27 Rejections and 1 Waitlist for This 3.9 GPA Premed. Why? | Application Renovation (S3 E12)

[@davidtrace3311]

Is anyone else overwhelmed by the amount of activities some applicants ( like this young girl) has? The fact that this girl has completed all these extra circular activities, maintained a 3.9 GPA, and graduated early is very impressive, but also very discouraging. The imposter syndrome is real lol.

[@TamirMed]

Did you actually watch the video? Half her activities are fluff

[@daniel5097]

@Damien Vivaan lmfao, thought what you said was actually related to the comment for a second xd

[@Confettifun]

Dont compare yourself. Activities and GPA mean nothing if you dont know how to empathize and talk to people. Medicine is moving towards more patient centered care and medical schools are realizing that there are way too many narcs and sociopaths attracted to the field and treating people horribly. Not only that, but by treating the DISEASE and not the PATIENT, it has exacerbated many health care issues that we have to this day. If you show that you are emotionally intelligent and genuinely interested in helping others, you’ll be fine. Anyone can learn how to study and pass exams, but not everyone can be a caring provider 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@Lionforaday]

@@Confettifun You're not wrong - but while empathy will make you a good doctor, it's unfortunate that it doesn't help you get in. I went to McMaster University in Canada; this is the school that pioneered "small-case, problem-based learning." No MCAT. No tests. You start clinical work the first week. The program is 2 years and 8 months - no summers off (why on earth would you need the "summer off" during medical school)? McMaster was - at one time - well-known for taking older applicants (we had a 52 year-old in our class), and for accepting people from a range of other backgrounds, music, drama, whatever. You're right that these backgrounds can make for more well-rounded doctors - but for most schools, things are still very grades-focused. Things have to change at the application stage though to filter-out the narcissists!

[@brayan9645]

This is what makes my so anxious and scared

[@Natalia-vn4bq]

I feel bad for this girl, because her advisors obviously didn’t pay enough attention to her application because of her intellect.

[@claytonmcdonald8603]

I mean - she could have put even a tiny amount of self research in and likely had a much better outcome. Shouldn’t need someone to hold your hand in arguably the most important application of your life - IMO, lack of industriousness.

[@beyou4296]

I know the school she went to and they have a solid pre-med office. I went to an AMCAS pre med conference with their pre med office. I don’t think she utilized the office at all cause they have dope workshops all the time

[@Cellus5000]

I feel bad that she got shafted this time around, but I feel confident that she'll make it next year if she continues to pursue

[@Zainab-bg7yu]

@@beyou4296 as a newly-graduated physician, I can tell you that pre-med offices don't invest much effort in candidates they feel to be "shoo-ins"-- i.e. candidates with great grades and scores, like this girl. I can speak for myself and people I know. I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and agree with OP; I think it's quite likely she didn't get much help from her advisors on her application because they felt she'd be fine.

[@SLPtoMD]

I think that people often confuse book smarts/academic success with general intellect and experience-based knowledge, and in this case that was definitely a failure on the part of those who she was depending on helping her.

[@thefenerbahcesk4156]

This girl is super smart and obviously a hard worker. She should have got into at least one school. I think this video shows that it's becoming harder and harder to apply without a gap year. The clinical experience and research coupled with the coursework is just too much.

[@jackdaly1802]

Heh, tell me about it. You can do it... at the expense of a social life and sanity.

[@marilynmonheaux]

Amen

[@camishavilme7402]

And they always talk about the doctor shortage 😅

[@ach6386]

No, medical school committees have become assholes towards Indian and Asian applicants. This is just one of the reasons why America has shitty healthcare. The system is literally discriminatory upon race.

[@barnabasspeaks]

I agree with your remark. Even though her application could and should have been stronger, she still should have been given more interviews and a greater level of acceptability. I do not buy the concept that these reviewers are that smart, narrow-minded and laser focused on who the applicant is as a person. They are looking more at patterns, diversity tones and inclusionary fits.

[@cassadysmith9697]

Props to her for agreeing to put this on the internet

[@campbellstewart9938]

It’s fake

[@ujustgotpwnd123]

@@campbellstewart9938 lmao why would this be fake ha

[@cdorman11]

@@campbellstewart9938 That would explain a lot. How do you graduate in 3 years with a 3.9 from USC and say "these learnings"?

[@Noemhy13]

I'm a 27 years old that never went to college and works in banking... Why did I watch this 35 min video about getting into medical school? lol it was very interesting though

[@aaliyahfoster2705]

I'm in interior design and work pharmaceutical sales as a gig. I just love watching self-improvement.

[@Lionforaday]

Would you like to go? If you watched the video, I'm wondering if you might. I worked as a copywriter with a creative writing degree and started med school at age 35. It's not too late if you wanted to go.

[@Ultimate_Power_]

Saw your play list on your channel, I'm very impressed by your "Car" play list 👏.

[@chouderr1089]

Im an art major, why am i here??

[@moonbeamflowerchild]

same! i'm literally at my finance job watching this lol

[@j10001]

To the applicant in this video: This was brutally tough feedback, and wow you are so lucky to have received it! Now you can take a totally new approach to your application next year and nail it!

[@elinfelicia382]

I have no idea how I’m supposed to get all these experiences within 3 years and still get above 3.7 GPA and 80th percentile on the MCAT. The best I can figure out is to take 1 or 2 gap years and that’s still stressful.

[@elinfelicia382]

@@a23oj28 Yess I was gonna volunteer and start working to save up money for med school this year but covid happened

[@BFrydell]

Well, take a few gap years. I took two years off and it might've been the best decision I ever made because I got to learn who I was. I got a job as a cook, learned what working meant, and accrued some free time during which I could discover my interests... rather than being swindled into majoring in "explorative studies."

[@kellyhamilton8263]

You don't technically need all those experiences - you can get into medical if your have continuity with experiences - like if you did a lot within some college organization or had a job through college. That's way more important that having a list of fluff on your application

[@BFrydell]

@@a23oj28 Well an adventure is always scary. But it also imparts unique mindsets that you’re friends will probably never be able to reach. If you read/watch Naruto, you know that Jiraiya went to Mt. Myoboku to train with toads while everyone else just went on their kiddie ninja missions. Catching runaway turkeys and whatnot. And now he’s the most legendary of the three sannin. Or, you could view it as... not scary at all. You’re just getting a job for a year or two. I went into cooking. Experiencing the working class is great; the people are usually much more well-rounded than those in academia. They laugh at jokes instead of thinking about them hard enough to become offended. Sure, your schooling would be put off for a year. But you didn’t lose a year; you gained a year of real living. Everyone in college lost that. The only scary thing about it, it seems to me, is the fact that your institutional education will be paused while that of your friends’ will continue. Well, that happened to me. And look at me, a 23-year-old junior, not giving a damn about that. We’ll all be dead in 80 years anyway.

[@drdata9700]

The median age of med school applicants is 23, so the majority take at least one gap year. What helped me accept the fact that taking a gap year would be ultimately good for me was realizing that I'm competing with people who might be in their late 20s or even 30s. People who have a lot more experience than I do will be compared equally with me, med schools don't care about age. I was worried about "falling behind" and being older than everyone, but the truth is it takes however long it takes for you to be a ready applicant. No use in applying early when unprepared just to feel disappointment from rejection/losing money from applications and interviews.

