WAMC- 3.3 GPA 3.1 sGPA 510 MCAT, Lots of Research, KY Resident

[Eshamoon]

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1. cGPA 3.3 and sGPA 3.1 Final semester 3.8 all upper level science
2. 510 (C/P 127) (CARS 125) (B/B 129) (PSY 129_
3. KY Citizen
4. Assyrian ( Middle Eastern)
5. CSU Stanislaus
6. (1400 Hours Dialysis Patient Care)
7. ~1000 Hours in Microbiology Lab in undergraduate/ ~2000 Hours in clinical lab employment
8. (600 Hours Shadowing Physician)
9. ~500 hours President of Assyrian Club ( worked with homeless and animal shelters)
10. Helped establish and work at 18+ COVID testing drive thru clinics, zero cost to patient
11. X
12. 1st generation Assyrian-American, parents fled religious persecution for being Christian in the middle east. Raised my foster-son at age 20-24, rescued him from meth addicted parents, worked to support us during undergrad while raising him. He was 12 when we first became my son, he was my girlfriend's brother. Worked two jobs and went to school to support us. Currently work for clinical laboratory, do a lot of COVID testing and work with R&D to document and store a collection of COVID samples from all variants. Sequence them in-house and work with local state health departments. Strong letters of req from two PhDs, MD I shadow, MD at our lab, nurse from my patient care role. This is my third application cycle. I was also kicked out of my childhood home for dating outside our race as a teenager first starting college.

My number one goal school is University of Cincinnati. I have a ton of research experience and our lab works with the university.

In order of schools I want to go to(descending):

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine*
Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
University of Louisville School of Medicine
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine

This is my third application cycle in a row. My MCAT score has gotten better each application cycle ,work experience has gotten better, shadowing is new to my application this year, and first time with really strong letters this year. I have an incredibly unique story and I'm not sure if I'm selling myself wrong, focus on the wrong points, or not bringing up what matters. I was on my own, raised a young boy, have accumulated a wide and medically related list of clinical experiences and I can't seem to find the right way to show that.

Questions: Being middle eastern, as of the 2021 census I am technically Black/Northern African. Assyria doesn't exist anymore, where present day Iraq is, and my parents fled Iran. Thing is, I'm very pale so while my people come from the Middle East, technically northern Africa, is this getting me in a rough social situation when they see me in an interview?

I'm so grateful for your help, this is such a painful process and I am really struggling. I can handle constructive criticism. Please tell me what I should fix or focus on more if that is what I need to do. Thank you so much

 

[candbgirl]

So did you apply this cycle? It sounds like you have applied in past cycles. Is that correct? How many times have you applied? Have you gotten any interviews in past cycles
? What was the outcome(WL or R). How many times have you taken the MCAT and what were your scores? Where did you apply this cycle?
Stop shadowing. You only need 50 hours so your 600 is overkill.

 

[Eshamoon]

I have applied this cycle, being my third consecutive cycle. I have had 4 interviews. 3/4 were DO school, 1 MD. 2 acceptances, 1 waitlist, then rejected, 1 rejection after being interviewed.

4 MCATs since 2019. 499, 501,510,508.

I was told by NKU/UK I needed more hours last year, and that was the biggest gap with my application since last year. It was the only solid objective thing I was given to improve on. Thank you for the feedback, I'm sure there are a lot of different perspectives and I'm grateful for them all. I have had next to zero feedback from schools I've been rejected by. The only other recent feedback I was given is I seemed nervous and ingenuine in my interview, and I needed a LOR from my patient care job. I was told last year I needed a LOR from an MD, and my patient care job was us technicians and a nurse, so I did that too. Any feedback I've been given, I have followed through on without much success. I want to attend university where I want to practice, which is the Northern Kentucky/Southern Ohio/Western Indiana Tristate area.

In order of schools I want to go to(descending):
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine*
Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
University of Louisville School of Medicine
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine


Thank you so much again.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

I have applied this cycle, being my third consecutive cycle. I have had 4 interviews. 3/4 were DO school, 1 MD. 2 acceptances, 1 waitlist, then rejected, 1 rejection after being interviewed.

