WAMC/School List Help 509-->514, 3.8

[hazel310]

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UPDATE: I got my new MCAT score back and it is a 514 (127/128/128/131)!!! Could anyone please help me add new schools to my list that may be more attainable now? Thank you!!!

Hi all, I'm hoping for help on a school list. I just retook the MCAT in May and will receive my score mid- June. I'm hoping to still build a preliminary list based on my first score and then changing schools if needed based on how I do on the retake. I don't know if it is important but I finished undergrad in 3 years and have completed 2 gap years. None of my hours are projected, all are representative of what has already been completed.

1. cGPA: 3.85 sGPA: 3.87
2. MCAT score: First attempt: 509, Second attempt: 514
3. State of residence: Maryland
4. Ethnicity and/or race: ORM, Asian
5. Undergraduate institution or category: T10
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer): Clinical Research Coordinator/Research Phlebotomist: 2000hrs, Volunteer Hospice: 300 hours
7. Research experience and productivity: Clinical Research Coordinator Job in GI: 2000 hours, FDA summer internship: 400 hours, Honors Senior Thesis in medical humanities/bioethics: 200 hours, Clinical Research in neuro lab: 100 hours, 3 pubs (2 mid author, 1 first author, low/mid impact journals), 1 pending pub, 1 poster presentation, 1 oral presentation
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented: 90 hours (Pediatric Outpatient and peds ER, NICU, Gastroenterology)
9. Non-clinical volunteering: Tutoring kids in local disadvantaged community: 50 hours, Co-founded nonprofit focused on bringing awareness to social justice issues, raising money for local causes (over $10k raised) and starting local projects and initiatives with community partners: 700+ hours (one of my most meaningful activities)
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc): Orientation leader (leadership): 300 hours, Model UN (leadership): 850 hours (most meaningful activity), TA (teaching): 150 hours
11. Relevant honors or awards: Multiple Model UN awards at different conferences, Honorarium (invited to teach a class for my senior thesis research advisor)
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important: Personal statement has a heavy focus on medical humanities, narrative medicine, and bioethics based on my degree, personal experiences and activities. Hoping to apply to schools that have similar programs and could even potentially offer dual programs in MD/MPH or MD/Master in Bioethics.

Tentative School List:
UMD
Georgetown
George Washington
Tufts
Rush
SLU
Tulane
Emory
USC
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Drexel
Temple
BU
Wake Forest
Albany
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Penn State
Thomas Jefferson
Medical College of Wisconsin
Vermont
Wayne State

Any help in adding schools/removing schools that are not OOS friendly would be wonderful. Also- is it worth trying to apply to higher ranking schools that are research oriented given my research hours despite having below average stats for those schools or would it be a waste of time and money?

Thank you so much in advance!

 

[systematicX]

I’m in no way experienced in this making a list but I am going through the process now with similar stats and I can tell you that Pritzker, BU and Emory are out of reach based on 509 MCAT unless you score higher on the second attempt.

 

[chilly_md]

is it worth trying to apply to higher ranking schools that are research oriented given my research hours despite having below average stats for those schools or would it be a waste of time and money?

Can't say until you receive your MCAT score back. Regardless, you will apply to UMD whether your score stays the same or increases significantly.

 

[hazel310]

I’m in no way experienced in this making a list but I am going through the process now with similar stats and I can tell you that Pritzker, BU and Emory are out of reach based on 509 MCAT unless you score higher on the second attempt.

You're right! I got Rosalind Franklin in Chicago confused with Pritzker. I meant Rosalind Franklin, which I think would be a little bit more within reach. Just edited the school list- thank you!

 

[hazel310]

@Faha I hate to bother you but noticed you have good insight on school lists. Would you mind adding any thoughts or suggestions when you get a chance? Thank you so much!

 

[ClashRoyaleKing]

@Faha I hate to bother you but noticed you have good insight on school lists. Would you mind adding any thoughts or suggestions when you get a chance? Thank you so much!

Your list could do a 180 with your score. Usually the ADCOMs wait to provide school list updates until you have your score, since that is an important anchor.

That being said, what do YOU feel you scored on the MCAT? Also, did you test on May 11th 😉

 

[Faha]

@Faha I hate to bother you but noticed you have good insight on school lists. Would you mind adding any thoughts or suggestions when you get a chance? Thank you so much!

Post your new MCAT score here when available and I will suggest schools.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Non-clinical volunteering

1. Co-founded nonprofit focused on bringing awareness to social justice issues, raising money for local causes (over $10k raised) and starting local projects and initiatives with community partners: 700+ hours (one of my most meaningful activities)

Please itemize your hours and responsibilities in this activity. By founding a club and doing fundraising, you are describing more leadership responsibilities. This also could qualify as advocacy, so I want to confirm.