[@shlorwhor19]

Sounds like she unfortunately made all of the classic mistakes. Primarily, she didn’t have enough clinical experience and her activities were “fluffy” or incorrectly categorized. Her personal statement didn’t answer *why* she wants to be a doctor but tried to sell why she would be a good one. Plus her school list included a lot of public out of state schools. She sounds like a great applicant, I hope next cycle goes better for her!

[@sarahvidal9458]

Is there something bad with public out of state schools?

[@shlorwhor19]

@@sarahvidal9458 Not necessarily but you have to look into their acceptance rate for out-of-state applicants. Unless you have strong ties to the state, many public schools aren't likely to take an out-of-state applicant. U of Washington, for example, *rarely* accepts students outside of the states it serves (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho)

[@gregp.4564]

@@shlorwhor19 So it looks suspicious that someone would get accepted to numerous out of state public schools?

[@aaaicila_]

@@shlorwhor19 I was actually wait listed at a public university in my state (I was fine with it because that was going to be my safety net school), but got accepted into a highly selective New York City university who even offered me full tuition. I thought it was the weirdest thing and was very confused by how the acceptance process works. UPDATE: I was waitlisted because I submitted my app a week before spring semester ended so they just wanted me to go ahead and wait until all the final grades were submitted. I have since been accepted, which is great, but I still have no idea how the process works 😅

[@amateurastronomer9752]

What do you mean by her activities being incorrectly categorized?

[@willjohnston622]

These videos always stress me out

[@Bchill35]

Bro same! I always leave thinking I have to take another year to get more experiences 😂

[@Fact_z101]

My palms are literally sweating

[@daveyjones3016]

Dont be. She had an over 83 percent chance of getting in according to lizzym just based on stats. Also keep in mind only people who got rejected will come to Dr.gray so it's a sort of selecting bias. Apply all around and you'll be good

[@tastemymeme5728]

Don't give up, period.

[@francis2728]

Literally. I avoid them and then binge them 💀

[@argotigonzalez1585]

Students tend to describe more about what their extracurricular activities rather than describe who they are.

[@vivianleenet]

Honestly, it's kind of discouraging to hear her talk about her frustrations with volunteering at the clinic. She didn't ask it straight up, but you could hear her screaming in her head, "BUT HOW TF WOULD I GET THAT CLINICAL EXPERIENCE?!" As an undergraduate student, there are very few opportunities for true clinical experience without shelling out for certifications (EMT, CNA, MA, etc.) or living on scraps as a scribe (here in my Texas metro, scribing pays $9/hr... I'm a nontrad with a job, I can't be quitting it for $9/hr...)

[@freyja77]

Nontrad with a job here too. I can’t take that pay cut so I’m going to juggle full time work with school and part time PCE as long as I can stand it.

[@YESHTOFU]

LOL TOO TRUE. Classism rooting out the poor students who can't afford to waste time with poor paying clinical opportunities. And then AAMC keeps adding more hoops and "situational awareness tests" to rake in cash.

[@PillarofAutum787]

Non trad student here in Texas ,too. Fortunately, decided to take the last 3 classes I have left for med school. Also worked thorough college full time and what not. Now, since I am coming back and this classes I need to get A to be competitive enough, I had to move back with my father and working a scribe position. I was working a $16/hr to $10.50/hr is a huge change and I just hope that med schools see that it's not all about grades

[@vivianleenet]

@@PillarofAutum787 I hope so too! You sound like a super hardworking student. Good luck!!

[@PillarofAutum787]

@@vivianleenet I think we are all trying to achieve, I feel so nervous bc sometimes I see students that dont get in but have all the perfect grades and mcat scores. Tbh, I need study buddies and people I can study with.

[@WittyKitten]

Ah this is so interesting. My GPA was terrible after undergrad so I opted for a non-thesis masters and started working at an ER. When I applied last cycle, my cumulative GPA was still bad but the most recent 30 credit hours was a 4.0. I also had solid volunteering/community service, shadowing and thousands of hours working in the ER. Against all odds I got accepted into medical school on my first try despite that. Suppose this shows what really matters to ad coms now

[@TheJackson4eva]

Thousands of hours in the ER is very valuable I’d think lol

[@cantmakethishitup17]

What do you quantify as “terrible?”?

[@benedictding]

I was just thinking about this the other day, and I am in similar situation as yours. I think md schools are look for people who are really passionate and show lifetime commitment for medicine, not just high stats and smart.

[@PhuongHuynh-qm5th]

What job did you do in the ER?

[@purplemanatee]

I have a pretty shit GPA but the main reason I've been able to get into different internships and programs is because I'm really good at selling myself/telling people about myself.

[@not_varij]

What's your gpa?

[@captainyank138]

If I get taught what I want to learn or I will learn and work well

[@campbellstewart9938]

@@not_varij 3.99

[@Ok-ws4ce]

What's your GPA?

[@purplemanatee]

@@not_varij 2.8 😬 I haven't applied to med school so take my advice with a grain of salt but yeah

[@nicksacco5041]

I wonder how many people actually want to go to med school, and the amount that feel pressured by their parents or peers.

[@justindeekollu5812]

The number is a lot lower than u think, unless people are lying. most figure out they don't like medicine during premed and MCAT prep and shadowing and stuff.

[@humphryshan9494]

I feel like the process is pretty good at weeding out the people that only want to go to med school because of parental pressure

[@dnatortnator]

I'm a premed set to start med school in August, and most of my friends are the same. A lot of us came to it on our own or may have had parents in the industry so they had that sort of legacy to follow, but they follow it willingly. Just my experience, but ig don't go assuming all premeds are forced lol

[@AbdulAli-ku9he]

Agree 100%

[@itzelr3514]

@@humphryshan9494 seems like it

[@robertliu1341]

The hoops they make med school applicants jump through are ridiculous and they are only getting worse.

[@hoppybird6_]

mhm, which is why almost every successful premed student i knew ended up switching to pre-PA

[@ChiefsFanInSC]

The med school admission process appears to heavily favor candidates who have the financial resources where they don't have to hold down a job and have help marketing themselves. No wonder med schools churn out so many shitty doctors.

[@venuss1818]

This sounds devastating wow

[@softly.serene]

I’m a high schooler who’s just gotten accepted into my undergrad school and this is already making me stress out about applying to medical school.

[@blaby4ever]

You have a good 4 years ahead of you hun, relax, love the undergrad years and enjoy every moment of it!

[@burnt.norton]

the good news is you still have 4 years lmao, also you can take gap years if you don’t feel ready

[@rachelg6016]

SAME

[@berenicenekinga3940]

I’m about to college this fall and Med school applications is already stressing me

[@iceeyhound3866]

Time for some addies and compulsive research

[@a.victoriady7328]

Watching your videos stress me the fuck out but i cant stop watching

[@itzelr3514]

lol

[@littlebumgorf]

This channel is not just useful for medical school applicants but also college applicants in general.

[@tko6647]

Just want to point this out, I saw a video where they presented 3 personal statements from Harvard medical school graduates. One of those statements told an amazing story about how his love for poetry and the humanities helped him connect with patients while providing treatment on a trip in South America. I’m not saying her statement was as flushed out as the Harvard graduate, but there are examples outside of hers where connecting hobbies to medicine (IF DONE WITH CAREFUL STORYTELLING) could possibly work. Just if anyone was curious, not saying our doctor is wrong, but just an interesting point to bring up.

