WAMC: Texas resident re-app, Advice needed

[yeehawwamc]

1. cGPA/sGPA: 3.790 / 3.67 (AMCAS system)
Upward trend. First semester of college was a 3.4, last three have been 4.0s. Hoping at a 3.8 when I apply again in May. Graduating this may as well
2. MCAT: 509; 127/128/127/127
3. State: Texas Resident
4. Race: Middle Eastern (White, Other…Fellow middle easterners, what did you put?)
5. School: Public university in Texas
6. Clinical: 150 volunteer hours at a hospital
7. Research: 8 months in a research lab as a research assistant, with no publications or presentations
8. Shadowing: a bit over 60 hours in various practices and specialties (ENT, endocrinology, OBGYN, Dermatology), about 10-20 hours of virtual shadowing
9. Non-clinical volunteering

• 25 hours mentoring high school students on college apps
• 25 hours at my college service organization at various things like food pantry services, etc.

10. Leadership:

• About 400 hours working as a TA at my university (3 semesters), paid position (still in this position, will acquire another 120ish hours)
• 250 hours in a leadership position in a school org
• 100 hours working as a tutor outside of the university

11. Awards: Scholarships, Dean’s List, graduating summa cum laude in may
12. Others: had some artwork displayed in a museum, do a lot of photography and art on the side

I applied in the 2022-2023 cycle and haven’t received any interviews. I am wondering what I should do from here. My GPA is now a little bit higher than what was on my application in May (previous application 3.76, 3.63 on AMCAS), I have more volunteer hours and a few more shadowing hours from my application.

What my current plans are: I am currently interviewing for a scribe job that I am hoping to get, and I plan on doing more volunteering, wondering if I should continue with clinical or do more non-clinical. I have also considered taking the MCAT again but I’m really concerned if I am able to score higher than a 509 given that a 507 was the highest I ever got on a practice, and I don't think I ever got higher than a 125 in CARS (cri). I am also still in school but I know I am disciplined to do it if I have to. I am also wondering if I need to go for a post-bac or SMP… I know UNT has a good one

I was told by my school’s health profession committee that my essays and letters of rec were strong. I applied to all TMDSAS schools (including DO) and Drexel, Temple, Wake Forest, Tulane, and the Medical College of Wisconsin on AMCAS. I completed all secondaries except for UTSW and Dell. I was done with all secondaries by end of June, early July for TMDSAS, and late July/early August for AMCAS.

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[Mr.Smile12]

So what are your results? I guess if you are reapplying you have no acceptances but where did you apply?

It's too bad you didn't come to us to get advice in addition. There are some deficiencies I can see right off the bat. Leadership includes 500 hours of teaching or tutoring, and that's how I see them. I don't know what your leadership role is with your club.

Plus, 50 hours of community service/ non clinical volunteering is not enough. Half is with tutoring for all intents and purposes.

150 hours of clinical experience hours my minimum expectations which may not be enough when comparing with a pool of applicants.

I get no sense that compels me to pick your file for further discussion.

I'll let others comment on your MCAT for Texas schools. You don't need a postbac.

 

[yeehawwamc]

So what are your results? I guess if you are reapplying you have no acceptances but where did you apply?

I also wish I had people to get advice from earlier. I am reapplying because I have no interviews.
I applied to all TMDSAS schools (14) plus a couple of others on AMCAS that I mentioned above. I want to stay in Texas, but I will take suggestions as to how I should change my school list.

I don't know what your leadership role is with your club.

My leadership role in my org was as a director/officer working with social media

I will keep your community service comment in mind and I will do my best to work on that. I appreciate your comment and advice.

 

[chilly_md]

The deficiencies in your ECs as pointed out by Mr. Smile are the biggest concern. You would need to gain an additional 200+ non-clinical hours in something that impacts those less fortunate (homeless shelter, food bank, soup kitchen etc). Scribing would be good to gain clinical experience.

