MD 3.6 cGPA, 4.0 sGPA, 35 MCAT, non-trad, reapp

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Monkitty

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Hello all.

Looking for some advice on a list. I’m a non-traditional, re-applicant from last year. Further explanation after my school list.
  1. cGPA 3.6 sGPA 4.0 (postbacc)
  2. MCAT score – 35 (BS12, VR11, PS12)
  3. Missouri Resident
  4. White male, father a DO
  5. Regional liberal arts school for UG (2006); University of MO – Columbia for post-bacc (2008-2011; 2015-2016)
  6. Clinical Experience
    1. 65 hrs (ongoing) at VA Hospital; information desk, patient transport, long-term care, ER
    2. 60 hrs doing vaccination scheduling at local Health Dept (6 yrs ago)
  7. Research experience
    1. No biomedical research.
    2. 3000+ hrs with psychology research combined from UG and as part-time work (probably not very relevant, but eh). Lots of acknowledgements but no authorships.
  8. Shadowing Experience
    1. 70 hrs (ongoing) with a pediatrician
    2. 32 hrs with family practice (1 yr ago)
    3. 150 hrs with psychiatrist (though this was approximately 10 yrs ago)
  9. Non-clinical volunteering
    1. 300 hrs as DJ at college radio station
    2. 150 hrs English conversation club (ESL)
  10. Miscellaneous
    1. Teaching – Spent 5 years in Japan teaching English. Lots of diversity and leadership experiences.
    2. Other – Currently working full time in a before & afterschool enrichment program in a supervisory role.
  11. Relevant Honors and Awards
    1. Nothing really :/
School list

Breaks denote categories of decreasing preference. Within a category they are roughly ordered in decreasing preference again.
* denotes re-applicant status.
(?) denotes I’m unsure if it’s even worth applying.

*University MO
---
Creighton
*SLU
*UTSW (?)
---
Baylor (?)
*Duke (?)
*Case Western (?)
UT San Antonio
*UT Houston
*Texas A&M
*UNT-TCOM
Loyola
Rush (?)
---
*CCOM
*LMU-DCOM
*PCOM


University of MO was my only interview last year. After talking with admissions, they pretty much told me that if I had some clinical experience I would have been in – they loved everything else about me. Thus, it’s still my top choice and I feel confident about my chances this year (though I felt the same last year).

However, I know I need to have other lines out just in case. I realize a lot of my application is top heavy for my stats and consists of lots of reapplications. I was applying only DO last year until the last minute, when I added MD. Thus, I’m not very well-versed in what’s around me MD wise. My interest in DO has waned and I do not plan to apply to very many this cycle (though I may change my tune on that). I’m looking primarily at schools in the Midwest, though I’m open to venturing down south (Texas or otherwise).

Suggestions for more safety schools would be great and any revising on my 2 or 3 reach schools would be good as well. I have access to the MSAR.

My MD app should be verified in about a week (submitted July 4). I haven’t submitted my TMDSAS application yet, but will probably do that tonight (still need to get them transcripts). I’m debating whether the TMDSAS submission will be “late” but you get a lot of bang for your application buck going through TMDSAS. Likewise I haven’t submitted AACOMAS nor do they have transcripts, though again turnaround time on that shouldn’t be much of an issue.

Thanks for any assistance.

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Your list is very top heavy. The Texas schools accept few non residents so you can apply to those schools but you need more schools where you have a chance for an interview with your stats such as:
Medical College Wisconsin
Tulane
Cincinnati
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
Rochester
Wake Forest
Georgetown
GW
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Miami
 
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Here is the key question: How much have you actually improved your clinical experience since last cycle? What all is new to your app in that regard?

