Low MCAT/ high GPA. Do my work activities make me more competitive?

[hopefulgirl123]

I posted yesterday but want to know if my activities/story make me a little bit more competitive in case of a reapp. I am a first generation college student/first female in my family to pursue medicine/ attending a private college through scholarships I earned for community service work (e.g. coca cola). Not URM, high GPA/low mcat 503-507 range/3.8+ GPA/graduated a semester early

My PS was about something that happened to my father that led to me learning how to apply for Medicaid/ how immigrant communities do not necessarily know how to navigate American medicine/how important going to a physician is. I also discussed diversifying the physician workforce socioeconomically because of the gap in first generation students applying to medical schools in the first place.

Activities include:

Research - 1000 hours, worked in a lab for 3 years, no pubs
Research Volunteer- 100 hours (started off as a volunteer)
Shadowing- roughly 100 hours, probably 120 now with new shadowing
ACT tutor for under resourced high school kids/ both job and volunteering (personally relate to this as first gen student) - 65 hours
Scholarship mentor (volunteering)-50 hours
Tutor - both volunteer and job for immigrant students in my neighborhood - 400 hours (over several years)
Start up for college students intern - volunteer, worked to improve scholarship database - 25 hours
Volunteer in South America- shadowed OB/IM/FM 40 hours/ helped check in 20+ pts a day
Service Project- helped raise money for students in different country 100 hours
President of Club- 300 hours
Co founder/service chair-100 hours
Volunteer at Hospital/specific department- 50 hours
Scholarship Selection Committee- help a scholarship I am part of select the new class (they are awarded 20k as high school seniors, read essays, do interviews) 25 hours
Retail store worker- 2 years 280 hours

Activities I plan to add:
Co founder of website that helps first gen students applying to med school (not including for anonymity sake)-400 hours
Won a fellowship
Work in the ER - probably 1000 more clinicalish hours
New research (not pubs) - 200 hours
May start volunteering in hospital - can probably get 50 by June
continuing with my other volunteer work

Do my activities/story make up for my MCAT?

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[Forever Geebs]

Nothing ever really makes up for your GPA and MCAT, sadly. What you have working in your favor is a strong commitment to community and the career path you’re in pursuit of. Be sure to apply broadly, strongly consider applying to DO too, and leverage the MSAR to build a list of 20-25 target schools.


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[candbgirl]

Do you only have 50 hours of clinical experi nice? Any shadowing in the US?

It sounds like you are going to do the planned activities during your gap year(s) and then apply in a cycle or two? Is that right?

 

[hopefulgirl123]

No, I have 120ish shadowing in the US, 40 abroad, and I will have around 1000 clinical hours by June from my job in the ER. I am a potential re applicant. The things I plan to add are things I am currently doing now and the ones listed above are from this cycle/Im continuing to do/will still be on my application. I am wondering if my activities are strong/ can get me interviews despite a lower mcat for a non-urm

 

[candbgirl]

Are you on a waitlist? How many interviews did you have? What were the results- rejects or waitlists? Did you apply DO? I don’t think your stats are bad. Maybe it was your list of schools.

 

[Goro]

I posted yesterday but want to know if my activities/story make me a little bit more competitive in case of a reapp. I am a first generation college student/first female in my family to pursue medicine/ attending a private college through scholarships I earned for community service work (e.g. coca cola). Not URM, high GPA/low mcat 503-507 range/3.8+ GPA/graduated a semester early

My PS was about something that happened to my father that led to me learning how to apply for Medicaid/ how immigrant communities do not necessarily know how to navigate American medicine/how important going to a physician is. I also discussed diversifying the physician workforce socioeconomically because of the gap in first generation students applying to medical schools in the first place.

