WAMC 3.8/504 - School List Help

[scallion]

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Hi all,

I am new to the forums here and would like some help with my school list for the 25-26 application cycle.

1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
cGPA 3.8, sGPA 3.7
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown. Include all (non-voided) attempts.
2022 501 - 128/124/127/122
2024 504 - 126/123/126/129
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
MA
4. Ethnicity and/or race
ORM
5. Undergraduate institution or category
Private, Pennsylvania
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
6000 hours - clinical research coordinator (three gap years before starting medical school)
7. Research experience and productivity
800 hours - chemistry undergrad, one poster/conference.
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
50 hours general surgery
9. Non-clinical volunteering
250 hours - sports refereeing
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
Relevant honors or awards
a. Club sport for 4 years, captain for 2
b. TA for 5 semesters
c. Residential assistant for 3 years
d. Orchestra/band for 3 years
Anything else not listed you think might be important

I am generally applying to schools in the northeast/south and would prefer to go to a suburban/rural school. Currently, I am trying to narrow down schools that are out of reach/add more DO schools if needed.

MD schools:
Belmont
Alice Walton
Roseman
Methodist
Oakland Beaumont
Geisinger
Penn State
TCU
Medical College Wisconsin
Albany
Drexel
Eastern Virginia
Rosalind Franklin

DO schools:
LECOM (all schools)
ATSU-Kirksville
DMUCOM
CUSOM
RVSOM
KCU
UNECOM
NYITCOM (both schools)
WVSOM
RVUCOM-CO
CCOM
ARCOM
PCOM (all three)
ACOM
VCOM (all four)
LMU-DCOM (both schools)
UP-KYCOM
UIWSOM
WCUCOM

Thank you for your help!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

First concern: your MCAT score definitely puts you in DO territory; MD will be challenging.

But other things that might screen you out include your clinical exposure. In what area is your work as a clinical research coordinator? Having done that for 3 years, I want to focus on your activities since you graduated. What community service have you done since graduating? When was sports refereeing?

Furthermore, you do not mention any service orientation activities like food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation. You need 150 hours when you apply to avoid getting screened out at most schools.

Details are lacking, so it's hard to construct an argument why you would be a great medical student or a physician. You could be successful managing clinical trials, and we need good experienced people. Since graduating, what you have done to become more familiar with the health care system and stretched beyond your comfort zone around uncomfortable people?

 

[scallion]

First concern: your MCAT score definitely puts you in DO territory; MD will be challenging.

But other things that might screen you out include your clinical exposure. In what area is your work as a clinical research coordinator? Having done that for 3 years, I want to focus on your activities since you graduated. What community service have you done since graduating? When was sports refereeing?

Furthermore, you do not mention any service orientation activities like food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation. You need 150 hours when you apply to avoid getting screened out at most schools.

Details are lacking, so it's hard to construct an argument why you would be a great medical student or a physician. You could be successful managing clinical trials, and we need good experienced people. Since graduating, what you have done to become more familiar with the health care system and stretched beyond your comfort zone around uncomfortable people?

Thank you for your help with this.

For more information, I am working at a hospital as a CRC and the majority of my time is spent screening Epic charts, seeing patients (drawing blood, consenting for studies), working with physicians, etc. I am pretty familiar (at least from a premed's perspective) of the health care system through work experience.

The sports refereeing was something I did after undergrad and part of a niche community. It doesn't help the underserved, but it's something I am passionate about and can write a good story for.

I had about 50 hours of farm work/food collection, but didn't include that since it was part of a class.

What would you recommend going forward?

 

[Faha]

You should receive several interviews from DO schools. Your lack of non clinical volunteering will limit your chances for interviews at MD schools since some schools screen at 150 hours. Accumulate 150+ hours of non clinical volunteering such as food bank, homeless shelter, etc. before you submit your application.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for your help with this.

For more information, I am working at a hospital as a CRC and the majority of my time is spent screening Epic charts, seeing patients (drawing blood, consenting for studies), working with physicians, etc. I am pretty familiar (at least from a premed's perspective) of the health care system through work experience.

The sports refereeing was something I did after undergrad and part of a niche community. It doesn't help the underserved, but it's something I am passionate about and can write a good story for.

I had about 50 hours of farm work/food collection, but didn't include that since it was part of a class.

What would you recommend going forward?

I would at least talk with DOs about their education and what to expect going to a DO school with your current profile, weighted more towards your last two or three years. You need service-orientation experience for your best chance at a solid program.

 

[scallion]

Thank you both. I will definitely look into non clinical volunteering opportunities.