4 MCATs since 2019. 499, 501,510,508.

I was told by NKU/UK I needed more hours last year, and that was the biggest gap with my application since last year. It was the only solid objective thing I was given to improve on. Thank you for the feedback, I'm sure there are a lot of different perspectives and I'm grateful for them all. I have had next to zero feedback from schools I've been rejected by. The only other recent feedback I was given is I seemed nervous and ingenuine in my interview, and I needed a LOR from my patient care job. I was told last year I needed a LOR from an MD, and my patient care job was us technicians and a nurse, so I did that too. Any feedback I've been given, I have followed through on without much success. I want to attend university where I want to practice, which is the Northern Kentucky/Southern Ohio/Western Indiana Tristate area.

In order of schools I want to go to(descending):
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine*
Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
University of Louisville School of Medicine
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine


Thank you so much again.

What do you mean you had 2 acceptances? This cycle or a previous cycle? What's the story there?

In general, your below average (for MD) stats, 3rd-time reapplicant status, and several MCAT attempts averaging 504.5 means you need to be primarily focusing on applying to as many DO schools as you can afford and you need to be willing to move anywhere. You're at the point right now where you just need to get an acceptance somewhere, or you're never going to be a doctor.

I understand why you applied to the listed MD programs given your geographic preferences, but those aren't very realistic options for you. But before we get into all that, I want to know what the deal is with the 2 acceptances you referenced.

 

[Eshamoon]

What do you mean you had 2 acceptances? This cycle or a previous cycle? What's the story there?

In general, your below average (for MD) stats, 3rd-time reapplicant status, and several MCAT attempts averaging 504.5 means you need to be primarily focusing on applying to as many DO schools as you can afford and you need to be willing to move anywhere. You're at the point right now where you just need to get an acceptance somewhere, or you're never going to be a doctor.

I understand why you applied to the listed MD programs given your geographic preferences, but those aren't very realistic options for you. But before we get into all that, I want to know what the deal is with the 2 acceptances you referenced.

I appreciate your straightforwardness. Last cycle, late in the year. One was a DO school in California, and the other was a DO school in KY. While I understand there is merit to say I should have just gone there last year, I would not be as successful without geographically limited familial support. I've heard the whole "beggars can't be choosers" perspective. My chance to thrive is much greater where I have support, and that is only possible at the universities I mentioned above. I'm sorry if this seems ridiculous, but as the person who had to turn down his own dream, I spent a lot of time thinking about what it will take for me to thrive in medical school.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

I appreciate your straightforwardness. Last cycle, late in the year. One was a DO school in California, and the other was a DO school in KY. While I understand there is merit to say I should have just gone there last year, I would not be as successful without geographically limited familial support. I've heard the whole "beggars can't be choosers" perspective. My chance to thrive is much greater where I have support, and that is only possible at the universities I mentioned above. I'm sorry if this seems ridiculous, but as the person who had to turn down his own dream, I spent a lot of time thinking about what it will take for me to thrive in medical school.

I'm not really sure what to tell you then. You have already turned down two opportunities to become a doctor because the schools didn't meet your criteria. Why you applied/interviewed in the first place is immaterial at this point. From where I'm sitting, it sounds like you've already made your decision: it's going to be one of the MD schools you listed above or no medical school at all.

I guess I can answer your initial question: you will be categorized as a Middle Eastern applicant, which is an ORM category. You will not be considered African/African-American by the medical schools to which you apply.

So, here's where that leaves us. You are an ORM with a 3.3cGPA/3.1 sGPA, a 3x reapplicant, 4x MCAT taker (505 average), and you are only willing to consider 5 MD programs. Honestly, I'm not really sure what more help we can provide or what assistance you expect to receive here. It seems like all that's left is for you to apply to those MD schools, see what happens, and think about plan B for your life if you don't get in.

 

[Faha]

Cincinnati, Wright State, Ohio State and Indiana accept very few non residents with your stats and no connection to the state. Louisville and Kentucky are your only realistic MD schools and perhaps West Virginia. Unless you wish to choose another career you should apply broadly to DO schools and I suggest these:
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
MU-COM
UIWSOM
ACOM
WCU-COM
AZCOM
TUNCOM

 

[Goro]

Questions: Being middle eastern, as of the 2021 census I am technically Black/Northern African. Assyria doesn't exist anymore, where present day Iraq is, and my parents fled Iran. Thing is, I'm very pale so while my people come from the Middle East, technically northern Africa, is this getting me in a rough social situation when they see me in an interview?

Yes, if you check the Black/AA box, and into the interview room walks a white kid, that will just end badly.

