Help with general application and school list

[umich2019]

I am finding it incredibly hard to get solid feedback for my list of schools (MD) to apply to in the upcoming cycle. I feel like I fall into a weird grey area in a lot of respects with my metrics.

Undergrad: top public school (you can probably guess from my username) graduated in 2019 with plan of two gap years
Race: Caucasian
Residency: New York
cGPA: 3.58
sGPA: 3.49
Major: physics
MCAT: 516

Extracurriculars (undergrad):
-Collegiate athlete all four years. Also competed to represent the US abroad over one of the summers.

-40 hours of shadowing during this time period between an orthopedic surgeon and a general surgeon

-Orthopedic research starting summer after sophomore year and continuous until graduation. One publication as co-first author and two abstracts from this time

Postgrad:
-Currently in a two year research program where I am heading up my own research project (under the supervision of a PI of course)

-Volunteering at local ambulance corps. At 200 hours now and on track to be well over 500 hours before matriculation. Trying to make up for undergrad where I did not have a ton of time to do volunteering.

-Working on getting non clinical volunteering with volunteering coaching position this upcoming summer


Again I am having trouble making a list of schools to apply to as I feel very strong as an applicant in many respects but also limited based on other factors. I know my gpa will be limiting but I am not sure how limiting based on what I have heard from people on how schools factor in your major/other extracurricular activities.

Here are the schools I am looking at so far. I just have no idea of the schools I will not have a chance at vs the schools I will be competitive at. This list needs to be thinned and potentially changed so I am not spinning my wheels and can write quality essays. Any and all comments would be appreciated.


University of Michigan Medical School
Albany Medical College
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
State University of New York Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine
Stony Brook University School of Medicine
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
New York Medical College
New York University School of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
New York University Long Island School of Medicine
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
State University of New York Upstate Medical University
Wake Forest School of Medicine of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Weill Cornell Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

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[Mr.Smile12]

I am finding it incredibly hard to get solid feedback for my list of schools (MD) to apply to in the upcoming cycle. I feel like I fall into a weird grey area in a lot of respects with my metrics.

Undergrad: top public school (you can probably guess from my username) graduated in 2019 with plan of two gap years
Race: Caucasian
Residency: New York
cGPA: 3.58
sGPA: 3.49
Major: physics
MCAT: 516

Extracurriculars (undergrad):
-Collegiate athlete all four years. Also competed to represent the US abroad over one of the summers.

-40 hours of shadowing during this time period between an orthopedic surgeon and a general surgeon

-Orthopedic research starting summer after sophomore year and continuous until graduation. One publication as co-first author and two abstracts from this time

Postgrad:
-Currently in a two year research program where I am heading up my own research project (under the supervision of a PI of course)

-Volunteering at local ambulance corps. At 200 hours now and on track to be well over 500 hours before matriculation. Trying to make up for undergrad where I did not have a ton of time to do volunteering.

-Working on getting non clinical volunteering with volunteering coaching position this upcoming summer


Again I am having trouble making a list of schools to apply to as I feel very strong as an applicant in many respects but also limited based on other factors. I know my gpa will be limiting but I am not sure how limiting based on what I have heard from people on how schools factor in your major/other extracurricular activities.

Here are the schools I am looking at so far. I just have no idea of the schools I will not have a chance at vs the schools I will be competitive at. This list needs to be thinned and potentially changed so I am not spinning my wheels and can write quality essays. Any and all comments would be appreciated.


University of Michigan Medical School
Albany Medical College
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
State University of New York Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine
Stony Brook University School of Medicine
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
New York Medical College
New York University School of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
New York University Long Island School of Medicine
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
State University of New York Upstate Medical University
Wake Forest School of Medicine of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Weill Cornell Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

First, do you have a prehealth advisor or office on your campus? Second, as a physics major, what is your BCPM GPA, and what upper-level biomedical science classes have you completed? Third, what's your two-year research project on? I have a feeling you want to use one of your gap years to build your clinical exposure in a health care setting, especially working with vulnerable populations in an immersive environment that stretches you beyond your own comfort zone.

