MD Should I apply this year?/Need some help making a list if I do

[Rsp24]

Hi all, I need some help figuring out how to make a list of schools and suggestions on whether I should even apply this year. I will be applying somewhat late (mid-late August) because I was unsure if I wanted to take the MCAT this year and if I could get everything in order. So everything feels a bit rushed rn. Here are some numbers.

3.86 cGPA, 3.77 sGPA
Biochem BS, Physiology BA
MCAT coming up in the next few weeks, but 512 on AAMC practice test 2
Haven't written any essays/PS yet and I'm really bad at application style writing. I've been told I don't make it very interesting and write too much information instead of telling a story. Probably will be too late to find help but I still have two free weeks to write after my MCAT.

Minnesota, ORM, not from an underserved area

2 good letters written, 2 very good ones coming up but may cause additional delays (worth waiting for a better letter if it means I apply later?)

ECs:
-900 Hours volunteering as Coordinator of a free clinic in an underserved area, started up collaborations with partnering health systems to provide free vaccinations, free lab tests, and cheap radiology
-400 Hours Paid work in EMS. Rural 911/transport ambulance. Granted this is 500 "paid" hours and not 500 hours of actually having patient contacts.
-300 Hours Paid work as an ER tech
-300 Hours Volunteering as Firefighter/EMT, helped test and develop departments firefighter rehabilitation policies (mostly patient care as we mostly get EMS calls, some non-clinical, is it worth making a distinction?)
-600 Hours in research, 2 publications as a supporting author
-150 Hours volunteering with campus EMS
-50 Hours TA/prosector for undergraduate anatomy cadaver lab ( cut short by COVID)
-75 Hours in shadowing of EM, EMS Medical Director, FM, Infectious Disease/TB specialist (International), GenSurg (International)

Only thing I know so far is if I apply it will be to at least my In-State school and a couple of neighboring schools. I know very little about any other schools across the country. Would appreciate any strategies to research what schools would be worth applying to, if I should push back MCAT to give myself some more time, and just general feedback on whether I should apply now or wait a year. I seem to find myself content with either option at this point.

(Also, brand new poster, lmk please if I'm somehow breaking forum rules)

EDIT: Typo for gpa. Had 4.... instead of 3....

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[star-lily]

If I were you, I would give it the extra year.

 

[9blade]

Eh...it's up to you. It's not late in my opinion to submit in early July. There are plenty of people submitting next week. You can submit before getting your MCAT score

 

[candbgirl]

So you are taking the MCAT in a few weeks-like late August, late July, September? How long is two week score turnaround going to happen? Between the studying for the MCAT and filling out the primary(do you have your PS written) and then secondaries. You probably should wait and apply day 1 next cycle! Good luck on the test!

 

[gyngyn]

At some point, you are going to need to calculate your AMCAS gpa...

 

[Rsp24]

Eh...it's up to you. It's not late in my opinion to submit in early July. There are plenty of people submitting next week. You can submit before getting your MCAT score

Ok this must be something I missed out on. Is there any downside to submitting before having the MCAT score ready? Right now my plan was July 18th test, and get everything else ready in the two weeks until the August 3rd score reporting date. Do they actually start reviewing your application before the scores are reported or is it just in limbo until the score comes in?

 

[Rsp24]

At some point, you are going to need to calculate your AMCAS gpa...

Can you say more on this please? Is it a very time-consuming process?

 

[gyngyn]

Can you say more on this please? Is it a very time-consuming process?

You just plug your grades into a grade calculator.
As it stands, we don't really know your gpa. It should probably be good but it definitely won't be what you've listed here.
Look at the pre-allo helpful links found here: *~*~*~*IMPORTANT: How to Format Your WAMC Thread for Optimal Results and More!!*~*~*~*

 

[9blade]

Ok this must be something I missed out on. Is there any downside to submitting before having the MCAT score ready? Right now my plan was July 18th test, and get everything else ready in the two weeks until the August 3rd score reporting date. Do they actually start reviewing your application before the scores are reported or is it just in limbo until the score comes in?

Some may send you a secondary even before your score comes in. You won't get an interview invite before your scores come in. Some interviews would have gone out already by August 3. I would try to submit your application before July 18. I had a two week turnaround on my app for verification. Schools get your app no earlier than July 10 if I'm not mistaken, then secondaries go out, and I think by late July some schools start sending out interviews. Your timeline isn't early, but it's not terribly late either.