I'm so grateful for your help, this is such a painful process and I am really struggling. I can handle constructive criticism. Please tell me what I should fix or focus on more if that is what I need to do. Thank you so much

Last cycle, late in the year. One was a DO school in California, and the other was a DO school in KY. While I understand there is merit to say I should have just gone there last year, I would not be as successful without geographically limited familial support. I've heard the whole "beggars can't be choosers" perspective. My chance to thrive is much greater where I have support, and that is only possible at the universities I mentioned above. I'm sorry if this seems ridiculous, but as the person who had to turn down his own dream, I spent a lot of time thinking about what it will take for me to thrive in medical school.

Yeah, it is ridiculous. You don't have the stats for MD schools (especially OOS public schools like IU) and your own state schools turned you down. Then you turned down two accepts to DO, one of which is a KY school! This says that the MD degree itself is more important to you than being a doctor. I don't know what support you're referring to, but if it's financial, you get loans to live on as a med student.

 

[MyOdyssey]

1. cGPA 3.3 and sGPA 3.1 Final semester 3.8 all upper level science
2. 510 (C/P 127) (CARS 125) (B/B 129) (PSY 129_
3. KY Citizen
4. Assyrian ( Middle Eastern)
5. CSU Stanislaus
6. (1400 Hours Dialysis Patient Care)
7. ~1000 Hours in Microbiology Lab in undergraduate/ ~2000 Hours in clinical lab employment
8. (600 Hours Shadowing Physician)
9. ~500 hours President of Assyrian Club ( worked with homeless and animal shelters)
10. Helped establish and work at 18+ COVID testing drive thru clinics, zero cost to patient
11. X
12. 1st generation Assyrian-American, parents fled religious persecution for being Christian in the middle east. Raised my foster-son at age 20-24, rescued him from meth addicted parents, worked to support us during undergrad while raising him. He was 12 when we first became my son, he was my girlfriend's brother. Worked two jobs and went to school to support us. Currently work for clinical laboratory, do a lot of COVID testing and work with R&D to document and store a collection of COVID samples from all variants. Sequence them in-house and work with local state health departments. Strong letters of req from two PhDs, MD I shadow, MD at our lab, nurse from my patient care role. This is my third application cycle. I was also kicked out of my childhood home for dating outside our race as a teenager first starting college.

My number one goal school is University of Cincinnati. I have a ton of research experience and our lab works with the university.

In order of schools I want to go to(descending):

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine*
Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
University of Louisville School of Medicine
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine

This is my third application cycle in a row. My MCAT score has gotten better each application cycle ,work experience has gotten better, shadowing is new to my application this year, and first time with really strong letters this year. I have an incredibly unique story and I'm not sure if I'm selling myself wrong, focus on the wrong points, or not bringing up what matters. I was on my own, raised a young boy, have accumulated a wide and medically related list of clinical experiences and I can't seem to find the right way to show that.

Questions: Being middle eastern, as of the 2021 census I am technically Black/Northern African. Assyria doesn't exist anymore, where present day Iraq is, and my parents fled Iran. Thing is, I'm very pale so while my people come from the Middle East, technically northern Africa, is this getting me in a rough social situation when they see me in an interview?

I'm so grateful for your help, this is such a painful process and I am really struggling. I can handle constructive criticism. Please tell me what I should fix or focus on more if that is what I need to do. Thank you so much

You won't be able to claim African American status as an applicant. Please don't do so as it'll create a bad impression.

However, it sounds like you can claim "disadvantaged" status in that, growing up, you were denied access to better schools because of being a refugee from religious persecution in a war torn country.

Can you claim "first generation" status? You can if your parents didn't attend college.

Your stats are currently good enough for D.O. programs. Consider focusing your search on them and saving yourself a lot of heartache.

There are also very expensive SMP programs with linkages to medical schools - basically masters of science programs where you take medical school classes with medical students. If you do well, you have an inside track to getting accepted to their medical school.

University of Cincinnati has a SMP program:

University of Cincinnati SMP 2021–22

Hey! I'm a graduate from the University of Cincinnati's SMP program and was recently accepted into UC's medical school. Please let me know if you have any questions about the program.

forums.studentdoctor.net

This page tells you how to apply to U of Cincinnati's SMP program (they start accepting applications on 12/1/21):

How to Apply

med.uc.edu

Call the program and find out what they expect in terms of MCAT/GPA.

 

[Wild_jicama6834]

Why aren’t you applying to University of Kentucky if you don’t mind me asking? Great school list