MD Low-ish GPA/High MCAT, need help on list!

[fl0ridaman]

---

Members do not see this ad.

***

 

[Walter Raleigh]

As a child of refugees, and a disadvantaged applicant, you get some leeway with your GPA; you also have an upward trend. I'd throw on five reach schools, and call yourself a rock star, as @Goro would. Yes, your research and ECs are cookie cutter. But you have a compelling story behind them. Did you need to work while in college? If you did: put that on your application.

 

[Goro]

Hi there, I'm an ORM from Florida and just wanted some help on my school list. I'm going into my fifth year to hopefully pull up my GPA. Here's my info:

Major: Nutrition

Stats:

• 523 MCAT
• 3.5 cGPA, 3.62 sGPA
  • The reason I've convinced myself this is low is because I was part of a program in high school where I took college classes at a local community college to earn an associates degree by the time I graduate. My cGPA here was 3.85 and 4.0 sGPA. Once I came to my university I faced some health issues and was uninsured so it caused a really bad freshman and sophomore year. Through these first two years my GPA was 2.9, multiple C's and one failed science course, and I withdrew from an entire semester and 2 other courses. All 6 W's are for other majors and deemed 'medical withdrawals' by my university. Definitely upward trend, junior year was 3.65, last year 4.0, hopefully same for this year.

Research:

• 200 hrs over one semester in clinical nutrition. I'm currently looking for a different lab and am looking to pursue my own project/poster.

Clinical Experience/Shadowing:

• 300 hrs in a clinic for the homeless doing patient intake, vitals, some shadowing.
• 50 hrs in a clinic for uninsured individuals doing same as above.
• 50 hrs volunteering in a hospital in NICU and PICU.
• 45 hrs in family medicine and ER at hospital. 60 hrs at local OBGYN clinic.

Leadership/Teaching:

• TA/tutor for organic chemistry for 2 semesters.
• Tutoring at-risk youth in an after school program for 1+ year.
• Project coordinator for a student-run clinic network for the medically underserved. Made clinical pathways for MS1
• Assistant lacrosse coach at high school level

Awards:

• Dean's list
• Service award from university
• Gates Millennium Scholar
  • Should I include awards won prior to entering college?

Misc Info
I'm a first generation college student. I qualify as disadvantaged status and grew up in an underserved area. My parents were refugees and neither have a high school diploma. I spent a lot of my childhood language brokering/interpreting for my parents and in our community of refugees (large part of my PS/why medicine). I definitely am looking to work with underserved populations as a physician.

School List
Currently I just know of in-state schools: UF, UM, USF, UCF, FSU, FIU. I am thinking of U of Wisconsin, UNC, Rush, Sinai but I'm open to anything. I have 15 free primary apps thanks to FAP so I want to throw in some reach schools as well. Can anyone help me based off everything I said? Thank you so much for reading my lengthy post!

Forget UNC...too much IS bias.

I suggest:
NYU
Vanderbilt
WashU
JHU
U Chicago
U Penn
Columbia
Duke
Sinai
Stanford
BU
Case
Hofstra
Mayo
Pitt
U Cincy
USC/Keck
UCSF
Albert Einstein
Dartmouth
Emory
Rochester
Miami
Western MI
Jefferson
U VM
All FL state schools
Nova MD
Wake
Tulane
SLU
Drexel
Temple Gtown
GWU

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Yeah...OP is applying to 15 schools; if you had to narrow it down, what would you suggest, @Goro?

 

[Goro]

1. NYU
2. Pitt
3. UF
4. USF
5. FAU
6. FIU
7. UCF
8. NovaMD
9. U Miami
10. FSU
11. Case
12. Hofstra
13. Wake
14. SLU
15. Dartmouth