[@mayagriffin2826]

It could possibly be that her connections to medicine were hypothetical? She had not had any actual medical/clinical experiences to connect anything to. Where in your example the person connected their hobbies to a specific clinical experience they had?

[@99nikniht]

@TKO66 Did you actually read what she wrote for her personal statement? She did not weave her passion as a photographer, she spent 1 paragraph trying to push the idea that her experiences as a photographer gives her insights on what it is like to be underprivileged, or in other words empathetic. That's all she wrote about her hobby in connect with her path to medicine. Dr. Grey is right in calling it an advertisement or fluff. Had she weaved the entire or half the statement with photography as a theme, sure, maybe that could work. But, this ain't it chief.

[@tko6647]

@@mayagriffin2826 so the Harvard statement actually made his whole personal statement going over a single experience about traveling to (I think it was Chile) and meeting patients who wouldn’t cooperate with the doctors. Because the guy knew Spanish poems from his “hobby” both him and the patient began to bond over the topic as they performed the treatment with little complications after that. He used this experience to answer the question of why he had rerouted his education from humanities to med school and stated that “they weren’t that different after all.” Maybe some wouldn’t consider his love for poetry a hobby but he did connect his humanity studies as an important tool for medicine. So idk, just thought it would be cool to bring up.

[@tko6647]

@@99nikniht , dude chill. I was just bringing up the fact that saying that “never connect your hobby to medicine” isn’t always true, but he probably recommends this considering the extent to which the student most perfect their story of connecting the two. She didn’t, and I agree with you 100% that’s it fluff, but I thought I should bring up something I found if someone was interested tif that statement was 100% true or just an opinion amongst Dr. Gray. I think it likely depends on who you get reviewing the story. Had it been Dr. Gray, maybe the Harvard guy doesn’t get in idk tbh...

[@99nikniht]

@@tko6647 Apologies, my tone might have came off much harsher than I intended. I only wanted to point out that your Harvard example doesn't apply to the applicant in the video. I agree with you that having a passion that aligns with one's goal in medicine can be done if it is well thought out and rings true. Even though Dr. Gray says it's not as much as a crap shoot as it is in the application cycle, it totally is a crap shoot and a lot of luck is involved haha. Some application reviewers/interviewers will be much more favorable for some applicant than others. I've had multiple interviews that I didn't do so well in, while I had others that I did great in but maybe other aspects of my interview day did not help me cross the finish line. Either way, thanks for sharing with possible angles in how to construct a personal statement.

[@savedbygrace5416]

Lesson learned... write a story... stay humble

[@ProsenjitMandal]

unfortunately, the situation is that you have to evoke an emotional response from the reader. The problem is that the hiring manager wants a piece of literature from a student of science. It is an unfair expectation. But this is how the world is now. So you just have to roll with it.

[@solar6284]

ehh there's no real reason to pit literature vs science against each other. some of the best applications ive read were spoken very plainly and from the heart. that's something anybody can do, regardless of their department. it's definitely true that a good application should meet both the requirements + evoke an emotional response. but just because somebody is a literature major doesn't mean they're even good at that, haha

[@charc4814]

Man those are top schools she applied to. I went the osteopathic route. I had similar GPA, extracurriculars, volunteered in hospitals, research, officer in several clubs. I did my years, complete residency, went to an allopathic cardiology fellowship program and passed ACGME cardiology and internal medicine boards. I work now with colleges from Yale, Brown, and even John Hopkins in a private group. Now I'm board certified in Gen Cards, IM, Echocardiography, Nuclear, and Vascular imaging. The application process is discouraging but it isn't the end of it.

[@campbellstewart9938]

The only thing you left out was curing cancer

[@gracie7212]

Oh-

[@indianawesomeness]

where did you do residency and fellowship? as a DO student I want to do IM and thinking cards

[@BeantownMrs]

I have no interest in being a doctor, but these breakdowns are fascinating.

[@emocuta]

This video is golden 👌🏼 Thanks to the young lady for subjecting herself to such constructive criticism.

[@Russianboyz95]

She was accepted to a great school in the next cycle. Just wanted to put that out there.

[@sillymonkey7811]

what school ?!

[@becomingdoctorkal]

where

[@SLPtoMD]

This applicant is very strong academically and is very young. I think this experience of rejection is going to either make her or break her with the development of her emotional intelligence and ability to accept critical feedback, as she will require that skill in medical school and in practice.

[@halfdohm]

I think Dr. Gray exposes a fact that she wants to be a doctor but really doesn't know why. I'm sure her parents have pushed her and maybe she needs to look within to be sure this is something she wants to pursue. People want to be a doctor because they think that is the ultimate achievement. Either way I think she'll be successful in whatever she does, maybe even photography.

[@halfdohm]

@@kareenakapoor1320 Kareena, Please don't read something into my comment that isn't there. Parents of every culture push their kids, especially those who are well educated and want their kids to be successful.

[@johnj4446]

Could not agree more. There is no hiding the cultural aspect though which I don’t think is such a bad thing all the time. Produces hard working kids with aspirations and real goals. However, many of them seem unfit socially for the role but well qualified academically which results in a lack of a deeper meaning beyond pleasing their parents or others around them.

[@10PlaystationGamer]

@Shah Bhuiyan also how do you get a publication after only 50 hours of research? That’s kinda weird

[@irq001]

@@bobii504 what is wrong with that approach - encouraging kids to dream for touching the sky ? If some body in some culture thinks that being a plumber or gig worker is the ultimate achievement and path to satisfaction in life, let them encourage their kids accordingly.

[@vectorbasis4725]

Again, who gives a fuck why someone "wants" to be a doctor. Nobody cares about why someone wanted to be a middle-manager at Citigroup, or a coder at Verizon. it's fine enough if it's a solid job with decent job security. What are they gonna change the world? They will be a cog in the great healthcare machine.

[@Realdeal33]

Still props to her for having the chance to apply to med schools at such a young age.

[@marvm2555]

she'll learn poor girl was probably never told she was dumb before dont let me meet her lol

[@eddierunquist5356]

As someone who has gotten into medical school this cycle, I still would love for Dr. Gray to look at my application and critique it. He always just has such great advice and insight

[@gregoryh1027]

EM PGY1 Here. You have some incredibly tough times ahead of you, sir. I would stop living in the past, and buckle up. The hammer is about to fall in such a manner and with such weight that you can not possibly imagine. Oh and start UWorld and questions on day one.

[@mariopellegrino7661]

she's the ideal medical school candidate. Her stats speak for themselves. She should have got an interview and given a chance to tell her story through an interview rather than having to write her life story in 2500 characters or less. The application process shouldn't be a writing competition. Not for an education in medicine.

