MD WAMC/School List Help (OH URM, 3.26cGPA, 3.61sGPA, 507 MCAT)

[Ketchupsauce]

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Hey! I would appreciate any insight into my school list as I prepare to submit my primaries. I have the AAMC FAP so I plan on applying to 20 MD schools. My location preferences are mainly warmer climates but I am open to anywhere. I have also considered doing an MD/PHD program. However, I am hesitant to apply to them this cycle due to my stats. Therefore, I would prefer to apply to schools that have a PHD program so that it is possible for me to apply during M1/M2. In the long term, I am looking to work in an academic hospital while teaching and doing research.

1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS
   
   1. 3.26 cGPA and 3.61 sGPA
   2. 2022 Biomedical Engineering grad
   3. Potential red flag: Failed same fine arts Class twice
      1. First time I failed: I wasn't able to keep up with coursework. Decided to tank class in order to take advantage of course repeat policy. (In hindsight not the best decision)
      2. Second time I failed: House got robbed at gunpoint and burglarized several times during my senior year (Have police documentation). Had to move during the middle of the semester for safety. Missed a few weeks of school due to meetings and moving. GPA tanked and failed the same class.
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown. Include all (non-voided) attempts.
   
   1. 504 (128/124/126/126) August 2021
   2. 507 (127/126/127/127) May 2024
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
   
   1. Ohio
4. Ethnicity and/or race
   
   1. URM (African American Male, First Gen Student, Second Gen Immigrant, Low SES)
5. Undergraduate institution or category
   
   1. Miami University(OH not Florida)
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
   
   1. Float Patient Care Associate at Inpatient Academic Hospital(~1200 hours)
7. Research experience and productivity
   
   1. Undergrad Research Assistant(~220 hours)
      1. Worked in organic synthesis lab assisting a grad student
      2. No papers/pubs/presentations but aided in synthesis steps and did a lot of NMRs and column chromatography/purification
   2. Clinical Research Assistant at Academic Hospital(~1500 hours but anticipate ~3000 hours)
      1. Spend 90% of time on research and 10% in clinic
      2. Currently doing a Retrospective Study in Germline Genetics in Bladder cancer
      3. Presented 1 poster at local symposium and 1 abstract accepted into ASCO journal; Anticipate additional submissions and presentations
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   
   1. ~50 hours: Oncology(~25 hours), Gastrointestinal(~13 hours), Urology(~12 hours)
      1. Anticipate more hours in oncology, urology, and medical genetics
9. Letter of Recs
   
   1. 2 from Professors (Stats and Chem/Bio stats)
   2. 1 from undergrad club advisor, 1 from nursing manager, 1 from Physician I work with
      1. Confident that these 3 letters will be strong
10. Non-clinical volunteering
    
    1. Volunteer tutor for minority scholars program (~100 hours)
    2. COSI on wheels/Ohio Energy Project(~15 hours)
       1. Stopped due to COVID but currently trying to reapply as volunteer
11. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
    
    1. Tutor
       1. Tutored for engineering department (85 hours)
    2. Club for Black Engineers
       1. President(~150 hours), Treasurer (~60 hours), General Body Member (~20 hours)
    3. Pre-Med Club(~100 hours)
       1. Just a member but gained a lot of insight in navigating the pre-med process
    4. Engineering Student Advisory Board (~8 hrs)
       1. Selected by my department chair senior year
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important
    
    1. Coding Side Projects/Supplemental Ed
       1. Want to do research in a computational/medical field
          1. Trying to learn/apply these skills in my own life
       2. Also freelance building clinical/translational research databases
    2. Hobbies
       1. Sports
          1. Play a lot of pickup soccer/basketball (Not sure how many hours)
          2. Participated in Intramural Sports during most undergrad (~50 hours)
       2. Musical Instruments
          1. Played Alto Sax for 7 years,
          2. Been playing piano for 8 years and ukulele for 3 years (Self taught both)
       3. Learning Language(Swahili)
          1. Anticipate going out of the country in the next year to meet grandparents/extended family (Will be my first time out of the country and my first time meeting my grandparents/extended family)
          2. They don't speak English very well so I want to learn to help bridge the language barrier
             1. Also have just wanted to learn Swahili for myself

