3.74c, 3.8s, 36S - Help me broaden!

[centrigeugle]

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Hello totally wise people.

I know that my stats put me in pretty good shape, but I'm having some angst about the number (and scope) of medical schools to which I should apply.

Here's the scoop:

3.74 cum/3.8 sci - Includes upper level chemistry and biochemistry courses. One quirk is that I was in undergrad for seven years - the first two as a business major before changing my mind. Should I expect this to look particularly bad? I paid for most of my education myself.

MCAT - yay~ honestly I could probably do better, but there's no reason to retake that 36S.

The extracurriculars are where I'm a little concerned. I have only a FEW things, but I feel that they're reasonably potent:

Clinical: Three years (mostly during the summer, but also into the spring/fall) of volunteering with an organization that provides medical coverage to public events.

One day of plastics shadowing (within arm's reach. very cool - very creepy!)

A year of random useless Red Cross feed them cookies stuff that I didn't bother to put on my application and probably won't even mention.

That's it as far as my clinical goes. This is where I'm most worried.

Sciency stuff:

Three years teaching chemistry to students, and one year running a lab class.

Threeish years in the university hazardous waste lab, carrying around the bio waste tubs and dealing with the chemwaste, etc. Less glamorous than it sounds on paper. Also my main income source, so not altruistic.

Summer internship at city water lab, general lab monkey work but it looks good.

Annual volunteer for science fair (x3 years)

Leadership stuff:

A year as an officer for the school's pre-med club (with a big membership)

Three years as a youth soccer referee (high school into college. figured, why not?)

Sporadic overnight homeless shelter volunteering.

So there's that! Here's where I'm applying:

Albany Medical
Albert Einstein
Emory University
Jefferson Of Thomas Jefferson
Loma Linda
Loyla
Medical College of Wisconsin
NY Medical
NY University
Northwestern
Oregon Heath and Science University
Stanford
University of Miami
University of Colorado
University of Iowa
University of Kansas
University of Washington
Vanderbilt
Vtech

I know there are a few reach schools in there, as I have no research. What I'd really appreciate is a frank appraisal at my chances, any any suggestions on broadening my application by, say, 10 schools or so.

Thanks!

 

[sector9]

What state are you a resident of?

I'm assuming you know about Loma Linda's lifestyle contract.

What's the "three years of medical coverage of events" thing? Were you an EMT? Did you transport to ERs or just provide bandaids?

 

[centrigeugle]

What state are you a resident of?

Did you transport to ERs or just provide bandaids?

Oregon, but I'd rather go out-of-state. I'm just ready for a new locale.

Somewhere between band-aids and transport. We did a lot of major events, city-level festivals and fundraisers etc. Typically we were the only on-site medical. A first-aid station in the middle of a beer festival can sometimes resemble a mini-ER.

 

[UnclePhil]

Grade and MCAT-wise, just about any school (including Emory, Stanford and Northwestern) is certainly within reach, but without research, it's really hard to judge how competitive you are at those places. Then again, maybe they won't really care that much. I'm sure schools like to do more than simply enroll 150 aspiring research physicians.

 

[Morsetlis]

Considering that only ~3% of physicians are primarily research scientists you have to wonder about the efficacy of these "research" schools (number taken from CCLCM website).

You have excellent stats and I wouldn't stress it. You'll get into med school.. . but you might need a little more research for the top research ones. The only thing left to do, then, is to see if your EC's balance out your lack of research (the science lab thing and teaching will DEFINITELY help make up this area... and you can embellish the lab work to make it sound research-y on paper IF the interviewer does not inquire about it).

 

[centrigeugle]

So, how does my list look? Too top-heavy? I was auto-rejected at Washington and won't be turning in Loma Linda's secondary.

Should I be adding a few more 'safety' schools? LizzyM .xls is telling me to "go for it" with just about everything, but I really want to maximize my chances of getting in this year.

 

[UnclePhil]

So, how does my list look? Too top-heavy? I was auto-rejected at Washington and won't be turning in Loma Linda's secondary.

Should I be adding a few more 'safety' schools? LizzyM .xls is telling me to "go for it" with just about everything, but I really want to maximize my chances of getting in this year.

Go ahead and apply to any school that suits your fancy and see where it goes. I had a similar application to yours (sort of...), we have basically the same numbers, but I was weak in a "crucial" EC and as a result received a bunch of puzzling rejections, but I still got interviews and I got in last cycle. It's really hard to say how big of a deal a school is going to make out of not having research, I really don't think most schools care THAT much.

 

[centrigeugle]

Go ahead and apply to any school that suits your fancy and see where it goes. I had a similar application to yours (sort of...), we have basically the same numbers, but I was weak in a "crucial" EC and as a result received a bunch of puzzling rejections[snip]

Do you mind if I ask how many schools you applied to?

I feel that I'm in somewhat of a similar situation: I did not receive a committee letter from my undergraduate institution (boneheadedly missed a deadline). Honestly, I have no idea how much of a disadvantage this will be, but I'm pretending like it's dropping my LizzyM score by a few points.

ETA: Hopefully it isn't a 'kiss of death' D: I wasn't nearly as worried about it before I started browsing SDN more.

 

[Morsetlis]

You realllllllllly shouldn't be treating deadlines like this at this stage of the game. But, if you have good letters and a good explanation, things should be ok.

 

[centrigeugle]

You realllllllllly shouldn't be treating deadlines like this at this stage of the game. But, if you have good letters and a good explanation, things should be ok.

I hope so, and completely agree about the deadline thing. The honest truth is that I was a little lackadaisical about the importance of the committee letter and missed that deadline by an hour.

Of course, I'll try to think up a more eloquent answer during interviews.

Rejected by Washington, nixed Kansas, Colorado, and Loma for Low OOS/stupidness. So so far I have completed secondaries at:
Albany
Albert Einstein
Emory
Jefferson
Loyola
MC of Wisconsin
NYMC
NYU
Northwestern
OHSU (in state, but they are WEIRD about admissions)
Stanford
U Connecticut
U Iowa Carver
and Rochester

How many more would you guys suggest I apply to/complete secondaries for? I'm finding the essays quite exhausting and recycling stuff from one to the other seems of limited use.

But I'm worried about not applying to enough schools. And of course, the letter thing.

halp me plez?

 

[StudyShy]

CG can get in anywhere, including Priztker.

 

[centrigeugle]

Cg? 🙁

ETA: Oh, also I should say SUBMITTED secondaries. Not complete. Most of them were submitted in the last few days.

Damn it, now I feel even less confident!