2023-2024 Cycle Going Poorly; Need Advice + School List Revision

[StillTryingtoGetThere]

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Hello,

I’m back, looking for y’alls advice on how to proceed with this year’s cycle (2023-2024) after finding little success so far.

Please see my demographics and stats below:

Demographics:
27 Years Old
Hispanic: South Asian and Hispanic (non-fluent, basic level Spanish)
Low-Socioeconomic Status
I grew up and went to undergrad in NYC but have lived in Texas for over 4 years. I have strong ties to the South, mainly El Paso/Juarez region.

Stats:
Graduated in 2018 with Bachelors of Science
CGPA: 3.17
SGPA: 2.94

• Last 12 credits of this are post-bacc, all with an A

MCAT:
1st Attempt 8/2020 - 502
2nd Attempt 7/2023 – 500

CASPER (for the like 3 schools that recommended or required it):
Completed 9/28
Scores sent 10/14
3rd Quartile

Clinical / Volunteer Experience:
200 hours Volunteer Clinical Research Outreach (2023 – Present)
4000 hours as a Clinical Research Coordinator (2021 – Present)
3000 hours as a Medical Scribe (2018 – 2020)
1000 hours volunteering at a soup kitchen (2018 – Present)
300 hours as an EMT (2017-2018)
300 hours volunteering at a Free Health Clinic (2016 – 2019)
300 hours work in undergrad Chem Lab (2016-2018)
1000 hours of volunteer work tutoring low-income / underserved students (Multiple programs) (2015-2018)
70 hours shadowing (DO Emergency Medicine Physician and MD Internal Medicine Physician) (2017)

My personal statement and experiences have a strong focus on working with underserved and low-socioeconomic status communities. Deep personal connection to rural medicine, even though I’ve mainly lived in more urban areas.

Letter of Recs:
Lead PI at major academic hospital (supervisor during my time as a Clinical Research Coordinator)
Soup Kitchen non-profit CEO
PCHEM professor and undergrad lab PI
Nutrition Professor

Here is my current school list:

Orange: No secondary / Red: Rejected
A.T Still University – Kirksville COM: Secondary completed 10/4
Alabama COM: Secondary completed 10/7
Arkansas COM: Primary completed 10/21 (submitted waiver for missing DO letter)
Lake Erie COM: Secondary completed 9/29; Rejected 10/31
Lake Erie Brandenton COM: Secondary completed 9/29
Lincoln Memorial University – Debusk COM: Secondary completed 10/4
Marian University COM: Secondary completed 10/9
NYIT-AR COM: Secondary completed 10/13
West Virginia COM: Primary completed 9/20: pre-secondary rejection 9/21
Philadelphia/South Georgia COM: Primary/secondary completed 9/20
Burrell COM: Secondary completed 10/4
William Carey University COM: Primary submitted 9/29; No secondary yet
University of Pikeville-Kentucky COM: Secondary completed 10/11
PCOM Georgia: Primary/secondary completed 9/21
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences COM: Secondary completed 10/13; Rejected 11/3
University of the Incarnate World SOM: Secondary completed 10/16; Rejected 11/5
Touro COM: Primary completed 10/21; No secondary yet

I know things aren’t looking too good for me at the moment, my above school list was limited by my below 3.0 sGPA (I didn’t realize my sGPA was below a 3.0 until I received my AACOMAS verified GPA, due to a miscalculation on my part).

I’d like to maximize my chances of getting in this cycle, so are there any other schools I should apply to in order to do so? Please let me know the name of any other schools you think would consider me, and I can look into if they would take my application with a below 3.0 sGPA.

Here are schools that I’ve taken a look at who seem to have a strict cut-off for sGPA:
TUNCOM
DUQCOM
KHSC-COM

The only school I am considering adding at the moment is Noorda-COM. Any other school suggestions would be appreciated!

Here is also my current plan for the 2024-2025 cycle:

• Retake MCAT Jan 13, 2024, I will reschedule if my FLs aren’t above a 506 this time. I just finished content review and have my first FL scheduled for this Saturday.
• Take 2 science courses (6 credits) for Spring 2024, a grade of at least A- in both should push my science GPA to above a 3.0.
• Shadow and get a DO letter of recommendation from one of the DO physicians in my office.
• Apply earlier next cycle – around June.

Thank you all for the help! @Mr.Smile12 ; @Goro ; @Faha

 

[Faha]

Taking the additional science courses to increase your sGPA to 3.0 is a good idea. Add more schools this week and I suggest these:
OCOM
BUCOM
DUQCOM
LUCOM
KHSC-COM
Noorda-COM
TUNCOM
RVU-Montana
Touro-Montana
ICOM
ATSU-SOMA
MU-COM

 

[StillTryingtoGetThere]

Thank you Faha!

I went through and looked, and from your list, it seems LUCOM, Noorda-COM, and ICOM would consider me with a sGPA less than 3.0. I'll go ahead and submit those today.

 

[Faha]

Thank you Faha!

I went through and looked, and from your list, it seems LUCOM, Noorda-COM, and ICOM would consider me with a sGPA less than 3.0. I'll go ahead and submit those today.

Newer schools such as BUCOM, OCOM, KHSC-COM and DUQCOM may not have a strict 3.0 cutoff. They do need to fill their class.