Advice on where to apply for a research focused reapplicant

[CatDad26]

I applied two years back with a 509 MCAT and just 1 publication.... 0 A's. Reapplying this coming cycle after taking some time off to improve and retake MCAT

Now:
517 MCAT
3.69 cGPA and 3.64 sGPA
12 publications (about half original articles and half review papers)
Full academic year TA'ing chemistry
4 abstract/poster presentations (two at national conferences)
2500 research hours in independent academia research
2500-3000 research hours in industry/pharma (my gap year job)
~2400 clinical hours (between CNA, medical scribe, shadowing)

I haven't done too much for community outreach/service except a medical brigade trip to Nicaragua my sophomore year. Can anyone recommend any research heavy schools that I should apply to?

Thanks!

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[Med Ed]

Have you considered MD/PhD?

 

[Banco]

I would just apply to most schools where your stats fit the mold. It's not like schools dislike research or something. With a new 517 you can aim for mid-tier and a maybe even few top-tier research heavy schools that are okay with reinvention.


Places like Case Western, Rochester, Pitt come to mind.

 

[JimKimSlim]

From my experience, research is not as big of a factor people make it out to be. I have very similar research stats as you but higher academic stats. Had no success with research heavy schools. It’s definitely a talking point during interview, but I think community service is more important than research. After all, you’re applying to MD, not PhD programs.

Perhaps MD-PhD might be good for you. I decided against that despite my research-heavy stats because of personal issues (literally a harvard MSTP graduate told me not to do MD/PhD...). But if you don’t mind spending extra 3-6 years studying/interning down the road, you can also apply there too.

Also, you will be a strong applicant for DO programs!

 

[Goro]

I applied two years back with a 509 MCAT and just 1 publication.... 0 A's. Reapplying this coming cycle after taking some time off to improve and retake MCAT

Now:
517 MCAT
3.69 cGPA and 3.64 sGPA
12 publications (about half original articles and half review papers)
Full academic year TA'ing chemistry
4 abstract/poster presentations (two at national conferences)
2500 research hours in independent academia research
2500-3000 research hours in industry/pharma (my gap year job)
~2400 clinical hours (between CNA, medical scribe, shadowing)

I haven't done too much for community outreach/service except a medical brigade trip to Nicaragua my sophomore year. Can anyone recommend any research heavy schools that I should apply to?

Thanks!

Lack of nonclinical volunteering will be lethal even with first author Nature papers.

GPAs will likely hold you back from the research who...um, sex workers.

Suggest:
Emory
Jefferson
Albany
Hofstra
NYU.LI
Einstein
Rochester
Your state schools
Wake
Miami
Loyola
Tulane
SLU

 

[JimKimSlim]

I will disagree with one comment above that you would be a strong applicant for DO programs-- I think those schools place significantly more emphasis on volunteering / helping the underserved rather than research. Given that you have minimal volunteering, I would stick to applying MD.

Meh, whether it’s MD or DO, the admissions process is holistic and beyond simply academic stats, research, and community service hours. With that being said, a third year reapplicant friend of mine with 3.1 GPA, 517 MCAT, and 15-16 publications got three DO interviews and one A with only one 60-70 hour community service activity. Also, no LoR from a DO. On the other hand, he got only one MD interview which came out as R. Again, N = 1.

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

Agree on earlier recommendation for Virginia Tech.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

How good are your LORs? Your GPA is probably low for top research schools.

 

[CatDad26]

Thank you everyone for the feedback!

 

[Med Ed]

Thank you everyone for the feedback!

It is difficult to overstate how much additional community service will positively impact your chances. I have seen high-research/low-service applications like yours end up in no man's land: not quite good enough for top flight research institutions, but not aligned with "lower tier" schools that are more holistic. Patch the hole in your experiences and you can potentially get traction at a lot of places.