MD & DO WAMC for MD this cycle? 3.59 cGPA, 3.53 sGPA, 513 MCAT, CA ORM?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

premedflash

Full Member
2+ Year Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
11
Reaction score
1
I submitted earlier but realized I formatted it wrong, and realized my cGPA and sGPA were calculated wrongly for AMCAS, this whole time, which was really stupid of myself
  1. cGPA: 3.59, sGPA by AMCAS: 3.53, Major Bioengineering
  2. MCAT: 513 (C/P:128,CARS:127, B/B:129, P/S:129)
  3. California
  4. ORM (South Asian), Male
  5. Tier 1 school by WARS
  6. 1000 hours scribing in the ED
  7. Research experience: 3 years research nano-medicine lab. 2 oral presentations. 0 posters.
  8. Shadowing: this is my weakest spot and unimproved from last year.
    • 10 hours through global medical brigades. This was with American docs in Nicaragua. Patient encounters were not like they would be in the states.
    • I got screwed out of about 30 hours of shadowing this month in cardiology, neurology, and primary care b/c of Covid but it's my own fault for delaying shadowing for so long. THIS IS UPCOMING IN THE SUMMER THOUGH AS THE DOCS HAVE AGREED TO LET ME SHADOW THEN.
  9. Non-clinical volunteering: Another weak spot.
    • 55 hours from working in telecare, calling elderly and alone people in the community to speak with them and check on them.
    • 15 hours volunteering at my temple serving food.
    • 27-28 hours of engineering discovery days volunteering over 3 years at school (2 day events every year where I volunteered for 4.5 hours each day teaching children who came to visit our school about bioengineering and research in a nanomedicine lab).
  10. Other activities:
    • Global Medical Brigades (ik not looked on favorably, but I did not know at the time. I found it to be good for meeting other premeds). I was a part of a brigade in Nicaragua, and was also part of fundraising committee for the club.
    • Competitive traveling Indian dance team for 3 years. Fundraising lead for one year.
  11. Dean's list (Annual dean's list 14-15 and 17-18, multiple other quarterly dean's list)
  12. 7 months paid employment in a large biotech company working on molecular diagnostics, microbiology research, and computational data analysis.
  13. 2 months employment at a startup working on manufacturing engineering, assay development, and quality assurance
  14. 3 month employment at a small biotech startup as a bioengineering intern.
  15. I had to take a W in Computer Programming II as I was dealing with some personal issues that quarter. I ended up retaking it 2 quarters later and getting an A- though.

Members don't see this ad.
 

Faha

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2012
Messages
17,283
Reaction score
8,516
I suggest these schools with your stats:
UC Davis
UC Irvine
Kaiser
California University
California Northstate
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Hofstra
Seton Hall
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
George Washington
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
TCU-UNT
Carle Illinois
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)

Mr.Smile12

Admissions advisor
Staff member
Lifetime Donor
10+ Year Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2011
Messages
16,947
Reaction score
12,216
You know your status as an applicant when you said
Shadowing: this is my weakest spot and unimproved from last year.
  • 10 hours through global medical brigades. This was with American docs in Nicaragua. Patient encounters were not like they would be in the states.

Obviously you have a lot of engineering-related activities, but just a scant number of hours in domestic clinical exposure. Your application will be DOA for any program regardless of your MCAT/GPA/major unless you provide some evidence that you have valuable insight about the US health care system and your intended role sa a member of the health care team. You must have some exposure that shows your ability to immerse yourself in the concerns of vulnerable populations disenfranchised from access to health, economic, housing, and educational resources.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

premedflash

Full Member
2+ Year Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
11
Reaction score
1
@Faha thanks for the help with the school list. I was also looking at MSU CHM and Virginia Tech

@Mr.Smile12 Hmm alright. I thought that the 14-15 months of scribing would result in me having appropriate clinical experience even if I didn't have much shadowing.

Last year I did not end up applying. I volunteered over summer. I had to get a full time job due to money constraints and continued scribing over the past 8 months.
This is my first time applying. I was planning to apply to about 20 schools and volunteer/shadow throughout the year. Do you suggest I just defer my application to next year and accrue a lot more volunteer hours in the local community at my food bank? I'm doing crisis text line right now, and will have 30-50 more hours of non-clinical volunteering hours by the time I apply in June.

Do you think I am competitive at all for DO schools?
I was looking at the following:
  1. Western U (both Lebanon, Oregon and Pomona, CA)
  2. KCU COM in Kansas City
  3. PCOM (in philadelphia)
  4. AT Still Kirksville
  5. MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine
 
Last edited:

Faha

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2012
Messages
17,283
Reaction score
8,516
MSU and Virginia Tech accept few applicants who are not from the state or region. You are competitive for all DO schools.
 

Mr.Smile12

Admissions advisor
Staff member
Lifetime Donor
10+ Year Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2011
Messages
16,947
Reaction score
12,216
@Faha thanks for the help with the school list. I was also looking at MSU CHM and Virginia Tech

@Mr.Smile12 Hmm alright. I thought that the 14-15 months of scribing would result in me having appropriate clinical experience even if I didn't have much shadowing.

Last year I did not end up applying. I volunteered over summer. I had to get a full time job due to money constraints and continued scribing over the past 8 months.
This is my first time applying. I was planning to apply to about 20 schools and volunteer/shadow throughout the year. Do you suggest I just defer my application to next year and accrue a lot more volunteer hours in the local community at my food bank? I'm doing crisis text line right now, and will have 30-50 more hours of non-clinical volunteering hours by the time I apply in June.

Do you think I am competitive at all for DO schools?
Is your application the best it possibly can be? If so, then apply. If not, you can wait.

I'd also be in contact with admissions representatives to see if they can consider your scribing experience as a proxy to shadowing.
 
Top