Not all programs will be helpful &, in fact, some can be downright cruel. Hell, I will never forget it, my rejection from UTSan Antanio was almost immediately followed up by a recruitment letter for the resp therapy school! Of course, since I had been a resp therapist probably as long or longer than most of their instructors & that was clearly emphasized within my med school application - I had a very strong indicator as to how much time they had invested reading my med school application. Still pisses me off to think about it!!!
Another rejection I rec’d was a lengthy, eloquent statement of my being essentially qualified to be an ameoba. Had I taken to heart what they had to say, I’d probably have jumped off of a bridge. Of course, I lived in Dallas at the time & anyone living in that part of the country knows that there are no natural features of sufficient height from which to jump & gain anything more than a skinned knee.
The CRUSHER for me came from the Univ of Ark! Hell, I was a freaking alumnus (Resp School) & figured I was a shoe-in & was told as much before, during & after…until I rec’d my rejection. Turns out, the reason behind my rejection there was a TYPO!!! The application portfolio transmitted by AMCAS stated I would not receive my BS until 12/99 instead of 5/99 and many schools either explicitly or implicitly require a BS before matriculation. It was 200% my fault because I choose not to proofread the document AMCAS sent me to proofread. I felt I had proofread it until I was nauseous prior to submitting the damned thing. They made an honest mistake in transcribing…but I did not take sufficient ownership by proofreading.
All in all, I applied to an absurd number of programs & complete 20 allopathic & 5 osteopathic schools. I interviewed at 1 allopathic (Univ of Ark) & 2 osteopathic (KCOM & the Kansas City DO school). I was accepted outright at KCOM, accepted off of the waitlist at Kansas City & rejected from Univ of Ark.
Definitely not a stellar performance!!! But, from the moment I submitted my application & started the wait-on-interviews process, I started buffing my application for round 2. I ‘knew’ as an older applicant that it was highly unlikely that I would get in the first time. Furthermore, by my own nature, I meticulously plan for success & always, ALWAYS have plans B & C in reserve in case of set backs.
As I described in depth in my reply to your PM - this app cycle ain’t over yet. Granted, it ain’t looking to spiffy this cycle…but do not give up trying. Consult with Mary Renard - she is the queen of getting in off the waitlist.
From what you have revealed, your Achilles heel is your MCAT. Many schools, if not most, have either explicit or implicit cut-offs for subsection scores. During my app days, I recall those ranging from 6 to 8. Your PS score hurt, but your VS score is killing you. The saving grace is, your nemesis does not appear to be hidden (bad LOR for example). You know where your efforts need to be focused - the MCAT. There are tons of advice on here & elsewhere on MCAT prep…invest some time to read it. And, consider either a Kaplan or TPR course. I took TPR & felt it was worth every penny spent at a time we did not have too many pennies laying around to spend.
Furthermore, your old grades are what they are & they cannot be changed - period. Therefore, stop fretting over them - IT IS PURELY A WASTE OF TIME & ENERGY! Your current grades are fine. So, my only concerns over your grades are, how are your pre-requisites? If they are older or not-so-strong, you either need to retake them or take upper-level versions to strengthen them. If they are strong or not too old, don’t worry over them. Focus on exceling in your grad work or post-bacc (what ever you are doing right now).
Lastly, but maybe most importantly, you deserve some time to wallow in your misery. Hell, splurge on a good bottle of (insert EtOH of choice - mine would be scotch). A little self-pity can be therapeutic as long as afterward, you draw a line in the sand and declare the war to be on again at 200% intensity.
Yes, rejection SUCKS! And, nothing against those on here here who were accepted at all 130+ med schools in the damned country, but watching their seemingly effortless success can make the hurt all that much worse. However, let me assure you, those folks on here who have had, do have & will have such astounding success did not have it given to them - they worked their asses off to earn it. And, they can only accept one seat in one school. While you may not get into 42 schools - or maybe you will - all you need is one stinking ‘YES’ letter & you are home free.
So, chest out, chin up & get to work soldier!