WAMC: 521 MCAT/3.3cGPA, 3.19sGPA Non-Trad (teacher) ORM Looking for help with school list

[teacher_p92]

I am a first time MD applicant. English Major, Bio minor with the normal prereqs.

I first took the MCAT in 2015 and scored 500. I applied to DO schools that cycle, didn’t get accepted. I then got a job teaching science, math, and English overseas (Thailand- I have family there) and have been a teacher there for 7 years. No one in my immediate fam speaks Thai, only my half-brother and niece, so I learned it while I was here. Fairly fluent (my spelling sucks) and use it volunteering.

I was visiting the US and went to Universal with my gf, and we met a group of residents who were there for CME. They were smart, driven, felt a connection with them and wanted to give med a try again. Prob not the best reason for it, but its true. Studied for the MCAT while teaching last year and got a 521.

I realize my GPA is not competitive; I came into college unprepared for the rigor of it and got a 2.25 first term, it strongly trends upwards after that and I ended up making the deans list twice as a junior and senior.
Average is still low (3.3/3.2 for overall/science, but I’ve matured and am much more focused then I was 18-22. I recognize I’m a bit of a gamble for adcoms tho, I’m hoping MCAT gainz from a 500 in 2015 to a 521 shows I’ve prepared. I should have probably taken post-bacc but I teach full-time. I graduated in 2015.

I'm also currently a volunteer with a “Rescue Organization”- there isn’t really an American equivalent but my org handles first aid, ambulance services for accidents, rescues stranded motorists (like AAA), undertaking, picks up corpses from houses or the hospital and takes them to the morgue, animal control, firefighting. I’ve got around 200 hours with them and should have 350-400 by the time I submit secondaries. I like working there, so I’ll keep it up until I have to move back to the U.S.

I also did habitat for humanity in Kentucky/Appalachia over my spring breaks in college.

Clinical: Phlebotomist for 1.5 years (2000ish hours) 2015-2016
Lab: Paid Lab intern at a family practice clinic: 2014
Shadowing: 183 in US, 8 in Thailand (really hard to get shadowing here as a foreigner)


Would like to go into Emergency, Peds, or Psychiatry. Here’s my school list- I’ll apply to PCOM and some other DO schools as well. PA resident. None of these schools require recent coursework based on MSAR, but I may have made an error. Thx for your attention.


University of Oklahoma - have family nearby, really love their program and OKC as a city
Tulane University Sch of Med
Drexel
Emory University Sch of Med - reach
Rush Med Coll - Rush U Med Ctr
Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center
Geisinger Commonwealth SOM - I’m from central PA and like their mission
Central Michigan Univ COM
University of Pittsburgh SOM
University of Kentucky COM
West Virginia University SOM
Frank H. Netter MD
New York Medical College
UCLA David Geffen SOM
George Washington
Univ of Toledo College of Med
Case Western Reserve U SOM
Larner COM, Univ of Vermont
University of Arizona COM
MU
Marshall Northeast Ohio Medical Univ - expensive
Eastern Virginia Med Sch
Albany Medical College
Tufts SOM
Texas Tech U Hlth Sci Ctr SOM
Creighton University SOM
Chicago Med Rosalind Franklin
SUNY Downstate COM
Loyola U Chicago Stritch SOM
Wayne State University SOM
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Medical College of Wisconsin

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[teacher_p92]

Sorry for the typos. I realize I might not get in anywhere MD, and am applying DO as well. I'd prefer MD to try and minimize debt, tho. I have a decent amount of savings but will still have to pay for the majority of my education through loans

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

So you grew up in Pennsylvania. Have you also been teaching there? When did you get your 521: this spring or last year? How is your significant other involved now?

Have you reached out to schools on your wishlist? I think you could get a shot at DO with what you have now (at first glance), but you may need a one-year special masters to increase your chances and get a shot at MD.

 

[Faha]

Where is your current state of residence ? You have many state public schools on your list that admit few non residents with your GPA and no connection to the state.

 

[teacher_p92]

Where is your current state of residence ? You have many state public schools on your list that admit few non residents with your GPA and no connection to the state.

Pennsylvania. I believe I have all of the schools in my state (besides Penn) listed that accept old coursework, I had to remove Penn State and Thomas Jefferson.

Which schools don't really accept out of staters? I thought I checked their stats on MSAR but some may have slipped through the cracks.

 

[teacher_p92]

Welcome to the forums.

So you grew up in Pennsylvania. Have you also been teaching there? When did you get your 521: this spring or last year? How is your significant other involved now?

Have you reached out to schools on your wishlist? I think you could get a shot at DO with what you have now (at first glance), but you may need a one-year special masters to increase your chances and get a shot at MD.

My teaching cert is from New Jersey Dept of Ed, actually. Took my exam there as they waive student teaching for applicants with above a certain SAT score. I teach overseas in Thailand- I'm planning on finishing my term and moving back to the US. I don't want to leave my students/school in the lurch, and I'm in the middle of selling my assets here.

