WAMC/Help with School List, 3.99 GPA/524 MCAT

[aspiringFS]

Hi everyone, updating with a new post as I've received my official MCAT score. I'm applying this cycle and trying to work on my school list.

1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS:
   1. 3.99 cGPA, 3.98 sGPA
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown:
   1. 524 (131/130/131/132)
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US):
   1. California
4. Undergraduate institution or category:
   1. T20 public school
5. Major/Degrees
   1. B.S. Physiology
   2. M.S. in Physiological Science (pending)
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer):
   1. 700+ hours as a paid EMT
   2. 250 hours as a Care Extender (clinical volunteer in hospital setting)
7. Research experience and productivity (posters, publications):
   1. 500+ hours research, expect to have 1-2 publications and 1 poster.
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented:
   1. 50+ hours neurology, nephrology, family medicine
9. Non-clinical volunteering:
   1. 150+ hours as a pilot/copilot for Angel Flight West volunteer medical transport
   2. Tentative: 100+ hours working for Habitat for Humanity (joining soon)
10. Other extracurricular activities:
    1. Private/Instrument Rated pilot
    2. Learning Assistant (undergraduate TA) for multiple classes
    3. Backpacking/IM sports/guitar
    4. Founder/exec board of fraternity
11. Relevant honors or awards:
    1. Dean’s honors list
12. Employment:
    1. Science education teacher (300+ hours)
    2. Tutor (300+ hours)
    3. Teaching Assistant (1000+ hours)
13. Anything else not listed you think might be important:
    1. For context, I’m applying to med school with the intention of becoming a flight surgeon with the USAF/Navy, and applying for HPSP in conjunction with medical school. With that in mind, it’s not a huge deal if I’m forced to go the DO route, but I’d prefer MD. COVID kind of messed me up in terms of volunteering/shadowing.. By the time things opened up again, I was working so many hours to pay for flight lessons that I didn’t feel I had time, though in retrospect those hours are important enough that I should have carved out a slot. Trying to figure out if that and other limitations in my application will hold me back from a decent MD school (I could also always apply next cycle after getting more volunteer/shadowing hours).
    2. Overall, I'm wondering if my somewhat subpar ECs will hold me back despite good stats. Also curious about which schools tend to focus on stats and might overlook any potential holes in my application. Additionally, I've been told that my good stats might shoot me in the foot for mid and low-tier schools who could reject for yield protection. Is there any truth to this?

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[Mr.Smile12]

Wait. You are applying this cycle and need feedback on a school list? When did you submit everything? Have you gotten feedback on your application so far?

Old WAMC WAMC/Help with School List, 3.99 GPA/522 MCAT

 

[aspiringFS]

Wait. You are applying this cycle and need feedback on a school list? When did you submit everything? Have you gotten feedback on your application so far?

Old WAMC WAMC/Help with School List, 3.99 GPA/522 MCAT

nope sorry, plans changed with the masters im doing, applying this upcoming cycle

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Okay. Obviously I think you are on the right track. Stay connected with the posters here about HPSP and military medicine so you don't sound too naive (which you don't).

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Make sure you get more like 200+ hours with something that is genuinely nonclinical, like Habitat for Humanity; your service as a flight pilot might be considered clinical. LizzyM likes to say if you can smell the patients it's a clinical experience. My concern is that with your app as it now is the flight piloting might be considered clinical and the nonclinical portion of your app would then just barely check the box. Otherwise, the rest of your application is stellar. Your application is solid for top 20 schools and very strong everywhere else.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Make sure you get more like 200+ hours with something that is genuinely nonclinical, like Habitat for Humanity; your service as a flight pilot might be considered clinical. LizzyM likes to say if you can smell the patients it's a clinical experience. My concern is that with your app as it now is the flight piloting might be considered clinical and the nonclinical portion of your app would then just barely check the box. Otherwise, the rest of your application is stellar. Your application is solid for top 20 schools and very strong everywhere else.

I think Angel Flights are nonclinical. I think flying an EMT helicopter is considered nonclinical (like driving an ambulance or patient transportation shuttle). Given how hard it is to maintain an aviator license, I think you get the benefit of the doubt here. Yes, it also wouldn't hurt to do more things on the ground, but I think the OP is getting that covered.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

I think Angel Flights are nonclinical. I think flying an EMT helicopter is considered nonclinical (like driving an ambulance or patient transportation shuttle). Given how hard it is to maintain an aviator license, I think you get the benefit of the doubt here. Yes, it also wouldn't hurt to do more things on the ground, but I think the OP is getting that covered.

Fair enough - I just wondered about very picky admissions officers at places like Harvard and Hopkins. At a school like Tufts or Keck, the OP is quite strong.