MD cGPA 3.82/ sGPA 3.76/ 39 MCAT Chances, School list, Gap Year Questions

[TheRealSugadaddy]

My first post here, going to be graduating this year and applying this coming cycle (in the summer).
Not too sure about how my application is

Here it goes:

cGPA: 3.82

sGPA: 3.76

MCAT: 39 (13 PS, 11 VR, 15 BS)

Clinical volunteer:
none (planning to volunteer at my local hospital this coming semester, and during my gap year) (suggestions very welcome!)

Physician shadowing:
20 hours urooncologist, 100+ hours primary care (I am primarily interested in primary care)

Research:
Will have been researching for 3 full years in the same lab upon graduation (1000+ hours)
I did full time (40 hour weeks for 8 weeks each summer) for 3 summers, and do about 8 hours a week during the school year
Have a paper published as the 4th author in the Journal of Neurochemistry
Have a pending abstract and possible second paper may be published by the time I graduate
Have been a research fellowship recipient for 6 semesters and 2 summers

Nonclinical volunteer:
Part of Alpha Phi Omega (national community service fraternity): various community service projects during the school year.
Will have been active member for 8 semester upon graduation (~40 hours of service per semester) (~320 hours total doing service)

Emplyoment:
none

School list: (I am a California Resident, non-URM)
UCLA
UC San Diego
UC Davis
UCSF
UC Riverside
UC Irvine
Keck (USC)
Drexel University College of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
George Washington University
New York Medical College
New York University
Rush Medical College
Brown
Stanford
Cornell
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science

I would love it if I could get some feedback on which schools I should consider adding in, and what schools I should probably take out. One of my hopes are that my schools be near or in a major city, but beggars can't be choosers.

Since I am applying this coming cycle, I have a year off, but I'm not totally sure what I should do with my time since I have to consider interviews etc.
I would really appreciate any suggestions on what I could do to make myself a more competitive applicant (and also any travel or other experiences that would be great to do during a gap year).

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[Doug Underhill]

Your research is OK, but nothing spectacular- a minor author in a low impact factor journal. Furthermore, you have no clinical volunteering- that should be a top priority.

You have a very high GPA and a legendary MCAT, though. Maybe add some more mid-tier schools that value research?

 

[Heplayer92]

Congrats on your numbers! I'd focus on clinical experience for your gap year. Maybe try to be a scribe or work at a clinic or something.

As for your school list, I'd invest in the MSAR. I would not waste my time applying to schools such as Drexel, GW, NYMC, Rush, Rosy Franklin because your MCAT is >90% percentile. If your numbers are that much higher, they know that their school is essentially a "back-up" for you so they may not even offer you an interview. Of course, apply if it's somewhere that you would REALLY want to go to, not just as a "safety school."

It's obvious that you are smart. Now you have to show the humanistic side of you as well through volunteering. Good luck!

 

[Lamel]

Work on your clinical exposure, it is most important at this point. Otherwise your app is fantastic. Add any dedicated hobbies as well.

Your research is OK, but nothing spectacular- a minor author in a low impact factor journal. Furthermore, you have no clinical volunteering- that should be a top priority.

You have a very high GPA and a legendary MCAT, though. Maybe add some more mid-tier schools that value research?

Really gonna disagree here. 3 years of full time research with any sort of publication is more than enough and definitely exceptional. Research will not hold him back anywhere he applies.

 

[Doug Underhill]

I agree that it's not holding him back from many of the schools on his list. However, he listed the big guns like Stanford and UCSF on his application. These schools get thousands of apps from similarly qualified 3.8+/39+s, and a whole bunch of them have first-author papers, probably in bigger journals. How will he stand out?

 

[DaMedDude]

Duke, Vanderbilt, Baylor, Case Western.....maybe add some OOS mid-tier schools Jefferson, tufts, temple, loyola, etc.

 

[DaMedDude]

These schools get thousands of apps from similarly qualified 3.8+/39+s

There are not thousands of applicants (applicants in general...for all schools) with these stats. More like 400-600 total (in 2013 there was ~500 applicant total with 3.8+/39+....keep in mind 39 is like 99.something percentile) and not all of them are applying to those schools. This is a big cycle so there may be more this year than 2013 but stanford and ucsf do not receive thousands of applicants with those stats. I think you stand a decent chance for interviews at those schools. Your research is solid.

