INTERNATIONAL, 3.93/ 514, just got my score, WHAT NOW?

[doctorinthesky]

Hey everyone,
Typical beginner here, also I'm overseas and very far from my prehealth office, so I can't run to them for help.
I got my MCAT score last night, and so far I have shortlisted about 20 schools, and begun my AMCAS. The committee letter is currently being written by the prehealth committee at my university, but they said it takes about 6 weeks after you get your MCAT score to complete the letter, so in the mean time, what should I do, apart from completing my AMCAS?

I also have a question about EC's, I'm going to be doing a bunch of research, clinical volunteering and shadowing this summer, (I know SO last minute ) i.e., July to December, and I don't want to apply too late, so I was wondering if separate LOR's can be sent to schools after I submit my AMCAS?

• Current EC's:
  • - Shadowed an American MD for a month (ER, internal medicine), shadowed an MD in my home country for a month (cardiology)
  • - Joined an ambulance corp last year, certified EMT, one year of clinical experience plus my senior year.
  • - International Student Ambassador.
  • - Volunteered teaching underprivileged kids in India for a summer.
  • - One semester of psychology research.
  • - University Scholar
  • - Academic achievement awards for 2 consecutive years.
• STATS:
  • 3.93 cGPA, 3.9 sGPA
  • 514 MCAT. 92nd percentile.
    • 130 in Phys/Chem - 97th percentile.
    • 127 in CARS - 83rd percentile
    • 129 in Bio/Biochem - 92nd percentile
    • 128 in Psych/Soc - 86th percentile

Thanks so much in advance!

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[Gibbward]

So you're only starting most of your ECs this summer? That's not gonna look good if you're thinking of applying for this cycle... Couldn't you wait until next year so you could apply early, and actually have solid hours for your ECs? I mean you're already at a disadvantage for being an international student. Might as well wait until you have the strongest app possible before you apply instead of spending a lot of money on a rushed application attempt.

 

[doctorinthesky]

No no, sorry I was being unclear, I already have a bunch of EC's, I'm just adding to the list this year. These are my EC's:

• ECs:
  • - Shadowed an American MD for a month (ER, internal medicine), shadowed an MD in my home country for a month (cardiology)
  • - Joined an ambulance corp last year, certified EMT, one year of clinical experience plus my senior year.
  • - International Student Ambassador.
  • - Volunteered teaching underprivileged kids in India for a summer.
  • - One semester of psychology research.
  • - University Scholar
  • - Academic achievement awards for 2 consecutive years.

 

[wolfofparkstreet]

No no, sorry I was being unclear, I already have a bunch of EC's, I'm just adding to the list this year. These are my EC's:

• ECs:
  • - Shadowed an American MD for a month (ER, internal medicine), shadowed an MD in my home country for a month (cardiology)
  • - Joined an ambulance corp last year, certified EMT, one year of clinical experience plus my senior year.
  • - International Student Ambassador.
  • - Volunteered teaching underprivileged kids in India for a summer.
  • - One semester of psychology research.
  • - University Scholar
  • - Academic achievement awards for 2 consecutive years.

What's your race? country?

 

[doctorinthesky]

Also my stats:

• 3.93 cGPA, 3.9 sGPA
• 514 MCAT. 92nd percentile.
  • 130 in Phys/Chem - 97th percentile.
  • 127 in CARS - 83rd percentile
  • 129 in Bio/Biochem - 92nd percentile
  • 128 in Psych/Soc - 86th percentile

 

[doctorinthesky]

What's your race? country?

Indian, from India. Ugrad at Stony Brook U.

 

[wolfofparkstreet]

Indian, from India. Ugrad at Stony Brook U.

that's a tough one but I would say specifically target schools which are willing to accept international students, I know wayne state is one. For the others, you can do a filtered search using MSAR. Do not waste your money and time on schools which have never accepted international students, you won't be the exception.

 

[MaxPlancker]

I agree…you definitely need to invest in MSAR and do your research. Unfortunately, you will have a very rough application season as far as American MD programs go. Your ECs are below average or average at best and as an international you must be far better than others who get accepted to the same school.

 

[doctorinthesky]

that's a tough one but I would say specifically target schools which are willing to accept international students, I know wayne state is one. For the others, you can do a filtered search using MSAR. Do not waste your money and time on schools which have never accepted international student, you won't be the exception.

That's weird, Wayne State didn't show up on my MSAR search for international applicants, but here's a list I put together earlier today:

Boston University
Case Western Reserve
Rosalind Franklin
Columbia
Duke
Emory
Dartmouth
Mount Sinai
NYMC
Northwestern
UPenn
Saint Louis University
Thomas Jefferson
Stony Brook University
Tulane
UCLA
UKentucky
UPittsburgh
UVirginia
Weill Cornell

I'm also probably applying to D.O. schools.

