MD & DO WAMC- Low GPA/High MCAT(retake)??

[hilharris_01194]

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Hey guys, would appreciate help trimming down my school list to ~30-35 MD/DO schools. I have a subpar GPA but MCAT retake went well. Thanks in advance!

cGPA 3.5/sGPA 3.3
Medium? upward trend with postbacc GPA 3.9
MCAT 510, 519
CA
ORM Male
UC Berkeley
- 2500+ hrs scribing
- 400+ hrs clinical volunteering with underserved pops
- 100+ hrs hospice volunteering
- 100+ hrs clinical research in health disparities

MD=
Albany
Boston
Creighton
Drexel
EVMS
Emory
Quinnipiac
Geisel
GT
Hofstra
Keck
Temple
Loyola
MCW
NYMC
Oakland
Rush
Jefferson
Oregon
Stony Brook
Tufts
Tulane
UA-Tucson
USF
UCD
UCI
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
Colorado
Miami
Rochester
Vermont
VCU
Wake Forest
Stryker

DO=
Touro-CA
Touro-NV
Western
AZCOM

1. Took out Rosalind Franklin/TCMC/GW. Should I add back?
2. Do I need shadowing if I have 2500+ hrs scribing?
3. Need to add more DO or nah?

Thanks!

 

[Faha]

You have a good list and should receive several interviews. No need to add more DO schools.

 

[hilharris_01194]

You have a good list and should receive several interviews. No need to add more DO schools.

Thanks Faha for your feedback!

@gyngyn @Goro @WedgeDawg @GrapesofRath @LizzyM Would very much appreciate your feedback/advice as well. 🙂

 

[hilharris_01194]

Bump!

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

Yes you need shadowing. No amount of volunteering makes up for shadowing. You also need non medical volunteering.

 

[jodanledres]

Yes you need shadowing. No amount of volunteering makes up for shadowing. You also need non medical volunteering.

I think the OP meant that he wonders if scribing could count as shadowing. A medical scribe in the would follow a doctor around and help in documentation. So in a way, I see that as a more in-depth version of shadowing but I honestly don't know if admissions committees would see it that way.


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[On_The_Way_Up]

I think the OP meant that he wonders if scribing could count as shadowing. A medical scribe in the would follow a doctor around and help in documentation. So in a way, I see that as a more in-depth version of shadowing but I honestly don't know if admissions committees would see it that way.


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Pretty sure they don't. Definitely get some shadowing OP.

 

[gyngyn]

If you want to shorten the list, I'd suggest deleting OHSU, Dartmouth, Jefferson and CO.

 

[hilharris_01194]

I think the OP meant that he wonders if scribing could count as shadowing. A medical scribe in the would follow a doctor around and help in documentation. So in a way, I see that as a more in-depth version of shadowing but I honestly don't know if admissions committees would see it that way.

Yeah this is what I meant. I know that volunteering and shadowing are separate but I was thinking that scribing (pretty much following the doc all day) could make up for shadowing. Thoughts? Thanks for both your replies btw!

 

[hilharris_01194]

If you want to shorten the list, I'd suggest deleting OHSU, Dartmouth, Jefferson and CO.

Thanks gyngyn! Just wondering why you'd cut out Jefferson over schools like Emory/GT/Oakland/MCW/Miami/Hofstra?

 

[gyngyn]

Thanks gyngyn! Just wondering why you'd cut out Jefferson over schools like Emory/GT/Oakland/MCW/Miami/Hofstra?

Jeff averages MCAT scores, whereas GT cherry picks them..

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

Do you mind sharing with us how you made a huge jump in your MCAT score? So that we can do it also!

 

[hilharris_01194]

Do you mind sharing with us how you made a huge jump in your MCAT score? So that we can do it also!

A combination of studying my weak topics (which I didn't study as much before because they were "low yield" but now I realize that doesn't exist) and really learning how to take the test. The exam passages actually have a lot of information in them that can help you answer the question or at least cross out wrong answers. Recognize that a lot of questions are written in a complicated way, but are actually testing a simple concept. I also went through KA P&S videos or transcripts because Kaplan isn't that great at differentiating between similar-sounding terms and topics. I would say that the biggest difference for me was learning how to effectively take the test. PM me if you want more info!

Jeff averages MCAT scores, whereas GT cherry picks them..

Thanks! Would you say I have a chance at any of the UCs .... or is it just a pipe dream with my stats?

 

[gyngyn]

Would you say I have a chance at any of the UCs .... or is it just a pipe dream with my stats?

CA schools are a tough guess for anyone. For someone with your constellation of factors, only a fool would attempt a prediction. As a CA applicant, you are going to apply to them all anyway! I should know. I did the same thing.

 

[Goro]

My suggestions below

Albany
Boston
Drexel
EVMS
Geisel
GT
Temple
Loyola
MCW
NYMC
Oakland
Jefferson
Tufts
Tulane
UCD
UCI
Miami
Vermont
VCU
Wake Forest
Stryker
Rosalind Franklin
GWU

Touro-CA
Touro-NV
Western
AZCOM
Western-OR
PacNW

No
2. Do I need shadowing if I have 2500+ hrs scribing?
Yes
3. Need to add more DO or nah?

 

[hilharris_01194]

My suggestions below

No Quinnipiac, Creighton, Stony Brook, or Rochester?

 

[Goro]

You're not a New Yorker, and the other schools are especially service loving

No Quinnipiac, Creighton, Stony Brook, or Rochester?