WAMC/School List: 505, 3.92cGPA, 3.84sGPA

[star237]

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Based on my information below can you please suggest the MD and DO schools where I have a higher chance of getting in? I have also included my current school list.

1. cGPA: 3.92 & sGPA: 3.84
2. MCAT: 505 (124/130/126/125)
3. State of residence: Louisiana
4. Asian (Indian)
5. Public Virginia University: B.S. Economics and Minor in Data Analysis // Pre Med Post Bac to complete science pre-reqs
6. Clinical Experience: ~850 hours as a Medical Assistant & 7 months (21 hrs) Hospice volunteer
7. Research experience in economics (1.5 years producing research for businesses on international trade - no publications)
8. Shadowing: Neurology, Emergency medicine, cardiology, pulmonology, family medicine (at an underserved community clinic), and orthopedics
9. Non-clinical volunteering: volunteered in a hospital & sunday school volunteering as a teaching assistant
10. Vice President of a club in college for 2 years

During my application year I will work as a medical scribe in an Emergency Department.

My list of schools compiled so far:
- Albany Medical College
- Charles Drew Univ of Med
- Geisinger
- George Washington
- Loma Linda
- LSU New Orleans School of Medicine (in-state)
- LSU Shreveport School of Medicine (in-state)
- Loyola Univ Chicago
- Tulane
- Sidney Kimmel Med College at TJ
- San Juan Bautista SOM
- Rush Medical College
- Penn State College of Medicine
- Morehouse SOM
- Mercer Univ SOM
- Meharry Medical College
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- Marshall Univ SOM
- Jacobs SOM and Biomed Sci at University of Buffalo
- VCU (strong in-state VA ties)
- Eastern Virginia Medicalschool (strong in-state VA ties)
- Virginia Tech SOM (strong in-state VA ties)
- NYIT (DO)
- Midwestern University (DO)

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Where did you grow up in Louisiana? Your list seems unreasonable for many of the MD schools on your list, plus you list many HBCU's that prefer historically marginalized communities. Rush and Loyola require much more service orientation hours, and what you have doesn't appear to address service orientation among screeners (food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation); with zero hours of these activities, your application is at risk of getting screened out at most schools.

You need DO schools. VCOM has a Louisiana campus, so you should include them (VCOM-LA and VCOM-VA). I don't think your attendance at a Virginia school is enough for in-state, but check just in case.

 

[Faha]

What does your non clinical volunteering in the hospital involve and how many hours?

 

[star237]

Where did you grow up in Louisiana? Your list seems unreasonable for many of the MD schools on your list, plus you list many HBCU's that prefer historically marginalized communities. Rush and Loyola require much more service orientation hours, and what you have doesn't appear to address service orientation among screeners (food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation); with zero hours of these activities, your application is at risk of getting screened out at most schools.

You need DO schools. VCOM has a Louisiana campus, so you should include them (VCOM-LA and VCOM-VA). I don't think your attendance at a Virginia school is enough for in-state, but check just in case.

I grew up in Northwest Louisiana. Thank you, I will remove the HBCUs. Based on my information do you think I will not be able to get into medical school this cycle? Which DO schools would I have a higher chance? Is there anything I can do between now and the application cycle to improve my chances?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yes your chances are much better with DO schools with your MCAT score and metrics. You might be considered with your home state MD schools too.

 

[star237]

Where did you grow up in Louisiana? Your list seems unreasonable for many of the MD schools on your list, plus you list many HBCU's that prefer historically marginalized communities. Rush and Loyola require much more service orientation hours, and what you have doesn't appear to address service orientation among screeners (food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation); with zero hours of these activities, your application is at risk of getting screened out at most schools.

You need DO schools. VCOM has a Louisiana campus, so you should include them (VCOM-LA and VCOM-VA). I don't think your attendance at a Virginia school is enough for in-state, but check just in case.

Thank you.
1. During the application cycle (Summer 2025 - Summer 2026) I will be doing an immersive community health fellowship in the rural South - it will include working with vulnerable populations: elderly, youth, those suffering with mental illness, independent living, and more. With this being included in my committee letter and in my future activities will Rush and Loyola be on the table?
2. Will this community service gap year open up my chances for any MD schools where my stats might be lower?
3. Below is a list of DO schools I am considering. Can you suggest a list including MD and DO schools?

Thank you for your help.

