***2021-2022 URM Medical School Application Thread***

[d-dozen]

How is everyone doing?! Hope everyone is getting those Acceptances!!

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[proteinfolder]

Got my first A today… feels so surreal! Good luck everyone

 

[deleted853360]

I remember how much the URM threads helped me in preparing to apply but I’m soo sad seeing that it’s not as active as it once was.

 

[4pf]

I remember how much the URM threads helped me in preparing to apply but I’m soo sad seeing that it’s not as active as it once was.

I share this sentiment. Lets get it back going!

 

[deleted853360]

How is the cycle going for everyone??

 

[4pf]

How is the cycle going for everyone??

It's going way better than I could have ever hoped! As an AA male with LM 76, I submitted 23 secondaries and have received 21 IIs!

I'm looking forward to hearing how everyone else is doing!

Edit: 23 primaries/secondaries | 22 interview invites | 18 interviews attended | 17 acceptances

 

[d-dozen]

How is the cycle going for everyone??

I have received 5 IIs so far and 1 A. Much much better than I thought I was going to do this cycle. I was more excited to receive my first II than I was when I got the A. Anyone else felt this way?

 

[brown_skin_girl]

How is the cycle going for everyone??

Going well! A little burned out from interviewing, but I enjoy meeting new folks and hearing more about different curriculums. 5 As so far, super grateful and excited

 

[httyusuf]

How is the cycle going for everyone??

I got 3 interview invites from the following schools: Uniformed Services University, Medical College of Wisconsin, and Western Atlantic University School of Medicine.

I have a 3.73 gpa and 501 and 504 MCAT.

 

[KanekiS1E12]

Hope the cycle is going great for everyone! AA male and this is my first cycle 😅 I was not expecting it to be this long / stressful

 

[deleted853360]

I just received my first MD acceptance! I didn’t think I would get interviews let alone an acceptance. This cycle seems to be going so long

 

[dmblah]

going well so far, mdphd complete late sept, 13II out of 20 schools, 1 MSTP R, gpa > 3.9 mcat > 520

still no harvard, jhu, or yale II tho, rlly sad on that front

You're killing it regardless! Congrats!! 😊

 

[Ironman_BTW]

Just sending good vibes to everyone and wishing y'all a happy Turkey day (kinda early tho haha)! 🦃 🦃

 

[KanekiS1E12]

One piece of advice I wish someone gave me before this application was aim high! Be smart and apply broadly but don’t put a an artificial ceiling on yourself insofar as where you’re willing to apply. It seems like every adcom member I’ve met really valued a narrative/ life experiences over 99th percentile stats. Especially being URM you may have a unique perspective and experiences that you can leverage.

 

[brown_skin_girl]

Idk if those who identify as Black feel the same way, but I really don't like when med students claim that < 10 Black students out of ~130 students is super diverse. I felt like my question about the diversity in the class was brushed off, and it was a turn off tbh.

 

[Ironman_BTW]

Idk if those who identify as Black feel the same way, but I really don't like when med students claim that < 10 Black students out of ~130 students is super diverse. I felt like my question about the diversity in the class was brushed off, and it was a turn off tbh.

Yeah I always feel uncomfortable asking this in the open (student panels, q&a, etc). I now send a private message or ask to meet with some of the students one-on-one to get a “real” picture and that’s been more helpful. Annoying it has to be this way tho :/

 

[brown_skin_girl]

Yeah I always feel uncomfortable asking this in the open (student panels, q&a, etc). I now send a private message or ask to meet with some of the students one-on-one to get a “real” picture and that’s been more helpful. Annoying it has to be this way tho :/

Yeah, I found a SNMA contact and will be reaching out. I have been on 17 interviews, and this was the first time I was the only Black applicant and Black person in the student panels, q&a, etc. I went to a PWI, so I am not completely foreign to that idea, but it is still annoying and disheartening. Esp when white folks on school specific forums think we are “stealing” their seats.

 

[deleted1092328]

how are your cycles going?

Out here on the mdphd side of things, i find it rough. Got the interviews but post interview results have not been too good.

 

[dmblah]

how are your cycles going?

Out here on the mdphd side of things, i find it rough. Got the interviews but post interview results have not been too good.

I'm sure you'll end up right where you're meant to be!! Honestly I just keep telling myself everything happens for a reason, so wherever you don't get in is the universe telling you it's not where you're supposed to end up!

For me, the waiting is the hardest part. I wish decisions were given like right after the interview lmao

 

[Newtonian21]

MS1 here, I have been off this thread for a while. But if anyone has any questions, I can chime in to help. Trust in the process. Be patient, you'll get in surely.

