Canadian/US dual citizen 3.87 GPA/513

[Home_Run_Ball]

Hello everyone on SDN! I am currently in my 4th year a Canadian university however I do hold both a Canadian and US citizenship. I have currently submitted my apps for Canada this cycle and received my MCAT score back today, while I am ecstatic about my results I believe that because of my score on verbal it will severely affect my chances in Canada and that is why I want to prepare early to apply to US for the upcoming cycle!

I have written the MCAT 3 times, and my results are as follows 11/9/11(overall 83rd percentile) --> 12/8/10 (overall 78th percentile) --> 129/126/130/128 (overall 89th percentile).

My GPA is as follows:
1st year 3.8
2nd year 3.8
3rd year 4.0
4th year I am hopeful that I can hit 4.0 again so that I will be applying with a 3.9 GPA.

ECs/Awards/Accomplishments:
-Surgical Department Co-op student (high school) - 300 hours
-Hospital Health Records volunteer - 88 hours
-Emergency Department volunteer - 250 hours (on-going)
-Part time tutor
-Dragon Boat athlete for my University (4 years) - attended national events
-Head Coach of off-season training for my Dragon Boat team - 2 years
-Intramural Soccer player-4 years
-Summer Research Assistant at a Chemistry lab studying a specific Cancer cell receptor
-Summer community league Coach
-Powerlifter-2 years (put in minimum 10 hours/week training)
-Entrance Scholarship recipient $10,000
-Research Grant for Undergraduate Students recipient $6400
-Dean's Honour list-every year
-Canadian Nationals Dragon Boat U24 Silver medalist
-Haven't shadowed a physician but my neighbour is a resident at a local hospital and he is able to get me in contact with a an Orthopaedic Surgeon that I can shadow.

I would love to hear insight from people regarding my chances for MD schools and also to learn about the tier of schools that I will be competitive for. As well even though I attended a University in Canada, when I apply will I be considered in the international pool or will my US citizenship put me in the same pool as out of state applicants. Finally, I would appreciate anything else that I should be doing from now and until May to ensure that I can optimize my application.

Thank you!

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[GrapesofRath]

There are people who can answer what you are classified as under far better than me. Does being a dual citizen exclude you from being considered an international? My guess is yes, but there are many intricacies I don't know about how people are classified for citizenship for US MD admission purposes.

I'll go under the assumption you aren't going to be considered an international. If you are an international, the best thing I can tell you is invest in MSAR, ID the 62 schools that take internationals, eliminate those that haven't taken more than 1-2 the past few years, target those with median MCATs in the 30-32 range and apply to those.

If you aren't an international looking at what you listed, your GPA is fine, your EC's will probably suffice although it would help to get some volunteering experience with the lower SES, less fortunate, disabled, terminally ill etc(something really outside your comfort zone). The 3 MCAT attempts can complicate things to some extent; you honestly would have just been better off leaving your MCAT as is after the first attempt.

Nonetheless, if we go under the assumption you have around a 31/510 MCAT by averaging all 3 attempts, even with the 3 attempts, you can still probably be a viable candidate at a number of lower tier programs. The key once again, absolutely 100% invest in MSAR. Target schools with median MCAT's in the 30-33 range. Identify those that take at least 30% from OOS. Come up with a list and come back here and you'll get good feedback. If you want a couple schools to give you an idea of what to look at and what I'm talking about; Penn State, Quinnipac, Oakland. Identify about 20 schools like this.

 

[gyngyn]

You will be considered a US citizen without a state of residence (unless you establish residence by the time you apply).