MD 37 MCAT, 3.63 cGPA, 3.51 sGPA, CA Resident

[Lost_Premed]

Hi SDN,

Was hoping to get some opinions on my school list (basically, can I get interviews at any of these places). I'm applying this cycle.

CA resident, Asian male at Top 20 university.
3.63 cGPA, 3.51 sGPA (Pretty worried about this section of my app...slight downward trend)
MCAT: 37 (PS: 13, V: 11, BS: 13)
Pretty confident my LORs will be good to very good.

Research

• 1 year (continuing) working on health policy research with some professors; no publications, but I'm acknowledged in reports they released that I contributed to.
• 1 year worked as a research assistant in a lab at a local research hospital.

Clinical Volunteering

• 1 year (~300 hours) working (continuing) at local hospital assisting patients (working in the role of a health coach/caseworker)
• Will be shadowing all this summer.

Non-clinical volunteering

• 3 years teaching (continuing) health workshops at local high schools (leadership positions)
• 6 months worked at a local nonprofit which provided assistance to HIV/AIDS patients; assisted in formulation of study to track client health outcomes.

Leadership

• 1 year taught a course focused on emerging trends in the nonprofit space, and how for-profit businesses can contribute to solving pressing social issues.
• 2 years been deeply involved with a club which assists nonprofits with issues they present us; worked with 2 health related nonprofits, and was vice president.

School List:

State schools (UCLA, UCSD, UCSF, UCD, UCI)
Cornell
Duke
Stanford
Columbia
Wash U
Case Western
Emory
Mt. Sinai
Penn
Harvard
Vanderbilt
Hopkins
Baylor
Northwestern
NYU
Georgetown
USC
Pitt
Chicago
BU
GWU
Tufts
UMich
UNC Chapel Hill
Yale

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[Lamel]

It'd probably help you if you replaced some of those top tiers with some mid tiers. For example, Hopkins and Harvard both have 10% GPAs at 3.7 per MSAR.

Your GPA is the weak link in your app, but it is still serviceable due to the excellent MCAT. Try to add some OOS privates that aren't so selective.

 

[Lost_Premed]

Thanks! Any idea on how I'd fare with CA schools?

 

[gyngyn]

Thanks! Any idea on how I'd fare with CA schools?

It will depend on how well you express yourself and the quality of your reflection.

 

[Lost_Premed]

It will depend on how well you express yourself and the quality of your reflection.

Thanks for the advice gyngyn; so my GPA/MCAT puts me in a spot where the quality of my personal statement will play a really large role in getting interviews, especially for CA schools?

 

[gyngyn]

Thanks for the advice gyngyn; so my GPA/MCAT puts me in a spot where the quality of my personal statement will play a really large role in getting interviews, especially for CA schools?

We are lucky to have a large number of applicants with numerical accomplishments such as yours. The interviews go to those who distinguish themselves in the rest of the application..

 

[Lost_Premed]

We are lucky to have a large number of applicants with numerical accomplishments such as yours. The interviews go to those who distinguish themselves in the rest of the application..

Ok, I was just worried that my sGPA is a bit low and may get me screened out? But I definitely hope that with a strong personal statement/LORs I'll be able to get at least a couple interviews for UCs!

 

[unnumzaan]

I had a similar app, and strongly recommend adding more mid-tiers and lower tiers. OSU, Einstein, Rochester, Hofstra, SUNY Downstae, SUNY Stony Brook, SLU, and Jefferson would be a good start. Your list now is basically CA schools, high volume schools, and reaches.

 

[Lost_Premed]

I had a similar app, and strongly recommend adding more mid-tiers and lower tiers. OSU, Einstein, Rochester, Hofstra, SUNY Downstae, SUNY Stony Brook, SLU, and Jefferson would be a good start. Your list now is basically CA schools, high volume schools, and reaches.

If you don't mind me asking, could you provide me with some info on how you fared in the app cycle, seeing as you think we're similar applicants? And yes, I've recently decided to add Einstein and Jefferson to my list-- I'll look into the others, thanks!

