MD How much does this hurt my application to medical school? *Please, no quoting!*

[bordercollielove78]

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Thank you all for the very helpful responses. I really appreciate it.

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence? What are your GPA's and MCAT?

 

[bordercollielove78]

Where is your state of residence? What are your GPA's and MCAT?

I am an IL resident. My cumulative GPA is 3.95 and my BCPM GPA is 3.92. MCAT is 520.

Thanks for the reply. 🙂

 

[bordercollielove78]

If it helps in evaluating how my application is looking given these red flags, my ECs by the time I apply are as follows:

Clinical (vol):
- 6 years volunteering at a hospice
- 2.5 years volunteering at a children's hospital on their inpatient Child Psych floor helping people accomplish their ADLs
- 2.5 years volunteering in a children's hospital's outpatient dpt with my therapy dog
- 2 years volunteering at a public health dpt that does free well-child visits

Non-clinical volunteering:
- 5 years rape crisis volunteering
- 2 years domestic violence volunteering
- 2 years volunteering as a court-appointed special advocate
- 1 summer volunteering at a support group for kids with a parent in prison
- 3 years volunteering at the Boys and Girls Clubs
- 1 year as a volunteer reading tutor for adolescent boys currently incarcerated at a juvenile detention facility in the area
- 3 summers volunteering at a program that does free summertime food for kids in low-income neighborhoods who are likely to rely on the Free & Reduced Lunch program during the school year

Research:
- 3 years clinical research in Child Psychiatry. 1 poster and no pubs

Shadowing:
- 150 hours shadowing with about 60 hrs primary care exposure

 

[Faha]

Since your overall stats are great the family crisis issues will not matter. Apply to all your Illinois schools: U Illinois, Rush, Loyola, Rosalind Franklin, Chicago and Northwestern. Other schools where you could receive interviews include:
Washington U
Case Western
Pitt
Rochester
NYU
Mount Sinai
Boston University
You can add any other schools that appeal to you but avoid OOS public schools that accept few non residents.

 

[bordercollielove78]

Thank you so much for your help, @Faha! I am so relieved!

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Your stats and ECs are stellar, you've got a good explanation for your withdrawals, and you've put that behind you and earned a Harvard-grade GPA and MCAT. I'd think you're good to apply to any school you want, including top 20s if you want them. @Goro would say you're a golden applicant with a strong "why medicine" story, if you want to become a doctor because of your family members' health issues.

 

[Mad Jack]

Wait, you withdrew 16-20 courses? I literally don't even know what to do with that.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Wait, you withdrew 16-20 courses? I literally don't even know what to do with that.

Are the massive numbers of withdrawals a dealbreaker even with an otherwise stellar application and good reason for the withdrawals that's since been resolved?

 

[Goro]

Since your overall stats are great the family crisis issues will not matter. Apply to all your Illinois schools: U Illinois, Rush, Loyola, Rosalind Franklin, Chicago and Northwestern. Other schools where you could receive interviews include:
Washington U
Case Western
Pitt
Rochester
NYU
Mount Sinai
Boston University
You can add any other schools that appeal to you but avoid OOS public schools that accept few non residents.

Agree 100% with my learned colleague. A few more too suggest ( entire list is long):
Keck
WashU
JHU
Mayo
IU
U IA
U MI
U VA
UCSF
UCSD
UCLA
The Manhattan Titans
Yale
Emory
Vandy
U Penn

One of the key things that you will have to watch out for is any hint that you will drop everything and run home in case of a medical emergency. Med students have to be somewhat selfish.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Agree 100% with my learned colleague. A few more too suggest ( entire list is long):
Keck
WashU
JHU
Mayo
IU
U IA
U MI
U VA
UCSF
UCSD
UCLA
The Manhattan Titans
Yale
Emory
Vandy
U Penn

One of the key things that you will have to watch out for is any hint that you will drop everything and run home in case of a medical emergency. Med students have to be somewhat selfish.

I agree. The withdrawals are worrisome, but if none have taken place in the junior and senior year, the adcoms might be inclined to forgive it. That, plus superb ECs and stats, can get some fairly questionable things forgiven at good schools. Her state school would be glad to have her, as would the schools on your list, Goro.