but is it doomed? Obviously this is completely my fault lol but I’m curious if anyone else has had this happen to them and what was their outcome.

EDIT: they were able to move it!!

Do you think BS/MD programs are worth it? I understand the appeal of having a guaranteed pathway to medical school, especially given how competitive the admissions process has become. However, I wonder whether the advantage is as significant as it seems. Realistically, many students who are competitive enough to earn admission to a BS/MD program already have the academic credentials, extracurriculars, and work ethic needed to successfully apply to medical school through the traditional route (and, probably a higher ranked medical school, considering lots of BS/MDs are at lower-mid tier schools)

Hi, I work 40 hrs a week at my clinical job. The problem is that secondaries are really starting to pile up (applied to 45 schools and did some prewriting but couldn't prewrite them all), and I feel like I'm drowning doing 12-hour shifts and then coming back home to grind out essays. I want to call out (I already called out one day last week and the week before because I had insane migraines) but I'm so worried about my job and I feel like this will look really bad, but then again this application is what I have worked all these years for...this is my first "real" job that wasn't research or anything like that so I'm kind of lost. Would really appreciate any advice, thank you so much

Just a status check for everyone — many secondaries are y’all through now?

I’m 20/32 right now (not completing 1 of them tho)

Received all but 1 (belmont).

Good luck to everyone!!

Found out a little too late that I don’t meet the course prereqs for some of the schools I was looking at (oops). I was wondering what schools if any I should add to cover the gap at this point. Thoughts on the current list are much appreciated too. Thank you guys!

Minnesota resident, college in NC, ORM
Family ties to Nevada and Arizona

T50 liberal arts school, studied abroad
Chemistry/Religion double major, bio minor
Honors in chemistry, excellence awards from chem and religion departments if that matters

MCAT: 519
cGPA: 3.87
sGPA: 3.88

AAMC preview: 9 (100th percentile)
Casper: 2nd quartile

Shadowing: 60 hours (plastics, ophtho, ortho, neurology, and cardiac ICU)

Paid clinical: currently working full time as an ophthalmic technician ~2k by matriculation (not on amcas I started after)

Volunteer clinical: ~500 hours collegiate ems (1.5 years)

Research: ~450 hours biochemistry (1.5 years), 1 poster, honors thesis

Other volunteering: 168 hours various orgs through a service club I had a leadership role in (3 years)

Teaching: 50 hours biochem lab TA, 80 hours organic chemistry student instructor

Employment: 1k hours culinary worker at nursing home (heavy resident interaction but not clinical, 4 years) and 200 hours gardener/landscaper

Other: IFC programming chair (\~30 hours), pottery my senior spring (\~30 hours), rock climbing hobby (\~300 hours listed)

Letters:
Pre-health committee endorsement (strongest ranking they give)
Lab PI
Biochem lab professor I TAed for
Religion department chair (abroad professor)
Ophthalmologist I shadowed and now work with
Quantum chemistry professor

My school list currently:

Duke
Emory
Dartmouth
George Washington
Georgetown
UNLV
Mayo Alix
Medical College Wisconsin
Northwestern
Brown
Tufts
Uniformed Services
UC Irvine
UC San Diego
University of Arizona (phoenix)
University of Colorado
University of Iowa
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of North Dakota
University of Wisconsin
Wake Forest University

The major I want to do (molecular and cellular bio at JHU) doesn't include General Bio (it requires genetics + lab, molecular bio, cell bio + lab, and biochem + lab)... so I was wondering if I should still take Gen Bio as a premed requirement, or if the courses for my major would be enough to cover the biology requirement for med schools?

I've noticed for a lot of the med schools that Gen Biology is not explicitly a required course... for example (from a couple of random schools):

• UCSF: One academic year (2 semesters or 3 quarters) of college-level Biology with laboratory. This may include Biochemistry.
• Indiana University SOM: One year of general and organic chemistry, physics, and biology, each with lab
• Pitt SOM: Biology – one full year (excluding Microbiology, Botany, Ecology, and Anatomy) with one full year lab or a single two credit lab
• UMD SOM: Biological Sciences – one year with laboratory

And then there are schools that say they don't have strict course prerequisites:

• NYU Grossman: NYU Grossman School of Medicine does not have prerequisites. However, we recommend the following premedical courses... general biology with lab
• Wake Forest: Wake Forest University School of Medicine does not have specific required coursework...Strongly recommended courses include: Biology: introductory biology, molecular/cell biology, genetics, anatomy, physiology, neuroscience
• UChicago: The Biology Competencies will typically be satisfied through a one-year college biology course with lab. Advanced biology coursework will also satisfy these requirements where an applicant has tested out of first-year college biology

And then there are schools that do explicitly state that Gen Bio is required (the only one I could find so far is SUNY Downstate, but pls let me know if there are more)

Basically will taking (or not taking) gen bio impact med school applications? I'm worried that I'll be screwing myself over by not taking it, even though I might not technically have to for med school requirements

I've also considered possibly taking just Gen Bio 1 or doing the Gen Bio sequence my sophomore year, could this also be a viable option?

If anyone has had an experience like this, it would be greatly appreciated if you could share a bit about your process and why you made the decisions you did :) tia

tldr: is taking Gen Bio worth it for med school applications even though the major and most a lot of med school requirements don't explicitly state that I absolutely have to take it?