WAMC/School List Help: 4.0 GPA, 525 MCAT, weak ECs

[Obstreperous Bumpkin]

Is this too top heavy given I have zero research? Which should I absolutely not apply to, and what are some good OOS friendly mid-tiers I add?

Reach/Probably Unrealistic: NYU, Mayo, Northwestern, Sinai, Michigan, UVA, Baylor, UTSW, UT San Antonio, Kaiser

Feasible: Emory, Brown, Einstein, Cincinnati, Ohio State, USF Morsani, Hofstra, Arizona Phoenix, Rochester, Iowa, Illinois, Stony Brook, Indiana, Dartmouth, Maryland, Minnesota, VCU, UNR, UNLV


GPA: 4.0 Biology BS

MCAT: 525 (132/129/132/132)

Demographics: white male, Nevada resident

Undergrad: state school

Clinical: 2000 hours as a medical assistant in a urology clinic -- direct patient contact

Research: NONE

Shadowing: ~20 hours informal shadowing in urology

Volunteering: ~210 hours spread between food closet, library, and dog shelter

Leadership: none during college. I help train new MAs, and I'm the main authority in our clinic on assisting the doctors with bladder Botox.

Other: ~1500 hours part-time work at university library during school. ~500 hours as a field tech with the Forest Service doing field surveys to collect data on owl populations.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Faha]

What is the breakdown of your 210 hours of non clinical volunteering ?

 

[Obstreperous Bumpkin]

What is the breakdown of your 210 hours of non clinical volunteering ?

100 at food closet, 50 at library, 60 at animal shelter.

 

[Faha]

Accumulate another 30 hours of physician shadowing (other than urology) and another 50 hours at the food closet before you submit your application. I suggest these schools with your stats:
Your 2 Nevada state public schools
Kaiser
Washington University (in St. Louis-almost a guaranteed interview with your stats)
Vanderbilt
USF Morsani
Duke
U Virginia
Jefferson
Pittsburgh
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
NYU
Columbia
Cornell
Rochester
UPenn
Johns Hopkins
Cincinnati
Ohio State
Case Western
U Michigan
Northwestern
Boston University
Tufts
Dartmouth
Brown
Your lack of research may be an issue at some schools but it is difficult to predict where.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Do you want to be a rural physician in Nevada? Try to get some shadowing that is outside of your MA office. If you want rural medicine, research before medical school may not be crucial. Agree with other advice to position your application.

 

[Obstreperous Bumpkin]

Do you want to be a rural physician in Nevada? Try to get some shadowing that is outside of your MA office. If you want rural medicine, research before medical school may not be crucial. Agree with other advice to position your application.

Rural medicine is the absolute last thing I want to do, and for that reason I want to apply to the best schools within reason given my lack of research. I will definitely try to get some shadowing with other specialties.

If I have no research experience, will that ruin my chances of getting research during med school and subsequently matching into a non-primary care specialty? I’m looking for lab tech/research assistant-type jobs to at least get my foot in the door in the next year between application and matriculation, but I have limited opportunities due to the fact that I’m no longer an undergrad.

 

[Obstreperous Bumpkin]

Accumulate another 30 hours of physician shadowing (other than urology) and another 50 hours at the food closet before you submit your application. I suggest these schools with your stats:
Your 2 Nevada state public schools
Kaiser
Washington University (in St. Louis-almost a guaranteed interview with your stats)
Vanderbilt
USF Morsani
Duke
U Virginia
Jefferson
Pittsburgh
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
NYU
Columbia
Cornell
Rochester
UPenn
Johns Hopkins
Cincinnati
Ohio State
Case Western
U Michigan
Northwestern
Boston University
Tufts
Dartmouth
Brown
Your lack of research may be an issue at some schools but it is difficult to predict where.

Thanks for taking the time to make this list, I really appreciate it.
Should I really try for all these research-heavy top 20/30s with zero research?

 

[Faha]

Thanks for taking the time to make this list, I really appreciate it.
Should I really try for all these research-heavy top 20/30s with zero research?

Your stats will appeal to some schools. You are also lacking in shadowing hours and non clinical volunteering hours (some schools screen at 150 hours and you have only 100).

 

[Mr.Smile12]

If I have no research experience, will that ruin my chances of getting research during med school and subsequently matching into a non-primary care specialty?

No it doesn't. But be sure you have support for the specialty you want to pursue.

Mission fit and service may need to be stronger though I don't suspect you should have a problem with your state or regional schools (UNLV, Colorado, Arizona). Get closer to 250 hours at the food bank to be on par with students with your stats of you want brand schools.

 

[atriablack]

~500 hours as a field tech with the Forest Service doing field surveys to collect data on owl populations.

How is this data used? This sounds like ecology research? Certainly is the data collection part of research.
And if you are still searching for research, with this experience you could easily join an ecology lab right now, get some hours in and club your total hours to a big ecology research category.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Do you want to be a rural physician in Nevada? Try to get some shadowing that is outside of your MA office. If you want rural medicine, research before medical school may not be crucial. Agree with other advice to position your application.

+1 that in the rural medicine world, nobody cares about research experience

 

[Hollow Knight]

Also just came here to say that even with your stats, you should apply to your local/in-state MDs and some local DOs you wouldn't mind attending.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Also just came here to say that even with your stats, you should apply to your local/in-state MDs and some local DOs you wouldn't mind attending.

I don't think a guy with stats that are in the top 25 percent at every school in the country and who at least checks the boxes everywhere else plus has some good ECs (2k hours of direct patient contact as an MA) needs DO schools on their list.

Get some primary care shadowing and more nonclinical volunteering. You're pack fodder at top 20 schools and strong anywhere else.