Another School List Thread! 09-10

[PowerButton]

Hey guys. Well I've finally consolidated my list, and I just wanted to get some feedback. I used LizzyM's school selector thing to generate this list.

Here are my stats:
3.727 cumulative GPA
3.703 science GPA
34R MCAT (VR11, PS11, BS12)
CA resident

EC's:
ER Scribe, fulltime (even during the schoolyear) - >1500 hours of clinical experience (just no direct patient care)
1 year volunteer in a molecular lab at a cancer center (about 4-8 hours/week)
NSCS, Golden Key Scholar

-I basically worked all throughout college, so my EC's are kind of lacking; an big concern for me but I can't really do anything about that now.

Anyway, my main concern now is that I'm applying to too many schools that are just "hopeful" - basically I'm afraid of not getting very many interviews. What do you guys think? Obviously the first two on the list are just for kicks


Johns Hopkins University
Harvard Medical School
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
University of Chicago (Pritzker)
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University
New York University School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
University of Southern California (Keck)
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
University of California, Los Angeles (Geffen)
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Tufts University School of Medicine
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
Georgetown University
Boston University School of Medicine
Temple University School of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
New York Medical College

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[PowerButton]

Suggestions? Anyone?

 

[Phoenix.]

Well, you've got a great application, although they may notice you don't have any real patient contact in your clinical experience. Don't think that should kill your chances anywhere, but why not start volunteering in an ER or shadowing now? You could always send an update letter to the schools in a couple of months letting them know. Anyway, your list is good, but if I were you I'd probably apply to a few more schools since your list is very top heavy.

First off, you should apply to all CA schools. Isn't Irvine missing? And you may as well throw in UCSF if you're putting in the other reaches. You've got a bunch of Philly schools - why not Jefferson? You've got Pritzker, so you could try Northwestern and Rush as well (you could add Loyola too, but it doesn't look like you have much volunteer experience, which I know they like). You've got Georgetown, so why not GW (although they do both get a TON of apps)? You could also look into UVM (their atmosphere, facilities, curriculum and technology are great). And if I were you, I'd definitely add Baylor and Emory.

 

[PowerButton]

I actually do have a lot of patient contact. I follow the docs into patient rooms to take histories and physicals, usually get the review of systems from the patients myself, and bring patients blankets and water when needed. It's basically like shadowing, except better because I actually do a lot of relevant work. I'm not allowed to really touch the patients (no medical care provided by me, is what I meant in the original post) - but I think my job is much better than volunteering. The volunteers at our hospital just go and pick up meals for patients, and occasionally wheel them out for discharge.

As for schools - actually I had all of the ones you mentioned on my list before, but I've been trimming simply due to the staggering cost of applying to 25+ schools!

UC Irvine is missing now because I actually don't really want to be in Irvine. It sounds stupid, but as you may have noticed, I really want to head east. UCSF I'm not really aiming for because of similar reasons, as well as the fact that I have next to no research experience, and people have been telling me they are BIG on that.

How many more schools would you recommend adding? I probably will add Rush and Jefferson back on there. Baylor's numbers seem a little high, and as you've pointed out, I've already got a top heavy list. Emory and UVM I'll have to look into.

Thanks for the help though!

EDIT: Any schools on the current list that you would recommend taking off, or replacing with some of the schools you mentioned?

 

[Phoenix.]

Ah, yes, I misunderstood about the clinical experience. Sounds great!

I really think you've got a great application, and agree that you don't need to apply to a ton of schools. I think your school choices are actually really solid now that I see you do have "patient contact." If you're looking for ones to cut, you might take off Tufts. I actually withdrew when I realized how expensive it is ($52,000 or something like that). And I do think that your stats are high enough and your ECs solid enough that you could cut a number of these "safety" schools down:

Georgetown University
Boston University School of Medicine
Temple University School of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
New York Medical College
Rush

If your writing skills are good and you have a compelling personal statement and secondary essays, I think you're going to be incredibly successful with your applications. You've got enough NYC schools that you don't need to apply to NYMC. And I think Pitt and Jefferson are probably better matches for your stats than Drexel and Temple - unless you really want to be in Philly, in which case, keep them all. As for BU and Georgetown, they get the most apps in the country, so try to apply early if you apply to them. Also, I'm generally assuming that you're going to be applying "early" regardless. By that, I mean that you'll be complete at schools no later than August (earlier, if possible).