[@alexheng3322]

She is an academic star, but lacked clinical prep for the modern medical school acceptance. All things are relative, and compared to her peers, she lacked greatly in that very important column. If 25 percent is required clinical experience, and she lacks it, why do schools need to accept her? She realizes this now. It is sad to see her fail on her application, but she was not ready, should of took a gap year to focus on her clinical. Clinical experience will give her the interactions and patient experience to know why medicine is for her. It is not all roses in medicine, and the clinic time will expose the student to the good and the bad and the ugly. My daughter has been on her gap year and working full time as a medical assistant. Every other week she is telling me about how demanding, stressful a busy clinic can be, all her other MAs are accomplished students in their gap year. For example one coworker is a 3.98 GPA with 519 MCAT from UCLA doing a gap year for clinical. Without the gap year, her experience would mirror this girl. I read this girl’s complete application and she wrote a much better personal essay, but what was key was that she tied in her clinic time to why medicine. You can not do that when you have no clinic time. BTW her friend/coworker got into USC and then declined other school interviews to help other applicants. I applaud this girl for having the courage to put out her application like this, most would not. She has accomplished what 98 percent of students can not with her grades and MCAT, but that is only a fraction of what is reviewed. She is still very young and given the right mentoring she will do great next year. It also sounded like her mentors at USC failed her, which is odd because they have great professional counseling services at USC. I guess people thought she would overcome all with her scores.

[@SLPtoMD]

One of the biggest misconceptions is that academic stats are what produce great physicians.

[@scholaroftheworldalternatehist]

Physicians are mostly actors. Usually lab techs do the real work. So you've got to be able to act well for the patients

[@mariopellegrino7661]

@@scholaroftheworldalternatehist wrong

[@jerri9429]

You can be great in academia, but if you don't show ability to practice or learn in a clinical setting, then how can admission boards know you will thrive and revolutionize the field? Grades can only go so far until you can show them why you want to be a doctor and at what lengths you've taken to contribute to the betterment of others.

[@skoto8219]

It's comforting to know that my loved ones and I are putting our lives in the hands of people who, while they may not be as smart, competent, and hard-working as this student is, can at least tell us wonderful stories about themselves and how they see the world.

[@matt96533]

Hahaha

[@kailasuzanne7125]

exactly lmfao like i don’t understand why schools care SOO much about telling a story but not their knowledge of the topics and work ethic itself ??

[@dorothyc6037]

Dr. Death had high stats.

[@skoto8219]

@@dorothyc6037 And did he botch any of those assisted suicides? Any of those people end up just becoming paralyzed and suing him for malpractice?

[@irianem2095]

@@skoto8219 um he didn’t do assisted suicides, he botched regular surgeries to the point some became fatal. And he did it on purpose.

[@berkeleygolfer]

aww man her activities and personal statement were atrocious. If she just works for 1-2 years in a medical setting, and tells a story, she'll do great. Hopefully her MCAT won't expire this next year

[@JoeG2324]

shes the wrong race

[@ilnec]

@@JoeG2324 ???

[@shergirl92]

@@JoeG2324 black people still have to meet the qualifications why do people think black have a easier time getting in med school my friend had amazing grades and still got rejected

[@whata1561]

@@JoeG2324 you realize people can see your other comments? No one needs to read your racist rhetoric.

[@spicyshizz2850]

@@shergirl92 she’s not black she’s indian

[@morganrobinson3066]

I don’t have any clinical experience, why because the doctors in my area doesn’t allow it. Sometimes it’s hard to get someone to let you shadow them

[@brayan9645]

This is literally me. The little amount of shadowing that I have was like three days overlooking a cardiologist probably less than fifty hours. This is not enough at all. I don’t like extracurricular activities at all, hence why I don’t really join them. I feel like she made up many of the things in her application. The amount of time that she has for some of the activities is ridiculous. Also I just graduated college so gap years here I come lol.

[@usmle6947]

You must pay i think

[@connorhall8463]

Shadowing isn’t clinical experience.

[@ninjason57]

I didn't make it in my first time around for medical school applications either. Went to a Caribbean medical school where I proceeded to fail. Then came back to the states, retook my MCAT and got a higher score but not stellar. My college GPA was average but I still eventually got into medical school. It's definitely possible to get into school despite not having a top application.

[@what_do_you_want898]

that’s an awesome story of persistence and resilience. congrats!

[@vidhipatel4633]

Which med school you got ?

[@jamiyahdillard6898]

What med school you got into?

[@jasonhuang8068]

Lord Varys reviewing med school applications like the king that he is 😤🤞👌👌👌

[@campbellstewart9938]

Makes me wanna commit regicide

[@Jadonk01]

Golden comment

[@MiquellasFaithful]

I’m a med student. I can assure that most of the advice in this video is unrealistic and even ludicrous. You can’t frame every lame thing you did during your journey to medicine as some interesting, eye opening novel story. And you definitely cannot do it while avoiding saying things as simple as “it taught me” or “I learned”, all while staying humble, avoiding sounding “technical”, being expressive, and sticking to the character limit.

[@meatbleed]

I know jack shit about medicine, but a few things. One, if you're still a student, how would you know? Second, he didn't exactly mean that. He wanted her to dive into how the experiences affected her and what she learned. She seemed to more describe the organizations she worked at more than the specific instances of where she learned the most. Sounds logical to me.

[@julianlovato1093]

@@meatbleed because they're a medical student in medical school meaning they were accepted into medschool so they obviously know what they're talking about

[@TheDeluche]

But you can at least tell them your MEANINGFUL experiences instead of writing down resume material. Admissions needs to figure out what makes you different than the other 300 applicants with 3.9 GPAs out there

[@arib4497]

I think as a student you can have a decent idea of what the process entails, however I disagree with you entirely. I definitely think describing the experience isn't as worthwhile as going through how the experience impacted you and how you made it relevant to your story and medschool journey. I applied to medical school numerous times, and it was the activity boxes that I made the biggest changes to for the final time in which I was accepted. They, moreso than the personal statement, speak to your interests and why you actually want to go to medical school in an objective, verifiable way, whereas the Personal Statement can literally be a bunch of fluff bs. It is still wild to me that she wasn't accepted, because overall, her application is good, but I personally found his advice to be very good in this sense.

[@MiquellasFaithful]

​@@meatbleed I was stating my "credentials" as someone with an opinion about this video. A medical student is someone who has had to undergo the app process and consult with many others who have themselves. Some of the statements here are vague and downright frustrating. He reads an app with the hindsight that the person was rejected, then proceeds to paint every aspect of it as "cliche", recommends that people "tell their stories", and fails to provide concrete examples of what that means. I agree with the basic advice that you should tell your story in your app, but if you're trying to be constructive and help, you need to provide examples of what that looks like. Otherwise you're just bringing people down.

[@jessicarivera4302]

And blah blah blah....lol. I don't know why any of these videos get thumbs down because they are extremely helpful! Thank you so much Dr. Gray for offering all these resources. Good luck to her!

[@daveyjones3016]

Becuase some pre meds think only numbers matter I guess.

[@Gooner5]

@@daveyjones3016 yea pretty much. They try to ride their stats instead of actually improving their weaknesses

[@khalidramahi9179]

My only struggle with the story thing u tell these students is that students willl then just work on making a story by adding fluff or drama to it. Also let’s face it some people are better story tellers than others, doesn’t mean jack on how good of a doctor your gonna be to be honest. Most physicians I work with couldn’t tell their own story to save their lives, although plenty of stories of their patients. I don’t know even years out of this process I don’t really know how these things are judged fairly. Because I know there are people who are great story tellers but honestly suck as physicians.

