3.66 cGPA, 3.40 sGPA, 31S MCAT (PS 10/ BS 10/ VR 10)

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[Catalystik]

Do you have any physician shadowing or nonmedical community service?

Are you a US permanent resident/green card holder, a dual citizen, or will you be considered an International applicant to US schools?

Do you remain engaged with your ethnic communiity in some way? Are you a native Spanish speaker?

Why is your BCPM GPA on the low side? The cGPA and MCAT scores are right at the averages for those accepted.

 

[heliscomo]

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[heliscomo]

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[Catalystik]

So I'm a NY resident, senior at a private university in NYC and graduating with a BA in History. I plan to apply to schools only in the Northeast (NY, NJ, CT, PA, MA, possibly Canada as well or as far south as Washington DC). I have a long list of schools I am interested in applying to, including most of the public schools in NY.

Stats
cGPA: 3.66
sGPA: 3. 40
MCAT: 31S ( PS 11/ BS 10/ VR 10) ***error in the title, it's 11 PS

3 different summer research projects (different summers) with 2 published papers coming out of them in which I am listed as an author
EMT certification and experience with a student club at school
senior editor of an undergrad medical journal at my school
very long history as a competitive figure skater (including two years of undergrad)

I am also Hispanic, which I think is considered a URM here. I am mostly interested in staying in the NY area (preferably NYC ) but I am a Canadian citizen and school there is MUCH cheaper so I am considering a few. My tentative least (which I know has quite a few "reaches") is as follows:

NY: NYU, SUNY Downstate, Syracuse, SUNY Stonybrook, Buffalo, Albany, Einstein, Mount Sinai, Cornell
NJ: UMDNJ (Newark and New Brunswick)
CT: UConn?
PA: Drexel, Jefferson, Temple
MA: Boston U?
Washington DC: George Washington
Canada (Ontario): McMaster, UToronto

1) I just want to know what some others think.

I am also a volunteer at a women's clinic (LOT'S of clinical experience there) for the last year and a half.

I am a dual citizen, born in Canada and lived there for a few years, but raised primarily in the US and went to school in the US.

2) I have shadowed two different oncologists, both of whom I did research with. I would estimate my shadowing at 200-250 hours overall.

I have done a lot of community service with relation to figure skating (coaching, Special Olympics, etc)

3) My BCMP is on the lower side because at my school some science classes are worth more weight than others, and I got a B in both of those classes. My science grades are all B- or better, with a few A range grades as well:
Calc I-- B-
Calc II-- B+
Chem I-- B+
Chem Lab I--A-
Chem II-- B
Chem Lab II-- A-
Orgo I-- B
Physics I-- B
Orgo II-- A-
Physics II-- A
Bio I-- A
Bio II-- in progress

I took these classes in a strange order, ending my senior year with biology (weird, I know)

I am a fluent Spanish speaker, but don't do anything particularly active in any Hispanic community. I do, however, volunteer at Planned Parenthood which is in a low income community with a lot of Spanish speakers, so I have used that skill extensively in a clinical setting.

I will be considered an American applicant at American schools and a Canadian CITIZEN at Canadian schools, but not a resident. My residency is in NY and I am a full US citizen (as of 2003 )

4) Also, the student EMS group that I am involved with at school is a group committed to volunteering at an ambulance corps in the community (not a campus EMS group). I don't know if that volunteering counts as my own volunteering since it is related to a club setting...

1) Considering that your lower BCPM is countered by the current upward science grade trend, I think you'll be in good shape stats-wise for the upcoming application season. Be sure to keep that trend going this term.

2) Your ECs are generally comprehensive and interesting. I think you're in good shape there as well, though I would like to see a bit of primary care shadowing, too, even if only 4-8 hours worth.

3) That is a strange order, especially considering you've already got an MCAT score with a decent BS.

4) You can list it either way, depending on whether you need a club officer listed as a contact to vouch for you.

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So long as your LORs are supportive and your interview skills strong, I think you should do well this coming cycle. I'm glad to see you included a few dream schools, as you never know what might happen, and certainly your ECs may well trump your stats to some extent. Your research might have been more consistent, but I think that will be countered by your leadership and sport involvement. You've done a nice job of developing a solid application.

Other than the slightly augmented shadowing, the only other thing on my wish list would be to see Biochem and a few uppper-level Bio courses on your transcript, which a number of med schools require or recommend.

 

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