WAMC/School List: Non-Trad Marine Corps Officer

[Forwardslothobserver]

Hey everyone,

Just needed some help putting together my school list and wanted some advice. Want to know what I should take off or what to add. Aiming for 35 schools (5 DO and 30MD).

Undergrad GPA: 2.93c Bio major (2017) Formal PostBac GPA: 3.98, 38 credits (2021-2023) MCAT: 510 (128/127/128/127)

LOR: Bio prof (from Postbac), physics prof (from Postbac), 3 Marine officers who were in charge of me (Weapons Company Commander, Artillery Battery Commander, Officer Selection Officer), ER Doctor I shadowed, committee letter from Postbac

CA resident, ORM

EC:

• 4 years active duty Marine Corps artillery officer
• 400 Clinical Volunteering at Trauma ER + Non-Trauma ER (2021-Present)
• 200 Clinical volunteering at fire department (2014)
• 450 clinical employment COVID tester (2022)
• 100 non clinical volunteer at the Veterans Affairs (2022-now)
• 75 non clinical volunteer 100 mile club (2016)
• 75 Shadowing: 50 ER, 25 Family (2021-present)
• 400 entomology Research, 2016-2017 (no pubs)
• VP communications of fraternity (2016)
• 125 Bio teaching assistant (2022)
• 25 Chem tutor (2023)

Letter of update(idk if this matters): Planning on starting EMT work in July

MD:

1. UCR (alumni)
2. Loma Linda
3. Creighton
4. Loyola Stritch
5. USC Keck
6. UCLA
7. UCI
8. UCSD
9. UC Davis
10. ETSU Quillen
11. U of Miami
12. Boston
13. Rutgers
14. Mayo
15. UNC Chapel Hill (Stationed in NC 2.5 years)
16. USUHS
17. U of A phoenix
18. Kaiser Permanente
19. USF Morsani
20. Georgetown
21. George Washington
22. SUNY Downstate
23. SUNY Upstate
24. U of Illinois
25. Albert Einstein
26. Stanford
27. UCSF
28. NYU Long Island
29. Mount Sinai
30. Dartmouth
31. Rosalind Franklin

DO:

1. Western
2. Touro
3. AZCOM
4. TCOM
5. NYITCOM

Let me know what you guys think!

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[gyngyn]

As you attended UCR, I presume you are aware of Loma Linda's mission and restrictions?
I'd be surprised if you didn't get several interviews from your MD list.

 

[Forwardslothobserver]

As you attended UCR, I presume you are aware of Loma Linda's mission and restrictions?
I'd be surprised if you didn't get several interviews from your MD list.

Yeah I know about Loma Linda, but I'm okay with a Religious institution to be honest. Location is what is most important to me, being near my family (figured that out after being away from family for 4 years)

 

[gyngyn]

Yeah I know about Loma Linda, but I'm okay with a Religious institution to be honest. Location is what is most important to me, being near my family (figured that out after being away from family for 4 years)

They are committed to admitting folks who share their zeal to serve Christ, not just those willing to tolerate it.
They are used to having applicants whose main goal is to stay in CA.
In fact, they are one of only two schools in CA more likely to matriculate a majority of students from OOS.

 

[Forwardslothobserver]

They are committed to admitting folks who share their zeal to serve Christ, not just those willing to tolerate it.
They are used to having applicants whose main goal is to stay in CA.
In fact, they are one of only two schools in CA more likely to matriculate a majority of students from OOS.

Well since I took my MCAT in May, I had Loma Linda as the one school I submitted my app to in order to get it verified. So I guess I'll just count them out for now I guess.

Thanks for the heads up

 

[Faha]

What are your cGPA and sGPA including your post bacc ?

 

[Forwardslothobserver]

What are your cGPA and sGPA including your post bacc ?

I think they're both above 3.0 so hopefully get past the screens

 

[Faha]

You have several state public schools on your list that admit very few non residents with your stats. I suggest these schools:
Dartmouth
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Hackensack
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Georgetown
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Miami
Tulane
USUHS
TCU
Creighton
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
California University
ETSU Quillen
Kaiser
The UCs
USC Keck
On your DO list TCOM admits few non residents. You could add CUSOM, TUNCOM, KCU-COM, ATSU-KCOM, Touro-NY

 

[Forwardslothobserver]

You have several state public schools on your list that admit very few non residents with your stats. I suggest these schools:
Dartmouth
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Hackensack
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Georgetown
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Miami
Tulane
USUHS
TCU
Creighton
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
California University
ETSU Quillen
Kaiser
The UCs
USC Keck
On your DO list TCOM admits few non residents. You could add CUSOM, TUNCOM, KCU-COM, ATSU-KCOM, Touro-NY

I only added some of those state schools because they're supposed to be very veteran-friendly and I might as well shoot my shot: Rutgers, Mayo, Mount Sinai, Stanford, Chapel Hill, Boston.