 

[doctorinthesky]

I agree…you definitely need to invest in MSAR and do your research. Unfortunately, you will have a very rough application season as far as American MD programs go. Your ECs are below average or average at best and as an international you must be far better than others who get accepted to the same school.

Thank you both for your honest feedback.
This summer I'm also volunteering with an Indian non-profit organization for cancer, as well as working with a doctor in Manhattan who's a prof at Weill Cornell, and potential final year of research.
Is it a good idea for me to take a gap year and better my EC's instead of applying this cycle at all?

 

[MaxPlancker]

That's weird, Wayne State didn't show up on my MSAR search for international applicants, but here's a list I put together earlier today:

Boston University
Case Western Reserve
Rosalind Franklin
Columbia
Duke
Emory
Dartmouth
Mount Sinai
NYMC
Northwestern
UPenn
Saint Louis University
Thomas Jefferson
Stony Brook University
Tulane
UCLA
UKentucky
UPittsburgh
UVirginia
Weill Cornell

I'm also probably applying to D.O. schools.

Whoa whoa. Not to be harsh but there's almost a negative chance of you getting into the bolded, especially as an international but even as an US Citizen/Perm Resident with your app. Even some of the non-bolded ones, such as UKentucky, it will be extremely difficult for you.

 

[doctorinthesky]

Did your parents go to university? Do you have an endearing story of success?

My parents are doctors in India, I don't know if that helps?

 

[doctorinthesky]

Whoa whoa. Not to be harsh but there's almost a negative chance of you getting into the bolded, especially as an international but even as an US Citizen/Perm Resident with your app. Even some of the non-bolded ones, such as UKentucky, it will be extremely difficult for you.

Gotcha, don't worry about being harsh, I need all the honest help I can get right now! I'll start on making a new list of schools right away, thank you!

 

[MaxPlancker]

Thank you both for your honest feedback.
This summer I'm also volunteering with an Indian non-profit organization for cancer, as well as working with a doctor in Manhattan who's a prof at Weill Cornell, and potential final year of research.
Is it a good idea for me to take a gap year and better my EC's instead of applying this cycle at all?

You are in a tough situation. Boosting your ECs over a year won't have a significant impact. Your best bet, IMO, is to identify schools where you are almost around the 90th percentile (minimum above the median) MCAT-wise that take internationals. Those are your best bet. At those schools, activities such as research are not of big importance so an extra year may have a marginal effect. It's unfortunate because if you weren't international, you'd probably get in to some MD school.

My hunch is that internationals who get in successfully have a compelling reason for them to attend medical school in the U.S. Start thinking about that

 

[Giovanotto]

OP, you have a great application there. I know MD>DO in terms of opportunities, but as you said so yourself, definitely go ahead and apply to DO schools. There are ~22 that accept international students. You could even apply late-ish to them and I don't doubt you'll have tons of interviews. Best of luck.

 

[wolfofparkstreet]

Gotcha, don't worry about being harsh, I need all the honest help I can get right now! I'll start on making a new list of schools right away, thank you!

I believe @bearintraining could help. Been following him/her through the cycle, canadian with a phd, amazing stats

 

[wolfofparkstreet]

OP, you have a great application there. I know MD>DO in terms of opportunities, but as you said so yourself, definitely go ahead and apply to DO schools. There are ~22 that accept international students. You could even apply late-ish to them and I don't doubt you'll have tons of interviews. Best of luck.

I agree. If you really want an MD, try doing lab research for a year or 2 with publications to bolster your resume. However, I'm assuming you're on an F1 visa which would limit the amount of time you would have for such luxuries. If so, your best bet is to go hard on DO with a couple MD schools mixed in.

 

[doctorinthesky]

I agree. If you really want an MD, try doing lab research for a year or 2 with publications to bolster your resume. However, I'm assuming you're on an F1 visa which would limit the amount of time you would have for such luxuries. If so, your best bet is to go hard on DO with a couple MD schools mixed in.

Yes, I've made up my mind that I'll by applying to the top D.O. schools along with M.D.

I've made a new list of schools, not so top heavy but a few schools are still a high reach, please tell me what you guys think:

UPDATED LIST:
Albert Einstein
Central Michigan University
Rosaling Franklin
George Washington
Howard
Louisiana State Univerisity
Wisconsin
Meharry
Michigan State University
NYMC
Oakland University
Penn State
Saint Louis
Thomas Jefferson
SUNY Upstate
Stony Brook
Tulane
U Hawaii
U Kentucky
U Louisville
U New Mexico
Utah
Virginia Commonwealth University
Wayne State
West Virginia University

Thanks @wolfofparkstreet , @MaxPlancker and @Giovanotto for your inputs! Please let me know what you guys think of my new list. @bearintraining I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.

