WAMC: 512 (123 CARS), 3.78 GPA, NJ resident

[nastixnmed]

Hi all, here are my stats. I have a few questions mixed in here that I would like some advice for, as well as advice for my school list. Thanks!

1. cGPA: 3.78; sGPA: 3.75 ish
2. MCAT: 512
   1. C/P 130
   2. CARS 123 🙁
   3. B/B 129
   4. P/S 130
3. NJ Resident
4. White
5. Boston College = Undergrad (Graduated 2023, now in Gap Year)
6. Clinical Experience:
   1. ~850 hrs Scribing in the Emergency Department
   2. ~ 2,000 hrs Clinical Research Coordinator in breast cancer clinic (half is in clinic with patients, the other half is research so maybe 1,000 research and 1,000 clinical)
      1. another 2,000 prospective hours (same breakdown)
   3. Each of these were affiliated with Harvard Medical School if that has any weight lol
7. Research experience and productivity
   1. Summer volunteer at a basic research lab at Mt. Sinai = ~104 hours
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. I feel like shadowing isn't that important anymore (right?) but will be shadowing a cardiologist soon, maybe will get 16-32 hours with her. Can do more if you guys think I should, but I have a ton of clinical already
9. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. ~ 50 hrs volunteering to play with children living in a homeless shelter (prospective hours add ~ 100 more)
      1. Started Sept 2023
   2. 16 hours volunteering to hold conversations with elderly people living in nursing facilities, many of which are experiencing cognitive decline (I started in October, but since February the company hasn't had a placement for me so I've just been waiting to start again). Is this too little to put on my application?
      1. Started Oct 2023
   3. 60 hours (prospective hours add ~150 more) volunteering to help teach an English class designed for recent immigrants to the US (may be one of my most meaningfuls)
      1. Started Nov 2023
10. Teaching Assistant:
    1. Teaching Assistant for Anatomy Lab
       1. ~140 hours
11. Other work experiences:
    1. Student Manager at Cafe on campus ~800 hrs across all 4 years
12. Other extracurricular activities
    1. Rock Climbing ~ 72 hrs
    2. Dance Team at University ~540 hours (across 2 years, with 1 year gap between the 2 years)
    3. Intramural sports ~60 hours (volleyball)
    4. Had prospective BC students shadow me for a day ~ 60 hours (is this too little?)
       1. should this count as volunteering or extracurricular?
    5. Pre-med mentor ~45 hours (is this too little?)
       1. should this count as volunteering or extracurricular?
13. Relevant honors or awards
    1. Just Dean's list for the last 6 semesters and graduated Cum Laude
14. Anything else not listed you think might be important
    1. I have a pretty unique story and believe my personal statement will reflect this
    2. I am low SES (although not low enough for fee assistance program I guess lol)
    3. First-gen medical student

Here is my school list so far:

1. Tufts
2. UCLA
3. Albert Einstein
4. UMass Chan
5. Dartmouth
6. University of Vermont
7. Rutgers NJMS
8. Rutgers RWJ
9. Hackensack
10. Rush University
11. Loyola University Chicago
12. Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin
13. Georgetown
14. George Washington
15. NYMC
16. Frank H. Netter SOM Quinnipiac
17. Cooper Medical School (Rowan)
18. Albany Medical College
19. Temple
20. Jefferson (Sidney Kimmel)
21. Drexel
22. TCU - actually very low OOS matriculation, maybe bc small class?
23. University of Maryland
24. Brown - Alpert
25. Wake Forest
26. University of Miami
27. Virginia Commonwealth University
28. Virginia Tech
29. Eastern Virginia Medical School
30. Kaiser
31. Loma Linda University SOM
32. University of Michigan (10th percentile)
33. Creighton?
34. University of Colorado
35. Nova Southeastern

Reaches

1. Hofstra (at 10th percentile)
2. Stanford (10th percentile is 513)
3. Duke (at 10th percentile)
4. Mayo? Lol (10th percentile is 513)
5. UVA (at 10th percentile)

EDIT/update: I applied to 32 schools, have 12 IIs so far, and 4 acceptances (as of dec 18). 🙂

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[AJS59]

Some notes on your application:
-Shadowing is still a necessity; the good news for you is that some of your ED department scribing can be shifted to ensure you have sufficient shadowing
-The 16 hours of convos with the elderly won't weigh much; shadowing is basically the only major activity under 50 hours where weight gets put on it
-The only real weakness I see is in non-clinical service orientation: The homeless shelter hours is good (50). The English teaching is debatable; normally teaching doesn't really fly but given that it's not "near-peer" (like tutoring high school/college students) it may score some points. Regardless even if you count that it only gets you to 110 hours; the projected hours don't really count. See if you can try to raise both (or some other combo of activities) so that your total hits 150.

As for your school list: Rush, Loyola and Georgetown will expect several hundred-thousands of non-clinical service hours, which you don't have. Maryland and VTech are publics that put favor on IS applicants. Otherwise, it's a good start as far as I see.

