Please help with school list... low sGPA/high MCAT

[pugsandstuff]

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Hey everyone... so I know the MSAR is god but I'm having trouble finding schools that fit my stats since there's a gap between my GPA and MCAT. For schools that I fit GPA-wise, my MCAT is too high and for schools I fit MCAT-wise, my GPA is too low so I was hoping someone could help me out with schools that people with similar stats had success with. So here's me in numbers...

PA resident, white female
GPA: ~3.65 sGPA: ~3.3ish (big yike) *edit: I went my entire senior year with a 4.0 so I guess I have an upward trend
MCAT: 517 (128/129/129/131)
~500 clinical volunteering in indigenous village in Mexico (not voluntourism tho)
~40 clinical volunteering at hospital
~100 non-clinical volunteering with Alzheimer's Association
~40ish shadowing
~1000 research hours in traumatic brain injury lab, 1 second-author pub in medium-impact journal
-secretary for a year of largest student-run organization at my school - was a club about film production and stuff... organized a volunteer outreach with Alzheimer's Association with this club
-TA'd for a semester in a research bio lab, and three semesters in orgo lab (last semester I was co-lead which meant I helped grade and had more responsibilities and blah blah blah)
-worked for a year for a longitudinal research study as a 'data assistant' - just entered and verified data
-my hobbies are beekeeping and back-country hiking
-I also helped with 24/7 care of my grandmother who had Alzheimer's, as she lived with us for about 3 years until her death, but I've decided I'm not comfortable reducing that experience down to numbers and such for my primary so just going to include in secondaries and personal statement
-LOR from two science faculty, one non-science, my PI, another PI that works in my lab, and my lab manager - the last two are for the few MD/PhD programs my PI has recommended I apply to - all are strong as I am close with all of them

And the only schools I for sure know I'm applying to because I'm a PA resident are:
-Pitt (plz don't tell me it's a reach because I know and it's my dream so I'm shooting my shot regardless 🙁 )
-Temple
-Drexel
-Thomas Jefferson
-Penn State
-Geisinger Commonwealth

I know a lot of these are low-yield, which is really unfortunate for me, so any recommendations you guys have would be greaaaaaatly appreciated. Thanks 🙂

 

[Faha]

Your PA schools are not low yield for you and are where your best chances are. You could add these schools:
Seton Hall
Hofstra
Einstein
Rochester
New York Medical College
George Washington
Vermont
Quinnipiac
NOVA MD
Miami
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Western Michigan
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Creighton
TCU-UNT
Tulane

 

[pugsandstuff]

Your PA schools are not low yield for you and are where your best chances are. You could add these schools:
Seton Hall
Hofstra
Einstein
Rochester
New York Medical College
George Washington
Vermont
Quinnipiac
NOVA MD
Miami
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Western Michigan
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Creighton
TCU-UNT
Tulane

Thank you so much! I've added those to my list. With my stats do you think that I have a fighting chance at any particular MD/PhD program?

 

[Faha]

I am not familiar for the requirements for MD PhD programs.

 

[Goro]

Hey everyone... so I know the MSAR is god but I'm having trouble finding schools that fit my stats since there's a gap between my GPA and MCAT. For schools that I fit GPA-wise, my MCAT is too high and for schools I fit MCAT-wise, my GPA is too low so I was hoping someone could help me out with schools that people with similar stats had success with. So here's me in numbers...

PA resident, white female
GPA: ~3.65 sGPA: ~3.3ish (big yike) *edit: I went my entire senior year with a 4.0 so I guess I have an upward trend
MCAT: 517 (128/129/129/131)
~500 clinical volunteering in indigenous village in Mexico (not voluntourism tho)
~40 clinical volunteering at hospital
~100 non-clinical volunteering with Alzheimer's Association
~40ish shadowing
~1000 research hours in traumatic brain injury lab, 1 second-author pub in medium-impact journal
-secretary for a year of largest student-run organization at my school - was a club about film production and stuff... organized a volunteer outreach with Alzheimer's Association with this club
-TA'd for a semester in a research bio lab, and three semesters in orgo lab (last semester I was co-lead which meant I helped grade and had more responsibilities and blah blah blah)
-worked for a year for a longitudinal research study as a 'data assistant' - just entered and verified data
-my hobbies are beekeeping and back-country hiking
-I also helped with 24/7 care of my grandmother who had Alzheimer's, as she lived with us for about 3 years until her death, but I've decided I'm not comfortable reducing that experience down to numbers and such for my primary so just going to include in secondaries and personal statement
-LOR from two science faculty, one non-science, my PI, another PI that works in my lab, and my lab manager - the last two are for the few MD/PhD programs my PI has recommended I apply to - all are strong as I am close with all of them

And the only schools I for sure know I'm applying to because I'm a PA resident are:
-Pitt (plz don't tell me it's a reach because I know and it's my dream so I'm shooting my shot regardless 🙁 )
-Temple
-Drexel
-Thomas Jefferson
-Penn State
-Geisinger Commonwealth

I know a lot of these are low-yield, which is really unfortunate for me, so any recommendations you guys have would be greaaaaaatly appreciated. Thanks 🙂

I'm worried that a single good SR year won't be enough to convince MD Adcoms that you're competitive for thier schools. You need some Do schools on the list. Start with NYITCOM, PCOM, LECOM, MUCOM, VCOM and CCOM. I can't recommend Penn State.

 

[pugsandstuff]

I'm worried that a single good SR year won't be enough to convince MD Adcoms that you're competitive for thier schools. You need some Do schools on the list. Start with NYITCOM, PCOM, LECOM, MUCOM, VCOM and CCOM. I can't recommend Penn State.

The main thing dragging my GPA down is my freshman year that I spent in the engineering program... poor grades in upper level maths really pulled down my sGPA especially. Both sophomore and junior years I pulled between 3.6-3.7. With that in mind do you think I have a shot at MD schools or start incorporating a majority of DO?

 

[Goro]

The main thing dragging my GPA down is my freshman year that I spent in the engineering program... poor grades in upper level maths really pulled down my sGPA especially. Both sophomore and junior years I pulled between 3.6-3.7. With that in mind do you think I have a shot at MD schools or start incorporating a majority of DO?

Ahhh, I'm more optimistic now. List will follow.