 

[unnumzaan]

If you don't mind me asking, could you provide me with some info on how you fared in the app cycle, seeing as you think we're similar applicants? And yes, I've recently decided to add Einstein and Jefferson to my list-- I'll look into the others, thanks!

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...mcat-orm-in-california.1080976/#post-16475332

Here's the link to my WAMC post from last year. I recently updated it with a cycle summary. My relevant take-away for you is that even if your numbers are kinda there for the tippy top tier schools, if you perceive your application to have any obvious weaknesses or "blandness", then don't expect success at those schools. They really have little reason to give a good application the time of day when there are numerous incredible applications they can interview instead.

Also don't count on CA schools - they are teh suck

 

[Lost_Premed]

Cool, thanks for the heads up! And I saw you were a CA resident-- doesn't that give us a slight boost for UCs?
I'm currently trying to figure out how to market myself as-- either someone with a background in community health, potentially interested in an MD/MPH, or someone with more of a focus in the nonprofit/social entrepreneurship space, potentially interested in an MD/MBA. I am interested in both, have experience in both areas, and I'm getting LORs from people I have worked with in both...If you (or @gyngyn ) have any tips on how to market myself that would be really helpful.

 

[gyngyn]

There is no marketing that is relevant for all the CA schools. Each of us has what we are looking for. There is some overlap. There are some big generalizations, though. If you don't have any interest in caring for people who don't speak English, apply OOS. If your research is not strong, probably not a good fit at Stanford. If you are not from the IE, omit UCR, if you are not devout, forget Loma Linda...

Btw, you can have all these things and still not get an interview in CA.

 

[unnumzaan]

Cool, thanks for the heads up! And I saw you were a CA resident-- doesn't that give us a slight boost for UCs?
I'm currently trying to figure out how to market myself as-- either someone with a background in community health, potentially interested in an MD/MPH, or someone with more of a focus in the nonprofit/social entrepreneurship space, potentially interested in an MD/MBA. I am interested in both, have experience in both areas, and I'm getting LORs from people I have worked with in both...If you (or @gyngyn ) have any tips on how to market myself that would be really helpful.

Be honest to yourself and your experiences when considering how to market your application. Pick an angle that is fully supported by what you've done in the past years, that you are passionate about, and that you can honestly see yourself pursuing in medical school and beyond. Try to understand what schools look for (academically strong, morally sound, emotionally mature, intellectually flexible, socially ept, etc.) and how you can demonstrate those qualities with the way you present yourself in your application.

Goodluck!

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

I had a similar profile to yours and struck out at top schools (check my MDapps). Thus I second the notion that you should replace some top tiers with mid tiers.

 

[Lost_Premed]

I had a similar profile to yours and struck out at top schools (check my MDapps). Thus I second the notion that you should replace some top tiers with mid tiers.

Cool, thanks. What parts of the application do you think you could've improved upon?

 

[GrapesofRath]

Look at the applicant from who's post you asked me to look at your page on; you are by and large very similar outside of him having a slightly higher GPA(and you having a slightly higher MCAT). If I told him he was being way too top heavy by applying to 10/17 schools which he realistically had little chance at what do you think my advice is going to be to you when you have a list that is 75% full of schools you have little chance at? Literally almost EVERY single one of these schools is a top ranked school or a school that receives an enormous number of applications(GW and Georgetown come to mind)? You can get into an MD School but if you apply with this list the odds are you are likely going to end up with the same results as the @anon172 where you'll get 1-2 interviews at most and there'll be a decent chance you have to reapply.

Apply to UC schools if you want(with focus on UC Davis and UC Irvine). I would avoid UCSF as you aren't competitive with a 3.6. Outside of that, you need to re-evaluate 75% of the schools on your list. Here's the move if I were you:

1) From the list I had on @anon172 profile of realistic choices with GPA medians around yours. Finances dictate how many you will apply to from this list but you should apply to at least 12 to solidify your odds. To give you an idea @anon172 had 7 of these type of schools on his list and got 2 interviews to give you an idea of what your odds might look like. This is @Goro's list.

