Medical Low GPA/High MCAT Reapplication Advice

[GoSpursGo]

Hi everyone! Tried posting yesterday, but I wanted to come on here and possibly get some advice on my app since it looks like I'm probably going to have to reapply in May. I applied during this 2020-2021 cycle, but haven't had any acceptances so far. Granted, I do have split-stats and applied later than I wanted to because of COVID pushing back my MCAT to the summer. Most secondaries complete between mid August-late September.

I had 1 DO interview and 1 MD interview with both ending up as WLs. Rundown of my app is below.-

CA ORM resident. By May, I will have--

-3.47 cgpa, 3.27sgpa (yeah rough start to college and switched majors). Upward gpa trend with last 75ish units being at a 3.98 and 13 units of DIY postbacc classes at a 4.0.

-520 MCAT

~450ish clinical volunteering hours 2017-early 2019 (haven't been able to add to this at all this year)

-Originally had about 70 hrs non-clinical volunteering at two charities (one focuses on medically-tailored meals, the other helps resettle refugees). However, I did add more hours this past (about 80ish as COVID-testing site volunteer, another 30 at one of the above charities, and about 60 tutoring underserved kids in LA)=total should be 240 hrs.

-1400+ hrs of research over almost 2 years, with my own project during my senior year. No pubs but did have 1 poster and presentation at campus conferences.

I know that I could take more DIY postbacc classes to further show that trend since AMCAS shows my GPA as a U-shape with low GPAs during sophomore/junior years and has about 90 units in my senior year because they only include a strict amount of units per year and I took 6 years to graduate (so any units after "junior year" is all in the senior year GPA category even if it is spread across years 4-6). However, DIY postbacc classes are really expensive and I would also have to delay submitting my AMCAS until almost late June-something I definitely want to avoid this year since I had to do the same thing last year because of MCAT cancellations. Is this upward trend enough or do schools really focus on postbacc GPA?
Oh, before I forget here is my school list from this cycle-
UCLA Drew
Kaiser
USC
UCI
UCSD
CUSM
Western Virginia
Virginia Tech
Albany
EVMS
Temple
Emory
Georgetown
Boston University
Tufts
Cincinnati
Einstein
Rutgers Robert Wood
Wayne State
NYMC
Drexel
Jefferson
Rush
Hofstra
VCU
Rosalind Franklin
Quinnipiac
Rowan (DO)
LECOM-Erie
LECOM-Bradenton
PCOM-PA
It was a bit tricky coming up with a school list as my MCAT is above 75th%ile most places but my gpa is either barely in the 10th%ile or not even in the 10th%ile.
If anyone has ideas on a good school list or any other advice, it would be much appreciated

Can you let us know your original cGPA/sGPA that you applied with this year, and a year-by-year GPA breakdown? My general thought is that if you have a 3.98 over the last 75 units that's a pretty strong upward curve and I wouldn't think additional post-bacc courses would help.

I might simply apply earlier this year and expand your DO list. Figure out what you're doing in your gap year as well.

Sure, I had a 3.43cgpa and 3.23 sgpa when I applied. Breakdown was-
Freshman: 3.45 cgpa, 2.62 sgpa (33 units)
Sophomore: 2.79 cgpa, 2.46 sgpa (33 units)
Junior: 2.56 cgpa, 2.36 sgpa (34 units)
Senior: 3.95 cgpa, 3.95 sgpa (this is where AMCAS lumped in 95 units of work)

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[Goro]

UCLA Drew
Kaiser
USC
UCI
UCSD
Western Virginia
Virginia Tech
Boston University
Cincinnati
Einstein
Rutgers Robert Wood

You've successfully shown reinvention, and I know other SDNers with your trajectory get accepts to MD and DO schools.

That said, the above schools were donations. UCLA/Drew is an HBC.

For starters, work on interview skills and rewrite all essays.

As a reinventor, you needed far more DO schools on your list. As someone from CA, I surprised that you didn't include the Touros, both Westerns, KCU, AZCOM and PacNW

Thank you so much for your help! I will definitely re-vamp all my essays. May I ask why so many CA schools are considered donations? I do realize Kaiser was a very high reach and I mostly used UCLA Drew as a throwaway school for AMCAS submission, but I thought UCI/UCSD/USC were a bit more reasonable given they are state schools.

Also, would you recommend any other schools not already on my list?

I would have applied to more DO schools but I didn't have a physician letter of rec. I couldn't get it in the months leading up to my application (or in 2020 overall) because of COVID restrictions so I was very limited in schools that would take applications without that.
Thank you again for your advice

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

UCSD is a T20 medical school...

California schools in general are rough.

Add DO schools to the list next time, remove the schools Goro listed, and add more lower-tier MD schools.

 

[Goro]

OK thank you! I also wanted to ask what your thoughts are on continuing to do DIY post-bacc and if you think my ECs are sub-par? I've been reaching out to some schools for feedback and one said my gpa was so bad that I absolutely have to do a masters program/post-bac. I have take some science classes this past quarter but I also don't want to spend $$$ on a program if I can take cheaper classes at a nearby 4-yr university. This school also told me that 1450+ hrs of research was essentially avg as well... which is not what I usually see on SDN. I'm starting to question my whole application because of so much mixed feedback and would like to get extra opinions here as well so that I can figure out what do in the coming months. Another suggestion was to get more clinical experience. I thought my hours were fine, but I do agree it would be a good idea to always get more exposure since it's been a little while for me. I know quality>quantity, but is 450 hrs below avg for clinical?

450 hours for clinical exposure is exceptional

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Personally I don’t think you need more courses. 95 units of amazing grades is reinvention.