 

[OchemOficionado]

Same as above but an MS3. I've haven't been on for a while but I'm back and here to help any way that I can!

 

[KanekiS1E12]

MS1 here, I have been off this thread for a while. But if anyone has any questions, I can chime in to help. Trust in the process. Be patient, you'll get in surely.

Same as above but an MS3. I've haven't been on for a while but I'm back and here to help any way that I can!

Thank you to both of you for offering your help! I had a few quick questions. Did you feel like you had good success / were considered fully at the more competitive programs you interviewed at? I had IIs at a few programs I was really excited about, but still a bit nervous it was too good to be true.

Additionally, I have a relatively unique situation with my family structure. Did you find that financial aid offices were willing to work with you during the financial aid application process? Or was it pretty rigid?

Additionally, is there any question or factor you would strongly recommend weighing when making a decision on a program to attend?

 

[OchemOficionado]

Thank you to both of you for offering your help! I had a few quick questions. Did you feel like you had good success / were considered fully at the more competitive programs you interviewed at? I had IIs at a few programs I was really excited about, but still a bit nervous it was too good to be true.

Additionally, I have a relatively unique situation with my family structure. Did you find that financial aid offices were willing to work with you during the financial aid application process? Or was it pretty rigid?

Additionally, is there any question or factor you would strongly recommend weighing when making a decision on a program to attend?

Yes, I felt full considered at each interview. It’s not too good to be true. Retire that thought.

My fin aid process was very struggling forward so I can’t speak to complications or exceptions, but my hope is that the school you choose is willing to work with you to figure it out. They want to be paid, after all.

When deciding where to go I abandoned weighing cost and picked based on location, diversity and special programs.

 

[KanekiS1E12]

Yes, I felt full considered at each interview. It’s not too good to be true. Retire that thought.

My fin aid process was very struggling forward so I can’t speak to complications or exceptions, but my hope is that the school you choose is willing to work with you to figure it out. They want to be paid, after all.

When deciding where to go I abandoned weighing cost and picked based on location, diversity and special programs.

Thank you for the response. Appreciate it.

 

[Mr.MD-Hopeful]

You could add these schools today to the ones you have listed above:
Creighton
Rosalind Franklin
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Indiana
NOVA MD
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Seton Hall
New York Medical College
Einstein
Quinnipiac
Also apply to DO schools and I suggest these:
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
DMU-COM
MU-COM
UIWSOM
TUNCOM
LECOM (all schools)
CUSOM
VCOM (all schools except Monroe)
PCOM

AA students, I wouldn't suggest applying to Creighton. The mods put them on every list when responding to URM and they have 0-3 black students matriculating out of 167 each year 0%-1.8%. I listened and felt as though this was the only school that was truly a "waste" of an application. I am sure it is great and the students and faculty are amazing, but there is a strong reason for these numbers so please make an informed decision.

 

[JoyFairy]

URM- Afro-Carib Latina, Female, First gen, Disadvantaged, Nontrad, 26
Undergrad: Northwestern University
Major: English major/Global Health minor
cGPA- 3.05
sGPA- 2.29
Postbacc sGPA: 2.8 (16.79 credits)
MCAT- 515
Research- Worked 3 years in Psychiatry/OBGYN clinical research at Feinberg; 1 year of clinical research work in MFM at Anschutz
Clinical Volunteering- 300 hours as a Spanish medical interpreter in a free clinic after work
Shadowing- Neonatology, Psychiatry, Ortho
Other/Leadership- First author publication and one co-author pub. Emotional intelligence chair for my mutli-cultural sorority in college, member of SHAPE (sexual health and assault peer educator) for two years and one year on the exec board. Student mental health advocacy work in college. Two research lab positions in undergrad. Internship in community health outreach at Feinberg. Studied abroad in Cuba focusing on their medical system and public health programs.

My first two years of undergrad I did poorly in my science courses and suffered w. depression. Stopped taking science courses in Jr. and Sr. year, got treatment and finished my degree with a cGPA of 3.0. Worked full-time in order to receive tuition benefits and take night courses at my alma mater. Winter 2020 my school mandated P/F grading, so the 4 classes I took did nothing to boost my sGPA.

Thoughts on my application? If I don't get in should I consider a formal post-bacc or SMP? I'm just averse to the costs since the only way I could afford my DIY postbacc was through working full-time. I don't really want to have to take out loans.

