WAMC/School list 3.94 cGPA 3.90 sGPA 518 MCAT reapp

[sarazenshaun]

cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
cGPA 3.94
AMCAS sGPA 3.90
MCAT score(s) and breakdown
130/129/130/129
State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
Virginia for residency and undergrad
Ethnicity and/or race
ORM
Undergraduate institution or category
George Mason University
Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
Unpaid
Intern: 151 hrs Neurology clinic
Volunteer 40 hrs Free Clinic
Paid
MA: 460+ hrs Pulmonary/Sleep Clinic
Research experience and productivity
150 hrs at a Mason Neuroscience/Psychology research lab been apart of several projects since Jan 2020. Published an abstract in student scientist journal. A paper under review, not first author.
Shadowing experience and specialties represented
200 hrs General Practitioner (not very varied ik)
Non-clinical volunteering
150 hrs Habitat for Humanity
10 hrs My local community association(garbage pick ups, community events, etc.) just started this spring
I would say this is probably the biggest weakness in my application
Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
Tennis Club
Tennis coaching
Relevant honors or awards
Various minor academic awards i.e. Dean's List
Anything else not listed you think might be important
graduated Fall of 2022(Semester early)
Applied last cycle to the following schools very late in the cycle(Sept/Oct):
EVMS Pre-Interview R
George Washington Pre-Interview R
Temple Pre-Interview R
Nova Southeastern Never submitted II
Penn State Pre-Interview R
Jefferson Pre-Interview R
Miami- Miller Never submitted II
UVA Pre-Interview R
VCU Pre-Interview R
Schools
Pretty basic list of MD schools rn
GW(sibling goes here)
VCU
EVMS
UVA
Georgetown
Howard
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
UPitt
UPenn
UMiami
USF
NSU
UMichigan

Thanks in advance and let me know what y'all think!

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[chilly_md]

Your ECs are rather limited, which will detrimental at powerhouse schools like Michigan. Howard is an HBCU, you do not fit their profile.

What’s new with your app that wasn’t there before?

 

[sarazenshaun]

Your ECs are rather limited, which will detrimental at powerhouse schools like Michigan. Howard is an HBCU, you do not fit their profile.

What’s new with your app that wasn’t there before?

Hey thanks for responding! The changes are mostly that I graduated and began working full time as an MA at the Pulmonary Clinic after I graduated in Jan. Also about 50 more hours at Habitat for Humanity and started volunteering at local events about a month back. I'm planning on switching to part time at the clinic as applications open.

 

[chilly_md]

Hey thanks for responding! The changes are mostly that I graduated and began working full time as an MA at the Pulmonary Clinic after I graduated in Jan. Also about 50 more hours at Habitat for Humanity and started volunteering at local events about a month back. I'm planning on switching to part time at the clinic as applications open.

The extra clinical experience should help, and it should contribute a good chunk to your PS. Continue gaining non-clinical volunteer hours. Right now, 10 hours for helping around the community is not worth listing. You would need a minimum of 50 hours for the activity to have some merit.

I suggest:

VCU
EVMS
UVA
George Washington
Georgetown
Vermont
Hackensack
Miami
USF
Nova MD
Dartmouth
Rochester
Einstein
Hofstra
Wake
Jefferson
Temple
Saint Louis
Creighton
Emory
Colorado
Tufts
Western Michigan
Iowa
UMass
Ohio State
Cincinnati
MCW
Belmont (when it opens)

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Non-clinical volunteering
150 hrs Habitat for Humanity
10 hrs My local community association(garbage pick ups, community events, etc.) just started this spring
I would say this is probably the biggest weakness in my application

For what it's worth, you are at least over the minimum expectation threshold for non-clinical volunteering and service orientation. Keep going with it or pick up more involvement. I guess I'm interested in the community association work, but certainly H4H is helpful too.

I don't know why you weren't so successful with your in-state options other than you really didn't fit mission or culture. Did your sibling go to GW when you applied the last time? You can't just rest on your laurels having a sibling at the school... you have to show you really fit there as well.

I'll agree you must keep pushing on your clinical hours. GW has tens of thousands of applicants, so the number of banked hours you have doesn't really keep pace with many of the applicants they may wind up picking. Just my thoughts on it.

 

[sarazenshaun]

The extra clinical experience should help, and it should contribute a good chunk to your PS. Continue gaining non-clinical volunteer hours. Right now, 10 hours for helping around the community is not worth listing. You would need a minimum of 50 hours for the activity to have some merit.

I suggest:

VCU
EVMS
UVA
George Washington
Georgetown
Vermont
Hackensack
Miami
USF
Nova MD
Dartmouth
Rochester
Einstein
Hofstra
Wake
Jefferson
Temple
Saint Louis
Creighton
Emory
Colorado
Tufts
Western Michigan
Iowa
UMass
Ohio State
Cincinnati
MCW
Belmont (when it opens)

Thanks alot! I see some familiar schools on this list that I'm looking at. Do you think I should add UPitt, Penn State, or UPenn? My sibiling's friends recommended all these schools (I've visited Pitt and really liked it) + they're relatively closer to my family. I'm mostly trying to over apply within reason.

