MD & DO CA res 3.55 cGPA, 3.64 sGPA, 35 MCAT, poor ECs

[lostatsea13]

Hi y'all. Non-trad CA resident here wondering if I could get some feedback on my school list. I don't have a shot at MD/PhD programs but I'm still leaning towards research oriented schools. I'm also trying to beef up my ECs over the next few months so any advice on that would also be appreciated.

Graduated in 2013 from a mid-tier UC with 3.55 cGPA/3.64 sGPA.
MCAT: 35 (9VR, 12PS, 14BS)

Research experience:
currently working as an RA at biotech start-up (most meaningful)
summer internship at big pharma company
2 years working in a lab on campus in undergrad (poster presentation)

Volunteer experience:
talk line grief counselor 6hr/wk (most meaningful)
volunteered at DV shelter through community service honor society in college

Clinical exposure:
currently shadowing a doctor, looking into other specialties
volunteered at university med center: 80hr
planning on working at a hospice starting next spring

School list:
**applying to all schools in CA just because I'm a resident and figured I might as well. Still researching DO schools.
UCI
UCLA
UCSD
USC
UC Davis
UC Riverside
Virginia Tech
Meharry
Quinnipiac
Tulane
Albany
NYMC
Loyola
Oakland
Western Michigan
Howard
Suan Juan Bautista
Universidad Central del Caribe

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[alpinism]

Hi y'all. Non-trad CA resident here wondering if I could get some feedback on my school list. I don't have a shot at MD/PhD programs but I'm still leaning towards research oriented schools. I'm also trying to beef up my ECs over the next few months so any advice on that would also be appreciated.

Graduated in 2013 from a mid-tier UC with 3.55 cGPA/3.64 sGPA.
MCAT: 35 (9VR, 12PS, 14BS)

Research experience:
currently working as an RA at biotech start-up (most meaningful)
summer internship at big pharma company
2 years working in a lab on campus in undergrad (poster presentation)

Volunteer experience:
talk line grief counselor 6hr/wk (most meaningful)
volunteered at DV shelter through community service honor society in college

Clinical exposure:
currently shadowing a doctor, looking into other specialties
volunteered at university med center: 80hr
planning on working at a hospice starting next spring

School list:
**applying to all schools in CA just because I'm a resident and figured I might as well. Still researching DO schools.
UCI
UCLA
UCSD
USC
UC Davis
UC Riverside
Virginia Tech
Meharry
Quinnipiac
Tulane
Albany
NYMC
Loyola
Oakland
Howard
Suan Juan Bautista
Universidad Central del Caribe

Why the last 3 schools and Meharry? Are you Puerto Rican/Hispanic or have experience working with Hispanic populations?

Those schools typically accept URM students or those with a history of working with minority populations.

 

[lostatsea13]

Why the last 3 schools and Meharry? Are you Puerto Rican/Hispanic or have experience working with Hispanic populations?

Those schools typically accept URM students or those with a history of working with minority populations.

thanks for letting me know! I had made a really preliminary spreadsheet of schools that had similar stats but now i'm looking more closely at them. just posted here to see if i was on the right track

 

[Goro]

Goro suggests getting more clinical volunteering and aiming for:

UCI
UCLA
USC
UC Davis
UC Riverside (only if you're from the Inland Empire)
U AZ
Georgetown
U Colorado
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush
Duke
Rosy Franklin
BU
NYMC
VCU
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
George Washington
Emory
USC
Tulane
Dartmouth
Loyola
Penn State
Creighton
Any new MD school, especially Hofstra
Any DO program

 

[ProudMD]

Agree with Goro. Beef up your clinical hours, and you'll have a very strong application.