WAMC/School List Help - CA ORM, 519/3.89

[dashboardkiwi]

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Hi everyone!! Help on my list would be very appreciated, trying to cut to 30-33 schools and need to know if list is top heavy!

1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS: 3.89/3.85
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown. Include all (non-voided) attempts: 519 (128/130/130/131)
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US): CA
4. Ethnicity and/or race: White
5. Undergraduate institution or category: Top public UC
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer): about 1730 between volunteer CRC position abroad and MA at derm clinic + club in undergrad doing health screenings
7. Research experience and productivity: 1100 hours, 3 presentations/posters, 1 undergrad grant, no pubs (hopefully will be able to send 1 in update letter)
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented: 200 across primary care, ortho surg, gen surg, surg onc/breast surgery,
9. Non-clinical volunteering: 150 hours crisis text line, 100 hours outreach in undergrad club organizing health screening/distributing resources
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc): 1000 hours as a speech and debate teacher, 6500 hours pre professional dance but this is over my whole life, organized high school MUN conference, health and innovation fellowship for 1 yr and led it with admin for second year
11. Relevant honors or awards: Phi Beta Kappa, 2 merit scholarships and 1 for research, lots of MUN awards
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important: Weird path thru undergrad. I took lots of community college classes in HS so graduated a semester early, then did full time CC for a semester, then entered undergrad as a junior/transfer student. I then did a DIY postbacc to finish up some premed requirements. Lots of family harship/lost a parent suddenly as a teen and other parent dealt with cancer during college. Tied into my narrative of patient education, trust in healthcare, and global health advocacy with a preventive medicine focus. Very interested in the consideration of social determinants of health and working with underserved communities in my clincal practice as a physician!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

Can you explain how the surgeons you shadowed brought public health interventions into their practices? Is there a reason why you aren't pursuing public health? Did you ever get trained as a community health worker?

 

[dashboardkiwi]

Welcome to the forums.

Can you explain how the surgeons you shadowed brought public health interventions into their practices? Is there a reason why you aren't pursuing public health? Did you ever get trained as a community health worker?

Hello!
I guess this is better worded as I want to be a physician and I am also very interested in translational medicine research, and I'm very interested in preventive medicine and potentially want to do primary care and work with underserved communities. I really like the idea of a career that brings biological understanding and understanding of social determinants of health together.

Basically if I were to summarize my narrative, it would be that the barriers keeping people from care are rarely just logistical, and that trust, education, and human connection are the tools to dismantle them.

 

[Faha]

How many hours of clinical volunteering do you have in the USA?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hello!
I guess this is better worded as I want to be a physician and I am also very interested in translational medicine research, and I'm very interested in preventive medicine and potentially want to do primary care and work with underserved communities. I really like the idea of a career that brings biological understanding and understanding of social determinants of health together.

This sounds like an expensive wishlist (will cost you up and beyond 400K depending on the school). If you do preventative medicine, why would you want to invest your time doing "translational medicine," which usually involves an innovation or therapeutic that would cost upwards of a few million to develop and market? (I'm not thinking about supplements which would avoid the FDA, so maybe there's that... so go into pharmacy or naturopathic medicine.) How is your narrative covering "biological understanding"?

Basically if I were to summarize my narrative, it would be that the barriers keeping people from care are rarely just logistical, and that trust, education, and human connection are the tools to dismantle them.

Again, sounds like you'd be good as a CHW or a public health officer.

 

[dashboardkiwi]

How many hours of clinical volunteering do you have in the USA?

abt 100 clinical volunteering in the USA but 1120 paid clinical

 

[Faha]

You have a good list and should receive several interviews.

 

[dashboardkiwi]

This sounds like an expensive wishlist (will cost you up and beyond 400K depending on the school). If you do preventative medicine, why would you want to invest your time doing "translational medicine," which usually involves an innovation or therapeutic that would cost upwards of a few million to develop and market? (I'm not thinking about supplements which would avoid the FDA, so maybe there's that... so go into pharmacy or naturopathic medicine.) How is your narrative covering "biological understanding"?


Again, sounds like you'd be good as a CHW or a public health officer.

Thank you for the feedback, it's really helpful. To clarify, when I said "translational medicine" I meant research that connects bench science to clinical application, not necessarily drug development. Thats what I did abroad as a clinical research coordinator and quite liked it. I can see how that was imprecise wording on my part.

On your question about the biological side, you're right that my narrative summary skews toward the humanistic side. My research experience (STI epidemiology abroad, COVID co-infection immunology, pandemic social isolation research) reflects real scientific engagement, but I may not be communicating that effectively. That's useful to know before my application goes out.

I'm pursuing medicine specifically because I want to practice clinically to diagnose, treat, and build longitudinal relationships with patients in underserved communities. Public health and CHW work are essential, but they can't replace what a physician can offer those same communities.

 

[dashboardkiwi]

You have a good list and should receive several interviews.

Thank you, I really appreciate it! I'm wondering, are there any schools you think I could cut down on? Should I aim towards trimming down on reach or on the target/baseline side. Thank you !

 

[Faha]

Thank you, I really appreciate it! I'm wondering, are there any schools you think I could cut down on? Should I aim towards trimming down on reach or on the target/baseline side. Thank you !

You could remove UC Riverside if you are not from that region.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

On your question about the biological side, you're right that my narrative summary skews toward the humanistic side. My research experience (STI epidemiology abroad, COVID co-infection immunology, pandemic social isolation research) reflects real scientific engagement, but I may not be communicating that effectively. That's useful to know before my application goes out.

I'm trying to point out your perspective needs to be sharper in your application and how you describe it (here). That's why the details in the WAMC matters. (You should know as a speech/debate alum/coach.)

I'm pursuing medicine specifically because I want to practice clinically to diagnose, treat, and build longitudinal relationships with patients in underserved communities. Public health and CHW work are essential, but they can't replace what a physician can offer those same communities.

But you said...

Tied into my narrative of patient education, trust in healthcare, and global health advocacy with a preventive medicine focus. Very interested in the consideration of social determinants of health and working with underserved communities in my clincal practice as a physician!

You aren't telling me why you want to be a physician in your narrative then. Make sure you tell us exactly what a physician does because you're telling me you want to be in public health and advocacy, not medicine.

 

[dashboardkiwi]

I'm trying to point out your perspective needs to be sharper in your application and how you describe it (here). That's why the details in the WAMC matters. (You should know as a speech/debate alum/coach.)



But you said...



You aren't telling me why you want to be a physician in your narrative then. Make sure you tell us exactly what a physician does because you're telling me you want to be in public health and advocacy, not medicine.

Okay yes that makes a lot of sense. Thank you!! I really appreciate the advice and will clarify my primary app focus, and do some soul searching 🙂