WACM 523 + 3.95 GPA

[deleted936268]

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[Moko]

• Cumulative GPA: 3.95
• Science GPA: 3.94
• MCAT Score(s): 523 (131/130/131/131)
• Research Experience: 2500 hours
• Publications/Abstracts/Posters (include how you were credited e.g. First author, second author, etc.): 2 second author publications, 1 third author: all in high impact journals.
• Clinical Experience (paid or volunteer): 300 hours
• Physician Shadowing: 3 specialties + primary care, 70 hours total
• Non-Clinical Volunteering: 600 hours serving underrepresented refugees with a National Org while holding leadership (since hs), 300 hrs helping Alzheimer's patients, 200 or so hrs doing covid-19 calling to schedule people for tests and such - associated with well known hospital
• Other Extracurricular Activities/Leadership: TA for 4 semesters with LOR from prof to back it up, VP of research club on campus, leadership in refugee volunteering org, swim club board member
• Medical School List: Stanford, Harvard, WashU, UPenn, Yale, UChicago, Northwestern, Vandy, NYU, Cornell, Columbia, UVa, VCU, UNC, UCSF, UCLA, Emory, Baylor, JHU, UMich, Duke

The two red flags are essentially:

1) I'm not sure how medical schools will view me graduating in 3 years instead of the traditional 4, even if I am taking a gap year essentially making it 4 total years.

2) I will be 20 years old during matriculation, so I'm not exactly sure how medical schools view age and whether they look down upon younger applicants.

How are your LORs? If they are as impressive as the rest of your accomplishments, you should be competitive for the 'top' medical schools. Depending on the reviewer, your volunteering with Alzheimers patients and COVID-19 may be seen as clinical; otherwise, your clinical experience would be average at best at these schools, but not a deal breaker. Apart from your research, your leadership in a national organization also stands out, and if I was reviewing your application, I would be curious about your role and accomplishments.

I do not see what you described as being red flags. Students graduate early for many reasons, including due to financial considerations. Just have a thoughtful answer if asked. Your age will likely come up behind closed doors as some adcom members may question your maturity and readiness to become a physician. But these concerns can and should be addressed and alleviated through your LORs, written application, and most importantly, interview.

I'll defer to the experts on which additional schools to apply to round out the list, though I suspect MCG should probably be on there as well given your state of residence. Just my thoughts and best of luck.

 

[deleted936268]

How are your LORs? If they are as impressive as the rest of your accomplishments, you should be competitive for the 'top' medical schools. Depending on the reviewer, your volunteering with Alzheimers patients and COVID-19 may be seen as clinical; otherwise, your clinical experience would be average at best at these schools, but not a deal breaker. Apart from your research, your leadership in a national organization also stands out, and if I was reviewing your application, I would be curious about your role and accomplishments.

I do not see what you described as being red flags. Students graduate early for many reasons, including due to financial considerations. Just have a thoughtful answer if asked. Your age will likely come up behind closed doors as some adcom members may question your maturity and readiness to become a physician. But these concerns can and should be addressed and alleviated through your LORs, written application, and most importantly, interview.

I'll defer to the experts on which additional schools to apply to round out the list, though I suspect MCG should probably be on there as well given your state of residence. Just my thoughts and best of luck.

Yep should have had MCG in there but will definitely apply as a safety, thanks for that info. To answer the questions posed, PI showed me the LOR he wrote and although I know a lot of people say this, I'm pretty confident I can classify it as one of those top 5%ers ("In my 15 years of teaching, i have never seen someone as dedicated as Wonderchild", with examples and personal anecdotes, over a page, etc).

Also, I have yet to hear back from Goldwater since I applied for that, so would that boost my app a bit or just add to the research XP I have?

I find it pretty interesting actually that so much weight could be placed on my roles and accomplishments on a national org. Is there any reason behind that? Also thanks in advance, really helpful comments

 

[biff_webster16]

Throw in Pitt, Case Western, Cincinnati, Mayo if you are so inclined.

 

[zorcandpals]

If you get a goldwater it would be a very significant boon to your application and not just add a bit to your research experience.

I wouldnt be too concerned about your age in it of itself.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

That's a lot of research hours if you're going to graduate from college at age 20. Just noting this because against just 300 clinical experience hours not including 70 shadowing, it's not clear to me why you want to do medicine and not research.

 

[deleted936268]

That's a lot of research hours if you're going to graduate from college at age 20. Just noting this because against just 300 clinical experience hours not including 70 shadowing, it's not clear to me why you want to do medicine and not research.

That's absolutely fair and I expect that question in interviews, although someone can correct me on this.

To answer it truthfully, I was initially interested in an MD/Ph.D. and so stacked a ton of research hours. I enjoy research a lot, but at the same time, found out only last year or so when I started doing clinical that I enjoy that side of medicine a lot more than research, although research is still pretty cool. But I've been addicted to being around patients and getting to be in such an application-based environment.

Any tips/advice on how to improve that deficit? I still have the chance to do more clinical during gap year, so maybe doing that instead of research would be more impactful for my app? Thoughts?

Also how to answer that question when/if it comes up in interviews?

P.S. I started research my senior year of hs so I can attribute a lot of my hours to having done it for 4ish years now

 

[Mr.Smile12]

That's absolutely fair and I expect that question in interviews, although someone can correct me on this.

To answer it truthfully, I was initially interested in an MD/Ph.D. and so stacked a ton of research hours. I enjoy research a lot, but at the same time, found out only last year or so when I started doing clinical that I enjoy that side of medicine a lot more than research, although research is still pretty cool. But I've been addicted to being around patients and getting to be in such an application-based environment.

Any tips/advice on how to improve that deficit? I still have the chance to do more clinical during gap year, so maybe doing that instead of research would be more impactful for my app? Thoughts?

Also how to answer that question when/if it comes up in interviews?

P.S. I started research my senior year of hs so I can attribute a lot of my hours to having done it for 4ish years now

Sorry if I sound flippant, but more clinical experience will help, and immersion in clinical and non-clinical volunteering with populations that are seriously disadvantaged when it comes to access to food, housing, health access, and education. We cannot discriminate based on age, but we can be critical based on maturity and ability to work intergenerationally.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Something like Americorps, if you feel it's a good fit for you, would be an excellent addition to your application. You should get more clinical volunteering now, then take a gap year and either get clinical experience (paid or volunteer) or volunteer in a nonclinical position full-time.

 

[Dr.K124]

Something like Americorps, if you feel it's a good fit for you, would be an excellent addition to your application. You should get more clinical volunteering now, then take a gap year and either get clinical experience (paid or volunteer) or volunteer in a nonclinical position full-time.

This is not necessary. Their stats are incredible and their hours are certainly not bad, they just need to be able to properly explain why they want MD and not Ph.D. They still have time to get another 100-200 clinical hours, which would push them from B-tier to A-tier in that category. If they interview well and come off as very mature, their age will not be counted against them.