WAMC/School List Help: cGPA 3.82/ 519 / ORM / NJ resident (ties to PA)

[ozzielvr]

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Hi! I'm applying for the 2026 cycle and I could really use some help with my school list! This is what I have so far, but if anyone has any recs for what I should take out/add that would be great:

Albany Medical College, Albert Einstein, CWRU, Cooper, Zucker, Drexel, Emory, Quinnipac, Geisel, Geisinger, GW, Hackensack, Keck, NYU Long Island, NYU, NYMC, Feinberg, Ohio State, Penn State, Perelman, Stony Brook, UVM, Rutgers NJMS, Rutgers RWJ, SUNY Downstate, Stanford, Tufts, USF Morsani, Miami, Mich, Pitt, University of Rochester, Wake Forest, Weill Cornell

W/A:
Clinical -

• MA (280, anticipated = 320)
• Patient Transport (200)
• Rehab Volunteer (120)
• Volunteer MA (40)

Research -

• Ortho research (710) --> will present a poster at the end of summer
• Public health research related to ortho (200)

Nonclinical -

• Free Health Clinic (400)
• Senior Home (60)

Leadership -

• Charity org (320)
• State-wide sustainable living initiative (350)

Shadowing - 100

TA/Private Tutoring - 380

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

What is your purpose as a physician? What did you do in these activities? Holistic review means that you descriptions and your background are essential to determine your chances as the hours you took on.

That said, you seem to have zero service orientation non-clinical activities listed: food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation. With zero hours at submission, your file will be at risk of being screened out by most schools with whom you do not demonstrate a strong mission fit.

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
Your 3 New Jersey state public schools
Hackensack
Hofstra
Einstein (free tuition)
Mount Sinai
NYU (free tuition)
Columbia
Cornell
NYMC
Rochester
Dartmouth
Boston University
Tufts
Jefferson
Pittsburgh
George Washington
Georgetown
Duke
Emory
USF Morsani
Miami
Vanderbilt
Washington University (in St. Louis)
Northwestern
U Michigan
Case Western
Cincinnati
Ohio State

 

[ozzielvr]

Welcome to the forums.

What is your purpose as a physician? What did you do in these activities? Holistic review means that you descriptions and your background are essential to determine your chances as the hours you took on.

That said, you seem to have zero service orientation non-clinical activities listed: food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation. With zero hours at submission, your file will be at risk of being screened out by most schools with whom you do not demonstrate a strong mission fit.

My bad, I should have been more clear in my breakdown! I think both of my leadership activities are service orientation non-clinical. The charity organization I'm on the leadership board for raises money to provide educational resources to an underfunded school in India and the state-wide sustainable living initiative consists of me speaking to state legislators in favor of passing bills in favor of wildlife and writing blogs. I just listed these as leadership on my AMCAS but included more about this work in my descriptions.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

My bad, I should have been more clear in my breakdown! I think both of my leadership activities are service orientation non-clinical. The charity organization I'm on the leadership board for raises money to provide educational resources to an underfunded school in India and the state-wide sustainable living initiative consists of me speaking to state legislators in favor of passing bills in favor of wildlife and writing blogs. I just listed these as leadership on my AMCAS but included more about this work in my descriptions.

I don't conflate leadership and service orientation as you have. Fundraising is a leadership skill. Advocacy is also a leadership skill that is categorized separately as... advocacy. It's okay that you listed them as leadership, but I point out they don't satisfy my rubric for service orientation.