MD & DO .

[boomertexas]

cGPA: 3.74 Undergrad/4.0 Grad/3.79 total
sGPA: 3.61 (AACOMAS, I think it's lower on AAMC)

MCAT: 507 (125/131/124/127)

TX/OK resident, no other ties
URM and first-gen

Undergraduate institution: large, public, state school with decent pre-med program

Clinical experience:
- medical scribe/assistant 1125 hrs in multiple oncology and surgery specialties
- president of an international medical brigade, 300 hours of volunteer work in country, 3000+ hours in US doing long-term sustainability and education (incredible experience but I've seen people talking about how it might be seen as voluntourism?)
- 500 hours in shadowing FM, ED, derm, OBGYN, surg, etc.

Research: nothing special, just my thesis with Native American healthcare determinants and like one semester in a biochem mass spectrometry lab

Non-clinical volunteering: literally too many to list but at least 5000 hours in shelters, food banks, dog rescues, robotics camps, diversity organizations, and teaching English abroad. I held about 8 positions through these during UG and G

MD Schools applying:
OU
TCU
UTSW
Baylor
UTMB
UT San Antonio
UT Houston
UHouston
UT Dell
GW
Georgetown

DO:
Okstate
ARCOM
UNT

I've already committed to applying this cycle and doing a post-bacc/retaking MCAT if I don't get in but what schools should I add to my list?

*another question for fun
I've had a lot of *adverse experiences*
that I write about in my PS and some of my secondaries but I’m trying to figure out how much is too much? Like at what point is it just a trauma dump or do they start thinking I'm bad luck or something

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[wysdoc]

You should apply to all the Texas MD schools, as some of the ones you left off the list have a slightly lower median MCAT score.

 

[boomertexas]

You should apply to all the Texas MD schools, as some of the ones you left off the list have a slightly lower median MCAT score.

Do you think I should apply to them even if I really wouldn't like to live in those areas? I’m concerned about it messing up my match, but I don't even know if that's a valid concern

 

[wysdoc]

Do you think I should apply to them even if I really wouldn't like to live in those areas? I’m concerned about it messing up my match, but I don't even know if that's a valid concern

I don't know what you mean by messing up your match?
On your other question, write about adversities if it's asked in a question, but don't have it be the only essay topic.

 

[boomertexas]

I don't know what you mean by messing up your match?
On your other question, write about adversities if it's asked in a question, but don't have it be the only essay topic.

I've read about people matching with their 7 or 8 because they applied to schools they never intended on going to and they ended up getting ranked really high on the med school's list. Is this something that actually happens as far as you know?

Thanks for the answer. I’m definitely not bringing up where it's not asked, but I've been getting so many secondary questions (one had three!!!) about disadvantages I've faced or adverse experiences that caused academic disparities in my application. Can I say I come from a deeply disadvantaged area, I have a chronic illness that tanked my grades before treatment, I had to work three jobs to put myself through college, and COVID made me homeless all to the same school or do I need to pick and choose based on the question? Sorry I know that's a lot but do you see what I mean?

 

[Faha]

Which URM community are you from ? If Hispanic, are you fluent in Spanish ?

 

[boomertexas]

Which URM community are you from ? If Hispanic, are you fluent in Spanish ?

I’m actually Native American and I speak the basics of my tribal language. I’m also fluent in Spanish due to my work In Central American and Texas, and have working fluency in a few other romance languages due to travel and other stuff. I mentioned this on my app but do you think I should have explored it more?

 

[wysdoc]

"I've read about people matching with their 7 or 8 because they applied to schools they never intended on going to and they ended up getting ranked really high on the med school's list."

If a person applied to all the TX schools and their MCAT was well below the median for the more competitive ones, then yes, they are more likely to match with one of the schools whose MCAT range is lower. Maybe that's one of the schools they ranked lower.
But that presumes that would actually get 7 or 8 interviews (very rare).

I was guessing maybe you didn't speak Spanish, as the 3 schools you left out were in the most Hispanic areas.

edit -I just saw your comment that you do speak Spanish, so maybe your preference is to be in more metropolitan areas, as you also left off A&M.

 

[boomertexas]

"I've read about people matching with their 7 or 8 because they applied to schools they never intended on going to and they ended up getting ranked really high on the med school's list."

If a person applied to all the TX schools and their MCAT was well below the median for the more competitive ones, then yes, they are more likely to match with one of the schools whose MCAT range is lower. Maybe that's one of the schools they ranked lower.
But that presumes that would actually get 7 or 8 interviews (very rare).

I was guessing maybe you didn't speak Spanish, as the 3 schools you left out were in the most Hispanic areas.

edit -I just saw your comment that you do speak Spanish, so maybe your preference is to be in more metropolitan areas, as you also left off A&M.

Oh yikes, I hope that's not how it came across. My partner's career wouldn't be amenable to relocating to those areas, so I didn’t apply as a means of giving myself better chances at the other schools. Do you think with my MCAT, I should apply to the remaining schools or do I have a solid chance elsewhere?

 

[wysdoc]

Oh yikes, I hope that's not how it came across. My partner's career wouldn't be amenable to relocating to those areas, so I didn’t apply as a means of giving myself better chances at the other schools. Do you think with my MCAT, I should apply to the remaining schools or do I have a solid chance elsewhere?

A partner's career is a valid reason for limiting the places you apply. I wasn't trying to say you came off as too picky, just trying to understand the reason for your list as it is.
I think you will get several interviews in Texas with your background and current stats.

 

[boomertexas]

A partner's career is a valid reason for limiting the places you apply. I wasn't trying to say you came off as too picky, just trying to understand the reason for your list as it is.
I think you will get several interviews in Texas with your background and current stats.

Thank you so much. And thank you for being such a great resource to the applicants!! I've seen so many awesome responses from you and they've definitely helped me a lot through this process

 

[Faha]

I’m actually Native American and I speak the basics of my tribal language. I’m also fluent in Spanish due to my work In Central American and Texas, and have working fluency in a few other romance languages due to travel and other stuff. I mentioned this on my app but do you think I should have explored it more?

You should receive several interviews from your list of schools.