MD cGPA 3.92, sGPA 3.87, MCAT range 90-100%

[MD.Hopeful]

I'm a caucasian male, I speak 3 languages, and I've lived in 4 countries throughout my life. I have US citizenship, but I'm currently doing my undergrad in Canada (UofT), so although I'm applying as a FL IS (my parents live there), not putting my hopes up. I'm very worried about my chances; my grades seem good enough, but my ECs and LORs aren't so much.

Human Biology & Psychology Double Major
cGPA 3.92
sGPA 3.87
Old MCAT score 31,
New MCAT range (score 07/21) 85-100% all sections, 90-100% total.

Here's where it gets ****ty.

I didn't know medical schools required 3 faculty letters until it was too late to ask, so I currently only have 1 science faculty letter, 1 research supervisor letter, and 1 volunteer supervisor letter. All relatively strong.

My ECs are fairly weak.

-Shadowing
My shadowing consists of an international expedition in Tanzania for a month. It was 8h/day for 3 weeks (so about 120h total), but still just one short experience.

-Clinical Volunteering
My clinical/medical volunteering consists of 4h/week for 1 year of testing patients with mental illnesses recruited from the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health. (total of about 200h)

-Research
My research coincides with my clinical volunteering, but I also have an additional 8h/week of additional lab work and testing non-patients (300-400h). 2 posters, 1 published abstract.

-Other Volunteering
I founded, and am presiding over, a club at my school that connects with Big Brothers Big Sisters Toronto, and essentially recruits and keeps track of students at my university that want to mentor. We have around 35 mentors associated with our club. Can't estimate hours but I'd say 5-10/week for 2 years.
I'm a volunteer note-taker for students with disabilities at my university (through a registered organization).
Volunteered at an orphanage in Tanzania for 1 week.

-Employment
I worked for 3 months full-time at a private cardiology clinic, as an administrative assistant and lab technician.
Currently employed at my lab for the summer as a tester.

Thoughts on where to apply????

Sent my application so far to:

Albany
Rush
UCLA
Florida State
Dartmouth
George Washington
Indiana University
Keck
Oakland
Rosalind Franklin
Miami
Tulane
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Rochester
U of Washington
Virginia Tech
Virginia Commonwealth
Wake Forest
Cornell

Any help is appreciated, my limiting factors are LORs (looking for schools that don't have the 3 faculty letter requirement) and ECs.

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[Faha]

Since you are a Florida resident apply to all the Florida schools . Your chances are low at Minnesota and Washington since you are not a resident of those states. It is worth the time and effort to find a professor who will write that 3rd LOR for you.

 

[Banco]

Do you have a pre-med committee letter? That satisfies all requirements at virtually every school.

 

[MD.Hopeful]

Do you have a pre-med committee letter? That satisfies all requirements at virtually every school.

No, no pre-med committees at the University of Toronto

 

[Banco]

No, no pre-med committees at the University of Toronto

You may just want to contact the schools specifically and ask them. Some aren't so strict with the requirements, some are.

 

[Carmiche]

Your EC's don't seem that weak to me.. It really depends on your MCAT at this point; your gpa is great.

 

[MD.Hopeful]

Your EC's don't seem that weak to me.. It really depends on your MCAT at this point; your gpa is great.

Really? Even though my shadowing is just one short trip abroad and my clinical volunteering is research-related? Might be psyching myself out, but all the others posts with people having 1000+ hours of hospital volunteering and physician shadowing, publications, etc. are really killing my self-esteem

 

[Carmiche]

Really? Even though my shadowing is just one short trip abroad and my clinical volunteering is research-related? Might be psyching myself out, but all the others posts with people having 1000+ hours of hospital volunteering and physician shadowing, publications, etc. are really killing my self-esteem

Your extracurriculars aren't the best on this site or way out of the box, but they are definitely above average and fulfill all of the "checkboxes" that an admissions committee is generally looking for. I think at this point it just really depends on your MCAT score. 85-100 is quite a large range. If you're in the upper end of that spectrum you'd have a fair shot at some top schools. If its in the lower end of that spectrum, you'd probably want to apply more broadly with a few reaches and a few safeties, predominantly mid tier. It's all rather speculative at this point.

You should work on getting those letters of rec/calling schools to check how stringent they are with that requirement. Update us again when you have the exact mcat score and you should receive much better help choosing more schools to send your app to.

 

[Banco]

Your ECs are more than fine. It'd be nice to have shadowing in the USA, but your clinical activities seem great so I think you're good. Your MCAT will really dictate how your feasible your list is.

 

[Carmiche]

Really? Even though my shadowing is just one short trip abroad and my clinical volunteering is research-related? Might be psyching myself out, but all the others posts with people having 1000+ hours of hospital volunteering and physician shadowing, publications, etc. are really killing my self-esteem

take this thread for instance:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/cgpa-3-81-sgpa-3-72-what-are-my-chances-feedback.1148348/

this girl is URM, so it does give her a slight advantage in that regard. but her school list is much more top heavy. In my opinion your EC's are better than hers in regard to clinical experience and research. Those are probably the two most important things. You have a great shot, best of luck on the MCAT scores.