I agree with you about the SMP- I do think I'll apply this cycle but I'm not sure if I'll get in given my GPA. One advantage of being an English maj is that I'm a strong writer, but I don't know how much that counts for. I'm about as non-traditional as it gets. I hope the 500-> 521 shows growth. I took the exam this spring. My partner works in Business Dev/Marketing for a Japanese-Thai firm that manufactures EV chargers. She has her visa and is prepared to make the move to the US. Some of the more rural campuses may be a bit tough for her to find employment in her field, but she does do a lot of remote work already. We're working on that together

 

[teacher_p92]

Where is your current state of residence ? You have many state public schools on your list that admit few non residents with your GPA and no connection to the state.

I do have 3 siblings in Atlanta metro along with their fams, a brother working for the govt. in DC for GW, grandmother and aunt/uncle in Ohio and have spent a decent amount of time in all of those places. I applied to some places just because I like their mission statements or because I thought they'd be easy for my SO to get a job in

are there any schools you'd add?

 

[Faha]

I do have 3 siblings in Atlanta metro along with their fams, a brother working for the govt. in DC for GW, grandmother and aunt/uncle in Ohio and have spent a decent amount of time in all of those places. I applied to some places just because I like their mission statements or because I thought they'd be easy for my SO to get a job in

are there any schools you'd add?

I suggest these schools with your stats:
Geisinger
Drexel
Temple
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Vermont
Dartmouth
Boston University
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Hackensack
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Belmont
Tulane
TCU
Creighton
Rosalind Franklin
Rush
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Alice Walton (when it opens)
Roseman (when it opens)
For DO schools you could try these:
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
Touro-NY
NYITCOM
WVSOM
MU-COM
CCOM
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
TUNCOM
AZCOM
WESTERN
TUCOM-CA

 

[teacher_p92]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
Geisinger
Drexel
Temple
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Vermont
Dartmouth
Boston University
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Hackensack
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Belmont
Tulane
TCU
Creighton
Rosalind Franklin
Rush
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Alice Walton (when it opens)
Roseman (when it opens)
For DO schools you could try these:
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
Touro-NY
NYITCOM
WVSOM
MU-COM
CCOM
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
TUNCOM
WESTERN
TUCOM-CA

Thank you. I've seen that you work on school lists for others here; it's a kind and selfless thing that you're doing. I admire you for it.

 

[LunaOri]

Be prepared with a good explanation of “why medicine”, because your clinical experience is limited and you have been in a non-medical field for 7 years.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

She has her visa and is prepared to make the move to the US. Some of the more rural campuses may be a bit tough for her to find employment in her field, but she does do a lot of remote work already. We're working on that together

If the relationship is serious, you need to get feedback from admissions staff at the schools where you think you would be able to settle. You should also research SMPs near those locations too.

 

[teacher_p92]

If the relationship is serious, you need to get feedback from admissions staff at the schools where you think you would be able to settle. You should also research SMPs near those locations too.

Smile, could you clarify what kind of feedback you mean? As in asking what the local employers are in her field? I'll have to look into SMPs, I understand them as a concept, but I'm a little unclear about the admissions timeline for those and the cost. Would I just apply for those simultaneously with the MD and DO?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Smile, could you clarify what kind of feedback you mean? As in asking what the local employers are in her field? I'll have to look into SMPs, I understand them as a concept, but I'm a little unclear about the admissions timeline for those and the cost.

Most important feedback for you: do you need postbac/SMP coursework to show you can get back on the education horse as a "student" again? Definitely ask them for referrals for SMP.

 

[teacher_p92]

Most important feedback for you: do you need postbac/SMP coursework to show you can get back on the education horse as a "student" again? Definitely ask them for referrals for SMP.

Who should I talk to specifically? When I've messaged admissions staff besides Oklahoma and Tulane, (they said I should focus on showing that I have strong time management skills etc due to the rigors of medical skills) I've gotten boilerplate responses that talk about their holistic admissions prospects without really giving me a solid yes or no. I'm not complaining, I get that they're swamped. Just wondering if there's a trick to getting an actual response.

I appreciate you taking the time to help me out, btw.

 

[AJS59]

Who should I talk to specifically? When I've messaged admissions staff besides Oklahoma and Tulane, (they said I should focus on showing that I have strong time management skills etc due to the rigors of medical skills) I've gotten boilerplate responses that talk about their holistic admissions prospects without really giving me a solid yes or no. I'm not complaining, I get that they're swamped. Just wondering if there's a trick to getting an actual response.

I appreciate you taking the time to help me out, btw.

Does your undergrad have pre-health advisors? If so, maybe try asking them...most undergrads keep those resources available for alumni.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Who should I talk to specifically? When I've messaged admissions staff besides Oklahoma and Tulane, (they said I should focus on showing that I have strong time management skills etc due to the rigors of medical skills) I've gotten boilerplate responses that talk about their holistic admissions prospects without really giving me a solid yes or no. I'm not complaining, I get that they're swamped. Just wondering if there's a trick to getting an actual response.

I appreciate you taking the time to help me out, btw.

Set up an actual call. If you have to escalate it, go to the faculty deans of admissions or the director.