cGPA 3.7, sGPA ~3.72 MCAT 36/40 (Expired). Help with School List

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Lighthill-FFT

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Hey Guys!

I've been lurking here for a few days trying to figure out which schools to apply to. I just finished Senior Year, and have just decided to go to Med School over Grad School. Unfortuantely, I have a few unique circumstances that I guess I should explain.

First, I originally took the MCAT in High School along with some friends; I got a 40Q. Before I get called out as a troll, I qualifed for the USAMO as well as USAChO and USABO finals (both of which I turned down because of prior obligations). Obviously, that MCAT score expired. I was much more rusty in my basal level sciences when I retook it Junior year and got a 36.

Second, I had a major family crisis my Sophomore year; my grandma got hit by a car fall semester and my uncle got diagnosed with cancer in the spring semester. My grand-aunt also died in my spring semester. My GPA is as follows

Freshman:3.75
Sophomore:~3.2
Junior:4.0
Senior:4.0

I am a double Chemistry and Physics major with a Math/Language/CS triple minor. I worked on two research projects for right around 3 years now simultaneously; one doing biophysics with a well regarded professor in the field that lead to publication and another doing biochemical structural computations that also lead to publication(s). My courseload consisted of about 15 Graduate Classes in Math, Chemistry and Physics Junior and Senior Year, if that gives me any brownie points.

I have no clincial volunteeer activities or Physician Shadowing experience in the normal sense: I did work with the WHO and the United Nations as well as a partner of the UN Population Fund on e-Health policy and tele-medicine in general. I know a few doctors well, so if you guys think shadowing is neccessary, I will do it.

I have a whole bunch of nonclinical activities excluding my time at the WHO/UN/Affliaites. I have created a custom cirriculum for homeless people trying to pass the GED and worked with disadvataged inner-city kids. I created and chair a non-profit that distributes and popularizes the use of open-source free textbooks and computer software. I also lead the youth recruitment of a gubmenatorial race. I have some miscellaneous volunteer efforts at other places, but my major efforts are listed above.

I've worked part-time during High School and Freshman year of college at a pharmacy chain because someone asked me too. I also worked at a major financial firm, and work at a different one right now.

I would be extremely grateful if anyone could give me a pointer on what schools are possible for me, as I never really gave med school a thought until recently at the suggestion of a mentor of mine at the WHO. I know very little about how adcoms evaluate trends and whatnot, and if my excuse for my GPA sophomore year seems legitimate.

Thanks!

EDIT: I also forgot to mention I've been published in a several major newspapers (NYT/WSJ/WaPo/NewYorker/TheEconomist tier). I can't tell which ones specifically because it would give away who I am, but I have written 1 op-ed amongst them and about 10 Letters to the Editor that have been published. Op-Ed was related to the cause of my nonprofit.

Also took out some more identifiable details about me.

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great app, but you definitely need physician shadowing and clinical volunteering experience. You need a letter from a physician. Apply next year and join med school in the Fall of 2016.
 
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great app, but you definitely need physician shadowing and clinical volunteering experience. You need a letter from a physician. Apply next year and join med school in the Fall of 2016.
Very few MD schools want a Physician letter. This is mostly for DO.
 
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Very few MD schools want a Physician letter. This is mostly for DO.

thank you for the correction, I was thinking of university of arizona phoenix.
 
I'm sorry, I don't quite understand your comment.
I had been told that the U of A at Phoenix requested a letter from a clinical setting, not specifically a physician letter. I counsel applicants from CA and a lot of them are applying in AZ.
 
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I had been told that the U of A at Phoenix requested a letter from a clinical setting, not specifically a physician letter. I counsel applicants from CA and a lot of them are applying in AZ.

I looked at their thread and you are right.
 
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Thanks for all your help guys!

I'm a bit worried that my application isn't competitive because my GPA is a bit wierd and because my excuse might not be considered legitimate (it hasn't for some other things).

I know a few doctors so I'll ask around and see who I can shadow. My main concern is that I am completely unfamiliar with the tiering of medical schools, so I would need some explicit suggestions just to get the ball rolling.
 
