MD/PhD WAMC and school list help? (nontrad, 523MCAT, 3.29 ugrad GPA, 3.95 master's GPA, URM)

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rookiemohel

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Joined
Apr 17, 2023
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cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
GPA 3.29 (sGPA 3.25), Master's GPA 3.95

MCAT score(s) and breakdown
MCAT 523
130/131/131/131

State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
CA resident, US citizen

Ethnicity and/or race
East Asian passing, but 1/4 hispanic and 1/8 pacific islander. Not sure if I should claim ORM cuz I look asian AF and my hispanic grandfather died when my mom was very young. Do I need to provide proof anywhere?

Undergraduate institution or category
T10

Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
4 years full time clinical researcher in a psychedelic clinic (>6000-8000hrs direct patient facing )
2 years as a campus EMT-B

Research experience and productivity
3 first author papers (clinical, not basic)
1 chapter medical textbook authorship
4 presentations
Co-PI of clinical trial

Shadowing experience and specialties represented
Little formal shadowing, maybe 10hrs neurology, 10hrs IM, 10hrs EM, 20hrs psych

Non-clinical volunteering
Boardmember and co-founder of a 501c3 educational nonprofit for 3 years where I worked in a student workshop. Likely 500hrs

Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
Adjunct teaching faculty for 3 years in neuroscience. Taught >800 students
4 years Army (Reserves)
Founder of psychedelic nonprofit
Provisional patent holder for psychedelic therapy
Scientific Advisory Boardmember for pharmaceutical company
Part time audio engineer and hip hop artist (4 LPs, >100 songs, home studio)
Former downhill skateboarder (sponsored by monster and gopro)
Frontiers in Neuroscience reviewer
Freelance writer (>500k readership)

Relevant honors or awards
Sigma Xi Research honors society full member
Delta Omega Honors Society Full Member
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention
Mayo Clinic Worrall Scholar

Anything else not listed you think might be important
Diagnosed with learning disability and ADHD post-army which I might mention in my PS. (should I?)
Diagnosed PTSD (should I mention?)
Aiming for MD/Ph.D.
Applied 3 canadian schools, reject from McMaster and UofT, interview then reject from Queen's

School List
Only sure things are the UCs and Mayo. I would prefer to stay west coast, pacific northwest, and southwest. Would appreciate recommended school list!!!

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Ethnicity/race: There is no ORM box on the primary application. You can select multiple ethnicities/races. You should check whichever boxes you identify with. I don't even know what they would want for proof. It's all self identification.
Else: I wouldn't mention any red flags (PTSD) unless it is a major reason why you want to go into medicine. If that's not the case then it's best to avoid it. Learning disability/ADHD also don't belong in PS, but could be appropriate in a secondary (where it asks) to explain poor undergraduate grades. You should still focus on how you overcame those challenges to improve your academic performance.
School list: OHSU and UW for PNW, UA-Tuscon, and non-MSTP MD/PhDs in those states if location is very important to you. I'd suggest only applying to schools you'd be happy going to if it was your only choice, that are funded, and that you could do a PhD in your field of interest.
 
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Not sure if I should claim ORM cuz I look asian AF and my hispanic grandfather died when my mom was very young. Do I need to provide proof anywhere?
Unless something changes, no applicant is ever asked to prove their race/ethnicity. But you have to know how you feel you have culturally identified with these cultures as you have been growing up. In other words, please don't game the system. AA may go away in June, and I don't know how this may affect application review at all the schools on your list. What cultures do you feel you most belong?
 
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Unless something changes, no applicant is ever asked to prove their race/ethnicity. But you have to know how you feel you have culturally identified with these cultures as you have been growing up. In other words, please don't game the system. AA may go away in June, and I don't know how this may affect application review at all the schools on your list. What cultures do you feel you most belong?
It's complicated. It's more that the mixed cultures have led me to not feel particular solidarity with any race (especially growing up with a Nigerian stepfather in a predominantly white town). However, I find I'm far more at ease interacting with many different cultures because I realize how similar things are among us. Would it be strange to say I don't really identify with any culture? If I had to say, I identify as neurodivergent first and foremost but there's not much of a "group" feeling to it. Maybe Californian next?
 
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