32P MCAT, 3.67 cGPA, 3.68 BCPM, Louisiana Resident

vannguyen · Jun 21, 2011

I was pretty dumb my first 3 semesters, making A's, B's, and C's but I made a 4.0 my remaining 5 semesters.

Not a lot of volunteering but there are some here and there such as Habitat for Humanity and Reading Friends. But I have been working since I was 17 usually 30 - 35 hrs per week.

I've been working in a pharmaceutical research lab for the past year which has been one of my most meaningful experiences.

Took the MCAT twice 26P and 32P.

So there is a strong positive trend. I'm hoping to get into at least LSU schools, but if there are other schools that seem hopeful, I'd like to know my chances. TY!

firecloak · Jun 23, 2011

It'd be nice if you could make a preliminary list. Try checking out MSAAR.

Do you have any geographical preference (south, NE)? Do you want to go to a research-oriented school (since you said that pharm lab was really influencial for you).

flatearth22 · Jun 23, 2011

Strong chance at LSU schools.

vannguyen · Jul 1, 2011

1. LSU Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in Shreveport

2. LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans

3. University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine

5. University of Washington School of Medicine

6. University of Virginia School of Medicine

7. University of Chicago The Pritzker School of Medicine

8. University of California, Davis, School of Medicine

9. University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine

10. Boston University School of Medicine

11. University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine

12. Harvard Medical School

13. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

14. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

My friend told me to not limit my options and apply to Harvard and Johns Hopkins so those are up there as well.

But the others I'm seriously considering.

HereIgo2011 · Jul 1, 2011

I would say your list of schools is too top heavy. You need to expand your list to include MCW, EVMS, AE, Drexel, Temple. UW should be off your list because UW do not accept too many students out of their region (0.9 %?).🙂

Whatyousay · Jul 1, 2011

vannguyen said:
1. LSU Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in Shreveport

2. LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans

3. University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine I guess.... but why? They're not as bad about OOS as some other schools, but they still favor IS

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine See above

5. University of Washington School of Medicine They don't really accept anyone OOS except for URMs / people who have experiences with URM (from their mission statement)

6. University of Virginia School of Medicine Reach

7. University of Chicago The Pritzker School of Medicine Reach

8. University of California, Davis, School of Medicine Reach + favor IS

9. University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine Reach + favor IS

10. Boston University School of Medicine

11. University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine Reach + favor IS

12. Harvard Medical School Reach

13. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Reach

14. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Reach

My friend told me to not limit my options and apply to Harvard and Johns Hopkins so those are up there as well.

But the others I'm seriously considering.

Your list is top heavy like crazy. I suppose if you're confident about your chances at your two state schools, that's your prerogative, but just be realistic about these sort of things.

Why all the UC schools? They're hard for competitive applicants to get in even with California residency. Try using this spreadsheet to get a better idea of where your numbers will "fit" in:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=831618

Suncrusher · Jul 7, 2011

get rid of nearly all of those OOS public schools (will likely be a waste of secondary app money unless you have amazing stats; I've had personal experience) and include private schools like MCW, Creighton, SLU, NYMC, Loyola, RF, AECOM, Tulane, etc.

sector9 · Jul 7, 2011

I put your chances at ~76% but I agree that your list is too top heavy.

What is your clinical exposure? Specifically, how many hours shadowing (in which specialties) and how much clinical volunteering?

vannguyen · Jul 7, 2011

sector9 said:
I put your chances at ~76% but I agree that your list is too top heavy.

What is your clinical exposure? Specifically, how many hours shadowing (in which specialties) and how much clinical volunteering?

None shadowing and, since February of this year, 4 hours a week volunteering at the ER (so not much at all).

One of my notable achievements is co-founding a club at my university along with 4 other students. It is called Multiculturalism in Health Care and it was the first club of its kind at my university. It seeks to expose members to other cultures and specifically how culture affects perceptions of healthcare and healthcare professionals. Its ultimate goal is to foster greater cultural competence.

sector9 · Jul 7, 2011

vannguyen said:
None shadowing and, since February of this year, 4 hours a week volunteering at the ER (so not much at all).

Well that's the much bigger red flag than the IA.

And you can definitely cross off UWash, since they require 40 hours shadowing. And most other schools expect shadowing. There are reports of students on SDN getting in without shadowing, but they had more clinical volunteering or jobs in a healthcare field.

I would suggest taking a gap year to build EC's.

Do you have a good reason for only working and not building your other EC's?

flatearth22 · Jul 7, 2011

OP just stretch your past clinical experience so that it is acceptable and pick up something during the application year instead of taking a whole year off. With an IA taking a whole year off just to get clinical experience could prove fruitless as some if not most schools will reject you just based on the IA.

Other schools:

Drexel
GWU
Temple
Jefferson
NYMC
Commonwealth
Hofstra
Beaumont
Rush
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin

sector9 · Jul 7, 2011

flatearth22 said:
OP just stretch your past clinical experience so that it is acceptable and pick up something during the application year instead of taking a whole year off.

Thankfully, vannguyen already knows that you give the worst advice possible. Are you seriously advocating him lying about this too, in addition to your advice to not disclose his IA? I don't think flatearth is being serious

vannguyen · Jul 7, 2011

sector9 said:
Well that's the much bigger red flag than the IA.

And you can definitely cross off UWash, since they require 40 hours shadowing. And most other schools expect shadowing. There are reports of students on SDN getting in without shadowing, but they had more clinical volunteering or jobs in a healthcare field.

I would suggest taking a gap year to build EC's.

Do you have a good reason for only working and not building your other EC's?

Just trying to support myself. My dad would be in and out of jobs and my mom works as a manicurist. My dad also liked to drink and totaled his car and without health insurance we paid the hospital bills out of pocket.

I considered applying as a disadvantaged applicant, but compared to other things my friends have been through this didn't seem that big of a deal.

vannguyen · Jul 8, 2011

Here is my new list. Be as harsh as possible!

Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans
LSU School of Medicine-Shreveport
Medical College of Wisconsin
New York Medical College
Tulane University School of Medicine
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
University of California, Irvine- College/Medicine
University of Colorado School of Medicine
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Is it really almost impossible to get into California schools if I'm not a resident?

sector9 · Jul 8, 2011

vannguyen said:
Here is my new list. Be as harsh as possible!

Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans
LSU School of Medicine-Shreveport
Medical College of Wisconsin
New York Medical College
Tulane University School of Medicine
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
University of California, Irvine- College/Medicine
University of Colorado School of Medicine
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Is it really almost impossible to get into California schools if I'm not a resident?

Both of those CA schools only take 1 or 2 OOSers every year. UCSF, UCLA, and UCSD are a little more accepting of OOS, but I wouldn't suggest adding them because the competition is extremely intense OOS for those schools. Your numbers are good, but not good enough to compete there.

I would suggest taking of Colorado too since they like non-trad's. Surf around their website for a little while and you can tell. They also like 500+ hours community service, which it sounds like you don't have

32P MCAT, 3.67 cGPA, 3.68 BCPM, Louisiana Resident

vannguyen

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firecloak

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HereIgo2011

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Whatyousay

A few loose screws

Suncrusher

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