WAMC: MCAT: 522, cGPA:4.0, ORM, School List Help

[bth92]

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[AJS59]

Wow your application is strong! Could you maybe clarify what specifically you did at Christopher's Haven?

Also you list off a lot of your hours to be completed by matriculation, but of those hours, what portion will you have completed by the time you apply? Many on this forum will say that hours projected (that is to be completed after you submit your primary) don't weigh as much.

Anyways, a preliminary list of schools should include, at a minimum, Wisconsin and MCW (as your home state schools). Otherwise, shoot the damn moon — you have a rock star application, so apply to rock star schools. Of course, don't apply to ONLY T20s — you're going to want a good mix of schools overall. I'll leave the list making up to the experts (Faha) though.

 

[bth92]

Wow your application is strong! Could you maybe clarify what specifically you did at Christopher's Haven?

Also you list off a lot of your hours to be completed by matriculation, but of those hours, what portion will you have completed by the time you apply? Many on this forum will say that hours projected (that is to be completed after you submit your primary) don't weigh as much.

Anyways, a preliminary list of schools should include, at a minimum, Wisconsin and MCW (as your home state schools). Otherwise, shoot the damn moon — you ..

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Exclude all hours related to fundraising. How many hours are left? Be honest with yourself and list the hours by submission. Some admissions screeners will feel you are deliberately trying to embellish your hours to game the system. Don't be off by an order of magnitude.

So I interpret your gap year will consist of 2 years of clinical research experience full-time. We lack your chronology to know how you will accomplish getting all of your "matriculation" activity hours in before medical school starts. Most people should take some weeks off before starting medical school anyway, so you might not hit those targets.

Separate hours that should demonstrate "leadership."

What is your mission fit? What advice has your prehealth advisors given you?

 

[bth92]

Exclude all hours related to fundraising. How many hours are left? Be honest with yourself and list the hours by submission. Some admissions screeners will feel you are deliberately trying to embellish your hours to game the system. Don't be off by an order of magnitude.

So I interpret your gap year will consist of 2 years of clinical research experience full-time. We lack your chronology to know how you will accomplish getting all of your "matriculation" activity hours in before medical school starts. Most people should take some weeks off before starting medical school anyway, so you might not hit those targets.

Separate hours that should demonstrate "leadership."

What is your mission fit? What advice has your prehealth advisors given you?

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[LunaOri]

I think you have a shot at any school, so craft your list around the schools you would most like to attend (do include a few mid-tiers).

 

[Mr.Smile12]

That makes total sense. Could see how that could p*** off and rub adcoms the wrong way.

Chronological order: I graduated in May 2023, studied for MCAT from May-July, took MCAT late July, and moved to Boston in August 2023.

Here are my hours at time of application submission:
- Clinical Research Full Time Job: 1760 hours (I started working early August 2023 and plan to work full-time until May/June of 2025)

- Northeastern School of Law volunteer research: 120 hours (I started this position in late January of 2024. Will continue with this until May of 2025.) Currently commit around 10hrs/week.

- Christopher’s Haven (fundraising not included): 100-120 hours. I started this in October of 2023. I am in a two year agreement with my landlord, so definitely will be doing this until May of 2025.

- Homeless Shelter Presentations (excluding time spent creating the presentations and only considering time in front of YAs): 20 hours maximum by submission — usually spend 2 hours with shelter on days of presentations

- Non-Profit work: I’m essentially acting as an unpaid Exec Director and will have 4000+ hours by submission of application.

In terms of mission fit: I am extremely interested in pairing clinical practice with academic medicine so strong research is important to me. I won’t be doing primary care. Service-based programs also interest me and fit my goals. I plan to continue running the non-profit through schooling. I prefer an urban setting. Rural Wisconsin has been fun, but there’s a reason I left lol!

In terms of advisors: their advice was community based medicine/service oriented med schools.

Nice!

I agree with my colleague you can probably do some research of your own and pick programs that feed into your current interests or help you expand them. You know Boston well, and most of them will be familiar with the work you have been doing. Check the requirements for Massachusetts residency, though most of your Boston schools are indifferent to this.

The other schools along the I-95 corridor will also be good fits. I'm sure all the NYC-area schools and Philly schools will find your work appealing. Definitely shoot for Einstein and Columbia. Reach out to dream schools on your list and make them recruit you.