School list help: sGPA: 3.18, gradGPA: 3.77, MCAT:509, non-trad CA Resident

[DeadlyWarbler]

Hey everyone!

I would love to get feedback on my school list. I am a re-applicant for this year's cycle. I really want to optimize my school list based on my background. Thanks for your help!

I am an older non-traditional student. Was not a particularly good undergrad (hence the low GPA), but did quite well in grad school (M.S. in Molecular Biology). Interested in primary care, emergency medicine and 3-year MD programs.

Undergrad GPA: 3.03
Undergrad sGPA: 3.18
Graduate sGPA: 3.77

MCAT: 509 (127, 125, 129, 127)

Undergrad degree from a UC
Graduate training in alternative medical field with 5+ years clinical experience
M.S. in Molecular Biology

Clinical experience:
1000+ hours patient care experience
1000+ hours medical volunteering
50+ hours physician shadowing

Research experience:
Graduate research in molecular biology/hematology/oncology with various research awards and publications submitted.

Teaching experience:
College level biology, anatomy.

LORs:
Strong LORs from science coursework professors, department chair and two physician letters

Previously received interviews at: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah, Indiana

Current school list:
Albany
CA Northstate
UC Davis
UCLA
Creighton
Dartmouth (a stretch, but encouraged by their numbers)
Indiana
Loma Linda
Medical College of Wisconsin
Ohio State
Penn State
Vermont
Iowa
UMass
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Virginia Commonwealth
West Virginia
Wright State

Considering adding:
Rosalind Franklin
Strict/Loyola

Any help in adding to, or deleting form this list would be much appreciated! Thank you!

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[ciestar]

Dont apply to UMass if youre OOS.

As a reapplicant, you should be applying DO. EM and all primary care very attainable as a DO.

With your numbers consider adding;
Drexel
Jefferson
Temple
EVMS
Oakland
WMich

 

[DeadlyWarbler]

Dont apply to UMass if youre OOS.

As a reapplicant, you should be applying DO. EM and all primary care very attainable as a DO.

With your numbers consider adding;
Drexel
Jefferson
Temple
EVMS
Oakland
WMich

Thank you! Those were all schools I had been eyeballing, so that's great to hear. Definitely will be applying to DO schools as well.

 

[ciestar]

Thank you! Those were all schools I had been eyeballing, so that's great to hear. Definitely will be applying to DO schools as well.

Assuming you’re from cali?

Don’t apply to CNU.

 

[DeadlyWarbler]

Assuming you’re from cali?

Don’t apply to CNU.

I am a CA resident. Why do suggest not applying to CNU?

 

[ciestar]

Unlike the other schools on your list , Northstate has chosen to deny its students access to federal loans and payback mechanisms. Were you aware of that?

I am a CA resident. Why do suggest not applying to CNU?

See above

 

[DeadlyWarbler]

See above

See above

I had no idea! That's terrible, I'll definitely be reconsidering them! Thank you!

 

[Goro]

Hey everyone!

I would love to get feedback on my school list. I am a re-applicant for this year's cycle. I really want to optimize my school list based on my background. Thanks for your help!

I am an older non-traditional student. Was not a particularly good undergrad (hence the low GPA), but did quite well in grad school (M.S. in Molecular Biology). Interested in primary care, emergency medicine and 3-year MD programs.

Undergrad GPA: 3.03
Undergrad sGPA: 3.18
Graduate sGPA: 3.77

MCAT: 509 (127, 125, 129, 127)

Undergrad degree from a UC
Graduate training in alternative medical field with 5+ years clinical experience
M.S. in Molecular Biology

Clinical experience:
1000+ hours patient care experience
1000+ hours medical volunteering
50+ hours physician shadowing

Research experience:
Graduate research in molecular biology/hematology/oncology with various research awards and publications submitted.

Teaching experience:
College level biology, anatomy.

