Medical How can I improve - 3.43 & 518 nontraditional applicant?

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Goro

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I am applying to start an MD program fall 2020. Would really appreciate some help compiling a school list.

CA resident
GPA: 3.43 (general upward trend)
sGPA: 3.34 (unsure if computer science courses are included in sGPA. If so this will be higher)
Washington University in St. Louis grad 2017
Major: Biology -- concentration in Genomics and Computational Biology
Minor: Computer science
MCAT June 2018: 518 (129/129/130/130)

Leadership:
- Executive committee and judicial board of my social fraternity
- Eagle Scout (does this still matter? it was a long time ago)

Research:
-- Worked at a contract research organization
-- Acknowledged for contributions for a paper published in nature from summer position at The Salk Institute in san diego
-- listed after many other authors for a paper still under review for a whole genome sequencing cancer immunotherapy pipeline
-- first author for a paper published on suprdb.com (student research publication platform) for research done during a course
-- undergraduate research symposium poster presentation for the same course listed above

Gap year:
-- After graduation, I worked as the manager of the pharmacy for a medical non-profit located in Panama (9 months). During our weekly clinics, I translated for English-Spanish medical consultations and did some basic medical history and took vital signs, etc. This was my most involved clinical experience.
-- Currently working at a veterinary hospital. Do some minor procedures and discuss treatment plans with clients.

Future plans:
Will complete a 1 year Masters of Advanced Studies in Humanitarian Action (focusing on healthcare in humanitarian crises)
--- How it fits? I would really like to do global medicine, working with MSF or other organizations doing non-profit medicine

-- Little shadowing experience beyond working with the doctors in the medical non-profit in Panama

Would really like some schools that focus on community medicine. I know UC Davis works in underserved areas and maybe University of Washington has a community medicine program partnered with several hospitals across Washington State.


-- Tentative list created by the internet:
UCSF
UCLA David Geffen
UCSD
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC Riverside
USC Keck
California University
Tufts University School of Medicine
New York Medical College
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University
University of Washington
Oregon Health & Science University
...
...
...
Your problem right now is that while you may like community service, you have zero hours proving it. Getting the MSHA won't cut that in my book; you have to walk the walk, not merely talk the talk.

You also need patient contact experience here in the US. On top of that, you clinician shadowing, and you need service to others less fortunate than yourself.

Of the schools you listed, ORHS and UW have a significant in-state bias; UCR is viable only if you are from the Inland Empire.

What is your year by year GPA? The last two years should count for more than the entire cGPA for a number of schools.

i understand the need to work, but working at a vet clinic may make Adcoms wonder "why not veterinary medicine?"

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Semester by semester cGPA:
3.28, 2.81, 3.61, 3.92, 2.85 (summer orgo), 3.68 (abroad semester), 3.60, 3.81, 3.35

I got a job scribing which got continually pushed back weeks and then months. Working at the veterinary hospital was a temporary solution that ended up more permanent than I had hoped. I have been justifying it because the approach to the medical side is not hugely different, I am able to participate more than I would be able to if I was working with people, and I get to see a vast range of things (radiography, surgery, dental tx, derm, orthopedics, etc.).

I guess I should ask: is my experience in Panama not a catch-all?
I did three days of clinic every week for 9 months.
I was often translating for medical providers (is that shadowing in a sense?)
We were providing medical care to indigenous populations in rural parts of Panama. They had no other easy access to healthcare (definitely less fortunate, were living on dollars/day)
Although I had a permanent position, it was technically an unpaid internship. I just received food and housing in exchange for a sustained contribution.

I understand that it's different than working in a hospital in the US and I have been looking for ways to get into the hospital but I've been unsuccessful. Any advice on that would be appreciated as well.

As far as service hours, I plan to work with an organization for 2 months on an island off the coast of Madagascar. They do primary care for illegal immigrants coming from Madagascar. The project should be focused on health education.
You still need to see what medicine is like here .

Veterinary medicine is NOT the same as human medicine. That is not a good mindset to have.

That last subpar semester is concerning, you have an undulating GPA profile, which gives concern for performance in med school .
 
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