WAMC 511 MCAT/ 3.39 sGPA, 3.58 cGPA, Strong Extracurricular

[nathanch]

Hello all! Wanting to see if this application cycle is even feasible or realistic/what would best serve my application moving forward. Currently have a 3.39 sGPA and a 3.59 cGPA, double majoring in Biology (BS), and English: Concentration in Science, Medicine and Literature with a Chemistry Minor. My GPA trend (by semester): 3.45, 3.45, 3.1, 3.554, 3.700, 3.876, 3,91. First 3 semesters were online as I began undergraduate at Chapel Hill at the start of covid. The online semester and some personal matters really hurt my gpa at the beginning of college, but have shown consistent and sustained upwards trends. Also, rowed full-time for the university during my freshman and sophomore years. EC are very solid: oncology research spanning 3+ years at two separate comprehensive cancer centers. 1 Publication and a second pending publication (both in separate cancer pathologies). Ongoing honors thesis in the english department to defend 2024. 1.5 years as a clinical research intern at the on-campus cancer center. Anatomy lab TA for 2 semesters and highschool biology tutor. Over 100+ hours of clinical shadowing spanning both OR and clinical hours in a very wide variety of pathologies and providers. Founded an on campus organization to train undergraduates in cancer curriculum and teach underserved school aged children. Student government senator for the pre-health district. Other leadership roles in other organizations. Consistent volunteering at Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofits. Mcat breakdown was: 129/128/127/127. Planning to apply to 30+ schools and shooting for REALISTIC schools on list. Please let me know if my sGPA is not worth applying this cycle, thank you so much for the help!

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[nathanch]

Also forgot to say: Internship is entirely patient facing (meet patients in clinic constantly), so a plethora of clinical hours.

 

[nathanch]

North Carolina Native, Race White Male

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
UNC
East Carolina
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
NOVA MD
TCU
Creighton
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Belmont (when it opens)
Also apply to DO schools and consider these:
CUSOM
VCOM (all schools except Monroe)
PCOM (all schools)
ACOM
DMU-COM
MU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM

 

[nathanch]

Th

I suggest these schools with your stats:
UNC
East Carolina
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
NOVA MD
TCU
Creighton
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Belmont (when it opens)
Also apply to DO schools and consider these:
CUSOM
VCOM (all schools except Monroe)
PCOM (all schools)
ACOM
DMU-COM
MU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM

Thank you so much for the list! Also, considering rush university, but have seen their requirement for 100’s-1000’s of community hours. How far off am I would you say in terms of volunteering?

 

[Faha]

How many hours do you have at Habitat For Humanity ? How many direct patient contact hours do you have /

 

[nathanch]

How many hours do you have at Habitat For Humanity ? How many direct patient contact hours do you have /

Habitat is 30+, direct contact patient is touching nearing 100.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Habitat is 30+, direct contact patient is touching nearing 100.

Take the gap year, you need better ECs with low stats. Aim for 250 of each AT LEAST.

 

[nathanch]

Take the gap year, you need better ECs with low stats. Aim for 250 of each AT LEAST.

Noted, also having two more semesters and a summer course or two should solidify my sGPA in the 3.4's (maybe touch 3.5's) and cGPA well into the 3.6's (potential 3.7's)

 

[Mr.Smile12]

It would have been better to format to the template and give year-by-year (not term-by-term) GPA trends.

Spell out your actual hours. "Consistent hours" for H4H means what... 3 hours per week? For 4 years? With just 30 hours, it's not enough for showing service orientation and consistency. Minimum 150 hours to avoid elimination at screening, 250 or higher for desirable candidates.

Student government could go under leadership or advocacy... it's such a new category, we'll see how faculty really adjust to it.

You basically gave your academic history and some scant details on activities. It gives me no idea that you would be a strong fit with schools with specific missions. ECU and UNC are very different from each other, and I can't say you have a good shot at ECU which is very rural community service oriented while Wake and UNC may be a bit more comprehensive/academic but still state-wide when it comes to training future doctors. Your activities show me you can keep yourself busy, but I have no sense you really want to "do medicine" versus being a clinical research staff member, especially for cancer immunotherapy research. Again, it's from what you disclosed.

 

[nathanch]

It would have been better to format to the template and give year-by-year (not term-by-term) GPA trends.

Spell out your actual hours. "Consistent hours" for H4H means what... 3 hours per week? For 4 years? With just 30 hours, it's not enough for showing service orientation and consistency. Minimum 150 hours to avoid elimination at screening, 250 or higher for desirable candidates.

Student government could go under leadership or advocacy... it's such a new category, we'll see how faculty really adjust to it.

You basically gave your academic history and some scant details on activities. It gives me no idea that you would be a strong fit with schools with specific missions. ECU and UNC are very different from each other, and I can't say you have a good shot at ECU which is very rural community service oriented while Wake and UNC may be a bit more comprehensive/academic but still state-wide when it comes to training future doctors. Your activities show me you can keep yourself busy, but I have no sense you really want to "do medicine" versus being a clinical research staff member, especially for cancer immunotherapy research. Again, it's from what you disclosed.

Mr.Smile12, Thank you so much for the helpful recommendations! Just gave a more scant/quick overview of some criteria, will definitely repost according to the template (rather new). If I could pick your brain on some future actionable items: 1. Is it worth retaking the 511 (the consistent answer I have received is "only if you are sure you can crush your first score" and 2. Is a focus on community volunteering/involvement is one of the most advisable uses of my summer? I am completing two summer courses and continuing my intern position at the cancer hospital seeing patients in clinic.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Mr.Smile12, Thank you so much for the helpful recommendations! Just gave a more scant/quick overview of some criteria, will definitely repost according to the template (rather new). If I could pick your brain on some future actionable items: 1. Is it worth retaking the 511 (the consistent answer I have received is "only if you are sure you can crush your first score" and 2. Is a focus on community volunteering/involvement is one of the most advisable uses of my summer? I am completing two summer courses and continuing my intern position at the cancer hospital seeing patients in clinic.

It's not really worth retaking a 511 unless pride motivates you that you think you "deserve a better list." I don't know how your previous practice scores went and how you prepared for the exam. The metrics are good enough to get in somewhere.

The reason why using the template is helpful is because it is a great exercise for you to see where you have devoted your time for your application. Where you usually spend the most time in your volunteering/non-research activities reflects where your passion lies.

 

[candbgirl]

You wrote all of those beautiful descriptors and we really have no idea what you have for ECs. From what you have responded to various queries you really need to put off applying this upcoming cycle. 30 hours at H4H isn’t impressive. What else do you have for nonclinical volunteering that focuses on the unserved/underserved in your community? You asked how far off you are from Rush’s expectations of hundreds if not thousands of hours of service. You are hundreds if not thousands of hours away. And teaching/tutoring is a separate category. “Touching 100 hours” of clinical experiences isn’t enough either. One thing you do have enough hours in is Shadowing as long as you have some in primary care.
You really only want to apply one time with the best application possible. So slow down, build a good and comprehensive application and apply.

 

[Faha]

Habitat is 30+, direct contact patient is touching nearing 100.

You mentioned that you had a plethora of direct patient contact hours but 100 is low. You will need another 100+ hours of clinical volunteering and antother 100+ hours of no clinical volunteering before you are ready to apply.