Avg applicant's chances in NY?

[drfaustus]

Hello everyone,

Can anyone comment on my chances of getting an interview/possible acceptance for/to NY medical schools? It's sad to say, but I have no "hook" or anything special ...Just an avg applicant who would really like to stay in NY.

NYS resident
AVG EC's (medical, non-medical, clinical, 50 hrs shadowing, teaching/leadership, research, employment)
AVG cGPA/sGPA (3.6/3.5)
AVG LORs
MCAT-(May 2012) aiming for 32+

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[Catalystik]

It will depend on the MCAT score, too. Since your stats are slightly below those of the average acceptee (3.67/3.61) aim for an MCAT at least correspondingly higher than the average of 31.1.

Without timeframes and better descriptions for your ECs, we can't comment there. You still have 5 months to beef them up.

Have you considered waiting a year to improve your GPAs and ECs, or adding some DO med schools to your list?

 

[drfaustus]

Thank you Catalystik.

I agree and I don't think I'll apply unless I get at least a 32 on the MCAT. For personal reasons, I really do not want to apply to DO or Caribbean schools.

As far as specifics on the ECs, I feel as if they're avg but I have all, or at least most of the bases covered (although 2 of my activities were recently acquired and may look a bit like padding):

-1.5 years of research (2 poster presentations), will hopefully get LOR
-Vacation bible school teacher (summers of 2005-2011), will get LOR
-Various community projects: soup kitchen, painting schools, etc (~40 hours)
-Hospital volunteering (started 2006-present, continued through college ~450 hours), will get LOR
-shadowing (40 hours, probably will be 60 if I apply in June), will get 3 LOR
-medical/office assistant (20 hours/wk), will get LOR
-Hospice (started Jan 2012)
-Mentoring kids (starting Feb 2012)

Also, do you think having a sibling currently enrolled in an NY med school will help in anyway? I am also looking at a particular med school in CA, in which 3 of my cousins attended...would that be of significance? Thank you so much

 

[Catalystik]

Some of the ECs are pretty decent (namely, above average). Do you have any peer leadership?

Also, do you think having a sibling currently enrolled in an NY med school will help in anyway? I am also looking at a particular med school in CA, in which 3 of my cousins attended...would that be of significance?

No. No.

 

[drfaustus]

Unfortunately I don't have any peer leadership, although I may be paired with a teen (16-18 yrs old) to mentor...and I'm not that much older than that. But I understand what you mean
Do you see anything else I can improve on? (besides the ambiguous MCAT score as of now)...Thanks I REALLY appreciate the feedback!

No. No.

Lol. It was worth a try...

 

[Catalystik]

Do you see anything else I can improve on? (besides the ambiguous MCAT score as of now)...Thanks I REALLY appreciate the feedback!

Be sure to get at least 10 more shadowing hours, tho 20 is better. Be sure some time is spent with an office-based primary care doc.