4.0 GPA, 33 MCAT, VA Please Read

[confusedhokie]

Hey guys,

So it's finally time that I can actually do this without hypotheticals! I am a junior bio major and my stats are:

4.0 GPA (I don't know if it'll make it through this semester!)
33 MCAT (11P, 12V, 10B)

Prehealth fraternity since freshman year: social chair sophomore year, treasurer/executive board junior year (about 5 hours/wk)

Work at an on campus dining hall: Started freshman year; assistant manager since beginning of sophomore year (about 20 hours/wk)

Volunteer at a nursing home since beginning of sophomore year (about 2 hours/wk)

Running club since beginning of junior year (about 5 hours/wk)

Research assistant in mitotic errors lab since beginning of junior year (about 15 hours/wk)

Volunteer in ER for a summer (200 hours total)

My biggest concern is my lack of originality and so so EC's. I have shadowing experiences set up and should have about 100 hours by the time I start applying. I plan on applying to all of the Virginia schools. My questions are: how do I look for getting into these Virginia schools and what other schools would I be a good fit for? Sorry for the long post and thank you guys so much!

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[Goro]

I think you're fine for any of the VA schools, plus all low-medium tier schools. ECs look fine; I especially like the nursing home work, which most pre-med never do.

Hey guys,

So it's finally time that I can actually do this without hypotheticals! I am a junior bio major and my stats are:

4.0 GPA (I don't know if it'll make it through this semester!)
33 MCAT (11P, 12V, 10B)

Prehealth fraternity since freshman year: social chair sophomore year, treasurer/executive board junior year (about 5 hours/wk)

Work at an on campus dining hall: Started freshman year; assistant manager since beginning of sophomore year (about 20 hours/wk)

Volunteer at a nursing home since beginning of sophomore year (about 2 hours/wk)

Running club since beginning of junior year (about 5 hours/wk)

Research assistant in mitotic errors lab since beginning of junior year (about 15 hours/wk)

Volunteer in ER for a summer (200 hours total)

My biggest concern is my lack of originality and so so EC's. I have shadowing experiences set up and should have about 100 hours by the time I start applying. I plan on applying to all of the Virginia schools. My questions are: how do I look for getting into these Virginia schools and what other schools would I be a good fit for? Sorry for the long post and thank you guys so much!

 

[confusedhokie]

Thanks so much for your response! Anyone else have any suggestions or comments? I would love anyone's input.

 

[confusedhokie]

Update:

Spent several days (25 hours) volunteering for a free clinic event in an underserved area of TN. Also shadowed a general surgeon for about 25 hours and could potentially get a strong letter from him. Any thoughts based on these updates on how I would fare for VA schools? Specifically VCU and UVA?

 

[nemo123]

Update:

Spent several days (25 hours) volunteering for a free clinic event in an underserved area of TN. Also shadowed a general surgeon for about 25 hours and could potentially get a strong letter from him. Any thoughts based on these updates on how I would fare for VA schools? Specifically VCU and UVA?

A LOR from a doctor you shadowed isn't going to carry much weight, unless you took a class with him or did research with him. UVa might be a little bit of reach with your stats and ECs (you can always apply though and see what happens), but you should be good to go with the other Virginia schools.

 

[gyngyn]

A LOR from a doctor you shadowed isn't going to carry much weight, unless you took a class with him or did research with him. UVa might be a little bit of reach with your stats and ECs (you can always apply though and see what happens), but you should be good to go with the other Virginia schools.

Agree. Especially with bolded.

 

[Oso]

Like nemo123 said, UVA may be a little bit of a reach, but definitely apply and see what happens. In terms of making a list of schools to apply to, I would purchase the MSAR and look at schools whose mean MCAT/GPA are around yours (to start):

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/requirements/msar/

It also gives you a lot of good information on each school, and you can follow up your research by checking out each school's official website to ultimately see if it's a good fit. Good luck!

 

[confusedhokie]

Thanks guys!

 

[thegypsyqueen]

You are certainly on the right track. I would do as much shadowing as possible (if you get 100 hours like you said that will be good). Try to get a few specialties in there and shadowing a Family Medicine doctor if possible. Other than that, work at something you are genuinely interested in. If you have a "different" EC on your app it will help a lot for interviews. I had one particularly interesting EC and it was discussed in length during all of my interviews.

 

[sat0ri]

^Agree, especially if you round out your clinical exposure with some primary care, family medicine, so on.

Btw @thegypsyqueen, what was your particularly interesting EC???

 

[thegypsyqueen]

^Agree, especially if you round out your clinical exposure with some primary care, family medicine, so on.

Btw @thegypsyqueen, what was your particularly interesting EC???

I am really in to cycling and I had just got back from a cross country bike trip. I almost didn't put it on my app because it is more a hobby than an EC but all of my interviewers were very interested in it.