WAMC - Engineering student w 3.99 GPA + 512 MCAT. Currently still obtaining clinical experience.

[ChumKim8910]

Hello! 4th-year biomedical engineering student in the works of applying this cycle. Application materials are being collected and drafted as we speak, but I am curious about my chances. Would I be fine applying now, or should I wait because I'm screwed now?

cGPA: 3.99
sGPA: 3.99

MCAT: 512
C/P: 129
CARS: 127
B/B: 127
P/S: 129

IN resident, US Citizen
Asian-American

Public University in Indiana (Known for Engineering)

Clinical Experience (All Volunteering)
- ~70 hours as Emergency Dept Volunteer. Roles include wayfinding, staff support, patient rounding, etc. Made time to interact with patients in waiting room, in clinic, and transporting between ED and incoming.
- Starting Hospice this summer - will be starting shortly before application submission, planning on keeping it up throughout the next school year. These would be projected hours.

Research Experience/Productivity
- Estimated 1000 hours in neuroscience lab studying traumatic brain injury and implications on neurodegeneration.
- One conference poster presentation, two middle author (one submitted, one accepted).

- Pursuing separate engineering project. Heading team of 4 other engineering students in developing a medical accessory to aid in radiation oncology procedures- pending patent, manuscript in progress, accepted conference presentation.

Shadowing - Total 48 Hours
Echocardiology - 24 hours at two hospital sites.
Interventional Radiology - 8 hours
Cardiology Operating Room - 8 hours
Radiation Oncologist - 8 hours

I should have a shadowing session lined up with a pediatrician, but that is still being coordinated.

Non-clinical Volunteering
Food Bank/Soup Kitchen - ~50 hours, continuing between locations.
Virtual tutoring for children in africa - ~30 hours

Other Extracurricular Activities
- Teaching assistant for Biomedical Engineering Program - 2 semesters (about 300 hours)
- two years of cello lessons for students of diverse ages/backgrounds, active in community musical scene in both hometown and where I am stationed for my internship.

Relevant Honors or Awards
- Dean's List/Semester Honors.
- Received an Undergraduate research travel grant to present at Neuroscience conference.

Anything else not listed you think might be important
- Currently working for a medical device development company (will be stationed for a year, looking to pursue volunteering and clinical endeavors while away from university).

- I have a lot of musical "volunteering" hours, but I'm not sure if I could spin it in a beneficial way. Most of these come from performing for a church - I'm not particularly religious, but I found that some people seriously have nothing but church left in their lives, so I felt obligated to stick with it.

- Primarily concerned about my weak clinical experience and relevant volunteer hours as I am applying. The pivot towards medicine was rather late for me, however working through engineering curriculum and research I found that they were inherently missing patient interaction. I feel I have a good story as I have loved working with people in all situations but I'm not sure if my numbers will back that up.

Thank you in advance for any and all feedback!

School List---
Target:
OSU
UPitt
UofCin
UC Irvine
UoC
UNC Chapel Hill
Emory
Indiana
UofArizona - Phoenix
UCSF
USC
Tufts
Tulane
Penn State

Reach:
BU
Icahn
UMich

Far Reach
UChicago
WashU @ St. Louis

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[MEDSCHOOL 14]

Hello! 4th-year biomedical engineering student in the works of applying this cycle. Application materials are being collected and drafted as we speak, but I am curious about my chances. Would I be fine applying now, or should I wait because I'm screwed now?

cGPA: 3.99
sGPA: 3.99

MCAT: 512
C/P: 129
CARS: 127
B/B: 127
P/S: 129

IN resident, US Citizen
Asian-American

Public University in Indiana (Known for Engineering)

Clinical Experience (All Volunteering)
- ~70 hours as Emergency Dept Volunteer. Roles include wayfinding, staff support, patient rounding, etc. Made time to interact with patients in waiting room, in clinic, and transporting between ED and incoming.
- Starting Hospice this summer - will be starting shortly before application submission, planning on keeping it up throughout the next school year. These would be projected hours.

Research Experience/Productivity
- Estimated 1000 hours in neuroscience lab studying traumatic brain injury and implications on neurodegeneration.
- One conference poster presentation, two middle author (one submitted, one accepted).

- Pursuing separate engineering project. Heading team of 4 other engineering students in developing a medical accessory to aid in radiation oncology procedures- pending patent, manuscript in progress, accepted conference presentation.

