*~*~*~*IMPORTANT: How to Format Your WAMC Thread for Optimal Results and More!!*~*~*~*

[WedgeDawg]

Hello, and welcome to the What Are My Chances (WAMC) forum.

The purpose of this forum is to

• Post threads about your chances of acceptance to MD and/or DO schools
• Have your school list critiqued and modified by other members of SDN
• Determine how to strengthen your current application

General guidelines for posting threads

• Please DO NOT call out specific users in the title of your thread
• Please include the word "Texas", "Canadian", or "International" in your thread title if you are a resident of Texas, Canada, or another non-US country in order to attract users with experience advising applicants in your situation

Privacy

• If you wish to remove your original post after getting feedback, please include "PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE THIS MESSAGE" at the top of the body of your thread. Please also note that members are not obligated to abide by this request, but it is polite to do so
• Moderators are not obligated to remove another member's post that quotes yours upon request
• If you wish to delete your own thread, please note that members with Gold Donor status have the ability to delete their own threads
• Please be aware that even if your thread is deleted on SDN, a cached version of your post very likely exists elsewhere on the internet
• Above all, please be careful with the amount of personal information you post in your WAMC threads - if you do not want that information on the internet, it is better to not post it in the first place
• If the need for anonymity is extreme, you may send a PM to me (WedgeDawg) and I will post it for you anonymously. Please be aware that this may take several days to be completed from the time of request. You will also have no way to delete your thread once it is posted. Moderators will not be responsible for relaying further questions in these threads once they have been posted.

General conduct

• The WAMC forum is designed to facilitate a collaborative environment in which members share constructive criticism and offer sincere yet tactful feedback to other members. It is not intended for discussions regarding affirmative action, allopathic vs. osteopathic medical schools, or other inflammatory topics.
• Please be aware that condescension or personal attacks will not be tolerated. Users who choose to behave in this way will be disciplined accordingly. Be sure to always follow Rule #2 from the SDN Terms of Service: "Be courteous and contribute positively. If you’re not contributing to the forums in a positive manner, you may receive a warning or have your account temporarily or permanently closed."
• If you see a post that breaks any rules, please use the "Report" button at the bottom of the post to alert forum moderators

How to format your WAMC thread

Suggested information to include when creating a WAMC thread are as follows:

1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown. Include all (non-voided) attempts.
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
4. Ethnicity and/or race
5. Undergraduate institution or category
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
7. Research experience and productivity
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
9. Non-clinical volunteering
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
11. Relevant honors or awards
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important

Most importantly, please include a list of schools you are interested in applying to. It is much easier for users to help you when you have taken the time to construct your own school list first!

Other miscellaneous tips

• It is very difficult to judge your chances or recommend schools without an MCAT score. If you do not have an MCAT score, please at least include any practice MCAT scores you have received (median and range are both useful). If you have not taken the MCAT or any practice tests, consider holding off on posting a WAMC thread until you have your scores back.
• Remember that the more information you can provide, the more specific the advice other members can give you. Be as precise and comprehensive as possible for optimal results.
• Do your own research as well. If someone's advice seems off, check into it yourself and see what you can find. Remember that users here are posting of their own accord and the accuracy of advice cannot be guaranteed.

Link to original post by @sector9

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[WedgeDawg]

Information on Individual Medical Schools:
MD & DO: SDN's collaborative effort on medical school statistics - Compilation of freely-accessible statistics from school websites (Thread here)
MD: Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) - The official AAMC resource for school data, including school information, statistics, and prerequisites
DO: College Information Book (CIB) - The official AACOM resource for school data, including school information, statistics, and prerequisites
MD & DO: US News Graduate School Compass - A third-party resource containing information self-reported by both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. Does not contain information on all schools
MD & DO: SDN's Interview Feedback - Contains actual interview questions as well as school impressions from interviewees

Pre-Osteopathic Helpful Links:
-Refer to the Pre-Osteopathic FAQ and the AACOMAS website as your initial resource for general questions
-AACOMAS GPA Calculation Spreadsheet
-How do I classify my courses when calculating my science GPA?
-Which schools require a DO LOR?

Pre-Allopathic Helpful Links:
-Refer to the most recent Applicant Sticky and the AMCAS website as your initial resource for general questions
-AMCAS GPA Calculation Spreadsheet [Excel spreadsheet posted on a University of South Florida premedical resources page]
-How do I classify my courses when calculating my BCPM GPA?
-AMCAS Grade Conversion guide

Relevant Threads from the Pre-Allo FAQ Series:
-Pre-Allo FAQ Series:What is more important GPA or MCAT?
-Pre-Allo FAQ Series: How many schools should I apply to?
-Pre-Allo FAQ Series: Are EC's really required, and if so which ones?
-Pre-Allo FAQ Series: What's most important in where to apply?

Answers from Past SDN Advisors:
-Medical School Admissions: How can I improve my chances?
-Medical School Admissions: Special Circumstances.