WAMC Nontrad CA ORM 514 c3.69/s3.65 '26-27 Cycle

[littleredbook]

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WAMC for '26-27 cycle? Service-focused app, but also looking for advice as to how I can weave my experience with international health systems into this.
Nontrad raised in the Inland Empire, still younger, but didn't seriously consider pursuing medicine until 2 years after undergrad. Will be 5 years out of undergrad if I matriculate in '27.

1. cGPA: 3.69 sGPA: 3.66
2. 514 (129/129/128/128), one attempt
3. CA (IE) resident
   
   1. Other ties:
      1. WI: realized I wanted to pursue medicine while living here
      2. IA: almost all extended family here, mom attended UI undergrad, been on UI campus countless times & grew up rooting for Hawkeyes
      3. CT, CO, NY: worked closely with health systems in these states to upgrade their EHR (Yale, community health systems in Boulder & Buffalo)
      4. OH: born in Hamilton county
4. ORM white
5. large non-T100 state school (CA)
   1. Bio major, Soc minor
6. Clinical experience
   1. 1500+ (expected) hours paid EMT in the IE
7. Research experience and productivity
   1. 170 hours evolutionary bio research in undergrad, no pubs/posters/presentations
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. Can’t in good faith count any rn
      1. Spent many hundreds of hours with rads, cards, & gi docs observing them and helping solve their technical problems while being paid to do so
   2. Trying to get something so I don’t leave this category blank on AMCAS
9. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. 500 hours as co-founder of student mutual aid org (in undergrad)
      
      1. Started a community garden that donated all food to local food banks
      2. Raised funds to distribute food & hygiene supplies to underserved folks directly
   2. 120 hours volunteer farmer (in WI)
      
      1. Sowed, nurtured, and harvested various crops, which were all donated to a local food pantry
   3. 150 (expected) hours mutual aid org (in the IE)
      
      1. Raised funds to distribute food & hygiene supplies to underserved folks directly
   4. 40 (expected) hours helping disabled folks surf (throughout SoCal)
   5. 80 hours social justice in well known student organization
   6. 150 (expected) hours social justice in local community defense org (in Inland Empire)
      
      1. Community patrols to keep undocumented community members aware of local ICE activity
      2. Fundraising for families affected
      3. Sourcing legal support for families affected
      4. Advocacy at local government meetings
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
    1. 5000 hours non-clinical employment at a well-known tech company in Madison, WI
       
       1. Includes several hundred hours working to upgrade the entirety of Northern Ireland's EHR
       2. Including 2500 hours in a leadership role following promotion
          1. Will break this into its own entry if I have space
       3. Realized i wanted to pursue medicine while working this job
    2. 2000+ hours non-clinical employment as uber/doordash driver since 2019
    3. 1200 hours non-clinical employment at college gym
       
       1. Including 400 hours as the top student leadership position available
          1. Will break this into its own entry if i have space
11. Relevant honors or awards
    1. Dean's list 6/7 semesters

School List:

MD:
Yale
UChicago Pritzker
Stanford
Iowa
Keck USC
UCI
Michigan
Einstein
New York Medical College
Pitt
Kaiser
Colorado
Tufts
Cincinnati
UCSD
UCSF
UCLA
Georgetown
George Washington
UMass Chan
St Louis University
Thomas Jefferson
Temple
VCU
Vermont
California University of Science & Medicine
Quinnipiac
Loyola University Chicago Stritch
Wake Forest
Drexel
Rosalind Franklin
University of Illinois Chicago
Wayne State
Albany
UCR
Rush Medical College
UW Madison
Medical College of Wisconsin

DO:
Western Pomona
Touro California
Touro Harlem
Philadelphia COM
Des Moines COM

 

[Faha]

Several of the MD schools on your list are unrealistic with a MCAT of 514 and a GPA of 3.69. I suggest these schools with your stats:
Iowa
Keck USC
UCI
Michigan
Einstein
New York Medical College
Pitt
Kaiser
Colorado
Tufts
Cincinnati
UCSD
UCSF
UCLA
Georgetown
George Washington
UMass Chan
St Louis University
Thomas Jefferson
Temple
VCU
Vermont
California University of Science & Medicine
Quinnipiac
Loyola University Chicago Stritch
Wake Forest
Drexel
Rosalind Franklin
University of Illinois Chicago
Wayne State
Albany
UCR
Rush Medical College
Medical College of Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Creighton

