URM, was homeless, 3.1 gpa, 520 MCAT - help please!

[thethingcalledlife]

Thanks in advance for reading this. I feel a little lost and really need some help/input/opinions! I'll try to be short.
Some background~

I grew up in poverty and was homeless my senior year of high school until very recently. My parents “disowned” me and kicked me out due to the fact that I was planning on going to college (they are immigrants with a backwards culture since they came from the country, and as a woman planning to go dorm/not get married, I put such “shame on the family” lol). It was a really abusive home.

I was obsessed with school since it was my only way out and got into 6/6 Ivies I applied to. I chose the one that offered me admission into a very selective, amazing 4 yr research program (the few students in the program, upon completion, go to the top 10 med schools).

Severe depression came at full blow (inherited and situational) + rough transition. This is what college looked like for me:

Major- Biology
—YEAR ONE—
1st semester GPA : 0.9 , 9 credits
2nd semester GPA: 1.34, 14 credits
—WITHDRAW—
Started off, but was so depressed I was suicidal. I was placed on a health leave and a mandatory academic leave for one year. The school wanted me to focus on my health and take classes/intern and all that to come back stronger - but I was homeless and broke. I started waitressing and showered in gyms/slept in the coatcheck/couch surfed. I couldn’t afford healthcare + I had to pay 10k to get back into school after the year (fees related to withdrawal). So that “year of improvement” didn’t do much. I also a huge stigma and misunderstanding of mental health due to my parents.
—YEAR TWO—
3rd semester GPA: 2.51, 17 credits
4th semester GPA: 2.65, 14 cr
—YEAR THREE—
5th semester GPA: 3.47, 18 cr
6th sem GPA: 2.4, 20 cr (I was now able to afford quality mental healthcare, but meds made me sick)
-WITHDRAW-
I had a severe reaction to medication - Steven Johnson’s Syndrome.
—YEAR FOUR—
7th semester GPA: 2.4, 12 cr
8th semester GPA: 4.2 gpa, 22 cr
—SUMMER—
4.3 GPA, 19 cr
—YEAR 4.5—
9th semester: 4.3 GPA, 22cr

The semesters in bold are when I finally got my health under control. To show my capabilities (and to raise sGPA), the courses consisted of upper level science and math (microbio/immono/histology/calcII/physics/advanced genetics/neuro/histology/physiolgoy…etc). This sadly only brought my GPA and sGPA up to a ~3.1

MCAT: 520

ECs: not too strong. I was too old to get into a lab when I got my life together/any free time I had to do premed things were taken up by waitressing due to need of $$.
-200 hours volunteering at hospital
-50 hours shadowing
-trained for 2 years to be an on campus counselor, worked as a counselor for a year
-handful of clubs

Do I have a chance at a med school, let alone think of top 30? I’m URM, have a good story (i think?), shown a drastic upward trend, high MCAT and really, really want to work in an underserved area.

Should I do an SMP? (post bacc won’t help my GPA much due to credits taken) Would a top 30 school be realistic after that, or just focus on any med school that accepts me?

I was looking at working as a research associate for two years and getting research/publications in, or perhaps Teach for America (I genuinely would care about this as I came from broken schools), and then applying or doing an SMP.. but I feel old enough already..

Also, if anyone has heard about Georgetown’s GEMS program - I know they look for lower GPAs, but is my MCAT too high to fit their applicant ideal?

ANY AND EVERY OPINION WOULD HELP! thank you guys loads.

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[thethingcalledlife]

Oh, does work experience help at all? I've only waitressed after highschool, but if that counts, I have ~5000 hours and i forgot to mention about the research program I was accepted in - I was removed due to their freshman first semester gpa req

 

[Goro]

You have a very compelling story, and a 520 MCAT score is nothing to sneeze at, but I'm worried that a single strong year and a half might not be enough to convince Adcoms that you've reinvented yourself. But it's definitely a step in the right direction.

GPAs top out at 4.0. You'll need to convert your school's numbers to AMCAS numbers for us to best advise you.

I don't think that an SMP is needed, but rather, one more semester with a 3.7+ GPA. Get in some more non-clinical volunteering, especially off campus, those in need.

Also keep in mind that may of the top schools can afford to turn down people with deficits in their transcripts....hence, aiming for Top 30 is too high. The higher you want to climb, the quality you need in your app. Aim for med school, period. That includes DO schools.

I suggest the following:
UCSF
Columbia
Duke
Pitt
Mayo
BU
Hofstra
Case
Dartmouth
Your state schools
U Miami
Tulane
Wake
EVMS
The Philly Triplets
Loyola
Any DO schools

 

[Goro]

Also, what ethnicity do you represent? Many people think that they're URM, when they're not.

 

[thethingcalledlife]

Thanks so much for your reply. I classify as AA, my parents are from West Africa.
Considering a cap of 4.0, my cGPA is 3.06 and my sGPA is 3.04..
May I ask why you think an SMP is not needed? I can't take another semester at my undergrad because of graduating (where I got full aid), so a DIY post-bacc for a semester would be financially difficult I think, as a non-degree student who needs private loans (no parents for cosigners..)/ I'm not sure how taking another semester at a community or less regarded school will look like?
whereas a formal SMP would allow me to actually take out a loan. Also, another solid semester (say 22 credit hours with a 4.0) will only bring my GPA up to a 3.16! 44 credit hours with a 4.0 brings it up to a 3.25... hence why I wanted to move forward from my undergrad as it feels like pouring water into sand and prove my capabilities via SMP.

 

[Goro]

Being URM helps a lot. So work, save up some money, and apply June 1. Have Morehouse, Meherry, UCLA/Drew and Howard on your list as well. Also add Tufts, U WV, and IU.

 

[sammiesings]

I get not wanting to wait to apply and I think you'd be good to gain admission if you apply next year. However, to be extra safe, if you can maybe you should take a class or two parttime during the year you wait to apply ( through open-enrollment type of things at universities). Couldn't hurt and also wouldn't interfere in your ability to work for the majority of the year to save up for app fees. Also, look into FAP for your year of applications; if you qualify, your app fees will be greatly reduced.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Yeah, her URM status, her story, and the stellar MCAT should earn her a good chance at admission to all but the highest-ranked MD schools. URMs can often get a little leeway with academic difficulties, and the story only helps her. Plus, she attended an Ivy League school, and I've heard tell that this is sometimes worth about 0.1 point's worth of GPA leeway. Good luck to her!

 

[BombsAway]

Investigate the following tables and draw your own conclusions.
1) https://www.aamc.org/download/321508/data/factstablea23.pdf
2) https://www.aamc.org/download/321514/data/factstablea24-2.pdf
I suspect you will do well if you have a good list, and a well written app. However, you will need to have very well written essays to succeed. People on here go round and round about mcat/gpa, but the overall application (which is written in your own words) is what will make or break you. So use those sweet Ivy resources and make sure your essays and descriptions blow people's socks off. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.