I really need some help figuring out where to apply. I feel like I have a pretty solid app except for my MCAT history, and I’m trying to figure out how big of a red flag it is (more explained below).
CA resident, ORM
cGPA: 3.70, sGPA: 3.61
Undergraduate Major: Biology
MCAT Score(s): okay there’s quite a story here. I’ve taken the MCAT 5 times (I know, I know). My scores are as follows:
Research Experience: 1 year in a microbiology lab (520 hours) and 1 semester in a drosophila genetics lab (150 hours); resented a poster at my university undergraduate research symposium.
Clinical Experience: 850 hours over 3 years volunteering at a hospital; direct patient contact/care in several units including Med-Surg, ICU, Pediatrics, PICU, and the Emergency Department.
Physician Shadowing: 560 hours over 2 years shadowing in a Top 5 nationally-ranked hospital in the following areas: shadowed interventional cardiology and congenital cardiology in the cardiac catheterization lab, shadowing the trauma team in a level 1 trauma center emergency department, and shadowed surgeons across a variety of specialties in an outpatient surgery center including orthopaedics, plastic surgery, ENT, urology, gynecology, and gastroenterology.
Non-Clinical Volunteering: 4 years (260 hours) in a mentoring program for high school students, 2 year (230 hours) volunteering at a senior center and for the Meals-on-Wheels program during covid, 3 years (150 hours) volunteering at a homeless shelter, 4 years summers only (270 hours) volunteering at an animal shelter
Other Extracurricular Activities: Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society member, some tutoring (volunteer), leadership position in my hospital volunteer program (I manage volunteers in 3 units), I received an award from my university before graduation for substantial community service and demonstrated commitment to working with the underserved
Other Employment History: I worked full time throughout college (and still do) in a non medically-related job in order to fully fund my tuition and living costs without help from parents/family; I also worked a second job during my first 2 years in the entertainment industry as a model.
Interest in Primary Care (Y/N): Y
Interest in Rural Health (Y/N): Maybe
Medical School List: so far I have:
Thanks for any feedback!!
CA resident, ORM
cGPA: 3.70, sGPA: 3.61
Undergraduate Major: Biology
MCAT Score(s): okay there’s quite a story here. I’ve taken the MCAT 5 times (I know, I know). My scores are as follows:
- May 2018: 510 (127/128/127/128)
- July 2018: 506 (123/128/126/129)
- April 2019: 509 (127/127/130/125)
- June 2020: 509 (126/126/128/129)
- August 2020: 520 (129/129/131/131)
Research Experience: 1 year in a microbiology lab (520 hours) and 1 semester in a drosophila genetics lab (150 hours); resented a poster at my university undergraduate research symposium.
Clinical Experience: 850 hours over 3 years volunteering at a hospital; direct patient contact/care in several units including Med-Surg, ICU, Pediatrics, PICU, and the Emergency Department.
Physician Shadowing: 560 hours over 2 years shadowing in a Top 5 nationally-ranked hospital in the following areas: shadowed interventional cardiology and congenital cardiology in the cardiac catheterization lab, shadowing the trauma team in a level 1 trauma center emergency department, and shadowed surgeons across a variety of specialties in an outpatient surgery center including orthopaedics, plastic surgery, ENT, urology, gynecology, and gastroenterology.
Non-Clinical Volunteering: 4 years (260 hours) in a mentoring program for high school students, 2 year (230 hours) volunteering at a senior center and for the Meals-on-Wheels program during covid, 3 years (150 hours) volunteering at a homeless shelter, 4 years summers only (270 hours) volunteering at an animal shelter
Other Extracurricular Activities: Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society member, some tutoring (volunteer), leadership position in my hospital volunteer program (I manage volunteers in 3 units), I received an award from my university before graduation for substantial community service and demonstrated commitment to working with the underserved
Other Employment History: I worked full time throughout college (and still do) in a non medically-related job in order to fully fund my tuition and living costs without help from parents/family; I also worked a second job during my first 2 years in the entertainment industry as a model.
Interest in Primary Care (Y/N): Y
Interest in Rural Health (Y/N): Maybe
Medical School List: so far I have:
- UCLA
- UCSD
- UCSF
- UC Irvine
- UC Riverside
- UC Davis
- Kaiser
- USC
- University of Arizona Phoenix
- University of Arizona Tucson
- Loyola
- Creighton
- Georgetown
- Hofstra
- Dartmouth
- Case Western
Thanks for any feedback!!
