WAMC Low GPA/High MCAT & URM

[FBIburneraccount]

Hi everyone! Want to say thanks for the help in advance. I've been reading these forums and finally made an account because I'm gearing up to apply this cycle. It's difficult for me to gauge where I stand because my Gpa is not good but my MCAT is great and I'm URM and I am not sure how much one will offset the other.

1. GPA: cGPA 3.42/ sGPA 3.33 w/ mild-mod upward trend (took a ton of units so it was difficult to raise, but I also have not been getting straight 4.0's or anything) Biochem major. Senior currently, taking a gap year
2. MCAT: 520 (132/130/130/128)
3. State of Residence: CA resident
4. Demographic: Black female
5. Undergrad: Top UC for undergrad
6. Clinical Experience: 1 year hospital volunteering (very basic, run of the mill). 1.5 years scribing in ER and will be continuing in my gap year.
7. Research: 1 year of graded research. Very basic science type so no publications, but also no posters/presentations because I am not passionate about research and this will not be a focus of my app.
8. Shadowing: Volunteered on oncology floors. Scribing in ED. No straight up shadowing though.
9. Non-clinical volunteering: 1 year tutoring in underserved neighborhood. Some club/recurrent volunteer days that I'll list but they're not objectively significant.
10. Other extracurricular activities: Campus job all 4 years w/ promotions and "student supervisor" title. Last 1.5 years of undergrad had 2 jobs + research + school + studying for MCAT.
11. Relevant honors or awards: lol I wish
12. LOR: 1 ER physician (went to a great med school/residency and works at a very respected hospital; showed me her letter--it was great), 2 science profs (don't know me well but were eager to write letters), 1 non-science grad student prof (participated a lot, they liked me), my campus job supervisor (knows me very well, will write a strong letter)
13. Personal Statement: You can't tell from this post but I will say, not so humbly, that I'm a great writer (My english class TA's have asked to use my papers as examples, etc.) I think my personal statement is a strong point in my app and tells a great story of how/why I want to serve the underserved. My app is very primary care/community centered.

School List:
CA schools:
1. UCI, UCR, UCLA (and UCLA Drew), UCSF, UCSD, UCD
2. USC
3. California University Sci/Med
4. Kaiser
5. California Northstate

OOS:
6. Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Icahn Mt. Sinai, SUNY Downstate (I love New York, a girl can hope)
7. U of Chicago (mission?)
8. Northwestern U
9. Morehouse, Howard (i'm black)
10. University of Miami Miller

The numbers mean nothing, idk why I listed it like that. I care a lot about being in a big city and also a place where there is a large community of minorities, hence why most of the schools are in large, urban cities. I'm fine with adding more schools to my list as long as they aren't in like Iowa (#sorry). I also know I have some reaches, but I'm hoping that my mission might align with some of them?

Looking for whatever feedback people have to offer. Thanks again!! Stay safe and isolate

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[Doctoscope]

I don't think you included your MCAT here.

 

[FBIburneraccount]

I don't think you included your MCAT here.

Wow MAJOR oversight. MCAT 520 (132/130/130/128)

 

[Faha]

You could add the other NY schools-Einstein and Hofstra. Also consider these schools:
Boston University
Tufts
Georgetown
Emory
Vanderbilt
Tulane
Washington University

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Read the mission statements carefully and investigate what curricular support there is for those interested in serving the underserved. Do your homework on the National Health Service Corps and try to get in position to apply for it after talking to some recipients. Or do the HPSP if that is something of interest to you. If you get money or show you might be a strong candidate for it, that will help get you some attention.

 

[FBIburneraccount]

Read the mission statements carefully and investigate what curricular support there is for those interested in serving the underserved. Do your homework on the National Health Service Corps and try to get in position to apply for it after talking to some recipients. Or do the HPSP if that is something of interest to you. If you get money or show you might be a strong candidate for it, that will help get you some attention.

Thanks! The NHSC definitely seems like something I'd be interested in, but it doesn't seem like I'll be able to apply for it until the 2021-2022 award and I have an acceptance so I'm not sure how I'd be able to use this to my advantage. I'll keep reading to find some more info but if you have any additional insight, please let me know.

 

[FBIburneraccount]

You could add the other NY schools-Einstein and Hofstra. Also consider these schools:
Boston University
Tufts
Georgetown
Emory
Vanderbilt
Tulane
Washington University

Thank you so much! Will look into all of these as well!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thanks! The NHSC definitely seems like something I'd be interested in, but it doesn't seem like I'll be able to apply for it until the 2021-2022 award and I have an acceptance so I'm not sure how I'd be able to use this to my advantage. I'll keep reading to find some more info but if you have any additional insight, please let me know.

You could still reach out. With the help of your financial aid office (med school), you should be able to position yourself to apply for the 2021-2022 award.