WAMC? MN ORM, FAP, First-Gen: cGPA 3.76, retook a 506 MCAT --> 515

[Tonkad5]

Hello everyone I will have taken 2 gap years by the time I apply in 2024 (3 years by the time of matriculation). My "completed" hours are calculated as what I already have completed, and "projected" is from now until matriculation in August of 2025.

• My FAP got approved, so I plan on having 20-30 schools when I apply (20 of those primaries being free). Since graduating in 2022, I worked full-time as an ED scribe for 1 year, then dropped to casual while picking up a full-time research position. I still volunteer at the homeless shelter and hospital.
• Looking for where I can improve my application before I apply.
• Is this a good school list as a MN resident? I have been using MSAR and seeing which schools have historically accepted MN and OOS applicants.
• Should I add Mayo, even though there's no preference for MN residents? I'm worried it'd be just a donation at the end of the day given my stats.
• PLEASE feel free to give any other comments and constructive advice.

cGPA and sGPA: B.S Biochemistry - 3.76 cGPA, 3.6 sGPA, strong upward trend (3.8 Junior, 4.0 senior)
MCAT score(s) and breakdown: 506 (127/124/125/130) --> 515 (129/126/130/130)
State of residence: MN
Ethnicity and/or race: ORM - white
Undergraduate institution or category: mid-sized private

Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)

• 2500 completed hours (from May 2022-Present), 500 projected - Emergency Department Scribe
• 400 completed hours (October 2021-present), 100 projected - Hospital volunteering with significant patient contact
• 50 completed hours - (October 2021- October 2023) - Hospice volunteering

Research experience and productivity

• 1200 completed hours (September 2019 - May 2022) - Research in UG related to my major, manuscript under review for pub - 1 national conference with conference abstract, 2 school-wide symposia
• 2000 completed hours, 1500 projected (May 2023 - Present) - Immunology, manuscript under review for pub

Shadowing experience and specialties represented

• 80 hours over the past 1.5 years - half being EM, ZERO primary care

Non-clinical volunteering

• 200 completed hours, (October 2021 - Present), 120 projected - Assistant at a homeless shelter where we clean their feet, give shoes, provide dinner
• 60 hours (Summer of 2022) - Camp counselor for middle and high schoolers with the same chronic illness. Was only 1 week but impactful for me.

Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)

• 200 completed hours (September 2019 - May 2022) - Peer Mentor for URM and first-generation students
• 120 hours (During Undergrad) - Teaching Assistant
• Fine Arts Club: Vice President during Undergrad.
• Musician in a college ensemble throughout UG. Ton of travel stories.
• Fun personal hobby listed on AMCAS
• Strong LOR - 2 science, 1 fine arts, 1 M.D.

Relevant honors or awards

• Teaching award from the chemistry department, 1 of 6 people chosen for highest scholarship in chem department, 1x health professions scholarship, Magna Latin, Deans List

School List:
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rosalind Franklin
Creighton
Donald and Barbara SOM at Hofstra/Northwell
Drexel
Eastern Virginia
Emory
Quinnipiac
Geisel at Dartmouth
Georgetown
George Washington
Hackensack
Lewis Katz at Temple
Loma Linda
Loyola
Medical College of Wisconsin
New York Medical College
Ohio State
Rush
Saint Louis
Sydney Kimmel at Thomas Jefferson
Tufts
Tulane
Colorado
Miami Miller
U Michigan
U Minnesota (the only IS school I am applying to)
Vermont
Virginia Commonwealth
Wake Forest
Wayne State
Western Michigan

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[Faha]

You have a good list and should receive several interviews.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I don't have a problem with the list either.

Just noting that your 1 week working as a summer counselor and 50 hours of hospice volunteering are great, but I will focus more on where you really spent time. It would be difficult for me to consider those activities "meaningful" if you spent so much more time working with the homeless shelter or being an ED scribe. You might need a lot more than 200 hours for service orientation activities (homeless shelter) to be in the running with applicants to Loyola or Rush. Mission fit will help you pare down the list.

 

[candbgirl]

Your nonclinical volunteering activities are great. Certainly outside of my comfort zone- and probably yours too-nothing like a pedicure to make someone feel better. And shoes too. And then sick kids. ❤️.

I don’t do school lists but I have to agree that your number of hours of nonclinical stuff might not be enough for Rush, Loyola etc.

And nice improvement on the MCAT retake. But be aware some schools average Multiple scores. AMCAS rec that schools do this. ,

 

[Tonkad5]

Your nonclinical volunteering activities are great. Certainly outside of my comfort zone- and probably yours too-nothing like a pedicure to make someone feel better. And shoes too. And then sick kids. ❤️.

I don’t do school lists but I have to agree that your number of hours of nonclinical stuff might not be enough for Rush, Loyola etc.

And nice improvement on the MCAT retake. But be aware some schools average Multiple scores. AMCAS rec that schools do this. ,

Is the MCAT averaging only for screening for secondaries, or will the averaged score be used as my new metric for evaluating me entirely?

 

[Tonkad5]

I don't have a problem with the list either.

Just noting that your 1 week working as a summer counselor and 50 hours of hospice volunteering are great, but I will focus more on where you really spent time. It would be difficult for me to consider those activities "meaningful" if you spent so much more time working with the homeless shelter or being an ED scribe. You might need a lot more than 200 hours for service orientation activities (homeless shelter) to be in the running with applicants to Loyola or Rush. Mission fit will help you pare down the list.

Thanks for the reply. I'll go ahead and parse through the mission fits and hopefully that will decrease the list a bit!

 

[Tonkad5]

You have a good list and should receive several interviews.

Thank you!

 

[candbgirl]

Is the MCAT averaging only for screening for secondaries, or will the averaged score be used as my new metric for evaluating me entirely?

I don’t really know and have never even considered that might happen. I always assumed once the scores were averaged that would be your score. But I have absolutely no idea if that’s true. All of your scores are visible to anyone looking at your application so …

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Is the MCAT averaging only for screening for secondaries, or will the averaged score be used as my new metric for evaluating me entirely?

Depends on the school. Many will screen with the average, but what they do afterwards will be process specific. That's why you should do your best the first time. However the predictive value of the MCAT does not indicate a difference between someone scoring 500 versus someone with a 510 or higher in passing the boards.