Non-trad MD chances/school list? 3.94/3.84 MCAT 504

[Fedekz]

Somewhat of a non-traditional applicant, I took off a few years to work as a Paramedic before coming back to finish up school. I worked as a Paramedic, Police Officer, or Mental Health Counselor on a night shift almost every night through my undergraduate – so my research is lacking because I just went to class in the morning, got what sleep I could after lecture/lab, go work a 8 or 12 hour night shift, then sleep an hour or two and back to class and repeat, lol. Worked over 40 hours nearly every week through college (night shift).

23 year old white male (almost 24). Washington State resident. Psychology major with lots of extra biology, and organic chemistry courses. Also have strong ties to Louisiana and Texas (less strong) - worked as a Paramedic in Louisiana for a few years and my mother lives there. Attended paramedic school in Texas and have most of my family in Houston area.

cGPA: 3.84
sGPA: 3.94

4.0 in all pre-reqs, except an A- in physics 1

MCAT: 504 (approx. 28 on old scale, blah!)
C/P: 124
CARS: 126
Bio: 125
Psych: 129


Medically related ECs/Work

-Nationally Registered EMT Paramedic since 2011
-Worked full time as a Paramedic for 2 years in a busy urban EMS system (before college)
-Worked a second full time job as a Paramedic during the same period for 2 years (so 84 hrs/week for 2 years)
-Pararescue technical specialist Paramedic for BP during the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (before college)
-Worked as a part time Paramedic while attending college (night shift)
-Mental Health Counselor at an inpatient psychiatric hospital (worked weekend night shift during school)
-Telemetry Technician (record, interpret, and chart EKGs every 2 hours for 20-30 patients on telemetry in ICU and med/surg) per-diem during college – Not on AMCAS, didn’t have enough room to list it!


Non-medically related ECs/Work

-Police Officer full time working night shift through college (Since 2013)
-Attended the Police Academy while in college (switched to online classes for one semester)
-Graduated first in class, with first in firearms, academics, and mock scenes
-SWAT (special weapons and tactics) Paramedic while working as a Police Officer
-Grading TA for 2 semesters for a 400 level psych course, grading 60 papers biweekly
-Instructional TA for one semester, leading selected lectures/discussions under the supervision of the professor.
-Psychology tutor for one semester

Research:

Summer undergraduate research assistant in a psych lab (one summer). Ran students through two experiments each lasting about an hour, giving instructions over intercoms, recording data while watching through cameras, etc. Only about 100 or so hours. I didn’t do much more than that, they just used me to collect data and I didn’t have a role in anything else. The project went on to get published, but obviously (and rightfully so) I didn’t get any credit.

Shadowing:

About 120 or so hours across 6 specialties.

Strong LORs


I was really hoping for a stronger MCAT score today, but it is what it is. I’m not particularly interested in retaking it, and have already submitted/verified my AMCAS for this cycle – so it’s all or nothing!

If anyone could help me draft up a MD school list or even evaluate my chances, I would really appreciate it. I’m a Washington State resident so I’m really hoping for University of Washington – I’m a “legacy” there as well (father attended medical school there back in the stone age!)

@Goro @gyngyn @LizzyM @Winged Scapula @Banco @GrapesofRath

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[Goro]

I think you're quite golden, even without the research and the low MCAT score.

I suggest:

U WA
Tulane
Rosy F
Rush
SLU
MCW
BU
Dartmouth
The Philly Triplets
U Miami
Creighton
Netter
Gtown
GWU
UTX SA
TX A&M
NYMC
Albany
Hofstra
Western MI
Tufts
Oakland-B
Wake
Any DO school, starting with PacNW

 

[LizzyM]

You are late to the party this year. Can you get the secondaries turned around by Labor Day?
Goro's list is a good start but I'd take a good look at the locations and mission statements of those schools and spike any that are in a location that you wouldn't want to live in or that have a mission statement that you can't live with (the Jesuits: Creighton, SLU, Georgetown aren't everyone's cup of tea). I wouldn't bother with TX this round but consider moving there and establishing residency in TX if you are unsuccessful in this cycle.

 

[Fedekz]

I think you're quite golden, even without the research and the low MCAT score.

I suggest:

U WA
Tulane
Rosy F
Rush
SLU
MCW
BU - Reach
Dartmouth - Reach
The Philly Triplets
U Miami
Creighton
Netter
Gtown
GWU
UTX SA
TX A&M
NYMC
Albany
Hofstra - Reach
Western MI
Tufts - Reach
Oakland-B
Wake - Reach
Any DO school, starting with PacNW

Hi Goro, thank you so much for the advice! I submitted my primaries to the above schools minus the Texas ones.

Just trying to get an better feel for this list and expectations this cycle - do you believe I correctly identified the reach schools as Hofstra, Wake, Tufts, BU, and Dartmouth (I know they love non-trads)? I have the MSAR so it looks like my approximate 28 MCAT score is in the 10th percentile for most of them otherwise.

You are late to the party this year. Can you get the secondaries turned around by Labor Day?
Goro's list is a good start but I'd take a good look at the locations and mission statements of those schools and spike any that are in a location that you wouldn't want to live in or that have a mission statement that you can't live with (the Jesuits: Creighton, SLU, Georgetown aren't everyone's cup of tea). I wouldn't bother with TX this round but consider moving there and establishing residency in TX if you are unsuccessful in this cycle.

Yeah, I am regretting taking the MCAT in July instead of June. I have to burn off vacation hours at work before the end of the year, so I'll be on "vacation" starting at the end of this week for the next 2 weeks - so I plan on hammering out the secondaries and getting them all submitted by the end of the month. 22 secondaries will surely drain my bank account, but it sure beats a year of wasted potential income and waiting around!

Thank you for your advice LizzyM, I appreciate it!

 

[Goro]

Your experience from being a first responder, and the maturity levels it brings, is worth several MCAT points to Adcom members. Hence, my rationale for the choices I listed.

EDIT: I suggested the two TX schools, which are out of character for me, because one of my "advisees" got IIs there and s/he's from out of state, but has but a set of killer ECs like you do.

Hi Goro, thank you so much for the advice! I submitted my primaries to the above schools minus the Texas ones.

Just trying to get an better feel for this list and expectations this cycle - do you believe I correctly identified the reach schools as Hofstra, Wake, Tufts, BU, and Dartmouth (I know they love non-trads)? I have the MSAR so it looks like my approximate 28 MCAT score is in the 10th percentile for most of them otherwise.



Yeah, I am regretting taking the MCAT in July instead of June. I have to burn off vacation hours at work before the end of the year, so I'll be on "vacation" starting at the end of this week for the next 2 weeks - so I plan on hammering out the secondaries and getting them all submitted by the end of the month. 22 secondaries will surely drain my bank account, but it sure beats a year of wasted potential income and waiting around!

Thank you for your advice LizzyM, I appreciate it!

 

[Fedekz]

Your experience from being a first responder, and the maturity levels it brings, is worth several MCAT points to Adcom members. Hence, my rationale for the choices I listed.

EDIT: I suggested the two TX schools, which are out of character for me, because one of my "advisees" got IIs there and s/he's from out of state, but has but a set of killer ECs like you do.

Perfect! I'll add the Texas schools then. My paramedic program was actually through Texas A&M in College Station, so hopefully that will have some positive influence.