I have used admit.org to generate this list of schools. I am not sure of the best way to narrow down the list. So far I have noted schools that have PHD programs and am tracking schools that I am within the 10th percentile of MCAT scores. Also, I have not taken additional exams such as Casper/Preview. I do not mind taking them because I believe I am able to get the fees waived. I am happy to give more details to help. Thanks in advance!

School List:

1. Ohio State
2. Cincinnati
3. Toledo
4. Wright State
5. Indiana
6. University of Miami
7. Wake Forest
8. Georgetown University
9. George Washington
10. Jefferson(Kimmel)
11. University of Arizona
12. Virginia Commonwealth
13. University of Vermont
14. Rush University
15. Temple University
16. Wayne State University
17. Hackensack Meridian
18. Drexel University
19. Eastern Virginia
20. New York Medical College
21. Tulane University
22. Penn State University
23. NEO Med
24. Creighton University
25. Rosalind Franklin
26. Albany Medical College
27. Quinnipiac University
28. Oakland University
29. Western Michigan
30. Saint Louis University
31. Tufts University
32. Texas Christian
33. Nova Southeastern
34. Loyola
35. Medical College of Wisconsin
36. Morehouse
37. Howard
38. Meharry Medical College

 

[Faha]

Remove Rush and Loyola since they are looking for applicants with far more non clinical volunteering hours than you have. You should receive several interviews from the other schools on your list.

 

[Ketchupsauce]

Remove Rush and Loyola since they are looking for applicants with far more non clinical volunteering hours than you have. You should receive several interviews from the other schools on your list.

Will do. Thank you!

Do you have any recommendations on how I should narrow down my school list? My process at the moment is selecting schools with PHD programs and schools that I am within the 10th percentile of MCAT scores.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Can you explain why you are picking schools with PhD programs? How does their existence conform with your purpose as a physician?

 

[Ketchupsauce]

Can you explain why you are picking schools with PhD programs? How does their existence conform with your purpose as a physician?

There are a few reasons why I believe doing a PhD, in addition to completing my MD, will enhance my abilities as a physician scientist:

1. I would like to do research/work at an academic institution
   1. I have read that the skills you gain as a researcher during your PhD program will make it easier to secure funding as a physician scientist
      1. It is still possible to secure funding as an MD without the PhD. I currently work with a Physician who does not have a PhD and they are able to fund their projects.
2. I need more knowledge in my field of interest
   1. I would like to get more formal training on my computational skills. I took 1 computation and stats course during undergrad and all my other learning has been supplemented through online education
      1. Although this coursework can be gained through a masters program, the financial support of a PhD program makes it more attractive
   2. The PHD coursework will solidify my foundation and help me connect this education to the medical/clinical setting
3. I would like to teach
   1. Being a master in your field will make you a more effective educator.

Something I have realized at my current job is that the amount of data available in healthcare continues to grow and we can use this data for improving clinical care. At the moment I very interested in an using my PhD to learn how to effectively manage and manipulate healthcare data for data driven healthcare solutions. Also there is a lot of nuance in medicine so the MD will help me navigate this. I have looked into computational fields in medicine such as using artificial intelligence/machine learning for image analysis in digital pathology and the use of genomic information for personalized immunotherapy. However, I am still not exactly sure which field I will end up in. My goal with going to a school with a PhD program is that I will at least have the opportunity to be exposed to these various fields/labs. Then I will make commitment to a specific path based on the funding, mentorship, and any new/continued interest.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Interesting. Your stats are challenging but not impossible. You have to find the right fit that can balance both. I again encourage you to ask the Physician Scientists forum with your WAMC to get more specific insights on the feasibility of your vision. You need the right mentors and resources to get through your plan. That said, your 507 feels too low for a competitive MSTP application, even for URMs (though I have to check with Fencer and the AAMC data on MD/PhDs).

