Session 176 This week's question is about rejection after interviews. What could have gone wrong? If you haven't yet, please register for an account over at the Nontrad Premed Forum, where our questions on this podcast are taken from. Also, be sure to check out all our other podcasts on MedEd Media to help you on this path towards becoming a physician. [00:47] OldPreMeds Question of the Week “I have been honored to have been offered 2 interviews: the first to a school to which I applied early decision, the second last week (obviously late in the cycle.) The outcome: I was rejected from both. Clearly, there is something wrong with the way I am presenting myself. I practiced substantially more for my second interview, doing 3 mock interviews and rehearsing. I believe I was warm and friendly (scanning what went wrong, maybe too garrulous?–especially as a female interviewing in very “red” areas? Maybe each a poor culture fit for me and the school?–there was no political commentary or political turn of question to avoid) with all staff and fellow interviewees at each event. Knowing I will have to re-apply, I am starting my preparation for this journey. I have been listening to all of the Medical School HQ podcasts and understand that closing deficiencies ASAP is ideal, but I should not reapply too early. And frankly, call it poor self-study–but I am somewhat at a loss on where I have gone wrong. The first order of business I can do to improve my overall competitive quality will be retesting MCAT (taken in 09/2017–it will be expiring soon anyway). My total score was like 70%ile-but I underperformed in chemistry/physics (56%ile, 128-130 on practice exams) and biology was also average (51%ile–at the time of testing, I was deficient in Molecular Biology and have since studied on my own, with friends, taken Coursera, etc attempting to close these gaps.) I have heard from an admissions committee a low biology score is a marker for those who will not perform well on boards. Obviously, I was able to be offered interviews with my rather mediocre score, but to improve overall level of competition for my application, MCAT is certainly an area I believe I am capable of making a possible 10 point improvement. But my more pressing question is how to handle further gaps. I left my career in analytical chemistry in order to fulfill gaining clinical experience (eliminating 70% of my salary, moving home with my mother). While I love working as an ED scribe (and also now as scribe leadership in training, quality, and continuing education), I wonder if continuing in the same path after rejection would show weakness in regards to not adapting to change after rejection–begging the question “why did you continue in the same path following rejection”. Should this be a concern? One school told me I didn’t have enough shadowing–following my interview–although I now have well over 800 hours in the ED (my specific ED has a wide range of cultures which I have noted: people from the Amish community to patients from urban poverty. And also in the ED, I feel you did get exposure to the full range of people and complaints. However, after this feedback, I shadowed family at a local clinic, rheumatology, and palliative care (which is where I think I would like to land). My other activities include: volunteering at a rape crisis center (about 12-24 hours a week on crisis hotline–also as a medical advocate), volunteering tutoring local high school students as needed (approx 3 hours a week), volunteering (just a back-up. fill in.) for delivery service for the library for community members who are home-bound, teaching 2-3 yoga classes per week as a certified instructor, and working with a local doctor on his small business (not a clinical practice, more lifestyle-related). At this point, I feel I am fully loaded as there are only so many hours in a week, and I hope all my current activities maximize my application. On GPA, I built a spreadsheet and figured the numbers,