Medical Canadian Re-Applicant to USMD - What schools should I apply to?

[Mr.Smile12]

Greetings! I am a non-traditional Canadian re-applicant to USMD schools for the second time in the upcoming 2020-2021 cycle.
I had an unfortunate incident during my prior cycle whereby one of my key reference letters was delayed by several months - this was due to my professor's unforeseen circumstances. As a result, by the time I got a back-up letter in, I was not fully complete until early-mid October. Nevertheless, I did not receive a single interview last cycle. I assume it was largely due to being complete so late, but perhaps my application was lacking somewhere else as well.
I would love to get some feedback on not only my stats and CV, but also the school list I had chosen last year. I truly want to make sure I get everything right this time around. Any insights and critiques are very much appreciated. Thank you so much for your time and help.

Degree: Honours Specialization in Physiology & Pharmacology (2009-2014)

cGPA/sGPA: 3.74/3.91

MCAT (2nd time): 514 - 130/124/131/129
(1st time): 511 - 131/123/130/127

ECs: Many hours of volunteer-work (medical and non-medical; over 500 hours in the ER from 2016-present; 300-400 hours in the community from 2009-present**), physician shadowing in the ER, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Cardiology (approximately 200 hours) from 2010-2014, Cardiovascular Research (778 hours, no publications), many years of tutoring experience, (volunteer and employed; 2010-present), various long-term sports commitments and hobbies (i.e. competitive and recreational powerlifting, SCUBA diving, etc.) and jobs ranging from personal training to retail (also worked during the majority of my undergraduate years).

** - note, I had a debilitating medical condition with complications from 2011-2013, with a recurrence from 2014-2016, which impaired my ability to work, pursue academic studies or perform extracurricular activities – from service work to sports and fitness.
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List of USMD Schools (not in any particular order):
1) Boston University School of Medicine
2) Case Western Reserve
3) New York Medical College
4) Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
5) Tulane University School of Medicine
6) Georgetown
8) Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
9) Wayne State University School of Medicine
10) West Virginia University School of Medicine
11) Central Michigan University College of Medicine
12) Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
13) George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

If there are any schools I missed that you believe I should include or even remove, as per my stats/info, please let me know!

Thank you again for taking the time to read this - I sincerely appreciate it.

Where did you apply last time? What items will construe a significant improvement on your new application this upcoming cycle? Are you a Canadian, US, or dual citizen?

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[gyngyn]

Several of your choices seem to be poor fits. For example, the median MCAT at BU is 518 (their 10th percentile is 512!). Case's median is 519!
Central Michigan only matriculated 2/518 international applicants. With numbers this small they are likely to have been internal candidates.
I recommend that you purchase the MSAR (if you haven't), identify the 57 schools that consider Canadians, eliminate the ones that matriculated 3 or less or whose median is more than a standard deviation above the average of your scores. Apply to all of the remaining choices. Then take a look at the dozen or so DO schools that consider internationals.

 

[gyngyn]

I seem to have misinterpreted some of the MSAR data as I thought for schools like Central Michigan, who say they consider Canadians as out-of-state, that I'd fall under that category (i.e. 16/5491). Do I always look at international data regardless then? I had been choosing such schools based off of out-of-state instead of the international data - this is mildly embarrassing, thank you for pointing that out.

As far as stats and CV go, do they suffice, in your opinion, to get me some interviews as an international? assuming I'm fully complete earlier this time around.

I'm afraid that you need to look at international data. Many schools say that Canadians are considered OOS though the stats indicate that they are not. In fact, I know of no school whose international matriculation is anywhere on par with OOS (except for those who accept neither!).

Did you get any interviews last year? The mean MCAT for a successful international applicant was 513.4. Your second score is in that range. Thus, there appears to be a chance, though a DO application would expand those odds considerably.

 

[gyngyn]

Not a single interview last year unfortunately. I assumed this was because I was complete so late and I know how important that is in the US. That being said, I can't help but think perhaps my app is also lacking in some other regard, or my stats/ECS are just not competitive enough - especially as an international.

Even strong international applicants often get no MD interviews.

 

[gyngyn]

I appreciate the honesty - this is a reality I will have to accept.

I followed your advice and constructed a new school list off of MSAR for the upcoming cycle. I was wondering if you or anyone else would be willing to take a quick look and let me know if there are any schools I missed that I should add or likewise any that I should omit?
Thank you so much again for all of your help.

2020-2021 Cycle:
1) George Washington
2) Georgetown
3) Michigan State
4) New York Medical College
5) State University of New York Upstate
6) Tulane
7) University of Illinois, College of Medicine
8) Virginia Commonwealth
9) Sidney Kimmel Medical College
10) Wayne State

Much, much better.

 

[Goro]

Add the Canadian friendly DO schools to the list, especially MSUCOM and UNECOM

 

[Goro]

Hey Goro! As a Canadian, I was unfamiliar with the DO profession as a whole, but have since looked into it extensively over the last couple of weeks - it seems like an amazing opportunity in and of itself, and I wish I discovered it last cycle.
I was wondering if you would be able to take a look at my DO school list? I tried my best to compile a list of Canadian friendly ones, but if there are any schools I missed or should omit from the list, please let me know.

1) Michigan State UCOM
2) Arizona College
3) Chicago College OM
4) Nova COM
5) Marian U COM
6) University of New England COM
7) Western University of Health Sciences COM
8) Kansas City UMCOM
9) Touro COM - New York
10) Lincoln Memorial University, DeBusk COM

I was debating adding one of the four Edward Via COM campuses, but was unable to find any admission statistics on any of them as far as "Canadian-friendliness" is concerned. Would you recommend any of those campuses?

Thank you so much for all of your time and help.

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