WAMC for Canadian with weird stats applying to USMD

[Stealthbot]

Hey everyone!

I'm a Canadian applicant applying for the first time to USMD programs, and I'm in a pretty weird position. Here are my stats:

Canadian
Brown Male
cGPA:3.8
sGPA:3.7
MCAT: 527
My main point of concern is that I had three B's in my first year in chemistry and physics courses and a D in second year in Anatomy and Physiology (I've been told I can write a letter explaining the D as I developed a pilonidal sinus before the exam which made me bomb the final exam)

After these screw-ups, I've been on the up ever since. My D was in Anatomy I in my first semester of second year and in my second semester I took Anatomy II and got an A+(The D was my only grade in second year that wasn't an A+). I have gotten an A+ in all my third-year courses so far (including orgo and biochem) and because I've finished my mid-terms and my exams this term are low-weight, I predict that I will end this term with all A+ as well. My first and second year GPAs were relatively the same, but my third year was drastically higher, so I'm pretty sure this is an upward trend (I just don't know if there needs to be upward movement between year 1 and year 2 as I don't have that)

I've seen it on this forum before that for international applicants you need to be rockstars, and while I'm pretty proud of my MCAT score, my GPA, especially with the lower scores early on is definitely not at the rockstar level.

For my EC's:

Clubs/Volunteering:
- Project Manager of a club which conducts workshops teaching individuals Bystander CPR. These workshops are conducted in-person locally, but we have also conduct them virtually to communities, and schools in India, China, and Sri Lanka.
- I also conduct yearly conferences as the director of our University's Opioid crisis collective.
- Editor on the School's Medical Journal

Research:
- Conducted research for 1 year. 1 published paper (2nd author)

Clinical:
- Hundreds of hours working as a Unit Secretary.
- Hoping to get my phlebotomist certificate in a little bit, and planning to have some time as a Medical Lab Technician under my belt before applying (I don't know what category this falls under so I just put it here lol)

Another red flag is that I don't have shadowing as it is not as common in Canada as it is in the States and everybody I reached out to (which is a lot) just straight up turned me down. The doctors in the hospital unit I work in have been cycled in and out a lot, but I've been working with one for a good bit so I'll try asking her and hopefully she'll say yes. But even then, before I apply I doubt I'll have a significant amount.

Do you think I can be competitive for MD programs? If not, what should I try and boost before applying to MD programs?

For reference, these are all the American Medical schools that accept Canadians. I know out of these, there are some like Texas schools that barely accept out-of-state, and then there are some like Harvard which barely except anyone in general, but here are all of them just in case:

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS
DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
GEISEL SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT DARTMOUTH
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
HOWARD UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
ICAHN SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN NEW ORLEANS
MAYO MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA AT AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN
MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HUMAN MEDICINE
NEW YORK MEDICAL COLLEGE
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY THE FEINBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
PERELMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
RENAISSANCE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY
RUTGERS NEW JERSEY MEDICAL SCHOOL
RUTGERS, ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON MEDICAL COLLEGE
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE
SIDNEY KIMMEL MEDICAL COLLEGE
STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (SUNY)
THE WARREN ALPERT MEDICAL SCHOOL OF BROWN UNIVERSITY
TUFTS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
TULANE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO DIVISION OF THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES - PRITZKER
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII, JOHN A. BURNS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

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[candbgirl]

You’re right about Texas schools. The are bound by state law to have at least 90% Texas Residents in each class. You also have a couple of schools that serve POC mainly. You don’t say if you are URM so…. Those schools are Howard and Meherry! There are other schools like this but I don’t see them on the list. FYI University of Illinois is obscenely expensive. Might be the most expensive MD school in the states!
Don’t worry about your freshman Bs. Did you retake the D in A&P? Your grades are fine, your MCAT is exceptional! Sounds like your clinical experience is good. I’m not sure that you even have nonclinical volunteering in your community focusing on the unserved/underserved. And the shadowing thing is common for Canadian applicants. But try really hard to get some hours. At least the schools will know you tried. Good luck!.

 

[Stealthbot]

You’re right about Texas schools. The are bound by state law to have at least 90% Texas Residents in each class. You also have a couple of schools that serve POC mainly. You don’t say if you are URM so…. Those schools are Howard and Meherry! There are other schools like this but I don’t see them on the list. FYI University of Illinois is obscenely expensive. Might be the most expensive MD school in the states!
Don’t worry about your freshman Bs. Did you retake the D in A&P? Your grades are fine, your MCAT is exceptional! Sounds like your clinical experience is good. I’m not sure that you even have nonclinical volunteering in your community focusing on the unserved/underserved. And the shadowing thing is common for Canadian applicants. But try really hard to get some hours. At least the schools will know you tried. Good luck!.

Thanks a lot for your reply @candbgirl

My school is really weird about retaking courses so I unfortunately couldn't do it. But I hope it will be fine as the D was in Anatomy I and in the next semester itself I took Anatomy II and got an A+. I'm also a brown (south asian) male so I don't believe I fall under the URM category, so I won't consider Howard and Mehrry then! Also per your advice imma really try and get some shadowing hours through any means possible! Got a lot of cold emailing ahead of me lol

Thanks for all the help!!

 

[Faha]

You should subscribe to the MSAR on AMCAS. You have many schools on your list that accept no international applicants and even few US non residents with no connection to the state. For example, UC Davis admitted only one non resident in a recent class (not an international).

 

[Stealthbot]

You should subscribe to the MSAR on AMCAS. You have many schools on your list that accept no international applicants and even few US non residents with no connection to the state. For example, UC Davis admitted only one non resident in a recent class (not an international).

Hi @Faha this list was just for reference so people could see if I'm competitive at any of these schools (I just want to know if I have a chance lol) as an Canadian applicant. If I were to make a list of purely the schools that I would apply to it would be this:

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS
DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
GEISEL SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT DARTMOUTH
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
ICAHN SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
MAYO MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA AT AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN
MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HUMAN MEDICINE
NEW YORK MEDICAL COLLEGE
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY THE FEINBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
PERELMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
RENAISSANCE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE
SIDNEY KIMMEL MEDICAL COLLEGE
STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (SUNY)
TULANE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO DIVISION OF THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES - PRITZKER
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII, JOHN A. BURNS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

@Faha what do you think about this list? Also, do you think I have a chance at any of these schools considering my situation?

 

[Faha]

Hi @Faha this list was just for reference so people could see if I'm competitive at any of these schools (I just want to know if I have a chance lol) as an Canadian applicant. If I were to make a list of purely the schools that I would apply to it would be this:

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS
DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
GEISEL SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT DARTMOUTH
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
ICAHN SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
MAYO MEDICAL SCHOOL
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA AT AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN
MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HUMAN MEDICINE
NEW YORK MEDICAL COLLEGE
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY THE FEINBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
PERELMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
RENAISSANCE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE
SIDNEY KIMMEL MEDICAL COLLEGE
STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (SUNY)
TULANE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO DIVISION OF THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES - PRITZKER
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII, JOHN A. BURNS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

@Faha what do you think about this list? Also, do you think I have a chance at any of these schools considering my situation?

Your stats are competitive for any schools that admit Canadians. Remove Hawaii, Medical College Georgia since they admit very few US non residents with no connection to the state (and probably no Canadians)