WAMC? Potential Reapplicant (3.8 cGPA/3.65sGPA, 509, IL URM)

[mrhannu]

Hello all! I’m looking for guidance or critics for a potential reapp. I’ve had some success this cycle with three II but no A just yet. There is some hope for this cycle but I want to be prepared if I have to pivot from my current position as a PT tech for the upcoming year.

• cGPA = 3.80, sGPA = 3.65
• MCAT 509 (128/125/127/129)
• Illinois residency
• URM female
• BS in Kinesiology from a T40 public in-state school. Taken three gap years so far
  • 1700+ hours as a Physical Therapy Technician. Primary clinical experience as I do intake of the patients, help them through their exercises, and assist with clinical tests.
  • 300+ hours as a summer intern for a clinical immersion program at the VA.
  • 240 hours from SHPEP. Took classes, shadowed in various settings, and learned from healthcare providers.
• Research experience and productivity
  • Nothing significant, only a quality improvement project during the VA program
• Shadowing
  • 200 hours shadowing from the VA program, across eleven specialities (in-patient and out-patient)
  • 30 hours shadowing an internist
• Non-clinical volunteering
  • 300 hours volunteering in a dietetics setting
  • 150+ hours volunteering in an international health/cultural immersion trip. Donated supplies and assisted physicians with their CPR lessons to the locals.
• Extracurriculars + Other
  • 900 hours of non-clinical paid work. All were from various gym jobs but the majority were from a managerial role.
  • 750+ hours from extracurricular activities. Includes a leadership role at a mentorship organization for two years, a brief journalism gig, and a premed organization.
• Relevant honors or awards
  • Dean’s list for multiple semesters and graduated with highest honors.

School List: Brown, Columbia, Emory, Duke, Georgetown, Howard, Illinois, Iowa, Loyola, Mayo, MCW, Miami, Michigan, Northwestern, OSU, Pittsburgh, Rush, Rochester, SIU, SLU, UCLA, UChicago, Vermont, Wake Forest, Wayne State, Wisconsin

Pre-secondary R: SIU

Pre-II R: Brown, Georgetown, Mayo, Pittsburgh, Rochester, UChicago, Wisconsin

II: Iowa (Will likely be in the final pool, interviewed in October), Wayne State (WL in November, interviewed in October), Loyola (WL in January, interviewed in December)

Submitted primary early June. Completed secondaries between July and mid-August. Sent updates to nearly all the other schools I haven’t heard from between October and January. Besides my clinical job, I started an executive role at the premed organization and volunteering at a food pantry. Looking for areas I can improve on in case I need to reapply if that includes retaking the MCAT.

Edit: Didn’t realize I forgot the rest of my app lol

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[thorntonjr]

too top heavy lel

 

[mrhannu]

too top heavy lel

In terms of having more low-tier MDs or including DO schools in the mix?

 

[postey10]

You need to mix in more mid/low tier schools both MD and potentially DO (you’d have a much better chance getting into an DO program with your stats) into your applications. You applied to a lot of top heavy/low yield schools and even if you had better stats (higher mcat and gpa) those schools are hard to get in to.

 

[candbgirl]

I think it is your list of schools that is causing your main issues. With 508 MCAT and a 3.65 sGPA you have included some really top school. SIU takes students from a very specific geographic location. Are you from that area? I’m also thinking that many of your schools place heavy emphasis on nonclinical volunteering. I’m not sure you fit their requirements. What was the dietetics work you did? And your international immersion trip probably should have been service to Americans right at home in critical needs.
But you did get interviews so if you have to reapply, work on your list. Let us know if you get accepted.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Knowing SHPEP is interprofessional, can I ask what made you switch from potentially going into physical therapy to becoming a physician? What changes did you take in your curricular direction to prepare you for medical school? I'm looking for clarity with your clinical experiences... which were done before SHPEP and which after.

You did get three interviews, so I'll remain optimistic. I'm intrigued none of those are HBCU programs (Howard has ghosted you? No other HBCU schools?).

 

[mrhannu]

You need to mix in more mid/low tier schools both MD and potentially DO (you’d have a much better chance getting into an DO program with your stats) into your applications. You applied to a lot of top heavy/low yield schools and even if you had better stats (higher mcat and gpa) those schools are hard to get in to.

That’s fair. At the time I didn’t really think about how top heavy my school list was since I was banking on hearing from my state school. I can see how my logic was flawed lol

 

[mrhannu]

I think it is your list of schools that is causing your main issues. With 508 MCAT and a 3.65 sGPA you have included some really top school. SIU takes students from a very specific geographic location. Are you from that area? I’m also thinking that many of your schools place heavy emphasis on nonclinical volunteering. I’m not sure you fit their requirements. What was the dietetics work you did? And your international immersion trip probably should have been service to Americans right at home in critical needs.
But you did get interviews so if you have to reapply, work on your list. Let us know if you get accepted.

I’m from the city so I knew the odds weren’t great. I’ve had peers that lived in the Chicagoland area get a secondary from there, so I thought ‘why not?’, but I acknowledge it was a gamble. I volunteered for an athletic team which isn’t exactly a vulnerable population. The food pantry I volunteer for serves low-income/refugees so if worst case scenario, I have more tangible proof of working with the underserved.

 

[mrhannu]

Knowing SHPEP is interprofessional, can I ask what made you switch from potentially going into physical therapy to becoming a physician? What changes did you take in your curricular direction to prepare you for medical school? I'm looking for clarity with your clinical experiences... which were done before SHPEP and which after.

You did get three interviews, so I'll remain optimistic. I'm intrigued none of those are HBCU programs (Howard has ghosted you? No other HBCU schools?).

I was intrigued by the musculoskeletal system but I thought PT was limiting in its scope of practice. I like medicine because it is more involved in the care of the pt, from intake to discharge. Also it’s less ‘isolating’ than a PT in that you can work alongside other health professions. I wrote in reverse chronological order so SHPEP was first. Then I joined a premed organization that allowed me to learn medicine-related topics from physicians which I was involved for over three years. It was through them and the VA program that I got a better understanding of being a physician.

Yeah I think I might get ghosted from Howard lol, so I’m not banking on much with them. I didn’t apply to Meharry because they were on academic probation and both them and Morehouse don’t have a P/F system (I know Howard isn’t P/F either). If there’s a next time, I would include them and throw a wider net