- Joined
- Aug 6, 2018
- Messages
- 287
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Usually more of a Reddit guy, but I thought I'd get some feedback from SDN as well.
Background: State school grad. Biochem and Biophysics major, chem minor. State school has good rapport with my state school (Oregon Health Science), which is my top choice. I am NOT applying DO this year, even though I know I would be competitive for them - I just don't think I would attend if I got an acceptance, so I don't want to waste money. Interested in staying in Oregon, rural, primary care. Also I'm cis white male as ****. But if I get an A anywhere for MD, I will go.
I'll start off with the worst:
3.44 overall GPA, 3.46 sGPS (I know..) Somewhat upward trend. Had 1 really bad year and 3 average years (as far as lower level MD matriculants go)
Freshman: 3.68
Sophomore: 2.76 (bad year academically in with life in general)
Junior: 3.71
Senior: 3.61
I got my MCAT scores back this morning: [507] 124/125/128/130
Obviously very disappointing for me. Particularly the 124 in C/P, as I know that can screen me out of some secondaries. I scored around 511s in my AAMC Fls (saved AAMC 3 in case I screwed up). I worked about 45-50 hours a week during studying, except 5 days of PTO I used. I've seen people score 520s while working full-time so that's no excuse for me. I'll discuss my retake later
Now the not so bad:
General
- Oregon resident - advantage to OHSU
- I consider myself social adept, but so does everyone.
Research
- 2.5 years of biochemical/ epigenetic research. Full time in the summer, about 20 hrs/wk during school. I worked on a novel CRISPR Cas9 system in fungi, so my project has good name recognition.
Secondary author on a paper in a medium yield journal (NOT related to CRISPR unfortunately. But my project is being carried on by new undergrads)
2 Presentations of my research at conferences (CRISPR)
Clinical
- Weakest. I've shadowed anesthesiology, OB-GYN and family practice (mostly FP). I also shadowed a CPO (great experience) and PT through my internship (I got paid to shadow a few days, badass). about 60 hours, but I continue to shadow my primary care doc every week for 4-8 hrs for the foreseeable future. Right now at about 60 hours total.
- Some of my internship can be considered clinical, see 'unique'.
- Nutrition worker at a local hospital. Served patients food and consulted with them and dietitians about the diet regimen. Clinical in the sense that I 'could smell the patient' (thanks Liz). Did this full time for a summer in college.
Volunteer
- BlueZone Project coordinator. Plays big on local community help. I organized walking school buses for elementary schools and did other things to 'create a healthier community', mostly through better access to healthy food, and exercise/ movement programs. Also worked with the food bank through BZP.
- I sent care packages to an Oregon-based military battalion when they were stationed in Afghanistan. About 125 soldiers. Very positive experience for me, and I still correspond with some members of the battalion.
Leadership
- Course Director for National Youth Leadership Training. BSA funded program, I oversaw 12 staff and 60ish participants in the week long course. Big deal in the BSA, not so big outside. I was director for one year in high school and one during college (summers), so I figured I could include it.
- Vice President of Health & Safety for my fraternity. Focusing here on what I did to help the health of my brothers and guests. I did sexual assault awareness booths, organized drug/ alcohol awareness presentations, etc.
Unique
- I landed a job at a coordinated care organization (CCO). For non Oregonians this is kind of foreign, but its basically our way of administering health care to medicare and medicaid members (I recommend you check out the Oregon Health Plan if you've never heard of it, kind of a cool concept happening over here). I am a paid intern for the medical directors (MD/DOs, Pharm.Ds). Beyond clinical things, like doing home visits for medicaid members, I learned about the payor side of healthcare: prior auths, OHP,
new alternative payment models, and basically, according to the medical directors "things they wished they learned in med school". I attended state meetings and committees, for example I saw over a few meetings the debate on the Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee over Oregon's expanded coverage for HepC patients. Made many connections with physicians all over Oregon. My MD bosses think this will be very strong on my app, but its very unorthodox, so I hope they're right. I think this will be most impactful if I get to talk about it at an interview.
- I am an Eagle Scout
- Played violin for over 12 years. Not competitive after high school, but its the perfect 'hobby' to put under activities /experiences IMO.
LoR
- 3 professor letters. One from my PI, one from a instructor with a bit of name recognition in his field, and committee letter. Luckily the committee writer is my strongest academic connection.
1 physician - should be stellar, my current boss at my CCO. Second physician letter in works.
1 letter from a Pharm.D who is the VP of Population Health at my job.
So now what?
I am applying widely to low tier MD schools (an MD interview for me is like you guys getting into Harvard at this point). I feel fortunate that I have OHSU, as they are very holistic, love Oregonians, and they will be very familiar with my CCO experience, hopefully they will like it as much as my bosses think they will.
I know I need to retake the MCAT to have a dream - I am planning to this summer (my year long internship at the CCO is over [by my choice] on June 28.
What concerns me is if I get a solid MCAT (515 goal) and I still don't get an acceptance, then what? I know I need to expand my clinical experience, and that's my plan after retaking, but will that be enough?