Activities include:

Research - 1000 hours, worked in a lab for 3 years, no pubs
Research Volunteer- 100 hours (started off as a volunteer)
Shadowing- roughly 100 hours, probably 120 now with new shadowing
ACT tutor for under resourced high school kids/ both job and volunteering (personally relate to this as first gen student) - 65 hours
Scholarship mentor (volunteering)-50 hours
Tutor - both volunteer and job for immigrant students in my neighborhood - 400 hours (over several years)
Start up for college students intern - volunteer, worked to improve scholarship database - 25 hours
Volunteer in South America- shadowed OB/IM/FM 40 hours/ helped check in 20+ pts a day
Service Project- helped raise money for students in different country 100 hours
President of Club- 300 hours
Co founder/service chair-100 hours
Volunteer at Hospital/specific department- 50 hours
Scholarship Selection Committee- help a scholarship I am part of select the new class (they are awarded 20k as high school seniors, read essays, do interviews) 25 hours
Retail store worker- 2 years 280 hours

Activities I plan to add:
Co founder of website that helps first gen students applying to med school (not including for anonymity sake)-400 hours
Won a fellowship
Work in the ER - probably 1000 more clinicalish hours
New research (not pubs) - 200 hours
May start volunteering in hospital - can probably get 50 by June
continuing with my other volunteer work

Do my activities/story make up for my MCAT?

With only 50 hours of clinical exposure, my student interviewers would eat you alive.

No, your app is research heavy and clinic-light. The overseas stuff will be viewed as medical tourism. Take a gap year, bone up on the ECs...and get off campus and out of your comfort zone. Then retake the MCAT. Your score is circling the drain for MD, but is OK for DO.

 

[hopefulgirl123]

With only 50 hours of clinical exposure, my student interviewers would eat you alive.

No, your app is research heavy and clinic-light. The overseas stuff will be viewed as medical tourism. Take a gap year, bone up on the ECs...and get off campus and out of your comfort zone. Then retake the MCAT. Your score is circling the drain for MD, but is OK for DO.

I will have 1000+ clinical hours if I choose to reapply this cycle.

 

[hopefulgirl123]

Are you on a waitlist? How many interviews did you have? What were the results- rejects or waitlists? Did you apply DO? I don’t think your stats are bad. Maybe it was your list of schools.

due to financial issues/timings I applied to three DOs, wl at all 3

 

[PossibleDOC?]

I suggest reallocate finances to apply more broadly to DO schools if you aren't retaking the MCAT maybe split MD and DO evenly

 

[hopefulgirl123]

additionally, do I need an MD letter/committee letter to re apply?

I work in an ER and get clinical experience but do not work directly for/under a doctor so my manager is not a physician but I would like a rec from her, + science faculty + scholarship program coordinator.

 

[PossibleDOC?]

You will need a MD letter for MD schools and a DO letter for DO schools, the DO letter makes a world of difference at DO schools believe me

 

[Goro]

due to financial issues/timings I applied to three DOs, wl at all 3

Can you let us know your exact MCAT score. A 507 is much more optimistic than a 503. PM me if needed.

You will need a MD letter for MD schools and a DO letter for DO schools, the DO letter makes a world of difference at DO schools believe me

Very, very few MD schools require a clinician LOR. Agree that having a DO LOR definitely helps for DO schools.

 

[hopefulgirl123]

mcat was taken twice unfortunately 503/505. Lizzy M sits at a 66. have been told to apply to roughly 15 MD schools by knowledgable folks. I just want to be sure that I am truly in the running for MD interviews. Will be applying for FAP so want to know if it is worth it to pay for more MDs or add more DOs. also if georgetown is in the running, given that a lot of my activities are service and they are jesuit.

Illinois
Rosalind Franklin
Rush
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
St. Louis
Creighton
Oakland Beaumont
Vermont
Quinnipiac
New York Medical College
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Seton Hall
George Washington
NOVA MD

 

[PossibleDOC?]

FAP gives you 15 schools right? if you apply there and then maybe do 5 other MD if you're really boning for it then do it but if you're not URM with that MCAT then you need to apply to more DO