Need major help on school list, CA resident

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aznlolboi

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Hi everyone on SDN,

This is my first post on SDN and I need help forming a realistic school lists. I am a CA resident.

Stats:
Graduated from a UC, human biology major
cGPA: 3.806 sGPA: 3.831
MCAT: 30 (PS 9 / VR 10 / BS 11) - not my ideal score but the only reason why I hesitated to retake because of the verbal score. I think I would not be able to score a 10 on a retry. English is my second language as I am not a native born.
Asian

EC:
-250 volunteering experience at various departments: ICU, ER, Med surge, and etc
-Student Health Advocate on campus: organization that is part of the student health services on campus which offer peer-education on various topic regarding how to live healthily.
-shadowed both MD and DOs, radiology and primary care - 20 hours
-worked in a lab on campus - fly lab for 1 year
-teaching assistant- biology TA for 1 lower div and 1 upper div class (2 quarters)
-currently employed in a well-known biotech company

5 Letters of rec:
3 from science prof
1 from student health advocate coordinator
1 from a DO (using to apply for DO solely)

I am applying to both MD and DO schools, and would prefer to stay in CA (I know it is competitive), but open to going out of state. I am looking to apply to around 20 schools

Any help is appreciated! If anyone can help me get started on a list, that would be great as I have no idea how to begin. For DOs, I already know I am applying to the 2 cali schools, just need help on the MD list.
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Have you purchased access to the MSAR? It's $20-25 and REALLY helpful. Apply to schools with similar average GPA/MCAT to yours! And pick schools that are friendly to out of state students. All this info is in the MSAR.
 
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gyngyn said:
yes.
Click to expand...
A summary of my self is my 1st MCAT is a 22 my retake is a 28. CGPA 5.56 sGPA 3.69. 100 clinical , 60 shadowing , 50 community service. Worked In a med tech for 2 years URM living in NY. Went to a community college n had to work while attending cc for 2 years. Only premed course not taken at the cc was orgo chem which I got A's for at a 4 yrs school.


Drexel
Uconn
NYMC
Quinnipiac
Howard
Albany
Eastern Virginia
Dartmouth
GW university school of med
Mt. Sinai- yes I kno this is a reach
Loma Linda
Medical college of Wisconsin
Penn state uni
Tcmc
Brown
University of Rochester
West Virginia uni
Virginia commonwealth
Uni of Missouri
Usf health morsani
Tufts
Thomas Jefferson
Rush
Loyola
Am aiming for 18 school. Thanks for all your feedback
 
MCATUMOR said:
A summary of my self is my 1st MCAT is a 22 my retake is a 28. CGPA 5.56 sGPA 3.69. 100 clinical , 60 shadowing , 50 community service. Worked In a med tech for 2 years URM living in NY. Went to a community college n had to work while attending cc for 2 years. Only premed course not taken at the cc was orgo chem which I got A's for at a 4 yrs school.


Drexel
Uconn
NYMC
Quinnipiac
Howard
Albany
Eastern Virginia
Dartmouth
GW university school of med
Mt. Sinai- yes I kno this is a reach
Loma Linda
Medical college of Wisconsin
Penn state uni
Tcmc
Brown
University of Rochester
West Virginia uni
Virginia commonwealth
Uni of Missouri
Usf health morsani
Tufts
Thomas Jefferson
Rush
Loyola
Am aiming for 18 school. Thanks for all your feedback
Click to expand...
I recommend posting a new thread so comments specific to OP can continue on this one.
Which community do you represent?
 
gyngyn said:
I recommend posting a new thread so comments specific to OP can continue on this one.
Which community do you represent?
Click to expand...
I did make a thread it's called school list help 2015/2016.
 
OP: I suggest:

Rush
NYMC
Creighton
Albany
Rosy Franklin
Drexel
Temple
Loma Linda (but read their list of don'ts)
MCW
St. Louis U
WVU
Jefferson
Creighton
Tulane
Loyola
GWU
Georgetown
Tufts
U Miami
Wake Forest
EVMS
U VM
VCU
U AZ-T
U AZ-P
All new MD programs except Hofstra, Central MI, Va Tech
Any DO program
UCI
UCD
UCR if you're from the Inland Empire.
 
