MD WAMC? Applying only T30 (3.85/521/TX). Compelling backstory, maybe an X-factor, low-income, T10 undergrad

[yeehawyall]

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Hi everyone! I am thinking of taking a huge risk and applying extremely top-heavy because these schools are known to have better financial aid/ free tuition. If this doesn’t pan out, I will apply more broadly next year as a reapplicant. However, I’m not sure if my app is competitive enough to do this. I would much rather strengthen my app to reapply and be debt-free than jump the gun and start med school ASAP.

• 3.85 cGPA/3.78 sGPA (complete upward trend)
• 521 MCAT (131/130/129/131)
• TX
• SE and E Asian
• T10 undergrad, psych major w/ bio and chem minors, first gen
• Healthcare: 100 hours at free rural healthcare clinic, 300 hours at hospice (I started a hospice service-org on campus)
• Research:
  
  • Lab A: 800 hours doing VERY independent and cool mental health research in an engineering lab. I proposed the project on my own and was the first to establish this line of research in a large lab. 300 hours as a paid research assistant working on other projects, trained some fellow undergrads
    
    • Several poster presentations at local conferences
    • Several poster and oral presentations on campus
    • Research grants to fund project
    • Wrote a thesis that won a prestigious departmental award
  • Lab B: 800 hours as a paid research assistant doing basic and clinical research. No posters/pubs
    • Lab B: Continuing work here for my gap year, but in a position with more patient interaction and greater research responsibility
• Shadowing: 50 hours in two specialties in OR and clinic
• Service: 100 hours at soup kitchen, 350 hours mentoring HS students
• Awards/honors/extracurriculars:
  • Competitive musician, won a national and a state-wide competition, gave notable performances domestically and internationally (maybe an X-factor?)
  • Questbridge scholar (full ride scholarship)
  • Several smaller merit scholarships
  • Best thesis award (mentioned above)
  • Dean’s list several times
• 1000 hours working at a restaurant and trained new-hires
• LORS:
  • Science prof 1: outstanding letter
  • Science prof 2: Very good? letter
  • Mentor for my thesis: outstanding letter
  • PI for Lab B: Very good letter (also a very well known MD)
  • Non-science prof: very good letter
• Compelling background?: Low-income, child of refugees that didn’t speak English, parent has mental health issues (so I am a psych major and did the mental health research), caretaker for multiple younger siblings since I was 8 (due to aforementioned mental issues with parent), and was responsible for our family’s food stamps applications, Medicaid renewals, and tax returns since I was 12. We struggled with healthcare access, food insecurity leading to severe health issues, cultural and language disconnect in care, etc etc. I grew up in a trailer park in a rural town that had no healthcare clinics but moved out to TX at 8.
• I think that I am really great at connecting with people in real life. With preparation, the interview could be a strength for me. Just need to get to that stage though!
• School preference: Would like to go to a research-heavy school. Not currently applying MSTP.

Current list:

• TMDSAS: Baylor, UTSW, McGovern, Long, A&M
• Mayo
• WashU
• NYU
• Cornell
• Stanford
• Columbia
• Duke
• Yale
• Harvard
• Umich
• Case + research yr
• Albert Einstein
• Hofstra
• Brown
• Dartmouth
• Johns Hopkins
• Northwestern
• Vanderbilt
• Upenn
• Tufts

I appreciate all the advice and feedback! If y'all think this is a crazy and pointless thing to do, then I will rebuild my list 🙂

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

I would hope you would have no trouble in Texas. Push for more food kitchen hours and fewer tutoring hours. Maybe more rural clinic hours if you can. If you love classical music, I admit it was one reason I went to Case for grad school and pitched to incoming students who lean that way (Cleveland Orchestra student ticket program and Cleveland Institute of Music free student/faculty concerts and LOTS of other arts/cultural things like CMA monthly parties). In general, I don't see issues with your list, but I'll let the other experts make comments there.

Seek APAMSA chapter officers at the schools on your list and see if they can give you insights.

If you are at a T10 school, what advice have you received from your prehealth advising team? Committee letter?

IMO, you want to go to a "research-focused" school, but do you want rural healthcare or not? That makes a difference. I think Tufts has a rural medicine track in Maine. I think Vermont (which you did not include) is across the river? from Dartmouth.

 

[yeehawyall]

Welcome to the forums.

I would hope you would have no trouble in Texas. Push for more food kitchen hours and fewer tutoring hours. Maybe more rural clinic hours if you can. If you love classical music, I admit it was one reason I went to Case for grad school and pitched to incoming students who lean that way (Cleveland Orchestra student ticket program and Cleveland Institute of Music free student/faculty concerts and LOTS of other arts/cultural things like CMA monthly parties). In general, I don't see issues with your list, but I'll let the other experts make comments there.

Seek APAMSA chapter officers at the schools on your list and see if they can give you insights.

If you are at a T10 school, what advice have you received from your prehealth advising team? Committee letter?

IMO, you want to go to a "research-focused" school, but do you want rural healthcare or not? That makes a difference. I think Tufts has a rural medicine track in Maine. I think Vermont (which you did not include) is across the river? from Dartmouth.

Thanks for the warm welcome!

It’s definitely a plus that Case has so many free music opportunities. I’ll have to see the Cleveland Orchestra one day regardless of what med school I end up at.

My advising team has been great and I’m confident that I’ll receive a strong committee letter. I’ve been called a “standout student”. They suggested that I reduce risk by applying half to schools with median MCAT 515-517, but I only recently had the idea to apply to only top schools.

My interests lie more in serving the low-income population at large, not specifically rural communities. I grew up in a rural area full of poverty and meth- best thing that happened to me was leaving and I don’t think I could go back to rural living. I wish I could return to help, but I am considerably happier in the city where the people are.

As for research, I simply enjoy it and want to continue. A school with a big research focus and dedicated research year (like Duke) is a big draw.

 

[yeehawyall]

One more thing to add- my GPA is 3.9/3.8 when recalculated by TMDSAS to not include +/- grading