WAMC: 2nd-year applicant, higher stat, ECs mid/ok

[buatodkcas]

About Me:
25/White/Male
Undergraduate Institution: Auburn
Home State: Alabama
Major: Mechanical Engineering, Spring 2021

Academics/Tests:
cGPA: 3.93 / sGPA: 3.94
MCAT: 521 (131/129/131/130) (April 2022)
PreView: 77th percentile score

Clinical Experience:
Medical Assistant at Orthopedic Clinic: 2000 hours (paid/current until August)

Volunteering:
Clinical: PACU volunteer - 335 hours
Non-clinical: Preparing and serving food to the underprivileged or homeless - 150 hours (current) and 70 hours at Auburn)

Shadowing:
Primary Care (general and pediatric): 50 hours
Surgery (ENT, Endocrine): 50 hours

Research Involvement:
1. Minimal experience in a lab in spring 2020 - cut short by COVID after ~1-2 months (counted as 0 hours on my AMCAS as I was still in my training period)
2. 1500 hours expected as I've accepted a job in a biomed research lab as a researcher I (to begin in August - Will schools even look at future experiences like this, given this would fill arguably my weakest resume gap?)

Other Activities:
Physics Learning Assistant (1 semester)
Tutor for an advanced engineering course (1 semester) - self-prepared and conducted weekly review lectures (probably closer to TA role than tutor despite title)

LORs: all individual - I've noticed many schools prefer packets/committee letters: how badly does this hurt my chances?
Employer (physician), Science Professor (my learning assistant coordinator as well), professor and chair of my engineering dept, and a physician I've shadowed

Other:
- Transitioned from an engineering career path to medicine in Fall 2019, graduating in 2021.
- Cooking/food is a massive hobby/interest and part of who I am. It is a large part of why I participate in the volunteering activities which I am involved in. While not an "X-factor" by any means, it certainly plays a part in making me who I am.
- Passionate about fitness and health maintenance as I've battled significant weight loss and lifestyle changes

School List (handicapped by only 8 hours of biology, no stats course, no casper):

Grossman, Columbia
Emory, UCSD, Vandy, Northwestern, Cornell, Michigan
USC, Rochester, UVA, OSU, Einstein
UAB, USA, Cincinnati, USF, Thomas Jefferson, Tufts, Brown

Considering: UCLA, UCF, SUNY downstate, Creighton, Hackensack, St Louis and WashSTL, Rutgers RJW, Mayo, Stanford, UF

Are there any schools I should eliminate from this list? Will anticipated research experience make any difference in which schools to choose?

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[Faha]

Some of the state public schools on your list (Rutgers, RWJ, UCSD, U Florida admit few non residents with no connection to the state. You should receive interviews from the other schools on your list and you could add Washington University (almost a guaranteed interview with your stats), St. Louis, Mayo, UCLA. Also add Carle Illinois with your engineering background.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Idk why you'd let a stats and upper bio class deter you. You can take them online or at a local uni over the next year at any point and it'd be fine. Don't limit yourself!

 

[buatodkcas]

Some of the state public schools on your list (Rutgers, RWJ, UCSD, U Florida admit few non residents with no connection to the state. You should receive interviews from the other schools on your list and you could add Washington University (almost a guaranteed interview with your stats), St. Louis, Mayo, UCLA. Also add Carle Illinois with your engineering background.

Why do you suggest I would be an auto interview with WashU?

Regarding UCLA, I'm under the impression they are research heavy from previous advice. Given my anticipated hours, you would suggest it's still worth a shot?

 

[buatodkcas]

Idk why you'd let a stats and upper bio class deter you. You can take them online or at a local uni over the next year at any point and it'd be fine. Don't limit yourself!

While in undergrad, I was focused on getting into a school via early decision which does not require a stats class. Since it was ED, I did not do too much looking at other schools (naive, I know) and was unaware it was routinely required. Even more tragically, I was in a stats class at one point and dropped because the material was already more than adequately covered in my engineering coursework (yet unmentioned in those class descriptions so I cannot report any of those classes as a stats in AMCAS). Sigh - I'll take a stats class in the spring if things are looking bleak by year's end.

 

[Faha]

Why do you suggest I would be an auto interview with WashU?

Regarding UCLA, I'm under the impression they are research heavy from previous advice. Given my anticipated hours, you would suggest it's still worth a shot?

UCLA is worth trying with your stats. Washington University likes high stat applicants and they interview 25% of applicants who complete secondaries. The lower stat applicants are not the ones receiving the interviews.

 

[buatodkcas]

UCLA is worth trying with your stats. Washington University likes high stat applicants and they interview 25% of applicants who complete secondaries. The lower stat applicants are not the ones receiving the interviews.

I see.

Are you aware of any schools I've listed (or any notorious for) yield protecting? I've been recommended to avoid Albany and Creighton in the past because of this.

 

[Faha]

I see.

Are you aware of any schools I've listed (or any notorious for) yield protecting? I've been recommended to avoid Albany and Creighton in the past because of this.

Yes, Creighton and Albany will "yield protect" with your stats.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I would be shocked if UAB or Vanderbilt pass on you. I would have you earn at least 100 more food bank hours so that your service orientation is on par with the competitive pool you want to be with. Albany and Creighton... how many Alabama applicants matriculate there? Have you ever visited? Brown tends to like other Ivy-like students, especially in the Northeast. USC = South Carolina or Southern California? Can you realistically live in NYC?