[@MrShinyFish]

Exactly. Dr. Gray correctly points out that trying to tie medicine to photography is pointless. Being a good photographer does not equate to being a good doctor. I think that the same can be said for storytelling. How does being a good storyteller make you a good doctor? What is the connection between storytelling and medicine? I don't believe there is one. Personally, I could care less if my doctor is a good storyteller. I don't care how compelling his or her personal narrative is. Above all else, I care that he or she knows how to LISTEN. Certainly, it is one thing to be able to present yourself in a compelling way to adcoms. However, if adcoms are going to accept/reject people based on their storytelling skills, it is important for them to clearly define why that is an acceptable benchmark for determining who will be a good doctor and who will not.

[@justindeekollu5812]

I am struggling to understand this. Why, WHY do you need so SOOO much stuff just to LEARN about medicine? wtf? this makes 0 sense to me.

[@justindeekollu5812]

@j a yes thats why they spend 4 fucking years learning about it, and then 4 more fucking years doing a residency.

[@abilestial]

RIGHT

[@erin8922]

I was already accepted but I still watch these videos because Dr. Gray is just so knowledgeable! I recommend to all premeds!

[@andrewgreggs2486]

As someone who recently made the decision to switch from medicine into computer science, seeing how difficult it is to go to medical school is unbelievable factoring in the years it takes to become a doctor plus the hundreds of thousands of dollars medical school costs and the opportunity costs. I have so much respect for those who make the decision for the right reasons, but if it’s for money or respect, it’s simply not worth it. You have to spend thousands of hours and dollars to find opportunities to beef up your application so that you even get an interview, only for you to ultimately have to take one or two gap years to even get enough clinical experience to land a school. You’re already probably in debt from college and now that you’ve majored in biology (which has practically no opportunity outside the medical field), you have to see it through. That’s not even considering how difficult medical school is in and of itself. Most of the opportunities you land to get into medical school barely pay you and residency doesn’t either. The MCAT is a 7 and a half hour exam that you have to spend hundreds if not thousands of hours preparing for plus the money for prep and tutors. I know people taking it for the third of fourth time. Medical school also focuses on brute memorization over critical thinking from what I’ve seen which is hardly appealing. I saw this study done where they factored in all of the costs and debts as well as opportunity costs of becoming a doctor compared with become a teacher at the median salary and they both averaged out to roughly 30 an hour. Landing a residency and fellowship is almost just as hard as medical school. All those years you spend trying to become a doctor, you will never get back. Again, I’m stressing the fact that becoming a doctor is a great career for those who have a passion to help people, but I don’t think this is at all worth it for basically everyone else. I hope we see changes to the process sometime in the near future. This isn’t meant to discourage anyone. If anything, I’m using it as a medium to express my concerns so I can refer back to it if I ever have doubts of my decision. If you find any inaccuracies in this, please let me know. Thanks.

[@kristinaavetisyan970]

I may have read this wrong but you said residency doesn’t pay? It does

[@sillymonkey7811]

@@kristinaavetisyan970 poorly, though

[@danielzheng2242]

Its been a while since I took a break from this channel. While most of the details are correct on why her application went wrong, Dr. Gray is inconsistent with his criticism of her. He claims she suffers from 2 things: 1. I dont know who she is as an applicant (too much stats) 2. PS: Don't tie in hobbies with medicine. Additionally, I do want to note it seems like she applied during the pandemic, and Gray totally overlooked that (Adcoms are pretty holistic, but this is also why the pandemic cycle was hell). Through the whole video he says I have no clue about who you are personally, which is absolutely true from her experiences. Then she tries to write a hobby essay, which is her attempt (yes it was a pretty poor attempt) of showing more of herself and he writes off the whole PS as a "hobby essay." PS tying in hobbies with medicine have worked in the past (another comment highlighting HMS PS). The problem here is there is no cohesive narrative that explains why it relates to her wanting to be a physician. (Not saying I am any better at all) The biggest problem is when you take a step back and look at the personal statement, its just 5 disparate paragraphs, the essence of her being a photographer is nothing more than a bookend. Again, this was the only big thing I thought Gray missed, but everything else was on point.

[@Bash2026]

These videos with the high stat applicants are so sad to see damn

[@Faustian_Bargain_Bin]

I feel lucky I got accepted in 2020. My app was trash according to everything Dr. Gray is saying. I thought when you applied you were supposed to make it like a resume, try to get the readers to understand what you were doing in each role. I was told to avoid making the app excessively narrative and avoid trying to stand out in your writing because it can backfire.

[@marvm2555]

maybe the medschool u got into isnt picky

[@user-lg7yb2ik2l]

@@marvm2555 do you even know what its like applying to med schools? even getting into one is tough work

[@drdata9700]

I didn't even know this channel existed!! This was so helpful, I don't have any mentors or people in my life who have gone through the process or anything similar. My uni's pre-med advisor is not the best and has given me questionable advice (like telling me to do a post-bacc when my GPA is fine and I took all the required classes).

[@richardwilson3226]

This has definitely made me feel better, there needs to be a story, not just some narcissistic pre-med

[@connormoore4718]

props to her for sitting and taking all of the feedback so well. Intense but constructive

[@anastaciamodo8273]

I am in love with Dr Gray, lots of young people think grades and their academic life will get them at the door. I am a non-traditional, mama, healthcare worker for many years, good grades but I am still scared to death.

[@Bryan_Kay]

Same here (just replace mama for dad). Don't be discouraged in the pursuit of your dreams.

[@AppleUploader]

Aaaaaand more reasons I stay away from everything premed, even tho I am one myself. Shit like this is so discouraging and it’s always depressing af.

[@campbellstewart9938]

Then quit or man tf up

[@AppleUploader]

@@campbellstewart9938 Well aren’t you a little tough guy lmao. Ur probably the future pediatric brain surgeon oncologist that failed out of gen chem 1 and now you’re bitter.

[@CrazyAsianDude]

@@AppleUploader That's harsh, I imagine that dude is now a burnt chicken nugget.

[@Bryan_Kay]

@@AppleUploader why gen chem 1? Lol seems really specific.

[@campbellstewart9938]

@@AppleUploader unless you hacked into my university’s grading system and changed my As in gen chem to Fs I did not fail

[@minnupillai1529]

What actually counts as clinical experience? Cuz ngl, even when we apply to volunteer at a hospital or a free clinic, they end up giving us administrative work to do, unless we are a trained EMT, and it gets quite frustrating.

[@OrganicDolphin]

730 hours over a two month period I think her math may be a tiny bit off there.

[@jonathanlooney205]

meant 2 years maybe

[@Nuclearkiwi]

@@jonathanlooney205 she said it was during a study abroad type program that was a month and a half long. That would be about 18 hours every single day she was there

[@brayan9645]

I don’t think she is being genuine with the hours of research. Like I can see why she had so many rejections, given that the time and numbers don’t really add up.

[@alexisayuketah1813]

@@Nuclearkiwi If it was 30 days, even 24 hours a day wouldn’t add up to 730 lol it is impossible for her to have that many hours

[@ChrisH930S]

I sat on the committee at a major nyc private med school with a torch. I rarely read much of a personal statement once my BS meter went off. Honesty is the best policy, don’t try to fluff up bs hobbies as medically relevant, it doesn’t work. Just work as an orderly in a hospital, not a volunteer candy cane observer. I put a lot more into that than the other crap. Remember, all the other applicants have a hi gpa and good mcat, you have to be different and real.

