WAMC: ORM, cGPA 3.67, sGPA 3.66, MCAT 519

[Biochem_kween]

Hi all,

I could use some feedback in creating a school list based on my stats. I plan to apply next year (first time applicant).

1. cGPA 3.67 and sGPA 3.66 (very strong upward trend)
2. MCAT: 519
3. Ethnicity and/or race - White; Brazilian-American
   1. Fluent in 3 languages
4. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
   1. EMT working for private ambulance company in big city (~1000hrs)
   2. EMT-vaccinator during pandemic (~200hrs)
   3. COVID-19 screener; swabbed college students and prisoners for COVID-19 testing(~150hrs)
   4. Volunteer vaccinator & translator; vaccinated and translated vaccine instructions/Q&A's for underserved communities (~400hrs)
5. Research experience
   1. Undergrad research assistant at Uni for 1 year (~200hrs); 1st place prize at Uni research conference
   2. Volunteer/Undergrad student at prestigious institute (~800hrs)
   3. ^ promoted to technician (currently at ~1450hrs); 1 pub in high impact journal, 1 review, & ongoing independent project
6. Shadowing experience
   1. International shadowing (~20hrs); Plastic surgery & OB/GYN
   2. Infectious disease (~8hrs)
7. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. Hospital volunteer; medicine exploration program; checking in patients, escorting to appointments, helping families fill out forms, etc. (~150 hrs)
   2. Summer camp assistant; taught yoga to children at summer camp (~20 hrs)
8. Leadership
   1. Lab manager
   2. Molecular bio and Microbio tutor at Uni (~150hrs)
   3. Yoga and meditation club secretary and events coordinator
   4. Board member of LGBTQ+ & women empowerment group at workplace
9. Other extracurricular activities
   1. Professional ballroom dancer for 12 years
   2. Choreographer for uni dance team
   3. Small business owner

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[Faha]

Where is your state of residence ? You should accumulate another 40 hours of in person physician shadowing in the USA before you apply.

 

[Biochem_kween]

Where is your state of residence ? You should accumulate another 40 hours of in person physician shadowing in the USA before you apply.

MA!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Non-clinical volunteering

1. Hospital volunteer; medicine exploration program; checking in patients, escorting to appointments, helping families fill out forms, etc. (~150 hrs)

Can you explain this categorizing?

You are left with 20 hours of non clinical volunteering. You also only have 8 hours shadowing in the United States and 28 overall.

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
UMass
Tufts
Boston University
Dartmouth
Brown
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
Rochester
Pittsburgh
Jefferson
Georgetown
George Washington
Duke
Emory
Miami
USF Morsani
Tulane
St. Louis
Northwestern
Western Michigan
U Michigan
Case Western
Cincinnati
Kaiser

 

[Biochem_kween]

Can you explain this categorizing?

You are left with 20 hours of non clinical volunteering. You also only have 8 hours shadowing in the United States and 28 overall.

I figured non-clinical volunteering included anything that didn't include direct patient care. This was more of an administrative hospital volunteer position. Would you still consider this clinical? This area and shadowing are definitely lacking in my application.

 

[Biochem_kween]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
UMass
Tufts
Boston University
Dartmouth
Brown
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
Rochester
Pittsburgh
Jefferson
Georgetown
George Washington
Duke
Emory
Miami
USF Morsani
Tulane
St. Louis
Northwestern
Western Michigan
U Michigan
Case Western
Cincinnati
Kaiser

Thanks! I'll look into these. Any area of the app that you think is lacking (aside from shadowing and volunteering) or could be enhanced?

 

[Faha]

Thanks! I'll look into these. Any area of the app that you think is lacking (aside from shadowing and volunteering) or could be enhanced?

No. Only shadowing and non clinical volunteering hours.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I figured non-clinical volunteering included anything that didn't include direct patient care. This was more of an administrative hospital volunteer position. Would you still consider this clinical? This area and shadowing are definitely lacking in my application.

It's hard to argue that volunteering in a hospital where you check in patients is NOT clinical. I get your thinking a little bit because your role is more administrative, but you aren't shadowing. (In PA applications, this goes under "health care experience" instead of "patient care experience." Unfortunately med school clinical criteria don't tend to be so explicit, even if those standards are held to PA programs run at med schools.)

You need a non-clinical community service activity demonstrating the AAMC definition of service orientation (at least 150 hours by submission) to avoid getting screened out at most medical schools. Examples include food distribution, shelter work, job/tax preparation, transportation services, and housing rehabilitation. Having more explicit shadowing experience would also help you, especially with primary care. You probably have some, but it's not apparent to me.

 

[Biochem_kween]

It's hard to argue that volunteering in a hospital where you check in patients is NOT clinical. I get your thinking a little bit because your role is more administrative, but you aren't shadowing. (In PA applications, this goes under "health care experience" instead of "patient care experience." Unfortunately med school clinical criteria don't tend to be so explicit, even if those standards are held to PA programs run at med schools.)

You need a non-clinical community service activity demonstrating the AAMC definition of service orientation (at least 150 hours by submission) to avoid getting screened out at most medical schools. Examples include food distribution, shelter work, job/tax preparation, transportation services, and housing rehabilitation. Having more explicit shadowing experience would also help you, especially with primary care. You probably have some, but it's not apparent to me.

True! I need to get on that. I have some community-based volunteering where translated at a vaccine clinic and did phone banking/canvassing with information of where to get vaccinated during the pandemic but I guess thats also considered clinical? I also have ~800hrs of lab volunteering.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

True! I need to get on that. I have some community-based volunteering where translated at a vaccine clinic and did phone banking/canvassing with information of where to get vaccinated during the pandemic but I guess thats also considered clinical? I also have ~800hrs of lab volunteering.

The COVID-related activities are blurry when I talk with faculty. I think the interpreting can be argued as clinical since it is a service that is also needed in hospital settings (in this situation). The phone bank/canvassing is less so because you are disseminating information to the public and not specifically to patients; it's not much different from canvassing for election issues and candidates so it is non-clinical. The problem with the second situation is the AAMC criterion of "alleviating distress," which you are not doing.

 

[Biochem_kween]

The COVID-related activities are blurry when I talk with faculty. I think the interpreting can be argued as clinical since it is a service that is also needed in hospital settings (in this situation). The phone bank/canvassing is less so because you are disseminating information to the public and not specifically to patients; it's not much different from canvassing for election issues and candidates so it is non-clinical. The problem with the second situation is the AAMC criterion of "alleviating distress," which you are not doing.

Interesting! Thanks so much for your insight.