School Selection Help/Volunteering Question

[scotsdoc54]

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I was hoping you guys could help me add or substract schools from my list.

Stats:
Senior Biochemistry Major (B.A.) at small LAC
BCPM GPA: 3.92
Overall GPA: 3.94
MCAT: 33S
250+ hours of volunteering at low-income health clinic
80-90 hours volunteering at nursing home
~100 hours of shadowing experience (Orthopedics, Family Practice, Peds, IM, Med Onc, Rads)
1 summer research at St. Jude (POE program)
2 semester and 1 summer Honors Thesis research (indepedently designed and researched)
Applied for and recieved research grant for thesis research ($5000 dollars total)
GED instructor at local correctional facility (~200 hours)
Tutor/TA for Intro Chem and Organic Chem, Genetics Tutor for Non-Major
Resident Assistant for 3 years
Club VP, other various volunteering gigs
Outstanding Student in Organic Chemistry Award and RA of the Year Award
Various other Awards, member on committees, etc.

Here's my school list:
ETSU
UT-Memphis
U. of Kentucky
U. of Louisville
UVA
VCU
EVMS
Wake Forest
Emory
Duke
Vanderbilt
University of Cinci
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Penn State

Obviously I prefer to stay in the South if possible. UK and UofL are listed for two reasons: my grandmother was from KY, so that side of the family is a connection, and my significant other really wants me to go there and establish residency, so I do that for her (even though I know they aren't necessarily looking for OOS). I would like to add a few more safeties potentially, but I know places like Drexel get a ton of apps. Any suggestions?

Also, I wanted to ask if I could list my nursing home volunteering as clinical experience. I didn't really "take care" of patients, more just visited with them. Read to them, checked on their medicines if they asked for them, talked to them, helped them play bingo, etc. I didn't know what to list this as. Can I list it as clinical experience?

Any suggestions would be great! Thanks!

 

[scotsdoc54]

Also forgot to mention. I'll hopefully being use my gap year to either work with Americorps or affiliated organization, doing research, or if worst comes to worst, trying to find some sort of employment at home and volunteering/shadowing. I'm also a first-generation college student if that matters at all.

 

[Mobius1985]

I wanted to ask if I could list my nursing home volunteering as clinical experience. I didn't really "take care" of patients, more just visited with them. Read to them, checked on their medicines if they asked for them, talked to them, helped them play bingo, etc. I didn't know what to list this as. Can I list it as clinical experience?

Yes, this is a clinical experience. List it under "community service/volunteer-medical/clinical" on the AMCAS form, along with a narrative of what your duties entailed.

 

[LateBl00meR]

subtract Rosalind Franklin, add Georgetown

 

[scotsdoc54]

Mobius: Thanks for the answer. Glad to be able to list something else as clinical experience.

Latebloomer: Why Georgetown? Don't they get like 10,000 apps a year or something ridiculous?

Any other schools suggestions would be great!

 

[Mobius1985]

If you are willing to go far enough north to include Rosalind Franklin and Loyola, then also consider Rush and St Louis U in MO.

 

[scotsdoc54]

Thanks Mobius. I'll add those. What about Baylor and U. of Maryland? Worthwhile to add?

Anyone have some suggestions as far as removing schools from the list? With my application, how many schools should I apply to without going broke?