39MCAT/3.9GPA: Limited Extracurriculars. School list?

[660616]

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[GrapesofRath]

No volunteering? No clinical experience in anyway? No campus involvement and leadership? Not much research?

You are not fixing your app in 2 months by just following some step by step cookie cutter instructions someone on here tells you to do. You got bigger issues than to consider

It doesn't matter what your stats are you need to take a gap year. how can you convince any med school you want to be a doctor when you have no relevant experience to go off of? How can you show them you would be a successful one when basically all you've shown them is you are smart and only care about what your studying and not having much consideration for much else by not having anything else on your app? You'll stand out for sure amongst uber competitive top gunning pre meds looking for any advantage.....just for all the wrong reasons

No one is saying in time you can't be competitive anywhere with your stats. But look at this way-----you could work your ass off for a year to boost your ec's and accomplish a lot in that one year and still be below average for most people's ec's they build up over years. It's a process discover your own passion for medicine and what being a doctor implies.....research clinical experience d volunteering gaining leadership positions.....those are good places to start. Get involved and commit everything you got the next year to finding your passions and seeing what medicine is about outside of a classroom then maybe you can talk about applying next cycle before your mcat expires. Because if you apply now.....given the expectafions you have with the list of yours.......you are going to be in for a rude awakening

 

[660616]

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[lifesajoke]

You seem to be trying to rush through life...how do you know medicine is really for you?

Seems like you rushed through undergrad by doing nothing but studying...this is actually not a good idea. You will need at least one but likely more than one gap year to get your EC's up to par. The idea of saving time by rushing through undergrad has backfired on you...

 

[Lost_Premed]

It's unfortunate that you did not take some time in college to find some activities that both interested you, and would have allowed for medical schools to really see if you are a person who has a passion for medicine. With that said, I agree with both the previous comments-- for those top tier schools you're applying to, including UT Southwestern and Baylor, you're going to need more than just a 3.9 and a 39 on the MCAT to get in. I'd say take one gap year, figure out 1-2 activities you can really put some time in to, and then apply next cycle. You could possibly (don't quote me on this) get into a UT medical school this cycle, with your current app, but... it seems you want to shoot higher. Don't waste your time applying this year on the extremely small chance you may get in-- develop your app further, and apply later, and you will get in somewhere with those stats.

 

[efle]

Greetings friends:
I am an Asian applicant and a Texas resident.
I have a 3.9 GPA and a 39 MCAT. I went to a national university (US News top 20) and graduated in three years. However, my schedule didn't allow for very many extracurricular activities and I need some help with developing my list of schools.

I have volunteered at a hospice for 2 summers. I am planning to write about it in my personal statement. I have had limited shadowing experience (only shadowed a primary care in one summer ~20hrs) and essentially no research experience outside of classes.
I have no significant leadership activities and my activities list is unfortunately very sparse.

In one summer, I had a full time internship at a popular supplier of genomics test kits, but my experiences there weren't that exciting.

I am seeking advice for how I should present myself, especially considering the gaps in extracurriculars. This summer, I plan to shadow some different physicians, and continue to volunteer at the hospice.

I plan to apply to Texas schools including UT Southwestern and Baylor, among others. My AMCAS schools will include Stanford, WashU, and other top-tier schools. However, I need advice for schools to apply to in order to maximize my chances of success.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to reading your comments.

You have no chance at WashU and Stanford tier schools, and iffy odds at Baylor and UTSW. With stats that strong however, you WILL be able to get in somewhere, especially as a Texas resident - just apply to many places where you are at and above the 90th percentile.

Here's a confidence booster - Wustl produces around 8 people per year with a 3.8+/39+, and across five years and 43 applicants every single one got into med school.

Do your best to do some emergency patching up your app between now and interviews, and do NOT have expectations for top-tier schools; you are barely past the median stats for places like WashU and they place huge emphasis on undergrad research.