This is more important than school lists. You probably already know your stats are plenty for med school. But your state school in many ways defines your cycle. Even if you get into other schools many often turn down those for that cheap IS tuition. And your state school as a reapplicant is really where you need to lean on to a fair extent. How satisfied they are with your improvements with your clinical exp is everything here. If you havent really had that much new clinical experience, well it's not particularly reasonable to expect a different result than last cycle
Being a reapplicant with high stats is not particularly ideal. Being a potential 3rd time app with these stats is definitely an even worse fate. You want to avoid that.

With regards to the rest of your list:
The TX schools are always going to be hard OOS. Being a reapp at some probably wont help either
The OOS schools you are a reapp at are likely rather low yield(keep the IS reapp schools)
Your clinical exp is really light for Rush: avg matriculant there has 1500+ clinical hrs
You dont need DO schools but you need a broader list of MD schools most likely to interview you as a reapplicant.
Best bet probably is to go through MSAR and find OOS schools that get <11k apps that have an MCAT median around roughly 33-34(ie Cincinnati, Miami etc).
Find about a dozen of these types(give preference to where you arent a reapp) youll be in much better shape.
 
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Thanks for the replies guys.

@Faha, thanks for that list, I'll take a look at those.

@GrapesofRath, I asked the admissions officer at MU if she felt I'd even have enough time to improve my clinical experience. I got rejected by them at the end of Feb, so the turn around time between then and reapplying was not long. Her feeling (and echoed by my advisors) is that I should be ok as long as I make an effort. I work full time and have been averaging 10 hrs a week volunteering since April, there is not a whole lot more I can fit in with my schedule. The VA volunteering and the pediatrician shadowing are the new clinical experiences. By the time interviews role around in September/October, I should have around 150 hrs of VA volunteering. Again, the sentiment I got from admissions was that if I had the clinical experience, I'd gotten in. MU also seems to "toy" with non-trads a bit. Putting them off for a year to see if they come back. In that light, I feel my chances are good, but nothing is certain.

Missouri really only has 2 MD schools I can apply to (0% chance at WashU and UMKC has an Aug 1 due date) and I realize my list is pretty top heavy, thus request for suggestions. I know you're supposed to apply with the best app you can, but practically speaking, I'm not sure I can wait another year (for 2018 class) to try to improve my app further.
 
Your list is very top heavy. The Texas schools accept few non residents so you can apply to those schools but you need more schools where you have a chance for an interview with your stats such as:
Medical College Wisconsin
Tulane
Cincinnati
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
Rochester
Wake Forest
Georgetown
GW
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Miami

How is it top heavy?

3.6/4.0/35

with amazing ECs.
 
How is it top heavy?

3.6/4.0/35

with amazing ECs.
The Texas schools give a strong preference to their own residents and OP is potentially applying to 5 Texas MD schools. OP was also unsuccessful in the previous cycle so obviously needs to add more MD schools where the odds for an interview are higher.
 
I'd throw Dartmouth an app, if you have any interest (depending on your financial situation). May not be high yield for an interview, but they love non-trads.
 
The Texas schools give a strong preference to their own residents and OP is potentially applying to 5 Texas MD schools. OP was also unsuccessful in the previous cycle so obviously needs to add more MD schools where the odds for an interview are higher.

That is a good explanation why he shouldnt apply to Texas, but not why his list is top heavy
 
That is a good explanation why he shouldnt apply to Texas, but not why his list is top heavy

I think the idea is that if you subtract the Texas schools (equivalent difficulty of top schools) then his list is composed of creighton, Baylor, duke, case western and Loyola and maybe Rush. He's a reapplicant at most of those places, and didn't have success there last cycle with the same stats you quoted as being good enough. So maybe he should add more MD schools that are less difficult to get an interview at. He's re-applying without a new set of great target schools.
 
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Thanks for the replies guys.

@Faha, thanks for that list, I'll take a look at those.