 

[bearintraining]

Yes, I've made up my mind that I'll by applying to the top D.O. schools along with M.D.

I've made a new list of schools, not so top heavy but a few schools are still a high reach, please tell me what you guys think:

UPDATED LIST:
Albert Einstein
Central Michigan University
Rosaling Franklin
George Washington low yield/tons of apps; probably not worth it
Howard
Louisiana State Univerisity
Wisconsin
Meharry
Michigan State University
NYMC
Oakland University
Penn State
Saint Louis escrow policy for international students
Thomas Jefferson I didn't have any luck with them. To be honest, not sure they even reviewed my application.
SUNY Upstate was accepted here. Very nice people. Not a top school, but international friendly (yet not OOS).
Stony Brook
Tulane
U Hawaii super expensive and generally either need ties to Hawaii or a great fit with the institution. Only takes about 9 OOS students per year. Also very much "self taught". Only apply if it's really your thing. I turned down my interview here
U Kentucky
U Louisville
U New Mexico
Utah
Virginia Commonwealth University
Wayne State expensive but very friendly to Canadians at least.
West Virginia University

Thanks @wolfofparkstreet , @MaxPlancker and @Giovanotto for your inputs! Please let me know what you guys think of my new list. @bearintraining I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.

I actually don't think your application is horrible. But it is tough as an international and you need something to gain interest by the school. I would not remove Dartmouth or Case western. I was accepted to both. They are not high hitting stats schools, but they do look for specific things. Dartmouth is very non trad, but that doesn't mean you don't have a chance otherwise.

Note: I also commented on your school list in the quote.

 

[gyngyn]

Delete schools that accepted 3 or fewer internationals( e.g. Louisiana state took 0; Louisville,0; NM, 2).
Delete the mission-based schools (Howard, Meharry)

 

[doctorinthesky]

Posting to update my D.O. school list:
LECOM
PCOM (both campuses)
MSUCOM
AZCOM
CCOM
Touro (all campuses)

@bearintraining @wolfofparkstreet @MaxPlancker @Giovanotto @gyngyn (I tagged you in an identical post on another thread, my apologies!) how does this list look to you guys?

 

[gyngyn]

Here's what I've gathered for internationals:

AZCOM
Ccom
Kcumb
Lmu
Marian
Msucom
Pcom ga
Nova
Rowan
Touro
Unecom
Tcom
Western

 

[bearintraining]

Posting to update my D.O. school list:
LECOM
PCOM (both campuses)
MSUCOM
AZCOM
CCOM
Touro (all campuses)

@bearintraining @wolfofparkstreet @MaxPlancker @Giovanotto @gyngyn (I tagged you in an identical post on another thread, my apologies!) how does this list look to you guys?

My personal choice was not to go the DO route. It can pose long term problems depending on what your goals are. So, unfortunately I can't advise on that aspect.

 

[Giovanotto]

My personal choice was not to go the DO route. It can pose long term problems depending on what your goals are. So, unfortunately I can't advise on that aspect.

Can you expand on this? You must certainly be alluding to residency.

 

[bearintraining]

Can you expand on this? You must certainly be alluding to residency.

Both residency and practice can be an issue, depending on the province in Canada or in the other (unnamed) country that I care about.

 

[doctorinthesky]

Here's what I've gathered for internationals:

AZCOM
Ccom
Kcumb
Lmu
Marian
Msucom
Pcom ga
Nova
Rowan
Touro
Unecom
Tcom
Western

Would you say all of these are top tiers? I've been advised to apply to top tiers after people reviewed my stats.

 

[doctorinthesky]

Both residency and practice can be an issue, depending on the province in Canada or in the other (unnamed) country that I care about.

I'd also really like to know about the issues in practice and residency, if you wouldn't mind. I really want to make educated decisions during this process. Thanks in advance!

 

[gyngyn]

Would you say all of these are top tiers? I've been advised to apply to top tiers after people reviewed my stats.

These are the ones that have actually accepted internationals (not just considered them), I'm told.

 

[bearintraining]

I'd also really like to know about the issues in practice and residency, if you wouldn't mind. I really want to make educated decisions during this process. Thanks in advance!

It's long and complicated but the just of it is that in Canada you no longer will be able to take part in the first round of CaRMS matching, and I believe there is also license restrictions in some, but not all, provinces. You'll have to look up the specifics. Also, I personally don't think you'd have to settle for a DO with your stats.