School list help - TX resident 3.95 / 509 - one gap year applying this cycle

[mc228]

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Hi there I would appreciate any insights on my working lists. Highlights of my activities are I am a D1 student - athlete, been leadership on my team for 2 years, worked in orthopedic surgery clinic (in Chicago at RUSH) this past summer so 500 clinical hours plus 3 translational research publications (2 first author). Also do bench research since sophomore year in undergrad and have 2 posters from that. 200 volunteer hours at ascension providence ICU, 100 other from tutoring reading to local middle schoolers, been on two abroad mission trips and have continued involvement with one of the organizations (am in charge of their social media and fundraising). I also am a TA for a class that teaches undergrads how work through a research project. In my gap year I will be working at a bridge year program as a medical assistant in Boston for a dermatology clinic. LORs from 2 professors, undergrad research PI, and orthopedic surgeon I worked for last summer. I want to be realistic with my list and am open to applying to a lot of schools. Let me know if there are any red flags here or any that I am missing.

AMCAS

UIC

Utah ?

Umass

Wayne st

wright state ?

Albany

Jefferson

Penn St

Drexel

Temple

Wake Forest

Geisinger

Tufts

Belmont

Alice Walton ?

Tulane ?

Ponce ?

Nova ?

Quipinnac

U vermont

Rosalin Franklin​

EVMS ?

Western mich

creighton

Oakland

Medical college WI​

U Wisc ?

TMDSAS
UT Southwestern
Dell Medical School
McGovern Medical School
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Texas Tech PLFSOM ?
TCU Burnett
UNTHSC-TCOM -DO
shsu com - DO

DO

Lecom

Rocky Vista

Unecom

pcom

midwestern

NYIT -com

Vcom

CUSOM

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Could you highlight your service orientation activities that are not teaching/tutoring? Specifically, food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation.

 

[mc228]

Could you highlight your service orientation activities that are not teaching/tutoring? Specifically, food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation.

Service has been clinical through ICU volunteering and at a local middle school in an underserved area teaching kids to read

 

[diltiazemm]

It is hard to recommend schools without your MCAT or GPA.

LORs from 2 professors, undergrad research PI, and orthopedic surgeon I worked for last summer.

If I understand this correctly, you have two science faculty letters, one PI, one MD? I would check out the LOR requirements from the schools on your list, you might want to get a non-science faculty letter.

From Creighton SOM: "We suggest you provide us with two science faculty letters and one non-science faculty letter, but leave it up to you to determine who are the ideal persons to help us assess your candidacy for medical school."

From EVMS: "Otherwise, to fulfill our secondary requirement you must submit three individual letters: two of which must be from a natural and/or physical sciences faculty, this includes neuroscience and research faculty. The other letter can be from non-science faculty (courses in mathematics will be considered a non-science letter." (this one only mentions that you need 3 faculty letters, so maybe you can get away with a PI letter).

Service has been clinical through ICU volunteering and at a local middle school in an underserved area teaching kids to read

Unfortunately, ICU volunteering doesn't count as service (although it is meaningful!). The teaching opportunity may be viewed as teaching/tutoring and not service orientation.

Your research, clinical, and EC look great 🙂

 

[mc228]

It is hard to recommend schools without your MCAT or GPA.


If I understand this correctly, you have two science faculty letters, one PI, one MD? I would check out the LOR requirements from the schools on your list, you might want to get a non-science faculty letter.

From Creighton SOM: "We suggest you provide us with two science faculty letters and one non-science faculty letter, but leave it up to you to determine who are the ideal persons to help us assess your candidacy for medical school."

From EVMS: "Otherwise, to fulfill our secondary requirement you must submit three individual letters: two of which must be from a natural and/or physical sciences faculty, this includes neuroscience and research faculty. The other letter can be from non-science faculty (courses in mathematics will be considered a non-science letter." (this one only mentions that you need 3 faculty letters, so maybe you can get away with a PI letter).


Unfortunately, ICU volunteering doesn't count as service (although it is meaningful!). The teaching opportunity may be viewed as teaching/tutoring and not service orientation.

Your research, clinical, and EC look great 🙂

GPA is 3.96 mcat 509

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi there I would appreciate any insights on my working lists. Highlights of my activities are I am a D1 student - athlete, been leadership on my team for 2 years, worked in orthopedic surgery clinic (in Chicago at RUSH) this past summer so 500 clinical hours plus 3 translational research publications (2 first author). Also do bench research since sophomore year in undergrad and have 2 posters from that. 200 volunteer hours at ascension providence ICU, 100 other from tutoring reading to local middle schoolers, been on two abroad mission trips and have continued involvement with one of the organizations (am in charge of their social media and fundraising). I also am a TA for a class that teaches undergrads how work through a research project. In my gap year I will be working at a bridge year program as a medical assistant in Boston for a dermatology clinic. LORs from 2 professors, undergrad research PI, and orthopedic surgeon I worked for last summer. I want to be realistic with my list and am open to applying to a lot of schools. Let me know if there are any red flags here or any that I am missing.

Your list is trying to argue that you are an Illinois and not a Texas resident. I think UIC prefers in-state IL, so you must see if your volunteering/work around Chicago helps you with the area schools.

Texas schools tend to like candidates who grew up in the part of the state where they serve most of their patients. It's not clear if regional preference among your in-state will work for you, but with your lower MCAT, you should look into it.

Your big vulnerability is your lack of service orientation activities (food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation). Tutoring/teaching/mentoring does not fulfill this bucket. You should have 150 hours before submitting your application or your application might be screened out at most schools.