MD WAMC? 3.69/519 (MD and/or MD/PhD)

[drdreyman]

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[MedicineN'Jazz]

Curious as to why i'm not getting any responses?

I can’t comment on your school list, as I’m only an M1 and not an adcom. But, I’m a little concerned with how Neurosurg heavy your app is. Can you possible add in some primary care shadowing?

 

[drdreyman]

I can’t comment on your school list, as I’m only an M1 and not an adcom. But, I’m a little concerned with how Neurosurg heavy your app is. Can you possible add in some primary care shadowing?

Right, I recently realized that as well. I'm definitely going to be trying to work in a Primary care setting if possible, and also shadow a PCP.

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

Right, I recently realized that as well. I'm definitely going to be trying to work in a Primary care setting if possible, and also shadow a PCP.

Yeah, other than that your app is stellar. Hopefully an adcom can chime in on your list! If not, use MSAR. Wishing you the best

 

[puahate]

Can't go wrong with the philly triplets

 

[syn1]

Applying MD only with similar stats this cycle. You could try adding Vanderbilt, Emory, Einstein, Cornell, Rochester, SLU, Hofstra, and Wake Forest for a good mix of targets and safeties, and any other reach schools you want. I feel like you will have the best chances if you apply to 25-30 schools.

Cornell has a really cool MD/PhD program because of the Tri-I affiliations, you should look into that.

 

[drdreyman]

Hello all,

after suggestions I've made a more cohesive school list, would love feedback!!!! thanks so much

UCSF
Stanford
Hopkins
UCLA
UCSD
Yale
Dartmouth
UPenn
Columbia
Mt. Sinai
Cornell
Emory
BU
UC Irvine
UC Riverside
UC Davis
USC
Einstein
Temple
Rochester
Hofstra
Drexel

MD/PhD:
Baylor, McGovern, OHSU

 

[differentiating]

Are you from the Inland Empire? If not, I wouldn't categorize UCR as a target school; they have a pretty strong mission to recruit students from that area.

UCSF does like students who worked at UCSF, so that will help your application slightly, but it's still a crapshoot.

In terms of improving your app - it looks like your biggest weakness (imo) is low US clinical & non-clinical volunteering, so that's where I'd recommend trying to beef things up prior to applying. Branching out your shadowing/other activities to include more specialties than just neurosurgery would also likely be helpful, but not as much.

 

[JaxJax17]

I think your app will struggle with more “mission-based” schools such as UCR as its already been stated because of low non-clinical volunteer hours. Also, your school list is very California dominant which I understand because state of residence but I would add some OOS schools that accept high number of OOS applicants such as Tulane, UVM as it’s already difficult to get into CA based schools and your other Top-Heavy list. Also your MCAT sub-scores didn’t quite add up to what you presented as the overall score-but that’s only bugging my OCD obviously not detrimental as either one is a great score. Just my thoughts, Good luck!

 

[drdreyman]

I think your app will struggle with more “mission-based” schools such as UCR as its already been stated because of low non-clinical volunteer hours. Also, your school list is very California dominant which I understand because state of residence but I would add some OOS schools that accept high number of OOS applicants such as Tulane, UVM as it’s already difficult to get into CA based schools and your other Top-Heavy list. Also your MCAT sub-scores didn’t quite add up to what you presented as the overall score-but that’s only bugging my OCD obviously not detrimental as either one is a great score. Just my thoughts, Good luck!

Thanks, I'll look into more schools that are OOS friendly. My goal is to stay in CA (obviously) or go to the NE. Aside from TX, the south does not very much appeal to me, although I would rather be in the south than in the Midwest. As far as my MCAT score, I got a 127 on CARS (oops) but I bolded it because I was wondering if that inconsistency would look bad relative to my overall score/the other subscores.
Thanks!

 

[Goro]

Hi all! Got my MCAT scores back recently so now i'm thinking about making my school list. I'm very interested in MD/PhD, but I feel like it would be too risky to apply only MD/PhD. So my plan as of now is to apply MD for the higher ranked schools, and MD/PhD for the mid tier/lower schools on my list. (Thoughts on this?)

