3.46 cGPA, 3.38 sGPA, 37 (12/12/13)

[jonhamm]

- CA resident
- Chem major at a highly ranked large public university for undergrad, strong upward trend. Freshman cGPA was 2.6. Took bio prereq through an informal post bac.
- If I matriculate in 2015, I will have taken 3 gap years
- Extensive research experience: 3 labs in undergrad (1 pub, not first author), and tech after college for ~2 yrs by interview time. By that point I will probably have another pub or two, but none from teching when I submit my primary. One of those will be first author.
- 150 hrs clinical volunteering as of primary submission; will have a second position by interviews. 60 hrs nonclinical (tutoring - not sure if this counts)
- 120 hrs shadowing including family, anesth, gyn onc
- LORs: have 4/5 of my research advisors letters as well as one lecturer. I have little chance of getting a non-science professor letter. I would say three of my letters will be very strong and two will be okay.
- Going to try to submit primary on June 3rd

My unfinished list, wanting suggestions:

BU
Tufts
UCI
UCLA
UCSD
UCD
USC
NYMC
AE
U of Miami
Temple
Drexel
VTech
Eastern Virginia
Jefferson
Albany
Tulane
Rush
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin

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[jonhamm]

Bumping this.


Posted using SDN Mobile

 

[el_duderino]

Looks pretty solid. I'm assuming from your freshman GPA that you have a pretty strong upward trend?

Having no non-science prof letter could be problematic at some places. I literally had to track down the professor from a class I took in 2004 to write a letter for me.

Also: have you considered DO at all?

 

[jonhamm]

Looks pretty solid. I'm assuming from your freshman GPA that you have a pretty strong upward trend?

Having no non-science prof letter could be problematic at some places. I literally had to track down the professor from a class I took in 2004 to write a letter for me.

Also: have you considered DO at all?

Yes, strong upward trend. I tried to get a non-science letter from the only prof that might have remembered me, but turns out she passed away suddenly last year.

Not really considering DO at the moment; there are some specialties I am potentially interested in that being DO would make much harder to enter. I'm not 100% opposed, but at this point, I don't want to close any doors unless I have to.

 

[juliuspepperwood]

Tulane, Jefferson, Albany. Any reason you don't want UC Davis?

 

[jonhamm]

Tulane, Jefferson, Albany. Any reason you don't want UC Davis?

Just hadn't really thought about it - thought I had enough reach schools as is - but you're right.

 

[juliuspepperwood]

UC Davis is the "safest" of the UC's by stats and IS preference. Though any UC is going to be tough through sheer number and quality of IS applicants.

 

[juliuspepperwood]

Also, if you aren't opposed to Chicago there are Rush, Loyola and Rosalind Franklin there.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

I don't think OP should consider DO with that MCAT score... OP has 70%+ chances in getting in somewhere based on previous AAMC statistics... OP might need a non-science LOR since many schools require one...

 

[jonhamm]

I could get a non-BCPM letter, but total non-science (i.e. humanities) really just isn't possible at this point... it would have to be something like earth science or CS. Would that improve things?

 

[juliuspepperwood]

I don't think OP should consider DO with that MCAT score... OP has 70%+ chances in getting in somewhere based on previous AAMC statistics... OP might need a non-science LOR since many schools require one...

I have very similar stats to the OP (3.4/3.5/36) and I will be considering DO this cycle. I did one cycle without considering DO though.

 

[el_duderino]

I don't think 70% is high enough to completely ignore the alternative unless your ECs are stellar or you have a strong in at a school.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

I have very similar stats to the OP (3.4/3.5/36) and I will be considering DO this cycle. I did one cycle without considering DO though.

Your list seems to be top heavy... You should have applied mostly mid-to-low tiers....

 

[BestDoctorEver]

I don't think 70% is high enough to completely ignore the alternative unless your ECs are stellar or you have a strong in at a school.

I don't know, but 70%+ is a good odd to me...

 

[el_duderino]

Good, but not a lock.

Just suggesting it. Some people might prefer being a reapplicant next year than going DO. If that's OP, then no problem. If it's not then a few DO apps are in order.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

Good, but not a lock.

Just suggesting it. Some people might prefer being a reapplicant next year than going DO. If that's OP, then no problem. If it's not then a few DO apps are in order.

When it comes to getting into med school these days, nothing is a lock!

 

[juliuspepperwood]

Your list seems to be top heavy... You should have applied mostly mid-to-low tiers....

I definitely won't be applying to as many high ranked schools this year, but there were also plenty of mid and low tier schools on my list. There's only about 4 more I will be adding this next cycle. Then again the low tier schools I did apply to rejected me while I interviewed at higher ranked schools. As you mentioned, nothing is a lock, the process is strange as hell.

 

[jonhamm]

So, turns out I may be able to get a non-science LOR although it might have to be from a TA. Unsure at this point if the prof will sign off.

I also added the chicago schools.

 

[jonhamm]

Anybody else have suggestions or thoughts? @Goro

 

[Goro]

Goro suggests:

Tufts
UCD
USC
NYMC
Albany
Wake Forest
Emory (maybe)
U of Miami
Temple
Drexel
VTech
Eastern Virginia
Jefferson
Albany
Tulane
Rush
MCW
SLU
Tulane
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
All new MD programs
Any DO program, esp. Western and TUCOM-CA, sinc ethey're in your backyard.

 

[jonhamm]

Goro suggests:

Tufts
UCD
USC
NYMC
Albany
Wake Forest
Emory (maybe)
U of Miami
Temple
Drexel
VTech
Eastern Virginia
Jefferson
Albany
Tulane
Rush
MCW
SLU
Tulane
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
All new MD programs
Any DO program, esp. Western and TUCOM-CA, sinc ethey're in your backyard.

Thanks, this is a great help.

 

[jonhamm]

Albany
Einstein
BU
UCLA
Drexel
Eastern Virginia
Emory
Georgetown
GWU
Jefferson
USC
Loyola
NYMC
Rush
Temple
UMiami
Tufts
UCSD
UCD
UCI
VTech

Too top heavy? Too few overall?