mootsandbarbie
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I was flying the high of receiving my MCAT score when I made my preliminary school list. I think that (plus my father's inflated image of me) is influencing my school list in an unrealistic way. I need someone to tell me if this list is insane or if I have a chance of getting into any of these schools. I know my undergrad GPA is low, but I am hoping the upward trend, all As in a science graduate program, and 96th percentile MCAT on the first try will soothe any worries adcoms may have about my academic abilities. I also graduated undergrad nearly four years ago, so hopefully they see how I could be an entirely different student now.
undergrad: 2021 grad BS in psych at ~T20 public university~ / 3.4 cGPA / 3.3 sGPA (significant upward trend from 2.7 first semester 🫠)
grad: MS in neuroscience / 3.96 GPA (halfway through 2-year thesis track program)
MCAT: 519 (129/132/128/130) - only score
demographics: 25 yo ORM (white female) / EOC-2 / NJ resident, MD undergrad, PA grad/work. No personal ties to CA, but my brother, aunt & uncle live in San Diego.
clinical: 4500 hrs paid as PCT in STICU at two different lvl 1 trauma centers (ongoing)
non-clinical work: 3000 hrs ocean lifeguard on beach patrol (summers during high school/undergrad)
non-clinical volunteer: 150 hrs w org providing disabled youth with free, inclusive rec & fitness programs (during undergrad)
120 hrs w local settlement house - food bank/senior center/homeless shelter (ongoing)
research: 250 hrs - currently in a master's program working on my thesis research / helping PhD students with their research in spinal cord injury lab (ongoing)
1 poster, hopefully another two posters & a pub submission by the end of the year
shadowing: ~100 hrs ID DO / 10 hrs primary care MD / 24 hrs trauma physician asst / 12 hrs CRNA / 24 hrs anesthesia MD / 24 hrs trauma surg + 24 hrs ACS same MD
leadership/teaching: ~1 year - orientation instructor for new PCTs at first hospital (instructed hospital-wide orientation classes and precepted new hires on my unit)
~1 year - unit chairman of hospital committee for skin care/wound prevention/care at first hospital
~1 year - president/ vice president of mental health advocacy group on campus (not very productive or meaningful tbh)
~2 years - treasurer of beach patrol benevolent organization (managed two separate treasuries upwards of half a mil/ helped out with running jr lifeguard program)
misc EC/hobbies: club swim team in college (traveled to compete in nationals prior to COVID), snowboarding, surfing, sewing (make my own scrub caps😁), cooking/baking
honors/awards: several dean's lists in undergrad, beach patrol scholarship, employee of the month at hospital job
essay/narrative: working with underserved populations/ urban areas/ community/service-based. talk about relationship between trauma pts I see in hospital & low SES/ limited access to healthcare services/ high readmission rates. My experience with emergency care on beach patrol & in hospital. I want to do trauma surg or EM
LORs: anesthesiologist MD (very strong), trauma surgeon MD (very strong), clinical exp manager (strong), volunteer supervisor (prob flattering but idk how strong), master's program director/professor (prob average), maybe my PI? not sure yet
LIST
reach:
Columbia
UPenn
NYU
Northwestern
Icahn Mt Sinai
USC Keck
Miami Miller
Colorado
Boston U
Einstein
Dartmouth
target:
UCLA
UCSD
UMD
Jefferson
RWJ
Georgetown
Wake Forest
Cooper
UVM
Drexel
Hackensack
baseline:
UCD
SUNY Downstate
Temple
Rosalind Franklin
Geisinger
Rowan (DO)
PCOM (DO)
I am aware of the CA IS bias. I would love to live in California though, so I'm willing to donate my app fees to them if there's even a slight chance.
I also do not have a DO letter for DO schools, so I'm not sure if I should even bother applying?
Please help!
undergrad: 2021 grad BS in psych at ~T20 public university~ / 3.4 cGPA / 3.3 sGPA (significant upward trend from 2.7 first semester 🫠)
grad: MS in neuroscience / 3.96 GPA (halfway through 2-year thesis track program)
MCAT: 519 (129/132/128/130) - only score
demographics: 25 yo ORM (white female) / EOC-2 / NJ resident, MD undergrad, PA grad/work. No personal ties to CA, but my brother, aunt & uncle live in San Diego.
clinical: 4500 hrs paid as PCT in STICU at two different lvl 1 trauma centers (ongoing)
non-clinical work: 3000 hrs ocean lifeguard on beach patrol (summers during high school/undergrad)
non-clinical volunteer: 150 hrs w org providing disabled youth with free, inclusive rec & fitness programs (during undergrad)
120 hrs w local settlement house - food bank/senior center/homeless shelter (ongoing)
research: 250 hrs - currently in a master's program working on my thesis research / helping PhD students with their research in spinal cord injury lab (ongoing)
1 poster, hopefully another two posters & a pub submission by the end of the year
shadowing: ~100 hrs ID DO / 10 hrs primary care MD / 24 hrs trauma physician asst / 12 hrs CRNA / 24 hrs anesthesia MD / 24 hrs trauma surg + 24 hrs ACS same MD
leadership/teaching: ~1 year - orientation instructor for new PCTs at first hospital (instructed hospital-wide orientation classes and precepted new hires on my unit)
~1 year - unit chairman of hospital committee for skin care/wound prevention/care at first hospital
~1 year - president/ vice president of mental health advocacy group on campus (not very productive or meaningful tbh)
~2 years - treasurer of beach patrol benevolent organization (managed two separate treasuries upwards of half a mil/ helped out with running jr lifeguard program)
misc EC/hobbies: club swim team in college (traveled to compete in nationals prior to COVID), snowboarding, surfing, sewing (make my own scrub caps😁), cooking/baking
honors/awards: several dean's lists in undergrad, beach patrol scholarship, employee of the month at hospital job
essay/narrative: working with underserved populations/ urban areas/ community/service-based. talk about relationship between trauma pts I see in hospital & low SES/ limited access to healthcare services/ high readmission rates. My experience with emergency care on beach patrol & in hospital. I want to do trauma surg or EM
LORs: anesthesiologist MD (very strong), trauma surgeon MD (very strong), clinical exp manager (strong), volunteer supervisor (prob flattering but idk how strong), master's program director/professor (prob average), maybe my PI? not sure yet
LIST
reach:
Columbia
UPenn
NYU
Northwestern
Icahn Mt Sinai
USC Keck
Miami Miller
Colorado
Boston U
Einstein
Dartmouth
target:
UCLA
UCSD
UMD
Jefferson
RWJ
Georgetown
Wake Forest
Cooper
UVM
Drexel
Hackensack
baseline:
UCD
SUNY Downstate
Temple
Rosalind Franklin
Geisinger
Rowan (DO)
PCOM (DO)
I am aware of the CA IS bias. I would love to live in California though, so I'm willing to donate my app fees to them if there's even a slight chance.
I also do not have a DO letter for DO schools, so I'm not sure if I should even bother applying?
Please help!
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