Third Time - School Selection

[tritown]

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Thanks to everyone in advance for your help! 🙂

As of right now, I am on the wait list for USUHS. I remain optimistic about my chances there, but I need to start working on a reapplication. Any advice about school selection (or anything, I guess) is welcome, and I appreciate all input.

First, I will give you a little background.
Washington state resident, married white male.
University of Washington, 3.42c, roughly the same science.
Volunteering, shadowing, etc

First year:
AMCAS submitted Sept 7 (I know, I know).
18 schools. Secondaries completed between late September and right after New Year.
1 interview in February at University of Washington SOM. I didn't get in, of course🙁.

Second year:
AMCAS submitted Aug 17.
24 schools. Secondaries completed between beginning of September through mid-December, I think.
2 interviews:
USUHS in early December. They're on rolling, so they were already giving out wait list notices by the time they decided on me. That's where I'm at now. They keep the waiting list fairly small, but we'll see if I get "the call" or not. By the way, I am medically qualified, so I'm good as soon as they get to my name on the list.
Albany in early April. Rejected🙁.

Now I'm reapplying. I hope to get AMCAS done by the end of this week (July 8 or so). Then I will start cranking the secondaries as soon as I get them. Sometime around there, I may end up doing the AACOMAS for DO schools in the coming weeks.

I would like to apply to about 12 or so MD schools, and maybe then a handful of DO schools. I am married and working a full-time job, so I would like to not spread myself too thin. I just felt like I wasn't able to dedicate enough quality time with each of the secondaries last year, but maybe that's life. An earlier start to them this year might help things out, though.

Also of note is that I would like to do HPSP with any of these.

Here are some selections I am thinking:
University of Washington SOM
USUHS
Albany
WashU
Creighton
VCU
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola Stritch
Rush
Temple
Drexel
Jefferson
Georgetown

Osteopathic:
MSUCOM
OSUCOM
PNWU (Yakima, Washington)


Again, any input is more than welcome. Let me know if you need any clarification and thanks so much in advance for your help! 😎

 

[Journey2become]

Again, any input is more than welcome. Let me know if you need any clarification and thanks so much in advance for your help! 😎

You didn't mention what you Mcat was...that makes a big difference on what schools you should apply to.
I know WashU is VERY research heavy - a few years ago (when I was looking into them) they had the highest gpa and mcat average of ANY US school). I don't know if you have research or not - but that will also impact the list of where you should apply.

If you want to add DO schools, LECOM (both PA and FL) secondary do not have an essay portion so it would not take much time to fill out (but then you would have to have the time/money to go there for an interview)

 

[SisterDisco08]

You probably shouldn't apply to MSUCOM unless you're a Michigan resident, or from the Great Lakes area. They are the only public osteo school, and your chances of getting in are small if you're not from the area. OSUCOM is also very regionally biased. I'd try AZCOM or the Touros instead. Maybe Nova.

Also, you REALLY need to get in touch with these schools and ask them what they didn't like about your application the first and second times if you want a chance this time.

 

[tritown]

Silly me for forgetting the part about the MCAT score😳

First time: 31R
Second time: 33Q

Thanks for the input thus far!

By the way, I have called some of the schools, including University of Washington and Jefferson. I still need to call Albany.

 

[SisterDisco08]

Silly me for forgetting the part about the MCAT score😳

First time: 31R
Second time: 33Q

Thanks for the input thus far!

By the way, I have called some of the schools, including University of Washington and Jefferson. I still need to call Albany.

if you can actually schedule face to face meetings with the ones within driving distance, that would be so much better. the more they can associate with your application, the better.

 

[mommy2three]

ditto to what was said above about MSUCOM and OSUCOM

I would consider adding AZCOM and CCOM

 

[tritown]

if you can actually schedule face to face meetings with the ones within driving distance, that would be so much better. the more they can associate with your application, the better.

That's a good suggestion. I have certainly thought that would be good, but Seattle is not really all that close to where I live.


Thanks to all for the DO suggestions. I'm a little new to that side, so that really helps!

Does anybody have allopathic school suggestions for somewhat nontraditional applicants myself? To me, it seems that Rosalind Franklin, Rush, Temple, Drexel, VCU, Albany, Buffalo, and EVMS are generally pretty good. If anybody has any more that they can think of, that would be great.

Again, I appreciate all the input!

 

[SisterDisco08]

That's a good suggestion. I have certainly thought that would be good, but Seattle is not really all that close to where I live.


Thanks to all for the DO suggestions. I'm a little new to that side, so that really helps!

Does anybody have allopathic school suggestions for somewhat nontraditional applicants myself? To me, it seems that Rosalind Franklin, Rush, Temple, Drexel, VCU, Albany, Buffalo, and EVMS are generally pretty good. If anybody has any more that they can think of, that would be great.

Again, I appreciate all the input!

I've been thinking about some of those too...but I know that a lot of those get a TON of applicants (like close to 10,000) so I wonder if it's even worth it? :/

 

[tritown]

I've been thinking about some of those too...but I know that a lot of those get a TON of applicants (like close to 10,000) so I wonder if it's even worth it? :/

I'm glad I am not the only one wondering. It makes me wonder - why am I applying to Drexel and Tufts again and again when they really show no interest? The field is deep, that's for sure.

 

[Ursa]

While it's good to have a diverse list of schools, I think WashU might be too much of a reach. Not only are you in the bottom 10% for MCAT (for them), you are in the bottom 10% of GPA for any US MD schools.

However, crazier things have happened. I would just try to replace WashU with a school that wouldn't require a miracle to get in to.

Also, why are you taking so long to get your AMCAS and secondaries in (the first two cycles)? I applied TMDSAS (8 schools) and AMCAS (14 schools), and I had everything done by August (including secondaries). If I can do that, surely you can finish your 13 school AMCAS and secondaries quickly. You are shooting yourself in the foot the longer you take.

Also, congrats on the MCAT improvement. It is definitely a strong point in your application if you, given you choose the right schools.

 

[Sinfest]

You probably shouldn't apply to MSUCOM unless you're a Michigan resident, or from the Great Lakes area. They are the only public osteo school,

Incorrect

 

[FrkyBgStok]

i know this thread is a couple weeks old, but this is your 3rd time applying and you have a low GPA. Below the DO averages. I think it is time to decrease your MD schools and greatly increase your DO schools.

 

[tritown]

Thanks everybody for your input. 🙂

 

[eforest]

This year is a great year to apply! There are so many new medical schools popping up everywhere. Apply to as many schools as possible- maybe even more than listed. You'll end up paying through the nose but compare that to the price of having to apply again.

 

[rigel]

I know this is coming a little late, but it's still early in the cycle, so whatever.

I will be starting @ OHSU in a couple weeks. This was my fourth time applying. I was accepted outright (no waitlist, unlike pretty much everywhere else I had interviewed) despite interviewing on the second to last day of interviews for the cycle.

One of the things that struck me was that on my interview day, there were at least three other people (plus me) out of 15 or so that were >30. They seem to really dig nontraditional students.

While I was waiting to hear back after submitting my secondary, I sent them a letter explaining my connections to the area. I think this probably made a difference.

So dont rule them out.

Also, the public Ohio schools are pretty decent. It sort of depends on what your priorities are. With a family, theyre clearly going to be a bit different than a single kid in their early twenties.

PM me if you want to chat in more detail.