WAMC? 3.75/518. ORM in VA

[Maximillien]

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I’m planning on applying in the 2025-26 cycle. Graduated in 2023. Definitely aiming to stay within Virginia or in the DC area but I'm also open to moving out of the area if need be. More interested in emergency medicine, preventive medicine, and health policy.

1. cGPA and sGPA: cGPA: 3.75, sGPA: 3.65
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown: September 14 2024: 518 (130/129/128/131) ; March 9 2024: 505 (127/127/125/126)
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US): Virginia, American citizen.
4. Ethnicity and/or race: ORM (South Asian), Male
5. Undergraduate institution or category: Public Ivy
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer): 3000 hours as an emergency department scribe at 3 hospitals in a rural/underserved area, suburban area, and urban setting. 450 hours as a hospice volunteer. 150 hours as a cardiopulmonary rehab volunteer.
7. Research experience and productivity: ~1000 hours overall. Worked 2 years in a neurodevelopmental wet lab and got a small research grant through the school but no papers or posters. Did a honors thesis my junior and senior year on nicotine addiction modeling in zebrafish. Also worked on a vaccine disinformation project that I am currently in the process of writing a 1st author paper for but probably not going to be published by the time I apply.
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented: 20 hrs pediatrics, 8 hrs anesthesiology/plastic surgery, 5 hrs orthopedics, 10 hrs family medicine, 20 hrs emergency medicine. Planning on shadowing an infectious diseases doctor soon.
9. Non-clinical volunteering:
   1. 1200 hrs with Red Cross Volunteer Screening team. Held 2 leadership service positions.
   2. 700 hrs online crisis volunteering.
   3. 400 hours working with food bank/distribution center.
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc): Super big into policy/health policy work and I'm trying to make that a central portion of my application. Definitely applying to more policy-friendly schools.
    1. 300 hrs as part-time intern with the Army. Did a policy paper that was published and distributed within (idk the official term) and did a security briefing. Also published an op-ed.
    2. 400 hrs as full-time intern with a federal government department at a high level.
    3. 200 hrs serving on a local government board that oversees mental health and community service programs for 4 counties.
    4. Served for 3 years in student government: one of them was as a student member of my college's Board of Visitors and also one year with faculty on our Education Policy Committee.
    5. Did a selective training program in international relations through my school for two semesters.
    6. Published an op-ed with a state-level newspaper on opioid addiction.
11. Relevant honors or awards
    1. Volunteer Services Award with Red Cross.

 

[Maximillien]

If you want more details I could also send my CV. Just let me know. Thanks in advance for the help and advice!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Your app seems to cover the bases as a solid cannon fodder applicant. Apply and network with the schools in the region to get an idea where you would best fit with your mission as a physician.

 

[Maximillien]

Your app seems to cover the bases as a solid cannon fodder applicant. Apply and network with the schools in the region to get an idea where you would best fit with your mission as a physician.

I'm definitely applying to all my in-state schools and also looking at USUHS, Georgetown, and George Washington. Do you think my policy ECs could help with schools like GT and GW and other schools with public health focus?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I'm definitely applying to all my in-state schools and also looking at USUHS, Georgetown, and George Washington. Do you think my policy ECs could help with schools like GT and GW and other schools with public health focus?

It's DC. Of course it ought to help you. So will the internship with the Army/public health and public advocacy within government. Start exploring spreading your net to schools where you will be nurtured that fit where you want to be for clinical training. (Stalling for the list-makers.)

I'd explore the other free tuition schools (Hopkins, Einstein, Icahn Mt. Sinai) in addition to USUHS.

 

[Maximillien]

It's DC. Of course it ought to help you. So will the internship with the Army/public health and public advocacy within government. Start exploring spreading your net to schools where you will be nurtured that fit where you want to be for clinical training. (Stalling for the list-makers.)

I'd explore the other free tuition schools (Hopkins, Einstein, Icahn Mt. Sinai) in addition to USUHS.

Noted, I'll do some research today and come up with a list.

 

[Maximillien]

@Mr.Smile12

Hey, hope you are doing well. I came up with my school list and was wondering what you thought. @Faha @Goro @chilly_md would also appreciate your insight too.