Albany Medical College
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Drexel University College of Medicine
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medici
New York Medical College
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Quinnipiac University SOM
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Scien
Rush Medical College
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
State University of New York Downstate Medical Cen
Stony Brook University School of Medicine
SUNY at Buffalo Medical School
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Temple University School of Medicine
The Commonwealth Medical College
Tufts University School of Medicine
Tulane University School of Medicine
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine

In addition to this list, you can also add Hofstra, Jefferson, Penn State, Virginia Tech, WVU, Eastern Virginia, Creighton, Wake Forest, VCU and Medical College of Wisconsin, Vermont. There might be one or two of these schools that aren't good fits due to residency status or other issues on closer look, someone can comment on that if they so choose.

2) If you apply to all UC schools and about 13 schools or so on the list above that is 18. Here are some somewhat realistic reaches. Your GPA is low for these schools but people have gotten into these schools with GPAs on the lower end although that it's not some common thing. If your target is 25 total applications like you listed above then choose the majority of your remaining one's from the list below.

Schools from your list:
Case Western
Mt. Sinai
Emory
USC
Georgetown
BU
GWU
Saint Louis

A couple others to consider are Miami, Cincinnati and Rochester.

3) Anything else not listed on here is definitely a reach. If you do want to apply to a couple I'd look at places like Michigan, Cornell, Maryland, NOT places like Yale, WASHU, Harvard, Penn and Hopkins like you had on your list. I'd also restrict myself to 3-4 of these out of my 25 schools if I were you unless you have no problem applying to over 25 schools and moneys not an issue.

Like I said people with 37 MCATs and 3.6 GPAs should get into med school more times than not if they are smart about where they apply. Be smart and even with the things working against you like your slight GPA downward trend, race and california status I'd say you're probably fine.

 

[Lost_Premed]

Thanks so much @GrapesofRath . I definitely will add some of the ones you listed to my list, and remove a couple of the top tiers that I included.

For UC schools, shouldn't my CA residency status help me out a bit? Also, I know that going to an institution with grade deflation is probably not going to be considered by adcoms, but I do go to UC Berkeley, which is known to have a lower average GPA than the vast majority of schools...I'm not sure how much that means to medical schools, but if you do have any perspective on that I'd love to hear what you think.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Thanks so much @GrapesofRath . I definitely will add some of the ones you listed to my list, and remove a couple of the top tiers that I included.

For UC schools, shouldn't my CA residency status help me out a bit? Also, I know that going to an institution with grade deflation is probably not going to be considered by adcoms, but I do go to UC Berkeley, which is known to have a lower average GPA than the vast majority of schools...I'm not sure how much that means to medical schools, but if you do have any perspective on that I'd love to hear what you think.

California residency simply means its possible to get into a CA school without being an absolute exceptional best of the best type applicant. Look at the type of kids who get into UC's out of state and you'll see what I mean. The competition is still brutal amongst Californians. Your stats are within relative range for UC Irvine and UC Davis like I said those are reasonable applications. If you wanted to apply to anywhere outside of UCSF I wouldn't blame you either.

It is possible there is some kind of adjustment that happens for Berekley; you'll certainly see from Ivies get in with stats that those from state schools never would. Like you said though it isn't something to count on but this is something much much better directed at asking your advisors and those who go to Berkeley. You're best gauge of that is to try and see their input based on how recent Berkeley graduates who apply to med school fare with certain GPA ranges and if that data is specifically there if you can see it. If they say from their experience those with 3.6/37's from your school have success at top 25 schools then take their advice not mine.

To give you an example Maryland does something like this: http://www.umbc.edu/premed/pdfs/UMBCPreMedMedicalAcceptedApplicants.pdf

 

[Lost_Premed]

Got it. There are some statistics provided by the university, bu they are based on a pretty small sample size (since not all applicants choose to release their information to the premed advising office), so I'm not sure how accurate they are. Thanks again for all the advice. @gyngyn , do you have any opinion from your experiences with students who attended Cal, and how that influences how their GPA is looked at?

