WAMC MD School List (or just retake MCAT and go next cycle...?): 3.5/3.75/502/ORM; DC

[woktheline]

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Hi y'all.

Primary was verified last month and already used throwaway. Non-trad with lots of different GPAs and experiences. Pre-writing secondaries now but it would help to be able to finalize my school list. Not applying DO or Caribbean so please don't ask 🙂 - understood if I just simply must retake and try next year, even though it may psychologically be so daunting.

Anyway, Here are my stats:

DC resident, ORM, 29 yo;
uGPA: 3.51 - small liberal arts school, English and Philosophy
sGPA: 3.75 - strong upward trend
MCAT: 502 (123/126/124/129)

Research: thousands/somewhat beyond countable (master's, phd work and worked in wet lab)
Clinical Hours: 800 from hospice, medical reserve corps
Non-clinical: 1,200 tutoring, local-nonprofit, food bank
Shadowing: 100 across 5 specialties + primary care
Etc: Fulbright finalist (but didn't make final cut sadly); 5 publications in press (2 first author - one in Circulation/AHA) with 1 in review; parent's in medical field + early exposure to medicine; top 200 nationally ranked olympic weightlifter in weight class; born + grew up in MS in extreme healthcare shortage area; work full time as biostatistician at biotech company (would continue with this if didn't get in first go-round)

List 1.0 (in order of preference w/ connections if necessary):
1) Georgetown
2) GWU
3) Geisinger - partner's family lives up the hill from school
4) UAB - site of Master's and undergrad in Birmingham
5) Tulane - 2 yrs PhD coursework and father completed residency here
6) Miami/Miller
7) VCU - uncle and proximity to DC area
8) UT Memphis - born in Memphis, mother lives in TN + her family all from TN
9) Louisville - other side of partner's family lives here
10) MUSC Charleston - fraternity brother an IM resident (does this matter?)
11) UCLA
12) Thomas Jefferson
13) Maryland - some postbacc work here
14) FIU
15) UC Davis
16) Rush

Thanks for any and all help!

 

[DOcSto]

You might want to look into how some of these schools classify what they consider OOS or IS. Having small ties to an OOS school (UAB, Louisville, MUSC, Maryland) will most likely not help you given your stats and how few seats these schools offer to OOS applicants.

UC Davis should be taken of the list for sure given the reasons I mentioned above.

Best course would probably be to retake the MCAT and hold off on applying this year. While there is a chance you could get an A, it's relatively small. If you don't feel like waiting a year, then definitely apply DO (don't worry, I saw your bolded statement at the beginning). However, even applying DO would be a gamble with those stats, but the rest of your app looks really good!

 

[woktheline]

You might want to look into how some of these schools classify what they consider OOS or IS. Having small ties to an OOS school (UAB, Louisville, MUSC, Maryland) will most likely not help you given your stats and how few seats these schools offer to OOS applicants.

UC Davis should be taken of the list for sure given the reasons I mentioned above.

Best course would probably be to retake the MCAT and hold off on applying this year. While there is a chance you could get an A, it's relatively small. If you don't feel like waiting a year, then definitely apply DO (don't worry, I saw your bolded statement at the beginning). However, even applying DO would be a gamble with those stats, but the rest of your app looks really good!

understood on most points, however, with UAB I wouldn't consider it minor. I lived in Birmingham for 7 years including undergrad and got to know lots of folks at UAB med during my MS.

 

[walnutfloor]

Georgetown screens for MCAT sections less than 125

Edit: VCU has a minimum MCAT of 503 (under academic requirements)

 

[DOcSto]

understood on most points, however, with UAB I wouldn't consider it minor. I lived in Birmingham for 7 years including undergrad and got to know lots of folks at UAB med during my MS.

As an example: there is a school in Nevada that requires proof of residency through a residency application in order to be consider IS. Being grouped in the OOS pool with your stats will not do you any favors. I guess, I'm roundabout trying to say don't apply to an OOS school (you state you currently live in DC) even with those ties. Unless you know someone on the admissions board or have talked to someone in admissions that advised you to apply.

 

[ujsc]

MCAT is too low for any MD consideration. Retake it and only reapply when score is above 510. That is minimal score. It is really expensive to apply so only do it when ready.