WAMC (3.63/517) + What to do before applying

[Elrond127]

*PA Resident*

I intend on applying to medical school this coming cycle. Graduated undergrad in the Spring of 2022 and currently spending my gap years doing research.

cGPA/sGPA: 3.63/3.50 (slight upward trend in sGPA, with the exception of significant dip junior year due to COVID and other life challenges)

MCAT: 517 (130/128/129/130)

Ethnicity/Race: "White" (Middle Eastern) ORM

Undergrad: Pitt

Clinical Experience: ~100 hrs. clinical volunteering (multiple departments, currently ER). ~25 hrs. shadowing my PI in RadOnc

Research: Currently working full-time in a radiation oncology research lab (~1200 hrs so far,). Submitted an abstract to a national conference and will likely present a poster there later this year.

Also took multiple lab courses in undergrad that involved independent research projects (~180 hrs.). Have presented three posters for these courses.

Non-clinical volunteering: My volunteer experience mainly lies in helping run multiple Model UN and quizbowl events for high schools. I also have experience in organizing and running some of these local events for high schools and colleges in the area. I have also volunteered as staff for these sorts of events at a national level. In total, I estimate that I have at least 200 hrs of this type of volunteer work. It's not the typical community service that one sees on a med school application but giving high school kids the opportunity to engage in extracurricular activities they are interested in is a passion of mine that I am very much proud of.

Extracurriculars: Was president of two clubs my senior year of college (one of which I was also president of during my junior year).

Honors/Awards: Certified Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (with Distinction) from the ASBMB.

So far, I know I definitely need more clinical experience (especially shadowing). Any advice on how to obtain this? I found it super hard to contact physicians in my area who I am not actively trying to schedule an appointment with. Also any advice on what other ECs I should work on before starting my application in May would be quite helpful.

Current List (no particular order):

1. Pitt
2. PSU
3. Temple
4. Drexel
5. Jefferson
6. Geisinger
7. NYU
8. Mount Sinai
9. Case Western
10. GW
11. Georgetown
12. WVU
13. UVA
14. Boston University
15. Rosalind Franklin
16. Quinnipiac
17. Mayo
18. Tufts
19. Brown
20. Northwestern
21. Weill Cornell
22. University of Rochester


I understand my list may be a bit top-heavy at the moment so any advice on what schools to add or remove would be greatly appreciated. My pre-med advisor recommended that I apply to around 30 schools.

Thanks!

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[Mr.Smile12]

Your community service doesn't help show your service orientation, and most of your other activities don't either: Demonstrates a desire to help others and sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings; demonstrates a desire to alleviate others’ distress; recognizes and acts on his/her responsibilities to society; locally, nationally, and globally. You need the traditional stuff (food kitchens, shelter work, job placement services, etc.) as well as more clinical exposure. I'd be glad to reconsider if you have more experience that you did not disclose.

 

[Faha]

Several of the schools on your list are unrealistic with your cGPA of 3.63 and low clinical exposure and non clinical volunteering activities.
You should accumulate another 50 hours of in person primary care physician shadowing. You also need another 100+ hours of clinical volunteering. If you accumulate those hours I suggest these schools:
Pittsburgh
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Commonwealth Geisinger
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
TCU
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Belmont University (when it opens)

 

[Elrond127]

Your community service doesn't help show your service orientation, and most of your other activities don't either: Demonstrates a desire to help others and sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings; demonstrates a desire to alleviate others’ distress; recognizes and acts on his/her responsibilities to society; locally, nationally, and globally. You need the traditional stuff (food kitchens, shelter work, job placement services, etc.) as well as more clinical exposure. I'd be glad to reconsider if you have more experience that you did not disclose.

It’s not quite community service, but I was a Gen Chem UTA for three years. Probably doesn’t make up for the lacking of community service but it’s still something. Would it be too late to seek additional experience between now and application time?

 

[Elrond127]

Several of the schools on your list are unrealistic with your cGPA of 3.63 and low clinical exposure and non clinical volunteering activities.
You should accumulate another 50 hours of in person primary care physician shadowing. You also need another 100+ hours of clinical volunteering. If you accumulate those hours I suggest these schools:
Pittsburgh
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Commonwealth Geisinger
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
TCU
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Belmont University (when it opens)

Thank you for the additional suggestions! I am still volunteering weekly in the hospital and am trying my best to get more shadowing experiences before applying.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

It’s not quite community service, but I was a Gen Chem UTA for three years. Probably doesn’t make up for the lacking of community service but it’s still something. Would it be too late to seek additional experience between now and application time?

Being a chemistry TA is teaching and is part of science competency.

It's up to you if you want to submit an application that may be less than ideal. You need the volunteering so it's up to you if you want to adjust your timing to apply.