Critique re-application school list

[bananafish94]

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Hi all, in the likely event that I have to reapply next cycle, I'd like your opinions on this school list.
~3.8/31, IL resident.
500 hours clinical volunteering, 200 hours non-clinical volunteering. Research in two labs with publications. Teaching assistant in organic chemistry and general chemistry, student government, minimal shadowing, considerable leadership experience, and a scribe position along with more community volunteering beginning after graduation.

My two major strategy changes in terms of school list are 1) to apply to DO schools and 2) to apply to more OOS friendly state schools because I feel like my research experience is one of the selling points of my application.

Bolded schools are schools that I did not apply to this year.
I know this is currently unwieldy; I intend to cut some of them.

MD
1. California Northstate
2. Rosalind Franklin
3. Creighton
4. Drexel
5. EVMS
6. Quinnipiac
7. Loma Linda
8. Loyola
9. MCG (on the fence about this as they only interview 6.2% of OOS applicants)
10. MCW
11. Oakland
12. Rush
13. SLU (My MCAT is low here so on the fence about this one)
14. Sanford School of Medicine (USD)
15. Sidney Kimmel
16. Southern Illinois (not a So. IL resident, but will have lived in central IL for five years).
17. UIC
18. University of Kentucky
19. Maryland
20. UM-KC
21. Nebraska
22. University of Rochester
23. University of Utah
24. UVM
25. Wayne State
26. West Virginia
27. Western Michigan

DO (First cycle applying DO)
1. CCOM
2. DMU-COM
3. KCU-COM
4. LECOM
5. MU-COM
6. LUCOM
7. LMU-COM
8. UNECOM

Thank you!

 

[JustAnother]

Did you get any II this cycle? I'd be very surprised if you didn't.

I think you have a great shot at any DO school. For MD, I would remove MCG (6.2% seems too low) and Loma Linda (unless you are quite devoted and are not an alcoholic like me).

 

[gyngyn]

Northstate does not allow you to be eligible for federally insured loans. I do not recommend this school for anyone.
If you are becoming a physician as a primary means to serve Christ (and do not drink or have sex outside of marriage), keep Loma Linda.
UMKC's OOS matriculants are largely members of special programs.
Delete Rochester (stats).
Delete USD (unless you are NA)

Are you sure you looked at MSAR?
Maryland is hard even for residents of Maryland! Only 11% IS matriculation, that's worse than CA.

 

[bananafish94]

Did you get any II this cycle? I'd be very surprised if you didn't.

I think you have a great shot at any DO school. For MD, I would remove MCG (6.2% seems too low) and Loma Linda (unless you are quite devoted and are not an alcoholic like me).

Thanks! Yes I got IIs but they were late and two have resulted in waitlists so far. Still waiting to hear from UIC and RFU but I'm preparing for the worst.


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[bananafish94]

Northstate does not allow you to be eligible for federally insured loans.
If you are becoming a physician as a primary means to serve Christ (and do not drink or have sex outside of marriage), keep Loma Linda.
UMKC's OOS matriculants are largely members of special programs.
Delete Rochester (stats),

Okay, I did not know how intense Loma Linda was! Can you elaborate on the Northstate thing?


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[FindMeOnTheLinks]

I believe Sanford interviews in-state candidates only, so might want to rethink that one. UMaryland, Nebraska, and West Virginia also seem to lean heavily in state. Otherwise your list looks good.

You should consider University of South Florida's SELECT program, as they emphasize leadership and service and are quite friendly to OOS and your stats would be quite competitive.


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[gyngyn]

Okay, I did not know how intense Loma Linda was! Can you elaborate on the Northstate thing?


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It is the only for-profit MD school on US soil. In less than a year of provisional accreditation they are guilty of enough questionable behaviors to get any of the rest of us on probation, including choosing not to make federally insured government funds available to their students. At the moment they are keeping the LCME at bay with a boat-load of lawyers, but sooner rather than later even the LCME may grow a spine.

 

[Ismet]

I believe Sanford interviews in-state candidates only, so might want to rethink that one. UMaryland, Nebraska, and West Virginia also seem to lean heavily in state. Otherwise your list looks good.

You should consider University of South Florida's SELECT program, as they emphasize leadership and service and are quite friendly to OOS and your stats would be quite competitive.


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Just to add info to the USF SELECT program, you do your first 2 years in Tampa and then your clinical years in Allentown, PA at Lehigh Valley.

 

[Ismet]

Take WVU off your list. They are very IS-heavy and the vast majority of OOS people they interview live in a state that borders WV. Your stats would be fine but as an IL resident you're probably too far removed from WV.

 

[bananafish94]

I believe Sanford interviews in-state candidates only, so might want to rethink that one. UMaryland, Nebraska, and West Virginia also seem to lean heavily in state. Otherwise your list looks good.

You should consider University of South Florida's SELECT program, as they emphasize leadership and service and are quite friendly to OOS and your stats would be quite competitive.


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Thanks! I haven't looked into that one a whole lot.

EDIT: Actually Sanford interviewed 56/373 OOS applicants last year. I like the fact that they have so few applicants in the first place. I applied to far too many low-yield schools this year.

 

[bananafish94]

It is the only for-profit MD school on US soil. They have already done enough questionable behaviors to get any of the rest of us on probation, including choosing not to make federally insured government funds available to their students. At the moment they are keeping the LCME at bay with a boat-load of lawyers, but sooner rather than later even the LCME may grow a spine.

Well, this is eye-opening to say the least. Thank you; I had no idea about any of that.

 

[bananafish94]

Take WVU off your list. They are very IS-heavy and the vast majority of OOS people they interview live in a state that borders WV. Your stats would be fine but as an IL resident you're probably too far removed from WV.

