WAMC + School List Help: 508 MCAT, 3.8 cGPA/3.67 sGPA (tmdsas)

[twistedkangaroo35]

Hey Y’all, I got my MCAT score back today and I'm not sure if I should apply this cycle or retake my MCAT and apply next cycle…

• Tx Resident (currently @ undergrad in Texas), ORM, 20 M, Trad. Applicant
• MCAT- Official: 508 (124/126/127/131) || FL Avg: 504.5 (most recent two AAMC FLs were 511)
• GPA - cGPA: 3.80 || BCPM: 3.67 || upward trend
• Clinical - 1170 Hrs total (500 as a volunteer EMT on campus + 670 as a volunteer MA in free health clinic for underserved/underprivileged)
• Research - 500 Hrs total (150 hrs remote pulmonology research resulting in two published case studies [don’t think this is worth much but thought I’d still include] + 350 hrs in on campus neuro/psych lab with no pubs or posters yet)
• Shadowing - 150 Hrs across multiple different specialties
• Volunteering - 300 Hrs total (Various basketball volunteering events + non-profit orgs.)
• Employment - 100 Hrs (Scribing) || 250 Hrs (University employed Tutor)
• Other - have a decently strong theme focused on serving the underprivileged and will attempt to emphasize this in my app/interviews.

I’ll be applying to all Texas schools and was really hoping for an MD acceptance (no pref. on the MD school) but would also be happy with an acceptance to TCOM as it is close to home and I’ve heard great things about their program. Please let me know if y’all think I should apply/if it would be better for me to retake my MCAT and apply next cycle.

My two biggest concerns are 1.) pretty obvious, but not getting any A’s in this cycle and 2.) taking the MCAT a second time but not making a substantial enough jump to justify the attempt. I have used all of the AAMC FLs and retaking them would mean I get inflated practice test scores which = not an accurate representation of how I’ll perform in a potential retake.

P.s: If anyone has some good OOS school recs (MD or DO) that would cater to my stats I would really appreciate it!!

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[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums. As a reapplicant, please complete Spring 2025 Applicant Experience Survey.

Many Texas schools have a preference for those who grew up in their region, especially if the region has a shortage of healthcare professionals. Where did you grow up?

Secondly, I would like more details about your activities. If you have fewer than 150 non-clinical service orientation activities hours (food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation), your application would likely be more vulnerable to getting screened out. Did you get interviews anywhere? Would you consider applying to DO schools outside of Texas (you better apply within Texas); as a reapplicant, you can't be choosy about that.

If you say you are dedicated to serving the underprivileged, then be more involved in activities where you are immersed in those communities. It's not clear about your basketball volunteering, tutoring, EMT, or research (or your shadowing) where this dedication comes from. What classes did you take that better informed you? How well do you walk the talk?

 

[twistedkangaroo35]

Hi, first off thank you so much for your thorough response! I'll go ahead and answer your questions below:

- I have lived in the North Texas area (DFW metroplex) for the past 12 years.
- I didn't include all of my volunteering hours, but I do have a miscellaneous mix of about 200 or so at various food pantries and shelters in my area.
- I am not a reapplicant, this will actually be my first time applying. I will be applying to all the Medical Schools in Texas as well as some out of state MD programs. My first goal is to get into an in-state MD program and thus I was wondering if folks think that is possible, however an established DO school like TCOM is something I would also be grateful for.
- The Health Clinic that I have roughly 700 hours of service at as an MA and Clinic Lead is a primary care clinic that specifically serves uninsured and underserved populations. It is a free health clinic, and I am frequently working with immigrants and those who are unable to afford healthcare which is something that I hope to highlight in my interviews as well as writing since this is a population I am very passionate about. This clinic has been one of my biggest commitments through my undergraduate studies for the same reason, and I'm hoping that it shows the element of walking the talk that you mentioned as I agree it is one that is very important to consider. The research lab that I work with also focuses on psychology/neuroscience disparities within immigrants and I had joined this lab out of my desire to learn more about this population group so that I can serve them better in the near future hopefully.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi, first off thank you so much for your thorough response! I'll go ahead and answer your questions below:

- I have lived in the North Texas area (DFW metroplex) for the past 12 years.
- I didn't include all of my volunteering hours, but I do have a miscellaneous mix of about 200 or so at various food pantries and shelters in my area.

Why didn't you include this information? It is just because it is miscellaneous (inconsistent volunteering, perhaps short stints each time)? Are you going to include this on your application? We can't count it if you don't mention it.

I should ask, are you part of JAMP?

- I am not a reapplicant, this will actually be my first time applying. I will be applying to all the Medical Schools in Texas as well as some out of state MD programs. My first goal is to get into an in-state MD program and thus I was wondering if folks think that is possible, however an established DO school like TCOM is something I would also be grateful for.

With a 508 MCAT, you need to keep your options open. If you have a very strong mission fit, a lower MCAT is possible, but I would want to know more if you were classified as being from a lower SES and resource-constrained growing up (holistic review considerations).

- The Health Clinic that I have roughly 700 hours of service at as an MA and Clinic Lead is a primary care clinic that specifically serves uninsured and underserved populations. It is a free health clinic, and I am frequently working with immigrants and those who are unable to afford healthcare which is something that I hope to highlight in my interviews as well as writing since this is a population I am very passionate about. This clinic has been one of my biggest commitments through my undergraduate studies for the same reason, and I'm hoping that it shows the element of walking the talk that you mentioned as I agree it is one that is very important to consider. The research lab that I work with also focuses on psychology/neuroscience disparities within immigrants and I had joined this lab out of my desire to learn more about this population group so that I can serve them better in the near future hopefully.

700 hours is great! But you're only seeing underserved/underinsured populations through one perspective. If you are passionate about immigrants, you could probably tell me more about their needs outside of the clinic, including challenges related to housing, food, transportation, job placement/financial security, and (nowadays) safety from deportation. What have you learned about their situation/condition that you feel you can adequately witness their lives to your future classmates and faculty? What courses have you taken as a student to better understand their lives? Is this population always present in most of your activities such as basketball, tutoring, or research? I'm asking because so many people talk about how they are committed to serving underserved populations, but few will help them when it comes to picking a residency. Of course, over the next few years, expect funding for these clinics to dry up (and I don't know how constrained they are already due to the state).

If this is what you want to do, do your homework. Ask questions. Hope that it's enough to overcome your MCAT score or other questions that could pop up if you are an adequate/satisfactory advocate.

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