DO:
Western Pomona
Touro California
Touro Harlem
Philadelphia COM
Des Moines COM

 

[littleredbook]

Several of the MD schools on your list are unrealistic with a MCAT of 514 and a GPA of 3.69. I suggest these schools with your stats:
Iowa
Keck USC
UCI
Michigan
Einstein
New York Medical College
Pitt
Kaiser
Colorado
Tufts
Cincinnati
UCSD
UCSF
UCLA
Georgetown
George Washington
UMass Chan
St Louis University
Thomas Jefferson
Temple
VCU
Vermont
California University of Science & Medicine
Quinnipiac
Loyola University Chicago Stritch
Wake Forest
Drexel
Rosalind Franklin
University of Illinois Chicago
Wayne State
Albany
UCR
Rush Medical College
Medical College of Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Creighton

DO:
Western Pomona
Touro California
Touro Harlem
Philadelphia COM
Des Moines COM

Thank you for your fair assessment. You're right that I should probably cut those top 3 & look more into Oakland & Creighton. I have a Yale faculty member who has said he will write me a LOR from our time working together professionally. If he is going to follow through, then I still might apply, knowing that it's a long shot.

Did you purposely remove UW Madison? I know 70%+ of their class is in-state, but I feel like I have a decent shot at one of the OOS spots, having recently lived in Madison & being several points above their median MCAT

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Why do you want to move back to Wisconsin? Do you see yourself there for the next 10 years? Where do you want to be?

 

[littleredbook]

Why do you want to move back to Wisconsin? Do you see yourself there for the next 10 years? Where do you want to be?

I loved living in Madison and could absolutely see myself living there in 10 years. I have several good friends living there, it has a good food scene for a city of its size, a very active population, good outdoor activities, and I'm a big fan of college sports. I moved back to California to live with family & save money.

I'd prefer to stay in CA for med school, but I would definitely be happy at UW Madison. I've moved around a lot in my life and have always made the best of the situation. I truly believe I'd make the most of any school I attend, but UW is not one of the ones on the list that I'd have second thoughts about due to location.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I loved living in Madison and could absolutely see myself living there in 10 years. I have several good friends living there, it has a good food scene for a city of its size, a very active population, good outdoor activities, and I'm a big fan of college sports. I moved back to California to live with family & save money.

I'd prefer to stay in CA for med school, but I would definitely be happy at UW Madison. I've moved around a lot in my life and have always made the best of the situation. I truly believe I'd make the most of any school I attend, but UW is not one of the ones on the list that I'd have second thoughts about due to location.

While the answer is not directly relevant, think about the differences in social support you would get with your choices on your list. Most overestimate the number of times one will hang out with friends or family early in your studies where your goal is to pass your classes. Once you have the safety net, you can thrive.

 

[littleredbook]

While the answer is not directly relevant, think about the differences in social support you would get with your choices on your list. Most overestimate the number of times one will hang out with friends or family early in your studies where your goal is to pass your classes. Once you have the safety net, you can thrive.

Fair point. This is a fairly preliminary school list for me after I got my MCAT back a couple weeks ago. There’s probably 1/4 of the schools on the list that I need to read more about before deciding if I’m a mission fit & would want to live there.

Not being a mission fit for Loma Linda hurts lol

 

[littleredbook]

@Mr.Smile12 any other tips for my app that I should focus on in the next 6 months? Would 0 hours classified as shadowing in my AMCAS make me DOA for schools?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

@Mr.Smile12 any other tips for my app that I should focus on in the next 6 months? Would 0 hours classified as shadowing in my AMCAS make me DOA for schools?

You may want physician shadowing before applying. You have a solid health tech/IT background, so you need some to validate the career pivot IMO. Around 50 hours is enough. You should ask schools you highly desire for feedback on this.