School List Help (3.97gpa, 515 mcat, ORM)

[yhp246]

Hi! I am looking for school list advice. I'd like to keep my list to roughly 30 schools (there's 31 on my list right now). Let me know if theres any swaps I should make, schools I should take out, or schools I should add in. Thank you!

cGPA: 3.98, sGPA: 3.97
MCAT: 515, ORM
State of Residence: VA, UCLA Psychobiology Undergrad (should I apply to more CA schools?)

Volunteer Nonclinical: 150
Volunteer Clinical: 200 (no shadowing but tried to frame my experiences as having allowed me to observe physicians and also will be scribing full-time come July)
Research: 600-700 hours in undergrad, 2 publications from HS, currently in process of co-authoring a manuscript (on undergrad research) but doubtful it will be published anytime soon.
Work/job: 600 hours, 75 of which were tutoring

School List:

• Michigan
• UVA
• Case
• UCLA
• Pittsburgh
• Sinai
• Baylor
• Kaiser
• Emory
• Rochester
• BU
• Hofstra
• Einstein
• USC Keck
• Ohio State
• UCincinnati
• Wayne State
• UMD (ties to MD)
• Miami
• Colorado
• VCU
• VTech
• GW
• Tufts
• Jefferson
• NYMC
• Stony Brook
• UConn
• Indiana
• Eastern VA
• MC Wisconsin

Considering the following to swap out any schools with:

• NYU Long Island
• Oakland
• Brown
• Arizona Phoenix
• UCF
• Illinois
• Iowa
• UMASS
• Weill Cornell
• Western State
• USF Morsani
• Dartmouth
• Other California schools?

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[wysdoc]

Note that for Baylor you would have to fill out the TMDSAS application. TMDSAS schools are limited to max 10% OOS
Carle Illinois wants engineering majors, don't know if you are an engineer

 

[yhp246]

Note that for Baylor you would have to fill out the TMDSAS application. TMDSAS schools are limited to max 10% OOS
Carle Illinois wants engineering majors, don't know if you are an engineer

I didn't realize, thank you for letting me know!

 

[Faha]

What is the nature of your 150 hours of non clinical volunteering ?

 

[yhp246]

What is the nature of your 150 hours of non clinical volunteering ?

100 hours as a helpline chat responder with the National Eating Disorders Association and 50 hours as a baker with an organization that bakes and delivers birthday cakes for children in the foster system, homeless, in low-income families, etc.

 

[Faha]

Your clinical and non clinical volunteering hours are adequate but low for top tier schools and your complete lack of physician shadowing will also limit your chances for interviews. I suggest these schools with your stats and ECs:
U Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Wake Forest
Pittsburgh
Cincinnati
Hofstra
Einstein
New York Medical College
Rochester
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Tufts
USF Morsani
Miami
NOVA MD
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
UCLA

 

[Mr.Smile12]

100 hours as a helpline chat responder with the National Eating Disorders Association and 50 hours as a baker with an organization that bakes and delivers birthday cakes for children in the foster system, homeless, in low-income families, etc.

So you only have 50 hours of face-to-face community service?

The profile presented appears to rely on transactional selection of your application, and there is very little to go on that shows you would have alignment with mission fit with any of the schools on your list. Your stats are strong but as you go higher on the "brand" ladder, your profile blends in with others that it really doesn't stand out... could be a less than par.

So why should these schools interview you?

 

[Psyched*Out]

So you only have 50 hours of face-to-face community service?

The profile presented appears to rely on transactional selection of your application, and there is very little to go on that shows you would have alignment with mission fit with any of the schools on your list. Your stats are strong but as you go higher on the "brand" ladder, your profile blends in with others that it really doesn't stand out... could be a less than par.

So why should these schools interview you?

How do you make yourself stand out as you go higher up that ladder though? Main instance I can think of is non clinical volunteering. I'd say food pantry work is super common for that, so how does that get taken a step further to "stand out"?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

How do you make yourself stand out as you go higher up that ladder though? Main instance I can think of is non clinical volunteering. I'd say food pantry work is super common for that, so how does that get taken a step further to "stand out"?

First, you need more hours. 150 is a minimum threshold at most schools to avoid getting screened out. You need more hours and quality hours to be more on par with more competitive pools at those brand schools. A few people have been promoted to take on more responsibility in those roles.

Second, you need a clear purpose to become a physician that shows alignment to the program's mission/vision. This is still missing from what you provide here (which is your perogative) but it has to be present in your application.

At the very least you should apply to the Virginia in-state programs. Realize there are some geographical preferences each school pays attention to, but I don't get a sense that it is so rigid that EVMS only takes from tidewater counties (it's not like that at all). Maybe VT-C has a slight preference for people in Appalachia because of where Roanoke is.

 

[Psyched*Out]

First, you need more hours. 150 is a minimum threshold at most schools to avoid getting screened out. You need more hours and quality hours to be more on par with more competitive pools at those brand schools. A few people have been promoted to take on more responsibility in those roles.

