MD acceptance w 495 MCAT/3.6 GPA

they said i’d never do it but got my first acceptance (yes, i know it’s late but i’m still gonna be a doctor)!! i refused to apply DO bc i’ve been set on MD forever (in US only).

if i had to do the chaotic cycle again, i’d use U world and kaplan** (previously wrote khan academy on accident)** test prep books bc everybody does better w those (i used exam krackers and actually tried to study lol). however, my extracurriculars, clinical work, research, and rec letters were pretty extensive.

my advice is to believe in yourself and constantly remind yourself why you wanted to be a physician in the first place. trust in God’s/the universe’s timing that everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.

if financially able, apply to as many schools as you can. better to cast your net super wide bc you only need one fish. you’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!

i took a HUGE bet on myself this cycle applying with my numbers… however, my essays focused on how i’m more than just 2 numbers (gpa + especially mcat) and the other 99.9% of me i have to offer towards my candidacy and pursuance of medicine. i was confident that i’d kill any interview if invited and that’s exactly what i did. i trusted the process and kept reminding myself that this process doesn’t determine my self-worth, no matter how hard it is. if your dreams don’t scare the sh*t outta you, dream bigger. take on challenges.

if you’re not 200% sure on medicine, this process will break you. figure out what you want. have a story to tell. write good essays. most importantly, take care of yourself!!!

know this suffering is temporary and does not define you. believe in yourself! if a school doesn’t want you, have a “their loss” mentality and bounce back stronger.

dms open (don’t roast my numbers tho ok lmao)

EDIT: APPLIED SCHOOL LIST: albert einstein, cmu, fau, hofstra, fiu, fsu, icahn, jacob’s, meharry, morehouse, msu, nymc, nyu li, nyu nyc, northwestern, nova, phsu, stony brook, suny up, suny down, tulane, alabama, uf, ut tx, utenn, utmb, usf, weill (i didn’t waste my time on ivy’s😅)

as for demographics, i’m not urm or orm i’m a mutt lol and this wasn’t a factor (i’m not black nor hispanic/latinx)

my ECs were college sports, rigorous volunteering (like being fundraising coordinator, etc.), 1000+ clinical hours (licensed both paid/unpaid)

i also didn’t take a gap year bc i’ve always known what i wanted and that’s a US MD - that’s why i didn’t apply DO. no hate towards it but i also didn’t wanna deal w any extra difficulties w residency matching

haters stay hating lol but the love and kindness is so much appreciated from the majority of you! part of being a physician is having compassion and empathy 🫶🏽

ps, i’d advise to stay off the endless reddit and sdn threads on this cycle. for me, it was very overwhelming, stressful, and distracting. i only posted this to inspire others and give hope! i’ve noticed people will spend more time on these threads than actually applying themselves to the task at hand… you know what to do - just do it. don’t worry about what everyone else is doing or where your friends are getting accepted. this is your journey! i have learned so much about myself in this process and grew tremendously as a person even though there were some dark times. have resiliency but also self compassion! ok i’m done

i wish you all well!!!