Touro Univ College of Osteo Med - CA DO
Touro College of Osteo - NY DO
Western Univ of Health Sci - CA DO
Midwestern Univ - IL DO
Arizona College Midwestern - AZ DO
Michigan State Univ DO
Touro Univ Nevada College of Osteo - NV DO
Sam Houston State College of Osteo - TX DO
Univ of North Texas Health Sci Center - TX DO
VCOM - Auburn, AL DO
VCOM - LA DO
VCOM - SC DO
NYIT - AR DO
NYIT - NY DO
A.T. Still University School of Osteo - AZ DO
California Health Sciences - CA DO
Rocky Vista Univ - CO DO
Philadelphia College of Osteo South Georgia - GA DO
Marian University College of Osteo - IN DO
Rowan University School of Osteo - NJ DO
LSU Shreveport MD
LSU New Orleans MD

 

[star237]

What does your non clinical volunteering in the hospital involve and how many hours?

My non-clinical volunteering in the hospital was about 45-50 hours.
- Led patient intake: called patients from waiting room, initial patient weight and urine sample
- Assisted patient discharge: safely assisted patients into wheelchairs, transported patients to their vehicles, and verified post-care appointments with family
- Prepared and disinfected surgical beds, disinfected patient rooms, restocked surgical suuplies, and assisted the Charge Nurse as needed.

 

[Goro]

I suggest the following:
Albany
GWU
Loma Linda (only if you are SDA or a very devout Christian)
MCW
Oakland-B (maybe)
Rosy Franklin
Rush
Tulane
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
Your state school(s).
Any DO program. I can't recommend LMU, SOMA, RVU, BCOM, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. Avoid those new schools that haven't graduated a class yet, if at all possible.
Start list with VCOM (all)
ARCOM
NYITCOM.AR
WCU
ACOM
UIW
Sam HoustonCOM
CUSOM
LECOM.FL
LECOM.Erie
MUCOM
TUNCOM
KYCOM

 

[Faha]

My non-clinical volunteering in the hospital was about 45-50 hours.
- Led patient intake: called patients from waiting room, initial patient weight and urine sample
- Assisted patient discharge: safely assisted patients into wheelchairs, transported patients to their vehicles, and verified post-care appointments with family
- Prepared and disinfected surgical beds, disinfected patient rooms, restocked surgical suuplies, and assisted the Charge Nurse as needed.

That activity is clinical volunteering since you are directly involved with patients. Your lack of non clinical volunteering will limit your chances for interviews. Accumulate 150+ hours in an activity such as food bank, homeless shelter before you submit your application. Your best chances are at DO schools and I suggest these with your stats:
VCOM (all schools)
WCU-COM
ACOM
PCOM (all schools)
UIWSOM
ARCOM
NYIT-AR
CUSOM
WVSOM
LECOM (all schools)
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
MU-COM
AZCOM
On your MD list Loyola and Rush are looking for applicants with many hundreds of hours of non clinical volunteering. The 4 HBCU schools mainly admit applicants from the Black community. Mercer does not admit non residents. For MD schools I suggest these from your list:
- Albany Medical College
- George Washington
- Loma Linda (if you fit their mission)
- LSU New Orleans School of Medicine (in-state)
- LSU Shreveport School of Medicine (in-state)
- Tulane
- Penn State College of Medicine
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- VCU
- Eastern Virginia
You could add these:
Alice Walton
Roseman
Belmont
NOVA MD
Methodist (when it opens)
Ponce (St. Louis)
Rosalind Franklin
Oakland Beaumont
Drexel

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you.
1. During the application cycle (Summer 2025 - Summer 2026) I will be doing an immersive community health fellowship in the rural South - it will include working with vulnerable populations: elderly, youth, those suffering with mental illness, independent living, and more. With this being included in my committee letter and in my future activities will Rush and Loyola be on the table?
2. Will this community service gap year open up my chances for any MD schools where my stats might be lower?

Anticipated hours (your summer activity) mean very little. Otherwise, everyone can promise a very productive summer only to find the funding for it has been yanked away.

It's nice you have it included as a pending activity in your committee letter, though schools do not read committee letters early at screening. Many committee letters from schools don't get sent out until August because most professors can't do the work while spring classes and finals are going on. I say this because I wouldn't want to give you a ton of hope that a reviewer is going to get excited about your fellowship that you have set up this summer.

Rush, Loyola, and many Jesuits and health-equity-focused programs want to see the hundreds to thousands of hours upfront. You can promise the moon but just deliver a piece of Swiss cheese... You must make your down-payment of non-clinical community service/service orientation hours or else you are throwing away lots of application money.

If you are from Northwest Louisiana, LSUS should definitely be in play, and I would expect them to keep you on their radar at least. I'd also think that VCOM-Monroe could get interested in you. These will consider you for regional geography and might overlook lower MCATs if you are mission aligned based on your community health fellowship. The suggested above lists from the experts are very solid. All that is missing is your writing sections of the application (primary and secondary) that will help us determine your mission fit.