Shadowing - Total 48 Hours
Echocardiology - 24 hours at two hospital sites.
Interventional Radiology - 8 hours
Cardiology Operating Room - 8 hours
Radiation Oncologist - 8 hours

I should have a shadowing session lined up with a pediatrician, but that is still being coordinated.

Non-clinical Volunteering
Food Bank/Soup Kitchen - ~50 hours, continuing between locations.
Virtual tutoring for children in africa - ~30 hours

Other Extracurricular Activities
- Teaching assistant for Biomedical Engineering Program - 2 semesters (about 300 hours)
- two years of cello lessons for students of diverse ages/backgrounds, active in community musical scene in both hometown and where I am stationed for my internship.

Relevant Honors or Awards
- Dean's List/Semester Honors.
- Received an Undergraduate research travel grant to present at Neuroscience conference.

Anything else not listed you think might be important
- Currently working for a medical device development company (will be stationed for a year, looking to pursue volunteering and clinical endeavors while away from university).

- I have a lot of musical "volunteering" hours, but I'm not sure if I could spin it in a beneficial way. Most of these come from performing for a church - I'm not particularly religious, but I found that some people seriously have nothing but church left in their lives, so I felt obligated to stick with it.

- Primarily concerned about my weak clinical experience and relevant volunteer hours as I am applying. The pivot towards medicine was rather late for me, however working through engineering curriculum and research I found that they were inherently missing patient interaction. I feel I have a good story as I have loved working with people in all situations but I'm not sure if my numbers will back that up.

Thank you in advance for any and all feedback!

School List---
Target:
OSU
UPitt
UofCin
UC Irvine
UoC
UNC Chapel Hill
Emory
Indiana
UofArizona - Phoenix
UCSF
USC
Tufts
Tulane
Penn State

Reach:
BU
Icahn
UMich

Far Reach
UChicago
WashU @ St. Louis

Ucsf and UPitt are reaches not target. Should add some other schools like temple nymc einstein Drexel, etc…

 

[chilly_md]

You have too little clinical experience and non-clinical volunteering. Tutoring online does not count.

Also, don’t apply to OOS public schools like UCI, UNC, Arizona or UCSF. Your list also has too many unrealistic schools for somebody with a 512 MCAT, even if you gain significant hours over the next year.

 

[ChumKim8910]

Thank you all for the feedback.

A few more questions:

Would my high GPA be able to offset the lower MCAT score?
And aside from an utter lack of clinical/volunteering hours - anything else about my information that stands out? Whether good or bad?

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, so I apologize in advance for any unnecessary hassle.

 

[MEDSCHOOL 14]

Thank you all for the feedback.

A few more questions:

Would my high GPA be able to offset the lower MCAT score?
And aside from an utter lack of clinical/volunteering hours - anything else about my information that stands out? Whether good or bad?

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, so I apologize in advance for any unnecessary hassle.

No… I know people who had 4.0 gpa and 515 mcat with outstanding ecs and no top interviews. But there’s a lot of chance involved so there is still a shot, never hurts to apply.

 

[chilly_md]

Thank you all for the feedback.

A few more questions:

Would my high GPA be able to offset the lower MCAT score?
And aside from an utter lack of clinical/volunteering hours - anything else about my information that stands out? Whether good or bad?

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, so I apologize in advance for any unnecessary hassle.

The higher GPA does not mean much for those schools.

Engineering majors should apply to Carle, but even there, the lack of clinical and volunteering hours to those less fortunate would be a major impediment. You should be able to realistically obtain 200 additional hours at both the soup kitchen and hospice over the next year.

Projected hours do not count. Past applicants may have sometimes gotten away with it because they did not have to clearly separate the hours. That is no longer the case, they go in a separate line item now.

 

[ChumKim8910]

Thanks again for the responses. Should I even bother applying this cycle?

I am aware that reapplications presents an uphill battle. I understand that my app would benefit from waiting another, but I feel pressured to apply as I put off applying another year.

 

[chilly_md]

Thanks again for the responses. Should I even bother applying this cycle?

I am aware that reapplications presents an uphill battle. I understand that my app would benefit from waiting another, but I feel pressured to apply as I put off applying another year.

No, it would be a mistake to apply this year. Your app comes across more like someone who should pursue engineering and/or R&D full-time instead of medicine.