WAMC - High Stats, Low Clinical Hours

[dramaqueenforlife]

I am applying to medical school this upcoming cycle and will have had 2 gap years by the time I *hopefully* matriculate. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts on my school list! I will update anything as needed, but I think that most of the relevant information is in here.

1. Stats:

MCAT: 524 (131,130,132,131)​

cGPA: 3.76​

sGPA: 3.88​

GPA Trend: Added this info as it potentially hurts my application. My only non-A in sGPA was a C in Ochem 1. Drop in Junior year was due to higher level EE courses (veeery difficult, but absolutely amazing classes that I loved and learnt a lot in).​

(listed as sGPA | cGPA)​

Year 1: 4.0 | 3.89​

Year 2: 4.0 | 3.79​

Year 3: N/A | 3.57​

Year 4: 3.54 | 3.78​

2. Demographics

Male, ORM​

CT resident​

3. Undergraduate Institution

Case Western Reserve University​

Majors: Biomedical Engineering & Electrical Engineering​

4. Clinical Experience

Shadowing:​

100 hours (general clinic shadowing)​

50 hours (oral and maxillofacial surgeon - mostly dental procedures)​

20 hours (medical mission) - (various dental/cosmetic surgeries)​

Volunteering: 60 (medical mission abroad) + 20 (hospital, continuing to volunteer here)​

Paid: 0​

5. Research Experience

750 hours​

2 pubs on the way (not first author)​

Was involved in 3 research labs, but only had significant impact in last one. I only mention this because the start of my last and main research role starts only halfway through junior year (switched labs twice to find the right research fit/involvement with PI)​

6. Non-clinical Volunteering

Organization 1: Adapted electronics of toys for disabled children​

100 hours​

Organization 2: Low cost housing center for patients undergoing medical procedures (role was changing out bedding, etc.)​

170 hours​

7. Extracurricular Activities

Academic:​

250 hours (year long BME capstone making a biomedical project, was team lead)​

300 hours (1 semester EE capstone adding an electric component to a robot, team lead)​

Non-Academic:​

100 hours (helped make device to modify electronics for disabled, campus club, not lead)​

350 hours (motorsports club where entire team designed and built competition cars, I made some electrical devices for the team, went to 1 competition, not lead)​

8. Relevant honors or awards

Won 1st place in 3 categories and overall for school run Hackathon (prize money of $1600 across 4 members)​

Won $1000 to develop my own personal project over a summer​

9. Non-clinical Paid Employment

Worked as Manager for school gym for over a year (~600 hours)​

EE Internship for Biomedical Startup (associated with research lab that I am getting pubs in) (~100 hours)​

10. Other Relevant Information

I am currently working full time as an electrical engineer but am quitting shortly to work full time as an EMT to gain more significant clinical experience. In case you were wondering why I didn't do this earlier, I wasn't too sure at my chances at getting into any medical school prior to getting my MCAT. Stats aren't everything but I felt a lot more confident in being able to leave my engineering career as I now have a better chance of at least getting into 1 medical school.​

​

If everything goes to plan, I should be full time EMS by mid March latest. I will continue this throughout the cycle and up until matriculation, ideally working 911 shifts. Would love thoughts on this aspect as well.​

School List:
(Haven't really considered mission fit as of yet, but generally looking for schools that have strong cross disciplinary programs like Stanford & UMich)

Reach:​

Stanford (Dream School, do I have a realistic shot?)​

Yale​

Duke​

UPenn (Perelman)​

Mayo​

Weill Cornell​

Columbia​

Vanderbilt​

Wash U​

Albert Einstein​

JHU​

Target:​

UChicago (Pritzker)​

Ohio State​

UMich​

Case Western​

Boston University​

UPitt​

Emory​

Brown​

UCLA​

URochester​

USF (Morsani)​

Baseline:​

Dartmouth (Geisel)​

USC (Keck)​

Albert Einstein​

UConn​

Tufts​

UColorado​

Temple​

UCincinnati​

George Washington​

Nova Southeastern (Patel)​

Carle Illinois​

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

WashU should be on your list too. They have a strong bioengineering program and select high metrics applicants for interviews.

