MD & DO WAMC/School List Help- URM in CA w/ 3.6 cGPA/3.4 sGPA/502 MCAT

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Pikablue

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I'm a first-gen, low SES Latine from SoCal. I know my chances are low with this MCAT, but my mentor encouraged me to shoot my shot given my story. I put off applying but I'm finally going to shoot my shot and if I have to reapply, I'll retake the MCAT and hope for the best. I'm thinking of applying to a few MD (I have FAP) and DO. I've been told my PS and LORs are strong.

3.6 cGPA/3.4 sGPA
3.95 MPH GPA

MCAT score(s) and breakdown
501 (124/124/124/129
502 (125/126/124/127)

State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
CA *cries* lol

Ethnicity and/or race
Latine/Mexican

Institutions
T20 school for undergrad, CSU for MPH

Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
170 hours clinic volunteer, 400 hours medical scribe (paid)

Research experience and productivity
Various research experience in bio lab, psych, our department of public health (mostly health education workshops done here), 5 posters, a couple of science blogs. Hoping for a pub this year but it's up in the air due to funding

Shadowing experience and specialties represented
50 projected hours shadowing, mostly family med, since that's what I want to pursue, a bit of ER

Non-clinical volunteering
50 hours at a science camp
Projected 60 hours at a grief camp
200 hours fostering cats/doing TNRs

Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
Music performance, film club/creative, leadership in pre-health and LGBT student org, mostly working full time with various jobs/work-study. I studied abroad in undergrad and fell in love with travel, so my gap year is going to be teaching English abroad and taking a medical Spanish course (I am fluent in speaking/reading Spanish, but not great at writing)
400 hours at a competitive public health fellowship with a non-profit for my MPH which involved lots of health education in SoCal, not sure if this counts as non-clinical volunteering or an EC

Relevant honors or awards
Dean's list, Gilman scholarship, HSF, 4 merit scholarships, Honors for my MPH

Anything else not listed you think might be important
I didn't really volunteer much more due to the deaths of 2 immediate family members in college, having to work through undergrad because of that loss of income. My grades were horrible that year and I failed a class, retook it and got an A. This is probably why my MCAT was low as well. Looking at a retake next year if this cycle doesn't work out.

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You are competitive for many DO schools and I suggest all these:
ATSU (both schools)
KCU-COM
UIWSOM
TUNCOM
ACOM
WCU-COM
NYIT-AR
MU-COM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
WVSOM
UP-KYCOM
CUSOM
VCOM (all 4 schools)
Noorda-COM
CHSU-COM
For MD schools you could try these:
California University
Loma Linda (if you fit their mission)
UC Riverside (if you are from that region)
Arizona (Tucson and Phoenix)
TCU
Creighton
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
NOVA MD
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Vermont
Quinnipiac
 
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California programs strongly consider childhood and socioeconomic factors among applicants to achieve diversity goals, and connecting with LMSA or affinity organizations like MiMentor may give you a little more insight and confidence. This may be why your advisor is encouraging you. Also check out FGLIMed.
 
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