Chances? Caliber of Schools? 3.88 cGPA 3.91 sGPA 37 MCAT

[Gamesta64]

I wasn't going to apply this upcoming cycle because I thought I would need to retake my MCAT...but I recently saw my score and now I'm rethinking. I've hardly thought about what schools to apply to because I thought I'd take a gap year. My Profile:

School: (Uw) University of Washington Seattle (Washington state resident)
cGPA: 3.88
sGPA: 3.91
MCAT: 37 (14PS, 10 VR, 13BS)
Majors:

• Biochemistry (College Honors)
• Neurobiology
• Medical Anthropology & Global Health

Minor: Chemistry

Several scholarships from the honors program for academic achievement, experiences with Asian culture, and research


HEALTHCARE RELATED:

Shadowing: 120 hours, evenly split among Primary Care / ER, General Surgery, Ophthalmology, Urology (but only in remote/rural areas)

Global Medical Brigades in Panama 2012 (provided basic healthcare and education for a week in a remote village)

UW Healthcare Alternative Spring Break Program (we set up shadowing spots for pre-health students in clinics in rural areas in the state of Washington)

• '11-'12: Clinic Site Leader
• '12-'13: Coordinator for all clinic site leaders
• '13-'14: Vice-president (future, but already elected)

Research:

• '10-'12: Diabetes and Lifespan Lab
• '12-present: Cancer Biochemistry Lab

First publication expected (or at least hoped for) by end of summer


VOLUNTEERING:

Child Rights & You (C.R.Y.): an organization that funds and works with NGOs to promote child rights in India

• '08-'10: Volunteer and Fundraiser for C.R.Y. Seattle (we produced and performed in Bollywood-style musicals to raise money)
• '11-'12: Founding member and Vice President of C.R.Y. UW
• '12-'13: Member and Volunteer for C.R.Y. UW; founding member of the first collegiate volunteer trip to India with a mission to open C.R.Y. chapters in Indian universities and volunteer with certain NGOs for three weeks

Estimated total hours: 315


STUDENT LIFE:

Indian Student Association (executive board)

• '10-'11: Freshman Representative (promote organization and events to other freshmen)
• '11-'12: Programming Director (design, organize, and execute events)
• '12-'13: Secretary (schedule events, take meeting minutes, assist vice president)
• '13-'14: President (future, but tentatively elected)

UW Competitive Bollywood Dance Team

• '12-'13: Founder and Co-president
• '13-'14: Co-president (future, but already elected)

Honors Student Advisory Panel: a group of ten students who organize community events for honors program students and who moderate advising chat rooms for prospective honors students


MY THOUGHTS:

I'm concerned that my volunteering with C.R.Y. is disconnected from the people it affects. I haven't done extensive volunteering that involves direct interaction with those whom I serve. This might make it hard to demonstrate that I would be good at interacting with patients. But I have a really deep, meaningful personal connection to C.R.Y. Besides that, my volunteering experience is limited to one specific community, and I feel that's not a good thing.

Is my MCAT score too lop-sided? VR is weakest for many applicants, but I feel mine is really disparate from the other sections.

I have a letter of rec from a faculty member in each of my majors' departments (the anthropology letter would be my non-science one). Could a non-faculty letter instead strengthen my application more (i.e. a physician I've shadowed/worked with)?

The only specialty I've ruled out is psychiatry, and primary care is what I'm most interested in right now. I know I don't have to decide a specialty now, but whatever I choose I'd like to practice in a rural setting.

I would like to know from you all:

• caliber of schools I should consider applying to
• If possible, specific schools that fit my interest of practicing medicine in a rural area in the U.S.
• If I shouldn't apply this cycle and instead strengthen my application in a specific way before applying

Sorry if this post is more like a resume...any help is appreciated. It takes forever to get a pre-med advising appointment at my school, so this is the best I can do at the moment. Thank you!

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[sobored]

I wasn't going to apply this upcoming cycle because I thought I would need to retake my MCAT...but I recently saw my score and now I'm rethinking. I've hardly thought about what schools to apply to because I thought I'd take a gap year. My Profile:

School: (Uw) University of Washington Seattle (Washington state resident)
cGPA: 3.88
sGPA: 3.91
MCAT: 37 (14PS, 10 VR, 13BS)
Majors:

• Biochemistry (College Honors)
• Neurobiology
• Medical Anthropology & Global Health

Minor: Chemistry

Several scholarships from the honors program for academic achievement, experiences with Asian culture, and research


HEALTHCARE RELATED:

Shadowing: 120 hours, evenly split among Primary Care / ER, General Surgery, Ophthalmology, Urology (but only in remote/rural areas)

Global Medical Brigades in Panama 2012 (provided basic healthcare and education for a week in a remote village)

UW Healthcare Alternative Spring Break Program (we set up shadowing spots for pre-health students in clinics in rural areas in the state of Washington)

• '11-'12: Clinic Site Leader
• '12-'13: Coordinator for all clinic site leaders
• '13-'14: Vice-president (future, but already elected)

Research:

• '10-'12: Diabetes and Lifespan Lab
• '12-present: Cancer Biochemistry Lab

First publication expected (or at least hoped for) by end of summer


VOLUNTEERING:

