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Stargaze11

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Hi everyone,

I want to thank you all in advance for reviewing my stats. I appreciate it so much and value all of your opinions. I didn't include DO on this list because I'm not adverse to taking another gap year to study again for the MCAT if I must, so I decided to take a shot in the dark and see what happens while learning valuable information from this application cycle.
  1. cGPA (3.8) and sGPA (3.82) with upward trend, taking college classes in HS dragged down my GPA
  2. MCAT score: 503 C/P 122 CARS 127 B/BC 126 P/S 128
  3. State of residence: NY
  4. Ethnicity and/or race: Black Female (African immigrant) URM, No SES disadvantaged
  5. Undergraduate institution or category: Public CUNY school
  6. Clinical experience: Volunteer Hrs. 842, Scribing Non-volunteer Hrs. 308
  7. Research experience: 3 posters, various symposiums, conferences, and ceremonies- 674 hours
  8. Shadowing experience: 294 hours (In person hours = 88 all other hours are virtual)
  9. Non-clinical volunteering: 822 hours
  10. Other extracurricular activities: founder of a church group of 20 for pre-medical students (417 hours)
  11. Relevant honors or awards: Associated Medical Schools Academic Award, Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students Best Poster Award
  12. Non-clinical Work Experience: Supervisor for Applebee's Restaurant and Front of House (FOH) Lead Neighborhood Expert, 5,600 hours
  13. Application Focus: I am very heavily focused on addressing the disparities that underserved communities face in healthcare.
About my school list...

I crossed out schools that seemed either out of reach for my stats, had a higher than 123 subsection stated preference, or were reputably low yield; please provide feedback on if I should bring them back or not. Also, please provide additional suggestions for schools I can add.

Explanations for extreme 'reach' schools
Einstein: Recommended by my mentor, even though I feel my stats are significantly out of reach, I trust her judgment.
Pitt Med: My older brother went to this school less than a year ago and fell in love with the city during my visits.

Tentative School List


Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Tulane University School of Medicine
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University
Indiana University School of Medicine
School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
Jacobs School of Medicine at the University at Buffalo
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Howard University College of Medicine
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
State University of New York Upstate Medical University
Medical College of Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
University of Vermont
Drexel University College of Medicine
New York Medical College
Einstein

SUNY downstate
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Albany Medical College

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Any networking with SNMA chapters or officers at the schools where you want to go? Break down your 822 hours of non-clinical volunteering, please. (Determines how appropriate for Rush, Georgetown).

What is your purpose as a physician? How is that supported by your activities? What do you want to be doing in 10 years?

IMO all HBCU's should be in play. If you grew up around NYC, all the NY schools should be in play.

I don't know about OOS where mission may not fit: Toledo, Tulane, Indiana, Vermont, MCW. Having a brother at Pitt could help you there. Would you want to go to Boston or Philadelphia (I see Temple and Cooper but not Drexel?)
 
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Any networking with SNMA chapters or officers at the schools where you want to go? Break down your 822 hours of non-clinical volunteering, please. (Determines how appropriate for Rush, Georgetown).

What is your purpose as a physician? How is that supported by your activities? What do you want to be doing in 10 years?

IMO all HBCU's should be in play. If you grew up around NYC, all the NY schools should be in play.

I don't know about OOS where mission may not fit: Toledo, Tulane, Indiana, Vermont, MCW. Having a brother at Pitt could help you there. Would you want to go to Boston or Philadelphia (I see Temple and Cooper but not Drexel?)
1. Unfortunately, there is no networking on that end.

2. 822 Hrs non clinical volunteering breakdown
86 Hours Community Kitchen Volunteer (projected 600 Hrs)
516 Hours BLS and Heart Saver instructor for American Heart Association
220 Hours Assistant Volunteer Basketball Coach for my old high school basketball team

3. My purpose in being a physician is to help underserved communities gain more access to medical services (rooted in my experience in my village in Africa). Would 1,000% go into primary care. This goal has been supported by my volunteering in hospice, conducting clinical research on how to address these disparities, raising awareness in my community about health disparities (saving this for secondary), volunteering in a community kitchen, and raising awareness for cardiac arrest through offering training/certifications to schools and community centers in my neighborhood.

4. Thank you for your feedback. I looked on Reddit and talked to others that also scored 503 as URM, and they seemed to get no love from HBCU's, hence why I was frugal in adding a large bulk.

5. To clarify, "I don't know about OOS where mission may not fit: Toledo, Tulane, Indiana, Vermont, MCW." You don't think these schools mission fits with my future goals? Also, I removed Drexel because, frankly, I didn't think I had much of a chance there, particularly because it's so low yield (as per reddit) so I tried to limit the number of low yield schools I had. Also, I thought Drexel was in Philadelphia? This is why I removed it so that I could "apply broadly," which is what people often say lower stat applicants should do (since I already had another school in Philadelphia). ALSO I WOULD LOVE TO LIVE IN BOSTON :) But when I googled the schools in Boston, they all seemed so unattainable for me.
 
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I suggest these schools with your stats:
All 4 SUNYs
Albany
New York Medical College
Einstein
Howard
Meharry
Morehouse
Charles Drew
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Hackensack
Pittsburgh
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Georgetown
George Washington
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
Emory
Miami
Tulane
TCU
St. Louis
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
Rush
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Indiana
Apply this month and submit all your secondaries by July
 
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I suggest these schools with your stats:
All 4 SUNYs
Albany
New York Medical College
Einstein
Howard
Meharry
Morehouse
Charles Drew
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Hackensack
Pittsburgh
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Georgetown
George Washington
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
Emory
Miami
Tulane
TCU
St. Louis
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
Rush
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Indiana
Apply this month and submit all your secondaries by July
Yup sent in my app on the 2nd day; I am already verified. I am just tweaking my school list now :) will get secondaries in ASAP I have begun prewriting for schools I am passionate about, e.g., pitt.

May I ask you to expand on why you think Einstein might be a good match? I heard they are very stats focused.
 
Put Drexel and Geisinger back on the list pls.
 
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Thank you for your feedback. I looked on Reddit and talked to others that also scored 503 as URM, and they seemed to get no love from HBCU's, hence why I was frugal in adding a large bulk.
I know I cannot vouch for anyone on the internet, but did those posters have a similar application profile and mission as you did? I'm just curious because you remarked your commitment to addressing health disparities and access challenges.

So be aware and agreeing with @N3utr0ph!l

You can check with students via SNMA about whether students with a similar purpose have found strong mentoring and support.
 
Yup sent in my app on the 2nd day; I am already verified. I am just tweaking my school list now :) will get secondaries in ASAP I have begun prewriting for schools I am passionate about, e.g., pitt.

May I ask you to expand on why you think Einstein might be a good match? I heard they are very stats focused.
Einstein is a a reach but it is fine to have a few reaches.
 
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I know I cannot vouch for anyone on the internet, but did those posters have a similar application profile and mission as you did? I'm just curious because you remarked your commitment to addressing health disparities and access challenges.

So be aware and agreeing with @N3utr0ph!l

You can check with students via SNMA about whether students with a similar purpose have found strong mentoring and support.
They didn't expand much on that; I'll be sure to circle back and ask them.

Thank you for these resources!!!
 
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