 

[unnumzaan]

I can tell you it doesn't count for that much. Maybe add two cents to your GPA. Keep in mind that UCLA, UCSD, and I think UCSF don't have any official bias towards in state applicants.

Edit: Aite check it out. You really look like me from a year ago so I will just give you my list if I were to apply now. It would look like this:


Einstein
BU
Case
UCLA
Emory
Dartmouth
Georgetown
Hofstra
Keck
Loyola
MCW
Northwestern
SLU
Sidney Kimmel Jefferson
SUNY Downstate
SUNY Stony Brook
tOSU
Miami
UVM
Tufts
UCSD
UCSF
UCD
UCI
Cincinnati
Iowa
Pitt
Rochester

Add 3-4 more "safeties"
VCU, EVMS, Rosalind Franklin, Rush, Temple, Drexel, Wake, Tulane, GW

Add a couple of reaches from the top 20 if you want. Pay attention to the 10th percentile for GPA. If you come close, don't bother.

 

[Lost_Premed]

This looks great, thanks! For the top 20 schools, Duke, Mt. Sinai, Northwestern, and a couple others all have 10th percentile GPA in the upper 3.5 lower 3.6 range, so I'll try and keep some of those in. I think you took a year or two off right? I'm applying without a gap year (I just finished junior year), so hopefully that doesn't put me at too big a disadvantage.

 

[gyngyn]

The only CA schools with a preference for CA applicants are UCD and UCR.
Cal produced 769 applicants to medical school last year. A large percentage had very good gpa's. That's almost enough to fill every seat in CA MD schools that go to IS applicants!
More modest gpa's can still be successful but there are just so many really good candidates from Cal that they still need to consider OOS options.

 

[Lost_Premed]

The only CA schools with a preference for CA applicants are UCD and UCR.
Cal produced 769 applicants to medical school last year. A large percentage had very good gpa's. That's almost enough to fill every seat in CA MD schools that go to IS applicants!
More modest gpa's can still be successful but there are just so many really good candidates from Cal that they still need to consider OOS options.

Damn. And of the 769, more than half were Asian (414). Hopefully my ECs, LORs, and PS can boost my chances of getting some in-state interviews.

 

[Goro]

Nothing wrong with aiming high. I suggest

State schools (UCLA, UCSD, UCSF, UCD, UCI)
Cornell
Duke
Columbia
Case Western
Emory
Mt. Sinai
Vanderbilt
Hopkins
Northwestern
NYU
USC
Pitt
BU
Tufts
U Mich
Einstein
U VA
U AZ
U CO
U NV (maybe)
U VM
U Cincy
Oh State (maybe)
SUNY SB
U Miami
Tulane
Loyola

 

[GrapesofRath]

Nothing wrong with aiming high. I suggest

State schools (UCLA, UCSD, UCSF, UCD, UCI)
Cornell
Duke
Columbia
Case Western
Emory
Mt. Sinai
Vanderbilt
Hopkins
Northwestern
NYU
USC
Pitt
BU
Tufts
U Mich
Einstein
U VA
U AZ
U CO
U NV (maybe)
U VM
U Cincy
Oh State (maybe)
SUNY SB
U Miami
Tulane
Loyola

Looking back at my list I was probably being a bit too pessimistic. A 3.6/37 Berkeley graduate is probably in better shape than I initially made it seem at first glance. Your first list is still probably too top heavy but schools in the range of "Case Western Emory Mt. Sinai USC BU Miami Ohio State" are potentially obtainable. Emphasis on potentially and on getting into one not like 4 of those, but go for it; it's not an unrealistic hope to get into one of those schools. I would still include a fair number of schools with GPA averages closer to your range( I hate using the word safety when we are talking about such low admission rates), perhaps even a higher proportion than what @Goro's list included, and there are plenty of cases like @anon172 where 3.6/35's CA residents have problems that should serve as some form of caution but I think you'll have your choice of multiple acceptances if you play your hands right in hindsight.

