MD & DO WAMC - Nontrad Career Changer ~3.4 cGPA, ~3.6 sGPA 509 MCAT

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Hello again, yall. Unfortunately the cycle has ended very unsuccessfully for me, with zero II. My best guess for this is that I hadn't completed enough science coursework for schools to be confident with my app. That should be fixed this time around with all of the prereqs under my belt and a couple of advanced classes planned for summer/fall. I'm also working on redrafting most of my secondaries and getting another round of edits on my primary. I felt confident with most of my writing, but it can't hurt.

I didn't end up applying to DO schools last year due to sheer burnout as I was working 60+ hour weeks on top of applying to 20 MD schools and keeping up with my other obligations. This time I will def be dual applying.

The only other thing I can think of doing at this point is retaking the MCAT. I took it before Orgo/Biochem so I'm confident I could up my science subscores significantly, and I did test a few points below my average CARS/PS scores as well. I could probably do it again over the summer, but I'm waiting on seeing how spring semester goes/how busy May/June will be with applying.

cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
- Grade breakdown from last year's app
- Add to this As in Orgo I and II with lab
- PB sGPA includes 4 math classes I got B's in years ago for my current career. Without those it'd be closer to a 3.7-3.8.

MCAT score(s) and breakdown
- 509 (125/128/126/130)

State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
- Pennsylvania

Ethnicity and/or race
- White guy

Undergraduate institution or category
- State School

Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
- Hospital Volunteer (baby cuddler/general wards assistant): 245 hours (complete)
- Volunteer Dr. A MA: 130 hours (complete)
- Volunteer Dr. B MA: 205 hours (complete)
- Respite care for family friend with MS: 100 hours (complete)
- Applying for a part time clinical job (PCA/Scribe level) at local hospital now, probably low hours by app time but will project out.

Research experience and productivity
- R&D Project at MilSim Company: 200 hours (complete)
- Grad School Eye Tracker Applied Research: 1000 hours (complete)

Shadowing experience and specialties represented
- Dr. A: 50 hours (complete)
- Dr. B: 10 hours (complete)
- MedSchoolCoach Online Program: 30 hours (complete)
- Trying for a DO letter for this cycle also

Non-clinical volunteering
- The Trevor Project: 258 hours (325 hours by Jun 24)
- Food Banks / Red Cross / Homeless Outreach bundles together: 56 hours, prob another 20-30 hours by Jun 24
- Epilepsy Camp: 50 hours (complete)
- Child Equine Therapy: 33 hours (complete)

Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
- Software Instructor: 8000 hours by Jun 24
- Software Engineer/Designer: 10000 hours (complete)
- Business Owner: 600 hours (750 hours by Jun 24)
- 5 LORs, 2 strong from science profs, 1 strong from a former software teacher who also was my manager at my first instructor job, 1 strong from MD I shadowed/MA'd for for 2 years, 1 decent from the suicide hotline supervisor I worked with most often
- Lifelong hobby of singing, well over 10k hours including rehearsals/practices/lessons/shows, currently singing in multiple groups 10h/wk, raised $10k+ over my life at benefit concerts
- Lifelong small time farmer, my dad always grew stuff when I was a kid and now I do too. Also a forager, I love to ID mushrooms and plants. I live in a rural area and would like to continue that. Currently talking to a local mycology researcher about joining his lab to further this more scientifically.

Relevant honors or awards
- Multiple promotions and employee of the months at all pro jobs held
- $45k R&D award
- Most Innovative Award for the grad school project at an important industry conference's collegiate division

Anything else not listed you think might be important
- Gay trans man, important part of my app.
- Only applying in states where trans people aren't actively under attack with a few exceptions due to proximity.
- Actively working with Navy recruiter for the HPSP program, also planning to apply for VA HPSP and NHSC if I am unsuccessful (prior health issues might dq me)
- Last year's WAMC: MD & DO - WAMC: Non-Trad LGBT, ~3.5cGPA, ~3.7sGPA, 509 MCAT

MD School List:
- Pitt (yolo reach)
- UMich (yolo reach)
- UVM
- Dartmouth (below 10th percentile for MCAT) (grandma went to CRNA school here, first class that allowed women students, idk if that matters at all)
- Tufts (ME track pref)
- Quinni
- Rush
- Chicago Med
- Loyola
- Temple
- Drexel
- MCW
- Hackensack (below 10th percentile for MCAT)
- UMaryland
- UWisconsin
- UMass (below 10th percentile for MCAT, but strong mission fit for PURCH track and grew up next door in NH)
- USUHS
- UIllinois
- VCU
- EVMS
- WVU (proximity)
- NEOMED
- Central Michigan
- Rowan
- Penn State

DO School List:
- Chicago
- LECOM Greensburg (proximity)
- MSU
- PNW
- PCOM Philly
- Duquesne (worth the risk? looks like solid partnerships and proximity)
- UNE
- RVU Colorado
- Western PNW
- VCOM Virginia
- DMU
- Rowan

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[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Sorry, had to make some substantive edits. Evidently my page refreshed and lost some stuff without me realizing.