1. cGPA 3.69, sGPA 3.68. Attended CC for 2 years, performed poorly freshman year due to not knowing what I wanted in life/dad had a heart attack, school wasn't a priority. Upward trend after that. (Freshman: 3.0, Soph: 3.78, Jr: 4.0, Sr: 3.94)
2. 519 (131/128/131/130)
3. CA Resident
4. Middle Eastern (White)
5. Small/medium catholic school in Bay Area CA
6. volunteered in a Neurosurgery ward/ORs in Iran for ~200 hours. (I feel like I need to beef this up, both clinical and non-clinical, thoughts?)
7. Neurosurgery lab at UCSF, >1500 hours, 6 co-authored pubs in moderately well-known journals for Neurosurg (JNS/WNS), as well as 9 posters. Organic Chemistry lab at SCU ~600 hours, I worked on my own project to synthesize a library of ACE inhibitors (graduated before I could finish), presented 1 poster.
8. Shadowed a Neurosurgeon ~25 hours, and a Neuropathologist for 10 hours.
9. Volunteered as a teaching assistant at a middle school in a disadvantaged area for ~40 hours.
10. Organic Chem tutor for ~160 hours, Organic Chem lab TA for 80 hours, President of one of the Pre-Medical Clubs at my University for a year where main tasks were providing interested students with statistics as well as information about health-related extra curricular activities in the area. Secretary of the Neuroscience club at the Community college I attended.
11. Deans List 2016-2017, member of Sigma Xi Research Honor Society, member of TriBeta Biology research society.

Schools:
High Reach:
UCSF (dream school), Stanford, JHU

Reach:
UCLA, UCSD, Yale, Dartmouth, Penn, Georgetown

Target:
UCD, UCI, UCR, Keck (need more of these!)

Safety: ??

MD/PhD: UTSW, UTH McGovern (legacy here), Baylor (reach reach reach), OHSU(?), UW(?)
(looking for more to put here)

I'm pretty unsure about my list. I'm very interested in UCSF, although I know chances are likely low. Keck also appeals to me a lot, so I hope I was correct in making that a target.

All input appreciated!!! I'd love to stay in CA, also open to east coast.

Starting January I am open to do work until matriculation, was considering being a Clinical Research Coordinator to help with research as well as some clinical experience, thoughts on what to do for the gap year and a half?

Thanks so much!

I suggest the following:
Get in > 200 hrs each of clinical exposure and nonclinical volunteering
Shadow some PCPs.
Avoid any hint of a neurosurg or bust attitude in your app.
Can't advise on MD/PhD, but for MD, I suggest:
NYU
Vanderbilt
WashU
Yale
JHU
Northwestern
U Chicago
U Penn
Columbia
Duke
Harvard
Sinai
Cornell
Stanford
U MI
U VA
BU
Case
Mayo
Pitt
All UCs
Hofstra
Ohio State
U Cincy
USC/Keck
USF Morsani
Albert Einstein
Dartmouth
Emory
Rochester
Jefferson
Miami
U IA
U VM
Western MI

 

[drdreyman]

I suggest the following:
Get in > 200 hrs each of clinical exposure and nonclinical volunteering
Shadow some PCPs.
Avoid any hint of a neurosurg or bust attitude in your app.
Can't advise on MD/PhD, but for MD, I suggest:
NYU
Vanderbilt
WashU
Yale
JHU
Northwestern
U Chicago
U Penn
Columbia
Duke
Harvard
Sinai
Cornell
Stanford
U MI
U VA
BU
Case
Mayo
Pitt
All UCs
Hofstra
Ohio State
U Cincy
USC/Keck
USF Morsani
Albert Einstein
Dartmouth
Emory
Rochester
Jefferson
Miami
U IA
U VM
Western MI

Thanks Goro!
Would working as a Clinical Research Coordinator be sufficient for Clinical exposure? I was hoping to have that experience be sort of a "double dip" in terms of clinical + research.

 

[Goro]

Thanks Goro!
Would working as a Clinical Research Coordinator be sufficient for Clinical exposure? I was hoping to have that experience be sort of a "double dip" in terms of clinical + research.