I know NYU is probably a long shot but I would love to go to school there. I also found on r/premed that USF morsani is very OOS friendly, same with Einstein, UA phoenix and SUNY.

 

[Faha]

In one recent year USF Morsani matriculated only 6 non residents with a MCAT less than 512 and also 6 non residents with a GPA less than 3.45. Of those 12, I doubt that even one had both a MCAT less than 512 AND a GPA less than 3.45. SUNY Upstate matriculated 3 non residents with a MCAT of 510 or lower and 3 with a GPA less than 3.55. The GPA-MCAT grid shows you have a ~1/3 chance for a MD acceptance. You should be realistic about your chances at MD schools.

 

[Forwardslothobserver]

In one recent year USF Morsani matriculated only 6 non residents with a MCAT less than 512 and also 6 non residents with a GPA less than 3.45. Of those 12, I doubt that even one had both a MCAT less than 512 AND a GPA less than 3.45. SUNY Upstate matriculated 3 non residents with a MCAT of 510 or lower and 3 with a GPA less than 3.55. The GPA-MCAT grid shows you have a ~1/3 chance for a MD acceptance. You should be realistic about your chances at MD schools.

That's a fair point. I'll probably take off Upstate and Morsani.

I'm aware of the GPA/MCAT grid and knew it was a small chance for me getting into med school from the moment I gave up my commission in the Marines. Appreciate the advice.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I would also check schools that have strong relationships with the VA centers close to the school, or specific clinical opportunities addressing veterans' health.

 

[Faha]

That's a fair point. I'll probably take off Upstate and Morsani.

I'm aware of the GPA/MCAT grid and knew it was a small chance for me getting into med school from the moment I gave up my commission in the Marines. Appreciate the advice.

You are competitive for most DO schools so add the ones I listed.

 

[macrophagefanatic]

I only added some of those state schools because they're supposed to be very veteran-friendly and I might as well shoot my shot: Rutgers, Mayo, Mount Sinai, Stanford, Chapel Hill, Boston.

I know NYU is probably a long shot but I would love to go to school there. I also found on r/premed that USF morsani is very OOS friendly, same with Einstein, UA phoenix and SUNY.

UNC is veteran-friendly, but if you look at MSAR, they simply don't admit OOS students with a 510 MCAT score. Your GPA (even with the Post-Bacc) would also likely get you screened out. The interview slots for OOS applicants are extremely competitive. If you were in-state, it would be a completely different story, but I think you would be wasting your time and money applying there. It's up to you, though.

 

[Forwardslothobserver]

UNC is veteran-friendly, but if you look at MSAR, they simply don't admit OOS students with a 510 MCAT score. Your GPA (even with the Post-Bacc) would also likely get you screened out. The interview slots for OOS applicants are extremely competitive. If you were in-state, it would be a completely different story, but I think you would be wasting your time and money applying there. It's up to you, though.

Yeah but I lived there for like almost 3 years. Feel like that's enough of a tie to send an application right? Even if my stats are below what they want. Plus I doubt there's many Marine Corps Officers sending medical school applications there

 

[macrophagefanatic]

Yeah but I lived there for like almost 3 years. Feel like that's enough of a tie to send an application right? Even if my stats are below what they want. Plus I doubt there's many Marine Corps Officers sending medical school applications there

From my understanding, they don't consider living in the state for a few years to be close ties. Usually it involves having attended a university in NC or growing up/spending most of your life in the state. Even if you fit that criteria, you'd still be considered an OOS applicant because you're not a current NC resident, which means you're still going to be facing long odds at getting an interview. They receive thousands of OOS applications every cycle and accept fewer than 50 per class. Also, they emphasize primary care specialties and serving rural/underserved populations, so that is something to keep in mind as well. If you feel you fit that mission, it might be worth throwing your name in the hat and seeing what happens because you being an Officer will certainly help you stand out if you make it past the initial stat screening. Good luck to you whatever you decide.

 

[Forwardslothobserver]

To

From my understanding, they don't consider living in the state for a few years to be close ties. Usually it involves having attended a university in NC or growing up/spending most of your life in the state. Even if you fit that criteria, you'd still be considered an OOS applicant because you're not a current NC resident, which means you're still going to be facing long odds at getting an interview. They receive thousands of OOS applications every cycle and accept fewer than 50 per class. Also, they emphasize primary care specialties and serving rural/underserved populations, so that is something to keep in mind as well. If you feel you fit that mission, it might be worth throwing your name in the hat and seeing what happens because you being an Officer will certainly help you stand out if you make it past the initial stat screening. Good luck to you whatever you decide.

To be honest, if a school is veteran friendly and I have any kind of ties to that state they're in I'm sending an application lol. I don't expect a response from them, but all my savings from deployment were specifically for medical school applications.