Continue doing well in your classes, you don’t need a postbac. Retaking the MCAT would not be worth it since your practice scores were around your actual score.

With a reapp, apply to TMDAS (Baylor and UTSW would not be worth the secondary), TCU and Tulane. Do not apply to any other MD schools. You will need several other DO schools and I suggest:

ACOM
UIWSOM
VCOM
KCU
KCOM
Touro Nevada
DMU
Marian
PCOM
NYITCOM

 

[yeehawwamc]

With a reapp, apply to TMDAS (Baylor and UTSW would not be worth the secondary), TCU and Tulane. Do not apply to any other MD schools. You will need several other DO schools and I suggest:

If I am able to gain more volunteer and clinical hours before this summer, do you think I have a chance to get into MD programs or will I be aiming for DO schools? At the end of the day, I want to be a physician so it does not matter to me, but I would like to be competitive in MD programs.

 

[chilly_md]

If I am able to gain more volunteer and clinical hours before this summer, do you think I have a chance to get into MD programs or will I be aiming for DO schools? At the end of the day, I want to be a physician so it does not matter to me, but I would like to be competitive in MD programs.

It would help but you should be aiming for DO as well considering you did not receive interviews from Sam Houston and TCOM either.

 

[yeehawwamc]

1. cGPA= 3.79 and sGPA= 3.65 as calculated by AMCAS (I still have this semester's grades to be put in and I am thinking I'll have a 3.8 fingers crossed). Disastrous freshman year, 4.0 every semester after that
2. 509 127/128/127/127
3. State: Texas Resident
4. Ethnicity and/or race: middle eastern
5. Undergraduate institution or category: large public university
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer):
   1. Volunteer at Hospital: around 150 hours over a year
   2. Working as an MA (starting as a gap year job): 40 hours a week, will probably have about 100-150 hours when I submit
7. Research experience and productivity
   1. 200 hours as a research assistant (unpaid) at my university
   2. 500 hours as a RA (Paid) in a large hospital
   3. no pubs no posters
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. ENT 24 hours
   2. OBGYN 8h
   3. Derm 24h
   4. Endocrinology 24h
   5. Ophthalmology (i am an MA here, can I cross-list as shadowing..?)
9. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. 35 hours of work in the food pantry
   2. ~100 hours of tutoring/mentoring
   3. ~500 hours commissioned artwork for a women's shelter and a hospice
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
    1. Photography, art, etc - since I was in 8th grade so 1000+ hours
    2. TA at my university for two years (paid) approx 500 hours
    3. Leadership position in my club (director of social media) - 1 year
11. Relevant honors or awards
    1. Summa Cum Laude
    2. Dean's list many times
    3. University Honors
    4. Scholarship for undergrad
12. Is anything else not listed you think might be important
    1. I am a reapplicant for this cycle, I posted last year and I have improved on some of my extracurriculars hopefully. If there is anything I can work on in the next month please let me know. The HPAC at my school said that I had good rec letters and a strong personal statement. I am really looking for a school list outside of the TMDSAS application. Do I have a chance of being successful this cycle? Thank you for time : )

 

[chilly_md]

I am a reapplicant for this cycle, I posted last year and I have improved on some of my extracurriculars hopefully. If there is anything I can work on in the next month please let me know. The HPAC at my school said that I had good rec letters and a strong personal statement. I am really looking for a school list outside of the TMDSAS application. Do I have a chance of being successful this cycle? Thank you for time : )

I have merged your post with your prior thread.

Same list as I suggested before. You could try Belmont as well when it opens on AMCAS. Oklahoma State and Touro NY for DO could be worthwhile additions.

 

[wysdoc]

Good luck this time as you have improved your activity profile.
Your best chances are always going to be with the Texas schools so apply to them all including the DO schools and TCU.
Some OOS schools to look at that are somewhat welcoming to Texans are Vermont, EVMS, and UCF.

Belmont is not at the approval stage to accept applications this year but will probably be ready for the 2024-2025 cycle.