Nope, at least in my book. Because then they're not patients, but research subjects. And most of the descriptions of coordinators are mostly logistical, not actually doing something for patients.
You've got enough research...anything else is merely gilding the lily. Show Adcoms that you know what you're getting into and that you really want to be around sick people for the next 30-40 years.

 

[drdreyman]

Nope, at least in my book. Because then they're not patients, but research subjects. And most of the descriptions of coordinators are mostly logistical, not actually doing something for patients.
You've got enough research...anything else is merely gilding the lily. Show Adcoms that you know what you're getting into and that you really want to be around sick people for the next 30-40 years.

Understood, thank you. I am also interested in scribing, but have heard it can be seen as cookie cutter. Is it worth doing for clinical exposure?

 

[Goro]

Understood, thank you. I am also interested in scribing, but have heard it can be seen as cookie cutter. Is it worth doing for clinical exposure?

Scribing is fine because it's a job! Clinical employment is always good. Any employment is good.

 

[drdreyman]

After an unexpected turn of events with the last couple classes I took before graduation, my cGPA has been pulled down to 3.67, and my sGPA to 3.66. Does this significantly affect my chances/school list? @Goro
Thank you!

 

[Goro]

After an unexpected turn of events with the last couple classes I took before graduation, my cGPA has been pulled down to 3.67, and my sGPA to 3.66. Does this significantly affect my chances/school list? @Goro
Thank you!

Oh, jeeze, take two of these.

 

[drdreyman]

Oh, jeeze, take two of these.

hahahaha fair point. It seems the neurotic pre-med in me is alive and well.

 

[drdreyman]

Can't advise on MD/PhD, but for MD, I suggest:
NYU

Sorry to be a bit late, but i'm curious as to why NYU is on this list? I had assumed that since their free tuition was announced, their stats for accepted students would skyrocket to 3.9+ GPA and 520+ MCAT.
Follow-up/related question, how would my GPA be viewed by adcoms? Meaning what GPA would a non-UW trend applicant compare to my UW trend when being reviewed? Thanks!

 

[Goro]

Sorry to be a bit late, but i'm curious as to why NYU is on this list? I had assumed that since their free tuition was announced, their stats for accepted students would skyrocket to 3.9+ GPA and 520+ MCAT.
Follow-up/related question, how would my GPA be viewed by adcoms? Meaning what GPA would a non-UW trend applicant compare to my UW trend when being reviewed? Thanks!

519 is worth a shot at NYU

 

[Walter Raleigh]

@Goro: NYU can afford to turn away Harvard-level applicants; is OP's research exceptional even by top-20 standards? My understanding was that you needed multiple first-author papers to begin to be "exceptional" by top-20 standards; occasionally, a few times a cycle, there are applicants with things like first-author Nature papers. Or ECs like "professional football player" or "combat medic".

 

[drdreyman]

Applying MD only with similar stats this cycle. You could try adding Vanderbilt, Emory, Einstein, Cornell, Rochester, SLU, Hofstra, and Wake Forest for a good mix of targets and safeties, and any other reach schools you want. I feel like you will have the best chances if you apply to 25-30 schools.

Cornell has a really cool MD/PhD program because of the Tri-I affiliations, you should look into that.

Am I mistaken in that you are currently applying to matriculate in 2019? If you are, can I PM you to talk about how your cycle has gone?
Thanks

 

[syn1]

Am I mistaken in that you are currently applying to matriculate in 2019? If you are, can I PM you to talk about how your cycle has gone?
Thanks

Correct, and yes

 

[TempuraOreos]

Sorry to be a bit late, but i'm curious as to why NYU is on this list? I had assumed that since their free tuition was announced, their stats for accepted students would skyrocket to 3.9+ GPA and 520+ MCAT.
Follow-up/related question, how would my GPA be viewed by adcoms? Meaning what GPA would a non-UW trend applicant compare to my UW trend when being reviewed? Thanks!

When I applied to NYU this cycle, I was thinking this was what they were looking for too especially after the tuition announcement. I mean I still had a strong stats (3.8/516) but I think the strength of ECs and my interviewing skills really helped me out. So yeah definitely have a shot in terms of stats.