I'm glad to hear you were able to get treatment and are feeling better. Also, congrats on your MCAT and all your interesting experiences that will serve you well for secondaries and interviews

I do think your post-bacc GPA might hold you back. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but having a sGPA < 3.0 might get you screened out at a lot of schools. Also, adcoms are usually looking for a significant upward trend, so they tend to expect your post-bacc to be closer to 3.7+

I'm just one voice, but if I were you, I would strongly consider an SMP with linkage... but only if you're confident you can get As.

Last but not least, Goro has a guide for reinventors that folks have found helpful. You can also tag Goro and Faha if you want an adcom's perspective!

I'm rooting for you!

 

[deleted990017]

I'm glad to hear you were able to get treatment and are feeling better. Also, congrats on your MCAT and all your interesting experiences that will serve you well for secondaries and interviews

I do think your post-bacc GPA might hold you back. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but having a sGPA < 3.0 might get you screened out at a lot of schools. Also, adcoms are usually looking for a significant upward trend, so they tend to expect your post-bacc to be closer to 3.7+

I'm just one voice, but if I were you, I would strongly consider an SMP with linkage... but only if you're confident you can get As.

Last but not least, Goro has a guide for reinventors that folks have found helpful. You can also tag Goro and Faha if you want an adcom's perspective!

I'm rooting for you!

Thank you for your support! Yeah, my premed adviser also said I might need to consider an SMP, though she did add that last year they saw a lot of non-trads get accepted with science GPAs below 3.0. Ugh, I just wish SMPs didn't cost so much, it's such a big risk.

I know a few schools on my list accept you and have you take classes in the summer to basically prove you can handle their curriculum and you start in the fall with everyone, so I'm definitely applying to those and schools that prioritize more recent grades.

 

[KanekiS1E12]

URM- Afro-Carib Latina, Female, First gen, Disadvantaged, Nontrad, 26
Undergrad: Northwestern University
Major: English major/Global Health minor
cGPA- 3.05
sGPA- 2.29
Postbacc sGPA: 2.8 (16.79 credits)
MCAT- 515
Research- Worked 3 years in Psychiatry/OBGYN clinical research at Feinberg; 1 year of clinical research work in MFM at Anschutz
Clinical Volunteering- 300 hours as a Spanish medical interpreter in a free clinic after work
Shadowing- Neonatology, Psychiatry, Ortho
Other/Leadership- First author publication and one co-author pub. Emotional intelligence chair for my mutli-cultural sorority in college, member of SHAPE (sexual health and assault peer educator) for two years and one year on the exec board. Student mental health advocacy work in college. Two research lab positions in undergrad. Internship in community health outreach at Feinberg. Studied abroad in Cuba focusing on their medical system and public health programs.

My first two years of undergrad I did poorly in my science courses and suffered w. depression. Stopped taking science courses in Jr. and Sr. year, got treatment and finished my degree with a cGPA of 3.0. Worked full-time in order to receive tuition benefits and take night courses at my alma mater. Winter 2020 my school mandated P/F grading, so the 4 classes I took did nothing to boost my sGPA.

Thoughts on my application? If I don't get in should I consider a formal post-bacc or SMP? I'm just averse to the costs since the only way I could afford my DIY postbacc was through working full-time. I don't really want to have to take out loans.

It seems like you have really interesting experiences. Also congratulations on the MCAT! You killed it. I’m not an expert on this stuff by any means, but I think your sGPA might hold you back with programs that would would otherwise be extremely interested in you. I think that doing more coursework might be your best bet, but also another year of a DIY post-bacc full time at a 4.0 would bring your post-bacc sGPA up to a 3.56. That might be less expensive than an SMP, but I’m not too sure. With that raise in gpa I’d be much more confident applying. Loans are scary and it’s smart of you to avoid them, but in this case taking out loans to help support you financially so you can really focus on keeping your grades up seems like a solid investment in yourself. Additionally, application cycle is super stressful and expensive and trying to complete my apps along with work and school was way too much at moments. Maybe postponing your your application another year would be prudent so you can focus entirely on your coursework. I also might make a post in the WAMC thread. Some people over there seem to have a lot of experience and decent advice. Best of luck to you with the whole process!

 

[deleted990017]

It seems like you have really interesting experiences. Also congratulations on the MCAT! You killed it. I’m not an expert on this stuff by any means, but I think your sGPA might hold you back with programs that would would otherwise be extremely interested in you. I think that doing more coursework might be your best bet, but also another year of a DIY post-bacc full time at a 4.0 would bring your post-bacc sGPA up to a 3.56. That might be less expensive than an SMP, but I’m not too sure. With that raise in gpa I’d be much more confident applying. Loans are scary and it’s smart of you to avoid them, but in this case taking out loans to help support you financially so you can really focus on keeping your grades up seems like a solid investment in yourself. Additionally, application cycle is super stressful and expensive and trying to complete my apps along with work and school was way too much at moments. Maybe postponing your your application another year would be prudent so you can focus entirely on your coursework. I also might make a post in the WAMC thread. Some people over there seem to have a lot of experience and decent advice. Best of luck to you with the whole process!

