WAMC/School List: Nontraditional Military Veteran, FL Resident, 507/3.1

[SquirrelSayWhat]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Stats:

• cGPA: 3.16 | sGPA: 3.40
• Graduate GPA: 4.0 (Mix of research and hard science courses)
• Postbacc GPA: 4.0 (7 credits, I needed to take Physics 2 + Lab so I took Neuroscience with it)
• MCAT: 507 (128/124/128/127)
• State: Florida
• Ethnicity: White, Spanish at the AAMC 'basic' functionality level
• Large R1 public university: BS Biological Sciences, Summa Cum Laude, December 2023 & MS Biology, With Distinction, December 2024

OIE/Disadvantage/Institutional Action Context: Lost both parents, one early on and the other later due to addiction leading me to be financially + completely independent at 14 (social security as only support and income). Assisted with caretaking as grandparents experienced neurological decline through high school. Started a traditional freshman year at 17 and ended on academic probation due to a lack of asking for help, a lack of support/mentorship, and no clear path to my future. These bad grades weigh my GPA down heavily. Joined the military when $40 a week for groceries and working three jobs wasn't cutting it. Returned to school in January 2022 deliberately to pursue medicine for the first time and earned a 4.0 across every course since — undergraduate and graduate, science and non-science, including all prerequisite courses — while serving on active duty and working in civilian hospitals. Named an Outstanding Graduate out of 11,000 students at my institution. LOR's attest to my academic transformation as a student and as a TA who gives back to students in the way I was once lacking.

Clinical Experience 7,750 hours

• Military medical care: ~4,000 hours. Sole medically trained person. Managed acute emergencies including trauma, psychiatric crises, and medical emergencies among underserved populations. Implemented innovative medication program. (Civilian) NREMT certified in my off-time as I realized I needed more knowledge and skills.
• Patient Care Technician at regional hospitals: ~2,500 hours across ER, ICU, Med-Surg, and Behavioral Health (did this while on active duty between deployments)
• Clinical Research Coordinator at major academic medical center: ~1,000 hours. Coordinated neurostimulation trial for treatment-resistant epilepsy, also where I did my Masters Capstone
• Physician Shadowing — primary care indigent clinic + neurosurgery: ~250 hours

Research 1,500 hours

• ~1,500 hours total
• Published study
• Poster presentation x2
• Genomic and proteomic biomarker research talk
• Graduate capstone examining disparities in access to advanced epilepsy care
• Ongoing independent study on early life adversity and academic trajectories

Non-Clinical Volunteering 3,100 hours

• Crisis counseling hotline: ~1,600 hours (ongoing since 2017)
• Veteran housing volunteer: ~500 hours
• Animal shelter volunteer: ~800 hours
• Court-appointed child advocate for children in the foster system: ~200 hours (ongoing since 2024)

Extracurriculars/Leadership:

• Active duty military service, Left as an E6 after 10+ years ~20,000 hours (separated from clinical military experience) - LOR attests to leadership, impact at scale, and character
• Military award & Field Promotion for being the Enlisted Person of the Year for the unit, sector, and greater area
• Pre-Medical Club Member + President
• Teaching Assistant + Post-MS Biology supervisory teaching role — 13 semesters across chemistry and biology

Honors/Awards:

• Outstanding Graduate — selected from 11,000 students
• Chosen to speak at university town hall with the University President representing military, nontraditional, and premedical students

School List:
Florida (in-state, rural/medically underserved resident):

• University of Florida
• University of Miami Miller
• University of South Florida Morsani (Do I even bother with how stat drive they've become?)
• Florida State University
• Florida International University
• University of Central Florida
• Florida Atlantic University
• Nova MD

Virginia/DC Corridor:

• Eastern Virginia Medical School at ODU
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Virginia Tech Carilion
• Georgetown University
• George Washington University

Mid-Atlantic:

• Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (Ties - former civilian employment)
• Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel
• Temple University Lewis Katz
• Drexel University
• Albany Medical College
• New York Medical College
• University at Buffalo Jacobs

Southeast:

• Wake Forest University
• Tulane University

Midwest:

• Case Western Reserve University
• Rosalind Franklin University
• Loyola University Chicago Stritch
• Creighton University

What I'm looking for: Review of my school list. Specifically: which schools on this list are possible with these numbers, which should I drop, and are there any I should add? I am currently focused on applying MD-only at this stage, I don't know what specialty I want to pursue but I don't want the extra time & financial stressors of DO programs if I can avoid those (but am aware of DO & stats and that is something I'll consider at a later date). I am looking for schools that use holistic review in their application review process and will value my application which is: nontraditional, service-oriented, research familiarity, heavy in empathy and caring for others while remaining scientifically curious. I submitted to AMCAS June 1st and have FAP this year so I want to really maximize that and apply broadly, though I recognize my stats aren't where I was hoping they would be at this stage of applying. I am also trying to cut out any schools with unofficial/official screens I may not meet.

I am also interested in perspectives on whether to retake the MCAT in ~August or start prepping for it again in ~November given that I'm already submitted and my practice average was 518 on AAMC materials? I had some extreme test day anxiety that really got to me after a bad start in CP that snowballed throughout the day.

Thank you!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums. Thank you for all of your service to our country.

The 507 MCAT really stinks if you really had a practice score trend to 518. I'm challenged by what you want to do as a doctor given your accomplishments. Why would each school on this list fulfill your mission as a physician?

 

[Faha]

A MCAT of 507 is not competitive for Case Western. Buffalo admits few non residents with no connection to the state. You could add these schools:
Quinnipiac
Vermont
Dartmouth
East Tennessee
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Rush
Belmont
Alice Walton
TCU
Roseman

 

[SquirrelSayWhat]

A MCAT of 507 is not competitive for Case Western. Buffalo admits few non residents with no connection to the state. You could add these schools:
Quinnipiac
Vermont
Dartmouth
East Tennessee
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Rush
Belmont
Alice Walton
TCU
Roseman

Thank you! Definitely some solid changes here and I know school list will be a big part of this process at this point.

 

[SquirrelSayWhat]

Welcome to the forums. Thank you for all of your service to our country.

The 507 MCAT really stinks if you really had a practice score trend to 518. I'm challenged by what you want to do as a doctor given your accomplishments. Why would each school on this list fulfill your mission as a physician?

Thank you! Great question. I am interested in working with the veteran population and remain open-minded on specialty. Most of my clinical experience has been in emergency settings at small regional hospitals, so I am looking forward to exposure across specialties in medical school as I narrow my interests. The Florida schools fit my residency and in-state status. The remainder were selected based on holistic review processes, no hard cutoffs, and geographic alignment with the greater East Coast where my partner's career will likely lead him (though this isn't an overly limiting factor and we will make any location work). I am certainly open to suggestions here!