 

[Lamel]

I agree that it's not holding him back from many of the schools on his list. However, he listed the big guns like Stanford and UCSF on his application. These schools get thousands of apps from similarly qualified 3.8+/39+s, and a whole bunch of them have first-author papers, probably in bigger journals. How will he stand out?

I'm confident most people who are accepted to Stanford or UCSF don't have 1st author publications in high impact journals. Many adcoms here have said that publications are relatively rare in general.

 

[DaMedDude]

I'm confident most people who are accepted to Stanford or UCSF don't have 1st author publications in high impact journals. Many adcoms here have said that publications are relatively rare in general.

I think you are correct. Your research exposure is most likely above average for applicants to those schools and your MCAT is outstanding. I would add a few more top-tier medical schools and some mid-tier schools to your list though if you can afford it. You can start writing the secondary essays next semester to have your applications completely ready for when you get the secondaries. Obviously submit your primary June 1st....you should get plenty of interviews.

 

[TheRealSugadaddy]

Is it not a good idea to have backup schools to apply to? I see that my numbers are good, but I don't think that my ECs are too great, so I'm kind of worried that a I won't get acceptances at a good number of the mid tiers because of them.

 

[TheRealSugadaddy]

Also thank you all for your responses

 

[Goro]

Here's the deal: You need to show AdComs that you know what you're getting into, and show off your altruistic, humanism side. We need to know that you're going to like being around sick or injured people for the next 40 years.

Here's another way of looking at it: would you buy a new car without test driving it? Buy a new suit or dress without trying it on??

We're also not looking for merely for good medical students, we're looking for people who will make good doctors, and 4.0 GPA robots are a dime-a-dozen.
I've seen plenty of posts here from high GPA/high MCAT candidates who were rejected because they had little patient contact experience.

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, camps for sick children, or clinics. Check out your local houses of worship for volunteer opportunities.

Service need not be "unique". If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients.


Goro suggests:
UCLA
UC San Diego
UC Davis
UCSF
UC Riverside (only if you're from the Inland Empire)
UC Irvine
Keck (USC)
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
New York University
Brown
Stanford
Cornell
U CO
U AZ
Tulane
Emory
U Miami
Pitt
Columbia
Harvard
Yale
WashU
JHU
Duke
Loyola
Vanderbilt
U VA
U MI
BU
Mt Sinai

 

[Heplayer92]

Here's the deal: You need to show AdComs that you know what you're getting into, and show off your altruistic, humanism side. We need to know that you're going to like being around sick or injured people for the next 40 years.

Here's another way of looking at it: would you buy a new car without test driving it? Buy a new suit or dress without trying it on??

We're also not looking for merely for good medical students, we're looking for people who will make good doctors, and 4.0 GPA robots are a dime-a-dozen.
I've seen plenty of posts here from high GPA/high MCAT candidates who were rejected because they had little patient contact experience.

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, camps for sick children, or clinics. Check out your local houses of worship for volunteer opportunities.

Service need not be "unique". If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients.


Goro suggests:
UCLA
UC San Diego
UC Davis
UCSF
UC Riverside (only if you're from the Inland Empire)
UC Irvine
Keck (USC)
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
New York University
Brown
Stanford
Cornell
U CO
U AZ
Tulane
Emory
U Miami
Pitt
Columbia
Harvard
Yale
WashU
JHU
Duke
Loyola
Vanderbilt
U VA
U MI
BU
Mt Sinai

Hi Goro,

Just curious, why did you put Loyola as the only school in the Chicago area?

Thanks!

 

[Goro]

Despite being considered one of the "low tiers", I have friends on the faculty! Good research program.

U Chicago seems to prefer people from the Midwest.

And I'm stupid...I forgot Northwestern!!! Add that to the list, OP.

Hi Goro,

Just curious, why did you put Loyola as the only school in the Chicago area?

Thanks!

 

[DaMedDude]

Is it not a good idea to have backup schools to apply to? I see that my numbers are good, but I don't think that my ECs are too great, so I'm kind of worried that a I won't get acceptances at a good number of the mid tiers because of them.

No it is a good idea. Your two "backups" that you have I would say are Drexel and Rosy Frank. I wouldn't say it is a bad idea to add more lower tier schools but I think you'll be fine.

 

[Doug Underhill]

U Chicago seems to prefer people from the Midwest.

I saw a 4.0/36 from Maryland get accepted into their MD/Ph.D program. Anecdote, I know.