Yes, you need the clinical experience. I hold my opinion since you would just be starting EMT just weeks before the cycle starts... you may have enough when you apply, but some schools may hold off because the hours won't be at par with the applicant pool you will be compared to. Your other activities though should be appealing. Get 100 more hours with the low cost housing center before applying.

Does Carle appeal to you?

Q&A with Carle Illinois College of Medicine: Developing Innovation and Entrepreneurship as Health Professionals - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

 

[dramaqueenforlife]

WashU should be on your list too. They have a strong bioengineering program and select high metrics applicants for interviews.

Yes, you need the clinical experience. I hold my opinion since you would just be starting EMT just weeks before the cycle starts... you may have enough when you apply, but some schools may hold off because the hours won't be at par with the applicant pool you will be compared to. Your other activities though should be appealing. Get 100 more hours with the low cost housing center before applying.

Does Carle appeal to you?

Q&A with Carle Illinois College of Medicine: Developing Innovation and Entrepreneurship as Health Professionals - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

Thanks for the advice! I think by the time I apply, I would have at least 2 months experience in EMS.

I would unfortunately be unable to volunteer with the low cost housing center as I have relocated 🙁. I am still volunteering, just at the local hospital attached to their cardiac unit.

Wow I didn't realize that Carle had such a program! It looks very nice and aligned with my overall application theme. My main concern with Carle (why I removed it off my school list) was that it is a newer school in a relatively remote area, and I was unsure how that would affect research opportunities.

 

[candbgirl]

Thanks for the advice! I think by the time I apply, I would have at least 2 months experience in EMS.

I would unfortunately be unable to volunteer with the low cost housing center as I have relocated 🙁. I am still volunteering, just at the local hospital attached to their cardiac unit.

Wow I didn't realize that Carle had such a program! It looks very nice and aligned with my overall application theme. My main concern with Carle (why I removed it off my school list) was that it is a newer school in a relatively remote area, and I was unsure how that would affect research opportunities.

You do know Carle is affiliated with the University of Illinois right? UofI has tons of research opportunities and Carle has been around for a while, like maybe 10 years!

** Not quite 10 years but they have had three classes graduate (first class graduated in 2022)!

 

[LizzyM]

I won't sugar-coat this but some schools will expect you to have significant face-to-face service to the less fortunate in a non-clinical setting (no two birds one stone situation). That will hold you back in some places.

Concur that Carle and WashU should be on your list.
Is Einstein really a safety if it is tuition-free? I'd think it moves to the "reach" category as everyone and their brother will be applying.

 

[dramaqueenforlife]

I won't sugar-coat this but some schools will expect you to have significant face-to-face service to the less fortunate in a non-clinical setting (no two birds one stone situation). That will hold you back in some places.

Concur that Carle and WashU should be on your list.
Is Einstein really a safety if it is tuition-free? I'd think it moves to the "reach" category as everyone and their brother will be applying.

Do you think that my non-clinical volunteering at the low cost housing center would fill this gap? I should've clarified this, but while it wasn't all face to face, I regularly helped people move their stuff in/talked with them as they checked in.

I wasn't intending on doing more non-clinical volunteering as I was focusing on getting my clinical hours (volunteering + EMT) up. Are you thinking something along the lines of soup kitchen, where there might be a lot more odds for face to face contact? I was planning for my role as an EMT would cover that base.

 

[LizzyM]

The thought is that people will say that they want to help people but the helping is limited to the two birds/one stone of clinical volunteering where you are getting the clinical experience out of it. Adcoms up the ante by wanting to see "helping people" where there is nothing in it for you. Direct service to those in need in soup kitchens, homeless shelters, food pantries, refugee centers, etc would fit the bill.

 

[dramaqueenforlife]

The thought is that people will say that they want to help people but the helping is limited to the two birds/one stone of clinical volunteering where you are getting the clinical experience out of it. Adcoms up the ante by wanting to see "helping people" where there is nothing in it for you. Direct service to those in need in soup kitchens, homeless shelters, food pantries, refugee centers, etc would fit the bill.