Thank you for your advice. Do you think it would be a bad idea to apply this cycle and if I do not get in, continue my DIY postbacc full-time and apply next cycle? I'm not sure if re-applying hurts you as an applicant?

Part of me wants to apply this cycle because of how long I've been working toward this goal and I don't want to start medical school at 28 years old. But the rational part knows that another year would probably bolster my app.

 

[KanekiS1E12]

Thank you for your advice. Do you think it would be a bad idea to apply this cycle and if I do not get in, continue my DIY postbacc full-time and apply next cycle? I'm not sure if re-applying hurts you as an applicant?

Part of me wants to apply this cycle because of how long I've been working toward this goal and I don't want to start medical school at 28 years old. But the rational part knows that another year would probably bolster my app.

I don’t think it would be a bad idea insofar as being a reapplicant. But I do think that if you apply this year and wait until you find out if you got in or not, that would be like next May. So then if you didn’t get in you’d end up having to take courses that following fall and spring and for that to impact your gpa you’d be applying to matriculate in fall of 2025. But if you just started courses this fall you could apply to matriculate in the fall of 2024. I also wouldn’t recommend trying to apply and take thos DIY courses at the same time because it might split your focus and cause you to not do your best at either.

 

[OchemOficionado]

Thank you for your support! Yeah, my premed adviser also said I might need to consider an SMP, though she did add that last year they saw a lot of non-trads get accepted with science GPAs below 3.0. Ugh, I just wish SMPs didn't cost so much, it's such a big risk.

I know a few schools on my list accept you and have you take classes in the summer to basically prove you can handle their curriculum and you start in the fall with everyone, so I'm definitely applying to those and schools that prioritize more recent grades.

Nice MCAT! You're right, there's always a chance, but not only do you have a sub 3.0 sGPA, you also have a sub 3.0 post bad sGPA. I think another post bac would be helpful. SMP or otherwise, just get all As.

 

[NegativeMargin]

Hello everyone,

I have a question about my friend who is a Serbian woman who moved to the States for UG. Is she considered a URM?

 

[ddawk_]

Hello everyone,

I have a question about my friend who is a Serbian woman who moved to the States for UG. Is she considered a URM?

No. URM:
Black/African American
Hispanic/Latino
Native American
Hawaiian (native)

but each school is different

 

[mintydaisy13!]

I know this thread is old and this would be for the 2023 cycle but if anyone has input on schools i'd appreciate it:

Background info:

-29 year non-trad

- undergrad at top 20 university on the west coast

- URM (black/Mexican)

- lots of clinical experience *medical assistant, volunteer*

-finished a post bacc to do my prerequisites ( I was a psych major and finished my program Fall 2021)

GPA: Somewhere in the ballpark of 3.8 something.

MCAT: Got a 506 :/ I am not that unhappy with this since I was just not clicking well with this exam. I contemplate retaking this but I feel burnt out and I just want to be with friends and family.

EC:

-3.5 years medical assistant in a busy office. Have both admin experience and patient experience. --> several thousand (maybe 6000+ hours)

-4 year hospital volunteer for several departments and won some awards for top volunteer (ED, OBGYN, Cardiac Telemetry). Tons of clinical experiences here as I was essentially a CNA --> around 600 hours

-2 years in a leadership position for the biggest department in the hospital. Led trainings for hundreds of volunteers over the course of 2 years and also coordinated monthly volunteering for 40 volunteers. --> at least 300 hours

-0 non clinical. -> I'm contemplating getting a non medical job to acquire other skills and volunteering on the side.

-2017 shadowed IM doctor 40 hours

-2019 shadowed peds (boss) 10 hours

- 2022- 8 hours so far shadowing. planning on doing more

- Did 2 research labs for a couple semesters (not a huge fan of research)

-1 semester health policy internship at Dept. of Public Health Chronic Disease department -> had a poster presentation of original research and led a meeting with several local health clinics.

