*PLEASE DON'T QUOTE*
I hope everyone is doing well! As of right now, my plan is to apply next cycle. I'd like to apply primarily MD, but if I need to I have no problem applying to DO programs as well.
Here's what I have to work with so far:
I'm not applying until the next cycle, so I have a good amount of time to address any gaps that are present. I know that I definitely want to get more clinical volunteering in, and shadowing if possible. As of right now, I've applied to volunteer at a local clinic, and I'm looking out for some other volunteer opportunities as well.
As far as a school list goes, I'm not really sure how to approach building my list. Neither my GPA nor MCAT score is spectacular, but I think they give me chance at a number of low/mid-tier MD schools. I want to apply to a good amount of schools (30+) just to give myself the best chance. Here's the tentative list that I've come up with so far:
Thanks in advance!!
*Once again, please do not quote*
I hope everyone is doing well! As of right now, my plan is to apply next cycle. I'd like to apply primarily MD, but if I need to I have no problem applying to DO programs as well.
Here's what I have to work with so far:
- MCAT: 512 (128/129/126/129)
- cGPA: 3.52, sGPA: 3.47
- Pretty decent trend here. My yearly GPA increased as follows: 3.14, 3.45, 3.80, 3.77
- African-American male from Massachusetts
- Went to school in VA
- Currently live/work in MD
- Clinical Experience (I know this is definitely one of my weaknesses and will work on it over the next year before I apply):
- ~20 hours as an interpreter at a free healthcare clinic
- ~50 hours taking pediatric patients & their families to doctors appointments, as well as hanging out with them on the side
- Research experience:
- Spent all four years working in a chemistry lab during undergrad. Never got a publication, but I presented a poster at a regional chemistry conference and another poster at my university's research symposium.
- Will be spending my two gap years researching at the NIH (full time work)
- Shadowing:
- ~ 65 hours shadowing an orthopedic surgeon
- ~15 hours shadowing an acute care/trauma general surgeon in the ICU
- ~ 20 hours shadowing a surgical breast oncologist
- Non-clinical volunteering
- Camp Counselor for Camp Kesem - camp counselor at a week long sleep away camp for children whose parents have/had cancer (~200)
- Leadership
- Volunteer Coordinator for Camp Kesem - basically I recruited and interviewed everyone who wanted to be a counselor. I also ran biweekly general body member meetings
- Philanthropy chair for a fraternity for two years
- Orientation advisor my sophomore year (wasn't sure if this counted as volunteering or leadership? They didn't pay us so I guess it would be volunteering but idk)
- Associate Chair of orientation my junior year - basically I just helped interview and select orientation advisors, and then helped to plan and run orientation
- Employment (during undegrad)
- Worked in an on-campus computer lab my senior year
- Tutored a number of course and TA'd for one class for two years
- Worked in an on-campus coffee shop for my first 3 years of undergrad
- Hobbies
- Reading
- Movies
- Cooking/Baking
- Exercising
- Videogames
I'm not applying until the next cycle, so I have a good amount of time to address any gaps that are present. I know that I definitely want to get more clinical volunteering in, and shadowing if possible. As of right now, I've applied to volunteer at a local clinic, and I'm looking out for some other volunteer opportunities as well.
As far as a school list goes, I'm not really sure how to approach building my list. Neither my GPA nor MCAT score is spectacular, but I think they give me chance at a number of low/mid-tier MD schools. I want to apply to a good amount of schools (30+) just to give myself the best chance. Here's the tentative list that I've come up with so far:
- Kaiser Permanente
- Howard
- Morehouse
- University of Toledo
- Florida International University
- Albany
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- Tulane University
- Hackensack Meridian
- Temple
- EVMS
- Geisinger Commonwealth school of medicine
- Cal Northstate
- Wake Forest
- Georgetown
- George Washington University
- VCU
- UConn
- Virginia Tech
- Quinnipiac
- California University
- Thomas Jefferson University
- University of Miami
- NYU Long Island
- Emory
- University of Maryland
- UNC
- Tufts
- UMass
- University of Southern California
- BU
- University of Pittsburgh
- Duke
- UVA
- Case Western
- Johns Hopkins
Thanks in advance!!
*Once again, please do not quote*
