WAMC/School List Help!: reapplicant, 520 (third retake), 3.75

[turtle02]

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Hi everyone! Am looking to reapply during the 2025-2026 cycle and just got my most recent MCAT score back- looking for some help with my school list.

cGPA: 3.746
sGPA: 3.5

MCAT (most recent to oldest):
- 520 (130/130/130/130) in 08/2024
- 503 (124/129/123/127) in 01/2023
- 508 (124/130/127/127) in 08/2022

State of residence: MI

URM/ORM: ORM (south asian female)

Undergraduate institution: University of Michigan

Clinical experience:
- Hospice volunteering- 150 hours over almost 2 years (not really doing anything medical, most of my hours are from in-person companionship visits but some are from "tuck-in calls" where we would check in with patients and their families to see if they needed supplies/medication refills/other assistance before the weekend
- EMT student- 300 hours (passed the class and practical, planning to take the NREMT soon)
- Clinical research experience (below)

Research experience (most recent first):
- Clinical Research Coordinator- Assistant: This is the full-time gap year job I just started, I'm planning to work here for both gap years. I work on multiple studies regarding patients with varying stages of dementia and their care partners, studying their sleep habits and positive/stressful experiences. (Would have over 2000 hours by the time I applied)
- Undergraduate RA: ~ 1500 hours in an endocrinology lab (where I did my honors thesis)- both basic research and mice work
- Note: I have 1 3rd author publication and multiple poster presentations/abstract awards
- Undergraduate RA: 318 hours in a neuroblastoma lab - basic research

Shadowing experience:
- 1800 hours as a medical scribe in a Hematology/Oncology clinic (side note: does this count as clinical or shadowing?? I've seen mixed opinions)

Non-clinical volunteering:
- Peer Mentor for 1 year- 130 hours
- Hospitality cart volunteer through Ronald McDonald House Charities at my local children's hospital- 100 hours over almost 2 years (may have more later as I'm considering going back)

Other extracurricular activities:
- Orientation leader for my undergraduate university for 4 months (summer)- 70 hours
- Social chair and then mentorship chair of the Neuroscience Student Association at my undergraduate university (a lot of hours I need to calculate this 🙂 )

Honors/Awards:
- University honors awards a few times
- Highest Honors on my honors thesis
- 2024 Neuroscience Director's Award for outstanding achievements in research, in the classroom, and in teaching or service

MISC:
I have a really strong history of working with the elderly and with kids, both populations which I love working with. I also really enjoy research and am considering pursuing an MD/PhD but am not sure if it would be worth it. I mostly want guidance on my school list because I'm not confident about where my stats fall and what schools I should be aiming for. I want to apply to schools I am competitive for but do not want to overshoot, and I currently have a lot of reach schools on the list I'm having trouble cutting down on, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

My current school list (NEED to cut down on reach schools/add more target):
- UCLA (Geffen)
- Stanford
- Quinnipiac
- Yale
- Emory
- Carle Illinois
- University of Chicago Pritzker
- Northwestern University (Feinberg)
- Boston University
- Harvard
- Johns Hopkins
- Western Michigan
- Central Michigan
- Michigan State COHM
- Wayne State
- University of Michigan
- Oakland University William Beaumont
- Mayo Clinic Alix (Rochester)
- Saint Louis SOM
- Washington University SOM
- Wake Forest
- Duke
- Creighton
- Geisel
- Hackensack Meridian
- NYU Long Island
- NYU Grossman (what's the diff between these NYU schools?)
- Icahn SOM at Mount Sinai
- Albert Einstein
- University of Rochester
- Columbia
- Weill Cornell
- Ohio State
- Case Western
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Pittsburgh
- Perlman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania
- Vanderbilt
- Eastern Virginia
- Virginia Tech Cariliion
- University of Virginia
- Kaiser Permanente SOM

Anything I'm missing or should or should not apply to? Thanks so SO much in advance!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Clarify... you said "reapply." What results have you received from your school list? Did you accurately portray your activities here just as you represented them in your AMCAS application?

 

[turtle02]

Clarify... you said "reapply." What results have you received from your school list? Did you accurately portray your activities here just as you represented them in your AMCAS application?

Hi! Yes I actually pulled these hours from my previous application (adding the projected hours that I've now completed). My school list from last cycle (2023-24) was very different than the one above, and unfortunately I did not receive any interviews. I think this was because of my MCAT at the time and potentially having fewer clinical hours, but I plan to also revamp my personal statement and fix any other holes I might see before I reapply next cycle (2025-26). The only completely new activities above that were not in my original application are the thesis (and 2 awards I received as a result of that) and my clinical research position. I hope that answers your question!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi! Yes I actually pulled these hours from my previous application (adding the projected hours that I've now completed). My school list from last cycle (2023-24) was very different than the one above, and unfortunately I did not receive any interviews. I think this was because of my MCAT at the time and potentially having fewer clinical hours, but I plan to also revamp my personal statement and fix any other holes I might see before I reapply next cycle (2025-26). The only completely new activities above that were not in my original application are the thesis (and 2 awards I received as a result of that) and my clinical research position. I hope that answers your question!

Please note which schools will be receiving an reapplication from your list above. I'll comment...

