WAMC as a re-applicant

[tlstjd99]

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Hello! I would appreciate some advice on how to improve my application. Unfortunately, I have not received any interviews this cycle once again and not sure if I should reapply the coming cycle or wait until June 2026. I applied the first time in 2022-2023 cycle and this cycle (2024-2025) is not looking good. I am a male ORM and California applicant.

Here are my stats:
- cGPA: 3.67
- sGPA: 3.58
- MCAT: 515 (128/128/130/129) (2nd attempt)
511 (127/128/126/130) (1st attempt)
Undergraduate institution: T25

Clinical experience:

• Dermatology MA (paid) ~2000 hours
• Hospital Patient Care Internship (volunteer) - 400 hours

Shadowing: 70 hours (40 virtual during covid; 10 in a different country; 20 in-person post covid)

Research experience:

• Undergraduate Research Assistant- 400 hours
  • no publication; 1 poster presentation

Volunteering:

• Volunteer Tutoring - 160 hours (by time of application; currently 400)
  • Parents that originally did private tutoring w/me mentioned that there were a lot of parents worried for their children and their problems with English + learning about the culture. Decided to start a volunteer club (?)with my friend to help tutor and aid Korean immigrant students at my local library; Currently helping 8 students.
• Homeless Care Package volunteer with my church - (110 at time of app; current 200)

Other EC:

• Physics tutor for community college - 212 hours
• Vice President of Internal Affairs for my fraternity in college - 242 hours
  • I wasn't sure if I was supposed to only put the time I was VPI or the whole time within the organization; went with the former
• Non-clinical paid employment - 480 hours
• Admin. Coordinator for Hospital Patient Care Internship - 400 hours

School List:

• Einstein, University of Washington st. louis, Boston, Emory, UCLA, Kaiser, UCI, Hawaii, Dartmouth, Northwestern, UCSD, USC, Mt. Sinai, Case Western, Georgetown, Thomas Jefferson, Vanderbilt, UCR, Drexel, Stanford, Western Michigan, Geisinger commonwealth, Virginia commonwealth, Temple, University of Arizona (pheonix), Brown , NYU long island, NYU grossman, Maryland, SUNY downstate, CUSM, Wayne, EVMS, Rosalind Franklin University, LLU, UCD, UCSF
• texas:
• Southwestern, John Sealy, Baylor, McGovern , Fertitta, UT San Antonio, Austin
• didn't apply to any DO's but will be adding them the next time

I am trying to figure out what I need to do for my re-application, whether post-bac is worth it, or additional activities to add.

I am currently working on starting a non-profit in Georgia with a couple of my friends focusing on distribution of meals to the homeless and/or immobile. We've been actively distributing meals since college but since everything was done out of pocket, decided to try get some sort of non-profit going to get some partnerships or scholarships/grants with other companies. (Will schools ask why I'm working to start something in Georgia and not California where I currently live? will this be a problem?)

I'm also currently looking for a full-time research position but not 100% sure if it's the right decision.

Is it worth it to try reapplying the coming cycle (2025-2026)?

 

[Faha]

You had some weaknesses in your application when you applied. You should accumulate another 30 hours of in person physician shadowing in this country (virtual shadowing has no value). Your 110 hours with the homeless was less than the 150 hours that schools use for a cutoff for non clinical volunteering (tutoring is not included). Also,many of the schools you applied to were unrealistic with your stats. I suggest these schools when you reapply:
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Tufts
UMass
Albany
New York Medical College
Hackensack
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
Methodist (when it opens)
NOVA MD
Belmont
Emory
Alice Walton
TCU
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Illinois
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Roseman
California University
Kaiser
Loma Linda (if you fit their mission)
For DO schools I suggest these:
WESTERN
TUCOM-CA
TUNCOM
AZCOM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
DMU-COM
MU-COM
CCOM
CUSOM
PCOM
NYITCOM
LECOM
Toruo-NY

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

Seeing that you came from an undergrad program with a strong prehealth office, what have the advisors said about your lack of success? How did you improve in the last two attempts?

Shadowing: 70 hours (40 virtual during covid; 10 in a different country; 20 in-person post covid)

Applying during COVID-19 was weird, but the 40 hours don't hold value now. Neither do the 10 hours in a different country. Bump this number up; you need 50 in-person hours representing primary care and other specialties.

Transition to delivering the packages to the homeless. You can add those hours, but you must show you are comfortable with uncomfortable situations and people. I'm not convinced you have it with your non-clinical volunteering. Tutoring, teaching, and mentoring are academic activities all prehealth students do, so these activities won't help you stand out.

Why did you apply to Texas schools as a California resident?

You have been out of school for a while, so somewhere we're missing hours that point to full-time employment or more attention on community service activities. What are these activities, especially added in the last year during the previous cycle? Is it just the dermatology MA? No community service?

 

[candbgirl]

Wow your list was crazy with your stats.
Covid was a few years ago and shadowing in a different country really doesn’t hold much value. So kick up your US in person shadowing to around 50 hours. Make sure some is in primary care.
Can you tell us about the “Homeless Care Package” activity and what it involved. Was it face to face with homeless people?