 

[Lost_Premed]

@Goro Thanks! Do out of state, state schools (U VA, U CO, etc.) not prefer in-state applicants?
@GrapesofRath Got it, thanks for the optimism haha. I will make sure to include more of those mid-tiers.

Thanks to everyone for the help!

 

[unnumzaan]

A lot of OOS public schools take a certain percentage of OOS. Some are known to be friendly to certain states, such as the SUNYs to Californians, or a Midwest school to its neighboring states. Make sure to double check the OOS tuition - for example Colorado is prohibitively expensive for most OOS applicants. They also don't have that many OOS spots, which was why I didn't apply there. Good skiing though.

 

[GrapesofRath]

For those asking about which states have in state vs out of state preferences

https://www.aamc.org/download/321442/data/factstable1.pdf

Bonus points on the MCAT to anyone who can spot a trend with UC Riverside and UC Davis

 

[Lost_Premed]

Hopefully you don't need to be a stats major to notice something off about them...

Recently thought of another question that @gyngyn and @unnumzaan may have some perspective on: as a junior, and knowing that this semester (Spring 2015) grades will not really be changing my GPA, should I forego waiting for my spring grades to be released (June 4th, for official transcripts to be sent by the registrar), and instead just send in my transcript now (without my Spring 2015 grades) so I can make sure I get verified in time? Otherwise, I'll have to send my transcripts in on June 4th, with 2 day shipping, and then be put in the verification queue, which I'm sure by then has quite a few people on it. Any thoughts?

 

[Goro]

They do, and that's why I didn't include the top state schools like U VA or U MI. The ones I gave you are in striking distance, and your MCAT is nothing to sneeze at.

@Goro Thanks! Do out of state, state schools (U VA, U CO, etc.) not prefer in-state applicants?
@GrapesofRath Got it, thanks for the optimism haha. I will make sure to include more of those mid-tiers.

Thanks to everyone for the help!

 

[unnumzaan]

Hopefully you don't need to be a stats major to notice something off about them...

Recently thought of another question that @gyngyn and @unnumzaan may have some perspective on: as a junior, and knowing that this semester (Spring 2015) grades will not really be changing my GPA, should I forego waiting for my spring grades to be released (June 4th, for official transcripts to be sent by the registrar), and instead just send in my transcript now (without my Spring 2015 grades) so I can make sure I get verified in time? Otherwise, I'll have to send my transcripts in on June 4th, with 2 day shipping, and then be put in the verification queue, which I'm sure by then has quite a few people on it. Any thoughts?

Not an expert, but I searched "spring transcript" in the main forum and found some answers. It seems like you would have to update AMCAS or each school individually with spring grades. If you are worried about timing and are not expecting a jump up in GPA, then just submit on 6/1 and then get Cal to send out the transcript ASAP. AMCAS should update your file with the new transcript before everything gets sent out to schools in late June, but your GPA will not be recalculated. I don't think you should put the spring courses on your courses section of the application. I would call AMCAS to make sure this is viable, or maybe gyngyn can tell you more concretely.

Keep in mind that as a junior, you are applying with 2.5 years worth of courses if you choose not to wait. Might put you at a disadvantage vs. someone who has a full showing of upper divs. Some people would advise you to wait in this case. For your consideration, everyone who submitted the primary before ~June 17th last year were all verified before the distribution date, so it made no difference if you dilly daddled for two weeks.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Hopefully you don't need to be a stats major to notice something off about them...

Recently thought of another question that @gyngyn and @unnumzaan may have some perspective on: as a junior, and knowing that this semester (Spring 2015) grades will not really be changing my GPA, should I forego waiting for my spring grades to be released (June 4th, for official transcripts to be sent by the registrar), and instead just send in my transcript now (without my Spring 2015 grades) so I can make sure I get verified in time? Otherwise, I'll have to send my transcripts in on June 4th, with 2 day shipping, and then be put in the verification queue, which I'm sure by then has quite a few people on it. Any thoughts?

