URM with 520 MCAT/3.5 cGPA/3.33 sGPA

[parkourparkour]

.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence ?

 

[parkourparkour]

Where is your state of residence ?

Florida but I’m open to out of state, preferably Michigan or bigger cities for my husband’s work.

 

[ianturner0429]

Hi everyone,



I am a genuinely concerned applicant and I’d like helpful feedback as to what I can expect for the 2021 cycle and what I can do to enhance my application.



Demographics/Potential personal statement highlights:

I am a 25 yo black female from a low SES: raised by a single mom, neither one of my parents graduated high school etc... I mostly lived in France until college so there was a slight language barrier to overcome. (I do also have a green card if anyone is wondering so the application process will be the same as for any citizen)

Mom got really sick when I was 11 (multiple comas and a myriad of complications/hospital stays). My uncle who was a doctor and only father figure also got very sick and slowly became fully paralyzed over the course of a decade before he died when I was 15. (This is kind of my origin story haha)

First two years of college were great but I had a rough run my last two years of college and it reflects in my gpa: after my associates I transferred to the best state school and had to work long hours to support myself and pay rent. My mother’s health also worsened simultaneously and I often had to drive 5 hours each way to check on her which would cause me to have to work extra hours when I would get back in order to pay my bills and therefore meant I had less time to study.
My financial situation eventually deteriorated, I could not pay rent and eventually I had to live at my then fiancé’s place two hours away from my school for 9 months in order to get back on my feet.

Then during the last year of college I got pregnant which came with very intense nausea and pains (and existential crisis).
Overall i was very depressed: I’m very perfectionist and demanding with myself so from the first bad semester I felt like a failure. This would give me mini panic attacks whenever I’d have to study challenging material which was counter productive, I know.

I realize a lot of people thrive with way worse. I simply did not. A lot of it is on me. Since then I’ve grown a lot: I became a mother and I’m now more stable mentally, professionally and thanks to my husband, financially. I cultivated better organizational skills and now know how to make do with minimum time. My Mother is also doing better and if she ever relapses we can now afford to have her move here and provide her with better care which is reassuring. My mindset has changed and I am more motivated than ever. I think I’m a genuinely compassionate human and have always wanted to work with underserved or minority groups as a doctor.



GPA

Bachelors in biology with minor in philosophy.

Cumulative : 3.5 with downward trend (3.88 for first two years, 3.1 for last two)



Science: 3.33 same downward trend (3.77 for first two years, 2.9 for last two)



MCAT Scores



520, 129/129/131/131. Taken in September. I feel like this puts me in the weird category of high Mcat/low gpa applicants and don’t know how to tailor my school list



Research



Volunteered 1000 hours in a neuroscience lab in undergrad. Took research for credit with them and got an A. One poster.



Currently a research assistant in a clinical neuroscience/psychology lab: should be an extra 3000 hours by the time I apply to medical school. 1-2 publications on the way. I help with mri/imaging analysis and I administer cognitive testing/medical history questionnaires/behavioral assessments to underserved populations with HIV.



Does anyone know if this would count as clinical work experience as well?



Volunteering (clinical)



Sadly not much due to working full-time: I only volunteered ~ 50 hours in a hospital during undergrad but I am currently about to start again and anticipate an additional 100 hours by June/July.



shadowing



I have befriended a doctor who has agreed to have me shadow them and two colleagues (icu/surgery departments with underserved populations). I should be able to get 100 hours by application time.





Non-clinical volunteering



Not much since I had to work a lot in undergrad. Don’t know if I can realistically improve my hours much as I’m working 40-50 hours weekly and have a toddler at home.
- worked with autistic children in France for 85-100 hours right after high school. Not sure how this would be viewed as it was a while back and in a different country
- was vp in an honors society and did maybe 40 hours of volunteering through them
- short term volunteering in a hospice : 20 hours max
- short term volunteering at Ronald McDonald’s house : 15 hours max

Extracurricular activities

- President of an honors English club for 1.5 years. Tripled number of active members and doubled number of inductees.

