MD WAMC for the rest of the cycle? 3.59/508

[rose1101]

Hey, I haven't gotten any IIs yet this cycle and I'm preparing to reapply/retake the MCAT. Is there still hope for me? What else should I focus on improving? Thanks for the advice 🙂

1. cGPA: 3.59 sGPA: 3.50
2. MCAT: 508 (125/125/126/132)
3. NJ resident
4. Asian
5. Public Uni, graduating this December
6. Clinical experience:
   1. 500 volunteer (EMT)
   2. 200 paid (medical scribe)
7. Research:
   1. neuroscience research in med school connected to my uni, 1000 hours, no pubs
   2. publication connected to another neuroscience lab, 80 hours
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. 15 hrs: neurosurgeon
   2. shadowing through work? rheumatologist
   3. 8 hrs: obgyn
9. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. volunteer chair at my HS: 40 hours
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
    1. 300 hours as a peer mentor for HS students
    2. Marketing coordinator for club: 220 hours

School list:

1. Albany Medical College
2. Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
3. Drexel University College of Medicine
4. Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University
5. Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (rejected)
6. Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
7. Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
8. Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
9. New York Medical College
10. Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
11. Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
12. Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
13. SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine
14. Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University (rejected)
15. State University of New York Upstate Medical University (pre-II hold)
16. University of Pittsburgh (rejected)
17. University of Rochester

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[Mr.Smile12]

Non-clinical volunteering

1. volunteer chair at my HS: 40 hours

What are you doing with high school? How are you stretching beyond your comfort zone? You have no service orientation activities as far as I can tell, and that is likely why you are screened out.

 

[rose1101]

What are you doing with high school? How are you stretching beyond your comfort zone? You have no service orientation activities as far as I can tell, and that is likely why you are screened out.

I volunteer with my old marching band and help them with their props, merchandise, and fundraising. I'll look into more non-clinical volunteering, thank you!

 

[AJS59]

I volunteer with my old marching band and help them with their props, merchandise, and fundraising. I'll look into more non-clinical volunteering, thank you!

To be specific you should be looking at service worked aimed at underserved populations...could include food distribution, shelters, housing rehab, tax help or transport services

 

[GoSpursGo]

I agree, seeing all of your activities laid out here makes it clear that non-clinical volunteering is a glaring hole in your application. I almost wouldn't even count your volunteering as such--it's almost more a leadership position on an alumni organization, but it's definitely not helping the less fortunate or getting you out of your comfort zone. Soup kitchens and homeless shelters are the bread and butter kinds of activities that schools are looking for to satisfy these requirements.

Also, getting back to the question in your other thread, you are more than fine on clinical experience and I strongly doubt that you're being held back because of the quality of your clinical exposure. The fact that you're graduating in December almost gives you a golden opportunity where it isn't necessarily unusual for someone to have about a 6 month lapse from the end of undergrad before you start working. To that end, could you move back with your parents for 6 months, focus on the MCAT and volunteering, and then start working after you finish your MCAT? Or do you need to get a job immediately to make living money?

 

[Faha]

It is your lack of non clinical volunteering that has resulted in no interviews. Also your school list. Rochester and Pittsburgh admit few applicants with your stats and the SUNYs admit very few non residents with your stats and no connection to the state. You should accumulate 200+ hours of non clinical volunteering (food bank, homeless shelter, etc.) before you reapply. I suggest these schools when you reapply:
Your 3 NJ state public schools
Hackensack
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Belmont
Alice Walton
TCU
Ponce (St. Louis)
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Roseman (when it opens)
Methodist (when it opens)
Also apply to DO schools and include Rowan, PCOM, LECOM, NYITCOM and Touro-NY.