WAMC/School List (3.79 cGPA, 517 MCAT)

[manatee101]

Hi everyone! I am a junior hoping to apply this cycle. I want to go into primary care (family med with an interest in liver disease) or GI. I would appreciate any feedback on things I need to improve or what schools I should consider. I have extensive research experience, but am not limiting myself to research-focused schools unless that is what I will need to do.

• GPA: 3.79 cGPA, 3.70 sGPA
• Major: Junior Microbiology major at a UC (California)
• MCAT: 517 (129/131/127/130)
• ORM/URM: ORM, White (low-income, FAP recipient)
• Clinical volunteering:~660 hours
  • 1 quarter of child life
  • 2 years at a student-run clinic
  • 4 years (projected) at another student-run clinic, currently doing self-directed IRB approved liver research within clinic
• Non-clinical volunteering:over 3000 hours
  • 2.5 hours at an underserved high school science bowl team
  • 1 year at a homeless shelter
  • 1.5 years at a liver disease clinical research facility
  • 4+ years (projected) at a community kitchen (since 9th grade)
• Shadowing: 75 hours across GI, nephrology, family medicine
• Teaching/Tutoring: ~60 hours as chemistry TA across one quarter
• Research: over 1000 hours
  • 1 year at a liver immunology lab
  • 1.5 years (projected) at a separate IRB self-designed project
  • 2 years (projected) from a self-directed liver disease project and wet lab (first did a personal project then joined the physician's wet lab)
• Pubs/Posters:2 (maybe 3) first author posters at the school and regional level, 1 first author Cureus paper (also on liver disease), 1 school level publication
  • Drafting 2 first-author pubs right now but will not be published by June 2024
• LORS: 2 strong research, 1 non-science, 2 science, 1 community member, 1 physician with whom I did research and clinical work with

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[HappyRabbit]

You have a great application and should receive several interviews. Here is my list - select the ones you want to attend and keep all CA schools.

You can also add a few T20s that you like that don't have high MCAT medians (Duke, Michigan, Cornell, Sinai) and hope the FAP + 1st author pubs gets you over but don't count on it. Good luck!

Reach
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
Kaiser Permanente (Tyson)
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
University of Arizona--Phoenix

Target
University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Creighton University
Western Michigan University
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
Seton Hall - Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
New York Medical College
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine

Baseline
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
California University of Science and Medicine
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Drexel University College of Medicine
Nova Southeastern University (Patel)
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (Chicago)
University of Vermont College of Medicine
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Albany Medical College
Medical College of Wisconsin
Quinnipiac University
Texas Christian University
Loyola University Chicago (Stritch)
Oakland University Beaumont
Tulane University
Wake Forest School of Medicine of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

 

[manatee101]

You have a great application and should receive several interviews. Here is my list - select the ones you want to attend and keep all CA schools.

You can also add a few T20s that you like that don't have high MCAT medians (Duke, Michigan, Cornell, Sinai) and hope the FAP + 1st author pubs gets you over but don't count on it. Good luck!

Reach
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
Kaiser Permanente (Tyson)
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
University of Arizona--Phoenix

Target
University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Creighton University
Western Michigan University
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
Seton Hall - Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
New York Medical College
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine

Baseline
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
California University of Science and Medicine
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Drexel University College of Medicine
Nova Southeastern University (Patel)
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (Chicago)
University of Vermont College of Medicine
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Albany Medical College
Medical College of Wisconsin
Quinnipiac University
Texas Christian University
Loyola University Chicago (Stritch)
Oakland University Beaumont
Tulane University
Wake Forest School of Medicine of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Thank you! I appreciate it.

 

[pazzer2]

MCAT: 517 (129/131/127/130)

Title says MCAT 520, but post says 517? Not a huge difference, but wondering which is the correct one?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Where is home?

 

[chilly_md]

Moved to WAMC

 

[manatee101]

Title says MCAT 520, but post says 517? Not a huge difference, but wondering which is the correct one?

Omg, I was looking at how other posters titled their WAMC and unknowingly wrote the wrong MCAT score. My score is 517. Thank you for pointing this out!

 

[manatee101]

Where is home?

I am from the Central Valley; CA native.

 

[chilly_md]

I suggest:

UCSF
UCLA
UCSD
UCD
UCI
Keck
Kaiser
Jefferson
Colorado
Michigan
Western Michigan
Mayo
Iowa
Ohio State
Case
Cincinnati
St Louis
Hofstra
Sinai
Einstein
Rochester
Dartmouth
Boston
Pitt
UVA
Duke
Emory
Miami
USF

 

[manatee101]

I suggest:

UCSF
UCLA
UCSD
UCD
UCI
Keck
Kaiser
Jefferson
Colorado
Michigan
Western Michigan
Mayo
Iowa
Ohio State
Case
Cincinnati
St Louis
Hofstra
Sinai
Einstein
Rochester
Dartmouth
Boston
Pitt
UVA
Duke
Emory
Miami
USF

Thank you so much! This is a great help.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

ECs and life story are excellent. MCAT a bit low for top 20s; retake ONLY if consistently scoring 523+ on AAMC practice tests, timed, under conditions approximating Test Day. You're pack fodder for top 20s; half your list should be top 20 schools that either have low 10th percentile MCATs or like people who have overcome adversity. I'm asking @Goro and @LizzyM whether they have any more info there...

 

[LizzyM]

Given your career interests, you don't really need a top 20 school but you can certainly apply to any that are your "dream". I'd prioritize cost over all else, particularly given that you feel drawn to family medicine. I didn't see UC Riverside on anyone's list but it prides itself on having a large proportion of its student body who are first gen/low income. Also,

"The mission of the UCR School of Medicine is to improve the health of the people of California and, especially, to serve Inland Southern California by training a diverse workforce of physicians and by developing innovative research and health care delivery programs that will improve the health of the medically underserved in the region and become models to be emulated throughout the state and nation."

I think the UC schools from highest ranked to lowest should be at the top of your list. After that, see if you might catch the eye of a school with deep pockets that would have a soft spot for someone with your experience and interests.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

See if you might catch the eye of a school with deep pockets that would have a soft spot for someone with your experience and interests.

I am totally taking a shot in the dark here - but Harvard definitely has deep pockets and might want diversity like the OP brings. Other than that? I don't really have any recommendations here. @Goro @Moko any ideas here?

 

[Goro]

Here is a more realistic list:

University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
Kaiser Permanente (Tyson)
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
University of Arizona--Phoenix
University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Creighton University
Western Michigan University
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
New York Medical College
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
University of Vermont College of Medicine
Loyola University Chicago (Stritch)
Tulane University
Wake Forest School of Medicine of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
U WI
U MI
U VA
Hofstra
Mt Sinai
Baylor

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Non-clinical volunteering: over 3000 hours

• 2.5 hours at an underserved high school science bowl team
• 1 year at a homeless shelter
• 1.5 years at a liver disease clinical research facility
• 4+ years (projected) at a community kitchen (since 9th grade)

Please break up the 3000 hours and clear up what you have listed (as noted). Specifically:

1) Consistent units in hours, please. 1 year is 40 hours a week x 50 weeks of full-time work, so that's 2000 for a year. The math doesn't really add up.
2) Roles and responsibilities
3) How many hours in your community kitchen were done after you graduated from high school?

Same thing with your other activities. You can edit your WAMC profile to make your adjustments.

If you are dedicated to a primary care direction, check out the 3-year tracks focused on primary care. For example:

UC Davis — Consortium of Accelerated Medical Pathway Programs

www.acceleratedmdpathways.org