I need some serious advice.

[jg534124]

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I’m a Texas resident and Hispanic first-gen college student. I’ve officially submitted all my TMDSAS secondaries (plus TCOM) for this cycle, and I’m trying to get a realistic idea of my odds for interviews or an acceptance.

Stats:

• cGPA: 3.83
• MCAT: 507 (2nd attempt — 503 previously, not retaking)
• Major: Biology
• State of residency: Texas

Clinical experience:

• ~100 hours healthcare-related (shadowing in sports medicine, family medicine, anesthesiology — observed hysterectomy; medical assistant for Ironman triathlon)
• Upcoming EMT certification + additional healthcare hours during gap year
• medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic (Served as leader, translator, and interacted with patients)

Community service:

• ~50 hours non-clinical community service (church volunteering, Hispanic community outreach)
• Will be adding significantly more service hours during gap year

Research:

• Published paper in virus discovery lab (helped publish 4 new genome annotations)
• SMART program intern at Baylor College of Medicine (leukemia research)
• Current research on time perception post-COVID in college students (built this project from the ground up)
• Neuroscience lab research assistant

Leadership & extracurriculars:

• Research Chair for Latinx organization (time perception research)
• Founded a scholarship program for first gen pre health students and served as a council member
• TA for scholarship course, 1st place poster presentation for published paper
• Learning assistant for course based bio research labs
• Pre-Health Symposium organizer for Alpha Epsilon Delta (largest pre-health event at my university)

Obtained a committee packed from University with strong LORs

School list:

• UTMB
• UTRGV
• Long
• McGovern
• Dell
• Sam Houston
• Texas Tech Lubbock
• Texas Tech El Paso
• Foster SOM
• TCOM (DO)
• UH COM

Main questions:

1. Based on my stats, background, and Texas residency, what are my realistic odds for at least 1–2 interviews?
2. Do you think a 507 MCAT with strong ECs, research, leadership, and ongoing gap year improvements can still get me into multiple TMDSAS schools?
3. If I don’t hear back by December, is the cycle basically over for me?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

It's a bit late to ask us what your chances are now that you've finished. What impressions have you gotten from your prehealth advisors or any admissions staff you networked with before you began your application? You got a committee letter, so you hopefully have a clue what they feel your strengths and weaknesses are.

We don't have access to your TMDSAS application or any secondaries, but why did you apply if you feel you are subpar in any area of your application (in other words, why are you asking us and perhaps reddit or other communities now)? Did you participate in any pipeline programs or any mentoring organizations for aspiring Latinx physicians? Did you connect with SNMA before applying?

For some of the Texas schools (like Tyler and RGV), growing up in their respective areas of the state will help you. Graduating from a low-SES Texas community/high school will help you.

If you don't hear by October, you should apply out to other MD or DO schools. However, the following items appear deficient, and anticipated/future hours on your application won't help you:
1) Not enough service orientation activities (food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation): you should have 150 hours when you submit your application, or your file might get screened out if you don't show mission fit.

2) Not enough clinical experience. Sorry, I'm not counting your DR mission trip. You need experience in the US, and I'm not sure 100 hours is enough; most of the time I recommend 250 hours of shadowing plus clinical exposure. It's not clear which activities are patient-facing and those where you observe or assist physicians.

3) Sure, you come from an underserved community, but you still need service to other underserved communities that are not like your own. You must show an ability to get out of your comfort zone and dwell in uncomfortable spaces.

4) You may still have a chance at an interview; it only takes one to believe you demonstrate alignment with their mission focus. Getting an offer is entirely up to your interview for all we know.

 

[jg534124]

Welcome to the forums.

It's a bit late to ask us what your chances are now that you've finished. What impressions have you gotten from your prehealth advisors or any admissions staff you networked with before you began your application? You got a committee letter, so you hopefully have a clue what they feel your strengths and weaknesses are.

We don't have access to your TMDSAS application or any secondaries, but why did you apply if you feel you are subpar in any area of your application (in other words, why are you asking us and perhaps reddit or other communities now)? Did you participate in any pipeline programs or any mentoring organizations for aspiring Latinx physicians? Did you connect with SNMA before applying?