 

[Faha]

Many of the schools on your list are unrealistic with your GPA. I suggest these schools with your stats:
All 4 SUNYs
Albany
New York Medical College
Hofstra
Einstein
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Seton Hall
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
USF Morsani
Miami
U Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Western Michigan
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
TCU-UNT
California University

 

[umich2019]

First, do you have a prehealth advisor or office on your campus? Second, as a physics major, what is your BCPM GPA, and what upper-level biomedical science classes have you completed? Third, what's your two-year research project on? I have a feeling you want to use one of your gap years to build your clinical exposure in a health care setting, especially working with vulnerable populations in an immersive environment that stretches you beyond your own comfort zone.

Thank you for answering!

I do have a prehealth advisor that I have been working with since I graduated. However since I went to a big school they are often swamped with work and it's hard to get in more than 30 minutes once a month with them. Those thirty minutes, while helpful in some respects, often lack enough time for extensive discussion on school.

My BCPM GPA is 3.49 and as I am unsure what you would qualify as an upper level I have included the complete list of courses I have included in my BCPM gpa. For my school these courses satisfied all of the recommended prehealth courses that are given out by the prehealth guidance department.

Calc 1
Calc 2
physics 160 (honors kinematics)
physics 161 (lab)
Calc 3
physics 260 (honors E&M)
physics 261 (lab)
chem 130 (gen chem)
chem 130 lab
Calc 4
physics 340 (thermo)
Orgo 1
Orgo 1 lab
physics 351 ( advanced math for physics)
physics 390 (waves and light)
physics 391 (lab)
Orgo 2
physics 401 (advanced kinematics)
physics 405 (advanced E&M)
physics 441 (upper level lab)
Bio 171
Bio 172
Bio 173 (intro bio lab)
Orgo 2 lab
chem 230 (physical chemistry)
Biochem
physiol 404 (upper level physiology lab)


My two year research project is an orthopedic project but from an immunology perspective. It is a translational research project in that it combines a ton of mouse work and bench work with the study of patient samples and tons of patient data (I go into the OR to collect the patient samples). I would say this was well out of my comfort zone since I had no experience in immunology prior to coming to this lab (I had only been in orthopedic research labs prior and was brought in to this lab because they had relatively little experience in this field). This also is definitely not something I can drop half way through to do something else. This is my current full time job and I signed a contract. I also enjoy doing it.

In terms of more clinical exposure I was planning on taking an EMT course later this year once I had completed the more intense parts of the med school application process.

I think that answers all of your questions. Again thanks for answering and let me know if you have anymore thoughts.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for answering!

I do have a prehealth advisor that I have been working with since I graduated. However since I went to a big school they are often swamped with work and it's hard to get in more than 30 minutes once a month with them. Those thirty minutes, while helpful in some respects, often lack enough time for extensive discussion on school.

My BCPM GPA is 3.49 and as I am unsure what you would qualify as an upper level I have included the complete list of courses I have included in my BCPM gpa. For my school these courses satisfied all of the recommended prehealth courses that are given out by the prehealth guidance department.

Calc 1
Calc 2
physics 160 (honors kinematics)
physics 161 (lab)
Calc 3
physics 260 (honors E&M)
physics 261 (lab)
chem 130 (gen chem)
chem 130 lab
Calc 4
physics 340 (thermo)
Orgo 1
Orgo 1 lab
physics 351 ( advanced math for physics)
physics 390 (waves and light)
physics 391 (lab)
Orgo 2
physics 401 (advanced kinematics)
physics 405 (advanced E&M)
physics 441 (upper level lab)
Bio 171
Bio 172
Bio 173 (intro bio lab)
Orgo 2 lab
chem 230 (physical chemistry)
Biochem
physiol 404 (upper level physiology lab)

My two year research project is an orthopedic project but from an immunology perspective. It is a translational research project in that it combines a ton of mouse work and bench work with the study of patient samples and tons of patient data (I go into the OR to collect the patient samples). I would say this was well out of my comfort zone since I had no experience in immunology prior to coming to this lab (I had only been in orthopedic research labs prior and was brought in to this lab because they had relatively little experience in this field). This also is definitely not something I can drop half way through to do something else. This is my current full time job and I signed a contract. I also enjoy doing it.

In terms of more clinical exposure I was planning on taking an EMT course later this year once I had completed the more intense parts of the med school application process.

I think that answers all of your questions. Again thanks for answering and let me know if you have anymore thoughts.

Thanks... it's good to know what the common points are for non-biology science majors and how admissions screeners will look for some clues for comparison. Good luck! Keep networking with schools and current students either here or through AMSA chapters, looking for students who have backgrounds similar to yours. Don't forget to sign up for the AAMC Virtual Fair this week.