Just update them and send your transcript as soon as its available. Your not the only person who'll be in this position, it's not a big deal just apply as soon as you can and hand in your transcript when possible. As long as you note those grades are pending and the transcript comes at a reasonable time(hint closer to June 20th than August 20th) you'll be fine.

 

[Lost_Premed]

@Catalystik , @mimelim , it would be really helpful if I could also get your opinions on my app!

 

[Lost_Premed]

Looking back at my list I was probably being a bit too pessimistic. A 3.6/37 Berkeley graduate is probably in better shape than I initially made it seem at first glance. Your first list is still probably too top heavy but schools in the range of "Case Western Emory Mt. Sinai USC BU Miami Ohio State" are potentially obtainable. Emphasis on potentially and on getting into one not like 4 of those, but go for it; it's not an unrealistic hope to get into one of those schools. I would still include a fair number of schools with GPA averages closer to your range( I hate using the word safety when we are talking about such low admission rates), perhaps even a higher proportion than what @Goro's list included, and there are plenty of cases like @anon172 where 3.6/35's CA residents have problems that should serve as some form of caution but I think you'll have your choice of multiple acceptances if you play your hands right in hindsight.

Unsure if this really matters that much, might just be a psychological thing, but my spring grades have been released and my GPA slightly dropped. My cGPA is now 3.62, and my sGPA is now 3.49. That sGPA just looks terrible now...I'm probably just being pessimistic but...do any schools have 3.5 sGPA cutoffs or something similar? @Goro @GrapesofRath @unnumzaan

 

[GrapesofRath]

No official cut offs as far as I know

Negative trends are always bad things. @Goro talks about this all the time. If your someone who's gpa isn't great not having a great last semester is a bad thing.

Now you do go to a very good school(either ucla or berekeley) and this isn't some major downward trend so I wouldn't change my plans much from this one semester but it's not ideal. All in all though with the 37 MCAT and all else you have I think you'll still be fine with that said

 

[Goro]

You'll have a lot of explaining to do at interviews.

Unsure if this really matters that much, might just be a psychological thing, but my spring grades have been released and my GPA slightly dropped. My cGPA is now 3.62, and my sGPA is now 3.49. That sGPA just looks terrible now...I'm probably just being pessimistic but...do any schools have 3.5 sGPA cutoffs or something similar? @Goro @GrapesofRath @unnumzaan

 

[Lost_Premed]

You'll have a lot of explaining to do at interviews.

I hope that was semi-sarcastic...

 

[GrapesofRath]

I hope that was semi-sarcastic...

.................

I don't think it was unfortunately.

 

[Goro]

Sadly, no.

I hope that was semi-sarcastic...

 

[GrapesofRath]

Good news is if you have to explain at an interview you have made it to the interview stage of the process

 

[Lost_Premed]

Good news is if you have to explain at an interview you have made it to the interview stage of the process

Hopefully stellar recs can make the adcom more confident with my app...but yes, I agree, I will have to answer for why my performance this past year has been subpar. To be honest I don't even have a great reason, other than I got more deeply involved in my extracurrics and failed to put as much time to academics...my fault. Not sure if that's really a valid reason though.

Is it probable that I'll still be able to get interviews even? @Goro @GrapesofRath

 

[GrapesofRath]

There's no point worrying about it now, will it be an issue? Yes. How major? I don't know and honestly it'll vary significantly from school to school. You are a 3.6/37 applicant from a top 20 school. You have alot of positives sometimes you just have to forget about your worries and paranoia and just let the applications fly regardless of whatever issues their might be in them. You should still end up fine---just be ready for anything.

 

[northernlights15]

There's no point worrying about it now, will it be an issue? Yes. How major? I don't know and honestly it'll vary significantly from school to school. You are a 3.6/37 applicant from a top 20 school. You have alot of positives sometimes you just have to forget about your worries and paranoia and just let the applications fly regardless of whatever issues their might be in them. You should still end up fine---just be ready for anything.