 

[turtle02]

Please note which schools will be receiving an reapplication from your list above. I'll comment...

Here are the schools I applied to last cycle- the ones that I would be reapplying to are bolded:

- University of Michigan
- Wake Forest
- West Virginia
- Virginia Tech Carilion
- Georgetown
- Virginia Commonwealth
- Washington University (in St. Louis)
- Oakland University
- Tulane
- University of South Carolina
- University of Cincinnati
- Penn State
- George Washington
- Western Michigan
- Michigan State University
- Wayne State
- Rush
- Case Western
- Central Michigan
- Drexel
- Ohio State
- University of Toledo
- Loyola
- Northeast Ohio
- Eastern Virginia
- Nova
- Emory

 

[Faha]

Your scribing hours are clinical though you can assign 50 hours to shadowing. Accumulate another 50+ hours at Ronald McDonald House before you submit your application. Loyola, Georgetown and Rush expect far more non clinical volunteering than you have. You have several state public schools on your list that admit few non residents with no connection to the state. I suggest these schools with your stats:
U Michigan
Michigan State
Wayne State
Central Michigan
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Toledo
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Tufts
Boston University
UMass
Albany
New York Medical College
Hofstra
NYU Long Island
Hackensack
Rochester
Pittsburgh
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
Emory
NOVA MD
USF Morsani
Tulane
TCU
Washington University
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Iowa
Colorado

 

[Mr.Smile12]

You also lack service orientation activities focused on underserved communities, specifically food distribution, shelter volunteer (RMC may apply but preferably something less specifically clinical, like homeless, women's/childrens, LGBTQ+, veterans), job/tax preparation, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation. You should apply with 150 hours already completed to avoid getting screened out at most schools. This may have been a factor with your initial application. While many schools average your MCAT scores for screening, our new MCAT will definitely help you.

 

[turtle02]

You also lack service orientation activities focused on underserved communities, specifically food distribution, shelter volunteer (RMC may apply but preferably something less specifically clinical, like homeless, women's/childrens, LGBTQ+, veterans), job/tax preparation, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation. You should apply with 150 hours already completed to avoid getting screened out at most schools. This may have been a factor with your initial application. While many schools average your MCAT scores for screening, our new MCAT will definitely help you.

Thank you for the insight- this is something I was thinking about as well. Do you happen to have any advice on building my school list (assuming I get the experience you mentioned)?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for the insight- this is something I was thinking about as well. Do you happen to have any advice on building my school list (assuming I get the experience you mentioned)?

I defer to Faha and any networking you have done with APAMSA chapters at the schools on your list.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Agree with MrSmile, your scribing hours are clinical although you can assign 50-100 hours to shadowing if you want.

Do you have an upward trend?

 

[turtle02]

Agree with MrSmile, your scribing hours are clinical although you can assign 50-100 hours to shadowing if you want.

Do you have an upward trend?

Not necessarily, my strongest semesters were my first two semesters, although they were during the pandemic. I wouldn't say I have a downward trend though, it was consistent for the most part and I ended strong.

 

[turtle02]

Your scribing hours are clinical though you can assign 50 hours to shadowing. Accumulate another 50+ hours at Ronald McDonald House before you submit your application. Loyola, Georgetown and Rush expect far more non clinical volunteering than you have. You have several state public schools on your list that admit few non residents with no connection to the state. I suggest these schools with your stats:
U Michigan
Michigan State
Wayne State
Central Michigan
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Toledo
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Tufts
Boston University
UMass
Albany
New York Medical College
Hofstra
NYU Long Island
Hackensack
Rochester
Pittsburgh
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
Emory
NOVA MD
USF Morsani
Tulane
TCU
Washington University
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Iowa
Colorado

Hi Faha, thanks again for your input! I am considering pursuing an MD/PhD and was wondering if you have any input on this school list based on that information.

 

[Faha]

Hi Faha, thanks again for your input! I am considering pursuing an MD/PhD and was wondering if you have any input on this school list based on that information.

I am not familiar with the MD/PhD programs.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Did you post a WAMC in the Research Scientist forums? You applied only MD/PhD to all the schools on your previous list?

 

[turtle02]

Did you post a WAMC in the Research Scientist forums? You applied only MD/PhD to all the schools on your previous list?

Nope I applied only MD that cycle as I did not think I was competitive enough to pursue an MD/PhD at the time. Will consider posting on the Research Scientist forum- thank you for the information.

 

[ophthoaspirant]

Nope I applied only MD that cycle as I did not think I was competitive enough to pursue an MD/PhD at the time. Will consider posting on the Research Scientist forum- thank you for the information.

Apply to MD/PhD programs that are strong in research in the areas of endocrinology and metabolism.

MD/PhD programs are getting more applicants. Just read on the physician scientists forum that there were 1757 applicants in 2023 and this year there are 2011. Most medical students applying to competitive specialties such as ROAD for residencies in academic medical centers are taking 1 or 2 research years while in medical school making the MD as long as 5-6 years. Might as well spend another 2 years and add the PhD degree assuming you enjoy research. Financial considerations also favor MD/PhD versus a 5-6 year MD assuming you won’t qualify for a scholarship for MD.