WAMC/Need input with school list

[premed2114]

I would be so appreciative for a WAMC and if someone could tell me if my school list seems appropriate! I have 40ish on the list and might apply to all.

3.75 GPA, 3.78 sGPA, 524 MCAT, ORM, FL resident

400 hrs research, divided between 2 labs, no pubs

200 hrs tutoring English

200 hrs tutoring STEM

Certified EMT

20 hrs in person shadowing


I plan to apply to all 8 Florida MD's, plus

Creighton
Hofstra
Eastern Virginia
Georgetown
Rutgers
Toledo
Cincinnati
Colorado
Virginia Commonwealth
Wake Forest
Hackensack
UConn
Wayne State
West Virginia
Western Michigan Stryker
University of Virginia
Boston University
University of Illinois
University of Iowa
University of Michigan
Rochester
Drexel
Thomas Jefferson
Tufts
Tulane
University of Vermont
Rosalind Franklin
Cooper Rowan
Dartmouth
University of Mass
University of Pittsburgh
Emory
TCU Burnett
WashU (big reach but I have family in Seattle)

Expected to have 3-4 pretty solid LOR's (3 professors 1 MD).
Is this too top heavy? I feel like a lot are T50s which is risky since my EC's are on the lower side. But I don't know if it's worth adding more low yield ones. It's difficult for me to apply to schools where my stats match because then my EC's become too low.
Thanks for the input!!!

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[theoceanman]

Do you have any community service? Many schools, especially MD, look for 150+ hours community service catered towards a specific population, which will make you mission-fit. Your lack of community service will screen you out at most places, especially the name-brand and top-heavy schools on your list.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Overall experience hours are really light. Are you involved with anything outside of class at all that you are passionate about?

 

[premed2114]

Do you have any community service? Many schools, especially MD, look for 150+ hours community service catered towards a specific population, which will make you mission-fit. Your lack of community service will screen you out at most places, especially the name-brand and top-heavy schools on your list.

I had assumed that both the Crisis Text Line and my volunteer tutoring all counted as nonclinical volunteering/community service

 

[premed2114]

Overall experience hours are really light. Are you involved with anything outside of class at all that you are passionate about?

Yes, I do have a few hobbies I can talk about, and I also have a bit of a backstory regarding why my experiences are light (had some health issues pop up in college).

 

[gyngyn]

Your stats are way too high for several of the schools on your list.
They need to be a match (except for your state schools).
There is also the issue of mission fit. Many also have a mission to provide physicians for their state (esp. in states with few medical schools).

 

[premed2114]

Your stats are way too high for several of the schools on your list.
They need to be a match (except for your state schools).
There is also the issue of mission fit. Many also have a mission to provide physicians for their state (esp. in states with few medical schools).

I understand, but I have a problem applying to schools where my stats match because my EC's then become too low for them

 

[gyngyn]

I understand, but I have a problem applying to schools where my stats match because my EC's then become too low for them

Work on your EC's. Applying to schools that won't interview you doesn't fix that.

 

[chilly_md]

I understand, but I have a problem applying to schools where my stats match because my EC's then become too low for them

Applying to random state schools and schools with far lower median stats is not the solution for that.

You should take the year to work as an EMT.

 

[toastedbutter]

WashU

Thats Washington University in St. Louis, not University of Washington in Seattle like I imagine you meant?

 

[premed2114]

Thats Washington University in St. Louis, not University of Washington in Seattle like I imagine you meant?

Yes, that's what I meant, lol

 

[theoceanman]

I had assumed that both the Crisis Text Line and my volunteer tutoring all counted as nonclinical volunteering/community service

Tutoring is a mainstream, relatively "overrated" activity that 99% of applicants will have accumulated over 100 hours in easily due to being TA's, paid tutors, volunteered tutors, etc. Crisis Text Line is fine, but it doesn't necessarily count as community service in my eyes, mostly only as "non-clinical volunteering", but even then, unless your application is tailored towards individuals of mental health, such as having heavy clinical volunteering in an underserved, psychiatry clinic and working towards non-profit, community service organizations that focus on mental health for marginalized communities, then it will not mean too much other than checking off the boxes for a bare minimum screen-out in some instances.

Community service itself is valued highly because it allows you to create a purpose and mission-fit statement towards the specific populations you want to work towards as a physician, whether it be rural, underserved, or relatively marginalized communities. I would say postpone yourself from applying this cycle, as above posters have recommended or implied, and work towards this clear weakness in your application. Also, discover some aspects of yourself outside of medicine; I don't know if you have or not, but it seems to me that your entire application currently is just tailored towards medicine only and you did nothing outside of preparing yourself for medical school, such as lack of EC involvement in the arts, sports, or just simple hobbies. You need to appear more "human" in your application than a studious pre-med to have medical schools want to interview you and get to know you better.

 

[Faha]

You have several state public schools on your list that admit few non residents with no connection to the state. You also have schools (Georgetown, Creighton, Tulane) that look for applicants with hundreds of hour of clinical volunteering/employment and you have only have 90. You best chances are your Florida schools and I suggest these for OOS MD schools:
Washington University (in St. Louis)
Northwestern
U Michigan
Western Michigan
Cincinnati
U Penn
Jefferson
Rochester
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
Tufts
U Virginia
Duke
Iowa