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[MediocreClimber]

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[MyOdyssey]

Hello! I am applying this cycle and struggling to make my school list. I believe my biggest weakness is my GPA which is dragged down by a less than ideal first two years in college (which were fairly situational and explained in some of my letters). However, my WARS score still puts me at an 80 to 85 even with fairly conservative scoring. Would love some advice on my list.

• 24F, white, LGBTQ
• Year in school: Graduated last year from a top liberal arts college
• Country/state of residence: TN originally
• Schools to which you are applying:
• Cumulative GPA: 3.6 (large upward trend for both. Came from low quality high school. UG known for grad deflation)
• Science GPA: 3.5
• MCAT Scores: expected 520+ based on FLs but have to have my list before with canceled exams
• Research – include any abstracts/posters/publications and how you were credited (eg. First author, senior author, etc): I have fairly extensive research experience (1000s of hours). I graduated with an honors thesis in Chemistry and did research for multiple semesters while in school (1000 hours). Presented one poster at a national conference while in school. Currently work full time in a Harvard affiliated lab. I am also the lab manager. I expect to have some publications in the coming months and have been credited secondary authorship on multiple posters/ abstracts at well-known conferences. I work in HIV and influenza research (2000 hours). I am also beginning covid-19 research soon if that matters.
• Volunteering (clinical) – include hours/sites: · I have very little clinical “volunteering” because I workedin healthcare full-time when not in school for many years.

• Physician shadowing – include hours/specialties: 40 ish hours of physician shadowing in the emergency department. I unofficially shadowed some during my CNA job with physicians that knew I wanted to pursue medicine (would include me in discussing cases of patients I had etc).
• Non-clinical volunteering: Leader of sexual assault advocacy group throughout college (many hours a week spent working with survivors, running phone lines, setting up events, and working with college title IX administration) (~200 hours). Current search and rescue team member (One weekend every month of training plus searches) (~100 hours currently). Part of multiple efforts to promote queer inclusion on campus and visibility (a couple hours a month) (~50 hours). Crisis text line (by application ~ 100 hours)
• Extracurricular activities:Varsity Athlete throughout college with a national championship and multiple leadership awards (15-20 hours per week) (~2500 hours). Current youth coach for climbing (5-10 hours per week) (~250 hours currently).
• Employment history: Worked as CNA/EMT full-time on every break from college for 4 years to pay for school and get clinical exposure (50+ hours per week during all breaks) (~1600 hours) (4 years). Worked as a tutor, TA, and lab assistant for many years across multiple disciplines in college (10-15 hours per week for 3 years) (1000+ hours). Currently work in research and as a coach as previously described.
• Immediate family members in medicine? (y/n): yes, my mother and grandmother are nurses.
• Specialty of interest: EM or gen surg
• Shadowing experience: Yes but barely
• Graduate degrees: None
• Interest in rural health (y/n): Yes, from rural/underserved area
• Should have very strong LORs and a compelling PS

Current school list:

WARS score: ~85 (but made my list more conservative)

UCSF

Harvard

Michigan (strong ties)

Duke

Pitt

Vanderbilt (IS)

Yale

Mayo

Emory

Colorado

Brown

Case Western

Dartmouth

BU

Georgetown

Tufts

Cincinnati

Wake Forest

Vermont

USUHS

UMass

Tulane

Tennessee (IS)

ETSU (IS)

If things go according to plan, would you have 1 gap year or 2 by the time you enroll in medical school?

Did you compete in a team sport (e.g. soccer) or an individual sport (e.g. tennis or track)?

Your extracurriculars are very strong but where does your GPA put you for the schools you're applying to? 10th percentile; 25th percentile?

UCSF is very social service oriented and favors CA residents. I'm not sure you've had enough experience with underserved populations to be a strong candidate there.

Is there any reason why you're not applying to all the TN state schools? Probably should.

Georgetown and Tulane (like UCSF) are very service oriented as well.

I'd recommend adding more northeastern medical schools that are not so highly competitive - e.g. Hofstra, Seton Hall.

 

[MediocreClimber]

If things go according to plan, would you have 1 gap year or 2 by the time you enroll in medical school?