- VP of treasury of an honors society in undergrad and webmaster of another

-editor of a school literature magazine

- student mentor

-Was selected to present at an English national honor society conference


Other/Employment history:



Most relevant jobs are :

- my current one as a research assistant

- LSAT, GRE, GMAT instructor (current, for 2.5 years now) for a reputable test prep company. I guess I’m a pretty decent standardized test taker and have scored at the 96th percentile or above for the company’s tests in those subjects. I’ve taught both classes and individuals. Does anyone know if it would count as teaching for medical schools or if they are looking for something different?
- student success coordinator in 2nd year of college. Helped implement student academic engagement projects.

Future directions


Improving clinical volunteering and shadowing hours (see above)


I am also thinking of doing a small 12 credit graduate certificate program at my school to enhance my academics. They offer neuroscience and medical physiology ones taught by faculty from the COM. Would that be a good idea?



Thanks for reading!
Feel free to give me your honest (but constructive) opinion and advice






.

Take some 3rd/4th year (or grad) level science classes and make sure you get A’s. Perhaps something like Physiology (like the one you’re offered by COM people), Immunology, etc. Neuroscience can also be useful; neuro is among the toughest to grasp in med school. Not only will they help in med school, it will show the admission committee that you can keep up with the rigor of med school. As you had lower grades in the later part of college, it’s a bit concerning despite your high MCAT. You can risk it and apply broadly anyway, but it sounds like you’re young and have time to show that you can do the upper level sciences. With your exceptional MCAT, extracurricular activities, and being URM, you could be looked at by top programs. The downward grades would just be concerning.

 

[ianturner0429]

Whatever happened in your last few years of college were challenges that you obviously had to overcome. You can make a strong personal statement from it - you already provided the outline on your post.

Your work with underserved/HIV can be considered clinical work.

For volunteering, a consistent schedule with places can look great on your app (ex. 1hr every week at some place, or 2hrs every month, etc.) as it shows commitment, as well.

When you shadow, try to do it with primary care docs. And then really get to know them and close to them so that they can eventually write you a STRONG letter.

 

[parkourparkour]

Take some 300-400 upper level (3rd/4th year) science classes and make sure you get A’s. Perhaps something like Physiology, Immunology, etc. Not only will they help in med school, it will show the admission committee that you can keep up with the rigor of med school. As you had lower grades in the later part of college, it’s a bit concerning despite your high MCAT. You can risk it and apply broadly anyway, but it sounds like you’re young and have time. With your exceptional MCAT, extracurricular activities, and being URM, you could be looked at by top programs. The downward grades would just be concerning.

Thanks for the reply
Would the 14 credit certificate program I mentioned be a good substitute to undergrad courses? My school is sometimes weird about upper level science classes for non degree seeking students and it can be a hassle to get in. It also has the advantage of being online which would be helpful as I don’t have the luxury of quitting my 9-5 and extra teaching classes yet and otherwise have to take care of my daughter in the mornings/nights.

If not, would taking 3-6 credits max a semester be seen as insufficient? I’m scared I won’t be able to do more without our family suffering from it.

I can include a link of the program if anyone would like to see

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
Miami
USF-Morsani
U Florida
Florida State
Central Florida
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Brown
Boston University
Harvard
Einstein
Hofstra
Mount Sinai
Columbia
Cornell
NYU
Jefferson
Georgetown
Duke
Emory
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
U Michigan
Case Western
Pittsburgh
Washington University
Tulane
USC Keck
Kaiser

 

[parkourparkour]

Whatever happened in your last few years of college were challenges that you obviously had to overcome. You can make a strong personal statement from it - you already provided the outline on your post.

Your work with underserved/HIV can be considered clinical work.

