3.8 gpa, 37 mcat

[jakernewt]

I am trying to get a feel for what schools would be reasonable for me to apply to. My stats are as follows:

General Studies Major (Biology focus, Spanish secondary)
3.83 cGPA, 3.6ish sGPA
(graduated Magna Cum Laude)

37 MCAT. (13/11/13)

Some of my EC's:
- Completed a trip with Global Medical Training to Nicaragua for 2 weeks
- I was the first to opt to stay behind solo after the trip and live with a host family for an additional 2 weeks while observing in a poor hospital there (This year they are extending the opportunity to many others based upon how well my experience was)
- Worked for one month at Hacienda of Hope in Ecuador (teaching English and being a live-in mentor to orphans here)
- Interned for one summer (3 months) with Mission Lazarus as well as an extra 3 weeks last summer (here I interpreted for medical brigades, worked in some of their clinics in impoverished areas, and managed groups of Americans who came down as they did construction work)
- Will be returning to Ecuador this summer to be a Spanish interpreter for a medical brigade going to the rain forest (2 weeks)
- Also completed a semester abroad in Chile
- Will be doing Cancer research this summer with a professor
- Participated in a Spring Break mission trip freshman year, then Junior year I organized and lead a group to Vancouver, Canada where we did a lot of service especially with homeless populations
- Was service project director for our freshmen orientation weekend (had to find service projects for around 1000 incoming freshmen)
- Several other service oriented leadership positions
- Held a position in the student government for one year
- Member of a mens social club and honorary member in a girls social club (they pick a few guys each year)
- Member of several GPA based honor societies
- Member of Mu Epsilon Delta (the premed club)

- ~ 30 hours shadowing (can increase this to around 50 by app time maybe)
- Shadowed in: Interventional Cardiologist, Family Care, Ophthalmology, Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine so far

- Will have around 40-50 hours working in a free clinic interpreting Spanish for them
- I should have pretty strong LoRs from professors, as well as some of the leaders of the organizations previously mentioned.

I previously applied to PA schools and actually got accepted at the three I interviewed at, and also rejected interviews from about 5 other schools. Once I got accepted I realized that I was just never going to be completely content with the scope of practice and wanted to go all the way. So all of the shadowing and clinical work has been done since around February. Not sure if this will affect my app in any way.

Obviously my numbers are fairly good (supposed MCAT comes out okay) and I am definitely playing the serving the underprivileged and Spanish-speaking card with a lot of my EC's. My worry is just that I will only have one summer of research (my undergrad institution did almost no research so I have had to find something seperate). I hope to find a research job in the time between applying and matriculating, and hopefully tutoring for MCAT.

Not sure if I left out any very important information, but this is the gist of it. What are my chances of getting into a school, and what sorts of schools do you think I have a shot at?

Thanks a lot in advance for any help!

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[red doctober]

Just to get this straight, did you take the MCAT and scored at 37 or is that what you are expecting?

Your ECs are very oriented at global health. One question you may get from potential interviewers is why you spent so much time abroad when we have health disparities right here in the States? Look into schools that like global health such as Baylor, Georgetown, Hopkins.

 

[October88]

Just to get this straight, did you take the MCAT and scored at 37 or is that what you are expecting?

Your ECs are very oriented at global health. One question you may get from potential interviewers is why you spent so much time abroad when we have health disparities right here in the States? Look into schools that like global health such as Baylor, Georgetown, Hopkins.

Yea I'm totally confused too with the MCAT. They make it seem like they for sure already took it giving specific scores for each subtest, but that line towards the bottom makes me question that. You really can't just expect to get a 37 on the MCAT.

I would agree to look at schools with a global health focus or leadership focus because you also have great leadership experiences. Based on my experience interviewing, schools won't ask negative questions such as the last person mmentioned above. If those are your real numbers you would be competitive for top schools, however you are right that your lack of research would hold you back from those more research focused.

Good luck!

 

[jakernewt]

Sorry about the confusion on the MCAT. I take the MCAT in about a week. I just put 37 there are as a rough estimate of what I think I can make on the real deal.

My practice AAMC tests are as follows:
AAMC 3 - 36
AAMC 4 - 37
AAMC 5 - 34
AAMC 7 - 35
AAMC 8 - 38
AAMC 11 - taking today

I have scored consistently around 11-12 in verbal and the other two sections are usually in the 12-14 range. So I just decided to give a rough estimate.

 

[Alejandro]

It would be nicer to see you have done some clinical volunteering in the states, but i think it's too late to start going down that path so soon with apps coming around the horn. I would really increase your shadowing hours. The likelihood of being asked about the global health vs american health is probably unlikely as October88 said, but I think it's just good due diligence to have some adequate exposure to American medicine, seeing that it actually is pretty unique with respect to the rest of the world (both developing and developed). Make sure your reflections to your ECs are meaningful and demonstrate good introspection, and of course don't be a pretentious jerk at your interviews. Good luck.

 

[jakernewt]

Thanks for the input, thats definitely one area I am lacking in. I am going to try to squeeze in a lot lot of shadowing hours in the next three weeks. I should mention that the volunteer job I have interpreting Spanish could also be considered as shadowing being that I am interpreting for physicians.

I also forgot to mention previously:
- Not a URM
- Pennsylvania resident