3.51 cGPA, 3.34sGPA, 512 MCAT

[desidoc_]

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[desidoc_]

Am I allowed to bump my thread? I apologize in advance if not

 

[Mwooster]

21 year-old South Asian. I'm planning on applying to both MD and DO because I know my numbers are not strong enough for MD programs.

Unfortunately, I struggled a lot with adjusting to the pace of work my freshman year. Sophomore year was great for my GPA and helped me recover from the **** show that was freshman year, but then physics in Junior year kicked my ass. I got a C+ in one term of Physics and a B- in the other. Senior year has been rough as well but I am hoping on getting my numbers up to the ones above and those numbers are doable if I focus and work really hard.

I double majored in Biology and Psychology, with a minor in Spanish, and I plan on taking a gap year. Not that these are necessarily important, but the combined GPA of all my Bio classes is 3.50 and of all my Psych classes is 3.74. Working on finding an RA position in a psychology lab for the year.

I got a 512 on the MCAT -
126 P/C
131 CARS
129 Bio
126 P/S

My extracurriculars include two years of research in a cancer bio lab affiliated with my university. I am not on any publications as of yet (unfortunately, the project I was initially working on did not pan out and because of this we had no data to publish from over one year of work) but will be included in one that will be submitted for publication within the year. I did receive a summer research grant for a small project in this lab the summer after my freshman year.

I also recently began working in a cognitive psychology lab as a research assistant. I am the President of one of the major philanthropic fundraisers on my campus and have been involved on the exec board of this organization for two years prior. I am also involved in a number of other clubs but my research and this executive board position have been my largest commitments.

I have a lot of non-clinical volunteering hours, but for clinical volunteering I have spent about 40 hours volunteering in the ED of a local hospital but then had to switch hospitals and am at about 50 hours at this hospital so far. I also have volunteered for about 40-50 hours at a center for people with chronic illnesses during the four months that I studied abroad (Barcelona) in the fall of my junior year, as well as about 40 hours at a local sexual assault crisis center. I have shadowed a D.O. for about 25 hours, an ED physician for about 15, an ID specialist for one day, and a pediatrician for one day as well (total shadowing hours ~60).

My recommendations will be from a Biology professor, a Biology lab professor, the PI of my cancer biology lab, the advisor for my Student organization, the D.O. physician I shadowed, and two non-science professors (one Spanish professor and likely one Psychology professor).

I am from Illinois and am planning on applying to every MD and DO program in the state besides SIU. These include:

Feinberg (Northwestern Univ)
Pritzker (UChicago)
UIC
Rosalind Franklin
Rush
Chicago College of Osteopathic Med/Midwestern Univ (DO)
Stritch (Loyola Univ Chicago)

I am applying to Feinberg and Pritzker because my parents really want me to but I know my chances at those two are extremely low, and even at Stritch they are low. I'm not sure what other schools I want to apply to but I would love suggestions from you all as well as any thoughts on my chances. I am very passionate about community medicine and working with low-income and underserved populations and I have a demonstrated interest in this from looking at my internships and other involvements over the years, so I feel like that will be a plus but I am not sure (seems like a lot of people say the same thing just because it sounds good and is a statement full of buzzwords). I'm feeling bummed out because I just received grades back and did not do well as I had hoped in my biology class this quarter, which I was hoping would help me bring my sGPA up to a 3.4 by the time I graduated but at this point that is not even going to be possible.

For OOS schools, should add GW, WVU, Georgetown, Quinnipiac... etc
Applying to Northwestern and Pritzker... better to use the application money to those schools and buy your parents/SO a nice dinner

 

[Faha]

Add OOS private schools such as:
Quinnipiac
Vermont
Albany
New York Medical College
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
GW
Georgetown
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Medical College Wisconsin
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane
any new schools that open in 2017 (Roseman, Henricopolis, Seton Hall)
Also apply to at least 5 DO schools and you are competitive for any DO school

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Wake could be a good place, as could Tulane. Virginia Tech is also very forgiving of low GPA, although they are very research heavy. Maybe TCMC, EVMS, and VCU as well.

Depending on money, you could throw an app to USF's SELECT program too. From what I understand the program is more forgiving of Low GPA and has very little/no in state bias, but the tuition cost is on the high side.

