School list help (cGPA: 3.92 GPA, MCAT 516, ORM)

[beanspout]

Hi everyone!! I'm currently trying to narrow down/finalize my school list - would appreciate any feedback on fit, balance between reach/target/safety, etc

1. cGPA: 3.92, sGPA: 3.86
2. 2nd attempt: 516 (130/128/126/132), 1st attempt: 508 (127/126/126/129)
3. from IL
4. ORM
5. University of Michigan, studied Public Health, will be staying in Ann Arbor for gap year
6. Clinical experience
   1. Geriatric nursing aide: ~550 hours
   2. Free clinic volunteer: 20 hours, continuing into gap year
   3. Hand hygiene compliance observer: 100 hours
7. Research
   1. 1500 hours on health disparities research, looking at clinical processes in ICU (minor poster presentation/abstract)
   2. Literature review manuscript submitted on neuroscience topic, not yet published
8. Shadowing experience: 50 hours (shadowed critical care, palliative care, ophthalmology, internal med, ob/gyn)
9. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. Support group leader for student mental health organization: 75 hours
   2. Committee leader for mental health project involving health department: 80 hours
10. Other extracurricular activities:
    1. Global health project team creating medical innovation with hospital in Ghana member: 75 hours
    2. Events director for global health club: 100 hours
    3. President of public health club: 400 hours
    4. Gap year:
       1. continuing on in lab and working on more health services/disparities research: 1500 projected
       2. MA, or scribe job (still searching): 700 projected
       3. free clinic volunteer: 150 project

I had themes of prevention, chronic conditions, vulnerable populations, and primary care in my personal statement. I'm keeping an eye out for schools that have strong mission/values for underserved populations and community health.

Current list:

1. Rush University
2. University of Illinois Chicago
3. Loyola
4. UChicago
5. Northwestern University
6. University of Michigan Medical School
7. Boston University
8. Case Western Reserve University
9. Mayo Clinic
10. UCSF
11. Vanderbilt
12. Yale
13. Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai
14. Rosalind Franklin
15. Wayne State University
16. Oakland University
17. Michigan State University
18. Medical College of Wisconsin
19. Emory University - MD/MPH maybe
20. Saint Louis University
21. Iowa University
22. Ohio State University
23. University of Cincinnati
24. University of Pittsburgh
25. Tufts University
26. Indiana University
27. University of Rochester
28. University of Miami
29. Albert Einstein College of Medicine
30. Geisinger Commonwealth SOM
31. Kaiser Permanente - unsure

Still considering...

• USC keck - they have a primary care track there but VERY expensive school, not super OOS friendly
• UWisconsin Madison - they have a training program for urban and public health, in midwest region

Thank you in advance for your help!! I'm looking to apply to around 30 schools

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[Faha]

Rush expects far more (many hundreds or thousands of hours) of non clinical volunteering than you have. Geisinger has a strong instate preference.
Some schools may average your MCAT scores. Yale, UCSF and Vanderbilt are reaches. I suggest these schools from your list:

1. University of Illinois Chicago
2. Loyola
3. UChicago
4. Northwestern University
5. University of Michigan Medical School
6. Boston University
7. Case Western Reserve University
8. Mayo Clinic
9. Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai
10. Rosalind Franklin
11. Wayne State University
12. Oakland University
13. Medical College of Wisconsin
14. Emory University - MD/MPH maybe
15. Saint Louis University
16. Iowa University
17. Ohio State University
18. University of Cincinnati
19. University of Pittsburgh
20. Tufts University
21. Indiana University
22. University of Rochester
23. University of Miami
24. Albert Einstein College of Medicine
25. Kaiser Permanente - unsure
26. You could add these schools:
27. Western Michigan
28. Jefferson
29. Georgetown
30. USF Morsani
31. Tulane

 

[beanspout]

Rush expects far more (many hundreds or thousands of hours) of non clinical volunteering than you have. Geisinger has a strong instate preference.
Some schools may average your MCAT scores. Yale, UCSF and Vanderbilt are reaches. I suggest these schools from your list:

