Menu Icon Search
Close Search

MD Applicants

  • fpo-profile-avatar
  • mynameistoolong

  • Application cycles: 05/31/2015
  • Demographics: Male, 33, East Asian
  • Home state: Unknown
  • Last Active: 07/26/2021
  • Brief Profile:

    Table of Contents

    1. About me
    2. Summary of Application Experience
    3. Link to 2013-2014 cycle

    1. About me

    Molecular Biology and Philosophy major, non-Canadian international.

    I applied in the 2013 cycle as a college senior to 23 MD/PhD programs and 13 MD programs (either schools that don't accept internationals for MD/PhD or those that considered me for MD after MD/PhD). It was a big failure; I attended 9 interviews (6 MD/PhD, 3 MD), was waitlisted by 6, and ultimately rejected by all.

    Unfortunately, this fiasco left me a reapplicant to virtually all schools that will consider me for my application in 2015. Aggravating the problem is the fact that I took my MCAT in September 2012. This forced me to omit about 15 schools that will only accept MCAT scores from 2013 onward (I wasn't about to retake a 39 knowing nothing about Sociology and being years out from my last pre-req course). [Note: I found out later that MCAT expiration policies are often BS. I've heard many cases of students getting in with MCAT scores older than what the school 'requires'. Northwestern for sure, and a few other schools I don't remember.]

    Battered, penniless, and weary, I will continue to force my way toward my physician-scientist dream. I have another year of research under my belt, a letter from an MSTP assistant director, and will prepare the hell out of my interviews this time. I'll apply to about 16 MD/PhD programs and 14 MD programs, 8 of which are new faces.

    Main ECs: Research (4 years at the time of second application, still no publication) and IT/teaching job.

    February 18, 2016: ACCEPTED!!!!!!!

    I'm going to be a physician-scientist!

  • // Applications //

    Application Cycle One: 05/31/2015

    • Undergraduate college: Big Ten State School
    • Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences
    • Total MCAT SCORE: 523
    • MCAT Section Scores: B/B 131, C/P 132, CARS 129  
    • Overall GPA: 3.70
    • Science GPA: 3.60

    Summary of Application Experience


    Applications

    Applied to 16 MD/PhD programs (12 MSTPs, 4 non-MSTPs):

    Baylor ($100)Einstein ($120)Minnesota ($0)Upstate ($110)
    BU ($110)Emory ($120)MUSC ($95)UTSW ($0)
    Columbia ($100)Harvard ($100)Penn ($80)Vanderbilt ($0)
    Cornell ($100)Jefferson ($80)UConn ($85)WashU ($80)

    Invited to interview at 8 (all 8 pre-II rejections were from MSTPs):

    BUUConn
    EmoryUpstate
    JeffersonUTSW
    MUSCVanderbilt

    Applied to 11 MD programs (these schools don't take non-Canadian internationals for MD/PhD), and an additional 3 alongside/after MSTP consideration:

    Case ($90, w/CCLCM)Pritzker ($85)Stanford ($85)Cornell (moved to MD after MSTP reject)
    CCLCMRosalind Franklin ($125)Tufts ($105)Einstein (moved to MD after MSTP reject)
    Hopkins ($90)RWJMS ($80+$10 CASPer)Yale ($95)WashU (MD/MSTP decide separately)
    Pitt ($85)SLU ($100)

    Invited to interview at 3:

    CCLCM
    Cornell
    WashU

    Interviewing

    Below are the costs of my interview trips. I omitted food costs because I technically could eat at McDonalds for <$5 per meal, but who does that in New York or Boston? :)

    Dates School Costs Total
    Credit card annual fees Southwest Premier $89; Southwest Plus $69; British Airways Avios waived first year $0 $158
    9/24 CCLCM SW flight x2 $11.20; return RTA tickets $4.50; stayed with host $0 $15.70
    10/8-10 UTSW lolz $0
    10/22‑23 Emory SW flight x2 $11.20; MARTA tickets $6; stayed with host $0 $17.20
    10/29-31 MUSC SW flight x2 $11.20; free hotel $0; shared Uber to airport $16 (it was $8, but the girl who promised to pay me back never did...) $27.20
    11/16-17 UConn Flights paid for, although it took them three months. Uber to airport $0.91 ($30 promo). $0.91
    12/3-5 Vandy Flights paid for, free hotel and shuttle. Took local bus to the airport ($2.25). $2.25
    1/4 WashU Avios flight x2 $11.20; forfeited fee once to reschedule $11.20; one trip on metro $4 (WTF?); free dorm stay $0; tagged with a local applicant to airport $0; 2x airport toll $4 $30.40
    1/12-13 Jefferson Outbound SW flight $5.60; stayed in hostel $32.75; Philly transit $24.50; Avios flight to SYR $5 $67.85
    1/14-15 Upstate Free shuttle and hotel stay. I had to take Megabus to Rochester for my flight ($19.50) and local bus to the airport ($1). Return SW flight $5.60 $26.10
    1/28-29 BU SW flight x2 $11.20; transit tickets $11; stayed in hostel $48.20; Uber home $7.50 $77.90
    1/2 Cornell This trip had many other costs as it was partly a vacation :) basic costs excluding extravagant meals: SW flight x2 $11.20; 7-day pass $32; hotel $116.05; Uber home $7.50 $116.75
    $540.26

    Total costs:

    ItemCost
    Transcripts$19
    Interfolio for rec. letters$25
    AMCAS ($160+27x$37)$1,159
    Secondary fees$2,230
    Interview trips$540.26
    Total$3,973.26

    I kept track of how much my flights would have costed if I didn't have the miles from those credit card sign-up bonuses, and by the most conservative estimates they would have been at least $2,000, especially because of some last-minute invites that would have costed $300+ one way. So 3 credit cards with annual fees totaling $158 saved me ~$1,900 (with tons of points to spare). You can easily cancel at the end of the first year to avoid paying again.

    Application Complete, Rejected

    University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
    Case Western Reserve University
    Saint Louis University
    Tufts University
    Albert Einstein of Yeshiva University
    Baylor College
    University of Chicago
    University of Pittsburgh
    Yale University
    UMDNJ - Robert Wood Johnson
    Rosalind Franklin University
    Stanford University
    University of Pennsylvania
    Johns Hopkins University
    Columbia University
    Harvard University

    Attended Interview, Rejected

    Cleveland Clinic Medical School
    Washington University in St. Louis
    Cornell University
    Emory University

    Attended Interview, Withdrew

    Boston University
    Medical University of South Carolina

    Attended Interview, Waitlisted

    Vanderbilt University

    Attended Interview, Waitlisted, Withdrew

    University of Connecticut
    Jefferson Medical College
    SUNY Upstate

    Accepted

    University of Texas, Southwestern

    // Share //

    × Wait!

    Are you sure you want to delete this application cycle? This will remove all application data and cannot be undone.

    × Wait!

    Are you sure you want to delete this school? This will remove all application data and cannot be undone.