WAMC/School List Advice (GPA 3.82, Practice MCAT 515)

[Serapis]

cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS

My cGPA is 3.821, my AMCAS sGPA is 3.722

MCAT score(s) and breakdown

I've taken three practice MCATS. Two were Princeton Review tests, and were 505 and 508. I have taken one official AAMC practice test, and scored a 515 (128/132/127/128).

State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)

FL resident, in school in VA

Ethnicity and/or race

White male

Undergraduate institution or category

Small primarily undergraduate, biochemistry major, history minor

Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)

Have volunteered as an EMT with a local volunteer rescue squad for 3 years. Have run several hundred calls, counting only time spent on the ambulance approximately 500 hours, all 911. Many more hours if time spent on shift counts.
Have worked as an EMT with a separate 911 agency for about a year. Approximately 150 hours counting only time spent on a call.
All of this is in a poor, rural community, which is my main focus for my personal statement.

Research experience and productivity

Have done two independent summer research projects. First project resulted in a poster at a small local conference, second project resulted in a publication in a no-impact journal. Doing a year-long honors thesis that will result in a thesis and a poster at a large conference.
Editor of the student-run journal.

Shadowing experience and specialties represented

Approximately 30 hours, in a wide range of specialties. No primary care, unfortunately.
Around 10 hours in emergency medicine at local ER.

Non-clinical volunteering

Have volunteered as a firefighter with local department for 3 years. Has aspects of both clinical and non-clinical volunteering, but I'm counting it primarily as non-clinical. Counting only time on a call, approximately 200 hours. Several hundred more hours if counting training, all of it documented. At one point secretary, currently EMS lieutenant. Have assisted with CPR classes to the wider community through this.
Slight involvement with local food bank.

Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)

Involved in campus debate society, achieved high honors and a leadership position within it.
Master of ceremonies for pre-professional fraternity (Alpha Chi Sigma).
Student tour guide.
Worked for one semester as intro biology lab assistant.
Worked one summer within the Department of Health, started a program to bring a pop-up clinic in the region which will happen in 2025.

Relevant honors or awards

Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, honors program, Rookie of the Year and EMT of the Year at the fire department.

Anything else not listed you think might be important

Currently applying to NIH IRTA for at least one year, possibly two. If accepted, I intend on continuing to volunteer in fire and EMS in northern VA, if possible.
Technically an Olympian (played for a very small island nation at the Chess Olympiad).

Potential Schools:

1. UVA
2. EVMS
3. VCU
4. VT Carilion
5. UF
6. UCF
7. FSU
8. FL Atlantic
9. U of Miami
10. USF
11. FIU
12. George Washington
13. Georgetown
14. Dartmouth
15. Boston University
16. Tufts
17. Tulane
18. Wake Forest

I would prefer to stay in Virginia, but I am absolutely willing to go back to Florida or go somewhere else. My goal is to do emergency medicine, but I am also interested in rural medicine because of my clinical experiences.
My big questions are:

1. Are there any major gaps in my application that I should try to address during my gap year?
2. Does my application tell a compelling enough story? (I got involved in fire and EMS, fell in love with patient care, and want to work in a community similar to the one I am in. I can explain why I do not want to be a paramedic instead of a physician in an interview.)
3. I lived in NC for half of the year for several years. Is this sufficient to argue strong state ties, and therefore make applying to NC state schools viable?

Thank you for your help and advice; lurking SDN has been a huge part of my preparation for applying.

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[Mr.Smile12]

Being a firefighter is non-clinical community service, even if there are some "clinical" elements. (I'm guessing you are an EMT associated with the fire department?)

Check out NHSC and HPSP if you want to be involved with emergency medicine to give you even more options. If you grew up in rural North Carolina or graduated from a high school in a rural NC area, you might as well try to include ECU, Campbell, WF, and UNC.

 

[Serapis]

Thank you for your reply. To clarify, I am both a firefighter and EMT for the department, and have gotten fire-specific certifications. I don't know if that matters for counting it as non-clinical community service. With regards to hours, does training/being on shift count for hours, or only the time actually spent on a unit responding to a call?

I'm considering HPSP, especially because I come from a military family. I was under the impression that NHSC requires a guarantee that I will only pursue primary care, and emergency medicine is explicitly excluded. Is there any way to keep the option of emergency medicine open while still being a part of NHSC?

To clarify with North Carolina connections, I lived in North Carolina for several months at a time for several years in a row, but this was during elementary and middle school. I've lived in FL exclusively since high school (while still visiting NC for a few weeks out of the year), and I have never legally been a North Carolina resident.

 

[chilly_md]

Update us when you receive your official MCAT score back.

I would not consider that a NC connection. You likely will be able to include Wake on your list, but none of the other MD schools in that state.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yes, you need to check how you qualify as a NC resident.

You can't include your training hours.