1. University of Illinois Chicago
2. Loyola
3. UChicago
4. Northwestern University
5. University of Michigan Medical School
6. Boston University
7. Case Western Reserve University
8. Mayo Clinic
9. Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai
10. Rosalind Franklin
11. Wayne State University
12. Oakland University
13. Medical College of Wisconsin
14. Emory University - MD/MPH maybe
15. Saint Louis University
16. Iowa University
17. Ohio State University
18. University of Cincinnati
19. University of Pittsburgh
20. Tufts University
21. Indiana University
22. University of Rochester
23. University of Miami
24. Albert Einstein College of Medicine
25. Kaiser Permanente - unsure
26. You could add these schools:
27. Western Michigan
28. Jefferson
29. Georgetown
30. USF Morsani
31. Tulane

Thank you for the input!! I'm considering removing Yale and Vanderbilt in order to add some of those schools you suggested. I've heard that Jefferson, Georgetown and Tulane are considered "low yield" schools meaning that they receive a LOT of applications and offer little acceptances in proportion - would you still recommend applying to those schools then since my stats are within range?

 

[Faha]

Thank you for the input!! I'm considering removing Yale and Vanderbilt in order to add some of those schools you suggested. I've heard that Jefferson, Georgetown and Tulane are considered "low yield" schools meaning that they receive a LOT of applications and offer little acceptances in proportion - would you still recommend applying to those schools then since my stats are within range?

Yes, apply to those. They receive a lot of applications but some are low stat applicants that apply to many schools hoping for an interview.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

OP:

1. Free clinic volunteer: 20 hours, continuing into gap year
2. Hand hygiene compliance observer: 100 hours

What exactly are you doing? I don't think hand hygiene compliance is really "clinical experience." (Someone correct me.) What exactly it is... I don't really know...

Check out NHSC if you are motivated to work in underserved areas.

 

[beanspout]

OP:

1. Free clinic volunteer: 20 hours, continuing into gap year
2. Hand hygiene compliance observer: 100 hours

What exactly are you doing? I don't think hand hygiene compliance is really "clinical experience." (Someone correct me.) What exactly it is... I don't really know...

Check out NHSC if you are motivated to work in underserved areas.

At the free clinic, I was an insurance counselor - meaning I would meet with patients and help them apply for Medicaid, prescription assistance programs, etc. The hand hygiene compliance observer I didn't work directly with patients, so probably could not be considered clinical. I was rotating across different units across our university hospital and recording observations of healthcare workers to see if they were following proper PPE & hand hygiene when going in/out of patient rooms.

And thanks - I'll check out NHSC.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

At the free clinic, I was an insurance counselor - meaning I would meet with patients and help them apply for Medicaid, prescription assistance programs, etc. The hand hygiene compliance observer I didn't work directly with patients, so probably could not be considered clinical. I was rotating across different units across our university hospital and recording observations of healthcare workers to see if they were following proper PPE & hand hygiene when going in/out of patient rooms.

And thanks - I'll check out NHSC.

The free clinic work with insurance is non-clinical to me, but you need at least 50 hours to make it worth mentioning to me. Overall you need 150 hours of nonclinical community service showing service orientation when you submit your application.

 

[beanspout]

The free clinic work with insurance is non-clinical to me, but you need at least 50 hours to make it worth mentioning to me. Overall you need 150 hours of nonclinical community service showing service orientation when you submit your application.

1. Support group leader for student mental health organization: 75 hours
2. Committee leader for mental health project involving health department: 80 hours

Could these two count towards non-clincial volunteering? I also have the 400 hours listed as leadership for being president of a public health club where I organized partnerships with nonprofit organizations on various health issues.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

1. Support group leader for student mental health organization: 75 hours
2. Committee leader for mental health project involving health department: 80 hours

Could these two count towards non-clincial volunteering? I also have the 400 hours listed as leadership for being president of a public health club where I organized partnerships with nonprofit organizations on various health issues.

I think it helps you, but one can say the more important competency is campus leadership. It depends on how you discuss it, but be aware of that alternative screening.

 

[beanspout]

I think it helps you, but one can say the more important competency is campus leadership. It depends on how you discuss it, but be aware of that alternative screening.

Got it - thanks for your help!