Planning for the worst

[justaregularperson]

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Hola party people. I currently have my fingers crossed in hopes of landing an interview somewhere. However, as time elapses, I'm starting to think I should get things in order for a potential round two.

About me: 26 ORM, CA residency status, non-trad
Undergrad: UC school
GPA: 3.7
MCAT: 519
LORS: two science profs, two coaches
EC's: - thousands of hours devoted to collegiate athletics as both a student-athlete and coach (this was dream/plan A)
~ 200 hours of hands-on clinical experience in a volunteer internship
~50 hours non-clinical volunteering
~20 hours shadowing podiatrists and DO
~ 400 paid clinical hours as an MA in a single provider private practice (quit this position as the physician made appalling choices in terms of ethics)
- thousands of hours working various positions in the food/bev/hospitality industry

School list 2020-2021 and results:

Harvard:
NYU: R pre-II
Northwestern:
Mt. Sinai:
Brown: R pre-II
UCLA: R pre-II
UCSD:
UCI:
USC: R pre-II
UNC: R pre-II
U Pitt: R pre-II
U Miami:
Boston U: R pre-II
Emory:
Tufts:
U Cinci:
U VA:
Ohio State:
Hofstra:
USF Morsani:
Rochester:
Einstein:
Suny Downstate:
Stony Brook:
Wake Forest: R pre-II
Quinnipiac:
Albany:
NYMC:
Penn State:
U Tenn:

In hindsight, I 100% donated to at least the first 6 schools. I'm also aware that UNC is ridiculous on OOS, but I had ties to NC and the south so I figured I'd try.


By June of 2021 I will have established NC residency. Assuming I go 0/30 this cycle, what should my new list look like?

 

[Goro]

U TN was a donation as well.

Rewrite all essays and have multiple eyeballs vet them.

Invest in MSAR and Target schools whose median stats are closest to your own.

While it's a very competitive cycle, I'm surprised you're not getting any love. That said, you are weak and non-clinical volunteering and shadowing. So you need to bulk those up

 

[Faha]

Accumulate another 30 hours of physician shadowing and 100+ hours of non clinical volunteering before you apply again. I suggest these schools:
UNC
East Carolina
Wake Forest
Duke
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
UVA
USF Morsani
Miami
NOVA MD
TCU-UNT
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Cincinnati
Ohio State
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
George Washington
Seton Hall
Rochester
Hofstra
Einstein
Albany
New York Medical College
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Tufts
California University

 

[justaregularperson]

Thank you both. Hopefully it won't come to a second cycle but I'd rather be prepared just in case...

In light of your responses, I have a follow up question:

@Goro Sadly, I actually used MSAR to make my school list based off of median stats and OOS% interviews extended (wanted at least 5% of OOS apps invited to II). Is there something that I totally missed here? The only programs where my gpa/mcat were not both in the 10-90 range were NYU, Albany, NYMC and Penn State.

Based on median stats and OOS figures, I would not have compiled the list that @Faha provided.

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

Thank you both. Hopefully it won't come to a second cycle but I'd rather be prepared just in case...

In light of your responses, I have a follow up question:

@Goro Sadly, I actually used MSAR to make my school list based off of median stats and OOS% interviews extended (wanted at least 5% of OOS apps invited to II). Is there something that I totally missed here? The only programs where my gpa/mcat were not both in the 10-90 range were NYU, Albany, NYMC and Penn State.

Based on median stats and OOS figures, I would not have compiled the list that @Faha provided.

I'm just an applicant, but as an ORM, I would generally not apply where your GPA is below the 25th percentile. Your MCAT is outstanding and may get you yield protected from lower and mid-tiers. A whole bunch of your targets should probably have MCAT medians in the 515-519 range. OOS is very interesting. I almost didn't apply to many OOS publics where OOS seats are less than 35-40%. But looking at, as you are doing, the % of OOS applicants invited to II, turned out to be fruitful. I used a cutoff figure of at least 4% for those with <40% OOS seats. As it turns out, for this group of schools, I only received II's from those that were at 8% or higher. YMMV.

 

[justaregularperson]

I'm just an applicant, but as an ORM, I would generally not apply where your GPA is below the 25th percentile. Your MCAT is outstanding and may get you yield protected from lower and mid-tiers. A whole bunch of your targets should probably have MCAT medians in the 515-519 range. OOS is very interesting. I almost didn't apply to many OOS publics where OOS seats are less than 35-40%. But looking at, as you are doing, the % of OOS applicants invited to II, turned out to be fruitful. I used a cutoff figure of at least 4% for those with <40% OOS seats. As it turns out, for this group of schools, I only received II's from those that were at 8% or higher. YMMV.

Congrats on your II's homie. I did not look too closely at the total OOS seats at schools, though I probably should have. When I was making my list I was of the mindset that I just need to get face to face with someone and it's a done deal lol. I appreciate your .02, good luck!

 

[Goro]

Thank you both. Hopefully it won't come to a second cycle but I'd rather be prepared just in case...

In light of your responses, I have a follow up question:

@Goro Sadly, I actually used MSAR to make my school list based off of median stats and OOS% interviews extended (wanted at least 5% of OOS apps invited to II). Is there something that I totally missed here? The only programs where my gpa/mcat were not both in the 10-90 range were NYU, Albany, NYMC and Penn State.

Based on median stats and OOS figures, I would not have compiled the list that @Faha provided.

It's the low ECs that are hurting.

 

[justaregularperson]

It's the low ECs that are hurting.

Copy.

 

[Banco]

It's bizarre you have no IIs. Your ECs are not bad considering you've been a student-athlete. Lack of research perhaps hurts with big names.

 

[justaregularperson]

It's bizarre you have no IIs. Your ECs are not bad considering you've been a student-athlete. Lack of research perhaps hurts with big names.

Such is life. Wouldn't change anything though, things will work out when they are supposed to.

 

[justaregularperson]

@Goro I want to throw my name in the DO hat as well this coming cycle. However, I do not have a physician letter from either MD or DO so my options are limited (realistically, I am not going to be able to obtain an LOR from a physician between now and next cycle given my current situation and previous choices). Of the programs that do not strictly require a physician letter, I am planning to apply to these:

LECOM and LECOM Bradenton
NYITCOM
TCOM Ft. Worth
Michigan COM
PCOM

I am aware of the weird policies at LECOM, but at the end of the day I would attend if that was my only A. I would not mind being a DO as I have no ambitions of pursuing surg/derm/ortho.


Questions:
What are your thoughts on this list?
Is it a waste of money applying to TCOM and Michigan COM as a non-resident with no ties to either state?
Can I expect to be interviewed by most of these programs given my gpa/mcat/age?

 

[ndcpjf]

I know the physician letter is going to be difficult for you but do you also have anyone else who can write you a letter of recommendation? Perhaps from your clinical experiences? As a fellow student athlete I can't imagine the need for 2 LORs to come from coaches. I imagine what one coach says is going to be pretty similar to the other so perhaps it's better to get a letter from someone who can provide another perspective demonstrating the traits and attributes you have for medical school.

 

[justaregularperson]

I know the physician letter is going to be difficult for you but do you also have anyone else who can write you a letter of recommendation? Perhaps from your clinical experiences? As a fellow student athlete I can't imagine the need for 2 LORs to come from coaches. I imagine what one coach says is going to be pretty similar to the other so perhaps it's better to get a letter from someone who can provide another perspective demonstrating the traits and attributes you have for medical school.

Sent PM