Step 1: 215
Step 2 CK/ CS: Scheduled for June/July to get the scores by Sept. 15th (obviously planning on showing significant improvement on CK)
School: Lower tier NE school
Class Rank: Not sure, but definitely lower half preclinical, much higher clinical
Clerkship Grades (specify if H/P/F system):
Honors: Psych, Medicine, Neuro, Family
High Pass: Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN not back yet
Every clinical review I've had has been overwhelmingly positive. All mention excellent communication skills, patient interactions, and clinical ability. My guess is that my MSPE will be one of the stronger parts of my app (I promise I'm not arrogant, just relaying what has been written about me).
AOA: No preclinical, possibly clinical
Research/ Publications:
Retrospective clinical study in surgery - Publication (2nd author) and large conference lecture.
Neuro-oncology bench research - abstract (3rd author).
Patient Case report - PMR publication (first author).
Undergrad cognitive neuroscience imaging - poster at neuroscience conference, successful thesis defense.
Also worked as a research assistant on neuro-imaging studies for one year at a top 5 institution, unfortunately no pub as of yet
Extracurriculars:
Student leadership (4 years), student research forum committee (planned/organized and ran event), participated in my school's LCME accreditation, ran 2 sports clubs (basketball and softball)
2 years working as behavior interventionist prior to med school. I've have been working with children with developmental disabilities in some capacity since I was 15, whether volunteering or as a paid mentor.
Quality of LORs if known:
Not known. Have one from Medicine, planning on getting two from psych and one from pediatrics. I'm sure they'll all be positive, but most likely won't set me apart from the pack.
Red flags: Step 1 score?
Where you would like to end up: Ideally, Southern California (born and raised, also went to undergrad there), but I realize this has become a quite the challenge, especially given my sub-par Step 1 score. Anywhere in the NE (NYC optimal) and other west coast-ish place (Arizona, Washington, Oregon). I'm also open to places in the Midwest and South that are strong programs and/or in more "desirable" cities (Texas, New Orleans, NC schools, etc). I have one away scheduled before interview season at a top program in my desired location.
So the main reason I am posting is because I'm having a lot of trouble narrowing down my list. I have ~70 schools right now that include my almost all the schools in my most desired locations (West Coast, NE), and then schools in any other city I could possibly see myself in. I'm really just unsure about how strong other aspects of my app are and if/how much they can help bolster my chances. Any and all input is welcome. Thanks in advance!