MD WAMC for 2021-2022 Cycle

[elephantintheroom2121]

Hey guys, I am planning on taking a gap year to buff up my application. Below is a hypothetical app that I am working on turning into reality amidst all this COVID Chaos. I've put down what is definitely going to happen and what is still in the works. If you guys could look at my stats and let me know what you think of it, I would really appreciate it.

POTENTIAL APPLICATION FOR MAY 2021:

STATS:

URM Applicant

GPA: cGPA: 3.62, sGPA: 3.65 - NOTE: This is if I can maintain a 4.0 throughout my senior year, which I believe I can, however, like all things, you never know what will go wrong, so let's say my GPA will be in the 3.55-3.6 range just to be safe.

Upward trend on GPA, had a very bad freshman year, but improved drastically.

Freshman: 2.606 cGPA and 2.278 sGPA

Sophomore: 3.83 cGPA and 4.0 sGPA

Junior: 3.93 cGPA and 4.0 sGPA

HOPEFULLY senior year: 4.0 cGPA and 4.0 sGPA

MCAT: 517 (130/125/131/131) - Taken January 2020

Research: By then, I should have >400 hours as a volunteer researcher in the biomedical research building at my local hospital. I started out in July 2019, learned about the disease/research, proposed my own independent project, and am currently leading/working on it. Will present at a few school expo's, one regional conference, and hopefully a national immunology conference by application time

Clinical Volunteering: Emergency Room Volunteer (100 hours) (This is currently suspended, but I am planning on getting back to it once COVID passes), Volunteer at a free health clinic (200 hours) (This is also currently suspended, but I will continue once COVID passes) Volunteer EMT for local fire department (100 hours at the least) (I am taking an EMT class this summer and will begin volunteering in the fall)

Shadowing: COVID put all my shadowing plans on hold but once I get back to it, I hope to spend 25 hours shadowing a general surgeon, and 25 hours shadowing pediatricians at local children's hospital.

Clinical Employment: POTENTIALLY: Medical scribe through local scribing company. Called them and talked with hiring manager for a little bit. Seemed very optimistic and told me that they only hire premeds and the turnaround rate on hiring is quick since employees are always leaving to go to medical school. If it worked out, I would start in Fall 2020 or the Spring 2021 semester and work until I get accepted to medical school.

Tutoring: Fundamental Chemistry Tutor and learning assistant for four semesters (leading workshops and helping with active learning in class), POTENTIALLY: Online MCAT Tutor for Test prep company - Don't know how many hours. I am working on putting in my application right now, and they seemed optimistic about hiring new people, so hopefully it works out

Non-clinical Volunteering: Habitat for Humanity Volunteer: Working at ReStore donation center and building houses/communities for the needy (150-200 hours)

POTENTIAL Study Abroad: Planning on studying abroad next summer after graduation, don't know where or what I will be doing. Probably will be a month long program. This depends on the Coronavirus situation by then though and whether travel will be permitted. If COVID lifts, I will go for sure. I already have money saved up.

LEADERSHIP:

University Student Alumni Association Board member freshman year

How does this application look to you all? Low, Mid, High tier Med school chances? I appreciate all input. I'm just a neurotic premed like ya'll looking for feedback. Haha.

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[m1redsox]

As a URM applicant, I think you will be really solid for most mid-tier schools. You should apply to a few top-tier schools as reaches and a few low-tier schools for safeties. Pulling off a 4.0 for all of senior year will help, and I know a lot of schools reward an upward trend. What is your state of residence?

 

[elephantintheroom2121]

As a URM applicant, I think you will be really solid for most mid-tier schools. You should apply to a few top-tier schools as reaches and a few low-tier schools for safeties. Pulling off a 4.0 for all of senior year will help, and I know a lot of schools reward an upward trend. What is your state of residence?

Arkansas. Does state of residence make a difference?

 

[m1redsox]

Arkansas. Does state of residence make a difference?

It only matters because most public schools are financially incentivized to accept their own state’s applicants through state funding. For example, you will have an excellent shot applying to the University of Arkansas. According to MSAR, they only had 350 in-state applicants, they interviewed almost all of them, and over 150 matriculated (probably over 200-250 were accepted). Meanwhile, there were over 2000 out-of-state applicants and only interviewed 40 of them. When you make your school list that you apply to, you will want to keep that in mind. You probably will not have much luck at OOS public schools like the UT’s, Ole Miss, LSU or UAB. You will want to apply to OOS private schools who don’t receive any additional funding based on their IS/OOS matriculant ratio. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, and @WedgeDawg highlights most of them in his applicant rating system here on SDN. These are schools like: EVMS, VCU, Iowa, Western Michigan, Indiana, etc.

 

[Faha]

Which URM community are you from ?

 

[elephantintheroom2121]

Which URM community are you from ?

African-American

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
Arkansas
Tulane
Miami
USF Morsani
Vanderbilt
Washington University
Emory
Duke
Jefferson
George Washington
U Chicago
Northwestern
Case Western
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
Rochester
USC Keck
Einstein
Mount Sinai
Columbia
Cornell
Brown
Dartmouth
Boston University

 

[elephantintheroom2121]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
Arkansas
Tulane
Miami
USF Morsani
Vanderbilt
Washington University
Emory
Duke
Jefferson
George Washington
U Chicago
Northwestern
Case Western
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
Rochester
USC Keck
Einstein
Mount Sinai
Columbia
Cornell
Brown
Dartmouth
Boston University

Thanks for the help and even giving me a list to consider. May I ask, how did you come up with this school list?

 

[Faha]

A URM applicant with your stats is competitive for most schools, especially in regions with a large African American patient population (Chicago, Cleveland, NY, New Orleans, etc.).

 

[elephantintheroom2121]

A URM applicant with your stats is competitive for most schools, especially in regions with a large African American patient population (Chicago, Cleveland, NY, New Orleans, etc.).

Dr. Faha, thank you for the advice and information, however, I have one last question. How do you think my MCAT CARS score will affect my application? You listed some top tier schools for me to apply to. As a 1st generation URM, will my low CARS score impact my application too negatively?

I apologize for the late reply, I've been busy working on school. I would appreciate your input though.

 

[Faha]

Your CARS score will not hurt your chances.