Being in-state Ohio helps, though MSTP adcoms want good candidates from everywhere. If you didn't already know, here are suggestions:

Home | Biostatistics, Health Informatics and Data Sciences | UC Medicine

The Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Cincinnati works to improve the quality of life by identifying the mechanisms of disease and injury due to environmental exposures and genetic factors, and by developing effective methods of preventions and interventions.

med.uc.edu

Department of Biomedical Informatics | Ohio State College of Medicine

Here is some information from The Ohio State University College of Medicine I wanted to share with you.

medicine.osu.edu

Computational Biology and Bioinformatics | Ohio University

Bioinformatics combines biological and computational research to enhance the scientific understanding of life, including how and why diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis and diabetes appear and progress. By processing genetic and biological data and comparing against health outcomes for...

www.ohio.edu

Bioinformatics Program

Bioinformatics Program

www.utoledo.edu

Dual Degree Programs

Make a Difference in the World with a Dual Degree Our country needs more highly educated and motivated physician-leaders to address challenges in a variety of settings, from developing public health policies and managing massive hospital networks, to shaping academic medicine and exploring the...

medicine.wright.edu

I'm trying to get an article together about DO/PhD, especially at Michigan State. You could be a viable candidate for them.

D.O.-Ph.D. Program | MSU Osteopathic Medicine

The D.O.-Ph.D. program is for highly motivated students who have achieved excellence in research and academics.The training enables them to be physician-scientists working on basic science or disease-related problems.

osteopathicmedicine.msu.edu

 

[Ketchupsauce]

Interesting. Your stats are challenging but not impossible. You have to find the right fit that can balance both. I again encourage you to ask the Physician Scientists forum with your WAMC to get more specific insights on the feasibility of your vision. You need the right mentors and resources to get through your plan. That said, your 507 feels too low for a competitive MSTP application, even for URMs (though I have to check with Fencer and the AAMC data on MD/PhDs).

Being in-state Ohio helps, though MSTP adcoms want good candidates from everywhere. If you didn't already know, here are suggestions:

Home | Biostatistics, Health Informatics and Data Sciences | UC Medicine

The Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Cincinnati works to improve the quality of life by identifying the mechanisms of disease and injury due to environmental exposures and genetic factors, and by developing effective methods of preventions and interventions.

med.uc.edu

Department of Biomedical Informatics | Ohio State College of Medicine

Here is some information from The Ohio State University College of Medicine I wanted to share with you.

medicine.osu.edu

Computational Biology and Bioinformatics | Ohio University

Bioinformatics combines biological and computational research to enhance the scientific understanding of life, including how and why diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis and diabetes appear and progress. By processing genetic and biological data and comparing against health outcomes for...

www.ohio.edu

Bioinformatics Program

Bioinformatics Program

www.utoledo.edu

Dual Degree Programs

Make a Difference in the World with a Dual Degree Our country needs more highly educated and motivated physician-leaders to address challenges in a variety of settings, from developing public health policies and managing massive hospital networks, to shaping academic medicine and exploring the...

medicine.wright.edu

I'm trying to get an article together about DO/PhD, especially at Michigan State. You could be a viable candidate for them.

D.O.-Ph.D. Program | MSU Osteopathic Medicine

The D.O.-Ph.D. program is for highly motivated students who have achieved excellence in research and academics.The training enables them to be physician-scientists working on basic science or disease-related problems.

osteopathicmedicine.msu.edu

Thank you for the input. I do agree that my stats make it an uphill battle when it comes to my goals but I am willing to give it a shot. I will post on the Physician Scientists forum for more advice.