3.59 GPA, 33 MCAT - Help with School List

[arabella_fig]

I've been reading posts here for months and I finally couldn't wait any longer (and also really need advice about expanding my app list…). A little background…

Major: Biomedical Engineering (second major picked up: BS in Philosophy)
GPA: 3.58
MCAT: 33 (11P/12V/10B)
NC Resident
-Recipient of full merit scholarship (flagship scholarship program at university - pretty well recognized state-wide)

ECs:
- NSF-REU in engineering
-Cardiovascular intern at Brody School of Medicine (this summer - should yield a recommendation by mid-May)
-Heavily involved in student government and some other volunteer-based programs on campus
-Received a research scholarship within department (see below)
-Hold several paid positions on campus for research and outreach programs for girls in engineering

I would imagine that my lack of clinical experience is the most detrimental to my application (as well as GPA..?) - I should pick up plenty of clinical experience this summer as an intern at Brody, however, and I hope for it to yield a recommendation from a surgeon that oversees my internship.

The research that I've been working on for the past year has been with a transverse myelitis patient. I'm unsure if this qualifies as clinical experience, but I can say it's been pretty incredible - I've been working (twice weekly, 3-4 hours/session) on gait training with her, using a combination of engineering/technology and the input and help of her physical therapist to develop walking and exercise regimens.

My current school list (help needed):

Brody School of Medicine
UNC Chapel Hill (is this too much of a reach, even in state?)
Wake Forest
Emory
Campbell DO

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[HCHopeful]

The GPA will be a hindrance. Having that lack of clinical experience will definitely hold you back a bit as well, especially if you plan on applying before you actually do the internship.

The only way the research you've been doing is clinical experience is if you've been around patients. It seems as if you HAVE BEEN, so it should be okay.

Maybe it's just because you lumped all of the volunteering experiences in one line, but overall your application looks a little "bleh." Could you detail out your EC's a bit more? Anything that makes you stand out? How much volunteering do you actually have?

You've definitely got the research covered. As far as the scholarship goes, I don't know how much weight it carries, but I am interested myself as I am in a similar situation. The schools you should apply to are all hidden in the MSAR! Your LizzyM score is ~68-69, so look at schools with similar scores when deciding where to apply.

 

[arabella_fig]

I'll be applying mid-way through my internship, so hopefully I'll have some experience under my belt by then! I had plenty of hours volunteering in a hospital in high school, but I didn't continue through college because I found more interesting research to do

I recognize that I sort of lumped everything in together (I know it's a lot easier to skim that way!). I would say my most extensive involvement on campus is probably in engineering outreach - I work two jobs at the university (the first being the research with the TM patient), and this one lets me do STEM outreach in local middle and high schools with students from underprivileged backgrounds.

I began my UG career interested in medical technology in the developing world, which stemmed from a couple of months working in a rural clinic in Guatemala in high school. This extended into a trip to Uganda in my sophomore year with one of my professors (and close mentor, one of the founding members of The AIDS Support Organization). He encouraged my interest examining physical handicaps (a very observable issue in Uganda, which lacks the infrastructure to supply the same devices and solutions seen in more developed countries). This prompted my work in a gait study lab, which includes a lot of prosthetic work, including work with stroke/paralysis patients (hence the research I mentioned before). I would like to think that this (semi-rambling) story is part of what makes me stand out, as I had to end up halfway around the world to figure out what I was passionate about.

As far as volunteer work - I've put ~80 hours into a local women's shelter (on and off, unsure if I would want to include this), 100+ hours volunteering in a research lab, served on the committees for two university events (a charity race and volunteer day), and put in 500+ hours into student gov (not exactly volunteer work, though).


Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[gyngyn]

To second @HCHopeful's post, it's time to get the MSAR and add at least 10 schools where you have a fair to good chance at an interview.
Right now you have 3.

 

[arabella_fig]

I'll make the investment, thanks!

 

[HCHopeful]

I'll be applying mid-way through my internship, so hopefully I'll have some experience under my belt by then! I had plenty of hours volunteering in a hospital in high school, but I didn't continue through college because I found more interesting research to do

I recognize that I sort of lumped everything in together (I know it's a lot easier to skim that way!). I would say my most extensive involvement on campus is probably in engineering outreach - I work two jobs at the university (the first being the research with the TM patient), and this one lets me do STEM outreach in local middle and high schools with students from underprivileged backgrounds.

I began my UG career interested in medical technology in the developing world, which stemmed from a couple of months working in a rural clinic in Guatemala in high school. This extended into a trip to Uganda in my sophomore year with one of my professors (and close mentor, one of the founding members of The AIDS Support Organization). He encouraged my interest examining physical handicaps (a very observable issue in Uganda, which lacks the infrastructure to supply the same devices and solutions seen in more developed countries). This prompted my work in a gait study lab, which includes a lot of prosthetic work, including work with stroke/paralysis patients (hence the research I mentioned before). I would like to think that this (semi-rambling) story is part of what makes me stand out, as I had to end up halfway around the world to figure out what I was passionate about.

As far as volunteer work - I've put ~80 hours into a local women's shelter (on and off, unsure if I would want to include this), 100+ hours volunteering in a research lab, served on the committees for two university events (a charity race and volunteer day), and put in 500+ hours into student gov (not exactly volunteer work, though).


Thoughts? Thanks!

Well that certainly looks better! Those volunteering numbers should be more than adequate for the non-clinical side. All you can do about the clinical volunteering at this point is do the most you can, but more importantly get as much as you can out of it! This is what adcoms are looking for; you need to be able to express in ways other than words (ahem, EC's) that you know you wish to be a doctor and have been exploring it. If you're able to adequately express this in other areas of your application, then some will look over the slight lack of clinical volunteering. That's what I've been told anyway.

Also, I don't know if I'd delay the application timeline just because of clinical volunteering hours. I am applying this cycle as well and will have only 30 hours with the Red Cross and probably around 50+ at a retirement home, but I'm not going to delay at all. I think that extra month and a half would be more beneficial than a few hundred hours, but I definitely could be wrong. I'd look for some other opinions in that area.

And also, I just remembered your research had some patient experience built in. I think that will make up for the lack of clinical volunteering especially since you have a decent amount of non-clinical volunteering.

Just focus on finding the right schools for now. You'll be okay!

 

[arabella_fig]

Thanks so much! The internship starts early May and I'm aiming to have everything in by the end of May (it's my understanding, as well, that time is of the essence and an earlier application is always better), which might give a little time for a recommendation/time to include hours. I figure I'll get it ready and see how it unfolds in the first week or so I hope to be able to capitalize on the clinical work I've been doing in the lab - it's (IMO) a really cool intersection of engineering and medicine. Good luck!