MD WAMC? Low-GPA: What schools should I apply to?

[deleted840028]

Hi everyone!

What schools should I apply to?I graduated last year and plan on applying during this upcoming cycle. Took MCAT once and this is my first time applying. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Extremely worried about GPA and minimal research experience. Really don't feel like stats are competitive enough.

cGPA: 3.59 (but upward trend)
MCAT: 515 128/127/130/130
State of residence: Pennsylvania

Thanks in advance everyone

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[Walter Raleigh]

If you have 200 or more hours of nonclinical volunteering the sky's the limit; your nursing-home experience covers the clinical side of things. Get primary care shadowing if you can; that might help a little. Would like to see what @Goro and @LizzyM think of this. You seem like a rock star. Maybe that UN youth representative work counts as nonclinical volunteering?

 

[Goro]

Hi everyone!

What schools should I apply to?I graduated last year and plan on applying during this upcoming cycle. Took MCAT once and this is my first time applying. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Extremely worried about GPA and minimal research experience. Really don't feel like stats are competitive enough.

cGPA: 3.59 (but upward trend)
MCAT: 515 128/127/130/130
State of residence: Pennsylvania
Ethnicity: URM (African-American Female)
Undergrad: Private school in PA; Not sure if prestigious or not
Research: 1 summer and a semester of research; Summer research was at the University of Pittsburgh (no publication) and semester research at my university (co-authored on publication but not a major publication) - I did not really enjoy research, which is why I did not continue with it
Paid Clinical Experience:
- Community Health Worker at Hopkins hospital - lots of informal shadowing hours from job as I attend primary care and specialist appointments with some of my patients, connect patients to community resources to improve health, taught chronic disease self-management course, create care plans for patients and help clients reach health goals
- Personal Care Aide at nursing home - started job in HS and continued as seasonal employee until sophomore year of college (worked during my holiday breaks)
Paid non-Clinical Experiences:
- RA at university for 1 year
- RA during summer at STEM program for HS students
- Supervisor at school lIbrary
Teaching/Tutor Experience:
- TA for Organic Chem I & II, TA for physics II
- Current tutor (do it on the side to make extra money)
Formal Shadowing: 50 hours neurology, 40 hours ObGyn
Clinical Volunteer:
- Child-life volunteer (~20 hours)
- Clinic for unserved and uninsured patients (~ 50 hours);
Non-clinical volunteer experience:
- English Literacy coach at local library (ongoing)
- Food bank (~50 hours)
Extracurricular: photographer, played rugby in college, honors society
Other activities: UN Youth Representative for a NGO that is focused on health education in rural Nigeria for 2 years (had to stop b/c I gradated)
Leadership experience:
- Peer advisor for university
- Co-founder of school's global health club (served as Vice President as well)
- Orientation leader for university
Trilingual

Thanks in advance everyone

You're platinum. Start list with U Penn and Pitt, and radiate outwards. Any school is yours.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

You're platinum. Start list with U Penn and Pitt, and radiate outwards. Any school is yours.

Agreed. AA male with broadly similar stats (3.6/519), got 7 interviews and 2 acceptances from 16 schools. Would suggest ~15 top-20 schools, five midtiers, and her PA schools.

 

[deleted840028]

If you have 200 or more hours of nonclinical volunteering the sky's the limit; your nursing-home experience covers the clinical side of things. Get primary care shadowing if you can; that might help a little. Would like to see what @Goro and @LizzyM think of this. You seem like a rock star. Maybe that UN youth representative work counts as nonclinical volunteering?

I never considered putting my time as UN Youth Rep under volunteering but that is a great idea. Thank you

 

[Walter Raleigh]

I do not know if UN Youth Representative counts as nonclinical volunteering. It seems impressive, but I don't know if it counts. @Goro: any opinions on whether it counts or not? I suspect it does, but am not sure.

 

[Goro]

I do not know if UN Youth Representative counts as nonclinical volunteering. It seems impressive, but I don't know if it counts. @Goro: any opinions on whether it counts or not? I suspect it does, but am not sure.

Sounds nonclinical unless it's actual patient education.

 

[deleted840028]

Sounds nonclinical unless it's actual patient education.

No, no direct patient education! Just helping with research on health topics and writing blog posts for NGO to share on their site. The role was mainly meeting with UN officials and help the NGO that I represented meet the SDG goal 3. But you honestly think I am competitive for top schools even with my low GPA?

 

[Goro]

No, no direct patient education! Just helping with research on health topics and writing blog posts for NGO to share on their site. The role was mainly meeting with UN officials and help the NGO that I represented meet the SDG goal 3. But you honestly think I am competitive for top schools even with my low GPA?

Yup. Aim high.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Agreed. OP's stats are ~20th percentile for top-20 schools, but she's a Black woman with strong ECs. State schools, HBCUs if she wants 'em, and about a dozen top-20 schools, and a few midtiers as well. That's a good list for a rockstar like this. Good luck!