WAMC/School List 3.88 cGPA, 504 MCAT

[Lemonhead123]

Hello, I want to apply to DO programs this cycle and would appreciate if I could get any feedback in regards to making a school list based on my stats. I would love to attend CCOM but I know the MCAT average is higher. I realize that it is getting late.

GPA

• cGPA: 3.88

MCAT score

• 504 (124/125/125/130)

State of residence

• IL

Ethnicity

• South Asian
• Multilingual

Clinical experience

• Medical assistant at podiatry clinic (500 hrs)
• GI Lab Volunteer at Hospital (100 hours)

Research experience

• Hands-on research in a Kinesiology Lab (200 hrs)

Shadowing experience (in progress)

• Gastrointestinal Lab (12 Hours) --- I shadow the fellows and attendings (in progress, see note below)***
• Virtual Shadowing (various specialties) (15 Hours)
• Planned Pediatric Hepatologist shadowing (see note below)***

Non-clinical volunteering

• Undergraduate TA for incoming freshman students (50 hours)
• Tutoring/mentoring low-income, high need students both in-person and online (20 hours, in progress)
• Tutoring English/Reading to Chinese Exchange Student (10 hours)
• Community service through university organization and volunteer office: cleaning the library, setting up activities at the science museum, etc. (15 hrs)

Extracurricular activities

• Peer Advisor for incoming undergraduate students (50 hours)
• Camp Counselor for Adolescents with Disabilities (85 hrs)

Honors or awards

• Honors student in Molecular and Cellular Biology major
• University Honors Program
• Deans List every year except freshman year

Other

• Worked as a desk clerk at a residence hall library (100 hours)

***Note: I have been shadowing the fellows and attendings at a local hospital's GI Lab. This is the only in-person shadowing I have done so far. I have shadowed some DO fellows and attending physicians for a couple hours, but I do not think I will be able to get a DO letter. The attending physician changes weekly so I have been unable to get a long-term connection. I hoping this will change next week because I plan to shadow a pediatric hepatologist next week and am hoping to get a letter through this opportunity.

I recognize that my non-clinical volunteering hours are low. I am currently trying to get these hours up through my mentor experience but this is the best I can do right now. Should I use my hospital volunteering as non-clinical volunteering (I was responsible for patient transport, changing the beds, directing patients) since I have clinical experience as an MA?

I am also a caretaker for my sister, who has special needs and is unable to talk or walk. I am not sure how to put hours for this or what to count it as, but it is something I do daily to support my parents (feeding, changing, etc) for many years. My dream school is CCOM. I want to stay close to family if possible.

School List:
CCOM (do I have any chances with their high MCAT avg?)
ARCOM
KCU
NYIT
Erie

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[Lemonhead123]

@Goro @Faha @Mr.Smile12

I would greatly appreciate any feedback!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Tell me how much networking you have done with the CCOM admissions team prior to applying. I'm presuming you grew up in that part of Chicago/Illinois your entire life?

 

[Faha]

Include your hospital volunteering as clinical. If you are applying this year you need to submit your application in the next 2 weeks and all your secondaries by early December. I suggest these schools with your stats:
CCOM
MU-COM
DMU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
NYITCOM (both schools)
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
CUSOM
ACOM
UIWSOM
TUNCOM
VCOM (all schools except Monroe)

 

[Lemonhead123]

Tell me how much networking you have done with the CCOM admissions team prior to applying. I'm presuming you grew up in that part of Chicago/Illinois your entire life?

I haven't done any networking with the CCOM admissions team, in fact I did not know this was possible. What exactly do you mean by this? Do you mean like attending virtual fairs or something similar?

Edit: Yes, I have grown up about 45 mins away from CCOM and lived here my entire life!

 

[Lemonhead123]

Include your hospital volunteering as clinical. If you are applying this year you need to submit your application in the next 2 weeks and all your secondaries by early December. I suggest these schools with your stats:
CCOM
MU-COM
DMU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
NYITCOM (both schools)
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
CUSOM
ACOM
UIWSOM
TUNCOM
VCOM (all schools except Monroe)

Thank you so much! I do plan to submit my application in the next 2 weeks. I have seen people say Thanksgiving is the time to apply by but realistically speaking, I could really use that time to work on secondaries. Will I be okay if I submit by early December?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I haven't done any networking with the CCOM admissions team, in fact I did not know this was possible. What exactly do you mean by this? Do you mean like attending virtual fairs or something similar?

Yes. Pretty much. Meet students who visit your campus.

 

[Goro]

Include your hospital volunteering as clinical. If you are applying this year you need to submit your application in the next 2 weeks and all your secondaries by early December. I suggest these schools with your stats:
CCOM
MU-COM
DMU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
NYITCOM (both schools)
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
CUSOM
ACOM
UIWSOM
TUNCOM
VCOM (all schools except Monroe)

I agree with the wise Faha.

 

[Faha]

Thank you so much! I do plan to submit my application in the next 2 weeks. I have seen people say Thanksgiving is the time to apply by but realistically speaking, I could really use that time to work on secondaries. Will I be okay if I submit by early December?

Early December for your secondaries is fine.

 

[Lemonhead123]

Early December for your secondaries is fine.

Thank you so much for getting back to me! Do you have any suggestions for how to include being a caretaker for my sister in my application? She requires attention at all times. Should I be using this as clinical experience? I am unsure how to list hours for this experience since it is something I have been doing for many years.

 

[Faha]

Thank you so much for getting back to me! Do you have any suggestions for how to include being a caretaker for my sister in my application? She requires attention at all times. Should I be using this as clinical experience? I am unsure how to list hours for this experience since it is something I have been doing for many years.

It is not clinical experience but you could include it in your secondaries and how it influenced your decision to go into medicine.

 

[Lemonhead123]

It is not clinical experience but you could include it in your secondaries and how it influenced your decision to go into medicine.

This makes sense, thank you! I appreciate it.

 

[Lemonhead123]

@Faha @Goro @Mr.Smile12

Hello again, I have really appreciated the responses from you all and as I am working to submit my application, I am feeling a little uneasy because I am not sure if I am just throwing away money to apply this cycle. I am following Faha's advice of submitting my application in the next few days, but am I doing a disservice to myself? I apologize if this question is redundant but I just want to get an idea because I am not sure who else to ask.

 

[Faha]

You are not late for a DO application.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Just DO it. (Tm)

 

[Goro]

@Faha @Goro @Mr.Smile12

Hello again, I have really appreciated the responses from you all and as I am working to submit my application, I am feeling a little uneasy because I am not sure if I am just throwing away money to apply this cycle. I am following Faha's advice of submitting my application in the next few days, but am I doing a disservice to myself? I apologize if this question is redundant but I just want to get an idea because I am not sure who else to ask.

Do you want to be a doctor or not?

 

[Lemonhead123]

Do you want to be a doctor or not?

100% yes, thank you!

 

[Goro]

100% yes, thank you!

Then go for it!!!