Re-App. New school list. What do you think?

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VooDooo327

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I am reapplying for the 2010 cycle. My school list was horrible for my first time applying so here i am again! I was wondering what any of your thoughts were for these schools this time around. Thanks!

My bio:

UCLA Biochemistry (Graduating soon!)
GPA: 3.60
Science GPA: 3.50

MCAT: 30 (12P,8V,10B)

Extra Curricular:

1) Chinese Lion Dancing - I teach kids there weekly as a community service. 1998 - present
2) Private tutor - Tutor high school and college students.
3) Active member/leader of a campus ministry - fundraising for missions etc.
4) UCLA Hospital Patient Escort
5) Campus Work - Supervisor at my job (~15-20 hr/week)
6) ICU Internship - I shadow and assists the attending physician in the ICU and ER. I normally am there for his entire shift from 6PM till 6AM. Lots of clinical experience from this.
7) Published twice in an on campus health magazine.
8) MCDB Research- I work with arabidopsis plants under a post-doc. Pretty independent work (Started two quarters ago and will continue there after I graduate) [This is new. I never had this on my application before]

I also had some great letters of eval from my professors and the physician I work with.

These are the school I am considering this time around:

U of Southern California (applied last year)
UCLA (applied last year - Received secondary)
U of Miami
U of Hawai'i
SUNY Upstate
U of Rochester
UC Davis (applied last year - Received secondary)
UC Irvine (applied last year - Received secondary)
Georgetown
Boston (applied last year)
St. Louis U
Loyola
U of Illinois
U at Buffalo
Jefferson
Penn State
Temple
Loma Linda
U of Kentucky
U of Louisville
U of Nevada
Albany
NYMC
Drexel
Michigan State (Applied last year)
U of Utah
Marshall
Morehouse
Howard
Indiana U
OHSU
Rosalind Franklin
GWU

All the other schools are new! Just wondering if anyone has any advice for me before I apply. Thanks again for any responses! 😀
 
U of Hawaii
U of Kentucky
U of Louisville
U of Nevada
U of Utah
Marshall
Morehouse
Howard
Indiana U

all have certain selectivity in considering their applicants. if you are OOS or do not fit the mold, you may want to reconsider and replace
 
Considering you're from California where all the state schools are very selective, and your stats are on the average side, you might consider adding some DO schools to the mix to improve your chances of success with the next cycle.

Consider adding UVermont and Rush. I agree with the cautionary note expressed by witness23. OHSU maybe should be on the list too?
 
I would for sure drop Indiana. That's an application fee that could be better spent elsewhere. They just don't take many students OOS.

What about adding Creighton? 11% of their 2008 entering class were California residents. In 2006, 17% were from CA. [found this info on their website]

Others to consider (I'm just throwing these out there-- not sure of the stats)... SUNY downstate, Medical College of Wisconsin, Tufts.

Good luck!
 
here are some med schools that i applied to that accepted a lot of OOS students...

Albany, Einstein, BU, Creighton, Drexel, GWU, Georgetown, Jefferson, Loyola, MC of Wisconsin, NYMC, Penn St., Rosalind Franklin, SUNY Upstate, Saint Louis, Temple, Ohio State, Toledo, Vermont, Tufts, Tulane, Rochester, VCU, Wake Forest, Wayne State.

hope that helped (most of these schools accept over 30% OOS students).
 
how about AECOM and maybe Mt. Sinai?
 
If I apply to a Puerto Rico school does anyone think I need to apply to DO schools?
 
Why would you advise against applying to Puerto Rico schools either way?
 
....which is a beautiful place to study??
 
megan143 said:
....which is a beautiful place to study??
Click to expand...

But statistically speaking DOs have MUCH BETTER chance of matching into allopathic residency than FMGs -- 70% of competitive DO applicants vs 40% of FMGs.

Look into Creighton, EVMS, and VCU to replace those schools witness listed. Though you have great ECs your numbers leave much to be desired and are borderline below average, so don't be picky about where you want to end up. You really need to jazz up your personal statement too, especially if you added what appears to just be more research (and hopefully a little more clinical work) to your application from last year.

Applying early will be crucial for you.
 
sarahl86 said:
But statistically speaking DOs have MUCH BETTER chance of matching into allopathic residency than FMGs -- 70% of competitive DO applicants vs 40% of FMGs.

Look into Creighton, EVMS, and VCU to replace those schools witness listed. Though you have great ECs your numbers leave much to be desired and are borderline below average, so don't be picky about where you want to end up. You really need to jazz up your personal statement too, especially if you added what appears to just be more research (and hopefully a little more clinical work) to your application from last year.

Applying early will be crucial for you.
Click to expand...


:::sigh::: I wish people would research before speaking, or maybe know what they are talking about before speaking. Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, therefore there are currently four allopathic medical schools in Puerto Rico that are accredited by the LCME. So- PR schools= US MD schools, aka not an FMG if you attend. SO, OP if you are bilingual in Spanish OR have taken at least 6 college level credits in Spanish and show a desire to be bilingual, by all means apply to PR.
 
sarahl86 said:
Though they are considered part of the US, it would be ill-advised to assume they have the same luck in residency match as continental US MD programs.
Click to expand...


