WAMC 523 MCAT 3.81cGPA, and 3.86sGPA

[slimshady 22]

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Hello, asking for a friend. He's currently in the middle of a gap year and would be applying for the next application cycle.

The stats are as follows:

1)cGPA: 3.81 sGPA:3.86
2) MCAT- 511-retake-523
3) State of residence: CA
4) ORM
5) Undergraduate: Top public school

Extracurriculars:
1) Research: About 1500-2000 hours in undergraduate and 1 publication, and 3 poster presentations. Working as a full-time research associate in a lab during the gap year and would get another 2 publications before applying.
2) Clinical Volunteering: about 450 hours split between a large hospital and a small clinic catering to underserved populations.
3) Non-clinical volunteering: 300 hours at the soup kitchen that serves homeless and underserved populations.
4) Shadowing: 70 hours with 3 different physicians
5) Leadership: External Affairs coordinator and team lead for a large club on campus and mentored juniors in the lab in undergraduate and am also mentoring undergraduates at my current lab.

He's basically aiming for T15s or T20s. The main thing he is worried about is whether his GPA would hold him back from the T15s or T20s and the fact he retook his MCAT.
Also, I was wondering whether the fact that he is from California is going to affect his chances or anything, mixed with the GPA and retake MCAT.
Thanks.

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with those stats:
Dartmouth
Harvard
Boston University
Yale
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
NYU
Cornell
Rochester
Pittsburgh
Case Western
Ohio State
Cincinnati
Duke
Vanderbilt
Emory
Washington University
Northwestern
U Chicago
Western Michigan
U Michigan
Kaiser
The UCs (except Riverside unless from that region)
USC Keck

 

[slimshady 22]

I suggest these schools with those stats:
Dartmouth
Harvard
Boston University
Yale
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
NYU
Cornell
Rochester
Pittsburgh
Case Western
Ohio State
Cincinnati
Duke
Vanderbilt
Emory
Washington University
Northwestern
U Chicago
Western Michigan
U Michigan
Kaiser
The UCs (except Riverside unless from that region)
USC Keck

Okay great, I was wondering whether the GPA would pull down the application and affect chances at T20 schools, or it isn't that bad. Just worried that it's slightly low.
Thanks.

 

[slimshady 22]

Could others also comment on the GPA and whether it's going to affect chances at T20 and let me know if I can do anything to improve it? I graduated, so don't really know if I can.
Thanks.

 

[ChemEMeddie]

I don't think the GPA will hold you back at all! I also have a 523, but I have a 3.7 c/sGPA and will be applying to very similar schools as your friend and the ones that were suggested by Faha as well as some more mid-tier schools. As both Faha and Goro have indicated to me, there are very few applicants with such an MCAT and thus should grab some interest from the higher tier schools. Your friend even more so, given their very stellar application and very solid GPA. Noones going to question their ability.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Could others also comment on the GPA and whether it's going to affect chances at T20 and let me know if I can do anything to improve it? I graduated, so don't really know if I can.
Thanks.

Why did he want a top brand school?

The only thing holding this applicant back is going to be the statements, letters, and interviews that show how well this person will fit at the school and serve the patients the school serves.

 

[slimshady 22]

Why did he want a top brand school?

The only thing holding this applicant back is going to be the statements, letters, and interviews that show how well this person will fit at the school and serve the patients the school serves.

He's interested in academic medicine so I guess a top school is going to help him. For the letters of recommendation, he has two from his research PI's, two from science professors, and one from a humanity professor, all of them know him pretty well. His application looks pretty good, but he feels his GPA might hold him back from these top schools and that's the reason for the post and to see if there's any way to improve it, but if not just to know whether the GPA will hold back and to gauge if his application along with his GPA is good enough for these top schools I guess. So let us know if it's fine and if there's any way he can improve it, but if not it's fine as well.
Thanks.

 

[ihoop24]

I'm not sure where he got the idea that a >3.8 GPA will hold him back, but no that is not true. Also, you don't need to attend a top school to go into academic medicine.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Competitive at any school in the country.

Congratulations, just make sure to close the deal by paying attention to your essays.

Edit: your friend’s essays

 

[Mr.Smile12]

For academic medicine, it's not where you start but how you finish. Getting into a very strong position to get a residency is very important as would be appropriate support and guidance through the board exams. Most of your schools will provide this, and the list @Faha provided provides solid places to start.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

For academic medicine, it's not where you start but how you finish. Getting into a very strong position to get a residency is very important as would be appropriate support and guidance through the board exams. Most of your schools will provide this, and the list @Faha provided provides solid places to start.

Is research (quantity and impact of journals) more important than residency prestige for academic medicine?

Or are the two inextricably intertwined?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Ultimately if one wants to be a professor, the research and grant funding are very important. Getting there though, the prestige and any awards you get including becoming chief resident are more important IMO. Anyone else?