[@krishnasaichalasani4492]

Coming from a tech background, it does seem kinda weird to tell a story in the application itself cuz we try to list our accomplishments and job duties in the resume and application, and that's how HR knows that we are qualified for the job. Then they invite us for an interview to know more about our soft skills and stories. But here it seems like they want to know you as a person in the application itself which is different.

[@mustang8206]

Yeah it's weird but I guess the thought process is that they can figure out who's qualified enough from your GPA and MCAT but doctors also need to be emphatic which is where the stories come in

[@elizatreaty2643]

I just wanted to comment (as a swimmer myself) that swimming is a "club" centered sport. Club teams before the collegiate level are often more competitive than teams associated with schools, and club teams during college usually have a similar amount of rigor to the actual college team.

[@schmidtbailey9425]

How is 100 hours of shadowing not enough? I thought around 100 is average for matriculants.

[@gregengel5492]

I think because it wasn’t recent

[@kthom6466]

following

[@creepypastaexplained4945]

@@gregengel5492 BS, if it was any time in your undergrad, it’s good to go, especially since COVID took way

[@gregengel5492]

Creepypasta Explained that’s just what he said my guy relax

[@hiltoncalebbraithwaiteiv3491]

Yea I had 75 hours of shadowing 2 years before I applied and I was accepted

[@Mypersonalyoutube123]

Do you have any videos about examples of great personal statements? After watching a few videos on application renovation, I feel that most applications struggle with the personal statement

[@Sav1010]

His book includes lots of examples!

[@Taylor-ex8nl]

His book and also the successful application videos have some good personal statements in them!

[@shlorwhor19]

If making crafts with patients isn’t considered clinical, how does hospice volunteering count?... (asking because I do crafts with hospice patients and now I’m concerned it wouldn’t be considered clinical)

[@ishu4ever308]

I think it’s the way she described the experience. I bet she definitely did interact with patients but focusing on the tasks like doing paperwork is low key a flag that you barely did anything clinical wise I think

[@shlorwhor19]

@@jadyyang7903 I looked around on Reddit and SDN (which of course should be taken with a grain of salt) and it sounds like if you’re spending time with the patient as a companion then filling out their chart to report back to medical staff, that can be considered clinical. If you’re doing chores, errands, etc then that is more non-clinical.

[@kansasmypie6466]

I think you should de-emphasize the things that may not seem clinical in your hospice volunteering while emphasizing the more basic things that sound clinical, i.e. building relationships with patients and helping them

[@rockerhoney22]

Based on Dr. Gray's prior Application Renovation videos, he's been pretty explicit about the fact clinical hours need to involve clinical DUTIES and not just interacting with patients in a healthcare setting. If he doesn't consider Hospital Transport to be clinical then there's no way doing crafts with hospice patients is clinical. Being in a healthcare setting doesn't make your actions inherently clinical and unless your charting is clinically relevant and part of what the patients care team has requested, it's unlikely schools will consider your experience clinical. It would count as volunteer hours which is still important!

[@shlorwhor19]

@@rockerhoney22 okay that’s a great distinction! I’ve started helping patients with taking their glucose and checking on their pill boxes and charting that information so I think as I help out the nurses more it would move into clinical territory hopefullu

[@Obamnaz]

You got to have a great story/reason for wanting to become a physician. Her application seemingly lacked the "why".

[@Mein_KampfyChair]

Money, prestige, and women. MDs get tiddies and DOs get hoes

[@markygrom124]

man If I were to get criticized like this I would have cried constructive or not. So much of life went into this job, and I couldn't do it because I can't write? fuckin A

[@Bryan_Kay]

The job will make you cry even more.

[@markygrom124]

amen

[@geoffreyreeves7213]

I’m a surgeon almost everyone in my family is a doctor she never answered the question why does she want to do this this job is not for everybody people die you have to really understand what you’re getting into this is about way more than money and prestige

[@anjanaswami7133]

TMDSAS application next please!

[@Taylor-ex8nl]

I might be wrong but I think he actually did review a TMDSAS app once, it was a kid who played tennis. I don’t remember the title of the video though

[@kaleygregory2324]

@@Taylor-ex8nl he did! It was “advice to a college athlete reapplying to med school.” He didn’t really go into how to do the activities section of TMDSAS, so a video on that would be helpful.

[@samuelsmithmed214]

Psych/Soc section of the MCAT is moving towards CARS V2 becoming more subjective and less definitions/theory based. Sucks for this girl and many others who have taken it in the past year or two. I hate that the exclusionary criteria here is that she lacked anecdotes and her style of writing for a personal statement wasn't good. Would easily be able to see her personality and passion for medicine in an interview as I saw here in this 35 minute segment. Seems to me like she would make a great medical student. IF there is any non-subjective critique here it's lack of clinical experience. Re-write personal statement, get more clinical experiences, apply to better schools (maybe include DO??) and hope for the best next time.

[@AbdulAli-ku9he]

Admission committee want to see your humane side too, not a robot, you can get 100% in all subject, no one cares, but you need to show your ability to interact, understand, sympathize with your patient, this is medicine not robotic engineering.

[@ishtiaqasif1185]

Why I believe if you don't have passion for medicine or empathy for people, don't go to medicine. My parent wanted me to be a doc but soon I learned I hate hospital environment and idgaf about people. I care less if they sick or dying. There is no way I'm going to be doc to save lives. Now my aim is to work for pharmaceutical industry.

[@fdxxs1]

"look at schools mission, curriculum blah blah". The reality is that we are all surviving on a vibe and a prayer through this process and just want to get accepted to ONE school. Their mission could be "take all their money" and I would say thank you see you at orientation.

[@yungsab675]

You guys are really gaining traction now, been a subscriber since the first video. Keep up the good work guys!

[@tinypenguini]

Don't really agree with the whole "don't tie in your hobbies into medicine in your personal statement" part (at 24:58)... This is exactly what I did (because art DID actually lead me to my interest in anatomy/medicine) and I think it can be very effective when used well. As long as you don't get too metaphorical with it and focus on how it impacted your decision or path to becoming a physician.

[@lovemariah513]

We need doctors 😤 Why must they make getting into school seem almost impossible. School is hard enough.

[@venus3173]

because it’s the most prestigious degree in the world and it comes with heavy responsibility. personally i’m glad they make it so hard. there’s a lot of other careers in healthcare that are more easily accessible and probably help more people anyways if you truly want to be in healthcare.

[@scholaroftheworldalternatehist]

We don't actually need more doctors. That's a myth they perpetuate to keep application fees coming in

[@CamtheMac]

29:20...ouch! Who am I without any achievements?

[@joys8634]

your response is kind of self righteous you know. you don't even explain why she's wrong. She's is trying to say that without her achievements what makes her a better candidate vs her peers. Saying that you're a caring person and know how to take care of patients is expected. Just virtue signaling basically.

[@jorgealbertorun]

This guy is ruthless geez

[@burnt.norton]

god ikr, but it’s his job ig

[@worldsavior2543]

such a fan watching these vids, whenever I have a break and eat breakfast/lunch I just pull up one of these bad boys and enjoy

[@carlosmelchor5495]

Same!