@GrapesofRath, I asked the admissions officer at MU if she felt I'd even have enough time to improve my clinical experience. I got rejected by them at the end of Feb, so the turn around time between then and reapplying was not long. Her feeling (and echoed by my advisors) is that I should be ok as long as I make an effort. I work full time and have been averaging 10 hrs a week volunteering since April, there is not a whole lot more I can fit in with my schedule. The VA volunteering and the pediatrician shadowing are the new clinical experiences. By the time interviews role around in September/October, I should have around 150 hrs of VA volunteering. Again, the sentiment I got from admissions was that if I had the clinical experience, I'd gotten in. MU also seems to "toy" with non-trads a bit. Putting them off for a year to see if they come back. In that light, I feel my chances are good, but nothing is certain.

Missouri really only has 2 MD schools I can apply to (0% chance at WashU and UMKC has an Aug 1 due date) and I realize my list is pretty top heavy, thus request for suggestions. I know you're supposed to apply with the best app you can, but practically speaking, I'm not sure I can wait another year (for 2018 class) to try to improve my app further.

Try Ohio State - OOS Friendly and they give instate tuition after the first year. What about Western Michigan and Oakland Beaumont?
 
Just curious, OP did you do the JET program???

Yes I did. Best two decisions of my life.

I think the idea is that if you subtract the Texas schools (equivalent difficulty of top schools) then his list is composed of creighton, Baylor, duke, case western and Loyola and maybe Rush. He's a reapplicant at most of those places, and didn't have success there last cycle with the same stats you quoted as being good enough. So maybe he should add more MD schools that are less difficult to get an interview at. He's re-applying without a new set of great target schools.

Exactly, I'm looking for said set of great target schools, so please feel free to add any :)

I am hopeful that my deficiency is, in fact, my lack of clinical experience. My grades aren't going to move any and I've got (if nothing else) a unique set of ECs/life experiences. The clinical exposure was all I was lacking.

I also realize there is only so much clinical exposure I can gain before I reapply and for some schools who are used to seeing large numbers, I might not make the cut simply because of that. That's part of the problem of being non-traditional.

Is it still acceptable to tag an adcom into your WAMC thread for input? Goro replied to my thread for last cycle, I would be curious to see if he had any advice this term. If anyone is interested here is that thread.
 
Yes I did. Best two decisions of my life.



Exactly, I'm looking for said set of great target schools, so please feel free to add any :)

I am hopeful that my deficiency is, in fact, my lack of clinical experience. My grades aren't going to move any and I've got (if nothing else) a unique set of ECs/life experiences. The clinical exposure was all I was lacking.

I also realize there is only so much clinical exposure I can gain before I reapply and for some schools who are used to seeing large numbers, I might not make the cut simply because of that. That's part of the problem of being non-traditional.

Is it still acceptable to tag an adcom into your WAMC thread for input? Goro replied to my thread for last cycle, I would be curious to see if he had any advice this term. If anyone is interested here is that thread.

I'm not well-versed in all of this, but Faha's list had many of the usual suspects. Look for any thread in WAMC where the applicant is from California and not super competitive. The OOS target schools are generally the same. Private schools that aren't the most competitive. You could use MSAR if you wanted, look at private schools with no in-state preference (so no schools like Mercer) that your stats are well higher than.

How many interview invites did you get last cycle? Sorry if you've already said.
 
Only 2 invites last cycle :(

I just gotta hope that, as my advisor and the admissions officer at MU said, it was my lack of clinical experience. Hopefully my efforts in these last few months have shown them that I am serious about pursuing this as a career. *fingers crossed*

How's this for an updated list. It mostly consists of things people have already recommended, but more curious if it seems "balanced". Red is reapp. MO is my best bet.

Baylor
Case Western
UT-Houston
UT-Southwest

UT-San Antonio

University of MO
Creighton
SLU
Loyola
Georgetown
Wake Forest
UNT-TCOM

Emory
Temple
Drexel
Tulane
George Washington

Dartmouth?
Rochester?
 
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You have a good list and include Dartmouth and Rochester. You should receive more interviews this cycle.
 
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