Second, you need a clear purpose to become a physician that shows alignment to the program's mission/vision. This is still missing from what you provide here (which is your perogative) but it has to be present in your application.

At the very least you should apply to the Virginia in-state programs. Realize there are some geographical preferences each school pays attention to, but I don't get a sense that it is so rigid that EVMS only takes from tidewater counties (it's not like that at all). Maybe VT-C has a slight preference for people in Appalachia because of where Roanoke is.

I'm not OP, I was just asking a general question about how you can take food pantry work (think over a thousand hours of it) and turn it into something more to further show a desire to serve the underserved as a physician.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I'm not OP, I was just asking a general question about how you can take food pantry work (think over a thousand hours of it) and turn it into something more to further show a desire to serve the underserved as a physician.

Sorry for thinking you were the OP. The question I have is why you did food pantry for over 1000 hours? It shows your commitment to help marginalized communities and those in serious need for food resources. You need to tie its importance into your purpose as a physician. (Sorry, I can't answer a general question without asking you to personalize it. 🙂 )

 

[Psyched*Out]

Sorry for thinking you were the OP. The question I have is why you did food pantry for over 1000 hours? It shows your commitment to help marginalized communities and those in serious need for food resources. You need to tie its importance into your purpose as a physician. (Sorry, I can't answer a general question without asking you to personalize it. 🙂 )

I did that work for over 1000 hours because I didn't know what else I could do in that nutritional services aspect of work, and frankly I really enjoyed the work too. I'm at a point now though to which I want to take it a step further and tie it into becoming a physician, but I don't know how or where to start.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I did that work for over 1000 hours because I didn't know what else I could do in that nutritional services aspect of work, and frankly I really enjoyed the work too. I'm at a point now though to which I want to take it a step further and tie it into becoming a physician, but I don't know how or where to start.

Okay... here are some hints (from Becoming a Student Doctor):

Addressing Food Insecurity in Pharmacist Practice

Pharmacists can help to reduce the prevalence of food insecurity and its negative health care outcomes by tailoring clinical care to each individual patient’s needs.

www.pharmacytimes.com

Food for thought: Medical schools lack adequate nutrition education - TMC News

A recent study shows new evidence that doctors-in-training lack the proper nutrition education during medical school to advise patients.

www.tmc.edu

 

[Psyched*Out]

Okay... here are some hints (from Becoming a Student Doctor):

Addressing Food Insecurity in Pharmacist Practice

Pharmacists can help to reduce the prevalence of food insecurity and its negative health care outcomes by tailoring clinical care to each individual patient’s needs.

www.pharmacytimes.com

Food for thought: Medical schools lack adequate nutrition education - TMC News

A recent study shows new evidence that doctors-in-training lack the proper nutrition education during medical school to advise patients.

www.tmc.edu

That second link especially is interesting, and I agree that there is a lack of nutrition education. Next question is, how is that agreement supposed to conveyed? By pursuing research about nutritional services for medical students? Then there's the problem of why do I have to be a physician to do this? There's probably other roles out there that could advocate for nutrional education in medical school. Long story short, I've been thinking of different interests I have and how that ties into my desire to be a physician, and every single time I realize other careers can do the same and the reasoning for picking a physician always comes down to more knowledge and and higher position of power that allows for more influence in the things I want to advocate for.

Maybe looking at medical schools that incorporate some sort of culinary education into their curriculum would be a good start for mission fit.

 

[yhp246]

So you only have 50 hours of face-to-face community service?

The profile presented appears to rely on transactional selection of your application, and there is very little to go on that shows you would have alignment with mission fit with any of the schools on your list. Your stats are strong but as you go higher on the "brand" ladder, your profile blends in with others that it really doesn't stand out... could be a less than par.

So why should these schools interview you?

Thank you for the feedback. Do you have any suggestions for midtier schools to apply to?

 

[yhp246]

Your clinical and non clinical volunteering hours are adequate but low for top tier schools and your complete lack of physician shadowing will also limit your chances for interviews. I suggest these schools with your stats and ECs:
U Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Wake Forest
Pittsburgh
Cincinnati
Hofstra
Einstein
New York Medical College
Rochester
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Tufts
USF Morsani
Miami
NOVA MD
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
UCLA

Thank you! I appreciate your help. Can I ask if there are specific reasons for not including any of these: Kaiser, Keck, U Colorado, Ohio State, Stony Brook, UConn, Wayne State, and Indiana?

 

[Faha]

Thank you! I appreciate your help. Can I ask if there are specific reasons for not including any of these: Kaiser, Keck, U Colorado, Ohio State, Stony Brook, UConn, Wayne State, and Indiana?

Keck interviews less than 5% of applicants who are not from California, and some of those 5% are those who attended the undergraduate school, legacies, URM. U Colorado, Ohio State, Stony Brook, UConn, Wayne State, and Indiana are state public schools that give preference to their own residents.