For volunteering, a consistent schedule with places can look great on your app (ex. 1hr every week at some place, or 2hrs every month, etc.) as it shows commitment, as well.

When you shadow, try to do it with primary care docs. And then really get to know them and close to them so that they can eventually write you a STRONG letter.

Awesome suggestion! Do you guys know what kind of places allow for more erratic community volunteering schedules? I don’t mind volunteering for a whole day during holidays or taking a day off a month if needed but so far I’ve been struggling to find a place that did not require a fixed weekly commitment. I’ll definitely keep looking

As to shadowing the icu doctor I recently befriended works at the VA and I’m already certain that as long as I show interest they’d write me a good letter. They’re very aware of my struggles and motivation and have repeatedly told me to not give up as they think I’d be a great doctor.

 

[parkourparkour]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
Miami
USF-Morsani
U Florida
Florida State
Central Florida
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Brown
Boston University
Harvard
Einstein
Hofstra
Mount Sinai
Columbia
Cornell
NYU
Jefferson
Georgetown
Duke
Emory
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
U Michigan
Case Western
Pittsburgh
Washington University
Tulane
USC Keck
Kaiser

Thanks so much for the list! I’ve been struggling to outline one.
I’m seeing a few top schools on there and I’m very confused haha. I never thought I had a chance with any top or even mid-tier schools so that’s definitely a surprise!
Would that be with my current (and projected) stats or would I need to do something else to apply to those schools?
Should I not apply to lower tier schools?

 

[ianturner0429]

Awesome suggestion! Do you guys know what kind of places allow for more erratic community volunteering schedules? I don’t mind volunteering for a whole day during holidays or taking a day off a month if needed but so far I’ve been struggling to find a place that did not require a fixed weekly commitment. I’ll definitely keep looking

As to shadowing the icu doctor I recently befriended works at the VA and I’m already certain that as long as I show interest they’d write me a good letter. They’re very aware of my struggles and motivation and have repeatedly told me to not give up as they think I’d be a great doctor.

Just volunteer wherever you can for now. I think it’s more important to take care of yourself and family rather than taking on more work with regular volunteering. You can email the local med school where they suggest volunteering. Ours have a list.

 

[ianturner0429]

Thanks for the reply
Would the 14 credit certificate program I mentioned be a good substitute to undergrad courses? My school is sometimes weird about upper level science classes for non degree seeking students and it can be a hassle to get in. It also has the advantage of being online which would be helpful as I don’t have the luxury of quitting my 9-5 and extra teaching classes yet and otherwise have to take care of my daughter in the mornings/nights.

If not, would taking 3-6 credits max a semester be seen as insufficient? I’m scared I won’t be able to do more without our family suffering from it.

I can include a link of the program if anyone would like to see

Send us the link. Upper or grad level works fine as long as they’re science-related.

 

[ianturner0429]

Thanks so much for the list! I’ve been struggling to outline one.
I’m seeing a few top schools on there and I’m very confused haha. I never thought I had a chance with any top or even mid-tier schools so that’s definitely a surprise!
Would that be with my current (and projected) stats or would I need to do something else to apply to those schools?
Should I not apply to lower tier schools?

Your story is amazing and you’re an exceptional candidate. Top schools would want you, either now or projected stats. My suggestions above are just to increase your chances a bit. You can risk it and apply ASAP when you have all of your app complete (inc. LORs, etc.) or wait a bit until you’ve shown that you can handle grad level classes. Top schools have very active diversity offices that help screen applications.

 

[Faha]

As long as you apply to all your Florida schools you do not need to apply to any low tier OOS schools unless the school appeals to you.

 

[parkourparkour]

Send us the link. Upper or grad level works fine as long as they’re science-related.

