WAMC + School List - 22M, CA ORM, 517 4.0

[orange9099]

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Hi everyone,

First post here on SDN after lurking on reddit for a long time. Need help with a school list, I really don't travel and don't know any other state besides by home residence (CA) so I feel like I am open to going to school anywhere. A little bit about me, I have a family history of cancer and revolved my application heavily towards oncology (translational medicine). My why medicine is connected to this and is a theme throughout my application. Looking to apply to maybe 35 schools(ish) and would love to hear everyone's feedback!

1. 4.0 GPA
2. 517 MCAT (131/125/132/129)
3. California Resident
4. Asian, ORM
5. Graduated in 2025 from a UC
6. Clinical: 2200 Hours as an EMT, started my freshman year of college, and will continue throughout my gap year. Also have 300 hours of clinical volunteering at a local hospital.
7. Clinical research: 750 hours doing data collection for cancer clinical trials. 600 hours doing translation, wetlab cancer research, which I will continue in my gap year.
8. 80 hours total shadowing IM and Oncology
9. Non-clinical Volunteering: 250 hours cooking breakfast at homeless shelter
10. Avid gym goer, Tutoring in various settings for 550 hours, 300 hours as an RA/Leadership.
11. No significant awards - maybe regent scholar at my UC

School list so far based on Admit.org :
Reach - Harvard, NYU Grossman, Mount Sinai, Yale, Mayo Clinic, UChicago, WashU, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, USC, Cornell, Case Western, Brown, Boston U
Target - UCSD, Emory, Colorado, UCI, Kaiser (maybe?), University of Pittsburgh, Albert Einstein, Hackensack, Dartmouth, University of Central Florida, University of Cincinnati, UMiami, Tufts
Baseline - UC Davis, Penn State, Wake Forest, George Washington, VCU, Drexel, Temple, Rosalind Franklin

Any help will be appreciated!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

Practically speaking, every medical school will give you insights into oncology, so that's not going to make you stand out. I appreciate the theme running through your WAMC description, but I don't know what you have done that is consequential to a community you wish to serve.

The list looks very top-heavy. Target 30 schools from your list, so I'd take away many of your reach schools. Are you from Sacramento (to keep UC Davis)? Why Cincininati, Miami, Central Florida?

 

[orange9099]

Cincinnati, Miami, Central Florida, I have no good solid reasons for tbh, just appealing stat ranges. In regard to your other question, may you expand on that? I am having trouble interpreting your question and coming up with an answer for myself that I resonate with. What types of communities are there besides underserved, rural, etc...