There's also nothing in your description showing you have a strong passion to advocate for others. Maybe it is just the way you describe it, but be aware you may not fit certain schools that really want to develop community leaders who are physicians. This definitely includes Columbia, Northwestern, Stanford and Michigan.

 

[buatodkcas]

I would be shocked if UAB or Vanderbilt pass on you. I would have you earn at least 100 more food bank hours so that your service orientation is on par with the competitive pool you want to be with. Albany and Creighton... how many Alabama applicants matriculate there? Have you ever visited? Brown tends to like other Ivy-like students, especially in the Northeast.

There's also nothing in your description showing you have a strong passion to advocate for others. Maybe it is just the way you describe it, but be aware you may not fit certain schools that really want to develop community leaders who are physicians.

I would be shocked if UAB or Vanderbilt pass on you. I would have you earn at least 100 more food bank hours so that your service orientation is on par with the competitive pool you want to be with. Albany and Creighton... how many Alabama applicants matriculate there? Have you ever visited? Brown tends to like other Ivy-like students, especially in the Northeast. USC = South Carolina or Southern California? Can your realistically live in NYC?

There's also nothing in your description showing you have a strong passion to advocate for others. Maybe it is just the way you describe it, but be aware you may not fit certain schools that really want to develop community leaders who are physicians. This definitely includes Columbia, Northwestern, Stanford and Michigan.

Thank you for such a detailed response.

I may be wrong, but it seems like you’re insinuating that I’m somewhat geographically limited here?

I’ve mostly just picked schools which:
A. I am eligible to apply to academically
B. Take OOS at a decent rate
C. Somewhat match my stats

Which really leaves me only about 20-30 schools, most of which aren’t near to Alabama unfortunately. I’m afraid to apply more locally as well to schools with lower MCAT medians as others have mentioned yield protecting.

And I feel my personal statement addresses advocating others well. Are you suggesting that I need an EC to verify? What might take look like?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I may be wrong, but it seems like you’re insinuating that I’m somewhat geographically limited here?

Geography is a factor for many schools with mission fit. In state and in region plays a role. If you go further out of state, you must show mission fit more strongly that goes along with higher stats. I want to see how you picked out of your region other than OOS friendly (which is appropriate too).

Future hours and activities are not looked at when screening applications. Otherwise we would have everyone wishing they could do 10K hours during the next year...

We don't actually have your application so it's impossible for us to know how effective your PS is in the context of your application as a whole. If you cannot show schools why you sincerely want to attend their school (because hundreds of others with your metrics are also applying to them), it will be difficult to persuade us to interview you.

 

[buatodkcas]

I want to see how you picked out of your region other than OOS friendly (which is appropriate too).

I've spent a tremendous amount of time on this actually. I used the following to evaluate:
1. Eligible to apply academically
2. OOS friendliness wrt OOS interviews offered and % of those matriculated as compared to the median of all schools
3. Median MCAT and GPAs of OOS applicants
4. LOR requirements: only having 1 science letter and all individual letters narrows the total notably
5. SJT requirements. Only preview/no casper.
6. Eval using wedgedawg to give a generalized app distribution across school competitiveness and total apps
7. Of those left (~30-40), which am I most comfortable with locationally/have ties to (NYC, SD, Tampa, Nashville, Atlanta, Philly, Michigan, AL schools)
8. Finally, qualitative eval of mission statements, research vs primary care emphasis, etc

After all this, I have maybe 10 of 200 schools that 'meet criteria'; and then will add others which may not necessarily fit well but meet the hard guidelines. Perhaps I've gone about this incorrectly, but that's why I'm posting here.

And while understandable, I find it disheartening that future experiences are not even lightly considered (why is it included on AMCAS then..?). Feedback from the last cycle included an emphasis on my need for research experience. I've been desperately looking for an opportunity since then and have only now been able to become involved due to my current clinical work. I'd have prior undergrad experience, but COVID eliminated that opportunity.

Additionally, might you have any 'more regional' school suggestions? Outside of UAB, USA, USF, UCF, emory, Vanderbilt, I can think of USC-greenville, NOVA, duke, STL, WashSTL, and maybe UF as the closest other schools I could apply to.

 

[alwaysrunning]

Feedback from the last cycle included an emphasis on my need for research experience.

It would be helpful if you posted where you applied, interviews offered, and what you have improved since the last application.

 

[buatodkcas]

It would be helpful if you posted where you applied, interviews offered, and what you have improved since the last application.

Early Decision UAB with an interview. Declined to apply elsewhere. Was told to improve community service, research, physician/pt relationship understanding.

New:
2000+ hours medical assistant
150 hours food work volunteering
55 hours hospital volunteering
25 hours surgical shadowing
Will begin research position in a biomed lab this month

 

[chilly_md]

Locking as OP had already posted a WAMC and received advice before:

WAMC: 3.93/521, Non-Trad

About Me: Age: 25 Ethnicity/Race: Caucasian Undergraduate Institution: Auburn Home State: Alabama Major: Mechanical Engineering, Spring 2021 Academics/Tests: cGPA: 3.93 / sGPA: 3.94 MCAT: 521 (131/129/131/130) PreView: 77th percentile score Clinical Experience: Medical Assistant: 2000 hours...

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