GPA 3.77/MCAT 512, ORM, Should I apply this cycle?

[CheerfulCheerios]

I'm a first-gen asian senior college student and am unsure if I am prepared enough to apply to medical school for the upcoming cycle 2023-2024. Any advice would be helpful! Also looking into a school list to apply

URM? No, Asian
Ties: NJ/NY
Undergrad: T15, known for grade deflation
Majors: Food Science & Biological Sciences
sGPA: 3.76
cGPA: 3.77
MCAT: 512
Clinical Exp: ~170 hrs, hospital volunteering, medical assistant at free clinic (unpaid), 1000+ projected for scribe job after primary apps during gap year (not sure if it matters)
Research Exp: 1000+ hours of virology research, leading 2 projects, 1 thesis completion
Shadowing: 70 hrs (mostly primary, gynecology, hepatology)
Nonclinical volunteering: 200+ hrs local nursing home volunteer, 40 hours food pantry, 30 hours COVID awareness advocation on campus (connecting with students)
EC's: senior citizens club president, founder/president fancy foods club, social chair aikido club, science section writer for school newspaper (4 yrs), food product development team (1st place in an alternative protein national competition, finalists in a different international competition focusing on creating food in developing countries)
Jobs: Summer internship at top food industry company


After looking online and comparing, I feel that a lot of stats and hours are borderline acceptable :/
Feeling a little nervous...

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[Mr.Smile12]

Yeah, you must be nervous. Review your MCAT score. 🙂

 

[CheerfulCheerios]

Hi, thanks for the catch! Changed it to the correct number. Yes, very nervous for the upcoming application cycle

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence ?

 

[CheerfulCheerios]

NY currently but grew up in NJ

 

[Faha]

NY currently but grew up in NJ

You are fine to apply but try and accumulate more clinical volunteering hours before you submit your application. I suggest these schools with your stats and NY residency:
All 4 SUNYs
Albany
New York Medical College
Einstein
Hackensack
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
TCU
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont

 

[CheerfulCheerios]

You are fine to apply but try and accumulate more clinical volunteering hours before you submit your application. I suggest these schools with your stats and NY residency:
All 4 SUNYs
Albany
New York Medical College
Einstein
Hackensack
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
TCU
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont

Do you think it would be worth it to wait another year (2 gap years) to boost clinical hours and higher MCAT score? Would this increase my chances for a higher tier school?

 

[Faha]

Do you think it would be worth it to wait another year (2 gap years) to boost clinical hours and higher MCAT score? Would this increase my chances for a higher tier school?

You do not need to retake a MCAT of 512. More clinical hours will help but you could add those in the coming 6 months.

 

[CheerfulCheerios]

You do not need to retake a MCAT of 512. More clinical hours will help but you could add those in the coming 6 months.

I think I can probably add another 30 or so hours to make it to 200 hours for clinical but I have a pretty packed schedule this coming semester where it will be difficult for me to add more clinical hours.

 

[chilly_md]

I think I can probably add another 30 or so hours to make it to 200 hours for clinical but I have a pretty packed schedule this coming semester where it will be difficult for me to add more clinical hours.

It does take time to prepare the AMCAS application as well (drafting personal statement, getting letters of rec etc). Consider transitioning away from some of your clubs since you are a senior and allow next year’s leadership time to adjust to the new role (fancy food club, aikido club, the newspaper).

 

[CheerfulCheerios]

It does take time to prepare the AMCAS application as well (drafting personal statement, getting letters of rec etc). Consider transitioning away from some of your clubs since you are a senior and allow next year’s leadership time to adjust to the new role (fancy food club, aikido club, the newspaper).

This is a good recommendation! But I still feel, even with transitioning away from EC's, I don't think I will have enough time to tag on more than 50 hours of clinical. What are your thoughts on applying with the stats/hrs I have currently?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

The 1000+ projected scribe hours will not count on your application if you submit it before your start, so understand how it may be discounted in application screening. Your other hours look okay to satisfy the minimum expectations of screeners and reviewers.

 

[chilly_md]

This is a good recommendation! But I still feel, even with transitioning away from EC's, I don't think I will have enough time to tag on more than 50 hours of clinical. What are your thoughts on applying with the stats/hrs I have currently?

50 more should give you sufficient enough hours that a reader won't think you have limited clinical experience.

 

[CheerfulCheerios]

Thank you so much for the advice! I will try to aim for that number. Is there anything else I could improve in my application?

 

[chilly_md]

Thank you so much for the advice! I will try to aim for that number. Is there anything else I could improve in my application?

Are you hoping to specialize in geriatrics eventually? It seems you have an interest in helping the elderly based on 2 of your activities, so you could try to have that make up part of your personal statement.

 

[CheerfulCheerios]

Are you hoping to specialize in geriatrics eventually? It seems you have an interest in helping the elderly based on 2 of your activities, so you could try to have that make up part of your personal statement.

I was hoping to specialize in GI based on my food science background but I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk about geriatrics as well. Would it be helpful to specify which specialty I would be interested in within my application?

 

[chilly_md]

I was hoping to specialize in GI based on my food science background but I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk about geriatrics as well. Would it be helpful to specify which specialty I would be interested in within my application?

Many students change their minds once in med school, but some seem to have a much stronger interest and that’s when it’s appropriate to include. You could potentially do that with GI, though your food science activities don’t seem to involve interacting with patients and that is usually a big part of answering why you want to be a physician.

 

[CheerfulCheerios]

Many students change their minds once in med school, but some seem to have a much stronger interest and that’s when it’s appropriate to include. You could potentially do that with GI, though your food science activities don’t seem to involve interacting with patients and that is usually a big part of answering why you want to be a physician.

I did some research in high school in the gut microbiome about food and cancer, would this help? I can't seem to think of any clinical activity that would be food related

 

[chilly_md]

I did some research in high school in the gut microbiome about food and cancer, would this help? I can't seem to think of any clinical activity that would be food related

I think it would be best to keep it general to give you the most flexibility on the structure.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I was hoping to specialize in GI based on my food science background but I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk about geriatrics as well. Would it be helpful to specify which specialty I would be interested in within my application?

What is it about food science (or what you have taken) that you think will help you as a doctor, and not specifically in gastroenterology? Keep to what you learned in college.