 

[desidoc_]

For OOS schools, should add GW, WVU, Georgetown, Quinnipiac... etc
Applying to Northwestern and Pritzker... better to use the application money to those schools and buy your parents/SO a nice dinner

Thanks for the suggestions! I know I have little to no chances of getting into Feinberg and Pritzker. My parents are the ones who want me to apply, I'm an undergrad at NU and they think that simple fact will give me better chances of getting into Feinberg even though I've told them it doesn't work that way lol

 

[desidoc_]

Add OOS private schools such as:
Quinnipiac
Vermont
Albany
New York Medical College
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
GW
Georgetown
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Medical College Wisconsin
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane
any new schools that open in 2017 (Roseman, Henricopolis, Seton Hall)
Also apply to at least 5 DO schools and you are competitive for any DO school

Wake could be a good place, as could Tulane. Virginia Tech is also very forgiving of low GPA, although they are very research heavy. Maybe TCMC, EVMS, and VCU as well.

Depending on money, you could throw an app to USF's SELECT program too. From what I understand the program is more forgiving of Low GPA and has very little/no in state bias, but the tuition cost is on the high side.

Thank you both immensely for the suggestions - you have no idea how much I appreciate it. I have been at a total loss for choosing which schools to add to my list, even after meeting with my advisor a couple of times. I think I am going to add a lot of these I think.

Can anyone recommend any promising DO schools apart from Midwestern?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Thank you both immensely for the suggestions - you have no idea how much I appreciate it. I have been at a total loss for choosing which schools to add to my list, even after meeting with my advisor a couple of times. I think I am going to add a lot of these I think.

Can anyone recommend any promising DO schools apart from Midwestern?

For DO I would suggest CCOM, AZCOM, DMU, KCOM, KCU and RVU. If you want to add some of the "lower tier" schools just to be safe throw in some schools like LECOM, LMU, etc. You are good for pretty much any DO school so just pick 5-8 ish of your favorites in addition to a well thought out MD list. Avoid the state DO schools like OSU, MSU, OHIO

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Thank you both immensely for the suggestions - you have no idea how much I appreciate it. I have been at a total loss for choosing which schools to add to my list, even after meeting with my advisor a couple of times. I think I am going to add a lot of these I think.

Can anyone recommend any promising DO schools apart from Midwestern?

Nova is very solid. Located on a big college campus, research ops, plus close proximity to many big hospitals for networking. It's an old school with a big alumni network too

 

[desidoc_]

What do people think of the following schools for someone with my stats?

BU
Emory
Dartmouth
IU
University of Cincinnati
University of Rochester
University of Pittsburgh
University of Washington
Tufts

 

[Faha]

Other than perhaps IU they are all far reaches and unrealistic.

 

[gyngyn]

What do people think of the following schools for someone with my stats?

BU
Emory
Dartmouth
IU
University of Cincinnati
University of Rochester
University of Pittsburgh
University of Washington
Tufts

Maybe IU and Tufts...
UW is completely out (not WWAMI).
The rest just don't make sense. Your IS schools have enough "reaches."

 

[GrapesofRath]

Fundamentally, the way you are selecting schools is just off if after bumping your 3 month old thread(and presumably spending time thinking about this) and almost all the schools youve listed either have 34+ median MCATs or aren't realistic for you OOS.

Go through MSAR and identify every school with an MCAT median between 30-33 that takes at least 40% OOS. Make two lists: those that get <11k and >11k apps. There are some exceptions to the "Must be >40% OOS to apply" rule(ie Wayne St, IU, USF, maybe U of WI etc) but you can get to that after doing this. Really go through every school(almost every one has been listed on this thread they arent hard to find). Read about them, factor in many important components like price, location, certain characteristics of curriculum/rotations overall culture(ie Jesuits might have a different vibe than some others) amongst many other things and decide why you would or wouldn't want to apply there. Only focus on those schools for now, nothing else.

Take the time to focus on the schools that are realistic options for you(ie under the criteria I listed above) and decide amongst them and only amongst them which are the ones you like. Come back here and then post a list of a dozen OOS schools under those type of criteria(I would give higher priority to the <11k app schools) and you'll get good feedback. You can then start looking at a few less OOS friendly schools or reaches. But you have to really identify and choose your OOS targets first. If you exclude SIU, only 20% of Illinois residents matriculate IS(and that includes people going to Rush for which your clinical exp is very light): that means you really do need a solid OOS list and you need to first revamp the way you are going about making that list.

 

[desidoc_]

Thanks all for your feedback. I actually am applying to all of the schools that were suggested above but I'm working on my list with my parents and because they are the ones who are paying for my applications I will be applying to schools that they want me to apply to regardless of whether those are reasonable for an applicant with my stats or not. They don't see/understand reason and don't particularly care about the money they will waste by forcing me to apply to a **** ton of reaches. So in addition to schools on par with Quinnipiac, Albany, etc. my list includes the ones I just posted today.