[@albertogonzalez7631]

Bro wtf is this nonsense I understand that schools want the “best of the best” but this person has obviously put in time and effort and has a dam good gpa and basically what I gathered is “unless you are buddy buddy with the person that interviews you then u won’t get in” there could be so many fantastic doctors out there willing to give everything they got for it but nonsense like “tell me a story that I would find entertaining” ruins it

[@aviator1787]

TLDR: story. story story story. story story. i think i’m glad now that i was a journalist for five years. writing is a major asset.

[@catdragonrose2155]

She used a lot of "our mission" was x "we did" x. And not focusing on what she did, what her mission is, etc.

[@rosegold.sunset4749]

She would make a great applicant in Canadian med schools.... they are super stat focused.

[@campbellstewart9938]

So are American ones

[@schmidtbailey9425]

Looking back on this video, the entire narrative regarding her school list is absolutely incorrect. This applicant's school list is terrible, true, but it is not because she "used stats". If anything, her school list is poor because she used stats INCORRECTLY. You should absolutely look at median GPA and MCAT scores for all the schools you apply to, as well as 25 and 75 percent ranges. However, you also need to take into account the percent of matriculants from out of state, the number of seats offered, and the differences in stats for in-state versus out of state applicants. All of this is available with MSAR. After narrowing down you list from there, you can do as Dr. Grey mentioned and look at the specific statements and websites of the schools to see what kind of students they prefer. However, it makes zero sense to me why Dr. Grey did not mention the most helpful tool that is available for creating a school list and is literally made by AAMC, perhaps it doesn't fit his "stats are pointless; story is everything" narrative.

[@kansasmypie6466]

She got Dr. Gray this year, next year she good

[@andrewlambert8946]

When I watch this, it feels to me like he flips between telling her she needs to get more personal and show who she is, and then explaining why the few times in the app where she did try to inject some personal interests was bad. There seems to be this line that is clear in his head that I couldnt get a clear picture of from the video. This coupled with the previously described lack of ability to gain meaningful experience seems to me like an insurmountable obstacle in some ways. Luckily for her it seems she has begun getting more experience. Maybe someone can help me rationalize that first part?

[@TheNinjapancake14]

What i got from it was the personal parts she did put were predictable and insignificant. 50hrs of yoga teaching, over 3 years? Some clubs, and intramurals to list off. Her involvement in extracurricular activities is a mile wide but only an inch deep. I think he's saying that she should be more involved in some of those activities. Photography might've been a deep passion but as he said, she tried to tie it into the medical field somehow. Some admissions committees like that corny stuff tho, so it depends. She's also correct, when looking for clinical experience she probably couldn't get into actual clinical experience, either from age or..experience- which is bananas aha. Sometimes you have to know the right people or know where to look so I wish her luck in that.

[@isaiahbushman6826]

why’s this guy so rude 😭 i understand she asked for this and he’s just attempting to help, but the negative corrections and almost how he’s talking down to her seems like more of a power trip than a mentoring moment to me :/

[@stephanieskyy4100]

I don't think so. If she wants to go to med school then she'll have to get used to it. It's matter-a-fact. It's cut throat.

[@tysonn3]

It’s not his fault that she has a ton of problems with her app💀 he’s giving really good feedback, it’s just constructive criticism

[@dochudson9912]

This one was harsh, especially at 12:30 How else do you convey as an applicant that you're interested in translational research? It's okay to just state what your interested in. You can demonstrate impact through activities, but not for everything

[@Ali-fo4uv]

Yup honestly it’s a crapshoot my writing was shit and I got in and I’m considered “white” it’s all bs

[@Ali-fo4uv]

I think she didn’t get in bcos of clinical experience honestly

[@JenGarciaVA]

This is the first video of yours that I found and I have your book halfway done on my desk. Small world!

[@FurkinAmazing]

Bro Dr gray DESTROYED this girl at least be alittle more sympathetic

[@alphaspartan]

Wow, what a fantastic MCAT score. This student is in the upper 2% of all test takers! This is a fantastic example that you can't "make up" for deficiencies in one area of your application by being a superstar in other areas, like many students often say they will do when discussing low MCAT scores or a low GPA on Meddit/SDN. You truly have to be well rounded and have more than just basic exposure in all categories (GPA, MCAT, clinical exeperiences, non-clinical volunteering, etc.).

[@YESHTOFU]

Actually 520 out of 528 is the 97 percentile or top 3% and 514 is about 90 percentile or top 10 % this year for 2021. Can someone say SCORE CREEP? But like yea she's a great student. It's a shame.

[@alejandrobonilla813]

28:53 was the hard truth

[@schmo2109]

how do we avoid "taught me" statements?

[@justinhupe8624]

I get he's doing her a great favor and offering constructive criticism, but damn he's grilling tf outta her at times like chill lmaooo

[@dro2896]

It's good practice lol.

[@karan_karan_karan]

i felt bad for her at times but when I was in her position I loved this straight forward talk, really helped a lot to pinpoint exactly what to work on. i needed the reality check !

[@karan_karan_karan]

actually 17:34 is kinda mean.. i probably would've cried LMFAOOOO

[@justinhupe8624]

@@karan_karan_karan yeah I hear you fs, but yeah like that part you mentioned, the tone could’ve been a little gentler maybe considering he’s talking to someone who just got rejected by 27 medical schools lmao

[@Shiv05B]

okay um first off, props to this girl. second off NO ONE gets clinical experience when they're in school - and let's be real no one gets clinical experience / has the authority to touch and interact with patients unless they are insured by the medical school. no one will actually know how it is to be around patients until they GET INTO med school - so whatever this dude said , I totally disagree. making bracelets with patients is incredibly important to understand the human aspects of medicine. which is what doctors forget much of the time going through the craziness of medical practice. you do not need to have to experience medicine to want to become a doctor - yes after going into med school you can definitely be like um this is just not for me. but you won't know that until you try it. so while his feedback is useful in certain aspects, much of what he's saying is just not true.

[@s96822]

Is it fair to say there are applicants that deserve to be accepted but are not?

[@kareenakapoor1320]

absolutely. there are also tons of people that are not going into medicine for the right reasons who are IN medical school atm. its a very flawed process and a game of filters

[@s96822]

@@kareenakapoor1320 In decades past I recall reading US schools could fill at least twice with equally qualified applicants if they had the space. Was also something about the abundance of qualified asian American applicants. During my medical studies in Latin America I recall a classmate whose last name was Littman (same family as stethoscope) had good grades but couldn't get into a US school.

[@emily2567]

I would pay the price of my left arm and / or first born to have Dr. Gray review my application before submission 🤣

[@wl5721]

Dr. Gray would be scared to review your application.

[@ElMasriyeen]

The Personal statement is what really shot her in the foot

[@keriannedavidson6005]

SO I screwed around my early years of school, was dealing with surviving cancer, and ended up wanting to live it up... do things I wasn't allowed to do. OF Course that negatively impacted my academics and ended either getting a few W's here and there (A LONG TIME AGO) and some not-so-stellar grades. I left school to figure out what I really wanted in life .... do I become a DVM or MD. I worked and obtained a TON OF EXPERIENCE and did some serious growing up. Back in school now finishing Undergrad and looking to apply to grad school shortly..... Grades are great!! I remember coming back to school terrified thinking "What if I can't get good grades.... what then of my life"?! A's 1 B so far What if any impact does my past have on acceptance? How do I navigate that? All opinions welcomed .... if there is a video on this already - I'd love the link to it. THANKS in Advance!