 

[candbgirl]

Ok this must be something I missed out on. Is there any downside to submitting before having the MCAT score ready? Right now my plan was July 18th test, and get everything else ready in the two weeks until the August 3rd score reporting date. Do they actually start reviewing your application before the scores are reported or is it just in limbo until the score comes in?

AMCAS doesn’t care when you send your primary or yourbMCAT. But your primary has to verified by AMCAS after all of your transcripts are submitted. Verification can take weeks to happen. I’ve read this year it’s taking 6-8 weeks but I’m not sure that’s true. But however long it takes schools will not get your primary application until you are verified by AMCAS. Some schools will automatically send you secondaries and some will review your primary first!

 

[PigsHaveWings]

you have good extra curricular hours. You have probably made a mistake in calculating your GPA that you have posted here. It is calculated with a maximum of 4.

some of the DO schools have a later interview cycle, that may be an option too. Your state schools may give you interviews , sometimes if you are late also.

but i agree with the rest, medical school interviews are in a rolling process, so it is hard to get interviews if not submitted earlier in the cycle.

 

[Rsp24]

you have good extra curricular hours. You have probably made a mistake in calculating your GPA that you have posted here. It is calculated with a maximum of 4.

some of the DO schools have a later interview cycle, that may be an option too. Your state schools may give you interviews , sometimes if you are late also.

but i agree with the rest, medical school interviews are in a rolling process, so it is hard to get interviews if not submitted earlier in the cycle.

That was a nice little typo on my part, thanks for catching it. Replace both 3s with 4s for GPA. I recently plugged these into an amcas gpa excel calculator and got numbers within 0.03 of cumulative and science.

 

[Rsp24]

You just plug your grades into a grade calculator.
As it stands, we don't really know your gpa. It should probably be good but it definitely won't be what you've listed here.
Look at the pre-allo helpful links found here: *~*~*~*IMPORTANT: How to Format Your WAMC Thread for Optimal Results and More!!*~*~*~*

Appreciate the link to the calculators. First off I had a typo it should have been 3.86 and not 4.86...I tried some of the calculators on there, the predicted numbers were within 0.03 of what I had.

 

[gyngyn]

Appreciate the link to the calculators. First off I had a typo it should have been 3.86 and not 4.86...I tried some of the calculators on there, the predicted numbers were within 0.03 of what I had.

You can expedite your application by applying to a single throwaway school to get your transcripts verified while you await your MCAT score. Additional schools upload within a day (after you get your MCAT).
I cannot recommend applying to a bunch of schools that you are interested in without an MCAT score.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

If you have no clue about a PS or supplemental essays, I'd wait a year unless you like scrambling around in a panic. Who is writing your letters of recommendation?

 

[Rsp24]

If you have no clue about a PS or supplemental essays, I'd wait a year unless you like scrambling around in a panic. Who is writing your letters of recommendation?

I think this is what I ended up convincing myself with. I had no urgency to apply, and wouldn't mind getting another year to work/get experience. Plus this allows me to move my MCAT test day by a month and get some more review in. Regarding letters of rec I do have a question, I will have all of mine written by the end of this month. Is there anything negative in just submitting those letters next year, or would it be advised to find people who could recommend me closer to the application cycle next year?

As of right now my four letter writers are:
1) MD who is medical director of the free clinic I help him coordinate. I work with him very closely and frequently, and he knows me very well. I've known him for the last three years up to the present.
2)Head of anatomy program at my university. I have taken two classes with him and was a TA for his anatomy lab class. He also teaches at the med school of the university I would most like to go to and has extensive experience with the application process/ writing letters.
3)Biology professor from my freshman-sophomore years. Took two classes with him and stood out academically. He has a few good anecdotes he mentioned he would write about. I asked him to write the letter at the end of my sophomore year and hold on to it until needed. This one I am somewhat questioning whether I should submit, considering how it will be several years since it was written when I submit it. Or would it be to my advantage that I would have letters spanning my entire time in college?
4) Instructor from a writing class I took freshman year. I have been involved in a philosophy club of sorts with him since. He knows me very well with good anecdotes, and has good experience writing for AMCAS.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Letters that are a year old is completely fine. If you’re worried about it, you can always contact your letter writers and ask them to update the date.