2025-2026 School List Advice

[krc78]

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Nontrad working for the past 8 years as a software engineer, now preparing AMCAS and AACOMAS. More info:

• Age: 30
• Education: Graduated with BA in Computer Science/Math from Ivy League university in 2017, 3.46 cGPA. Couple C's in math classes that I didn't take seriously. Took ~21 post bacc credits over last 3 semester (bio 1/2, orgo 1/2, biochem), 4.0 GPA. Using AP credits for the other prereqs. From online calculators my total cGPA and sGPA are ~3.56.
• MCAT: 523 (132/131/132/128)
• Clinical volunteering: ~250 hours, 150 hours in a hospital, 50 hours as an EMT at events, 50 hours in hospice care
• Non-clinical volunteering: ~350 hours, mostly at the same place
• Shadowing: ~65 hours, 45 in person in various ERs, 20 through virtual shadowing
• Extracurriculars: Was president of an organization responsible for reducing food waste on campus in junior/senior year of undergrad (maybe it should be classified as non-clinical volunteering, not sure)
• LORs: 3 from post-bacc science professors, 1 from MD I shadowed, 1 from a past engineering manager. Expecting at least one of the post-bacc letters and the ex-manager letter to be strong, not sure about the others.
• Work experience: 8+ years as an engineer at large companies, 15K+ hours
• Research: None, but planning to start very shortly after AMCAS submission

I live in NYC (NY resident) and my priority is proximity to the city (ideally within ~2 hours). I'm mostly applying MD and I'm concerned that I won't be a competitive applicant given the GPA, lack of research, and just how competitive many northeast schools are. Here's what I have so far:

• Albany (NY, MD)
• Albert Einstein (NY, MD)
• Columbia (NY, MD)
• Hofstra Northwell (NY, MD)
• Mount Sinai Icahn (NY, MD)
• New York Medical College (NY, MD)
• NYU Grossman (NY, MD)
• NYU Long Island (NY, MD)
• Stony Brook (NY, MD)
• SUNY Downstate (NY, MD)
• Weill Cornell (NY, MD)
• NY Institute of Technology Osteopathic Medicine (NY, DO)
• Touro College of Osteopathic - Harlem (NY, DO)
• Quinnipiac (CT, MD)
• Rutgers (NJ, MD)
• Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson (NJ, MD)
• Hackensack Meridian (NJ, MD)
• Drexel (PA, MD)
• Temple (PA, MD)
• Sidney Kimmel (PA, MD)
• Boston U (MA, MD)
• Tufts (MA, MD)
• Rush (IL, MD)

Do I have a realistic chance for the MD schools, or should I look to apply to more DO schools?

 

[johnr42700]

It's difficult to say without an actual MCAT score. Your GPA is a little low for many of the schools on your list, and having no research prior to submission is very difficult to get past. If you're intent on submitting this cycle, I would expand your list to schools outside of just the NY area. Make sure to polish your narrative about transitioning to medicine.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Many of the schools you listed prefer applicants with a lot of research, so IDK how many bites you're going to get. If you want to be a doctor, expand your geographical range and return to the city for residency or as an attending.

 

[krc78]

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, I was concerned that my odds are slim at the MD schools on my list. Within the next year, I'm confident I could get some research experience and more post-bacc credits (it's nice that I have a 4.0 GPA in my post bacc, but it's only 21 credits - so not a ton of evidence of an upward trend). Maybe that would raise my cGPA/sGPA to >3.6. I chose to apply this cycle because it felt like all the other parts of my app were solid, and it's hopefully competitive enough for DO.

 

[Faha]

Post your actual MCAT score here in the future when available.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Check with the schools on your list about their policy on AP's. The fact you took those courses 10+ years ago in high school might be a little concerning though you did well in subsequent coursework. But how long ago was this, or was this covered with your postbac? What did you do for non-clinical volunteering for 350 hours?

 

[krc78]

Updated my school list and included my MCAT score.

 

[Faha]

What is the breakdown of your 350 hours of non clinical volunteering?

 

[krc78]

I've spent 300 hours preparing and delivering meals directly to clients with chronic illness, over 2.5 years.
A bit over 50 hours mentoring high school students interested in engineering from underrepresented communities in computer science. I'm writing about these two nonclinical experiences in my secondaries. About an hour a week for ~1 year so far.

Separately, I was president of a club in undergrad (~10 years ago) that recovered food that would be otherwise wasted from campus cafeterias and facilitated delivery to nearby organizations, which distributed it to the needy. That was ~400 hours. I listed that as an extracurricular on AMCAS, not volunteering.

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
All 4 SUNYs
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
Columbia
Cornell
NYU
New York Medical College
Albany
Rochester
Vermont
Quinnipiac
UMass
Tufts
Boston University
Yale
Dartmouth
Brown
Hackensack
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
George Washington
Georgetown
Carle Illinois (you fit their profile)
Arizona State University School of Medicine and Advance Medical Engineering (when it opens)
For DO schools you could try NYITCOM, Touro-NY and PCOM