Hey folks! Been a long time lurker of SDN and fairly active on Reddit as well. Wanted to come on here because I've seen so much great and transparent advice, and am currently in need of help. Looking forward to chatting with y'all.
25M, ORM, TX Resident - looking to apply Summer 2026.
1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
- cGPA: 3.79
- sGPA: 3.58
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown. Include all (non-voided) attempts.
- Originally was supposed to take it in September, but I had to push it back because I was not feeling 100% ready. Prior to this, my scores are as follows:
- Diagnostic: 486
- Unscored: 505
- FL1: 502
I am currently preparing, once again, with the goal score of 510+. I understand that this would make advice much easier to give, but I am hoping that I am able to attain this goal, as much of my errors come from content review and lack of locking in.
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
- Texas
4. Ethnicity and/or race
- Asian male
5. Undergraduate institution or category
- The University of Texas at Austin, Bachelor of Science in Public Health
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
- 125 hours as an emergency room volunteer at a large hospital.
- 100 hours as a clinical front desk coordinator in an underserved area.
- 150 hours as a virtual medical scribe. This was during peak COVID time.
- ONGOING: 500+ hours as a medical assistant. I plan to have over 1000 hours by the time of my application.
7. Research experience and productivity
- 400 hours as a Research Fellow/Mentor in my college laboratory, focused on neurodegenerative diseases. Full transparency, I do not think this has much of an impact on me personally. I would love to get another research job, based on something that I am interested in, during the time of my application and the year afterwards.
- 150 hours as a Research Assistant in a Health Behavior Institute, focused on social work and mental health, mainly administrative work
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
- 10 hours of shadowing Internal Medicine
- 10 hours of shadowing Allergy/Hormone clinic. Looking to get more experiences in GI and Cardiology...
9. Non-clinical volunteering
- 200 hours of student organization volunteering, including fundraising, venue and activity rentals, etc.
- 400 hours of fraternity treasury activities, coordinating with National Board.
- ONGOING: 150+ hours of Ronald McDonald House volunteering in the kitchen staff. I have absolutely loved this experience and HIGHLY recommend anyone who is looking into it to at least give it a shot. It has been worth the long commute back and forth... the stories I hear from here and my personal connections I have made with so many individuals have made this such an impactful opportunity.
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
- 4000+ hours of working as a consultant at a large tech company. As someone who grew up with a stutter, I was extremely shy at first. Ended up being one of the top performers, but found myself hating it shortly. I gained lots of great skills in networking/organization, but was not fulfilled at the end.
- Team lead in said role ^
- Vice President of Finance, Productions Director, Recruitment Leader in previous student organizations
- Fantasy football enthusiast, 2 time champion
- Avid National Park lover, been to over 30... won't stop!
11. Relevant honors or awards
- Eagle Scout
- University Honors
I currently do not have a concrete school list in mind. I am looking to stay in Texas, applying to all of the MD and DO schools, but open to expanding my search to any school in the US as well. Is it true that TX schools have a very strong bias towards in state residents? Would that affect how out-of-state schools view TX applicants, like NY/CO/CA?
Along with this, I am curious on how the recency (or, lack thereof, ) in some of my extracurricular activities (student organizations/volunteering) will look to schools. I am actively multitasking with the MCAT studying, volunteering, and working to the point where I am afraid of burnout. Please let me know your thoughts on my application and thank you so much in advance for your assistance.
25M, ORM, TX Resident - looking to apply Summer 2026.
1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
- cGPA: 3.79
- sGPA: 3.58
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown. Include all (non-voided) attempts.
- Originally was supposed to take it in September, but I had to push it back because I was not feeling 100% ready. Prior to this, my scores are as follows:
- Diagnostic: 486
- Unscored: 505
- FL1: 502
I am currently preparing, once again, with the goal score of 510+. I understand that this would make advice much easier to give, but I am hoping that I am able to attain this goal, as much of my errors come from content review and lack of locking in.
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
- Texas
4. Ethnicity and/or race
- Asian male
5. Undergraduate institution or category
- The University of Texas at Austin, Bachelor of Science in Public Health
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
- 125 hours as an emergency room volunteer at a large hospital.
- 100 hours as a clinical front desk coordinator in an underserved area.
- 150 hours as a virtual medical scribe. This was during peak COVID time.
- ONGOING: 500+ hours as a medical assistant. I plan to have over 1000 hours by the time of my application.
7. Research experience and productivity
- 400 hours as a Research Fellow/Mentor in my college laboratory, focused on neurodegenerative diseases. Full transparency, I do not think this has much of an impact on me personally. I would love to get another research job, based on something that I am interested in, during the time of my application and the year afterwards.
- 150 hours as a Research Assistant in a Health Behavior Institute, focused on social work and mental health, mainly administrative work
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
- 10 hours of shadowing Internal Medicine
- 10 hours of shadowing Allergy/Hormone clinic. Looking to get more experiences in GI and Cardiology...
9. Non-clinical volunteering
- 200 hours of student organization volunteering, including fundraising, venue and activity rentals, etc.
- 400 hours of fraternity treasury activities, coordinating with National Board.
- ONGOING: 150+ hours of Ronald McDonald House volunteering in the kitchen staff. I have absolutely loved this experience and HIGHLY recommend anyone who is looking into it to at least give it a shot. It has been worth the long commute back and forth... the stories I hear from here and my personal connections I have made with so many individuals have made this such an impactful opportunity.
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
- 4000+ hours of working as a consultant at a large tech company. As someone who grew up with a stutter, I was extremely shy at first. Ended up being one of the top performers, but found myself hating it shortly. I gained lots of great skills in networking/organization, but was not fulfilled at the end.
- Team lead in said role ^
- Vice President of Finance, Productions Director, Recruitment Leader in previous student organizations
- Fantasy football enthusiast, 2 time champion
- Avid National Park lover, been to over 30... won't stop!
11. Relevant honors or awards
- Eagle Scout
- University Honors
I currently do not have a concrete school list in mind. I am looking to stay in Texas, applying to all of the MD and DO schools, but open to expanding my search to any school in the US as well. Is it true that TX schools have a very strong bias towards in state residents? Would that affect how out-of-state schools view TX applicants, like NY/CO/CA?
Along with this, I am curious on how the recency (or, lack thereof, ) in some of my extracurricular activities (student organizations/volunteering) will look to schools. I am actively multitasking with the MCAT studying, volunteering, and working to the point where I am afraid of burnout. Please let me know your thoughts on my application and thank you so much in advance for your assistance.