Will do. I did not know that proximity was a factor. Thanks!

 

[FumblyBumbly]

Kentucky didn't send me a secondary because they want OOS applicants to have MCAT scores greater than 32 with no subsection less than 10. I don't know if that is a ironclad set rule or if your strong GPA would make them reconsider.

UMKC is actually a 7 year BA/MD program. Regular applicants to the program are actually filling the seats of the students that wound up dropping out of the 7 year program so the number of seats are variable from year to year. Also, their school year starts early in January or February. So, if you apply June 2016 and are accepted, you'll be accepted before January 2017 and will have to start class soon after that. If you don't have any acceptances before then, you'll be forced to decide between taking the UMKC seat or giving it up to see how the rest of your cycle goes. It's weeeird. 😵

 

[GrapesofRath]

Take WVU off your list. They are very IS-heavy and the vast majority of OOS people they interview live in a state that borders WV. Your stats would be fine but as an IL resident you're probably too far removed from WV.

What your describing actually kind of sounds more like Marshall. They're the ones who only take people OOS who are from bordering states or who have WV ties.

I wouldnt call WVU very IS biased half the class is OOS. You're right they show some preference to bordering state apps, but there still a fair number who get IIs who arent that. Considering how few apps they get Id keep it; OP kind of has to think outside the box a little considering how many schools theyll be a reapplicant and I think this works for that well actually which is why Im bringing it up.

Thanks! I haven't looked into that one a whole lot.

EDIT: Actually Sanford interviewed 56/373 OOS applicants last year. I like the fact that they have so few applicants in the first place. I applied to far too many low-yield schools this year.

Sanford wants ties to the region and I think actively recruits native americans for their OOS class. You have alot of OOS public schools that shouldnt be on there such as MCG, U of Kentucky, Maryland, KC(most of their OOS is through special programs), Nebraska and Utah. Given either how few OOS apps they take or how high their stats are they're going to look for OOS people with ties to the region or those who can jack up their median stats.

 

[Lucca]

Kentucky didn't send me a secondary because they want OOS applicants to have MCAT scores greater than 32 with no subsection less than 10. I don't know if that is a ironclad set rule or if your strong GPA would make them reconsider.

UMKC is actually a 7 year BA/MD program. Regular applicants to the program are actually filling the seats of the students that wound up dropping out of the 7 year program so the number of seats are variable from year to year. Also, their school year starts early in January or February. So, if you apply June 2016 and are accepted, you'll be accepted before January 2017 and will have to start class soon after that. If you don't have any acceptances before then, you'll be forced to decide between taking the UMKC seat or giving it up to see how the rest of your cycle goes. It's weeeird. 😵

Wow didn't know this about Umkc, that is really weird. They they only school with that kind of system?

 

[Ismet]

What your describing actually kind of sounds more like Marshall. They're the ones who only take people OOS who are from bordering states or who have WV ties.

I wouldnt call WVU very IS biased half the class is OOS. You're right they show some preference to bordering state apps, but there still a fair number who get IIs who arent that. Considering how few apps they get Id keep it; OP kind of has to think outside the box a little considering how many schools theyll be a reapplicant and I think this works for that.

That's how it was when I applied, and I didn't apply to Marshall. Maybe they've branched out more in the last 4 years, but they still say they show preference to WV residents, people with ties to the state, and people from surrounding communities (on their website). They interviewed a lot of people from Pennsylvania when I interviewed.

If OP is looking to cut down the list and save some money, that's one I would remove and save the $100 secondary fee. My 2 cents.

 

[Goro]

I cannot recommend CNU or LUCOM under any circumstances.

State schools favor the home team, so you have to be > avg if you're from OOS. the taxpayers are subsidizing your tuition and so want to know you're going to stick around. Hence, my removal of all those OOD MD schools.

if you're going to go for OOS public schools, at least go for ones where you have a decent chance. I believe that most OOSers who get into a school like USD live next door, or have spent considerable time in the state. Your MCAT score thus leads me to be cautious.

I suggest:


2. Rosalind Franklin
3. Creighton
4. Drexel
5. EVMS
6. Quinnipiac
7. Loma Linda (but read their list of don'ts)
8. Loyola
10. MCW
11. Oakland
12. Rush
13. SLU
15. Sidney Kimmel
17. UIC
22. University of Rochester
24. UVM
26. West Virginia
27. Western Michigan
Your state school(s)

DO (First cycle applying DO)
1. CCOM
2. DMU-COM
3. KCU-COM
4. LECOM
5. MU-COM
7. PCOM
8. UNECOM
Either coastal Touro

 

[McSpicy]

Add Temple. Get rid of Rochester, UMKC, MCG and UK.

 

[FumblyBumbly]

Wow didn't know this about Umkc, that is really weird. They they only school with that kind of system?

It's the only one I've heard of but there might be some other small out-of-the-way school that does the same.

 

[iDOliveinMD]

.

 

[sunset57]

Hopefully you'll get in one of your schools. You've obviously worked hard.

If you don't, I'd remove Maryland (crazy competitive, even for state residents, as gyngyn stated), Kentucky (admits more OOS than MD, but very, very competitive for OOS) and probably WVU.

I don't know anything about Nebraska, but I assume it's a reach for OOS unless very high stats.

Maybe substitute NYMC and SUNY Downstate?

Agree with iDOliveinMD re addition of Penn State and TCMC.

Rochester is a reach.

Re DO, I'd add PCOM, AT Still, and RVU. I'd delete LUCOM.

Good luck with the remainder of this application season.

 

[aladinforever]

13. SLU (My MCAT is low here so on the fence about this one)

SLU's average is a 33, so your MCAT seems good to me. I know you shouldn't base your application decision off of my experience, but I did apply with a 31 and got an early interview invite (sometime in October/November).