WAMC/Help with School List, 3.55/512

[Stefanomalano]

Premed family! I am hoping to get some advice—Particularly with some suggestions on scope and where I should truly consider applying for the 2024 cycle (school list assistance and overall guidance). While I do feel like I have a good foundation and like my chances for an acceptance somewhere, there is a portion of my application that leads me to have some more questions. I will put my stats/extracurriculars below, but figured it would be best to start with the background question marks in case people don’t want to be bored by a list of things.

I graduated in 2018. Since graduating, I have sustained 3 concussions, which is the reason for the unplanned gap years. First concussion was about 3 weeks before I was slated to take MCAT for the first time. It took me probably 18 months to feel like I was back. Got better and took mcat over first covid summer, and decided to apply super late for a chance to get going. No luck unsurprisingly. I was gearing up to apply for the following cycle, and then was in a car accident and sustained another big concussion. I am still recovering, but have come a long way. Looking at the dates of applying, and the fact that scores are only good within 3 years of matriculation for most schools, I had to sit for the mcat again this summer (2022). Yeehaw. I scored the same which was a relief. My thoughts on the retake are that it hopefully now gives me some more freedom to be more open about the head injuries?
“on the tail end of it, I was still able to achieve this” sort of thing. Thoughts? There has been so much growth and maturing, and countless positive takeaways that will serve me for the rest of my life and throughout my career as a physician. I worry that some schools will write me off due to potential doubts of my ability to handle the rigors of medicine thanks to long lasting cognitive deficits. To paint more of a full picture, stats etc. (more recent) are below.

Demographics
-26 y/o white male. Oregon resident.

Stats/Academics
-GPA: upward trending 3.55 cumulative/3.35 science
-MCAT 2022: 512 (127/129/128/128) 2020: 512 (128/127/128/129)
-Major: chemistry
-Minors: biology, exercise & sports sciences
-Signifying graduate of the college of arts and sciences
-Commencement speaker

Clinical
-~4500 hours of working in a children’s hospital as a therapy aide supporting 50+ outpatient and inpatient providers and clinicians
-460 volunteer hours across PICU, ER, Acute Neurology, Child Development and Rehabilitation
-170 hours shadowing Cardiologist prior to 2018
-140 hours shadowing physical therapist prior to 2018

Research
-1100 hours undergraduate research across 3 years.
-Thesis—Received distinction award
-Various posters and presentations
-Will be starting on a research project in 2 months associated with my current job in pediatrics

Extracurriculars
-Division II soccer until I had a career ending injury junior year.
-350 hours as volunteer coordinator at my school
-Anatomy and Physiology (with cadavers) TA for 2 years (head TA second year)
-~500 hours of tutoring
-2000 hours coaching and running a competitive soccer club
-1200 hours working as training manager for a staff of 150
-~50 hours volunteering/organizing STEM camps


Thank you so much for taking some time to help!

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[Mr.Smile12]

I need more details on your nonclinical volunteering. What does being a volunteer coordinator at your school mean? Other than tutoring, how were you a training manager? Was this also related to soccer?

What nonclinical community service activities really stretched you out of your comfort zone?

 

[chilly_md]

Sorry to hear about the accidents and injuries.

What are the year by year trends in your cGPA and sGPA?

 

[Stefanomalano]

I need more details on your nonclinical volunteering. What does being a volunteer coordinator at your school mean? Other than tutoring, how were you a training manager? Was this also related to soccer?

What nonclinical community service activities really stretched you out of your comfort zone?

For school, I was technically serving in a position called "social change coordinator". Each of us led small teams of undergraduate students through various service opportunities. A wide range, with varying levels of commitment. The particular things I was primarily a part of: For a year I led a weekly program called Athletic Corps, where we worked with elementary students in a low income school district. We would discuss different character traits that come up and are particularly fostered through athletics and team sports, and how they translate to success in life. College access etc. were also topics in that program. We would choose games to play that highlight whatever traits we discussed that day. For instance, tug of war for team work, or capture the flag, etc. The next year, I led a group of students on a week long trip to Atlanta, GA where we worked with Refugees on a number of things, ranging from resume and interview help, to moving/settling into homes, and tutoring local students in a particular school with a large number of placed refugees. The planning and coordination of that whole trip was part of my role as well as learning and educating my team about all the different factors and things to consider etc.
In addition to each of our respective programs, we all participated in monthly days of service in the community and supported each other's programs when coverage was needed. We also helped students navigate ways to fulfill their service hour requirements, as several of our classes had mandatory service components.

As a training manager, I was responsible for developing procedures, and subsequently creating training protocols and manuals. I was responsible for managing the performance of our entire staff. I trained most staff, but also managed some key employees that were capable of training etc. Largely I also worked to connect the different components of the business as well. As someone that was a part of the initial team that opened the place, I knew a lot of niche details, so I wore some different hats at different times. This was not soccer related. I have separate leadership stuff that was related to soccer and the clubs I managed. Coaching and club management.

To answer your last question, I have some experiences that put me out of my comfort zone, but they weren't as impactful to me as something else I will mention. I wouldn't say that it stretched me out of a comfort zone, per-say, but stretched my eyes and perspective figuratively speaking. When I was in GA, I will never forget working with a particular man who was a multi-millionaire in his home country (he started and managed a successful tech company), but he left it all for his family to relocate to the US where they had virtually nothing. I helped him work to market his skills and experience in english, and also spoke with him about potential opportunities etc. It was eye opening because he was so successful and capable, but needed so much support to try and make something work in our country. The disparities between countries limits so many people, and the power of refuge shouldn't be understated. It was an amazing moment that I will never forget. There I was, some white college kid, genuinely being able to provide so much help to someone who had accomplished so much more than I had.

 

[Stefanomalano]

Sorry to hear about the accidents and injuries.

What are the year by year trends in your cGPA and sGPA?

I appreciate the kind words! It happens! I am better off in so many ways because of them

Here is the breakdown!

 

[chilly_md]

Having your last 60 credit hours at close to a 4.0 helps, but you will still need to include DO schools. Also, leave off the PT shadowing. You should only include physician shadowing hours.

I suggest:

OHSU
Rosalind Franklin
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Georgetown
George Washington
Hackensack
Tulane
Oakland
Wayne State
Nova MD
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Loyola
Rush
TCU
Albany
NYMC


For DO, you are competitive for them all. You should apply to:

PCOM
DMU
KCU
Western (both campuses)
PNWU
Touro NV
Touro CA
Marian
LECOM
KCOM
AZCOM (high tuition though)