Child Rights & You (C.R.Y.): an organization that funds and works with NGOs to promote child rights in India

• '08-'10: Volunteer and Fundraiser for C.R.Y. Seattle (we produced and performed in Bollywood-style musicals to raise money)
• '11-'12: Founding member and Vice President of C.R.Y. UW
• '12-'13: Member and Volunteer for C.R.Y. UW; founding member of the first collegiate volunteer trip to India with a mission to open C.R.Y. chapters in Indian universities and volunteer with certain NGOs for three weeks

Estimated total hours: 315


STUDENT LIFE:

Indian Student Association (executive board)

• '10-'11: Freshman Representative (promote organization and events to other freshmen)
• '11-'12: Programming Director (design, organize, and execute events)
• '12-'13: Secretary (schedule events, take meeting minutes, assist vice president)
• '13-'14: President (future, but tentatively elected)

UW Competitive Bollywood Dance Team

• '12-'13: Founder and Co-president
• '13-'14: Co-president (future, but already elected)

Honors Student Advisory Panel: a group of ten students who organize community events for honors program students and who moderate advising chat rooms for prospective honors students


MY THOUGHTS:

I'm concerned that my volunteering with C.R.Y. is disconnected from the people it affects. I haven't done extensive volunteering that involves direct interaction with those whom I serve. This might make it hard to demonstrate that I would be good at interacting with patients. But I have a really deep, meaningful personal connection to C.R.Y. Besides that, my volunteering experience is limited to one specific community, and I feel that's not a good thing.

Is my MCAT score too lop-sided? VR is weakest for many applicants, but I feel mine is really disparate from the other sections.

I have a letter of rec from a faculty member in each of my majors' departments (the anthropology letter would be my non-science one). Could a non-faculty letter instead strengthen my application more (i.e. a physician I've shadowed/worked with)?

The only specialty I've ruled out is psychiatry, and primary care is what I'm most interested in right now. I know I don't have to decide a specialty now, but whatever I choose I'd like to practice in a rural setting.

I would like to know from you all:

• caliber of schools I should consider applying to
• If possible, specific schools that fit my interest of practicing medicine in a rural area in the U.S.
• If I shouldn't apply this cycle and instead strengthen my application in a specific way before applying

Sorry if this post is more like a resume...any help is appreciated. It takes forever to get a pre-med advising appointment at my school, so this is the best I can do at the moment. Thank you!

You're competitive for every school in the country. You're smart enough to know this.

 

[AdrianVeidt]

If you don't get into a top 10 then there is something severely wrong with the world.

 

[red doctober]

If you don't get into a top 10 then there is something severely wrong with your PS or interviewing skills.

Fixed that for you

You're competitive for every school in the country. You're smart enough to know this.

Some people like their ego stroked.

UW is excellent for rural medicine. You should also check out Columbia's Bassett program.

 

[Tots]

Moved to the "What are my chances?" forum, the appropriate place for this discussion.

The only specialty I've ruled out is psychiatry, and primary care is what I'm most interested in right now. I know I don't have to decide a specialty now, but whatever I choose I'd like to practice in a rural setting.

I would like to know from you all:

• caliber of schools I should consider applying to
• If possible, specific schools that fit my interest of practicing medicine in a rural area in the U.S.
• If I shouldn't apply this cycle and instead strengthen my application in a specific way before applying

Sorry if this post is more like a resume...any help is appreciated. It takes forever to get a pre-med advising appointment at my school, so this is the best I can do at the moment. Thank you!

• Apply to a range but I think you are easily competitive at the 10/20.
• I don't have any idea here except UW

 

[Gamesta64]

Fixed that for you




Some people like their ego stroked.

UW is excellent for rural medicine. You should also check out Columbia's Bassett program.

I've just never really talked about the application process much with anyone, and since I can't get an advising appointment any time soon, I don't have my bearings about anything for now. I guess I've also just been in denial that I have to really, honestly think about why I'm doing this in the first place.

I do know that Uw is good for rural medicine, but I would love to leave this state because it feels like a political and social echo chamber. I will definitely look into Columbia's Bassett program. Thank you!

 

[mcloaf]

I've just never really talked about the application process much with anyone, and since I can't get an advising appointment any time soon, I don't have my bearings about anything for now. I guess I've also just been in denial that I have to really, honestly think about why I'm doing this in the first place.

I do know that Uw is good for rural medicine, but I would love to leave this state because it feels like a political and social echo chamber. I will definitely look into Columbia's Bassett program. Thank you!

You will be competitive wherever you apply.

As for UW, if you are truly focused on rural primary care then you'd be hard pressed to find somewhere better suited to your interests. Being a Seattleite myself (I assume you're on the main campus) I see where you're coming from with the echo chamber comment, but consider that if you'd like you can be placed for your first year courses in Pullman or Spokane as well as Seattle. Both of those places will be quite a bit different than Seattle. Additionally, UW requires you to do at least half of your third year clinical rotations >50 miles outside of Seattle, and UW has an enormous network of sites across the WWAMI region to choose from. Basically, I wouldn't rule out UW yet based on the fear of being stuck in Seattle for another four years.