Here’s the link :

Cardiovascular/Renal Physiology Graduate Certificate | UF Medical Physiology Online

The online graduate certificate in Medical Physiology with a specialization in Cardiovascular/Renal Physiology is offered through the College of Medicine at the University of Florida. This program consists of 12 credits offered entirely online.

distance.physiology.med.ufl.edu

Do you guys think it’d be a good program to demonstrate that I can handle myself academically? (It is online however)

As long as you apply to all your Florida schools you do not need to apply to any low tier OOS schools unless the school appeals to you.

Wow this is definitely great news. I honestly expected to be told that my dreams were unrealistic and that the only way I might have a chance would be to do an SMP.
Thanks for giving me hope!

 

[ianturner0429]

Here’s the link :

Cardiovascular/Renal Physiology Graduate Certificate | UF Medical Physiology Online

The online graduate certificate in Medical Physiology with a specialization in Cardiovascular/Renal Physiology is offered through the College of Medicine at the University of Florida. This program consists of 12 credits offered entirely online.

distance.physiology.med.ufl.edu

Do you guys think it’d be a good program to demonstrate that I can handle myself academically? (It is online however)




Wow this is definitely great news. I honestly expected to be told that my dreams were unrealistic and that the only way I might have a chance would be to do an SMP.
Thanks for giving me hope!

Looks good actually, especially since it is offered by the college of medicine and science-related. Being online can present challenges but doable. If you do well with A’s, I’m sure top programs will look at your app even more.

 

[bluepeony]

Looks good actually, especially since it is offered by the college of medicine and science-related. Being online can present challenges but doable. If you do well with A’s, I’m sure top programs will look at your app even more.

I disagree. Usually adcoms prefer to see in-person, undergrad BCPM coursework.

 

[ianturner0429]

I disagree. Usually adcoms prefer to see in-person, undergrad BCPM coursework.

My friends in the adcom from another state disagree with your disagree Adcoms prefer in-person, but in this case, it is from a reputable source (med school, not Devry). 75% of my class didn’t attend lectures in med school - we watched live lectures at home.

 

[Goro]

Take some 3rd/4th year (or grad) level science classes and make sure you get A’s. Perhaps something like Physiology (like the one you’re offered by COM people), Immunology, etc. Neuroscience can also be useful; neuro is among the toughest to grasp in med school. Not only will they help in med school, it will show the admission committee that you can keep up with the rigor of med school. As you had lower grades in the later part of college, it’s a bit concerning despite your high MCAT. You can risk it and apply broadly anyway, but it sounds like you’re young and have time to show that you can do the upper level sciences. With your exceptional MCAT, extracurricular activities, and being URM, you could be looked at by top programs. The downward grades would just be concerning.

I agree 100%

OP, the downward trend is what will be concerning to Adcoms. No med school in the world is doing you any favors by admitting you if you can't hack med school.

 

[parkourparkour]

My friends in the adcom from another state disagree with your disagree Adcoms prefer in-person, but in this case, it is from a reputable source (med school, not Devry). 75% of my class didn’t attend lectures in med school - we watched live lectures at home.

I disagree. Usually adcoms prefer to see in-person, undergrad BCPM coursework.

I agree 100%

OP, the downward trend is what will be concerning to Adcoms. No med school in the world is doing you any favors by admitting you if you can't hack med school.

Thanks for answering everyone
I finally feel like I’m going somewhere with all this, yay!

Yes the downward trend is what scares me the most with my app and while I know that I can handle medical school now, I also understand how that does not translate on my resume.


How many credits of post bac work would you guys recommend? (I technically took anatomy and physiology 1 and 2 at a community college after my degree but I don’t think that’ll be seen as a challenging class by adcoms)

I have heard a lot of different opinions (like above) about online classes and don’t want to waste my money but they are also the ones where I realistically have greater chances of succeeding as they would give me the flexibility that my working mom schedule requires. For the schools that were listed, would you guys say the programs I showed (they also have a neuroscience one) would be valued by them?