LORs:
Strong LORs from science coursework professors, department chair and two physician letters

Previously received interviews at: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah, Indiana

Current school list:
Albany
CA Northstate
UC Davis
UCLA
Creighton
Dartmouth (a stretch, but encouraged by their numbers)
Indiana
Loma Linda
Medical College of Wisconsin
Ohio State
Penn State
Vermont
Iowa
UMass
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Virginia Commonwealth
West Virginia
Wright State

Considering adding:
Rosalind Franklin
Strict/Loyola

Any help in adding to, or deleting form this list would be much appreciated! Thank you!

Was your MS a research MS, or an SMP? the latter will salvage you for MD, but DO is fine with the former.
However, your MCAT score is not very consistent with success for reinventors.

I suggest
UCD
UCI
Any DO school. I can't recommend Touro-NY, Nova, Wm Carey, LUCOM, for different reasons. MSUCOM? Read up on Larry Nasser and you decide.

 

[mariposas905]

Was your MS a research MS, or an SMP? the latter will salvage you for MD, but DO is fine with the former.
However, your MCAT score is not very consistent with success for reinventors.

I suggest
UCD
UCI
Any DO school. I can't recommend Touro-NY, Nova, Wm Carey, LUCOM, for different reasons. MSUCOM? Read up on Larry Nasser and you decide.

What happened with Touro-NY again? I thought they were one of the top DO schools, along with Touro-CA?

 

[Goro]

What happened with Touro-NY again? I thought they were one of the top DO schools, along with Touro-CA?

Touro-NY: Poor COMLEX II pass rates; unethical behavior in how they dealt with an overbooking issue two years ago.

Maybe tops in stats, but less so in ethics.

 

[whittierstmd2be]

Rosalind Franklin recently shifted their admissions process to heavily favor in-state students. While they used to love Cali students, now they hate 'em lol cause they always match back to California. I wouldn't add RF to your list.

Hey btuck. What is your basis for this statement about Rosalind Franklin? I can't find evidence of that any where. Thanks.

 

[DeadlyWarbler]

Was your MS a research MS, or an SMP? the latter will salvage you for MD, but DO is fine with the former.
However, your MCAT score is not very consistent with success for reinventors.

I suggest
UCD
UCI
Any DO school. I can't recommend Touro-NY, Nova, Wm Carey, LUCOM, for different reasons. MSUCOM? Read up on Larry Nasser and you decide.

Thank you! Yes, my M.S. was a research based program with loads of primary research.

I have considered MSUCOM, but the tuition is a huge deterrent.

Can you explain what you mean about my MCAT scores? Do you mean not consistent with success for reapplicants?

 

[DeadlyWarbler]

Hey btuck. What is your basis for this statement about Rosalind Franklin? I can't find evidence of that any where. Thanks.

I would be interested to know as well since I know they had previously been very open to OOS applicants. Thanks!

 

[Goro]

Thank you! Yes, my M.S. was a research based program with loads of primary research.

I have considered MSUCOM, but the tuition is a huge deterrent.

Can you explain what you mean about my MCAT scores? Do you mean not consistent with success for reapplicants?

People who reinvent themselves and get into M.D. schools have scores much higher than a 509. That's why 513+ is my cut off if you're boning for the MD

 

[btuck]

I would be interested to know as well since I know they had previously been very open to OOS applicants. Thanks!

I deleted this post after realizing it was rather unhelpful. There are plenty of OOS students that matriculate at RFU. They did specify that they are interested in keeping students in the area though. Maybe talk about Chicago/Illinois in secondary. Honestly, you will find this type of bias at most private schools.

 

[DeadlyWarbler]

I deleted this post after realizing it was rather unhelpful. There are plenty of OOS students that matriculate at RFU. They did specify that they are interested in keeping students in the area though. Maybe talk about Chicago/Illinois in secondary. Honestly, you will find this type of bias at most private schools.

Thanks for that. I agree, there are regional biases at these schools since their aim is to keep physicians in the area (except for California, evidently!) Thanks for the update on this. =)