MD WAMC/ Good MCAT, Low GPA

[premeditor114]

Hi everyone, I’d like to apply this upcoming cycle, but I’m unsure whether I am a competitive applicant given my academic profile. I’d appreciate any feedback/advice each of you may have.

cGPA: 3.38 (sGPA: 3.40)
-Freshman: 2.80
-Sophomore: 3.40
-Junior: 3.70
-Senior: 3.75

MCAT: 522 (132/130/131/129)

Demographic: White, ORM, Georgia resident

Undergrad: Biology B.S., Chemistry B.A. at Emory University

Clinical Experience:
950 hours paid ER medical scribe
(Working on getting 100-150 hrs clinical volunteering)

Research Experience:
500 hrs undergrad + 1 poster
2000 hours postbac with poster and likely pub for review by app

Shadowing:
Working on this.
Have derm and IM lined up with more to come.
Gonna aim for 60 ish hours.

Non-clinical volunteering:
-350 hours as volunteer tutor for low income high schoolers
-50 hours as volunteer pre-health career mentor for low income high schoolers

Other Activities:
TAing, Scribe Leadership role.

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[premeditor114]

Figured I’d add that im looking at these schools. Is there anything I should add/remove?

Mercer, Augusta, Emory, Creighton, Illinois, Toledo, Kansas, NEOMED, Drexel, MCW, Ohio State, Marshall, Wayne State, Utah, Michigan State, St. Louis, Einstein, W. Michigan, Hackensack, Loyola, VCU, Rush, Miami, UCF, Jefferson, Temple, Rosalind Franklin, Albany, Quinnipiac, George Washington, Eastern Virginia, FAU, NYMC, Case Western, Vermont, Iowa, Geisinger, Tulane, Nebraska, Cincinnati

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What feedback has your prehealth office given you? Are you going through the committee process?

Some scribing (50 h) can count as shadowing unofficially, but you really should have done the other shadowing before now to improve your committee evaluation. What advice were you given at your Sophomore Check-In?

Also all of your nonclinical volunteering is tutoring, which is an academic competency. It doesn't show any service orientation, so you are at risk of being screened out. Every premed seems to tutor low income students so it won't help you stand out. It makes me wonder why you don't want to teach.

 

[premeditor114]

What feedback has your prehealth office given you? Are you going through the committee process?

Some scribing (50 h) can count as shadowing unofficially, but you really should have done the other shadowing before now to improve your committee evaluation. What advice were you given at your Sophomore Check-In?

Also all of your nonclinical volunteering is tutoring, which is an academic competency. It doesn't show any service orientation, so you are at risk of being screened out. Every premed seems to tutor low income students so it won't help you stand out. It makes me wonder why you don't want to teach.

1) I’m an alumni, my undergrad does not do committee letters for alumni, or much really, unfortunately.

2) I know this. Unfortunately, Post-grad I moved to a new state for work where I didn’t have any connections. I’ve worked to make some, and have a few opportunities lined up, through which I aim to network to find more opportunities.

3) I didn’t realize this was a red flag, so thanks for the heads up. I volunteer through non-profit organizations and have devoted a lot of time to it, so I’m not sure it should be viewed as just an “academic competency”, (as opposed to say, TA-ing) but I suppose that is not up to me. It may help that I’ve tied teaching and education into my “why medicine”, so i don’t think my goals will be confused, as you imply.

 

[Faha]

You have several state public schools on your list that admit few non residents with your GPAs and no connections to the state.
Rush, Creighton, Loyola and St. Louis expect far more non clinical volunteering hours than you have.
I suggest these schools with your stats:
Medical College Georgia
Mercer
Emory
Tulane
Belmont
USF Morsani
Miami
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Hackensack
Hofstra
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
TCU
Alice Walton
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Iowa
Colorado

 

[premeditor114]

Thanks for your reply, I’ll check these out!

You have several state public schools on your list that admit few non residents with your GPAs and no connections to the state.
Rush, Creighton, Loyola and St. Louis expect far more non clinical volunteering hours than you have.
I suggest these schools with your stats:
Medical College Georgia
Mercer
Emory
Tulane
Belmont
USF Morsani
Miami
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Hackensack
Hofstra
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
TCU
Alice Walton
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Iowa
Colorado