For some of the Texas schools (like Tyler and RGV), growing up in their respective areas of the state will help you. Graduating from a low-SES Texas community/high school will help you.

If you don't hear by October, you should apply out to other MD or DO schools. However, the following items appear deficient, and anticipated/future hours on your application won't help you:
1) Not enough service orientation activities (food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation): you should have 150 hours when you submit your application, or your file might get screened out if you don't show mission fit.

2) Not enough clinical experience. Sorry, I'm not counting your DR mission trip. You need experience in the US, and I'm not sure 100 hours is enough; most of the time I recommend 250 hours of shadowing plus clinical exposure. It's not clear which activities are patient-facing and those where you observe or assist physicians.

3) Sure, you come from an underserved community, but you still need service to other underserved communities that are not like your own. You must show an ability to get out of your comfort zone and dwell in uncomfortable spaces.

4) You may still have a chance at an interview; it only takes one to believe you demonstrate alignment with their mission focus. Getting an offer is entirely up to your interview for all we know.

I did not have a car during my undergrad due to financial reasons which significantly impacted my hours for both community service and clinical. That’s why I tried to be more involved on campus with research and other leadership orgs. During my gap year, I plan to get more clinical experience with my EMT and volunteer as well.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I did not have a car during my undergrad due to financial reasons which significantly impacted my hours for both community service and clinical. That’s why I tried to be more involved on campus with research and other leadership orgs. During my gap year, I plan to get more clinical experience with my EMT and volunteer as well.

I don't know where you went to college/undergraduate. I commiserate with the lack of personal transportation (or convenient public transportation), but other applicants have made it work. Many schools I know arrange campus transportation out to some selected community service location to address this need among students without their own vehicles (or bikes). I can cut some slack for doing food pantry work on-campus, but many of the faculty I have worked with won't. You have declared some community service with your faith community, although you don't give details of what you did or how many hours involved.

I point out that you don't get extra credit for anticipated activities or hours. You apply with the snapshot you gave us to communicate your readiness for medical school. If some programs feel your hours are lacking compared to the applicant pool they generally review, then your application may not be picked up for an interview (and I point out, it only takes one to buck that generalization based on your mission fit).

Yes, the low MCAT may not be helpful; unless mentioned, most schools may elect to average your MCAT attempts for initial screening purposes, so you might be walking in with a 504/505. I trust that the admissions teams will still take a look at you, but we just have to trust the process.

 

[wysdoc]

You might get some Texas interviews depending on the total application you presented.
I think it would be a good idea to work on an AACOMAS application and you can wait to turn it in if you get no Texas interviews by early October

 

[jg534124]

I don't know where you went to college/undergraduate. I commiserate with the lack of personal transportation (or convenient public transportation), but other applicants have made it work. Many schools I know arrange campus transportation out to some selected community service location to address this need among students without their own vehicles (or bikes). I can cut some slack for doing food pantry work on-campus, but many of the faculty I have worked with won't. You have declared some community service with your faith community, although you don't give details of what you did or how many hours involved.

I point out that you don't get extra credit for anticipated activities or hours. You apply with the snapshot you gave us to communicate your readiness for medical school. If some programs feel your hours are lacking compared to the applicant pool they generally review, then your application may not be picked up for an interview (and I point out, it only takes one to buck that generalization based on your mission fit).

Yes, the low MCAT may not be helpful; unless mentioned, most schools may elect to average your MCAT attempts for initial screening purposes, so you might be walking in with a 504/505. I trust that the admissions teams will still take a look at you, but we just have to trust the process.

Thanks for your insight! It’s been a tough process but hopefully it pays off.

 

[jg534124]

You might get some Texas interviews depending on the total application you presented.
I think it would be a good idea to work on an AACOMAS application and you can wait to turn it in if you get no Texas interviews by early October

Hopefully that’s the case, all it takes is one acceptance. I will definitely take working on an AACOMAS app into consideration.

 

[Goro]

Odds are decent.

 

[jg534124]

Odds are decent.

Hopefully! This has been way too stressful.