1. UVA
2. EVMS
3. VCU
4. Virginia Tech
5. Georgetown
6. George Washington
7. USUHS
8. Case Western
9. University of Wisconsin
10. UNC
11. UMICH
12. UChicago
13. Duke
14. Mayo Clinic
15. NYULI
16. USF
17. U Colorado
18. Boston U
19. UCLA
20. UCSF
21. University of Rochester
22. NYMC
23. Michigan State
24. Jefferson
25. U Miami
26. U Pitt
27. Creighton
28. Albert Einstein
29. Dartmouth
30. OHSU
31. Tufts
32. Emory
33. Rush
34. Wake Forest
35. Tulane
36. Loyola
37. Temple
38. Wayne State
39. Drexel
40. Western Michigan
41. University of Vermont
42. Albany Medical College
43. MCW
44. Hackensack Meridian
45. Quinnipiac University

 

[Goro]

@Mr.Smile12

Hey, hope you are doing well. I came up with my school list and was wondering what you thought. @Faha @Goro @chilly_md would also appreciate your insight too.

1. UVA
2. Georgetown
3. George Washington
4. USUHS (just be aware of the service committment!)
5. Case Western
6. University of Wisconsin
7. WashU
8. UMICH
9. UChicago
10. Duke
11. Mayo Clinic
12. NYULI
13. USF
14. U Colorado
15. Boston U
16. UCLA
17. UCSF
18. University of Rochester
19. NYMC
20. JHU and/or U Penn
21. Jefferson
22. U Miami
23. U Pitt
24. Cornell and/or Columbia
25. Albert Einstein and/or NYU
26. Dartmouth
27. OHSU
28. Tufts
29. Emory
30. Columbia
31. Wake Forest
32. Tulane
33. Mt Sinai
34. Western Michigan
35. University of Vermont
36. Stanford and/or Harvard and/or Yale
37. Northwestern

It's a good list, but I removed some of the schools that would likely screen you out for resource protection. I added a number of schools where I think you'd be competitive. Rock stars should aim high!

 

[Maximillien]

It's a good list, but I removed some of the schools that would likely screen you out for resource protection. I added a number of schools where I think you'd be competitive. Rock stars should aim high!

Oh wow dang. I had thought I was no where close to being competitive for schools you added because of my stats. I guess my EC's help even it out?

Another quick question: I had the chance to talk to one of the physicians I work with who was a Harvard alum and was on the committee, as a student, a while back. He said that my gap year activities were too generic (scribing, federal govt internship, local govt board, and my continued non-clinical volunteering). Also said my plan to do AmeriCorps during the application cycle was kind of generic and I need to do something unrelated to medicine that is "down an unbeaten path" and non-medical related. Is that necessarily true and should try to do something non-medical related? Or is he being too nitpicky because I would genuinely love to do AmeriCorps instead of something non-medical related.

 

[Goro]

Oh wow dang. I had thought I was no where close to being competitive for schools you added because of my stats. I guess my EC's help even it out?

Another quick question: I had the chance to talk to one of the physicians I work with who was a Harvard alum and was on the committee, as a student, a while back. He said that my gap year activities were too generic (scribing, federal govt internship, local govt board, and my continued non-clinical volunteering). Also said my plan to do AmeriCorps during the application cycle was kind of generic and I need to do something unrelated to medicine that is "down an unbeaten path" and non-medical related. Is that necessarily true and should try to do something non-medical related? Or is he being too nitpicky because I would genuinely love to do AmeriCorps instead of something non-medical related.

Ignore that doctor. Americorps generic indeed.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Oh wow dang. I had thought I was no where close to being competitive for schools you added because of my stats. I guess my EC's help even it out?

I think you are a little misinformed about your metrics. Sure the EC's also help...

Another quick question: I had the chance to talk to one of the physicians I work with who was a Harvard alum and was on the committee, as a student, a while back. He said that my gap year activities were too generic (scribing, federal govt internship, local govt board, and my continued non-clinical volunteering). Also said my plan to do AmeriCorps during the application cycle was kind of generic and I need to do something unrelated to medicine that is "down an unbeaten path" and non-medical related. Is that necessarily true and should try to do something non-medical related? Or is he being too nitpicky because I would genuinely love to do AmeriCorps instead of something non-medical related.

You apparently haven't talked with admissions recruiters or other current medical students.

 

[chilly_md]

Agree with Goro. You have significant EC's. Swap out OHSU for Iowa and consider Saint Louis and Brown over applying to a couple of the name-brand schools like Penn or JHU. Try to stay close to 35 schools or less.

 

[morak]

I'd explore the other free tuition schools (Hopkins, Einstein, Icahn Mt. Sinai) in addition to USUHS.

Icahn is tuition free? When did this happen?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Icahn is tuition free? When did this happen?

Oops! My bad! NYU.