 

[GrapesofRath]

This situation is akin to someone wanting to apply to an MD/PhD without having even done research. It's just not going to work as is. You aren't convincing med schools you'll be a good doctor having done literally nothing else but get good stats in college.

You MIGHT have some luck with your Texas state schools but it's very possible if all you've done is study and never had any real communication with the outside world in college a) you'll have absolutely nothing to talk about in interviews which is a very bad thing b) you won't have great people and interview skills.

You need to have a better idea of medicine itself and what the field is like for your OWN good before applying to medical school. Trust me you can sit here and say you have an idea of what the field of medicine is based off doing online research and shadowing-----believe me once you actually do research and get solid clinical exposure your perspective will be a lot different.

You won't like hearing this but anybody giving you some cookie cutter check list of things to do in the next month or two isn't helping you at all----short term or long term. Don't try and take shortcuts, take that gap year or two, experience medicine then go on and get into some really kick ass med school

 

[URMD]

I feel like if you apply broadly, you will get in somewhere - but most likely in places where the median GPA and MCAT are far below your own. You don't want to feel like you shortchanged yourself, do you?

 

[Goro]

This is very easy. Take a gap year and flesh out the ECs. I especially respect the hospice work, but med schools want to that you know what you're getting into, and that you know what a doctor's day is like.

The lack of research will kill your chances at any top school, like UTSW or Stanford. Do you realize that >90% of med school matriculants have research experience?

I've seen numerous examples of high stat/weak EC applicants like you get rejected. Stats get you to the door, but ECs get you through them.

Greetings friends:
I am an Asian applicant and a Texas resident.
I have a 3.9 GPA and a 39 MCAT. I went to a national university (US News top 20) and graduated in three years. However, my schedule didn't allow for very many extracurricular activities and I need some help with developing my list of schools.

I have volunteered at a hospice for 2 summers. I am planning to write about it in my personal statement. I have had limited shadowing experience (only shadowed a primary care in one summer ~20hrs) and essentially no research experience outside of classes.
I have no significant leadership activities and my activities list is unfortunately very sparse.

In one summer, I had a full time internship at a popular supplier of genomics test kits, but my experiences there weren't that exciting.

I am seeking advice for how I should present myself, especially considering the gaps in extracurriculars. This summer, I plan to shadow some different physicians, and continue to volunteer at the hospice.

I plan to apply to Texas schools including UT Southwestern and Baylor, among others. My AMCAS schools will include Stanford, WashU, and other top-tier schools among others. However, I need advice for schools to apply to in order to maximize my chances of success.
Edit: I would like to emphasize that I am aware that top-tier schools are highly selective and that I am not an ideal candidate for some of the places that I plan to apply to. This is why I am looking for other schools that might offer a more realistic chance of acceptance.
I want to improve my application as much as I possibly can in these coming months before my interviews to give me the best chance of getting into medical school.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to reading your comments.

 

[Vain Brother]

if this applicant is not picky i sincerely doubt there will be a problem getting into one of the texas schools.

 

[efle]

if this applicant is not picky

The plans for Baylor, UTSW, WashU, Stanford and "other top-tier schools" make that a little unlikely.

If it matters OP, I was in almost the same position (80+ LizzyM with zero research) and decided to take a gap year so I could complete an honors thesis in my senior year. You don't want to value going straight into MD school too much; it isn't worth potentially impacting your access to more competitive specialties/residencies down the road by limiting your med school options now.

 

[GrapesofRath]

if this applicant is not picky i sincerely doubt there will be a problem getting into one of the texas schools.

I would have some doubts and you can bet your ass if @Goro does as well then there's a very legitimate chance those Texas schools will as well

 

[efle]

I would have some doubts and you can bet your ass if @Goro does as well then there's a very legitimate chance those Texas schools will as well

There are 5 texan MD's with 90th percentiles at 35/36 and median GPAs 3.7/3.8. Decent shot there since they do have some volunteering and exposure, can get more from now until interviews, and these aren't research focused