BCPM 3.81 cGPA 3.87 MCAT 37R

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unepoire

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Hi everyone,

I'm trying to come up with a realistic list of schools that I have decent chances of being accepted to.

MCAT breakdown: P14 V11 B12 R

Extra curriculars (of recent history..I have held leadership positions in most every group I participate in, but to be concise):
Vice President of my sorority
President of one of the six "big-deal" groups at my university
Medical History Society

Research: I've been working in the same lab since the summer of my sophomore year, starting as a volunteer intern to now, on payroll. Poster presentation at Society for Neuroscience conference in Chicago. Secondary author on a paper, to be submitted for review by the end of summer (*fingers crossed*).

Volunteer/Shadowing: clinical volunteering (in which I got to shadow) in the neurological surgery department for two semesters, continuing with volunteering this summer and senior year.

I'm a resident of PA, so I'm definitely going to apply to all six of the in-state schools. I'm also thinking (in no particular order at the moment):

Vanderbilt
Duke
UVA
Harvard
Columbia
NYU
Cornell
Georgetown
Northwestern
Chicago
Stanford
Wake Forest

Is this aiming too high or too heavily stacked towards the upper-tier schools? I do prefer schools that are in bigger cities, but places like Duke and UVA really attract me as well. I would love your objective input! Thanks :)

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I have somewhat similar stats and was looking at a lot of these schools as well. I'd definitely include some safety schools in there too. Maybe your instate schools are safeties, but if not I'd apply to at least 1 or 2. Also, are you interested in research-heavy programs or more clinical? Schools definitely have different focal points and since I'm more clinically-oriented, I'm not even applying to Duke (who has a whole year devoted to research if I'm not mistaken).
 
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With your numbers, you can realistically apply anywhere. For the research giants on your list, though, your chances amy depend on how many years of research you did (can't tell if it's one, two, or three years) and how substantive your role was. A pub would be helpful.

You have plenty to list for leadership.

I'd say that a year of clinical experience is below the average of those applying. Your shadowing is lop-sided, but you could fix that quickly by shadowing another 1-2 specialists, of which one is a primary care doc.

Any teaching, nonmedical community service, hobbies, sport, other jobs, artistic endeavors to list? You'd want to look well-rounded and interesting, so mention everything.
 
So for time commitments...

VP position: 10-15 hours/week
Pres position: 20 hours/week (averaged out with when we hosted events and stuff...then it was basically a 5 hour day every day for the week of the event..)

Volunteering/Shadowing: 4 hours/week, and I realize that this is my weak point, so I'll be getting into serious volunteering this summer and in the fall. Will this low point in my app make or break receiving a secondary and/or interview? I want to submit the primary as soon as possible and don't want to wait around to accrue extra hours because I think it wouldn't be worth the disadvantage of submitting later. Thoughts?

Research: almost 2 years at this point in the same lab....I don't want the MD/PhD because I want to be working with patients, but I do want the opportunity for lots of research while I'm in med school (which is why a lot of those upper research schools are on my list! Thanks AH3!)

As for hobbies...does shopping count? Just kidding. I'm involved with dance, and was Junior Captain of our Greek Sing (which is 10 hours/week in the spring!)

Nonmedical community service:
Spent my spring break (1 week) building houses for Habitat (40 hours)
Intermittent volunteering at the soup kitchen (40 hours)
Intermittent volunteering through my university in cleaning up the city (10-15 hours)
Intermittent volunteering at the library (50 hours)
Intermittent volunteering through my sorority (25-30 hours)

Teaching:
As VP-Academic Excellence for my sorority and a neuroscience major, I've tutored girls in my chapter in a lot of the science courses - Physics especially (explaining my score on the MCAT...), but not officially documented :(


What are some good safety schools that you'd recommend? I don't really know and honestly my parents are all gung-ho about the top 10 schools and don't want me to consider anything else....but I know I have to be realistic! :)

Thanks all for your input!
 
It's fine to list the unofficial tutoring under Teaching. Just use one of your tutees as the contact person.

Your dance involvement gives you something to put under Artistic Endeavors.

About two years should appeal to the research-strong schools. You'd need to continue with it through the application season.

I'd also suggest gaining more hours in the clinical experience arena. Try to tease out the hours spent shadowing, or at least mention the percent time involved in that activity. Strongly consider augmenting the shadowing hours with some formal shadowing with other specialits, as mentioned, before you submit.

Through the application season and at interviews, you'll mention ongoing pertinent activities to sway adcomms positively.

I'd add Case (free tuition if you get into the research track) and maybe look into Emory, Dartmouth, Ohio State, BU, Tufts, Einstein, Rochester?
 
Hi everyone,

I'm trying to come up with a realistic list of schools that I have decent chances of being accepted to.

MCAT breakdown: P14 V11 B12 R

Extra curriculars (of recent history..I have held leadership positions in most every group I participate in, but to be concise):
Vice President of my sorority
President of one of the six "big-deal" groups at my university
Medical History Society

Research: I've been working in the same lab since the summer of my sophomore year, starting as a volunteer intern to now, on payroll. Poster presentation at Society for Neuroscience conference in Chicago. Secondary author on a paper, to be submitted for review by the end of summer (*fingers crossed*).

Volunteer/Shadowing: clinical volunteering (in which I got to shadow) in the neurological surgery department for two semesters, continuing with volunteering this summer and senior year.

I'm a resident of PA, so I'm definitely going to apply to all six of the in-state schools. I'm also thinking (in no particular order at the moment):

Vanderbilt
Duke
UVA
Harvard
Columbia
NYU
Cornell
Georgetown
Northwestern
Chicago
Stanford
Wake Forest

Is this aiming too high or too heavily stacked towards the upper-tier schools? I do prefer schools that are in bigger cities, but places like Duke and UVA really attract me as well. I would love your objective input! Thanks :)

No way, was this for the actual meeting or for the little undergrad one they held the last day. Thats awesome, I was there too (for the actual meeting and presentations). What day did you present on. You must have been one of the only two other undergrads presenting there bc. I met the director of PhD program at Columbia and she said that she was scoping the place out for students and up till then she had only met 3 undergrads including myself.
 
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