WAMC CA ORM 3.98/520 + Cutting school list

[Insert_username]

State/Country of Residence: CA (ORM)

Ties to other States/Regions: Unfortunately not

Year in School: Third year

Undergraduate Major(s)/Minor(s): Bio

Cumulative GPA: 3.98
Science GPA: 3.98
MCAT Score: 520(130/130/130/130)

Research Experience:
- 1300 hrs wet lab
- 400 hrs clinical research lab
- 200 hrs dry lab/data analysis stuff

Publications/Abstracts/Posters (include how you were credited e.g. First author, second author, etc.):
- 5 posters at local and school level, 1 low author national conference abstract, 3 mid author pubs, 2 pubs in review

Clinical Experience (paid or volunteer):
- Emergency room volunteer: 180 hrs
- Patient transport: 100 hrs
- Geriatric patient interaction program thing at hospital: 200 hrs
- Medical assistant: 250 hrs

Physician Shadowing:
- 150 hrs dermatology
- 100 hrs family med
- 60 hrs emergency room

Non-Clinical Volunteering:
- Tutoring kids from Title 1: 120 hrs
- Health fairs to underserved communities: 80 hrs
- Nursing home: 110 hrs

Other Extracurricular Activities:
- Music related hobby: Like 1000+ hrs over 16 yrs?
- Peer tutor: 350 hrs
- Social advocacy work for homeless at local level: 80 hrs
- Crafts related hobbies/artistic endeavor??

Medical School List (like all of them rn since don’t know what to cut but really don’t want to spend so much on apps):

CUSM, Kaiser, USC, Stanford, UCI, UCLA, UCR, UCSD, UCSF, University of Colorado, Quinnipiac, Yale, Nova Southeastern University, USF, Northwestern, Rosalind Franklin, University of Chicago, Iowa Carver, LSU, Tulane, Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, Boston University, Harvard, Tufts, UMass, University of Michigan,, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, Mayo, Saint Louis, Washington University, Dartmouth, Albert Einstein, Columbia, Mount Sinai, NYMC, New York University Grossman, Cornell, Case Western, University of Cincinnati, Geisinger Commonwealth, Drexel, Pennsylvania State, Sidney Kimmel, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, Vermont, Eastern Virginia, University of Virginia, VCU, Virginia Tech Carilion, Medical College of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin School, Creighton

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[Faha]

Some of the schools on your list will "yield protect" with your stats. I suggest these schools from your list:
USM, Kaiser, USC, Stanford, UCI, UCLA, UCR, UCSD, UCSF, University of Colorado, Yale, USF, Northwestern, University of Chicago, Iowa Carver, Tulane, Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, Boston University, Harvard, Tufts, UMass, University of Michigan,, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, Mayo, Saint Louis, Washington University, Dartmouth, Albert Einstein, Columbia, Mount Sinai, NYMC, New York University Grossman, Cornell, Case Western, University of Cincinnati, Sidney Kimmel, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech Carilion, University of Wisconsin School

 

[Mr.Smile12]

My impressions: overall your activities are fine but you may be below par among more competitive applicants applying to brand schools.

It is not clear how much you have face to face interaction with people in need in your service orientation activities, but you need to get to 250 minimum to be closer to the cannon fodder middle.

Clinical Experience seems okay but also lower than desired for someone with your stats. I like the variety though.

I'm not sure about your purpose as a doctor to discern mission fit from what you posted. That may be a reason you have trouble with shortening your list.

 

[Insert_username]

My impressions: overall your activities are fine but you may be below par among more competitive applicants applying to brand schools.

It is not clear how much you have face to face interaction with people in need in your service orientation activities, but you need to get to 250 minimum to be closer to the cannon fodder middle.

Clinical Experience seems okay but also lower than desired for someone with your stats. I like the variety though.

I'm not sure about your purpose as a doctor to discern mission fit from what you posted. That may be a reason you have trouble with shortening your list.

Considering there’s not much time left, would you recommend doing a gap year?

The tutoring children is with at-risk youth, and the health fairs are also largely helping with eye prescriptions and stuff like that in underserved communities as well, but I know the hours seem to be on the lower side for a lot of the wamc posts.

For the clinical as well, since I’m graduating early, I was going to be a full time medical assistant while continuing other ecs on the side. Not sure how projected hrs work though in terms of weight.

 

[Insert_username]

Some of the schools on your list will "yield protect" with your stats. I suggest these schools from your list:
USM, Kaiser, USC, Stanford, UCI, UCLA, UCR, UCSD, UCSF, University of Colorado, Yale, USF, Northwestern, University of Chicago, Iowa Carver, Tulane, Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, Boston University, Harvard, Tufts, UMass, University of Michigan,, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, Mayo, Saint Louis, Washington University, Dartmouth, Albert Einstein, Columbia, Mount Sinai, NYMC, New York University Grossman, Cornell, Case Western, University of Cincinnati, Sidney Kimmel, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech Carilion, University of Wisconsin School

Thanks for the list suggestions! About the yield protect though, another post said my hrs were a bit low to be competitive at more “brand schools,” so I was wondering if I should just cut most of those. Since I def have a more research oriented app tho, I wasn’t sure what to do.

 

[Faha]

Thanks for the list suggestions! About the yield protect though, another post said my hrs were a bit low to be competitive at more “brand schools,” so I was wondering if I should just cut most of those. Since I def have a more research oriented app tho, I wasn’t sure what to do.

Your ECs are fine.

 

[AJS59]

You're def. set to apply this cycle. The top schools are always a crap shoot but you at least would be under consideration.

How do you feel about your LORs? Your writing?

 

[Insert_username]

You're def. set to apply this cycle. The top schools are always a crap shoot but you at least would be under consideration.

How do you feel about your LORs? Your writing?

My LORs are decent imo. All the writers (2 science profs, 1 art/performance class prof, 2 pi, 1 clinical) know me relatively well and seemed happy to write them.

As for my writing, based on other people’s critiques, there’s no clear red flags at least. I mostly followed Dr. Gray’s narrative writing style.