WAMC (3.87/509/ORM/CA resident)

[ClashRoyaleKing]

Hi! I am applying this cycle and would love your feedback on my application. I am a first time applicant, by the way.

1. cGPA: 3.87 sGPA: 3.95
2. MCAT taken April 2022: 509 (129/123/128/129)
3. California resident. I have ties to Texas, Minnesota, and Nevada.
4. Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
5. Undergraduate College: Private, religious university in Northern California.
6. Clinical Experience
   1. Emergency Room Volunteer: 200 hours and 150 projected.
   2. Behavioral Health Technician: 4,000 hours. In addition, 2,000 of these hours were as a program manager. There was the same amount of clinical experience, but it had more leadership. I actually split these two in the work/ECs section because I can talk about impact through each role.
7. Research: Been working with a UC's research department on atypical neurological development, cognitive disorders, and developmental disorders. 50 hours currently. 200 hours projected.
8. Shadowing experience: 40 hours psychiatry. 20 hours internal medicine. 20 hours of projected shadowing between the two. I might shadow another specialty during the cycle, would be open to suggestions!
9. Non-clinical volunteering: 100 hours at a food closet. 200-400 hours projected because I am considering increasing that if I could update medical schools on these activities through letters of intent etc.
10. Other experiences: 1,000 hours of tutoring middle school, high school, and college students in a range of subjects (English, Algebra, Calculus, General Chemistry). AMSA participant. I have attended many clinics, interviews with physicians/medical students/residents, learned how physicians do assessments, toured 2x medical schools (UC Davis and Loma Linda).
11. Awards: 4x Dean’s list at my university for having a GPA > 3.85 while taking more than 12 units. I do not think this is important, however.
12. Other information that might be relevant: I have type I diabetes. My diagnosis is a talking point in my personal statement. TMDSAS personal characteristics essay is primarily about my ties to Texas A&M University (family member was in the military in Texas and was a professor there). Most of my essays, experiences, and secondaries are already written and I am ready to apply early this cycle. I am interested in psychiatry, internal medicine, emergency medicine, cardiology, urology. School list below!

UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC Los Angeles
UC San Diego
USC Keck
UC Riverside
CUSM
UN Reno — I live in a California county that is allowed to apply. In addition, I have family that have lived there for a decade and I am geared towards rural/undersevered medicine, which is someone they are looking for.
University of Arizona (Tucson)
Texas A&M — Ties to this school specifically. Family member was in the military in Texas and was a professor there. This is my primary focus of my personal characteristics essay on TMDSAS.
Anne Burnett Marion TCU
Pennsylvania State
Drexel
Sidney Kimmel - TJU
Hackensack Meridian
Robert Lerner, M.D., University of Vermont
Quinnipiac
Geisinger Commonwealth
University of Connecticut
Tufts
Wake Forest
University of Minnesota — I have significant ties to Minnesota. However, I may take this off because I hear successful applicants have a lot of research.
Loma Linda — My undergraduate university had significant ties to this university. I have toured this university and love the area. I am concerned about their efforts to disband unions, however.
Eastern Virginia Medical School — I know it’s public. But they are relatively OOS friendly and I like Virginia.
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Lewis Katz/Temple
Albany
Rosalind Franklin
Cooper Medical School of Rowan
University of Illinois College of Medicine
Loyola University
Rush Medical College
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Medical College of Wisconsin
Tulane
Oakland University Beaumont
University of Miami Leonard Miller
Florida International University
George Washington University
Georgetown
Dartmount — I know this is a reach, but I kind of want to add this one : )
Albert Einstein

Any advice on my school list would be greatly appreciated!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Faha]

You have several schools on your list that are unrealistic with a MCAT of 509. You also have several state public schools that admit few non residents with a MCAT of 509. I suggest these schools from your list:
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC Riverside (only if you are from that region)
CUSM
UN Reno — I live in a California county that is allowed to apply. In addition, I have family that have lived there for a decade and I am geared towards rural/undersevered medicine, which is someone they are looking for. —
Anne Burnett Marion TCU
Pennsylvania State
Drexel
Sidney Kimmel - TJU
Hackensack Meridian
Robert Lerner, M.D., University of Vermont
Quinnipiac
Wake Forest —
Loma Linda — My undergraduate university had significant ties to this university. I have toured this university and love the area. I am concerned about their efforts to disband unions, however.
Eastern Virginia Medical School — I know it’s public. But they are relatively OOS friendly and I like Virginia.
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Lewis Katz/Temple
Albany
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola University
Rush Medical College
Medical College of Wisconsin
Tulane
Oakland University Beaumont
George Washington University
—
You could add these schools:
NOVA MD
Virginia Commonwealth
Creighton
Wayne State
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Belmont (when it opens)

 

[ClashRoyaleKing]

So the schools I should drop are:

UC San Diego
USC Keck
UCLA
UC Riverside

(I was told to apply to all of the UC schools)

Arizona
Dartmouth (duh)
Albert Einstein I'm ok with losing this one, because of its location.
Texas A&M — I'm still going to apply, since I have strong family connections and like the university.
Ohio
Cooper
University of Illinois
The two Florida schools, which is good, because after reflection I do NOT want to go to Florida.
Georgetown — I'm ok with losing this one, because of its location.

Thanks for the recommendations, Faha. Overall, what do you think of my application? What is strong? What is weak?

 

[Faha]

Your ECs are very good. Your only weakness is your MCAT of 509.