I also wouldn’t be able to take in person classes before the summer as the application date has passed for spring.
Considering I’d ideally like to apply for the 2021 cycle (our family is in limbo until I know if/where I’m going for medical school) and submit my app on June 1rst 2020, would that be too late as my grades wouldn’t be out yet?
(I’m scared of getting screened out before I can even update them)

 

[Goro]

Thanks for answering everyone
I finally feel like I’m going somewhere with all this, yay!

Yes the downward trend is what scares me the most with my app and while I know that I can handle medical school now, I also understand how that does not translate on my resume.


How many credits of post bac work would you guys recommend? (I technically took anatomy and physiology 1 and 2 at a community college after my degree but I don’t think that’ll be seen as a challenging class by adcoms)

I have heard a lot of different opinions (like above) about online classes and don’t want to waste my money but they are also the ones where I realistically have greater chances of succeeding as they would give me the flexibility that my working mom schedule requires. For the schools that were listed, would you guys say the programs I showed (they also have a neuroscience one) would be valued by them?

I also wouldn’t be able to take in person classes before the summer as the application date has passed for spring.
Considering I’d ideally like to apply for the 2021 cycle (our family is in limbo until I know if/where I’m going for medical school) and submit my app on June 1rst 2020, would that be too late as my grades wouldn’t be out yet?
(I’m scared of getting screened out before I can even update them)

If you invest in MSAR Online, you can see what med schools say about online classes.

I recommend 30 credits to show that the you of now is not the you of then.

 

[parkourparkour]

If you invest in MSAR Online, you can see what med schools say about online classes.

I recommend 30 credits to show that the you of now is not the you of then.

My friends in the adcom from another state disagree with your disagree Adcoms prefer in-person, but in this case, it is from a reputable source (med school, not Devry). 75% of my class didn’t attend lectures in med school - we watched live lectures at home.

As long as you apply to all your Florida schools you do not need to apply to any low tier OOS schools unless the school appeals to you.

Hi everyone,

i just had a brief exchange with an advisor and am feeling slightly discouraged as, and I’m reading between the lines here, it seemed like applying in 2020 for a 2021 matriculation would be unrealistic considering the amount of coursework I’d need to take.
The advisor also recommended I check DO schools who might have more lenient acceptance criteria.
Also as it turns out my school does not allow non degree seeking students to take undergrad courses and the nearest 4 year university is 2 hours away.

What do you guys think- should I still do the certificate (which is online and only 12-14 credits) and apply in 2020?
Or should I apply in 2021 and do this instead?

Master's in Health Sciences | USF Health

It is the only online smp that seemed trustworthy that I could find in my state and I’m curious to know how Adcoms would view it. I’m sure it’s not as reputable as an in-person smp but would it perform its function and reassure Adcoms about my ability to handle a medical school course load? (Especially since I’ll probably be working full-time while taking it)

I’ve really appreciated everyone’s help so far and I trust your general expertise. Financially speaking I’d have to take a loan to complete my coursework so I would like to avoid wasting money. I also would ideally prefer to apply in 2020 as my husbands career is stagnating due to him prioritizing my getting into medical school and being willing to move for that. I’d really like to avoid having him spend an extra year without a direction or possibility to make long-term moves moves the pressure of being the main breadwinner.

Sorry for not letting this post die as it should but once again thanks to everyone for your advice. It truly means a lot to me.

 

[Faha]

I believe you are being overly pessimistic about your chances for a MD acceptance. There are only 25 black applicants PER YEAR that have a GPA above 3.0 AND a MCAT of 520+. So if all the top 25 schools matriculated one per school there would be only one in each top 25 school. If you can take a couple science courses at that 2 year university 2 hours away starting in January then do so. You certainly should receive interviews from some of your Florida MD schools. The GPA-MCAT grid shows that black applicants with a 3.2 GPA and higher and a MCAT of 518+ have a 97% chance for a MD acceptance. Only one applicant per year does not receive an acceptance with those stats. The odds do not get any better than that.

