WAMC: ORM 3.9, 518 (Low Clinical)

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TryingMyBest0

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Hi All,

This is my first time on the forum and wanted to get a feel for where/how I should apply in this upcoming cycle. will submit in June 2025

cGPA: 3.92, sGPA: 3.94
MCAT: 518 (130,127,131,130)
Illinois Resident
White ORM
Georgia Institute of Technology (Neuroscience Major, regretfully)
Clinical Volunteering: Hospice (150)
  • will get to why I am doing this a little bit below.
Research: 800 hours, 4 conference, senior thesis
  • I am doing basic science research but we look at Alzheimer's Disease in a mechanistic fashion, looking at dysregulation of certain signaling pathways. I have been privileged enough to have a say in research design, and I often carry out the experiments from start to finish. I also have my own project, which I was awarded money for (PURA - President's Undergraduate Research Award)
Shadowing:
  • Orthopedic Surgeon - 30 hours
  • Anesthesiologist - 15 hours
  • Hopefully oncologist soon (should be 15-30 hours)
Non-Clinical Volunteering/Leadership
  • Tutoring Chicago (350 hours, 5 years)
    • I have been a part of tutoring chicago, which gives 1-1 tutoring for underprivileged students in CPS schools. As noted, I have been doing this for the past 5 years.
  • Prison Education Project (should be 60 hours)
    • Aid in writing studios for incarcerated men, and in the spring I will be helping with their math tutoring.
  • Miracle
    • A student organization that aims to raise money for children's hospitals. I was the family and hospital relations director, so I managed all of the families that had children that were treated at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
Hobbies:
  • I race half ironmans. Unsure if this is good enough to put in my applicaiton, but I think it would be an interesting talking point. Will likely do an ultra marathon during my gap year.
My narrative:

Coming into college I was CS/Math and was horribly unfulfilled. At a similar time, my grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and this sparked my curiosity to go into medicine. I made the jump to neuroscience and have not looked back--to do well for my grandfather I decided to join a research lab that studies AD, and have been lucky enough to work on a number of projects on my own and have a high level of autonomy (I should have 1 publication by July of next year, looking like we will publish in cell-signaling). I also soon began to realize how difficult it was to care for a loved one, and wanted to provide valuable respite for families which is why I took up hospice volunteering. My goal is to either become a scribe or MA to kick up my clinical hours.

With regard to my non-clinical volunteering, I love teaching students that otherwise would not really have a chance (meaning I get great satisfaction from serving underserved populations). This is one of the driving factors for me to get involved with the prison education project. Beyond this, I want to come across as human on my application--I have fallen in love with endurance sports and thus have taken up racing half ironmans. I would love some feedback on my app, and down below is my tentative school list.

Mayo
USC
Brown
Michigan
Sinai
Northwestern
Pritzker
Duke
Cornell
BU
Loyola
Ohio State
Jefferson
emory
case western
pitt
rochester
iowa (ideal scenario)
einstein (second most ideal)
arizona
cincinnati
uic
rush
tufts
rosalind franklin
temple
drexel
penn state
dartmouth

Should I add any others? Or get rid of any?

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Rush and Loyola expect far more clinical and non clinical volunteering hours than you have. You could add any of these schools:
Western Michigan
TCU
Hofstra
New York Medical College
UMass
Colorado
USF Morsani
 
Can you explain why you believe your ideal schools are Iowa and Einstein?

I also think you need much more clinical experience. You should avoid getting screened out with 150 hours, but if you intend to swim in a pool for a brand-name medical school offer, you will need at least 250 hours at submission.

Everyone does tutoring, and fundraising doesn't count towards service orientation. However, if correctional medicine is an interest, build your hours working those in prison and those newly released. Get at least 150 hours at submission.

As an Illinois resident, you should consider
 
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Can you explain why you believe your ideal schools are Iowa and Einstein?

I also think you need much more clinical experience. You should avoid getting screened out with 150 hours, but if you intend to swim in a pool for a brand-name medical school offer, you will need at least 250 hours at submission.

Everyone does tutoring, and fundraising doesn't count towards service orientation. However, if correctional medicine is an interest, build your hours working those in prison and those newly released. Get at least 150 hours at submission.

As an Illinois resident, you should consider
I felt like Iowa seemed like a good fit on paper both with MCAT/GPA, and I love their Children's hospital and both of my parents went to Iowa (for undergrad). Einstein has some amazing research opportunities and is in new york, which is where I would like to end up.

I am aware that everyone does tutoring, but isn't how I write about it most important? I enjoy teaching in a correctional facility but am unsure if I would want to practice medicine in one. Is 250+ really the bare minimum on what I would need to swim with the fishes for a "brand name" med school? I should note that I am a senior in college right and plan on taking a gap year (or two) if I don't have the necessary clinical hours before I apply.
 