Got it, thanks! Will keep that in mind for future months and find an area where I can volunteer in a non-clinical setting.

 

[Faha]

You have a good list and should receive several interviews. Remove NOVA since they will "yield protect" with your stats.
Accumulate as many EMT hours as possible before you submit your application.

 

[dramaqueenforlife]

You have a good list and should receive several interviews. Remove NOVA since they will "yield protect" with your stats.
Accumulate as many EMT hours as possible before you submit your application.

Thanks! Updated my list accordingly. What are your thoughts on adding schools like Harvard, UCSF, JHU, NYU, Northwestern, Icahn Mt. Sinai? I removed those schools to avoid making my application "top heavy"

 

[Faha]

Mount Sinai and Northwestern are fine. Include NYU and JHU just because of the free tuition.

 

[surelycalm]

Thanks! Updated my list accordingly. What are your thoughts on adding schools like Harvard, UCSF, JHU, NYU, Northwestern, Icahn Mt. Sinai? I removed those schools to avoid making my application "top heavy"

Mount Sinai and Northwestern are fine. Include NYU and JHU just because of the free tuition.

The caveat I'll put out at that is I know a few folks with higher stats (525, 526 and 4.0s) and way more clinical hours (1000+, 1000+ research and working with the underserved) that didn't get interviews at NYU, JHU or Harvard. If money is no object then sure add them, if you want a more streamlined list of schools I wouldn't put too many reaches down. I think your original reach list was fine, but keep in mind you will need a lot more clinical and underserved volunteering to have a realistic shot at them. Check out admit.org, it will give you some idea of the folks getting interviews as well as the folks getting pre-ii rejections.

 

[dramaqueenforlife]

The caveat I'll put out at that is I know a few folks with higher stats (525, 526 and 4.0s) and way more clinical hours (1000+, 1000+ research and working with the underserved) that didn't get interviews at NYU, JHU or Harvard. If money is no object then sure add them, if you want a more streamlined list of schools I wouldn't put too many reaches down. I think your original reach list was fine, but keep in mind you will need a lot more clinical and underserved volunteering to have a realistic shot at them. Check out admit.org, it will give you some idea of the folks getting interviews as well as the folks getting pre-ii rejections.

I love admit.org! Have been using the school builder there. Will check out the student profiles.

What you mention with higher stat people is definitely true. I don't want to apply to higher tier programs just based on stats alone (which is why I made this post). Money is no object for my applications, but I don't want to apply if it is unrealistic. I also don't want to apply too low for fear of being yield protected which leaves me in a lil bit of a pickle lol.

I wasn't sure how to factor in the fact that I am a BME/EE double major with decent actual engineering exposure, but I thought it was definitely something that would make me stand out a little.

Do you think I might be shooting a little too high? Based on my profile, how would you suggest I remove/add schools? Thanks!

 

[surelycalm]

If you get your clinical and underserved volunteering up, you certainly have a shot at the T20s. It's just they are a reach for anyone. If money is not going to hold back the number of applications you submit and you don't mind writing extra secondaries, and you truly would want to go to those schools then go for it.

 

[dramaqueenforlife]

If you get your clinical and underserved volunteering up, you certainly have a shot at the T20s. It's just they are a reach for anyone. If money is not going to hold back the number of applications you submit and you don't mind writing extra secondaries, and you truly would want to go to those schools then go for it.

Thanks for the advice! I can’t change much but intend on full time EMT and volunteering as mentioned above. Hopefully the couple months of hours will suffice, but I intend on working throughout applications as well.

 

[mike-sheree]

Unless you require a MAJOR metro region, Caryle at U of Ill in Champaign-Urbana is plenty big. Think AnnArbor, MI or Madison, WI. Huge campuses in ~100k metro and you are the kind of person they are looking at.

 

[Goro]

Nothing wrong with aimng high. You're good to go.

 

[LindaAccepted]

Also look into Texas A&M EnMed program.