 

[parkourparkour]

I believe you are being overly pessimistic about your chances for a MD acceptance. There are only 25 black applicants PER YEAR that have a GPA above 3.0 AND a MCAT of 520+. So if all the top 25 schools matriculated one per school there would be only one in each top 25 school. If you can take a couple science courses at that 2 year university 2 hours away starting in January then do so. You certainly should receive interviews from some of your Florida MD schools. The GPA-MCAT grid shows that black applicants with a 3.2 GPA and higher and a MCAT of 518+ have a 97% chance for a MD acceptance. Only one applicant per year does not receive an acceptance with those stats. The odds do not get any better than that.

Hi Faha,

Thanks for your reply, I know your advice is valued around here.

I always feel a little demoralized after speaking with advising. They’re usually nice and polite but I’ve always left with the impression that I simply am nowhere near as competitive as other students.

It helps to think of it in terms of stats. I did not realize there were so few people with a similar MCAT score.
Do you think the SMP would be unnecessary and a waste then?
@Goro has recommended 30 credits due to my downward trend which advisors I spoke to seem to echo, do you really think I could get by with only a couple science classes?

(By the way there was a typo I meant 4 year university. There is a community college near me in addition to my university but I’ve been told that if I needed to enhance my academic record, I should stick to 4 year universities)

 

[Faha]

You do not need a SMP. If you can take a couple of science courses at the 4 year university then do so. If not take some science courses at your local community college in January. You can always take more science courses at the 4 year university the year you are applying in case you need to reapply but I doubt that you will need to reapply. The actual numbers from the GPA-MCAT grid are from 2013 to 2016 and of the 100 black applicants (during that time span) with a GPA above 3.2 and a MCAT of 518+, 97 were accepted. Since that time there are now an additional 1,500 MD positions that have opened up for first year students.

 

[ianturner0429]

Hi Faha,

Thanks for your reply, I know your advice is valued around here.

I always feel a little demoralized after speaking with advising. They’re usually nice and polite but I’ve always left with the impression that I simply am nowhere near as competitive as other students.

It helps to think of it in terms of stats. I did not realize there were so few people with a similar MCAT score.
Do you think the SMP would be unnecessary and a waste then?
@Goro has recommended 30 credits due to my downward trend which advisors I spoke to seem to echo, do you really think I could get by with only a couple science classes?

(By the way there was a typo I meant 4 year university. There is a community college near me in addition to my university but I’ve been told that if I needed to enhance my academic record, I should stick to 4 year universities)

I’m not sure about your advisers, but most of them are not doctors themselves, let alone have been through what you are trying to accomplish. I know that our advisers in my school often provide erroneous information; they haven’t applied to med schools, or, if they did, did not get in. Take what they say with a grain of salt. Other than your GPA, you are an exceptional candidate. Not many students have >515 and extracurriculars like yours. Your life story (despite many challenges and hurdles, you’re still successful) has offered you a unique perspective on life that many schools would love to have. Again, it’s worth applying to “top” schools - they have more money to support recruitment and development of unique individuals such as yourself. For ex, our low/mid tier school have diversity/URM initiative but many of my classmates have not even heard of the group as it is just not a very active group. Other higher tiered schools take it more seriously. Your chances of getting into MD schools are high. If you don’t get in the first time, take more classes and improve on the rest of your app so you can apply to MD schools again. I respect my DO friends, but their options for residency are limited. Same thing for Caribbean grads.

It is strange that you’ve been told you cannot take upper level classes at your local 4yr college. I would ask other school officials to confirm and if there are workarounds. Attending classes at a 4yr college would be preferable as they offer the upper level classes. You could also take lower level classes at your community college to add to that.

I agree with above poster about SMP - it is unnecessary. You just need proof that you can handle upper (college junior or above) level classes. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think AMCAS also adds your post-bac grades and recalculate your overall/science GPA. In other words, taking these classes serve two things: proof that you can handle the work AND raise your GPA.