Did you compete in a team sport (e.g. soccer) or an individual sport (e.g. tennis or track)?

Your extracurriculars are very strong but where does your GPA put you for the schools you're applying to? 10th percentile; 25th percentile?

UCSF is very social service oriented and favors CA residents. I'm not sure you've had enough experience with underserved populations to be a strong candidate there.

Is there any reason why you're not applying to all the TN state schools? Probably should.

Georgetown and Tulane (like UCSF) are very service oriented as well.

I'd recommend adding more northeastern medical schools that are not so highly competitive - e.g. Hofstra, Seton Hall.

I will have 2 gap years by the time I enroll. I played rugby to be specific. For many schools I am applying to, I am around the 25th or 10th. I was advised our pre-med advisor that this is very normal for students from my school. Honestly, I forgot about Meharry, but I am not sure if I should apply to a historically black institution? I am also currently working on getting more service time. Do you think that would help my application? I also just realized I added my volunteer hours incorrectly for my sexual assault advocacy work (only counted my leadership year but have another 3 years doing it). Would this be considered an underserved population?

 

[MyOdyssey]

I will have 2 gap years by the time I enroll. I played rugby to be specific. For many schools I am applying to, I am around the 25th or 10th. I was advised our pre-med advisor that this is very normal for students from my school. Honestly, I forgot about Meharry, but I am not sure if I should apply to a historically black institution? I am also currently working on getting more service time. Do you think that would help my application? I also just realized I added my volunteer hours incorrectly for my sexual assault advocacy work (only counted my leadership year but have another 3 years doing it). Would this be considered an underserved population?

I don't know much about TN medical schools but what about East Tennessee?

You might want to post your question about Meharry on the general SDN forum where a lot of adcoms might see it and respond. I suggest you tag Goro, gonnif.

Sexual assault survivors would be considered an underserved population. Did you continue to work with survivors during your gap year? Ad coms like to see an extended commitment. Other threads on SDN have suggested continuing to help your community during this crisis - things like crisis hotlines that can be done remotely.

Other east coast schools you might consider adding: New York Medical College, Quinnipiac.

Brown tends to favor its own undergrads heavily.

Michigan has an instate bias.

 

[MediocreClimber]

I don't know much about TN medical schools but what about East Tennessee?

You might want to post your question about Meharry on the general SDN forum where a lot of adcoms might see it and respond. I suggest you tag Goro, gonnif.

Sexual assault survivors would be considered an underserved population. Did you continue to work with survivors during your gap year? Ad coms like to see an extended commitment. Other threads on SDN have suggested continuing to help your community during this crisis - things like crisis hotlines that can be done remotely.

Other east coast schools you might consider adding: New York Medical College, Quinnipiac.

Brown tends to favor its own undergrads heavily.

Michigan has an instate bias.

I have East TN listed as ETSU. I am currently getting started working on a crisis hotline (not specifically for sexual assault survivors but I did do that for 4 years so I assume that’s fairly extended).

That is definitely a big concern of mine about Brown and I have considered removing them from my list often. Maybe I will replace them with a lower ranked school to round out my list more.

 

[MyOdyssey]

@Goro @Mr.Smile12 Any other suggestions?

 

[Goro]

@Goro @Mr.Smile12 Any other suggestions?

I don't do hypotheticals. Come back when you get your MCAT score

 

[Mr.Smile12]

@Goro @Mr.Smile12 Any other suggestions?

Thanks. I also don't like throwing hypotheticals without an MCAT score. I will say that since you graduated, you should be thinking about your clinical experience hours, and maybe I'm not reading what you currently have done clearly. You had to work as a CNA to pay for your education, but were you on scholarship as a varsity athlete? (I know it's possible that you weren't on a varsity scholarship given the different divisions.)

I will want to know how much you have talked with schools regarding the supportive culture you really want to succeed. You have a lot of schools you're really shooting way above weight (Harvard, Yale, Duke) and others I'm not sure about why they're on your list (USUHS?). You say you have an interest in rural medicine, given that you have a few in-state options that might facilitate that... but would you really have the student support you want? I always suggest reaching out to students attending schools high on your list to see if you can get the inside scoop of the culture of the school. Given that you self-identify as LGBTQ, that can be important.