WAMC - non-trad(ish) applying in May

[Speedysloth_]

Hi there! Would love some input on school list if possible. I only have one in-state, so will apply there and to my undergrad, but any other advice is greatly appreciated. I know my sGPA is quite low, so not sure how that will impact my application. I am a graduate business student applying in May.

ORM Colorado resident

Educational Stats:
High-ranking undergrad school
cGPA: 3.71
sGPA: 3.50 - upward trend
MCAT: 512 (128/127/125/132)
T10 business school
GPA: 4.00

Clinical and Shadowing Experience
Shadowing: ~120 hours
- Neurosurgery
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Heme/Onc
*I will be working as a clinical research coordinator starting this summer: ~2000 hours expected

Research
1 publication in mid-range journal as second author: ~400 hours
1 year in a lab early during undergrad - no publications, just a fun learning experience.
CRC position next year will add to this as well.

Non-Clinical Volunteering
I am involved with a sizeable cancer non-profit and have been for quite some time. I am now a member of their board and sit on the research and grants committee. Through this role, I have lots of interaction with patients, their families, and researchers. Last year I received a national award for service from the organization that governs my sport (more on that below) for my work with this organization. I can speak strongly about my role with this organization as it is a very important cause to me.

Other Extracurriculars
Undergrad:
- 4 year varsity athlete (3-time NCAA champion, multiple academic awards, ~4000 leadership hours)
- President of school student-athlete governing organization
- Worked with athletic department and student leadership department to design and implement orientation programming for incoming athletes.
Graduate:
- Class President
- Program ambassador

Relevant Honors/Awards
Received prestigious school honor for my impact during my time there
National service award I mentioned above
Some NCAA academic/athletic awards

Other
Not much. I have some strong ties to Texas, so I will be applying TMDSAS, but not a resident.

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[Faha]

Do you have any clinical volunteering/employment with patient contact. How many hours of non clinical volunteering hours do you have and how many hours of interaction with cancer patients ?

 

[Speedysloth_]

Do you have any clinical volunteering/employment with patient contact. How many hours of non clinical volunteering hours do you have and how many hours of interaction with cancer patients ?

I honestly didn’t have much time for clinical employment with sports. Now that I’m graduated I’ll be starting a patient facing clinical job in May. As far as non clinical hours I’d say somewhere in the neighborhood of 2000. Hour of interaction with cancer patients probably around 500.

 

[Faha]

How many hours will you have in your clinical job by the end of June ? With no clinical volunteering/employment your application will be screened out at most schools.

 

[Speedysloth_]

How many hours will you have in your clinical job by the end of June ? With no clinical volunteering/employment your application will be screened out at most schools.

By the end of June, probably about 200 in the job. I do have around 120 hours of shadowing all with a good amount of patient contact. Do you have any suggestions?

 

[Faha]

By the end of June, probably about 200 in the job. I do have around 120 hours of shadowing all with a good amount of patient contact. Do you have any suggestions?

Is that 200 hours as a clinical research coordinator ?

 

[Speedysloth_]

Is that 200 hours as a clinical research coordinator ?

Yes. With lots of patient interaction. Do you think that is enough? I honestly didn’t know shadowing hours didn’t count for clinical experience until this year. I was planning on putting the expected hours for my CRC position.

 

[Faha]

Yes. With lots of patient interaction. Do you think that is enough? I honestly didn’t know shadowing hours didn’t count for clinical experience until this year. I was planning on putting the expected hours for my CRC position.

Expected hours have no value. If you have 200 hours by the end of June you could submit your application in early July with those 200 hours on your application. The fact that it is a research activity and only started just before you submit your application may limit your chances for interviews. Try and accumulate 200 hours of clinical volunteering with patient contact in the coming year in case you need to reapply.
I suggest these schools with your stats:
Colorado
TCU
Ponce (St.Louis)
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Roseman
Alice Walton
Belmont
NOVA MD
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Methodist (when it opens)
Are you interested in applying to DO schools?

 

[Speedysloth_]

Expected hours have no value. If you have 200 hours by the end of June you could submit your application in early July with those 200 hours on your application. The fact that it is a research activity and only started just before you submit your application may limit your chances for interviews. Try and accumulate 200 hours of clinical volunteering with patient contact in the coming year in case you need to reapply.
I suggest these schools with your stats:
Colorado
TCU
Ponce (St.Louis)
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Roseman
Alice Walton
Belmont
NOVA MD
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Methodist (when it opens)
Are you interested in applying to DO schools?

If you think I’ll need to reapply then should I just wait an extra year and work before I apply?

 

[Faha]

Your opinion @Mr.Smile12 and @Goro ?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

First, read

Supporting Prehealth Athlete Applicants: A Conversation with 2024 Advisor of the Year James Wasco, MD - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

Why are you switching from business to medicine? How long have you been working since you graduated from business school, or are you about to finish? That's not clear.

You have a ton of leadership, but no service orientation activities (food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation). Your involvement in the non-profit is leadership and fundraising, which does not qualify. Your interaction in this role is as a leader, not as a servant and not in a position where you stretch out of your comfort zone. Many of the skills from this organization likely help you under management/leadership (and business school). Why not be in charge of the non-profit? Why do you need to do patient care if you are already effective as a leader in your nonprofit experience? We need people like you too.

I would prefer to see more primary care exposure. The description doesn't suggest you do that in your role in clinical research.

Both of these concerns made me pause. How are schools going to look at you? Your community service is otherwise tied with athletics, so maybe you are expected to do it. Your other community involvement is through the non-profit or business school (unless the timeline is different from my presumption here). Not having 150 hours of the above service orientation activities puts your application at risk of getting screened out at most schools.

The ambiguity makes it challenging to say you are a slam dunk candidate. Consequently, without a solid mission fit, I don't know if you have enough for many schools outside of ones where you are geographically desirable. If any of my descriptions of your profile are wrong, clarify the responsibilities and impact in your profile better. I just don't see the argument why I should invite you for an interview unless I want to know about your athletic career and impact AS AN ATHLETE.

 

[Faha]

If you think I’ll need to reapply then should I just wait an extra year and work before I apply?

You could receive interviews if you apply this June. However, you should accumulate clinical volunteering activities with patient contact in case you do reapply.

 

[Goro]

Your opinion @Mr.Smile12 and @Goro ?

Op, you need to have at least 200 hours of service to others less fortunate than yourself. This has to be direct, not fundraising or planning. Real interactions with people who may not always look like you.

I'm not impressed with clinical trial coordination, unless it has something that is real interaction with patients. I do not mean recruiting patients and making sure that they show up for their appointments. That's logistics, and it's recruiting research subjects, not patients.

You need to show admissions committee members that you really want to be around sick and injured people for the next 30 to 40 years.

Also, ties to Texas don't count. Texas has rather strict residency requirements, as 90% of the schools there have to fill seats with Texas residents. You will be far better off as an applicant to U of Colorado.

With your MCAT score, it will be prudent to have some DO schools on your list as well