Thanks for all your help guys!

I'm a bit worried that my application isn't competitive because my GPA is a bit wierd and because my excuse might not be considered legitimate (it hasn't for some other things).

I know a few doctors so I'll ask around and see who I can shadow. My main concern is that I am completely unfamiliar with the tiering of medical schools, so I would need some explicit suggestions just to get the ball rolling.
Your gpa's are fine. Shadowing is considered passive clinical experience. I usually see at least 50 to 100 hours. Primary care is good. Active clinical experience is even more important, though. For picking your list, the MSAR is the key research tool.
 
Thanks for all your help!

I will actually be bouncing around for the first 6 months of the starting Academic Year. I'll be in Oxfordshire/London and Nairobi for most of the year. Do American Medical schools mind if I shadow a foreign doctor? I ask because it seems the main purpose in shadowing is to familiarize oneself with the medical system and the profession, both of which are drastically different in the UK and Kenya.
 
Thanks for all your help!

I will actually be bouncing around for the first 6 months of the starting Academic Year. I'll be in Oxfordshire/London and Nairobi for most of the year. Do American Medical schools mind if I shadow a foreign doctor? I ask because it seems the main purpose in shadowing is to familiarize oneself with the medical system and the profession, both of which are drastically different in the UK and Kenya.
We are mostly looking for familiarity with domestic medicine.
 
I see.

Could you guys define what clinical experience is? I worked with MSF for a little while doing medically related things (bloodwork, immunizations, etc) but it was in a foreign country.
 
GREAT APP. Clinical experience is basically working with patients. If you've done it in a foreign country great, but I would think that the adcoms would want to see you have experience with patients in the USA.

By the way, how come you were able to work with MSF doing medically related stuff? I thought you had to be a physicians or a nurse to do it. I'm really interested in doing something like this.
 
i'm more and more suspecting that this is a troll thread
 
Sorry, should have clarified that I worked processing things, not actually getting things. The physicians/nurses/whoever would actually draw the blood. The stuff I did revolved more around computers and being a technician than a doctor. And even then, most of the stuff I did was in consultancy, not in action (IE I helped set up the systems and hung around to make sure they worked correctly and worked sort of intuitively for the native techs)

I can't really help it if it sounds like a troll. I would be more specific and/or upload proof, but scanning my credentials would probably give me away with a google search. In fact, if you knew me in real life, reading that profile would let you know who I was. I really appreciate the help; I thought people would just assume I was lying through my teeth and walk away but I really had no idea what my app looked like to adcoms. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to help me out!
 
Sorry, should have clarified that I worked processing things, not actually getting things. The physicians/nurses/whoever would actually draw the blood. The stuff I did revolved more around computers and being a technician than a doctor. And even then, most of the stuff I did was in consultancy, not in action (IE I helped set up the systems and hung around to make sure they worked correctly and worked sort of intuitively for the native techs)

I can't really help it if it sounds like a troll. I would be more specific and/or upload proof, but scanning my credentials would probably give me away with a google search. In fact, if you knew me in real life, reading that profile would let you know who I was. I really appreciate the help; I thought people would just assume I was lying through my teeth and walk away but I really had no idea what my app looked like to adcoms. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to help me out!
That makes sense.
Anyway, great app, just volunteer and shadow in the US this year and continue next year during your app cycle and you should be fine.


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Sorry, should have clarified that I worked processing things, not actually getting things. The physicians/nurses/whoever would actually draw the blood. The stuff I did revolved more around computers and being a technician than a doctor. And even then, most of the stuff I did was in consultancy, not in action (IE I helped set up the systems and hung around to make sure they worked correctly and worked sort of intuitively for the native techs)

I can't really help it if it sounds like a troll. I would be more specific and/or upload proof, but scanning my credentials would probably give me away with a google search. In fact, if you knew me in real life, reading that profile would let you know who I was. I really appreciate the help; I thought people would just assume I was lying through my teeth and walk away but I really had no idea what my app looked like to adcoms. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to help me out!


Okay
 
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