I agree. Your GPAs are still competitive. How schools will view it will inevitably vary from school to school. But I wouldn't stress it since it's largely one grade that brought it down.

 

[Lost_Premed]

I agree. Your GPAs are still competitive. How schools will view it will inevitably vary from school to school. But I wouldn't stress it since it's largely one grade that brought it down.

Thanks for the input and words of encouragement everyone @GrapesofRath @northernlights15

 

[unnumzaan]

Wait, your cGPA dropped by 0.01 and your sGPA dropped by 0.02? That's like a couple of Bs and a A-. You don't have any explaining to do at your interviews.

 

[Lost_Premed]

I guess...to clarify on this...my running sGPAs at the end of freshman, sophomore, and junior years respectively are 3.74, 3.63, and 3.49. My running cGPAs for freshman, sophomore, and junior year are 3.75, 3.67, and 3.62. A pretty clear downward trend. sigh

But I submitted yesterday, so **** it. Here's my final list:

1) Albert Einstein College of Medicine
2) Baylor
3) Boston University
4) Brown
5) Case Western Reserve
6) Columbia
7) Drexel
8) Duke
9) Emory
10)Dartmouth
11)George Washington University
12)Georgetown
13)Mt. Sinai
14)USC
15)NYU
16)Northwestern
17)Oregon Health and Science
18)UPenn
19)Rush Medical College
20) Sidney Kimmel Medical College (Jefferson)
21)Stanford
22)SUNY Downstate
23)SUNY Stonybrook
24)Temple
25)Tufts
26)UC Davis
27)UC Irvine
28)UCLA
29)UCSD
30)UCSF
31)University of Colorado
32)University of Michigan
33)University of Pittsburgh
34)University of Washington
35)Vanderbilt
36)Weil Cornell
37)Yale

Probably should have added a couple more low/mid-tiers, but my hubris got the best of me. Hopefully I get a secondary from a UC school.
@Goro @unnumzaan @GrapesofRath please rip it apart.

 

[Goro]

Of this list, I suggest:


1) Albert Einstein College of Medicine
3) Boston University
5) Case Western Reserve
7) Drexel
8) Duke
9) Emory
11)George Washington University
12)Georgetown
14)USC
16)Northwestern
19)Rush Medical College
20) Sidney Kimmel Medical College (Jefferson)
22)SUNY Downstate
23)SUNY Stonybrook
24)Temple
25)Tufts
26)UC Davis
27)UC Irvine
28)UCLA
29)UCSD
Hofstra
U Miami

 

[GrapesofRath]

Concur largely with the list above. I think the most helpful thing to do here is tell you schools I would really advise against applying to.
Brown: waste of an application given how much they favor their own
Columbia: Just not realistic most likely
Dartmouth: 85% non trads a waste of an application fee
Penn: 3.6 just isn't going to work here.
Stanford: One of 6 billion California applicants who will be applying here and one who isn't that competitive at that. Skip it.
Washington: If you don't qualify as in state don't bother. Period.
Yale: Again, the 3.6 just won't work here.
Oregon: If your not in state this isn't a smart use of an application.

Couple more I would possibly consider: VCU, Loyola, Eastern Virginia, U. of Arizona(either), Rochester

 

[Banco]

37 schools, yeesh.

But If you wanted to apply top heavy it was going to end up like that. Good luck!

 

[unnumzaan]

Start pre-writing some secondaries. You don't have to do all of them, but it will help you a lot to have at least a few of the commonly asked ones taken care of.

I agree with the deletions suggested by Grapes. The only one I would consider keeping is Columbia.

Edit: Oh I see you already submitted. It's up to you whether or not those secondaries are worth it. Personally, having tasted the reality of applying top heavy, I wouldn't bother. Adding schools like Hofstra, Miami, SLU would be the safe move. I count 12-13 schools with realistic chances of an interview. That's gyngyn's typical recommendation for Californians, so you should be fine.