- Currently part-time remote English tutor to professionals in East Asia. - 76ish hours but likely to increase

- Hobbies: Plants, drawing, reading, yoga novice

I was planning to initially apply this year but the MCAT was a bit too much for me so I decided to wait. I do know I have a committee letter from my program and I can request an additional 2 Dr letters, a professor letter, and a volunteer letter

Would love y'alls input! Thanks

 

[JoyFairy]

I know this thread is old and this would be for the 2023 cycle but if anyone has input on schools i'd appreciate it:

Background info:

-29 year non-trad

- undergrad at top 20 university on the west coast

- URM (black/Mexican)

- lots of clinical experience *medical assistant, volunteer*

-finished a post bacc to do my prerequisites ( I was a psych major and finished my program Fall 2021)

GPA: Somewhere in the ballpark of 3.8 something.

MCAT: Got a 506 :/ I am not that unhappy with this since I was just not clicking well with this exam. I contemplate retaking this but I feel burnt out and I just want to be with friends and family.

EC:

-3.5 years medical assistant in a busy office. Have both admin experience and patient experience. --> several thousand (maybe 6000+ hours)

-4 year hospital volunteer for several departments and won some awards for top volunteer (ED, OBGYN, Cardiac Telemetry). Tons of clinical experiences here as I was essentially a CNA --> around 600 hours

-2 years in a leadership position for the biggest department in the hospital. Led trainings for hundreds of volunteers over the course of 2 years and also coordinated monthly volunteering for 40 volunteers. --> at least 300 hours

-0 non clinical. -> I'm contemplating getting a non medical job to acquire other skills and volunteering on the side.

-2017 shadowed IM doctor 40 hours

-2019 shadowed peds (boss) 10 hours

- 2022- 8 hours so far shadowing. planning on doing more

- Did 2 research labs for a couple semesters (not a huge fan of research)

-1 semester health policy internship at Dept. of Public Health Chronic Disease department -> had a poster presentation of original research and led a meeting with several local health clinics.

- Currently part-time remote English tutor to professionals in East Asia. - 76ish hours but likely to increase

- Hobbies: Plants, drawing, reading, yoga novice

I was planning to initially apply this year but the MCAT was a bit too much for me so I decided to wait. I do know I have a committee letter from my program and I can request an additional 2 Dr letters, a professor letter, and a volunteer letter

Would love y'alls input! Thanks

I know sometimes URM applicants are hesitant to make WAMC threads, but you can tag Faha and Goro here (if you haven't already). They're really good with lists!

 

[skeptastic]

I know sometimes URM applicants are hesitant to make WAMC threads, but you can tag Faha and Goro here (if you haven't already). They're really good with lists!

They are super helpful! @mintydaisy13! I highly recommend starting a WAMC thread.

 

[mintydaisy13!]

I know sometimes URM applicants are hesitant to make WAMC threads, but you can tag Faha and Goro here (if you haven't already). They're really good with lists!

hi thanks for responding. I've barely used SDN so I'm not sure how to tag but I will try.

 

[mintydaisy13!]

They are super helpful! @mintydaisy13! I highly recommend starting a WAMC thread.

I just realized it might be what are my chances? Am I right?

 

[skeptastic]

I just realized it might be what are my chances? Am I right?

So sorry about the acronym. Yep, WAMC stands for "What Are My Chances?" The thread is int the pre-med forum, near the top of the page. Start a new thread and follow the template of someone who's already posted a thread that received good feedback. Pretty straightforward and extremely informative process!

 

[mintydaisy13!]

So sorry about the acronym. Yep, WAMC stands for "What Are My Chances?" The thread is int the pre-med forum, near the top of the page. Start a new thread and follow the template of someone who's already posted a thread that received good feedback. Pretty straightforward and extremely informative process!

Thanks! Will do. As for tagging, do I just do @username and it tags ?

 

[skeptastic]

Thanks! Will do. As for tagging, do I just do @username and it tags ?

You got it! Also, once you start the thread, the experts will typically find your thread anyway and reply. Can't hurt to tag them, though. Just be thorough when you start your thread, providing all the details you see in a worthy template. It saves time and usually ensures that your thread will receive replies and be taken more seriously.

 

[mintydaisy13!]

You got it! Also, once you start the thread, the experts will typically find your thread anyway and reply. Can't hurt to tag them, though. Just be thorough when you start your thread, providing all the details you see in a worthy template. It saves time and usually ensures that your thread will receive replies and be taken more seriously.

Thank you! I just made it and I hope it's enough

 

[skeptastic]

Thank you! I just made it and I hope it's enough

It looks very thorough, as was your post in this thread! I may have skimmed too quickly just now, but the only thing I think may have been missing was state of residence. If I'm wrong, I think you're solid. If your state of residence is missing, I'd just add it near the very top of your list. Definitely makes a huge difference in a well designed school list.