How would it be ill-advised to assume they have the same luck in residency matching? They are LCME accredited and take the same shelf exams as all other US schools. Also if you look at the statistics for residency placements the school that you attend for medical school, within LCME accredited schools, ranks very low compared to other factors. I think you need to back a statement like that up with some facts before throwing it out there.
 
I understand what LCME accreditation means, but even 10 years ago the LCME had to "remind" program directors that PR school graduates are just as qualified for residency placements as continental US grads. USMLE pass rates for PR schools are around 90% (according to one Dr. Who - a poster on SDN who is a student at a PR school) where for most continental US schools it is around 98% (from anecdotal evidence I am aware of, its not publicized)...to me this would indicate the average Step 1 scores in PR schools are lower, which IS a major factor in residency matches. Though this is individually dependent, and yes the curriculum at your school is held to the same standards as Harvard or Hopkins, it would indicate the quality of education is very different. At NYMC there has been a 100% Step 1 pass rate for the past 3 years...so to me that says something about the quality of education students are receiving at this school, not the reputation itself though that is virtually negligible in the residency process.

Fact of the matter is that the OP does not need to apply to schools with an average acceptee MCAT score between 21 and 23 when he has a 30. I apologize for my negligence in realizing PR schools are LCME accredited but the obstacles of receiving an offshore bilingual education at schools with lower than average Step 1 pass rates does say to me that there is less of a guarantee of matching in residencies. Is it impossible? Absolutely not but I feel that some schools better prepare their students for Board examinations than others.
 
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sarahl86 said:
I understand what LCME accredidation means, but even 10 years ago the LCME had to "remind" program directors that PR school graduates are just as qualified for residency placements as continental US grads. USMLE pass rates for PR schools are around 90% (according to one Dr. Who - a poster on SDN who is a student at a PR school) where for most continental US schools it is around 98% (from anectodal evidence I am aware of, its not publicized)...to me this would indicate the average Step 1 scores in PR schools are lower, which IS a major factor in residency matches. Though this is individually dependent, and yes the curriculum at your school is held to the same standards as Harvard or Hopkins, it would indicate the quality of education is very different. At NYMC there has been a 100% Step 1 pass rate for the past 3 years...so to me that says something about the quality of education students are receiving at this school, not the reputation itself though that is virtually negligible in the residency process.

Fact of the matter is that the OP does not need to apply to schools with an average acceptee MCAT score between 21 and 23 when he has a 30. I apologize for my negligence in realizing PR schools are LCME accredited but the obstacles of receiving an offshore bilingual education at schools with lower than average Step 1 pass rates does say to me that there is less of a guarantee of matching in residencies. Is it impossible? Absolutely not but I feel that some schools better prepare their students for Board examinations than others.
Click to expand...

I'm not going to "argue" this after this post. Dr. Who I believe went to UPR- and has since moved onto residency. I'm not sure where he got his information from, and am also not sure if he is speaking of just his school or all four schools. Either way the students take the shelf exams, if they are passing these (which they must) than some part of the quality of education must be the same.

I don't know about STEP passing rates, so I won't comment on those- however you said it youself, they can be very individual. Also, don't assume that because a persons MCAT score is a 30, they wouldn't want to attend a PR school. PR schools have an advantage in a different sense, you DO come out bilingual, which could be a personal preference for some people. Some people see a bilingual school as a disadvantage, some see it as an advantage- to each their own.

The OP has good stats, he was asking if he can choose a PR school as a safety instead of adding DO schools. Like I said earlier if he is biligual, or has at least 6 college level credits and a desire to be bilingual- there is no reason to not apply.

Also, while their average MCAT score is a 23 (you can refer back to DR. WHO, for why this is) some schools get over 1000 mainland applicants for only 25 or so spots. So while you may not understand how or why, they are competitive in their own manner. Again, please don't assume anything unless you have concrete evidence.
 
megan143 said:
I'm not going to "argue" this after this post. Dr. Who I believe went to UPR- and has since moved onto residency. I'm not sure where he got his information from, and am also not sure if he is speaking of just his school or all four schools. Either way the students take the shelf exams, if they are passing these (which they must) than some part of the quality of education must be the same.

I don't know about STEP passing rates, so I won't comment on those- however you said it youself, they can be very individual. Also, don't assume that because a persons MCAT score is a 30, they wouldn't want to attend a PR school. PR schools have an advantage in a different sense, you DO come out bilingual, which could be a personal preference for some people. Some people see a bilingual school as a disadvantage, some see it as an advantage- to each their own.

The OP has good stats, he was asking if he can choose a PR school as a safety instead of adding DO schools. Like I said earlier if he is biligual, or has at least 6 college level credits and a desire to be bilingual- there is no reason to not apply.