What have you done that directly alleviates the distress of individuals you are helping? I don't see any service orientation activities mentioned in the description. Your application will be vulnerable to getting screened out if you do not have at least 150 hours in this area.

 

[hazel310]

Post your new MCAT score here when available and I will suggest schools.

Ok, will do, thanks!

 

[hazel310]

Your list could do a 180 with your score. Usually the ADCOMs wait to provide school list updates until you have your score, since that is an important anchor.

That being said, what do YOU feel you scored on the MCAT? Also, did you test on May 11th 😉

I see, that makes sense. Yes haha I did test on May 11th.

Truth be told I have no idea how I scored. My feelings have been all over the place. The first time I took the exam I felt okay afterwards and a bit confident, but evidently did not do well. This time I feel worse and much more anxious, but that could also be due to the added pressure of knowing that I have a score to try to do better than. Given how anxious I feel this time around I'm preparing myself for the worse that I won't have done better, and probably will have scored around the same as my first score, hence why I'm hoping to build a preliminary list, but it makes sense also to just want and see what the second score will be before having a list. We will see what happens...

 

[hazel310]

Please itemize your hours and responsibilities in this activity. By founding a club and doing fundraising, you are describing more leadership responsibilities. This also could qualify as advocacy, so I want to confirm.

What have you done that directly alleviates the distress of individuals you are helping? I don't see any service orientation activities mentioned in the description. Your application will be vulnerable to getting screened out if you do not have at least 150 hours in this area.

Hmmm you are probably right that the responsibilities I have are more leadership and advocacy. Without going into too much detail, I've helped raise money to be donated to charities for the most part through selling art our team makes (all the art also has a strong focus on social justice topics). As far as community initiatives to directly help people and the community we've started using some of these funds to build free libraries in collaboration with a local bookstore in my hometown where there is a need for such things. We've also used funds in the past to buy ingredients and cook meals to hand out to local homeless people near our school campus, especially around holiday season when it tends to get cold out. Another thing we've done recently since our group has a strong environmental justice focus is partner with a large clothing swap organization. We both raise money for them and volunteer to help them collect and donate clothes to homeless shelters and local charity shops.

It would be helpful if you could tell me whether you think these direct actions we do within our organization would be viewed as service. I'm also curious to know if my clinical volunteering hours in hospice would also be viewed as service or does it have to be nonclinical activities?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ClashRoyaleKing]

I see, that makes sense. Yes haha I did test on May 11th.

Truth be told I have no idea how I scored. My feelings have been all over the place. The first time I took the exam I felt okay afterwards and a bit confident, but evidently did not do well. This time I feel worse and much more anxious, but that could also be due to the added pressure of knowing that I have a score to try to do better than. Given how anxious I feel this time around I'm preparing myself for the worse that I won't have done better, and probably will have scored around the same as my first score, hence why I'm hoping to build a preliminary list, but it makes sense also to just want and see what the second score will be before having a list. We will see what happens...

I hope your score improves! I also had a 509 to start and applied with it unsuccessfully last cycle. It's a frustrating score because it's just below 510 and a lot of schools' medians.

 

[hazel310]

Post your new MCAT score here when available and I will suggest schools.

Hi Faha, sorry to bother you- I just got my new score back (514) do you have any suggestions for how I can revise my school list? Thank you so much!

 

[Faha]

Hi Faha, sorry to bother you- I just got my new score back (514) do you have any suggestions for how I can revise my school list? Thank you so much!

You could receive interview at any of the schools on your list. You could add these schools:
Quinnipiac
New York Medical College
Hackensack
Pittsburgh
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Belmont
TCU
Creighton
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I've helped raise money to be donated to charities for the most part through selling art our team makes (all the art also has a strong focus on social justice topics). As far as community initiatives to directly help people and the community we've started using some of these funds to build free libraries in collaboration with a local bookstore in my hometown where there is a need for such things. We've also used funds in the past to buy ingredients and cook meals to hand out to local homeless people near our school campus, especially around holiday season when it tends to get cold out. Another thing we've done recently since our group has a strong environmental justice focus is partner with a large clothing swap organization. We both raise money for them and volunteer to help them collect and donate clothes to homeless shelters and local charity shops.

Separate the fundraising from your actions/engagement hours, or give some ballpark percentage time. A writing hint for you: "Through our fundraising, we build free library shelves, cook and distribute meals to the local homeless, and organize clothing swaps with homeless shelters."

 

[hazel310]

You could receive interview at any of the schools on your list. You could add these schools:
Quinnipiac
New York Medical College
Hackensack
Pittsburgh
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Belmont
TCU
Creighton
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont

thank you for the additions!

 

[hazel310]

Separate the fundraising from your actions/engagement hours, or give some ballpark percentage time. A writing hint for you: "Through our fundraising, we build free library shelves, cook and distribute meals to the local homeless, and organize clothing swaps with homeless shelters."

Ok thanks for the writing advice!