 

[nastixnmed]

Some notes on your application:
-Shadowing is still a necessity; the good news for you is that some of your ED department scribing can be shifted to ensure you have sufficient shadowing
-The 16 hours of convos with the elderly won't weigh much; shadowing is basically the only major activity under 50 hours where weight gets put on it
-The only real weakness I see is in non-clinical service orientation: The homeless shelter hours is good (50). The English teaching is debatable; normally teaching doesn't really fly but given that it's not "near-peer" (like tutoring high school/college students) it may score some points. Regardless even if you count that it only gets you to 110 hours; the projected hours don't really count. See if you can try to raise both (or some other combo of activities) so that your total hits 150.

As for your school list: Rush, Loyola and Georgetown will expect several hundred-thousands of non-clinical service hours, which you don't have. Maryland and VTech are publics that put favor on IS applicants. Otherwise, it's a good start as far as I see.

Thanks!

So you don’t think the fact that I’m tutoring newly-arrived adult immigrants who don’t speak English is seen as service-oriented? I feel like that’s pretty catered to underserved communities, especially being that most of these students are Haitian and South American?

When you say “shifted” do you mean I should split it and list some of it as shadowing? Or that the admissions committee will see it as equivalent to shadowing. Also, isn’t shadowing just a symbol of how privileged you are to personally know people in the medical field? Even the UMass director of admissions was saying this. I haven’t had a personal connection with physicians until now that I met my boyfriends family. Just a little mini rant.

 

[AJS59]

Thanks!

So you don’t think the fact that I’m tutoring newly-arrived adult immigrants who don’t speak English is seen as service-oriented? I feel like that’s pretty catered to underserved communities, especially being that most of these students are Haitian and South American?

When you say “shifted” do you mean I should split it and list some of it as shadowing? Or that the admissions committee will see it as equivalent to shadowing. Also, isn’t shadowing just a symbol of how privileged you are to personally know people in the medical field? Even the UMass director of admissions was saying this. I haven’t had a personal connection with physicians until now that I met my boyfriends family. Just a little mini rant.

1. I would argue it counts (or should count); the common issue with tutoring is that it's something where you're coming from an area of expertise and that it shows academic orientation; not service. That being said, I'm not an adcom; there are committee members on this forum who may be able to give you some better perspective on what their schools would view it as.

2. Yeah...I'm not argue with the fact that the ability to shadow greatly favors people coming from privileged backgrounds. And yes, that's what I mean; in this situation you'd subtract some hours off the scribing and add it to your "shadowing" activity. Honestly it's more of a technical thing.

Hope this helps a little bit; I am just a recently accepted med student lol so I am, again, not an expert.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

1. I would argue it counts (or should count); the common issue with tutoring is that it's something where you're coming from an area of expertise and that it shows academic orientation; not service. That being said, I'm not an adcom; there are committee members on this forum who may be able to give you some better perspective on what their schools would view it as.

2. Yeah...I'm not argue with the fact that the ability to shadow greatly favors people coming from privileged backgrounds. And yes, that's what I mean; in this situation you'd subtract some hours off the scribing and add it to your "shadowing" activity. Honestly it's more of a technical thing.

Hope this helps a little bit; I am just a recently accepted med student lol so I am, again, not an expert.

@AJS59 has learned my usual points well. 🙂

I get that teaching (English) shows some service orientation, but I argue translation shows more. Have you helped these same individuals navigate social services, find housing, and locate cultural grocery stores speaking to them in their language? That is a much stronger argument of addressing someone's needs versus teaching English.

I argue we need more teachers, period. Premeds love teaching people but they don't tend to want the relative poverty of the teaching profession. Hence IMO teaching doesn't get the credit that it should, but we just see so many variations of teaching and mentoring in premed applicants. It's not fair to give more credit to teaching English than science than coaching basketball than playing a ukeleke. Or making videos/apps to do the same.

 

[nastixnmed]

@AJS59 has learned my usual points well. 🙂

I get that teaching (English) shows some service orientation, but I argue translation shows more. Have you helped these same individuals navigate social services, find housing, and locate cultural grocery stores speaking to them in their language? That is a much stronger argument of addressing someone's needs versus teaching English.

I argue we need more teachers, period. Premeds love teaching people but they don't tend to want the relative poverty of the teaching profession. Hence IMO teaching doesn't get the credit that it should, but we just see so many variations of teaching and mentoring in premed applicants. It's not fair to give more credit to teaching English than science than coaching basketball than playing a ukeleke. Or making videos/apps to do the same.