Also, while their average MCAT score is a 23 (you can refer back to DR. WHO, for why this is) some schools get over 1000 mainland applicants for only 25 or so spots. So while you may not understand how or why, they are competitive in their own manner. Again, please don't assume anything unless you have concrete evidence.
Click to expand...

I don't really think she assumed anything. I think most people are in agreement that you would get the best medical education in the following order: US MD programs>US DO programs>Carib MD programs.
 
Pianoman32 said:
I don't really think she assumed anything. I think most people are in agreement that you would get the best medical education in the following order: US MD programs>US DO programs>Carib MD programs.
Click to expand...


I agree completely, PR= US MD.
 
Thanks for all the responses. I've just been a little busy with midterms and research so sorry I have not gotten back sooner. So far, I have decided to take out some schools and added in some schools you have all recommended. I am probably going to apply to 3 DO schools in CA. I will list the school list I have so far a little later. I was also considering applying to a Carib. school because I am increasing paranoid. 😱
 
Here is my school list:

Albany Medical College
Boston University School of Medicine
Creighton University School of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Drexel University College of Medicine
Eastern Virginia Medical School
George Washington University Sch of Med & Hlth Sci
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Jefferson Medical Coll. of Thomas Jefferson Univ.
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medici
Meharry Medical College
Michigan State University
Morehouse School of Medicine
New York Medical College
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Scien
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
State University of New York Downstate Medical Cen
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Temple University School of Medicine
The University of Miami School of Medicine
The University of Vermont College of Medicine
University of California San Diego
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
University of California, Irvine- College/Medicine
University of Hawaii John A. Burns Sch. of Med.
University of Illinois at Chicago-College of Medic
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Den
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicin
Wake Forest University School of Medicine

DO:
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York, NY
New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of NYIT, NY
Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine - California, CA
Western University of Health Sciences/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, CA


Carib. school too...?
Any comments?
 
CCOM has a very impressive match list. You might want to add it since you're applying to the midwest anyways...
 
Hawaii takes a miniscule number of OOS, so unless you have strong ties to the state, it is a waste of money. Loma Linda has strict religious requirments that all students must adhere to, plus unless you are Seventh Day Adventist, you have little chance of getting in.

I would also apply to more DO schools before even considering the Carribbean. How about looking into PCOM, DMU, NOVA? Touro Nevada, though new, has had really nice match lists so far.
 
Did you decide not to apply to PR schools?
 
Yeah give it a rest. No one is applying to the Caribbean unless their stats suck. Thats more space on the list for you megan.
 
:::sigh:::: Grow up. PR= geographical carribean- not a foreign medical school. PR=US MD. Like I said OP- if you're looking for a safety, not looking to go to a DO, apply to PR (since you have Spanish going for you).


LateBl00meR said:
Yeah give it a rest. No one is applying to the Caribbean unless their stats suck. Thats more space on the list for you megan.
Click to expand...
 
Hmm... I think the whole PR school talk got some people to think I know Spanish well. I did take 3 years of Spanish in high school but have not taken a single class in college. I don't remember a lot though I still know an okay amount. I wouldn't mind becoming bilingual; living in the LA area I am sure that it would come in handy.
 
Fotunately you can become bilingual without having to attend a caribbean medical school.
 
Just wanted to update my OLD thread since its been a while. Thus far I have been accepted to 3 DO schools (Touro-CA, Touro-NV, NSU-COM) and just interviewed at WesternU. I think I am done interviewing for DO schools for now. As for MD schools I have gotten one interview at EVMS and have been placed on the waitlist there. I am on hold at about 4/5 schools and waiting to hear back from others. I'm hoping I can get some more interviews at allopathic schools but am glad I know I will be going somewhere this coming year. Thanks for the help everyone!
 
VooDooo327 said:
Here is my school list:

Albany Medical College
Boston University School of Medicine
Creighton University School of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Drexel University College of Medicine
Eastern Virginia Medical School
George Washington University Sch of Med & Hlth Sci
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Jefferson Medical Coll. of Thomas Jefferson Univ.
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medici
Meharry Medical College
Michigan State University
Morehouse School of Medicine
New York Medical College
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Scien
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
State University of New York Downstate Medical Cen
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Temple University School of Medicine
The University of Miami School of Medicine
The University of Vermont College of Medicine
University of California San Diego
University of California, Davis School of Medicine
University of California, Irvine- College/Medicine
University of Hawaii John A. Burns Sch. of Med.
University of Illinois at Chicago-College of Medic
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Den
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicin
Wake Forest University School of Medicine

DO:
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York, NY
New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of NYIT, NY
Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine - California, CA
Western University of Health Sciences/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, CA


Carib. school too...?
Any comments?
Click to expand...

Are you a resident of New York State? Cause I see you are applying to all the NYS state schools. They are more preferential to in state residents. just an FYI. so you could technically get rejected even tho you are way more than qualified 🙁 but good luck tho!!
 
Yeah I just love NY. I just need the schools to love me back >_<
 
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