Unsure of where I'm competitive-- 3.73sGPA, 31

[JoshuaGuit]

Hi,

I'm unsure of where I'm competitive at, or what schools would really be reaches for me. I go to a top/second tier private engineering university, my major is biomedical engineering.

I haven't taken the MCATs yet.

I do need to have my application done soon, and I need a list of schools that I would be competitive at. I'm from CT, but go to college in NY. I don't have anything that binds me to other states unfortunately.

School list I had in mind:
Johns Hopkins – 3.87 35Q –
Harvard – 3.87 35R
Duke – 3.85 35Q –
Yale (instate) – 3.81 35Q
Mount Sinai – 3.75 35Q
Mayo Clinic – 3.85 33Q –
Dartmouth – 3.77 33Q
U Florida – 3.82 32P –
Tufts U – 3.69 33Q
U South Cali – Keck – 3.68 33Q –
UC Davis – 3.68 33Q –
Albert Einstein – 3.77 32Q –
U Arizona – 3.67 30P
UC Irvine – 3.75 32Q –
U Connecticut (instate) – 3.7 32Q
U South Florida – 3.81 30P
Temple U – 3.68 31P


I really want to get out of the north east, and would prefer to be anywhere warm. California or Florida are my ideal locations. My prehealth advisor basically told me to cross off any state schools in the west because I don't have a good chance of getting in due to their quotas. I need to add like 15 colleges to this list, can anyone please help?



Just filling out the normal template---
Cumulative GPA: 3.58
BCPM GPA: 3.73

(bcpm doesn't count bmed/engr/mtle classes?)

-Clinical volunteer activities:

Became a state volunteer EMT freshman year of college through a semester long class. Volunteered through freshman and sophomore year on our university ambulance. Racked up ~200 hours of volunteering on the ambulance. I would be taking vitals/histories.

-Physician shadowing (include specialties and total hours)

Shadowed a bunch of physicians... Includes a pulmonologist for ~40 hours, gastroenterologist for ~10 hours, gen surgery for ~10 hours, hospitalists for ~10 hours. I'm sure that I am forgetting some, total comes out to around 80 hours of shadowing probably.

-Research

Started in the Fall of last school year, put in 15 hours a week (basically part time) through the school year. One publication being submitted this coming week, one abstract submitted to the BMES, three more publications being submitted by the end of the summer. I'm second author on all of them, first author on one of them. I'm here over the summer being funded through the NIH/NSF to continue doing research.

-Nonclinical volunteer activities
@Lab Research

@TA for cell biology and responsible for teaching 20 students (created my own lesson plans, quizzes)

@Internship at a pharma company summer after freshman year

@Medical camp counselor summer after freshman year

@EMT 200 hours

@Involved in the RSA from freshman year thru junior year, twice elected chairman of upperclassmen hall council during sophomore year where I ran weekly meetings to evaluate progress/organize on-campus events

@Greek life liaison through RSA junior year (connected greek life with campus life)

@Leadership positions in my social fraternity such as scholarship chairman, greek academic peer supporter (basically a learning assistant for the fraternity), IFC representative

@Amateur power-lifter, A huge hobby of mine is doing olympic lifting, I train 5 days a week

-Employment
My only paying job has been this summer continuing my research.


Thanks for any help!

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[tenndoc]

MSAR and google.

 

[JoshuaGuit]

MSAR and google.

Thank you for your very helpful post. I have an old version of the MSAR in front of me, as well as the LizzyM scores spreadsheet. I was hoping I could receive input on qualities other than matching GPA.

Thanks again!

 

[Chir0nex]

I think it's a bit premature to start making a list of schools without knowing your MCAT yet. A single practice does not determine how you will do on the real thing. Have you done any prep for it yet? Your score could go up or down with a significant effect on your prospects.

As far as your list. I would discount the UC schools. It is incredibly difficult to get as an OOS. In terms of other qualities, what are you interested in? Some schools have a focus on community/rural medicine vs research, but in general most schools will get you a good general medical education.

 

[JoshuaGuit]

I think it's a bit premature to start making a list of schools without knowing your MCAT yet. A single practice does not determine how you will do on the real thing. Have you done any prep for it yet? Your score could go up or down with a significant effect on your prospects.

As far as your list. I would discount the UC schools. It is incredibly difficult to get as an OOS. In terms of other qualities, what are you interested in? Some schools have a focus on community/rural medicine vs research, but in general most schools will get you a good general medical education.

I would agree that it is a little weird to be getting a school list before the MCATs, but my premed committee insists on me having a list for them within the next week.

I've been studying from the TBR books and EK books, as well as the hyperlearning verbal workbook everyday for a few hours.

I'm interested in gastroenterology and my PS greatly reflects that. I'm open to research schools especially due to my background in research/publications, but not convinced I would want to do the MD/phd route.

 

[1289]

agree with what everyone else has said: its hard to give advice without knowing your MCAT. with a 3.75, your mcat can really make or break you. on the one hand, if you score 35+ you may very well be competitive at the very top-heavy list you posted, on the other hand, anything below a 32 or so and you should ditch that list and go for more mid-low tier. im no expert on california schools, but I do know that even CA residents struggle to get in, so again it depends on your mcat but you might want to nix those CA schools.