MD & DO WAMC/School List: 510, 3.31cgpa, 3.21sgpa, ORM

[versaywhat]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi everyone! I'm planning on applying this upcoming cycle (2025-2026), my school list rn is kinda long as I want to cast a wide net (40+ schools), I'm looking for advice on my school list as well as just general advice to succeed in the cycle, thanks for taking a look!

1. First application, AMCAS and AACOMAS most likely
2. cGPA: 3.31 sGPA: 3.21, upward trend during last year
3. MCAT 510: 127/126/127/130
4. Currently living in Southern California, however grew up in military family so lived/from many places
5. White male
6. T50 public university
7. Clinical experience:

1. 2300+ hours as an emergency department technician (paid clinical) 2022-Present
2. 1000 hours as an EMT on an ambulance service (paid clinical) 2022
3. 100 hours as an EMT at special events (Paid clinical) 2022
4. 300 hours lead volunteer at a free clinic (volunteer clinical) 2022-Present

8. Research experience and productivity

1. 250 hours of basic science/translational trauma surgery research, no pubs (although one currently under review) or posters, 2023-2024
2. 50 hours clinical retrospective research on trauma surgery project I initiated including IRB process, no pubs or posters yet but expecting first authorship after submitting apps, 2024-Present
3. 50 hours clinical retrospective research project focusing on social determinants of health that I also initiated including IRB, no pubs or posters yet but expecting first authorship likely after submitting apps, 2025-Present

9. No shadowing
10. Non-clinical volunteering

1. 30 hours volunteer support staff at a medical conference, 2024
2. 16 hours volunteer research tutor at local highschool, 2025-Present
3. 10 hours at local food bank, 2024

11. Other extracurricular activities

1. 1500+(?) hours as current advisor and former president of EMS club, teaching free BLS, part of large CPR initiative, 2022-Present
2. 100 hours active member of pre medical organization, 2021-2023

12. Relevant honors or awards

1. Winner of graduation award for academic excellence (lol) and public service for efforts in CPR community education and other involvement, only given to one student per grad year

13. Anything else you think might be important

1. Including running as a hobby, I've recently ran two half marys and some shorter races, training for a full marathon, perhaps 200 hours

Heres my school list as of right now
MD:
UCSD
UCLA
UCI
UCR
UCD
CUSM
Charles Drew
California Northstate
Keck USC
Loma Linda
Kaiser
CU Anschutz
Quinnipiac
Georgetown
UH
UChicago-Pritzker
University of Illinois
Rosalind Franklin
BU
Tufts
UMass
Michigan State
Central Michigan
Wayne State
Rutgers
Rutgers NJ
University at Buffalo
UNC
OSU
Drexel
Temple
Pitt
UW
Washington State
Eastern Virginia
GW
LSU New Orleans
Rush
University of Vermont
Renaissance
FIU
UMaryland
UA - Phoenix
UA - Tucson
SUNY Downstate
SUNY Upstate
Sidney Kimmel
Loyola Stritch
Indiana
Emory

DO:
MSUCOM-DMC
PNWU-COM
PCOM
Touro
UNECOM

I know I have low stats, pretty nervous about this application cycle which is why I have a kinda long list, looking to maybe narrow it a little bit. Any schools I should add or remove? I would also appreciate any advice you guys have, thank you so much!

 

[Faha]

Some schools screen at 150 hours of non clinical volunteering and you have only 10 hours at a food bank (which is what schools are looking for).
You should accumulate another 140+ hours at the food bank before you submit your application. Rush and Loyola are looking for applicants with many hundreds or thousands of hours of non clinical volunteering. You also have many state public schools on your list that admit few (if any) non residents with your stats. I suggest these MD schools if you have those 150 hours at a food bank when you submit your application:
Loma Linda (if you fit their mission)
California University
Roseman
Alice Walton
TCU
Belmont
NOVA MD
Methodist (when it opens)
Eastern Virginia
Drexel
Temple
Penn State
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
You are competitive for all DO schools and I suggest these:
WESTERN
TUCOM-CA
TUNCOM
AZCOM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
DMU-COM
CCOM
MU-COM
CUSOM
PCOM
LECOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I would also consider shadowing. What experiences above involve your observation of doctors with patients?

 

[versaywhat]

I would also consider shadowing. What experiences above involve your observation of doctors with patients?

Thanks for asking - I chose not to do any shadowing because through my role as an ED tech I've observed doctors of all kinds interacting with patients in most hospital settings. Also I'm interested in EM and it just seemed like it wouldn't make sense to shadow when I already not only observe but actively participate in patient care in that specialty. Let me know if that makes sense, do you think I would still benefit from shadowing?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thanks for asking - I chose not to do any shadowing because through my role as an ED tech I've observed doctors of all kinds interacting with patients in most hospital settings. Also I'm interested in EM and it just seemed like it wouldn't make sense to shadow when I already not only observe but actively participate in patient care in that specialty. Let me know if that makes sense, do you think I would still benefit from shadowing?

It might be helpful to have some shadowing experience in a specialty that is not as urgent, if possible. IMO, medical school is designed to prepare individuals for careers in primary care and traditional outpatient settings.