WAMC - reapplying after 6 years

[desolationrow]

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Planning to apply for 26-27 after getting 2 waitlists during 20-21 cycle. Originally I had planned to apply to PhD but realized I wanted to spend more time directly with patients as a career and do clinical research as an MD PI. Note that I have an IA from freshman year (2017) that I went into some more detail here. Would like some advice with school list and any weaknesses and stuff like that, I would appreciate it very much 🙂
For activities that are occurring to the present, I am listing hours that I would expect to have by May if I continue with my current schedule. Some of my experiences are also several years old, I'm not sure if adcoms still "count" those.

• cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS

3.95, 3.95
I took 1 semester of Spanish, politics, dev psych, and comp. bio (non major or pre-req) P/F, and 1 semester of physical chem and Computer Networking as P/F during covid (major/minor reqs, non premed). I remember taking courses P/F was a pretty common thing in undergrad

• MCAT score(s) and breakdown. Include all (non-voided) attempts.

528 (9/2025), 518 (9/2019)

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

MO, applied previously as an IL resident

• Ethnicity and/or race

Asian

• Undergraduate institution or category

T20

• Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)

40 hospice volunteer 2018-20
2000 full-time scribe 2020-21
100 hospice volunteer 2024-now

• Research experience and productivity

1000 undergraduate research (1 mid-author) 2017-20
3000 research tech in biochem lab (1 mid-author, another mid-author in review but has been in review for a while) 2021-23
4000 research tech in cancer bio lab (1 mid-author, 1 co-first author still in prep, unlikely to be published by May but probably will be in review, multiple 2nd-mid author collaborations but don't know when/if those projects are getting published, multiple posters/powerpoint presentations and projects on github) 2023-now

• Shadowing experience and specialties represented

25 emergency med 2018
15 pathology 2024
10 neurosurgery 2024

• Non-clinical volunteering

150 volunteer 1 on 1 English tutor to immigrants/refugees, I also occasionally assist a related organization in disbursing small cash funds to families who have lost employment due to anti-immigrant policies (2024-now)
120 activities volunteer at an assisted living facility for people living with HIV/AIDS who are physically or financially unable to live on their own. I do various activities with residents, such as play movies, board games, piano, or chatting. I also help out the organization in various capacities such as maintenance of their garden, manning their Pride booth, and packing food at a partnered food pantry that provides free meals for HIV/cancer patients in the region. (2024-now)

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

150 peer undergrad chemistry learning group leader (2017-20)
125 on the board of a club that held a national chem tournament for high schoolers somewhat like USNCO. Did stuff like write and judge exams and assist with settin up the competition (2017-20)
100? Did work-study throughout undergrad, mostly clerical stuff, ticket booth at school's music hall, also did one semester assisting a student with a motor disability in chem lab (2016-20)

• Relevant honors or awards

undergrad departmental award

• Anything else not listed you think might be important

I am getting a great LOR from my current research PI, as well as good ones from 2 science profs (one was my other PI), and maybe possibly one from a collaborating PI. But I was wondering if just those first 3 alone would be ok.

School I'm interested in:
WUSM
Cornell
Northwestern
Columbia
NYU
Yale
Stanford
Harvard
JHU
UCSF
UPenn
Duke
UCLA
Mayo
UMich
Albert Einstein
Mt. Sinai
UChicago
UPitt
U Virginia
New York Medical College
Hofstra
Hackensack
Brown
Dartmouth
Rochester
USC
Boston
Tufts
CWRU
Cinci
Emory
Vanderbilt
U of A Phoenix
U of Iowa
SLU
UIC (interviewed previously)
carle
Rosalind Franklin
U of MO

 

[desolationrow]

I posted this in the wrong board, can somebody move it?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Clearly your metrics won't be your problem. I appreciate you highlighting what you have done more recently. You know that what you have done lately will count more.

In my opinion, the tail end of your list is likely going to yield protect against you. (Actually a few others, but I'll let others make more specific suggestions). How long have you grown up in Missouri?

It would be nice if you had more primary care and community experience (within the last 2 years). I lump your ER/scribe experience together since it was a while back, but what experience you have over the past year informs me better. You need to at least double the number of hours you have in non-clinical volunteering (HIV shelter volunteer, or add something like immigrant legal support or job/tax preparation) to keep up with other high-metrics applicants you are competing against (i.e., get at least 250 hours total by submission).

You will be asked why not MD/PhD. Oncology has many MD/PhDs, and you have the research. You listed CWRU so I presume you mean CCLCM instead of the University program (though you should apply both), so it will help knowing what you seek with mentoring to become the type of research PI in your vision.

I don't think a collaborator PI adds to your list of science letters. A non-science community service LOR would be helpful.

 

[desolationrow]

Hi, thank you for these points.
I've lived in MO for 5 years + 4 years undergrad, but most of my childhood and family are in IL. I consider myself a resident of both, but I think I would be considered an MO resident for the purposes of AMCAS rather than IL.
I should have at least 200-300 hrs across my 2 nonclinical volunteer commitments by May; outside of hospice volunteering I haven't had much success finding primary clinical experiences that I can fit while working full time, they either require some full-time daytime training/clinicals or are less involved/personally meaningful than hospice for me.
I'm still considering MD/PhD and might apply to both programs. My main consideration is whether the extra years will be a worthy investment at this point because I hope to spend most of my time with patients. I love science and understanding how research works and how to ask research questions is important to me, but career-wise I want to focus on people which to me means sacrificing lab time. CCLCM looks like a fantastic program, and I am going to talk more with MD/PhD students and PIs to figure out more about the advantages/disadvantages and lifestyle.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi, thank you for these points.
I've lived in MO for 5 years + 4 years undergrad, but most of my childhood and family are in IL. I consider myself a resident of both, but I think I would be considered an MO resident for the purposes of AMCAS rather than IL.
I should have at least 200-300 hrs across my 2 nonclinical volunteer commitments by May; outside of hospice volunteering I haven't had much success finding primary clinical experiences that I can fit while working full time, they either require some full-time daytime training/clinicals or are less involved/personally meaningful than hospice for me.
I'm still considering MD/PhD and might apply to both programs. My main consideration is whether the extra years will be a worthy investment at this point because I hope to spend most of my time with patients. I love science and understanding how research works and how to ask research questions is important to me, but career-wise I want to focus on people which to me means sacrificing lab time. CCLCM looks like a fantastic program, and I am going to talk more with MD/PhD students and PIs to figure out more about the advantages/disadvantages and lifestyle.

AMCAS does not set the domicility rules; the public schools/universities do. However, even the private schools might acknowledge if you grew up in a specific part of the state and that's where you ultimately want to live, you could be viewed more favorably.

We do have our Physician Scientists subforum where most of our MSTP experts hang out. I also encourage you to connect with APSA and their mentoring webinars for applicants.