 

[MD.Hopeful]

Your ECs are more than fine. It'd be nice to have shadowing in the USA, but your clinical activities seem great so I think you're good. Your MCAT will really dictate how your feasible your list is.

take this thread for instance:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/cgpa-3-81-sgpa-3-72-what-are-my-chances-feedback.1148348/

this girl is URM, so it does give her a slight advantage in that regard. but her school list is much more top heavy. In my opinion your EC's are better than hers in regard to clinical experience and research. Those are probably the two most important things. You have a great shot, best of luck on the MCAT scores.

Thank you both! I'll start looking for schools that are a bit higher tier, and see where to go once I get my new MCAT score!

 

[GrapesofRath]

take this thread for instance:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/cgpa-3-81-sgpa-3-72-what-are-my-chances-feedback.1148348/

this girl is URM, so it does give her a slight advantage in that regard. but her school list is much more top heavy. In my opinion your EC's are better than hers in regard to clinical experience and research. Those are probably the two most important things. You have a great shot, best of luck on the MCAT scores.

We're not going to derail this thread on this subject but do not compare URM's chances to non-URMs. URM is hardly some "slight" advantage.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Figure out which schools require 3 letters from teachers who specifically taught you. I think you'll be fine at a large number of schools though with the way things are. Your EC's are fine. I'm not sure how going to Canada for undergrad affects things for you or if it does at all. Get ADCOM input on that.

However that initial list needs some work. You don't fit Dartmouth and their heavy emphasis on non-traditional applicants. Do research on Washington, you don't fit in as one of the in-state regions so scratch it. Minnesota is in state heavy remove it. Same with UCLA and Indiana.

Let's assume for the sake of this discussion a 33-34 MCAT in addition to the 31 your first time around on your record. I would look into. Adjust accordingly if your score ends up 35+. This list is under the assumption your an FL resident and going to undergrad in Canada isn't a factor(adjust accordingly if it does obviously).

Albany
Rush
Florida Schools(all of them)
USC
Oakland
Rosalind
Miami
Tulane
Rochester
VCU
Wake
Va Tech
Hofstra
Emory
Einstein
Loyola
Quinnipac
Western Michigan
Creighton
Medical College Wisconsin
Saint Louis

 

[MD.Hopeful]

Figure out which schools require 3 letters from teachers who specifically taught you. I think you'll be fine at a large number of schools though with the way things are. Your EC's are fine. I'm not sure how going to Canada for undergrad affects things for you or if it does at all. Get ADCOM input on that.

However that initial list needs some work. You don't fit Dartmouth and their heavy emphasis on non-traditional applicants. Do research on Washington, you don't fit in as one of the in-state regions so scratch it. Minnesota is in state heavy remove it. Same with UCLA and Indiana.

Let's assume for the sake of this discussion a 33-34 MCAT in addition to the 31 your first time around on your record. I would look into. Adjust accordingly if your score ends up 35+. This list is under the assumption your an FL resident and going to undergrad in Canada isn't a factor(adjust accordingly if it does obviously).

Albany
Rush
Florida Schools(all of them)
USC
Oakland
Rosalind
Miami
Tulane
Rochester
VCU
Wake
Va Tech
Hofstra
Emory
Einstein
Loyola
Quinnipac
Western Michigan
Creighton
Medical College Wisconsin
Saint Louis

Wow, thanks for the insight! I'm expecting 95 %ile or + on my MCAT (obviously wishful thinking, but with my ranges I think it's likely). I have to admit I was looking mostly at % OOS applicants acceptances without delving deep enough into what kind of applicants they look for (Washington with neighbouring states, Dartmouth with non-trads...).
Great additions to my list, I'll do some research on them. Unfortunately I have to scratch a few off because of the LORs I'm missing (I'll never forgive myself for that oversight) such as Va Tech, Hofstra, Saint Louis, Medical College Wisconsin, Loyola, Creighton, Quinnipac...

I am curious though: most FL schools have very strict LOR guidelines ('we REQUEST 2 science faculty and 1 non-science faculty'). Is it even worth applying to them as IS if I don't have them?

 

[GrapesofRath]

Wow, thanks for the insight! I'm expecting 95 %ile or + on my MCAT (obviously wishful thinking, but with my ranges I think it's likely). I have to admit I was looking mostly at % OOS applicants acceptances without delving deep enough into what kind of applicants they look for (Washington with neighbouring states, Dartmouth with non-trads...).
Great additions to my list, I'll do some research on them. Unfortunately I have to scratch a few off because of the LORs I'm missing (I'll never forgive myself for that oversight) such as Va Tech, Hofstra, Saint Louis, Medical College Wisconsin, Loyola, Creighton, Quinnipac...

I am curious though: most FL schools have very strict LOR guidelines ('we REQUEST 2 science faculty and 1 non-science faculty'). Is it even worth applying to them as IS if I don't have them?

Specifically call all those schools and ask about their LOR policy before ditching them. Yours and our interpretation of what they state can often be well different from what they actually will accept