[@campbellstewart9938]

You need a high MCAT

[@keriannedavidson6005]

@@campbellstewart9938 Alright. And MY Clinical / Work EXPERIENCES (while solid, time-worthy ) have varied over the years. I have both human and equine hospital work experience .... as well as working for equine vets as a tech. I am looking to obtain experience at a small animal clinic this summer. Is that okay? Does... that raise red flags? . Initially, they were geared towards human rehab medicine and eventually, over time and through some experiences I realized equine rehab sports medicine/orthopedics etc became my true love.

[@amberj5380]

@@keriannedavidson6005 I think you need to seriously think about whether you want to go into veterinary medicine, in which case your decision to work at a animal clinic this summer will be great, or whether you want to pursue medicine for humans, in which case the summer at the animal clinical is unique job experience but otherwise won’t help your application. Usually, it looks good to have continued, or atleast not that old, human patient experience. Ofc this is all just my opinion so take it as you’d like.

[@TheNinjapancake14]

Not in the medical field but admissions committees for most colleges love struggle porn. You definitely have something to show how much you have OVERCOME, and the fact that you still got A's and B's after you went back might show more dedication than if you were to get good grades from the start. Your experience during your time off would be a plus! I genuinely don't think your past should deter you. People of all backgrounds have been able to get into medical school. There's a KZbin video of a mormon dad who got in even though his undergrad wasn't science based. It's the dedication and passion tied with experience that gives you a chance

[@keriannedavidson6005]

@@amberj5380 I am glad my thought process is on track with what you said. I think this summer or at least part of the summer, small animal clinic would be deciding factor in which path I take. I know I love Equine med and everything that comes with it. But I have to be realistic in that, that is only a small portion of Vet med. I'm glad I found this channel! :D

[@arleneedgar98]

Welcome to PG! I saw you at Costco today, just hesitated to greet you 😊 I'm a fan and i always watch your videos.

[@217nomiga]

I had a 3.7 which was heavily padded by my Spanish major and a 516, I only applied to one MD school and got in

[@ChAoTiKcOw]

It amazes me how much these highly intelligent students misunderstand the whole point of their application. They are so focused on numbers and qualifications that they do not realize 90% of an acceptance is based on your story. Talk about personal moments, anecdotes during your experiences. Write about something personal and interesting you like to do for fun as a hobby. These type A students don't sound like humans but like little academic robots. I got multiple acceptances solely based on my ability to write about real experiences and moments I had DURING these activities, and during my life. THEY WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!!! I have no where near the academic scores or hours this girl does but I was able to paint a picture of what I was able to learn from everything I did in undergrad and show who I am. If anyone happens to read this and is struggling with applying or going to apply please try and implement this into everything you write in your application, it is what majority of students fail to realize when applying. Yes they want a certain level of an MCAT score, GPA, and shadowing etc.. but the quantity is and number is far less important that premeds realize.

[@TheNinjapancake14]

That sucks but this isn't surprising or devastating. This guy honestly could've worded things differently (even in the intro, "we're not here to talk about geography" lol) but he's right in a sense. She's a carbon copy of thousands of other good students. She's competing with people with grades like her, and invest more time in a few extracurriculars, rather than no time in so many extracurricular activities

[@janmazur1674]

On TMDSAS application activities list, where you get only 300 characters (compared to AMCAS 750), is the priority to still tell a story, or should I just get to the chase and list what I got from the experience?

[@barnabasspeaks]

This was a very informative and insightful video however I do question the analytical approach to the application process by the reviewers. I can understand seeking applicants that grant access to who he or she is as a person but I find it difficult believing that these reviewers are that narrow scoped in their selection for an interview. I believe that there are other factors involved that they use..(patterns, diversity and inclusion, fit and politics) to name a few.

[@TheNinjapancake14]

Possibly for some reviewers but if that had a major factor in the decisions more schools should be more...diverse

[@barnabasspeaks]

@@TheNinjapancake14 Medical schools are not as diverse because many of those particular factors did not exist earlier in this strive for diversity and inclusion. However, now there is this talk about health disperity in the Black and other non-White communities which is true, room is being made for those seats but without an increase in seat numbers in several schools. Now this causes another problem and that is another conversation.

[@TheNinjapancake14]

@@barnabasspeaks that would be an interesting conversation I would want to listen into. I think it's important and very possible to strive for diversity and still have quality students since Med schools are supposed to be selective, taking the very best. Would increasing the number of seats take away the "prestige"? Like this girl in the video, she has the grades, and so do thousands of others. Should they all be accepted? I don't know if I have the answer to that

[@barnabasspeaks]

@@TheNinjapancake14 I agree with you 100% and share those sentiments. It really is a thin line to tread because the question would then be, what is considered to be a quality student? That is a "loaded" question. Is a quality student one who can relatecwith vreat interpersonal skills, great instincts, great perception, great empathy or compassion or great skills in problem-solving or diagnostic measures? Can would that be determined BEFORE an interview...GPA, MCAT scores, limited clinical experience CASPR? Unless an applicant worked in a significant clinical setting full time over a course of no less than a year, no reviewer could possibly have a clue what quality would really mean. What about the LORs or in this young lady's case, the application itself? The point could be made that she was not guided properly so how could she know how the game is played. I have seen sights that offer assistance in writing applications and secondary applications for $1000s advising them on what to write. Is that an appicant qualified? All of this "nick-picking" although it has some relevance, is somewhat an indulgence of subjective perception in both style and substance. How many reviewers' hands does the application go through before redundancy is reached?...All of this information confidently obtained BEFORE an interview and the is obviously received after? We will just have to stay tuned...when I went through the process 35+years ago, it was more cut and dry, black and white with a few of shades of grey..

[@UCanHaveHim]

There are very few doctors who know what they are doing because no matter how you become a doctor, you won't be able to do much. Doctors practice how to either be mediocre or downright dangerous. They only know how to prescribe meds and cut you open. When it comes to eating habits, they only tell you to eat better and exercise as if it's a one size fits all scenario. It's lazy is what it is. They've put in so much time becoming a doctor that once they make it, they kind of throw the middle finger up and settle into the mundane and the patients suffer. I've seen enough doctors to know they don't even read over your file to see if there could be contraindications for the crap load of meds they give you. They never actually cure anything; they just sometimes make you feel better or make you feel as if you have control over your conditions by popping pills.

[@jonathanbeltran188]

I'm currently setting up a medical school admissions consultancy firm designed to help amazing applicants like yourself. There are so many amazing applicants with great gpas, test scores, and experience that are getting rejected for ridiculous reasons. You already have enough on your plate working for those grades and research/clinic experience. Let a team of professionals do the work of studying the game of medical school applications that will impress every med school you apply to while you keep getting those awesome stats.

[@ayyyAYY-x2g]

So did you go to med school and work as an advisor or in an admissions board for a med school?... Or are you some business major “entrepreneur” looking to make a buck?

[@DanielBiggins17]

What I've seen a lot with my own life are people my age who just don't have the passion for what they do. They choose careers clearly based on moral values and then have no clear plan for what they're going to do with it or what inspired them to do it in the first place. Honestly, if you're smart and passionless, go get an MBA, yet, even those guys are passionate about money.