WAMC/Do I have a shot at low-tier MD? (cGPA: 3.65, sGPA: 3.55, MCAT: 510)

[SalamiTsunami]

---

Members don't see this ad.

My stats are currently on the border of low-tier MD and DO schools, do I have a realistic shot at getting into a low-tier MD with my stats/ECs? I could also use help finding other DO schools that don't require a DO LOR as I currently am unable to obtain one right now. Thanks!

• Year in school: Graduated class of 2020, ORM
• Country/state of residence: Massachusetts
• Cumulative GPA: 3.65, upward trend (Had a poor start Freshman year)
• MCAT Scores: 510
• Experiences
  • Awards/Recognitions
    • Dean's list for 5 semesters
  • Research – include any abstracts/posters/publications and how you were credited (eg. First author, senior author, etc):
    • 450 hours in a neuroscience lab
      • No presentations or publications but I had a great hands-on experience with my own experiment
  • Volunteering (clinical) – include hours/sites:
    • 25 hours as a volunteer EMT
  • Physician shadowing – include hours/specialties:
    • No shadowing - put it off until too late and the COVID outbreak has prevented me from getting any shadowing done. I am hoping to try and get some shadowing before submitting secondaries but there is a lot of uncertainty, how much does this hurt my application? (Also as a result of this I have no DO LOR which will limit the DO schools I can apply to)
  • Non-clinical volunteering:
    • 60 hours as a volunteer at a community resource center
  • Clinical Experience:
    • 1000 hours currently as an EMT for a private ambulance company, expecting ~1500 by August
    • 150 hours as an EMT for my collegiate EMS organization
• Immediate family members in medicine? (y/n): No
• Schools to which you are applying: (Applying to 27 MD and 4 DO so far)
  

  Albany Medical School California Northstate University Central Michigan University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine Chicago Medical at Rosalind Franklin Cooper Medical School of Rowan Drexel Eastern Virginia Medical School Umass Worcester Geisinger Commonwealth Jacobs School at Buffalo Lewis Katz at Temple Loyola University Medical College of Wisconsin Michingan State University Human Med New York Medical College Nova Southeastern Oregon Health Robert Larner Vermont TCU Toledo College Tulane University University of Arizona University of Minnesota University of Washington Wright State Quinnipiac PCOM UNECOM LECOM MSUCOM

 

[Faha]

You have many state public schools on your list that accept very few non residents with your stats and no connection to the state ( U Washington accepts less than 1 % of applicants who are not from states in the Northwest). I suggest these MD schools with your stats:
UMass
Tufts
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Seton Hall
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
NOVA MD
TCU-UNT
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Most DO schools do not require a DO LOR ( it is usually a recommendation rather than a requirement). I suggest these DO schools:
UNECOM
PCOM
LECOM (all schools)
AZCOM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
DMU-COM
MU-COM
CUSOM
VCOM (all schools)
Your main weakness is your ECs beyond research. You are heavily dependent on your EMT experience appealing to whoever reviews your application since your shadowing and clinical and non clinical hours are minimal.

 

[SalamiTsunami]

You have many state public schools on your list that accept very few non residents with your stats and no connection to the state ( U Washington accepts less than 1 % of applicants who are not from states in the Northwest). I suggest these MD schools with your stats:
UMass
Tufts
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Seton Hall
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
NOVA MD
TCU-UNT
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Most DO schools do not require a DO LOR ( it is usually a recommendation rather than a requirement). I suggest these DO schools:
UNECOM
PCOM
LECOM (all schools)
AZCOM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
DMU-COM
MU-COM
CUSOM
VCOM (all schools)
Your main weakness is your ECs beyond research. You are heavily dependent on your EMT experience appealing to whoever reviews your application since your shadowing and clinical and non clinical hours are minimal.

I will update my school list to avoid the OOS state schools, thank you for your help! I was debating whether or not taking an additional gap year to work on my ECs would boost my chances at an MD acceptance but I'm not sure if it will help my application enough to be worth delaying medical school another year. What are your thoughts?

 

[Faha]

Accumulate 50 hours of physician shadowing (including primary care) and 200+ hours of non clinical volunteering in case you need to reapply.