WAMC/school list (3.94/516/TX reapp)

[costcohotdawg]

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3.94, 516 (130/127/130/129)
undergrad: UCSD
residency: TX
east asian
3 gap years (applied in 2023 previously)

when i first applied, i think my writing was pretty generic and i submitted a bit late (mid-late july for tmdsas). i received two TX MD IIs, one i was waitlisted for then R. i am re-applying with a higher mcat score (512 previously) and more clinical experience + research. Would appreciate any advice/input on my school list/room for improvement! thank you in advance

research

• 800 hours in undergrad lab. No pub. Received $5000 summer scholarship + presented at a school conference at the end of that summer
• 800 in a different lab during my gap years. 2 abstracts. Will be a co-author on a paper, but unsure on publication date

clinical employment

• family med scribe/MA internship (during undergrad): 200 hours (started out as scribe and got my MA certification)
• cardiology scribe (during gap year): 160 hours
• endocrinology/allergy MA (current): 450 hours by the time I apply

clinical volunteering

• hospice volunteer: 250 hours
• free clinic in tijuana: 50 hours

nonclinical employment

• care coordinator: 1600 hours (during first gap year). program was about providing free mental health care for kids. (is this clinical? mostly worked with parents and therapists/psychiatrists to provide psychoeducation/connect them to community resources, such as free therapy services, insurance support, social services, etc. many families were from low SES)
• tutoring (in college): 100 hours helping ESL international students w writing

nonclinical volunteering

• hospital family room volunteer: 150 hours (not sure if this is clinical or non clinical. i helped families stay in family rooms while their kid was hospitalized. i registered guests, coordinated w nurses and housekeeping to keep the place clean, restocked snacks, etc. no direct patient care)
• food distribution: 35 hours
• student tutor at elementary/middle school: 500 hours (college corps)

leadership

• secretary -> vice president for a premed club in undergrad

shadowing

• 60 total (FM, orthopedics, psychiatry, pulmonary disease). planning to get more hours before applying

honors

• dean’s list, phi beta kappa, summer research scholarship in undergrad, college corps fellow during my last year in college

school list (I understand OOS don’t accept many TX applicants but I want to at least apply...)

• All TX MD schools
• UCSF
• UCLA
• UCSD
• UCI
• Keck
• Tufts
• Boston U
• UMass
• Warren Albert
• Colorado
• Geisel
• Emory
• NYU
• Georgetown
• UNC
• Albert Einstein
• Rutgers
• NYMC
• Kaiser
• Drexel

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

You had two interviews from the last cycle, and you are entering the next one with a better MCAT. Is this post just to assess your chances outside of Texas? Why do you think you did not match in Texas? Your 512 is satisfactory for admission.

Tell me more about what being a College Corps fellow is (for others, it's the California analogy to Peace Corps/Americorps). Was this how you got your care coordinator position?

 

[costcohotdawg]

Thank you for your response! For my first time around, I think my writing + interviews were pretty weak. I feel a lot more prepared this time around (in terms of my why medicine + my goals in general) after gaining more clinical experience and reflecting more. I wanted some input on my non TX schools because I personally want to go to one if I can (lol) + I was wondering if there were any schools that were more or less TX resident-friendly.

For college corps, I kind of just stumbled upon it because I was already volunteering as a student tutor at a traditionally underserved school and one of the staff members encouraged me to apply. So as a fellow, I mostly continued what i was already doing (helping out w classwork, providing 1-on-1 support for kids that needed it, admin support for the teacher, etc). I guess that naturally led me to the care coord position, but that was a separate activity that I started in TX after college, not in CA. Hope that makes sense. Thank you!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Did you apply to UCSD med or your just stuck with Texas schools? Have you talked with UCSD med?

 

[costcohotdawg]

(sorry for the late response) I did apply to UCSD + other non-TX schools my first time around but received no interviews. The two I received were TX schools. I'm not really sure I understand what talking with UCSD med means, but I guess I could reach out to their alumni advising for support.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions/comments on my OOS school list for this upcoming cycle. Thank you 🙂