I am aware that everyone does tutoring, but isn't how I write about it most important? I enjoy teaching in a correctional facility but am unsure if I would want to practice medicine in one. Is 250+ really the bare minimum on what I would need to swim with the fishes for a "brand name" med school? I should note that I am a senior in college right and plan on taking a gap year (or two) if I don't have the necessary clinical hours before I apply.
You are interested in doing triathlons (or half-tri) and you don't understand the concept of competitiveness? The more 'prestigious' the prize, the higher quality the competition. Even an "open" marathon usually asks for its medal competitors to have achieved some qualification time. You need the hours before you submit your application.

Yes, how you describe your experiences is important, but you have to get over the screening rubrics first. Ideally if it informs your purpose and mission as a physician, that will help, especially if the program has support for students who want to do outreach into correctional medicine. Hence, my suggestions.

 
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You are interested in doing triathlons (or half-tri) and you don't understand the concept of competitiveness? The more 'prestigious' the prize, the higher quality the competition. Even an "open" marathon usually asks for its medal competitors to have achieved some qualification time. You need the hours before you submit your application.

Yes, how you describe your experiences is important, but you have to get over the screening rubrics first. Ideally if it informs your purpose and mission as a physician, that will help, especially if the program has support for students who want to do outreach into correctional medicine. Hence, my suggestions.

Hah I am all too familiar with the competitive nature of half distance tris. It looks like I will either need to amass these hours over the next 6-8 months or might have to take a second gap year. Do you have any guidance in which you think would be the better option?

At the moment I am struggling to find a clinical job that would help me gain the benchmark hours necessary (the 250 that you have suggested); I guess what I am saying is that I am slightly lost.

If I may ask, is it really that reasonable for medical schools expect applicants to have this grand idea of who they serve versus what they want to do before even attending medical school. I have been led to believe a lot of students don't really know until well into school.
 
Hah I am all too familiar with the competitive nature of half distance tris. It looks like I will either need to amass these hours over the next 6-8 months or might have to take a second gap year. Do you have any guidance in which you think would be the better option?

At the moment I am struggling to find a clinical job that would help me gain the benchmark hours necessary (the 250 that you have suggested); I guess what I am saying is that I am slightly lost.

If I may ask, is it really that reasonable for medical schools expect applicants to have this grand idea of who they serve versus what they want to do before even attending medical school. I have been led to believe a lot of students don't really know until well into school.
Again, 150 should be sufficient for clinical experience, but the more you have, the stronger your candidacy given the strength of the pool.

250 hours is about 10 hours a week for 25 weeks; in the best case scenario, you already have 60 hours (sure, I think tutoring math/writing/reading in jail is very different from the same in a traditional classroom setting or to college peers, but I don't always make those calls in file discussions). You can also see if there are opportunities to help with other services in the correctional facility when it comes to transition to life outside jail (re-entry rehabilitation if you are allowed). Again, argue your mission fit for us.

FWIW anyone can correct me if they consider Iowa or Einstein a T20. Each has its own unique brand, but not everyone outside of the medical community "knows" Iowa or Einstein the same way they recognize the Ivys or Michigan. I know, it's a stupid subjective game.
 
Again, 150 should be sufficient for clinical experience, but the more you have, the stronger your candidacy given the strength of the pool.

250 hours is about 10 hours a week for 25 weeks; in the best case scenario, you already have 60 hours (sure, I think tutoring math/writing/reading in jail is very different from the same in a traditional classroom setting or to college peers, but I don't always make those calls in file discussions). You can also see if there are opportunities to help with other services in the correctional facility when it comes to transition to life outside jail (re-entry rehabilitation if you are allowed). Again, argue your mission fit for us.

FWIW anyone can correct me if they consider Iowa or Einstein a T20. Each has its own unique brand, but not everyone outside of the medical community "knows" Iowa or Einstein the same way they recognize the Ivys or Michigan. I know, it's a stupid subjective game.
This all makes sense and I really appreciate it. I am not married to the idea of going to a T20--I just think that with my stats it would be a shame to not try at all. I appreciate the insight. Really hoping to bump up my hours so that I am able to apply in the 2025 cycle this June. If I have any other questions could I PM you?

I wish med school apps were less of jumping through so many hoops and hurdles, but I want to be a doctor so I suppose I ought to be proficient at jumping through hoops.
 
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I wish med school apps were less of jumping through so many hoops and hurdles, but I want to be a doctor so I suppose I ought to be proficient at jumping through hoops.
Until getting into medical school loses its appeal as a stamp of social status (attainment), or the applicant pool craters, expect the hoops and remain flexible. (Our Spring 2024 survey suggests that those applicants with 5+ interviews should prepare for 6+ interview formats (virtual, in-person, Kira, SJT, MMI, traditional, group, case/simulation...).

If you want fewer hoops, there's always: law, business, podiatry, pharmacy, nursing RN, ...
 
Until getting into medical school loses its appeal as a stamp of social status (attainment), or the applicant pool craters, expect the hoops and remain flexible. (Our Spring 2024 survey suggests that those applicants with 5+ interviews should prepare for 6+ interview formats (virtual, in-person, Kira, SJT, MMI, traditional, group, case/simulation...).

If you want fewer hoops, there's always: law, business, podiatry, pharmacy, nursing RN, ...
Totally get that, but I want to go into medicine so I will remain flexible to all the hoop jumping.
 
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