Littlemister
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- Jun 26, 2024
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Hi guys! I recently got my mcat back and it was a lot lower than I expected so I'm struggling creating a school list. I'm not sure if I'm "considered" URM. Im Middle Eastern ( w/ immigrant parents). I'm def economically disadvantaged and have many minority experiences that I talked about in my app. I already submitted my primary app last week. I'm a California resident.
I have a 4.0 gpa from T5 public school. I graduated last year and I'm currently going into my second gap year. I have a 503 MCAT (first time test taker 125/124/128/126). I scored much lower than usual on both chem/phys and psych/soc. I'm not sure if I should retake this September. I haven't prewritten secondaries so I don't know how that will be balancing studying for the mcat with secondaries. I also haven't touched content in a month and don't even know if its too late to take it in September and whether rushing studying will really improve my score. I felt like I had a strong content foundation because I studied since last November but I don't know anymore now. I do think my test taking strategies and reading quickly etc are weak though and that might have brought down my score with the test anxiety I had. My goal was honestly just a 508/509.
My activities are
700ish hours medical scribe in ER, projected working until next summer at 20 hours a week (most meaningful)
900ish hours clinical volunteering at a free health clinic, health fairs, and I organized health fairs for refugees with another club I was in
200ish hours Area Health Education Scholars Training program (national clinical training program to serve minority communities)
800ish hours doing structural racism / health equity research at a med school based in Chicago (did poster +paper but not published yet) (most meaningful)
300ish hours of community medical volunteer at a refugee health organization
150 hours in a pre professional health org. Did work to improve maternal health outcomes for AA populations.
400ish hours at my high school district as an intern working for educational equity
700ish hours, I cofounded an org that helps community organizations in my city by sending volunteers there + support. (most meaningful)
200ish hours medical mission trip to my country
100ish hours I was was a career coach for individuals with autism
shadowing
900 hours doing health disparities + environmental research with a PI (own research project w/poster)
700 hours president of refugee org at college (got award )
200 hours of tutoring kids + college mentor in underserved cities
I'm not crazy about going to a top school, honestly. I know if retook the mcat I would have a much higher chance but this being my second gap year I don't want to take three gap years. Do you guys think my extracurriculars with GPA are solid enough that I have a chance at some schools? The thing is, I'd be applying to all schools with a lower than 10% MCAT, and I know that my GPA is over, but they don't really put as much emphasis on that.
These are the schools I have so far. I made my school list just off of reading others with similar stats and msar. Let me know what you guys think. I honestly don't know if any of these are reaches too. I didn't really go in to edit it either
Wayne State
St Louis
University of Louisville
Oregon Health Sciences
Reno School
West Virgina
Rosalind
Penn State
UIC
Beaumont
Western Mich
Toledo
Sunny downstate
U Arizona
Geisenger
Georgetown (v reach I should probably remove)
Tufts
Drexel
UAB
Loyola
UCLA
Tulane
Rush
UCR
Albany
Mehhary
Central Mich
Vermont
Wake Forest
George Washington
Eastern Virgina and common wealth
I think both Arizonas
CUSM
Charles Drew
Wright
U kansas
U wisconson (private)
cooper / Rowan (no clue what this school is)
anne burrnet
I am planning to apply broadly to DO schools too. Are there any MD schools I should remove/add and what do you guys recommend for DO schools.
I have a 4.0 gpa from T5 public school. I graduated last year and I'm currently going into my second gap year. I have a 503 MCAT (first time test taker 125/124/128/126). I scored much lower than usual on both chem/phys and psych/soc. I'm not sure if I should retake this September. I haven't prewritten secondaries so I don't know how that will be balancing studying for the mcat with secondaries. I also haven't touched content in a month and don't even know if its too late to take it in September and whether rushing studying will really improve my score. I felt like I had a strong content foundation because I studied since last November but I don't know anymore now. I do think my test taking strategies and reading quickly etc are weak though and that might have brought down my score with the test anxiety I had. My goal was honestly just a 508/509.
My activities are
700ish hours medical scribe in ER, projected working until next summer at 20 hours a week (most meaningful)
900ish hours clinical volunteering at a free health clinic, health fairs, and I organized health fairs for refugees with another club I was in
200ish hours Area Health Education Scholars Training program (national clinical training program to serve minority communities)
800ish hours doing structural racism / health equity research at a med school based in Chicago (did poster +paper but not published yet) (most meaningful)
300ish hours of community medical volunteer at a refugee health organization
150 hours in a pre professional health org. Did work to improve maternal health outcomes for AA populations.
400ish hours at my high school district as an intern working for educational equity
700ish hours, I cofounded an org that helps community organizations in my city by sending volunteers there + support. (most meaningful)
200ish hours medical mission trip to my country
100ish hours I was was a career coach for individuals with autism
shadowing
900 hours doing health disparities + environmental research with a PI (own research project w/poster)
700 hours president of refugee org at college (got award )
200 hours of tutoring kids + college mentor in underserved cities
I'm not crazy about going to a top school, honestly. I know if retook the mcat I would have a much higher chance but this being my second gap year I don't want to take three gap years. Do you guys think my extracurriculars with GPA are solid enough that I have a chance at some schools? The thing is, I'd be applying to all schools with a lower than 10% MCAT, and I know that my GPA is over, but they don't really put as much emphasis on that.
These are the schools I have so far. I made my school list just off of reading others with similar stats and msar. Let me know what you guys think. I honestly don't know if any of these are reaches too. I didn't really go in to edit it either
Wayne State
St Louis
University of Louisville
Oregon Health Sciences
Reno School
West Virgina
Rosalind
Penn State
UIC
Beaumont
Western Mich
Toledo
Sunny downstate
U Arizona
Geisenger
Georgetown (v reach I should probably remove)
Tufts
Drexel
UAB
Loyola
UCLA
Tulane
Rush
UCR
Albany
Mehhary
Central Mich
Vermont
Wake Forest
George Washington
Eastern Virgina and common wealth
I think both Arizonas
CUSM
Charles Drew
Wright
U kansas
U wisconson (private)
cooper / Rowan (no clue what this school is)
anne burrnet
I am planning to apply broadly to DO schools too. Are there any MD schools I should remove/add and what do you guys recommend for DO schools.
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