WAMC/ School list help - 515/3.56

[cbeachcomber]

PA Resident, ORM
Graduated 2021 from top 20 public university – B.S. Microbiology, Public health minor

Applying this cycle MD and DO

Stats:
MCAT: 515 (127/130/129/129)
3.56 cGPA, 3.45 sGPA

Clinical Experience :

• 1000+ hours – Patient care technician at an inpatient spinal cord rehab unit. Part-time employment for one year

Research Experience :

• 2500+ Hours – Two second-author publications (1 in very high-impact journal), significant contributions in planning, analyzing, writing, and conducting the experiments. Full time employment over two years.
• 640 hours in an undergraduate research lab. Part-time employment over a summer and a fall semester

Shadowing : 20 hours with a primary care physician, 20 hours with a radiologist


Volunteering :

• ~30 hours Emergency department volunteer
• ~30 hours Food bank volunteering
• ~ 50 hours part of a community theatre organization (outreach and event volunteering, not artistic contribution)

LORs:

• PI with whom I've worked closely over the last 2 years and shadowed. (MD)
• Science professor from a biology research course
• Science professor from a smaller, upper-level course
• Course leader from study abroad program that involved course trips and lectures on medicine and health policy across different European countries

Self-critique: GPA. Lack of community service, especially for schools in my stat range. Lack of EC hours during my undergraduate years. Only super confident in the strength of 2 of my LORs



School List:

Temple (LKSOM)

Penn state

Geisinger

Drexel

Jefferson (Sidney Kimmel)

University of Pittsburgh

Central Michigan

U Maryland

Ohio State

Wisconsin

Cincinnati

Indiana

Minnesota

Wake Forest

Illinois

Stony Brook

University of Vermont (Larner)

Wayne State

Virginia Tech

West Virginia University

Cooper

Toledo

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine

MCW

NYMC

Western Michigan

RFU Chicago Medical School



DO:

PCOM

Midwestern University

MUCOM

UNECOM

LECOM

DMUCOM

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[Mr.Smile12]

Self-critique: GPA. Lack of community service, especially for schools in my stat range. Lack of EC hours during my undergraduate years. Only super confident in the strength of 2 of my LORs

So what's your plan to get to 150 hours of community service by submission? You definitely need more community service that shows service orientation, so bulk up on your food bank hours, or add another activity that is not fundraising (theater). For example shelter work, job placement services, housing rehabilitation, transportation for non-medical appointments.

What's your GPA trend (year by year)?

Since you graduated, I expect more activities that involve at least 100 or so hours than you listed. Another shadowing opportunity could help.

 

[cbeachcomber]

So what's your plan to get to 150 hours of community service by submission? You definitely need more community service that shows service orientation, so bulk up on your food bank hours, or add another activity that is not fundraising (theater). For example shelter work, job placement services, housing rehabilitation, transportation for non-medical appointments.

What's your GPA trend (year by year)?

Since you graduated, I expect more activities that involve at least 100 or so hours than you listed. Another shadowing opportunity could help.

Thanks for the response.

GPA is fairly steady except a poor fall semester my senior year. I could not say that I have an upward trend. I am continuing my food bank volunteering as much as possible, and I hope to add another 25-50 hours before submission, but I understand this is still low.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

... I am continuing my food bank volunteering as much as possible, and I hope to add another 25-50 hours before submission, but I understand this is still low.

Just keep that in mind when you are looking at each school's mission. Pay attention to programs that are specifically community service oriented, because they will expect more than just 150 hours. That is particularly important since your GPA is 3.5-3.6. Check with research-oriented programs especially if you are trying to highlight your 2500 research hours and experience.

 

[Faha]

You have many state public schools on your list that admit few non residents with your GPA and no connection to the state.
I suggest these schools with your stats:
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Commonwealth Geisinger
West Virginia
George Washington
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
TCU
Creighton
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Belmont (when it opens)
You have a good DO list.