WAMC? ORM/TX

[hooligan1922]

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I'm a junior and applying to med school next cycle, but I wanted to make a post and get some advice/suggestions on how to make my application stronger and what schools I would be competitive for!

What schools should I apply to with this application?

Stats/Background:
3.97 cGPA and 3.98 sGPA at a large state school
MCAT: 515 (130/128/127/130)
TX Resident, ORM


Clinical Experience:

• Medical assistant at a pediatric clinic
  • projected around 400 hours by time of application
• want to try and get some volunteering in a hospice facility or something of that sort (TBD)

Research experience and productivity:

• 2 hours of bioinformatics research in conjunction with a university lab and a cancer institute in a local hospital
  • 3 presentations to local physicians, bioinformaticians, and high-level lab members
  • 2 poster presentations at conference, 1 poster publication (first author) with a paper publication planned for the end of this year
• research internship junior year of high school
  • publication in a mid level scientific journal as first author (not sure if I should include this or not since it's from high school?)

Shadowing experience and specialties represented:

• Got opportunity in the near future to shadow neurosurgeon, oncologist, and possible cardiothoracic surgeon
  • projected 50 hours
• 25-30 hours virtual shadowing in various different specialties

Non-clinical volunteering:

• 50 hours crisis counseling over a text line service(projected to be 150+)
• 250 hours as Event Chair and Youth Lead of an annual fundraiser held by an international organization that fundraises for education costs of internationally underserved population
  • raised around $100k last year, aiming higher this year
• 50 hours organizing thanksgiving food bank drive with same international organization (^)
  • raised equivalent of 7800 meals for Houston food bank
• 50 hours volunteer with nonprofit at various marathons, vaccine clinic, and other local events dedicated to raising funds for cancer research

Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)

• part of an nonprofit organization/biking team that aims to unite communities against cancer through fundraising, community events, and 70 day bike ride from Texas to Alaska
  • ongoing leadership position: in charge of business connections, sponsorships, and acquiring necessary products for the team through networking and outreach
  • fundraise $5000+ personally (team as a whole will grant out close to $500k to various clinics and research centers)
  • athletic training over the year for the bike ride to Alaska
  • organization recognized by the UN
• Director of Operations for virtual shadowing organization that services 23k students around the nation
• 1.5 years on a collegiate a cappella team (South Asian fusion), ranked 1st in circuit across the nation
  • leadership on executive board: was in charge of outreach and social media presence
  • spearheaded a fundraising initiative that raised $3k for organization supporting social movement
• TA for a calculus class
  • semester when everything went virtual due to pandemic so had a large role in facilitating discussion, getting students acclimated to new virtual class structure, etc
• Intramural indoor volleyball

Relevant honors or awards

• university honors - 2019, 2020, and 2021
• second year excellence award - 2020
• designated college scholar - 2021

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It would be amazing to get into Baylor/UTSW and I would be very happy attending one of those medical schools! How does my application compare for those schools?
What other schools should I include on my future list?
What are some weak points in my application that I could improve in?
Any advice/comments/suggestions would be highly appreciated.

 

[Faha]

Apply to all your Texas schools and you should receive several interviews.

 

[hooligan1922]

Apply to all your Texas schools and you should receive several interviews.

How is my application for. Baylor and Southwestern and for out of state schools?
Do you have any suggestions on other schools to add to this list?

 

[Faha]

How is my application for. Baylor and Southwestern and for out of state schools?
Do you have any suggestions on other schools to add to this list?

You could receive interviews at both of those schools. OOS MD schools tend not to interview Texas applicants since they know from years of experience that Texas applicants will attend a Texas school. You could try the AMCAS schools Tulane and TCU-UNT.

 

[hooligan1922]

@Goro would really appreciate your input 🙂 Thanks so much!

 

[Goro]

Agree with Faha.

 

[hooligan1922]

Agree with Faha.

Thanks! Do you guys not recommend applying out of Texas at all (except for the schools Faha stated)?

 

[Goro]

Thanks! Do you guys not recommend applying out of Texas at all (except for the schools Faha stated)?

Correct, TX only.

 

[TheGranolaKing]

I'm a TX resident applying this current cycle with similar stats (but T20 undergrad in another state & what I think are relatively strong ECs) and of the 13 AMCAS schools I've applied to, I've only gotten 1 II to a ~T50 school near my undergrad along with an R and a hold. I honestly don't think OOS schools are worth the $$$ in your case since your goal is primarily to end up at Baylor or UTSW. Happy to give more specifics over PM

 

[hooligan1922]

I'm a TX resident applying this current cycle with similar stats (but T20 undergrad in another state & what I think are relatively strong ECs) and of the 13 AMCAS schools I've applied to, I've only gotten 1 II to a ~T50 school near my undergrad along with an R and a hold. I honestly don't think OOS schools are worth the $$$ in your case since your goal is primarily to end up at Baylor or UTSW. Happy to give more specifics over PM

Hey! Just PM'ed you! 🙂

 

[Goro]

You have a lot of fundraising...was this done on campus? If so, get off campus and out of your comfort zone, and engage in direct service for people less fortunate than you.

Try to get in real shadowing. Some schools don't accept teleshadowing.

 

[hooligan1922]

You have a lot of fundraising...was this done on campus? If so, get off campus and out of your comfort zone, and engage in direct service for people less fortunate than you.

Try to get in real shadowing. Some schools don't accept teleshadowing.

Only the fundraising for the cancer organization was done on campus. The fundraising for the international organization was done separately and is utilized directly to build schools and provide education supplies for tribal students in rural India. The fundraising done on campus is also given directly to research centers and hospitals across the nation that we physically grant out while riding from Austin to Alaska.

Real shadowing is definitely on my to-do list and I'm in the process of setting up some opportunities. It's been a little delayed with covid haha