Goro said:
OP: I suggest:

Rush
NYMC
Creighton
Albany
Rosy Franklin
Drexel
Temple
Loma Linda (but read their list of don'ts)
MCW
St. Louis U
WVU
Jefferson
Creighton
Tulane
Loyola
GWU
Georgetown
Tufts
U Miami
Wake Forest
EVMS
U VM
VCU
U AZ-T
U AZ-P
All new MD programs except Hofstra, Central MI, Va Tech
Any DO program
UCI
UCD
UCR if you're from the Inland Empire.
Click to expand...
Hey goro do you mind giving me some feedback on my thread if you can
 
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Goro said:
OP: I suggest:

Rush
NYMC
Creighton
Albany
Rosy Franklin
Drexel
Temple
Loma Linda (but read their list of don'ts)
MCW
St. Louis U
WVU
Jefferson
Creighton
Tulane
Loyola
GWU
Georgetown
Tufts
U Miami
Wake Forest
EVMS
U VM
VCU
U AZ-T
U AZ-P
All new MD programs except Hofstra, Central MI, Va Tech
Any DO program
UCI
UCD
UCR if you're from the Inland Empire.
Click to expand...


Thanks Goro!!
 
Hey Goro, how high of a chance do you think i have for keck?
 
And also, can someone explain to me what is the deal with UCR? How close of a connection do you have to have? Do you have to graduate from UCR or live in Riverside? I would love to stay in southern California. My girlfriend is actually from UCR, but I am guessing that is not a valid reason from what I am seeing in all these threads. Thanks
 
What does it mean to be at the 10th% for Keck? How about my chances for UCD or UCI? I would love to go there if accepted. Sorry for all the questions!
 
gyngyn said:
UCR only has 25 seats for non UCR grads. It is a mission-based school chartered to provide docs for the IE.
Your MCAT is at the 10th% for Keck. Do you have a compelling reason for them to interview you?
Click to expand...

and for compelling reasons, do you mean like disadvantaged reasons? Or why my mcat is low?

If it helps, (already mentioned) I am actually an immigrant and english is my second language (havent learned english until 10 yr old). Standardized test is never my thing, I scored 400s on the reading on the SAT. So i am actually quite proud of my verbal score, it was actually my goal score. As to the science, I am not sure what happened, i avged 12s on both ps and bs. I am hoping that they will focus my science portion on my transcript because I had no trouble with science classes in school.

Also, do med schools look at which university you graduated from? I would imagine is it hard for them to normalize the GPA for each school but I do believe some schools are harder. i.e: a 3.9 from a random college compared to a 3.9 from UCLA are probably not the same, right?
 
It means you're not very competitive for Keck, and I suggest that you'll have better luck with other schools, like UCD and UCI.

aznlolboi said:
What does it mean to be at the 10th% for Keck? How about my chances for UCD or UCI? I would love to go there if accepted. Sorry for all the questions!
Click to expand...
 
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aznlolboi said:
and for compelling reasons, do you mean like disadvantaged reasons? Or why my mcat is low?

If it helps, (already mentioned) I am actually an immigrant and english is my second language (havent learned english until 10 yr old). Standardized test is never my thing, I scored 400s on the reading on the SAT. So i am actually quite proud of my verbal score, it was actually my goal score. As to the science, I am not sure what happened, i avged 12s on both ps and bs. I am hoping that they will focus my science portion on my transcript because I had no trouble with science classes in school.

Also, do med schools look at which university you graduated from? I would imagine is it hard for them to normalize the GPA for each school but I do believe some schools are harder. i.e: a 3.9 from a random college compared to a 3.9 from UCLA are probably not the same, right?
Click to expand...
Your MCAT is fine, it's just the 10th% for that school. Generally speaking, the folks interviewed at the bottom of any school's range have something that makes them especially important to that school.
 
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aznlolboi said:
What does it mean to be at the 10th% for Keck? How about my chances for UCD or UCI? I would love to go there if accepted. Sorry for all the questions!
Click to expand...
You are also 10th% for UCI. UCD has a 10th% MCAT of 27 but many of those matriculants are products of their pipeline programs. You may still have a chance there if you have strong evidence of commitmtnet to service or an interest in rural medicine.
 
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I am also interested in applying for dual programs. I am specifically interested in MD/MPH, does that mean i need higher stats?
 
Final Update on School list:

Rush
NYMC
Albany
Rosy Franklin
Drexel
Temple
MCW
St. Louis U
Jefferson
Tulane
GWU
Georgetown
Tufts
U Miami
Wake Forest
EVMS
U VM
VCU
U AZ-T
U AZ-P
UCI
UCD
UCR
Penn State
UCLA - trying my luck
UCSD - also trying my luck
USC- luck
Dartmouth-luck
Brown - luck
SUNY upstate*
Mayo*
Rochestor*
Einstein*
Hofstra*

CA WesternDO

*- these schools dont have extensive secondaries, so might as well apply.

I think i have a good balance between reach schools and realistic options.
I submitted AMCAS 20 minutes after it opened today.

Please let me know what you think! Any help is appreciated!
 
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