School List --- Not enough Safeties

[Dr Gerrard]

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1) I am applying next year.
2) I am only wondering if I should add more safeties. I know I have a pretty good chance to get in somewhere.
3) I would say I have pretty good stats, but I am actually looking for advice. Please don't think I am making this thread only to brag. I have no reason to show off on an internet forum. I just don't want to aim too high.

Vanderbilt
Mayo
NYU
Mt. Sinai
U Chicago
Northwestern
Columbia
UPenn
1 of 2 state schools (neither are "top" schools but would not consider going to the other)
Maybe Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Duke, UMich, Yale, Chapel Hill, Emory, etc.

Stats:
4.0/39R --- biochemistry, w/ philosophy and business administration minors

ECs:
100 hrs. shadowing Neurosurgery --- in OR and clinic
40 hrs nonclinical volunteering in Dept of Neurosciences
Ethics debate team - two semester, 2nd place in national championship
study abroad
student judicial boards --- one semester
associate director of research and develop. in student govt. --- one semester
forest activities club --- would raise awareness of forest, go out and make maps, pick up trash, put up signs, etc. --- 4 semesters, co-executive as 2 (count as volunteering?)
started a news discussion and was discussion leader for one semester
2 summers of research (one first author pub in clinical journal, but all i did was chart reviews and stuff, nothing special)


I may be lacking in terms of volunteering and maybe in terms of clinical exposure. The latter I think I have covered though, because I got to see surgeries and I got to see what they do in clinic, which is more like what nonsurgical doctors do all the time anyways.

THANKS!!!

 

[TopSecret]

Your MCAT is on the low side for a non-URM at Harvard and JHU, but otherwise your choice of schools is pretty good.

 

[teenmachinery1]

1) I am applying next year.
2) I am only wondering if I should add more safeties. I know I have a pretty good chance to get in somewhere.
3) I would say I have pretty good stats, but I am actually looking for advice. Please don't think I am making this thread only to brag. I have no reason to show off on an internet forum. I just don't want to aim too high.

Vanderbilt
Mayo
NYU
Mt. Sinai
U Chicago
Northwestern
Columbia
UPenn
1 of 2 state schools (neither are "top" schools but would not consider going to the other)
Maybe Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Duke, UMich, Yale, Chapel Hill, Emory, etc.

Stats:
4.0/39R --- biochemistry, w/ philosophy and business administration minors

ECs:
100 hrs. shadowing Neurosurgery --- in OR and clinic
40 hrs nonclinical volunteering in Dept of Neurosciences
Ethics debate team - two semester, 2nd place in national championship
study abroad
student judicial boards --- one semester
associate director of research and develop. in student govt. --- one semester
forest activities club --- would raise awareness of forest, go out and make maps, pick up trash, put up signs, etc. --- 4 semesters, co-executive as 2 (count as volunteering?)
started a news discussion and was discussion leader for one semester
2 summers of research (one first author pub in clinical journal, but all i did was chart reviews and stuff, nothing special)


I may be lacking in terms of volunteering and maybe in terms of clinical exposure. The latter I think I have covered though, because I got to see surgeries and I got to see what they do in clinic, which is more like what nonsurgical doctors do all the time anyways.

THANKS!!!

Have you thought about D.O.?

I would try examkrackers to raise that MCAT but other than that you have an OK shot!

BTW, you're verified for next year's app cycle right? If not... you're a little on the late side. I'd wait another year and buff up my stats. Have all the surgeries you observed been of the neurosurgery variety? If so, I would broaden my surgery observation experience to other fields.

GL.

 

[Stratego]

If all the research you have is two summers worth, I'd agree that adding some schools that are not among the top twenty research giants is a good idea. Having a publication is pretty nice though.

I'd also encourage you to get in some face-to-face interaction with sick people so you aren't relying on shadowing alone to convince adcomms that you've adequately tested a medical vocation. If you do this as a volunteer, that would also help satisfy the expectation of community service.

 

[eric51]

Have you thought about D.O.?

I would try examkrackers to raise that MCAT but other than that you have an OK shot!

BTW, you're verified for next year's app cycle right? If not... you're a little on the late side. I'd wait another year and buff up my stats. Have all the surgeries you observed been of the neurosurgery variety? If so, I would broaden my surgery observation experience to other fields.

GL.

Did you post in the wrong thread or something?

To answer the TC's questions, I think you should add some more schools outside the top 20 just to be safe. It would really suck to not get in anywhere. You also should try to get some more directly clinical experience, volunteer clinical experience would be best. You said your applying next year, so make that your goal for this year. Other than that, you have a very good shot of getting in to pretty much any school.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

If all the research you have is two summers worth, I'd agree that adding some schools that are not among the top twenty research giants is a good idea. Having a publication is pretty nice though.

I'd also encourage you to get in some face-to-face interaction with sick people so you aren't relying on shadowing alone to convince adcomms that you've adequately tested a medical vocation. If you do this as a volunteer, that would also help satisfy the expectation of community service.

Exactly what I was looking for, thanks a lot. Unfortunately, I may just have to take my losses. I am studying abroad in the Spring and I have already overcommitted myself for the Fall.

Maybe I can include whatever I do in the summer before..

 

[Stratego]

Perhaps you could arrange some hospital or clinic volunteering in your host country.

 

[Soaring Falcon]

Your MCAT is on the low side for a non-URM at Harvard and JHU, but otherwise your choice of schools is pretty good.

no offense or anything but it seems that the majority of your answers deal with URM and non-URM statistics.

And yes, you have a good chance to getting in (and well done on the 39R)

 

[wait4me]

Have you thought about D.O.?

I would try examkrackers to raise that MCAT but other than that you have an OK shot!

BTW, you're verified for next year's app cycle right? If not... you're a little on the late side. I'd wait another year and buff up my stats. Have all the surgeries you observed been of the neurosurgery variety? If so, I would broaden my surgery observation experience to other fields.

GL.

your advice is for them to RAISE their 39 MCAT?????? that wasnt even the question. the question was about safety schools. The people on SDN are ridiculous sometimes

I think you have a good shot once you improve your volunteering/clinical experiences. I would try looking for safety schools on that excel school spreadsheet that is stickied in the MD forum

 

[Catalystik]

your advice is for them to RAISE their 39 MCAT?????? that wasnt even the question.

Perhaps your sarcasm detector needs recalibration?