Essentially friends, I am just looking for thoughts, suggestions, and critiques on this plan.
Cheers
Background: State school grad. Biochem and Biophysics major, chem minor. State school has good rapport with my state school (Oregon Health Science), which is my top choice. I am NOT applying DO this year, even though I know I would be competitive for them - I just don't think I would attend if I got an acceptance, so I don't want to waste money. Interested in staying in Oregon, rural, primary care. Also I'm cis white male as ****. But if I get an A anywhere for MD, I will go.
I'll start off with the worst:
3.44 overall GPA, 3.46 sGPS (I know..) Somewhat upward trend. Had 1 really bad year and 3 average years (as far as lower level MD matriculants go)
Freshman: 3.68
Sophomore: 2.76 (bad year academically in with life in general)
Junior: 3.71
Senior: 3.61
I got my MCAT scores back this morning: [507] 124/125/128/130
Obviously very disappointing for me. Particularly the 124 in C/P, as I know that can screen me out of some secondaries. I scored around 511s in my AAMC Fls (saved AAMC 3 in case I screwed up). I worked about 45-50 hours a week during studying, except 5 days of PTO I used. I've seen people score 520s while working full-time so that's no excuse for me. I'll discuss my retake later
Now the not so bad:
General
- Oregon resident - advantage to OHSU
- I consider myself social adept, but so does everyone.
Research
- 2.5 years of biochemical/ epigenetic research. Full time in the summer, about 20 hrs/wk during school. I worked on a novel CRISPR Cas9 system in fungi, so my project has good name recognition.
Secondary author on a paper in a medium yield journal (NOT related to CRISPR unfortunately. But my project is being carried on by new undergrads)
2 Presentations of my research at conferences (CRISPR)
Clinical
- Weakest. I've shadowed anesthesiology, OB-GYN and family practice (mostly FP). I also shadowed a CPO (great experience) and PT through my internship (I got paid to shadow a few days, badass). about 60 hours, but I continue to shadow my primary care doc every week for 4-8 hrs for the foreseeable future. Right now at about 60 hours total.
- Some of my internship can be considered clinical, see 'unique'.
- Nutrition worker at a local hospital. Served patients food and consulted with them and dietitians about the diet regimen. Clinical in the sense that I 'could smell the patient' (thanks Liz). Did this full time for a summer in college.
Volunteer
- BlueZone Project coordinator. Plays big on local community help. I organized walking school buses for elementary schools and did other things to 'create a healthier community', mostly through better access to healthy food, and exercise/ movement programs. Also worked with the food bank through BZP.
- I sent care packages to an Oregon-based military battalion when they were stationed in Afghanistan. About 125 soldiers. Very positive experience for me, and I still correspond with some members of the battalion.
Leadership
- Course Director for National Youth Leadership Training. BSA funded program, I oversaw 12 staff and 60ish participants in the week long course. Big deal in the BSA, not so big outside. I was director for one year in high school and one during college (summers), so I figured I could include it.
- Vice President of Health & Safety for my fraternity. Focusing here on what I did to help the health of my brothers and guests. I did sexual assault awareness booths, organized drug/ alcohol awareness presentations, etc.
Unique
- I landed a job at a coordinated care organization (CCO). For non Oregonians this is kind of foreign, but its basically our way of administering health care to medicare and medicaid members (I recommend you check out the Oregon Health Plan if you've never heard of it, kind of a cool concept happening over here). I am a paid intern for the medical directors (MD/DOs, Pharm.Ds). Beyond clinical things, like doing home visits for medicaid members, I learned about the payor side of healthcare: prior auths, OHP,
new alternative payment models, and basically, according to the medical directors "things they wished they learned in med school". I attended state meetings and committees, for example I saw over a few meetings the debate on the Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee over Oregon's expanded coverage for HepC patients. Made many connections with physicians all over Oregon. My MD bosses think this will be very strong on my app, but its very unorthodox, so I hope they're right. I think this will be most impactful if I get to talk about it at an interview.
- I am an Eagle Scout
- Played violin for over 12 years. Not competitive after high school, but its the perfect 'hobby' to put under activities /experiences IMO.
LoR
- 3 professor letters. One from my PI, one from a instructor with a bit of name recognition in his field, and committee letter. Luckily the committee writer is my strongest academic connection.
1 physician - should be stellar, my current boss at my CCO. Second physician letter in works.
1 letter from a Pharm.D who is the VP of Population Health at my job.
So now what?
I am applying widely to low tier MD schools (an MD interview for me is like you guys getting into Harvard at this point). I feel fortunate that I have OHSU, as they are very holistic, love Oregonians, and they will be very familiar with my CCO experience, hopefully they will like it as much as my bosses think they will.
I know I need to retake the MCAT to have a dream - I am planning to this summer (my year long internship at the CCO is over [by my choice] on June 28.
What concerns me is if I get a solid MCAT (515 goal) and I still don't get an acceptance, then what? I know I need to expand my clinical experience, and that's my plan after retaking, but will that be enough?
Essentially friends, I am just looking for thoughts, suggestions, and critiques on this plan.
Cheers
