WAMC: 3.97 GPA 513 MCAT, Reapplying for 2023-2024 cycle

[blee24]

Currently a senior planning on graduating in May. Applied during the 2022-2023 cycle and was not admitted anywhere. Applied to 25 schools, obtained secondaries from 23 schools, only 1 interview invite. Looking to apply again next cycle as well as retake my MCAT for a higher score. Did worse on my MCAT the second time so nervous about taking MCAT a 3rd time. Want to reevaluate my med school list and see where I have the best chances of getting into. Technically an Arizona resident now but my family did move to Colorado recently. All feedback is greatly appreciated!


cGPA and sGPA: cGPA 3.97, sGPA 4.00
MCAT score(s): 1/20/22 - 513 (130/127/130/126) 5/13/22 - 508 (130/126/127/125)
State of residence: Arizona
Ethnicity and/or race: Asian
Undergraduate institution or category: University of Arizona
Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer):
ER Scribe: 360.65 Hours, still in progress
Neuro and surgical ward volunteer: 150 hours
Research experience and productivity:
Undergrad research Lab #1: 1050 hours
Undergrad research Lab #2: 2000 hours (poster presentations, senior honors thesis ongoing)
Non-clinical volunteering:
Hospital Courtesy cart driver: 100 hours
Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc):
Historian and New Member Educator for Pre-health honorary on Campus (AED): served 2 years on board, about 350 hours
Chemistry and Biochemistry Department Ambassador: 60 hours
Relevant honors or awards:
First place prize at CBC poster fair under advanced physical sciences (2021)
Multiple Dean's list with Distinction awards

Schools applied to in 2022-2023 cycle:

UNLV

UCLA

Utah

UA COM-T

UNC

Duke

Columbia

Stanford

Dartmouth

Kaiser

Mayo

Michigan

NYU Grossman

Colorado

Brown

Case Western

NYU Long Island

UA COM-P

USC

Georgetown

Ohio State

Rutgers

Creighton

UCSF

UWashington

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[Faha]

Where was your interview ? Do you have any physician shadowing hours ?
You had 10 OOS state public schools that you applied to that admit very few non residents with your MCAT score and no connection to the state (for example, U Washington admits less than 1% of applicants who are not from states in the Northwest). You also had several other unrealistic schools with your MCAT scores.

 

[blee24]

Where was your interview ? Do you have any physician shadowing hours ?
You had 10 OOS state public schools that you applied to that admit very few non residents with your MCAT score and no connection to the state (for example, U Washington admits less than 1% of applicants who are not from states in the Northwest). You also had several other unrealistic schools with your MCAT scores.

Interview at University of Arizona COM-Tucson. Unfortunately no shadowing hours, tried looking for physicians to shadow but a lot of them said they were unable to due to COVID protocols at the time.

 

[Faha]

You need to accumulate 50 hours of physician shadowing (including primary care) before you reapply (you may be able to apply some of your scribing as shadowing). You also need another 100+ hours of non clinical volunteering. If you can do so by June you can reapply this year. If not, then you should wait until 2024 to reapply.
Here is a more realistic list of schools when you reapply:
Arizona (Tucson and Phoenix)
Creighton
TCU
NOVA MD
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
George Washington
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Belmont (when it opens)
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
Also apply to DO schools and I suggest these:
AZCOM
TUNCOM
WESTERN
TUCOM-CA
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
DMU-COM
MU-COM
CUSOM
PCOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Applied to 25 schools, obtained secondaries from 23 schools, only 1 interview invite.

Where was this interview? What was the decision?

Non-clinical volunteering:
Hospital Courtesy cart driver: 100 hours

Oh no no no... where is your non-clinical community service? What activity shows your service orientation and ability to stretch beyond your comfort zone?

Why did you retake a pretty decent MCAT 4 months later to go down by 4 points? What happened and why did you panic? Don't retake it until you confidently can pup 520+ scores on practices. Some schools average all your MCAT attempts for screening.

Shadowing? See Faha's point.

 

[blee24]

Where was this interview? What was the decision?

Oh no no no... where is your non-clinical community service? What activity shows your service orientation and ability to stretch beyond your comfort zone?

Why did you retake a pretty decent MCAT 4 months later to go down by 4 points? What happened and why did you panic? Don't retake it until you confidently can pup 520+ scores on practices. Some schools average all your MCAT attempts for screening.

Shadowing? See Faha's point.

Interview was at University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson, waited 2 months for any news and was rejected last Friday. I was scoring high in my full length exams after my first exam of 513 (around 515-518) and though I could score higher to be more competitive. I don't really know what happened come test day but I just did not do well, even though I felt like I did better. Looking to retake the MCAT in April or maybe May.

Working towards more non-clinical community service. Been putting in some shifts at the Community Food Bank through one of the organizations I am part of on campus. I do have a fair amount of time scribing in the emergency room, would it be necessary to add shadowing onto this? Scribing is essentially shadowing with extra work and responsibilities.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Your ER scribing can count towards shadowing. Your patient transport can be clinical (in hospital) or non-clinical (shuttle to and from home to appointments). These are my suggestions.