Medical Can I get into medical school?

[TheBoneDoctah]

So I was referred by my friend to this forum and this is just a summary of everything I've done as a premed. I plan to apply in the spring of 2021, and I am currently a senior expecting to graduate in the spring of 2021.

MCAT: Took it last summer, 1 attempt: 515

CGPA: 3.78

SGPA: 3.73

Work: I worked for 2 years at my school's financial aid office. I worked a year at CVS as a pharmacy tech., and I worked 2 months at a clinic as a medical scribe. Unfortunately, the clinic shut down so I only worked for 2 months. I am currently looking for work.

Research: I am in a hospital program that allows me to conduct clinical research, quality improvement research, as well as shadowing physicians in the ED, and any other specialty I want. It's an enriching program and I hope to get published by next year. I may also engage in neuro research next summer, but this is still not confirmed.

Volunteering: I volunteered at the hospital ED for a little over 100 hours, I have approximately 150 hours of non-clinical hours from different organizations. I am also a Co-founder of a club that is focused on helping at-risk students increase their test scores. However, the club president wasn't able to work due to health issues and COVID shut down our projects within schools. So I worked with a different club as a treasurer tutoring kids through zoom.

Hobbies: I play guitar and I have been playing for 3 years. I am 100% self-taught and it's a hobby more than anything else. I also play a little piano as well. I also have a black belt in taekwondo but I got it back in high school, and I stopped back then.

What should I be spending these next 6 months doing until applications open? Am I all set to apply next May and have a high chance of getting in?

Your MCAT and GPA are solid. How many clinical hours would you say you had (scribing and your clinical volunteering combined)? One area I would work on is your non-clinical volunteering helping people less fortunate than yourself (ex. soup kitchens).

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[Goro]

Well, getting into medical school is 100% on you. But you appear to be competitive to get IIs, especially if you bulk up on the ECs.

In the age of COVID, you can work on your nonclinical volunteering and getting in more clinical exposure.. Venues include scribing, food banks, COVID screening or contact tracing, Meals on Wheels, election poll working (normally done by seniors) and whatever your local houses of worship can suggest.

Oh, you need shadowing too. IF med schools are still requiring this (and you're going to have to research this with each school), you may very well have to wait out a cycle until COVID is over.

 

[GoSpursGo]

What should I be spending these next 6 months doing until applications open? Am I all set to apply next May and have a high chance of getting in?

Overall everything seems solid. You have the stats, you have some shadowing, some clinical and non-clinical volunteering. You have some research.

Honestly, between shadowing and clinical/nonclinical volunteering, I would just pad your hours in each of these. Focus on whichever one is lowest, and as @TheBoneDoctah said if you can make it clear that your nonclinical is helping the less fortunate that's even better.

At the end of the day, med school applications are competitive, and having a "high" chance is never the same as a guarantee. But I think you've set yourself up well. As always, apply to a range of programs, as none of us can guess if there's some hidden red flag that isn't obvious in the information you've given us here.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Always throw a few DO schools in as well.