 

[ClashRoyaleKing]

Just looked at your previous WAMC/school list and compared it to this one. You have a lot of unrealistic schools on your list that could be replaced with other more suitable schools stat-wise. I'm a fellow 509er, for reference.

No: Pitt, Umich, Dartmouth, Umaryland, UWisconsin, UIllinoise, UMass.

MD's to add: Penn State, George Washington, Wake Forest, Nova, Belmont (it would be their second class), TCU, Creighton.

I see that others have commented while I'm typing this so I'm curious to see how my advice compares.

 

[ClashRoyaleKing]

A lot of the school suggestions above come from my experiences in this cycle. I hope this helps. Your app looks great and I hope you have some success in the upcoming cycle! I had 0 interviews until last week. The application cycle is brutal!

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Just looked at your previous WAMC/school list and compared it to this one. You have a lot of unrealistic schools on your list that could be replaced with other more suitable schools stat-wise. I'm a fellow 509er, for reference.

No: Pitt, Umich, Dartmouth, Umaryland, UWisconsin, UIllinoise, UMass.

MD's to add: Penn State, George Washington, Wake Forest, Nova, Belmont (it would be their second class), TCU, Creighton.

I see that others have commented while I'm typing this so I'm curious to see how my advice compares.

Ty for your suggestions. Penn State is on my list (I had to readd some stuff after a refresh messed up my original post), GW won't accept a couple classes I did online, and the rest are too far south or too conservative states for comfort for my family.

I'm prob gonna keep a couple yolos just for fun frankly, not expecting to hear anything from them but who knows, maybe they want a trans guy with cool life experiences next year. 🤷‍♂️ I'll prob cut UI, UMaryland, and UWisconsin.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Has MSPA been helpful at all?

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Has MSPA been helpful at all?

Not really, honestly. I reached out to a few people and never heard anything back. I signed up for a mentorship thing and the person I got assigned to never responded to my email either. Tough luck, I guess.

I think UVM will show me some attention in the next cycle though, they invited me to a diversity event on campus and the Admissions Dean basically said I should've waited a cycle (agreed, hindsight is 20/20). They hooked me up with a student mentor and I'm in a continuation mentorship program stemming from that diversity event as well.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Not really, honestly. I reached out to a few people and never heard anything back. I signed up for a mentorship thing and the person I got assigned to never responded to my email either. Tough luck, I guess.

I think UVM will show me some attention in the next cycle though, they invited me to a diversity event on campus and the Admissions Dean basically said I should've waited a cycle (agreed, hindsight is 20/20). They hooked me up with a student mentor and I'm in a continuation mentorship program stemming from that diversity event as well.

MSPA is still relatively "young." I hope they can get their act together. Otherwise, when you become a medical student, you can impress upon them how you want the organization to actually mentor others like yourself. Reach out to GLMA and see if they have other mentors available.

Dr. Amiri is super nice, and I hope that is a good lead for you.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Dr. Amiri is super nice, and I hope that is a good lead for you.

Agreed, she was very helpful and kind to me. Fingers crossed!

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Bumping for more eyes.

 

[Curlywhirly1]

Have you considered Carle Illinois? I got in with a lower MCAT, lower GPA, and similar engineering hrs

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Have you considered Carle Illinois? I got in with a lower MCAT, lower GPA, and similar engineering hrs

I have to take linear algebra and diff eq but it's a consideration for a third cycle tbh. I doubt I'll be able to get the classes done in the next year since I'm wrapping up a premed science cert. I went through a nontraditional route to software as well, haha. I like doing things the hard way.

 

[chilly_md]

Why did you leave off some of the NY schools that were recommended last time? And adding heavy in-state schools like CMU instead of Wayne and Oakland?

If I'm reading correctly, you did not include DO this time around. PNWU has a regional bias , RVU is for-profit and I do not recommend it. I suggest:

CCOM
AZCOM
LECOM Erie
UNE
MSU
DMU
KCU (Kansas City)
NYIT
PCOM Philly
Touro NY
Touro NV
Touro CA
Both Westerns

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I apologize @chilly_md , I typed up a long post that apparently never sent. tl;dr, I had to leave off some schools that didn't accept online coursework for certain labs. I did add Wayne and Oakland, typo on my part from editing last year's WAMC list I guess. If I have to re-app, will def be sending DO this time, I appreciate the recs.

In good news, I just got my first II today, from UVM! So stoked, they're my top choice so please wish me luck!