WAMC/MD-PhD School list help, low clinical and volunteer hours

[grouper]

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Hello, everyone

Long time observer, but first time poster here. I am planning to apply to mostly MD/PhD programs this cycle (2025-2026), and would like to seek your inputs about my school list and chances. I am providing my WAMC profiles below to help with the assessment and suggestions. Please do not hesitate to criticize if you think my school list is too top heavy and need more targets/safeties. I would wholeheartedly welcome any suggestions. My sincere thanks in advance.

My WAMC Profile

• CA resident, Asian, 23F, ORM (with some ties to MD and MA)
• Mid-Tier UC undergrad and graduated 2024, current IRTA Postbac 2024-2026
• 4.0 cGPA / 4.0sGPA, neurobiology major
• 519 MCAT (130/129/129/131) in 2024
• Preview (score not yet available, expect 6-8), Casper (no plan to take)
• Community volunteer – Clinical (70-180 hours)
• • 70 hours completed through American Red Cross at a Hospital
  • Additional 110 hours anticipated
• Community volunteer – not Clinical (100-220 hours)
  • 100 hours completed through Non-profit food distribution organization
  • Additional 120 hours anticipated
• Research (4000-6000 hours)
  • Summer intern #1 (500 hours) - Breast cancer research
  • Undergraduate researcher and Junior Specialist (1500 hours) - Diabetes research
  • Summer intern #2 (500 hours) -pancreatic cancer research
  • IRTA fellow (1500 hours completed, additional 2000 hours anticipated) - pancreatic cancer research
• Shadowing (40-80 hours)
  • 40 hours completed with surgical oncologist, anesthesiologists
  • Additional 40 anticipated
• Paid employment (650 hours)
  • Summer intern #3 at a Biotech company (500 hours) - Translational R&D
  • Student curator for an online textbook (150 hours)
• Leadership (600 hours)
  • Founder and President of a food access club (600 hours)
• Teaching/Tutoring (550 hours)
• Letters of Recommendation
  • 1 science professor
  • 1 non-science professor
  • 3 PI of all my Research Labs
  • 1 supervisor of paid employment
• Extracurricular activity (800 hours)
  • Membership in various clubs during undergrad, not in leadership position
• Hobbies and Artistic Endeavors (2000 hours total)
• Awards
  • Deans award (top 15% by gpa, every qualified semester)
  • Graduation with Highest Honors (top 3% by gpa with Senior Thesis)
  • Department Distinguished Scholars Awards
  • IRTA Postbac Fellowship (2024-2026)
• Publications
  o 1 publication in journal (IF ~5), third author
  o 2 manuscripts in preparation, expect submission before end of 2025, second and third author respectively
• Poster/Presentation
  o At least 5 posters at various venues
  o Oral presentation at the conclusion of each summer internship programs (3 total)

My planned School list (I am primarily interested in MD/PhD, but MD only is also OK) - my primary research interests are in Regenerative Medicine, CVRM and Oncology

Super reaches (6): Standford, UCSF, U Penn, WashU, Colombia, Duke

High reaches (5): UCLA, NYU (MD only), Icahn at Mount Sinai, U Virginia, U Pitt

Reaches (6): UCSD, USC, Emory, BU, Cleveland Clinic (MD only), U Wash

High Targets (5): UCI, UCD, U Mass, U Rochester, Albert Eistein

Targets (6): GWU (MD only), Stony Brook, CWRU, Penn State, VCU, UMD

Low targets (3): U Buffalo, Oregon HSU, Drexel

 

[trilobites10294814]

In my opinion every California school is harder because of location.

For regenerative medicine/stem cells, consider: University of Wisconsin, Wake Forest (MD-only)
For oncology as more "target" schools consider: Iowa, other great midwest schools, UVA -- look at places where there's an NCI-designated cancer center and if they also have an mstp

 

[grouper]

Thank you very much for the suggestions "Trilobites20490814"! I will certainly look into those schools.😊

 

[dimplesage]

You could consider Northwestern, UChicago, UNC Chapel Hill (Regenerative Medicine through collab with NC State)

 

[Sweet Baby Boy]

You clearly have a very strong application. I think adding the Kaiser-Caltech program as a target/high target could be a good idea, as I see you’re interested in the UCLA and USC programs (though you don’t have to do the PhD at Caltech for those). I mention it because you have a solid amount of community work, which the school really likes to see alongside academic and scholarly success such as yours.

 

[grouper]

Thank you so much "dimplesage" and "Sweet Baby Boy" for the additional inputs...Really appreciated it! I will do some more research around these programs.