515 MCAT Ohio WAMC/School List

[exoplanet]

I need some help with my school list for the 25-26 cycle and would love some feedback! I think my stats are just...okay, so any feedback on my application is fine with me too. I am also taking two gap years (graduated in spring 2024). My lower CARS score is also worrisome, so I'm still unsure if I should do a retake. I am only applying to MD.

1. Demographics
ORM, female
OH resident, currently living in MD though for job
Graduated in Spring 2024 from public Ohio university
cGPA: 3.886
sGPA: 3.860
MCAT: 515 (130/126 (oops) /128/131)
Major: Biomedical Engineering

2. Research Experience

• ~600 hrs, computation neuroscience lab research assistant, presented 5 posters for local/undergraduate research festivals + 1 published paper and 1 manuscript in review
• ~1200 hrs, currently working somewhat clinical research position (obviously more hours when I apply), previously worked in my current lab as an intern

3. Shadowing

• ~68 hrs, mostly in emergency medicine, anesthesiology, and IM

4. Clinical Experience

• ~150 hrs, volunteer at a free clinic for 3 years
• ~50 hrs, clinical research from current^^^ job so probably a lot more in the future

5. Non-Clinical Experience

• ~325 hrs, food pantry for 2.5 years + maintained the food pantry website

6. Other
Awards: Got several university grants/merit-based scholarships during undergrad to support my education + summer research

• ~650 hrs, ethnic club (involved all four years; held president, vice president, and smaller leadership role; also held leadership position to help run conference for ethnic club)
• ~200 hrs, student teaching assistant for 1 academic year
• ~100 hrs, dance club (held position for 1 year)

School List:

• Wright State (Safety)
• Toledo (Safety)
• Neomed (Safety)
• George Washington (Target)
• USU (Target)
• Sidney Kimmel Medical College (Target)
• University of Maryland (Target)
• Georgetown (Target)
• NYU Grossman Long Island (Target)
• Carle UIUC (Target)
• Tufts (Target)
• UPitt (slight Reach)
• Albert Einstein College of Medicine (slight Reach)
• OSU (slight Reach)
• Emory (Reach)
• UCincinnati (Reach)
• UMichigan (Big Reach)
• Case Western (Big Reach)

FYI I do realize that safety is relative and my essays are a very important part of the application so all these numbers are not the end-all-be-all!

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[Mr.Smile12]

I need more details about the clinical research job when it comes to "clinical" vs. "research" (don't double dip), but your number of clinical exposure hours is suboptimal as described. I prefer having 200 solid hours of shadowing + clinical experience (paid or unpaid, facing patients and/or witnessing what doctors do) by submission. What did you do with the free clinic?

I don't see a mission fit with your Ohio safeties (because they mostly matriculate in-state applicants who come from their critical parts of the state), so where in Ohio did you grow up? Also, OUHCOM (DO) I think may have the largest class size (with three campuses) and is predominantly in-state (someone correct me there), so I would consider them your safety.

If USUHS is on your list, have you tried to connect with HPSP recruiters? You could also consider Texas A&M EnMed (engineering background).

I also think you can expand your list if you wish to consider some of the newer medical schools like Belmont or DUQCOM (DO).

 

[exoplanet]

I need more details about the clinical research job when it comes to "clinical" vs. "research" (don't double dip), but your number of clinical exposure hours is suboptimal as described. I prefer having 200 solid hours of shadowing + clinical experience (paid or unpaid, facing patients and/or witnessing what doctors do) by submission. What did you do with the free clinic?

I don't see a mission fit with your Ohio safeties (because they mostly matriculate in-state applicants who come from their critical parts of the state), so where in Ohio did you grow up? Also, OUHCOM (DO) I think may have the largest class size (with three campuses) and is predominantly in-state (someone correct me there), so I would consider them your safety.

If USUHS is on your list, have you tried to connect with HPSP recruiters? You could also consider Texas A&M EnMed (engineering background).

I also think you can expand your list if you wish to consider some of the newer medical schools like Belmont or DUQCOM (DO).

My clinical research job is translational research, so I'm mostly doing engineering work. But, I collect data from patients and get a lot of face-to-face interaction from that. Edit: At the free clinic, I would sign in patients, collect vitals, and convey questions to the steering committee. Occasionally, I would help get intake from patients with the help of a translator. So, I didn't really provide care but I had face-to-face interactions here too.

I grew up in Cincinnati (and my residency is still technically there) but I went to Ohio State in Columbus. I also have a sibling at Toledo.

I have heard of EnMed but I'm not sure if I want to continue doing even more engineering stuff as a medical student.

 

[Faha]

You do not need to retake a MCAT of 515. You could add any of these schools to your application:
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Drexel
Temple
Penn State
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
West Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Belmont
Alice Walton
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
You would benefit from more clinical volunteering hours before you submit your application.