Research, research, and more research. (The schools, that is, although bio research can only help.) My pre-med adviser gave me a list of schools compatible with my mcat's and gpa and I just blindly applied, believing in Fate as I do. Point is there were some state schools in there that have accepted, say, 2 applicants from out of state (which I was) in the last 5 years. Don't even bother with them, it's a waste of money. That said, admissions to medical school is a crapshoot unless you have ridiculous numbers, and if you don't have ridiculous numbers, apply to a bunch of schools and see how the cards land. Also make sure your rec's are good--they're more important than a lot of the rest of your application. Not that you get to see them, but be honest with your recommender in that you need a positive rec. And be honest in your personal statement--usually committee's just skim when they're deciding on an interview, and if you have a catchy first line (basically a good essay) that draws them in.
Hope this is helpful!