WAMC School List Advice (522 MCAT, 3.76 cGPA) - ORM CA Reapplicant

[coyote5612]

Hi everyone,

I’m reapplying this year. I’m having a hard time making a school list due to the split between my GPA and MCAT score so I would appreciate any advice. Have taken two gap years. In a lot of cases my MCAT is above the median (or 75th/90th percentile) for a school but my GPA falls in the 10th-25th percentile so I can’t gauge where to aim. Can you help me construct a balanced school list?

Here’s my profile:

• 3.76 cGPA / 3.72 sGPA
  1. Economics + neuroscience double-major
  2. Slight upward trend from sophomore year, greater upward trend for sGPA
• 522 MCAT (130/130/130/132)
• Preview 8/9, Casper 4Q
• CA resident
• White, 24m
• T40 undergrad (T15 public), took part of a 5th year and graduated spring 2023
• Clinical experience (3580 hours)
  • 3500 clinical hours (800 ED scribe & 2700 pediatric urgent care MA)
  • 80 hours clinical volunteering in ED
• Research (825 hours)
  • tDCS effect on cognition (100 hours)
  • Chronic pain biofeedback device, interdisciplinary research team, 1 pub (450 hours)
  • Endometriosis (175 hours), LOR from PI
  • Independent study regarding effect of long-term opioid usage on chronic pain signaling pathways (100 hours)
• Shadowing (25 hours)
  • Anesthesiologist in OR
• Volunteering (320 hours)
  • Soup kitchen in underserved urban community (300 hours)
  • Food bank (20 hours)
• Letters of Rec
  • 2 neuroscience profs (one was PI)
  • 1 econ prof
  • 1 pediatric physician
  • 1 former employer
  • 1 club sport coach
• Club sport x4 years (1400 hours)
  • VP x1 year
  • Treasurer x1 year
• 3 years working as front desk staff at undergrad campus student resource building which contained multicultural centers, tutoring services, international student services, LGBTQ+ resource center, etc. (1100 hours)
  • Used by 600+ people per day. Oversaw building management, event reservations, trouble-shooting technology, conflict resolution between building guests
  • Leadership- 1 year as supervisor
    • Managed 20 person team. Responsibilities included staff hiring/interviews, leading weekly meetings, team training, staff auditing
• Other hobbies
  • Backpacking- went on several trips during college
• Interested in urban medicine, pediatrics, anesthesiology
• I decided on medicine towards the end of undergrad which is why many of my experiences are clustered towards that end (as opposed to 3-4 year longitudinal research, etc.)

Thanks for any help or insight you can provide! Any schools I should delete or add on this list?

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[morak]

I'll defer to the admissions experts to answer your WAMC (though you look like a damn near perfect applicant on paper to me).

However, you should know that it is highly recommended that you submit no more than 5-6 letters of recommendation unless you're applying for MD/PhDs, in which case it is ok to go over that limit only if necessary to get a letter from each PI you have worked with. I would identify one letter that you think isn't necessary for your application and omit it.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Previously

MD Thread '-'

Jun 27, 2024

-

• coyote5612
• Replies: 5
• Forum: What Are My Chances? WAMC Medical

I don't know what the club sport coach and the former employer letters do to help your application. Do you have a letter to cover for gap year activities?

Point to me the activities that point to your purpose in urban health and/or pediatrics. Maybe it's not clearly listed. You only shadowed anesthesiology, not pediatrics though you have a letter. Am I missing something obvious?

 

[Faha]

You could add these schools to your application:
UMass
Hofstra
Jefferson

 

[YodaPineapple]

Did you get interviews? What were the results and where were they from?
On paper this is another application that I’m flabbergasted wasn’t accepted at least somewhere.

 

[BigDawg101]

Your shadowing is quite bad for having two gap years, and I'm quite sure you might get screened out at some schools for this. I would try to abstract shadowing out of your time as an MA or ED scribe just to get over 100 hours.

Your stats are fine, and that MCAT is exceptionally strong. Your narrative seems to be towards EM, so focus on those experiences. You do have a great application, and if you apply early and broadly, you should get quite a few interviews. NYMC, Hackensack, Brown are gonna be very low-yield, as is UVermont. Perhaps, add some more higher-tier schools like Vanderbilt, Yale.

 

[coyote5612]

Previously

MD Thread '-'

Jun 27, 2024

-

• coyote5612
• Replies: 5
• Forum: What Are My Chances? WAMC Medical

I don't know what the club sport coach and the former employer letters do to help your application. Do you have a letter to cover for gap year activities?

Point to me the activities that point to your purpose in urban health and/or pediatrics. Maybe it's not clearly listed. You only shadowed anesthesiology, not pediatrics though you have a letter. Am I missing something obvious?

Yes, my physician LOR is from my UC MA job during my gap year. I was planning to use the club sport coach and former employer letters to attest to my leadership and character, would you recommend against using them?

My MA job is at a pediatric urgent care clinic. The clinic also has doctors that see adult patients, but focuses on pediatrics. I should've specified, I'll edit my post. The purpose in urban health stems from my upbringing in a big city, attending public schools. However, I agree it's maybe not reinforced enough by my activities to be a focus in the theme of my application.

Thanks for the help!

 

[coyote5612]

You could add these schools to your application:
UMass
Hofstra
Jefferson

Thanks @Faha! Any reach schools I should delete or add?

 

[coyote5612]

Did you get interviews? What were the results and where were they from?
On paper this is another application that I’m flabbergasted wasn’t accepted at least somewhere.

No interviews. I think my personal statement was a little weak and I submitted my application late. Took MCAT in May 2024, submitted primary in late July, then submitted secondaries in late September and a few in early October.

 

[coyote5612]

Your shadowing is quite bad for having two gap years, and I'm quite sure you might get screened out at some schools for this. I would try to abstract shadowing out of your time as an MA or ED scribe just to get over 100 hours.

Your stats are fine, and that MCAT is exceptionally strong. Your narrative seems to be towards EM, so focus on those experiences. You do have a great application, and if you apply early and broadly, you should get quite a few interviews. NYMC, Hackensack, Brown are gonna be very low-yield, as is UVermont. Perhaps, add some more higher-tier schools like Vanderbilt, Yale.

Okay, I'll transfer some of the clinical hours to shadowing. Thanks for the school suggestions!

 

[Faha]

Thanks @Faha! Any reach schools I should delete or add?

Your list otherwise looks fine.

 

[BigDawg101]

Yes, my physician LOR is from my UC MA job during my gap year. I was planning to use the club sport coach and former employer letters to attest to my leadership and character, would you recommend against using them?

My MA job is at a pediatric urgent care clinic. The clinic also has doctors that see adult patients, but focuses on pediatrics. I should've specified, I'll edit my post. The purpose in urban health stems from my upbringing in a big city, attending public schools. However, I agree it's maybe not reinforced enough by my activities to be a focus in the theme of my application.

Thanks for the help!

I think the club sport coach (especially if you had leadership and showed a lot of growth) is great. Medical schools do like their athletes, and it will add something different, but I don't think you need the former employer.

And regarding timeline, you absolutely shot yourself in the foot with submitting that late, and you would be matriculating somewhere right now had you been more on time. Secondaries need to be in everywhere by mid-August at the latest.

Jefferson, Dartmouth, UChicago, UMich need to be in by early-to-mid-July as they go in order and hand out a lot of interviews earlier. The two week rule is not that important, but just get everything in by late-July, early-August. If you want to get accepted somewhere by October or November, it will be a mid-July secondary submission that gets you that peace of mind. Best of luck 🙂 and I'm happy to read your PS if you want more eyes on it.