Sorry if this post is getting a bit rambling. I just feel that if you're going to cut schools, cut some of the "lower tiered" safeties. I think you've got an excellent shot at your state schools, and thus wouldn't be attending any of those OOS schools anyway. But of couse, you can never bank on CA schools, so it's good that you'll be applying to a broad number of schools.

Alternatively, you could cut a few of the extreme reach schools out like Harvard and Hopkins. Or the really research heavy schools like Pritzker and Penn, but they do also accept students with little or no research, so I wouldn't necessarily do that if you are interested in the schools.

Personally, I tend to think that it's worth it to apply broadly. The cost may seem large, but it's barely a drop in the bucket when you consider what you'll be spending on your degree. Then again, if you don't have the cash, applying narrowly but wisely is the best course to take.

 

[honker]

Hey guys. Well I've finally consolidated my list, and I just wanted to get some feedback. I used LizzyM's school selector thing to generate this list.

Here are my stats:
3.727 cumulative GPA
3.703 science GPA
34R MCAT (VR11, PS11, BS12)
CA resident

EC's:
ER Scribe, fulltime (even during the schoolyear) - >1500 hours of clinical experience (just no direct patient care)
1 year volunteer in a molecular lab at a cancer center (about 4-8 hours/week)
NSCS, Golden Key Scholar

-I basically worked all throughout college, so my EC's are kind of lacking; an big concern for me but I can't really do anything about that now.

Anyway, my main concern now is that I'm applying to too many schools that are just "hopeful" - basically I'm afraid of not getting very many interviews. What do you guys think? Obviously the first two on the list are just for kicks


Johns Hopkins University
Harvard Medical School
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
University of Chicago (Pritzker)
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University
New York University School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
University of Southern California (Keck)
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
University of California, Los Angeles (Geffen)
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Tufts University School of Medicine
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
Georgetown University
Boston University School of Medicine
Temple University School of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
New York Medical College

Given your lack of research in the application, I suspect that you will have a hard time with Harvard, JHU, Penn, Columbia, and Cornell. If you are serious about becoming a physician, you can't let geography dictate your choices in terms of where to apply. I agree with the other suggestions mentioned above in terms of where to apply.

 

[PowerButton]

Phoenix - I'm looking to send my application out early next week. I already feel late! I will probably add UCI back, as well as Jefferson. I actually didn't know Pritzker was research heavy as well, I'll have to look into it. Penn I am definitely interested in, and I didn't realize it was that research oriented; I actually became very interested in the school after talking to an attending who went there and had no research (zilch!) when he applied. (p.s. Tufts is $52,000?!)

Honker - Yeah, I know that I need to apply broadly; I basically trimmed my list based on 1) what I know about the programs and 2) geography - trying to balance this with the cost of applying. But I guess as Phoenix said, it's a drop in the bucket in the long run. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[PowerButton]

I posted this in the AMCAS questions thread as well, but I figured I might as well put it out here if anyone is looking.

I have a question about letters of rec that I haven't been able to find a definitive answer to - if this has already been talked about, please point me in the right place and i apologize for duplicating a topic.

My school doesn't have a premed committee and I am collecting my letters in a file service they have. I guess when the letters are all in, I just need to ask the file service to send it to AMCAS.

What is the deadline for this? I have been told that you do not need to submit your letters with your AMCAS - does that mean I can submit my primary app now, and then send the letters in later?

I know there's the whole VE packet thing on AMCAS - how does that come into play regarding deadlines?

 

[CSnowFoxD]

I'm not very good with choosing schools, but for the AMCAS thing think of it as part of your secondaries, and not really connected to your primary. So just submit AMCAS whenever you're ready and get your letters in when you have them all.

Oh btw, you're not dumber than a four year old, lol. Hey, you go to a better school than I do