MD 516MCAT 3.91GPA

[janeteyre]

Hello everyone,

I would like some opinions on my school list (below). I have been lurking on this forum for several years now, and I am truly grateful for the advice and foresight SDN has provided me. I now plan to apply in June of 2016, and I would like some advice on narrowing and/or expanding my school list.

1. APPLICANT INFORMATION

• cGPA: 3.91 sGPA: 3.95
• MCAT: 516 (95th%) CP: 130 CARS: 129 PS: 129 BBC: 128
• State: NJ
• Degree: B.S. Biochemistry
• Year: 3rd (junior)
• Hook? ORM (East Asian)
• Shadowing: 54hrs Total. 20hrs Cardiology; 10hrs Oncology; 10hrs OBGYN; 10hrs Family Med.
• Clinical Exp.: Volunteer EMT-B for local rescue squad at 12hr/week for 2 years.
• Leadership: Design editor for undergraduate bioethics journal (2 issues).
• Research: 1 summer in protein chemistry lab (presented work at Undergrad Res Competition; won award); 1 year in microbiology lab (1 student poster); 1 year in mammalian cell culture for biotechnology firm. Ongoing work in protein chemistry lab (unlikely to publish before June 1st; may obtain additional poster).
• Nonclinical Vol.: 1 semester as tutor for underserved high school students in high school physics, chemistry, biology and SAT Math.
• Paid Tutoring: 1 semester as tutor for college students in biochemistry, chemistry.

2. SCHOOL LIST

• Cooper MS at Rowan Univ (NJ)
• NJMS (NJ)
• Robert Wood Johnson MS (NJ)
• Einstein
• Quinnipiac
• UConn
• Drexel
• Temple
• Penn State
• Thomas Jefferson
• Vir Commonwealth Univ
• Vir Tech
• Wake Forest
• Univ Colorado
• Boston Univ
• Rochester
• Emory
• Dartmouth
• George Washington
• Indiana Univ
• Loyola
• Mayo
• UCSF
• Alpert (Brown)
• U Chicago
• Georgetown SOM
• Harvard
• John Hopkins
• Columbia
• Mt. Sinai

What do you guys think? I tried to look for schools between 31-34 MCAT medians. Too top heavy?

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[GrapesofRath]

If you can interview decently you'll do fine with this school list

 

[Goro]

I don't your EMT-B experience will suffice for clinical exposure (many Adcom members consider this to be a glorified taxi driver, and you need more non-clinical experience to show off your altruism. Honestly, my students would eat you alive.

Get in the right ECs and you're golden, then aim high.

 

[janeteyre]

I don't your EMT-B experience will suffice for clinical exposure (many Adcom members consider this to be a glorified taxi driver, and you need more non-clinical experience to show off your altruism. Honestly, my students would eat you alive.

Get in the right ECs and you're golden, then aim high.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm was hoping you could clarify some of your comments. I'm a little late in the game for additional ECs...but I always thought that 2 years of working with patients in a clinical setting would suffice for clinical exposure. What else could I do beyond shadowing? I volunteered as a patient transporter in H.S., but that had even less clinical exposure than the work I did as an EMT-B.

What kind of ECs do you think I need to have to be competitive? You mentioned that your "students would eat [me] alive". I'm honestly not sure what I could have reasonably done in 3 years to be a better applicant.

 

[Lost in Translation]

I'm honestly not sure what I could have reasonably done in 3 years to be a better applicant.

You mentioned volunteering as a patient transporter. You can also look into volunteering as a nurse aide or something that lets you interact with patients for more than just a few minutes.

 

[janeteyre]

You mentioned volunteering as a patient transporter. You can also look into volunteering as a nurse aide or something that lets you interact with patients for more than just a few minutes.

My major concern is that there are EC holes in my application. I have approximately 1,400hrs working as an EMTB and around 200hrs working as a volunteer tutor. Is CNA work superior to working as an EMT?

 

[Lost in Translation]

The goal is to demonstrate that you understand the role of a physician. Being an EMT-B and being a CNA/PCT/PCA are very different jobs, dealing with different aspects of healthcare. However, the latter puts you in a position where you can see how the aspect you want to be operates.

 

[Goro]

What I'm looking for is showing that you really want to be around sick and injured people (and their families) for the next 40 years, and that you know what you're getting yourself into. The EMT service doesn't quite do that for me...loading people into the back of a van isn't the same as bringing them a drink of water or reading to them, but other Adcom members may differ.

My students tend to be harsh in their evaluations of people who they feel don't have enough clinical exposure..

The HS volunteering might work, but my own viewpoint is that what happened in high school stays in HS.

There's always clinics, Planned parenthood, hospice, nursing homes, as well as hospitals.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm was hoping you could clarify some of your comments. I'm a little late in the game for additional ECs...but I always thought that 2 years of working with patients in a clinical setting would suffice for clinical exposure. What else could I do beyond shadowing? I volunteered as a patient transporter in H.S., but that had even less clinical exposure than the work I did as an EMT-B.

What kind of ECs do you think I need to have to be competitive? You mentioned that your "students would eat [me] alive". I'm honestly not sure what I could have reasonably done in 3 years to be a better applicant.

 

[janeteyre]

What I'm looking for is showing that you really want to be around sick and injured people (and their families) for the next 40 years, and that you know what you're getting yourself into. The EMT service doesn't quite do that for me...loading people into the back of a van isn't the same as bringing them a drink of water or reading to them, but other Adcom members may differ.

My students tend to be harsh in their evaluations of people who they feel don't have enough clinical exposure..

The HS volunteering might work, but my own viewpoint is that what happened in high school stays in HS.

There's always clinics, Planned parenthood, hospice, nursing homes, as well as hospitals.

Thanks for the feedback and the follow up. I'll keep this in mind with the time I have remaining.

 

[janeteyre]

If you can interview decently you'll do fine with this school list

Thanks for the feedback!