School list help TX resident, 3.46/506 ORM

[Chromiumite]

1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
   1. 3.46/3.3
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown
   1. 503->506->506 (all subsections higher than 125 at all points)
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
   1. Texas
4. Ethnicity and/or race
   1. ORM Indian
5. Undergraduate institution or category
   1. Tulane
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
   1. In total, over a thousand hours
7. Research experience and productivity
   1. 2 separate years of research, no pubs
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. Lots of shadowing. Did a surgical fellowship that is best described as the equivalent of what an M4 would do in their neurosurgery rotations, minus the shelves and the "making a patient plan". It is part of a very selective program that is carefully crated by some of the best doctors in the texas med center.
   2. Outside that, I've seen PMNR (this is what I want to do), CVICU, ICU, ER, Family med, IM,
9. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. teaching fencing at a church for underprivledged students, rock climbing instructor, dog walking at an animal shelter, tutoring ACT/SAT to local students
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
    1. competed at the junior olympics for fencing, worked as a consultant for a biotech company
11. Relevant honors or awards
    1. couple of national awards through HOSA, for biochem and biology some state awards for public speaking
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important
    1. I did an internship with NASA to investigate harmonic utilizations on deicing for pneumonic wings, I competed in the junior olympics for fencing, did a surgical fellowship (idk how to describe this, think basically what a M3 or M4 would do on their rotations, minus shelf), have over 1000 clinical hours, have 300+ research hours, have over 1000 hours worked as a full time job as a consultant for a biotech company (mostly related to western blot, elisa etc). -- Among many other things like national awards, created a club for the whole state etc.

So I'm going to be applying this cycle, but I'm having a hard time identifying whether my application is competitive or not.

To be honest, my stats are low. 3.5 gpa (finish last 3 sem with all A or A-, is only this low because of one semester where I got all C's and D's due to getting SA'ed during finals week), 506 mcat (503->506->506).

Basically my stats are not really competitive, but my EC"s are. So do I even bother applying to MD? I'm perfectly happy to go DO, but preferably would go to the big 5.... I'm also from Texas, since that matters. How should I go about doing my school list? I actually applied last cycle to one school, just to see how it would go while I worked full time and I got on the waitlist at Tulane. I think there's too little data points to say if that makes me competitive so I'm at a loss. Any help is appreciated!

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[Faha]

Apply to your Texas MD schools and you may receive interviews. For AMCAS schools apply to Tulane and TCU-UNT.
For DO schools I suggest these:
TCOM
SAM HOUSTON STATE
UIWSOM
OSU-COM
AZCOM
TUNCOM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
DMU-COM
MU-COM
ACOM
PCOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY

 

[Chromiumite]

Apply to your Texas MD schools and you may receive interviews. For AMCAS schools apply to Tulane and TCU-UNT.
For DO schools I suggest these:
TCOM
SAM HOUSTON STATE
UIWSOM
OSU-COM
AZCOM
TUNCOM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
DMU-COM
MU-COM
ACOM
PCOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY

Thanks for your input. Do you really think I have a shot at these DO schools? I appear to be below their GPA average, and either at or slightly above their MCAT.

 

[chilly_md]

I agree with Faha's DO list, but the only MD schools worth applying are Tulane, Houston and UT Rio Grande. You do not fit the mission for TCU. AZCOM and Touro-NY will likely prefer a higher MCAT than you have. Apply to NYIT-AR and Campbell instead.

 

[wysdoc]

Thanks for your input. Do you really think I have a shot at these DO schools? I appear to be below their GPA average, and either at or slightly above their MCAT.

I think that’s a good DO list and though your MCAT may hurt you at TMDSAS MD schools UTMB has a NASA connection and you might want to consider A & M EnMed

 

[Chromiumite]

I agree with Faha's DO list, but the only MD schools worth applying are Tulane, Houston and UT Rio Grande. You do not fit the mission for TCU. AZCOM and Touro-NY will likely prefer a higher MCAT than you have. Apply to NYIT-AR and Campbell instead.

Thanks, I'll try that. I heard UH was looking for really high GPA though. I live very close, so that's what I've heard through the grapevine

 

[Chromiumite]

I think that’s a good DO list and though your MCAT may hurt you at TMDSAS MD schools UTMB has a NASA connection and you might want to consider A & M EnMed

Thanks! I was actually considering doing that before I realized that my gpa doesn't match. Hopefully I can spin something off through an alignment in the mission statement. I've had a number of experiences with UTMB and their nasa program even through high school... if you have any advice on that note I would love to hear it.

@Faha @chilly_md,
What do you think about adding these schools? I saw it as a suggestion on a previous post for someone with almost the same stats as me + TX resident

Quinnipiac
Oakland Beaumont
Seton Hall
NOVA MD
California University

 

[wysdoc]

Thanks, I'll try that. I heard UH was looking for really high GPA though. I live very close, so that's what I've heard through the grapevine

U of Houston is different from UT Houston (McGovern) so check again

edited to add:
U of Houston had a median GPA 3.59 and median MCAT 506.
UT Houston (McGovern) median GPA 3.89, median MCAT 514

 

[Faha]

Thanks for your input. Do you really think I have a shot at these DO schools? I appear to be below their GPA average, and either at or slightly above their MCAT.

Yes.

 

[chilly_md]

Thanks, I'll try that. I heard UH was looking for really high GPA though. I live very close, so that's what I've heard through the grapevine

Wysdoc knows much more than I do regarding that, but they have a lower MCAT average there and are a newer school. They may show more flexibility.

You have very limited service hours, so I do not think those schools are worth the app. California University is meant for CA residents.

