Do you think I am qualified for T10-20 schools? [serious]

[ToMD2025]

redacted.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[GloballyMed]

You have nothing to worry about. Your research is fine as is. Your app is already very competitive for top 20. You are the dream candidate for most, if not all, schools. Choose whatever top schools you want to apply to and enjoy the headache of deciding which one to attend. You are golden. Congrats on the amazing stats and awesome ecs.

 

[deleted859689]

I’m having deja vu

 

[Faha]

Apply to your state schools:UNC, East Carolina, Wake Forest, Duke. Then add any top 20 schools that appeal to you.

 

[Dr panda]

I am thinking of applying to 30-40 schools, so I really need to start working on this list .

No need to do it, 15-20 in your case is more than enough. There is 99.999999999% chance that you will get into any school with full ride scholarship.

 

[ToMD2025]

No need to do it, 15-20 in your case is more than enough. There is 99.999999999% chance that you will get into any school with full ride scholarship.

Yeah it would be nice to just do 15-20, but I have been seeing a lot of posts where people with similar stats don’t get any interviews and/or acceptances. So I don’t really know what the line is in terms of applying to too many schools vs. just enough to also maximize chances. I was hoping 30-40 might increase my chances of at least getting into one school.

 

[theKingLT]

Heyy guys!
I'm applying for the 2021 cycle and currently trying to come up with a list of schools. I am thinking of applying to 30-40 schools, so I really need to start working on this list .

I am aiming for top 10-20 schools, but I would like to know if you guys think I have a chance for them. My main concern is my lackluster research experience ( by this I mean thatt I do not have a paper/abstract/presentation from any of my research experiences thus far,) but let me know what you think!

Really appreciate this and thanks in advance!!​

Numbers:
cgpa: 3.82
sgpa: 3.71
mcat: 520

URM Status:
African American Female, qualify for FAP as well

Residency:
NC

ECs:
Clinical:
- Hospice Volunteering: 300 hrs in hospice
- Shadowing: 150 hrs in an African country and 100 hrs in the US
Non-Clinical Volunteering: 800hrs
- National medical chapter at my school: 2 yrs
- Food Recovery Network: 1.5 yrs
- Pre-Med Mentor at my school for 1 yr
- Healthcare admin volunteer at a free hospital in an African country for 5 yrs. (2 yrs of this I did in the African country and 3 yrs of this I did virtually in the US.)
- ACT Tutor for one year
- Crisis Textline Counselor: 200 hrs
- Working on my own non-profit org to help girls in rural sides of a certain African country attend school by supplying them with certain supplies. I was raised in this country and went to high school there as well, so I am collaborating with people in my high school to make this org work. ( going to focus on this work a lot on my app)
Research
- 1000hrs over 6 months. Worked full time. No papers, abstracts or posters This was a clinical research assistant position at a top 20 med school (if that matters)
- Currently at another research position doing clinical cancer research at a top 5 affiliate hospital. I should be here for the next 2 yrs until I (hopefully) start med school. Should have 1000+ hrs by the time I apply tho.
Leadership
Pre-Med Club: 1 yr as a leader (we didn't really have titles lol)
Student Government: 2 yrs as student representative
Another big club: 1 yr as secretary
Work:
2000+ hrs ( data intern, call center worker, lab assistant, teaching assistant, academic coach..etc) All mainly during undergrad
Summer Internship at a known healthcare system in healthcare administration/management... worked on improving patient experience
LORs:
- Committee Letter from two science profs and two non-science profs
- Research Coordinator
- PI

I would love to hear what you guys think also: @Faha , @LizzyM , @Goro , @gyngyn

You're fine on research, as it should not be the focus of your app given your other great experiences! I agree 15-20 is plenty for you. The people with high stats who need more schools are non-URM with very cookie cutter applications. That is not you. If you apply to 40 schools you will have too many interview invites to schedule everything.

Also, one word of advicething to keep in mind when writing your primary and secondary apps, be careful with the very general statement "improving the patient experience". I know it sounds ridiculous that something positive could be "controversial", but nowadays there are an ever-growing number of docs who equate this with overreach/hyper-control by unnecessary administrators who center policies solely around pt satisfaction surveys. Just make sure to be specific in describing your activities to avoid getting pigeon-holed into this stereotype in the case that one of your reviewers/interviewers has a stick up their ass for administrators

 

[strappysandals]

.

 

[Dr panda]

Yeah it would be nice to just do 15-20, but I have been seeing a lot of posts where people with similar stats don’t get any interviews and/or acceptances. So I don’t really know what the line is in terms of applying to too many schools vs. just enough to also maximize chances. I was hoping 30-40 might increase my chances of at least getting into one school.

No. These people are ORMs. We really need African American doctors, you will be fine.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

You are platinum. Apply to any top 20 that interests you, state schools, and HBCUs. You’re more than competitive for top 20 schools and they should comprise the lion’s share of your list.

 

[Goro]

Heyy guys!
I'm applying for the 2021 cycle and currently trying to come up with a list of schools. I am thinking of applying to 30-40 schools, so I really need to start working on this list .

I am aiming for top 10-20 schools, but I would like to know if you guys think I have a chance for them. My main concern is my lackluster research experience ( by this I mean thatt I do not have a paper/abstract/presentation from any of my research experiences thus far,) but let me know what you think!

Really appreciate this and thanks in advance!!​

Numbers:
cgpa: 3.82
sgpa: 3.71
mcat: 520

URM Status:
African American Female, qualify for FAP as well

Residency:
NC

ECs:
Clinical:
- Hospice Volunteering: 300 hrs in hospice
- Shadowing: 150 hrs in an African country and 100 hrs in the US
Non-Clinical Volunteering: 800hrs
- National medical chapter at my school: 2 yrs
- Food Recovery Network: 1.5 yrs
- Pre-Med Mentor at my school for 1 yr
- Healthcare admin volunteer at a free hospital in an African country for 5 yrs. (2 yrs of this I did in the African country and 3 yrs of this I did virtually in the US.)
- ACT Tutor for one year
- Crisis Textline Counselor: 200 hrs
- Working on my own non-profit org to help girls in rural sides of a certain African country attend school by supplying them with certain supplies. I was raised in this country and went to high school there as well, so I am collaborating with people in my high school to make this org work. ( going to focus on this work a lot on my app)
Research
- 1000hrs over 6 months. Worked full time. No papers, abstracts or posters This was a clinical research assistant position at a top 20 med school (if that matters)
- Currently at another research position doing clinical cancer research at a top 5 affiliate hospital. I should be here for the next 2 yrs until I (hopefully) start med school. Should have 1000+ hrs by the time I apply tho.
Leadership
Pre-Med Club: 1 yr as a leader (we didn't really have titles lol)
Student Government: 2 yrs as student representative
Another big club: 1 yr as secretary
Work:
2000+ hrs ( data intern, call center worker, lab assistant, teaching assistant, academic coach..etc) All mainly during undergrad
Summer Internship at a known healthcare system in healthcare administration/management... worked on improving patient experience
LORs:
- Committee Letter from two science profs and two non-science profs
- Research Coordinator
- PI

I would love to hear what you guys think also: @Faha , @LizzyM , @Goro , @gyngyn

You are fine for any school!

Start list with WashU and radiate outwards.