For what it's worth, you are at least over the minimum expectation threshold for non-clinical volunteering and service orientation. Keep going with it or pick up more involvement. I guess I'm interested in the community association work, but certainly H4H is helpful too.

I don't know why you weren't so successful with your in-state options other than you really didn't fit mission or culture. Did your sibling go to GW when you applied the last time? You can't just rest on your laurels having a sibling at the school... you have to show you really fit there as well.

I'll agree you must keep pushing on your clinical hours. GW has tens of thousands of applicants, so the number of banked hours you have doesn't really keep pace with many of the applicants they may wind up picking. Just my thoughts on it.

Hey! Thanks for responding.

Yeah, I'm gonna try and get some hours in at my local H4H. The community association work is mostly just helping to run events/clean up in my local town, not really volunteering for under-served communities.

I definitely think a big reason for my last cycle failing was how also late I sent out secondaries(Sept/Oct). That also might be a good point that I didn't fit the mission/culture. My sibiling did actually go to GW med school at the time of the application. I'm not sure how much that would affect admissions, but it definitely makes that school more attractive and I really liked the campus. I didn't mention my sibling on my last application though.

Yeah the number of applicants is crazy and looking through sdn makes me realize again how competitive it is. I'll try and get as many hours as I can before I submit.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thanks alot! I see some familiar schools on this list that I'm looking at. Do you think I should add UPitt, Penn State, or UPenn? My sibiling's friends recommended all these schools (I've visited Pitt and really liked it) + they're relatively closer to my family. I'm mostly trying to over apply within reason.

If the mission makes sense to you.

I'm gonna try and get some hours in at my local H4H. The community association work is mostly just helping to run events/clean up in my local town, not really volunteering for under-served communities.

Showing you participate in civic responsibility isn't a bad thing either.

My sibiling did actually go to GW med school at the time of the application. I'm not sure how much that would affect admissions, but it definitely makes that school more attractive and I really liked the campus. I didn't mention my sibling on my last application though.

I presume your sibling had not matriculated so you wouldn't need to add that information on the application. Now you can. As long as your sibling is passing classes...

 

[chilly_md]

Thanks alot! I see some familiar schools on this list that I'm looking at. Do you think I should add UPitt, Penn State, or UPenn? My sibiling's friends recommended all these schools (I've visited Pitt and really liked it) + they're relatively closer to my family. I'm mostly trying to over apply within reason.

I wouldn’t suggest Penn or Pitt. Penn State you could do if you fit the mission or grew up in the area. But they are likely to think you will attend school elsewhere, so they’ll pass on your app.

 

[deleted1159869]

I wouldn’t suggest Penn or Pitt. Penn State you could do if you fit the mission or grew up in the area. But they are likely to think you will attend school elsewhere, so they’ll pass on your app.

Are Penn and Pitt not recommended due to MCAT? Or due to low research hours?

 

[deleted1161197]

Are Penn and Pitt not recommended due to MCAT? Or due to low research hours?

518 gets you screened out of Penn and Pitt, especially as ORM (it's <10th percentile).

Aside from that, both schools are big on research and most applicants will have 1000+ hours at these schools.

 

[deleted1091458]

518 gets you screened out of Penn and Pitt, especially as ORM (it's <10th percentile).

Aside from that, both schools are big on research and most applicants will have 1000+ hours at these schools.

That's just literally not true lol, I know an ORM who got into Penn this cycle with a 518, but yes did have 2500+ hours of research with posters.

 

[chilly_md]

Are Penn and Pitt not recommended due to MCAT? Or due to low research hours?

Low research

 

[sarazenshaun]

If the mission makes sense to you.

Gotcha, I’ll reevaluate my application and the schools mission then.

Showing you participate in civic responsibility isn't a bad thing either.

Yeah, I’m gonna keep doing it occasionally, but I’m gonna prioritize my work at H4H since I think my lack of hours helping underserved communities

I presume your sibling had not matriculated so you wouldn't need to add that information on the application. Now you can. As long as your sibling is passing classes...

My sibling had, but wasn’t performing too well at the time. He's doing well now though.

I wouldn’t suggest Penn or Pitt. Penn State you could do if you fit the mission or grew up in the area. But they are likely to think you will attend school elsewhere, so they’ll pass on your app.

Gotcha, I'll prioritize the other schools.

Low research

I might have a research position lined up this summer but I agree that my research really doesn't look impressive compared to others. I might still apply to Pitt tho since I really liked the campus, prolly as an outside chance.


Thanks again for taking the time to help me y'all!! I really found this advice useful and if y'all have any other advice, please let me know!