 

[Faha]

Thanks! I was actually considering doing that before I realized that my gpa doesn't match. Hopefully I can spin something off through an alignment in the mission statement. I've had a number of experiences with UTMB and their nasa program even through high school... if you have any advice on that note I would love to hear it.

@Faha @chilly_md,
What do you think about adding these schools? I saw it as a suggestion on a previous post for someone with almost the same stats as me + TX resident

Quinnipiac
Oakland Beaumont
Seton Hall
NOVA MD
California University

Yes, you could try those.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Fencing is different but doesn't stretch you outside of your comfort zone. I'm having a challenge identifying what that activity (going beyond your comfort zone) is in your description. That's a potential weakness.

 

[wysdoc]

Thanks! I was actually considering doing that before I realized that my gpa doesn't match. Hopefully I can spin something off through an alignment in the mission statement. I've had a number of experiences with UTMB and their nasa program even through high school... if you have any advice on that note I would love to hear it.

@Faha @chilly_md,
What do you think about adding these schools? I saw it as a suggestion on a previous post for someone with almost the same stats as me + TX resident

Quinnipiac
Oakland Beaumont
Seton Hall
NOVA MD
California University

"Spin" isn't something they look for on a med school application...
Be who you are, talk how you talk, sincerity and enthusiasm in an interview go a long way.
Yes, TX averages are high but I know people with your numbers who have been accepted and you have some interesting activities and projects to talk about.

There will be one more MD school on TMDSAS as well this year, UT Tyler.

 

[wysdoc]

Fencing is different but doesn't stretch you outside of your comfort zone. I'm having a challenge identifying what that activity (going beyond your comfort zone) is in your description. That's a potential weakness.

fighting with swords is nobody's comfort zone, Mr.Smile12

 

[Mr.Smile12]

fighting with swords is nobody's comfort zone, Mr.Smile12

Fair, but if you competed at the junior Olympics...

 

[Chromiumite]

Fair, but if you competed at the junior Olympics...

I did! It was a big deal to me since one of the reasons I got into medicine is because I was diagnosed with athletically induced asthma when I was in middle school, and I didn't really believe it. A couple days later after not taking the rescue inhaler + daily steroid inhaler I passed out at school. This was essentially the start of almost a decade of suffering due to me not being able to breathe (also I have a deviated septum which is 95% blocked apparently and bad needs surgery, but is not something I can afford at this moment). Spending all those years trying to overcome my physical disability and finally being able to compete at the JO was basically my biggest way of telling myself that I can overcome anything

 

[Chromiumite]

"Spin" isn't something they look for on a med school application...
Be who you are, talk how you talk, sincerity and enthusiasm in an interview go a long way.
Yes, TX averages are high but I know people with your numbers who have been accepted and you have some interesting activities and projects to talk about.

There will be one more MD school on TMDSAS as well this year, UT Tyler.

I would love to apply to Tyler! I think I'm going to try to reach out to admissions and see what I can learn in terms of what kind of student they are looking to have for their new class.


Also @chilly_md I looked at TCU's mission statement. Can you explain why you thought that I wouldn't fit? I actually want to do primary care (as much as I enjoyed the surgery fellowship, it really wasn't for me). I wanted to do something in line with sports medicine, but not ortho - probably a fellowship post residency. Either that or PM&R.

 

[wysdoc]

I would love to apply to Tyler! I think I'm going to try to reach out to admissions and see what I can learn in terms of what kind of student they are looking to have for their new class.


Also @chilly_md I looked at TCU's mission statement. Can you explain why you thought that I wouldn't fit? I actually want to do primary care (as much as I enjoyed the surgery fellowship, it really wasn't for me). I wanted to do something in line with sports medicine, but not ortho - probably a fellowship post residency. Either that or PM&R.

Watch for announcements from TMDSAS to see when Tyler will be open for applications, and I think they might have an interview or presentation about the school this spring

 

[chilly_md]

I would love to apply to Tyler! I think I'm going to try to reach out to admissions and see what I can learn in terms of what kind of student they are looking to have for their new class.


Also @chilly_md I looked at TCU's mission statement. Can you explain why you thought that I wouldn't fit? I actually want to do primary care (as much as I enjoyed the surgery fellowship, it really wasn't for me). I wanted to do something in line with sports medicine, but not ortho - probably a fellowship post residency. Either that or PM&R.

Why do you think you’re a good candidate for TCU?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I did! It was a big deal to me since one of the reasons I got into medicine is because I was diagnosed with athletically induced asthma when I was in middle school, and I didn't really believe it. A couple days later after not taking the rescue inhaler + daily steroid inhaler I passed out at school. This was essentially the start of almost a decade of suffering due to me not being able to breathe (also I have a deviated septum which is 95% blocked apparently and bad needs surgery, but is not something I can afford at this moment). Spending all those years trying to overcome my physical disability and finally being able to compete at the JO was basically my biggest way of telling myself that I can overcome anything

I knew there was a story! 🙂 Thank you for sharing, and good luck weaving this into your application!

 

[Chromiumite]

@Mr.Smile12 @chilly_md @wysdoc @Faha

Hi all - sorry to ping you but... I GOT INTO TULANE MED!!! I'm going to be a doctor 🙂)) thank you for all your help, even if I didn't need to end up applying to the texas and other DO schools

 

[wysdoc]

@Mr.Smile12 @chilly_md @wysdoc @Faha

Hi all - sorry to ping you but... I GOT INTO TULANE MED!!! I'm going to be a doctor 🙂)) thank you for all your help, even if I didn't need to end up applying to the texas and other DO schools

Touché!