Yeah I see what you’re saying, thank you! I do presentations on requested topics like how to navigate the american navigation system and have them resources for scholarships and community college programs. I anticipate doing similar things moving forward, however it is not really directly helping them navigate. Any suggestions for opportunities I should pursue? 😅

 

[Faha]

Schools such as Loyola and Rush expect far more non clinical volunteering hours than you have. You also have some reaches with your stats.
I suggest these schools from your list:

1. Tufts
2. UMass Chan
3. University of Vermont
4. Rutgers NJMS
5. Rutgers RWJ
6. Hackensack
7. Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin
8. Georgetown
9. George Washington
10. NYMC
11. Frank H. Netter SOM Quinnipiac
12. Cooper Medical School (Rowan)
13. Albany Medical College
14. Temple
15. Jefferson (Sidney Kimmel)
16. Drexel
17. TCU
18. Wake Forest
19. University of Miami
20. Virginia Commonwealth University
21. Eastern Virginia Medical School
22. Kaiser
23. Loma Linda University SOM
24. Creighton
25. Nova Southeastern
26. Penn State
27. Belmont
28. Medical College Wisconsin
29. Oakland Beaumont
30. Alice Walton (when it opens)
31. Roseman (when it opens)

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yeah I see what you’re saying, thank you! I do presentations on requested topics like how to navigate the american navigation system and have them resources for scholarships and community college programs. I anticipate doing similar things moving forward, however it is not really directly helping them navigate. Any suggestions for opportunities I should pursue? 😅

AJ gave some suggestions above that would be similar to my advice, but you probably have access to more opportunities than we can know on an internet forum.

 

[LordDerpulus]

@AJS59 has learned my usual points well. 🙂

I get that teaching (English) shows some service orientation, but I argue translation shows more. Have you helped these same individuals navigate social services, find housing, and locate cultural grocery stores speaking to them in their language? That is a much stronger argument of addressing someone's needs versus teaching English.

I argue we need more teachers, period. Premeds love teaching people but they don't tend to want the relative poverty of the teaching profession. Hence IMO teaching doesn't get the credit that it should, but we just see so many variations of teaching and mentoring in premed applicants. It's not fair to give more credit to teaching English than science than coaching basketball than playing a ukeleke. Or making videos/apps to do the same.

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I also have a similar EC to the English teaching mentioned in this thread, and I was wondering if you would be willing to share your thoughts on it @Mr.Smile12 ?

I serve as a student mentor/cultural liaison in addition to teaching English directed at ESL foreign exchange and international students. Some stuff I do includes introducing students and helping them navigate conversations with help resources like the campus food recovery program (which I additionally have ~110 hours with by the time I apply) and the office of student disability, or even things like helping them negotiate off-campus housing, among a myriad of other things. All this while I coach them on their English conversation skills.

In your opinion, could this be acceptably claimed as being nonclinical volunteering rather than tutoring?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I also have a similar EC to the English teaching mentioned in this thread, and I was wondering if you would be willing to share your thoughts on it @Mr.Smile12 ?

I serve as a student mentor/cultural liaison in addition to teaching English directed at ESL foreign exchange and international students. Some stuff I do includes introducing students and helping them navigate conversations with help resources like the campus food recovery program (which I additionally have ~110 hours with by the time I apply) and the office of student disability, or even things like helping them negotiate off-campus housing, among a myriad of other things. All this while I coach them on their English conversation skills.

In your opinion, could this be acceptably claimed as being nonclinical volunteering rather than tutoring?

It sounds like you are a campus buddy or ambassador, much like an admissions ambassador or volunteer.

Student Leaders and Ambassadors: Bringing Out the Best - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

It isn't tutoring, but it is part of campus community building. Like a student life version of a resident advisor. A more active version of the student union concierge/help desk.

I did similar activities in my undergraduate days, and I would not count it as the equivalent to the service orientation activities I cited earlier. List it and roll the dice (cultural awareness bucket).

 

[LordDerpulus]

It sounds like you are a campus buddy or ambassador, much like an admissions ambassador or volunteer.

Student Leaders and Ambassadors: Bringing Out the Best - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

It isn't tutoring, but it is part of campus community building. Like a student life version of a resident advisor. A more active version of the student union concierge/help desk.

I did similar activities in my undergraduate days, and I would not count it as the equivalent to the service orientation activities I cited earlier. List it and roll the dice (cultural awareness bucket).

If I'm understanding correctly, I'll take this as a hesitant vote in favor of listing it as nonclinical volunteering. Thank you.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

If I'm understanding correctly, I'll take this as a hesitant vote in favor of listing it as nonclinical volunteering. Thank you.

It would be similar to how you would clarify being a resident advisor to be safe, though you are compensated as an RA/RD. I let the schools decide if it fits their service orientation criteria.

Also, aren't you paid to do your responsibilities? Why not? Is this part of a club?

 

[LordDerpulus]

It would be similar to how you would clarify being a resident advisor to be safe, though you are compensated as an RA/RD. I let the schools decide if it fits their service orientation criteria.

Also, aren't you paid to do your responsibilities? Why not? Is this part of a club?

Got it.

Honestly, I'm not exactly sure why we're not paid. Though it's an official school-run program, it's very student-operated: we're essentially given cases to manage entirely on our own in one-on-one interactions, so I assume it's due to a lack of funding. The program as a whole does put out secondary events independent of our individual sessions, so I assume the money goes there. I go to a very large CA public school if that means anything.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

If your responsibilities resemble these examples, you have a stronger footing. Again, let the adcoms decide. Hope this helps you in your W/A description.

College Navigation – Community Autism Resources

Basic Needs Student Navigators Recognized Nationally

www.mtsac.edu

Students Are Struggling With Basic Needs. So Colleges Are Tapping ‘Benefits Navigators.’

The navigators are helping. But they don’t have the resources to do everything they can.

www.chronicle.com