AJS59
Full Member
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2023
- Messages
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Hi all...long time lurker, first time poster. So far nothing has bit this cycle (i.e. no II's) so I want to prepare for a re-app and make sure I am set up for success. Any advice is welcome.
Essentially the tl;dr is I feel I applied with insufficient clinical hours and a poor list, so that's what I'd like the most help on. I don't think it's impossible I get an interview but not banking on it.
First, the important details:
GPA: 3.71 (BCPM: 3.60). No grades below a B- and there was only one of those. Graduated 2023 with majors in Chemistry and Economics.
MCAT: Mar. 2023 522 (130/130/131/131)
State of Residence: Florida, strong ties to NH, for whatever that's worth in a state without a public med school
Ethnicity: White, first in family to med school but I wouldn't call myself underprivileged in any way.
Undergrad: Dartmouth
Clinical and shadowing: This was without a doubt the weakest point of my app. I recorded 15 hours of shadowing for a radiation oncologist and 21.5 hours of virtual shadowing with various specialties during the pandemic. Since then, I started volunteering as a patient escort at a local VA hospital in VT...I have completed 24 hours so far and am on track to get 100, but shooting for 150 ideally and even higher if possible.
Non-clinical volunteering: I committed 50 hours through a virtual org that delivered supplies to frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic. Additionally, I volunteered about 300 hours to trailwork on the Appalachian Trail.
Research: Basic science in organometallic chemistry, about 750 hours. Worked on developing a new catalyst for a critical reaction in the pharmaceutical industry. Won a handful of departmental awards for it and named a 2nd author on a recently accepted publication in Organometallics.
Other Extracurriculars:
Awards: Nothing above club/department level. I'm an Eagle Scout too but that's not getting mentioned anywhere since it was before
Rec letters: 2 from chemistry profs (1 who I had twice, other I had twice + did research with), 1 from radiation oncologist I shadowed, 1 from Econ prof, 1 from outing club advisor.
Second, the school list (bold indicates still alive):
Boston U
Case Western
Duke
Emory
Geisel
George Washington
Georgetown
Harvard
Northwestern
Oregon
Penn
UVM
Stanford
Brown
Tufts
Arizona Phoenix
Arizona Tucson
UChicago
Colorado
UConn
UF
UMass
Miami
Michigan
UNC
UVA
Washington (this was extremely dumb, but I applied since my sister goes to UW. Again, stupid.)
Vandy
Wake
Wash U
Wayne State
Weill
Yale
Third, what I've changed up/am planning to change:
Essentially the tl;dr is I feel I applied with insufficient clinical hours and a poor list, so that's what I'd like the most help on. I don't think it's impossible I get an interview but not banking on it.
First, the important details:
GPA: 3.71 (BCPM: 3.60). No grades below a B- and there was only one of those. Graduated 2023 with majors in Chemistry and Economics.
MCAT: Mar. 2023 522 (130/130/131/131)
State of Residence: Florida, strong ties to NH, for whatever that's worth in a state without a public med school
Ethnicity: White, first in family to med school but I wouldn't call myself underprivileged in any way.
Undergrad: Dartmouth
Clinical and shadowing: This was without a doubt the weakest point of my app. I recorded 15 hours of shadowing for a radiation oncologist and 21.5 hours of virtual shadowing with various specialties during the pandemic. Since then, I started volunteering as a patient escort at a local VA hospital in VT...I have completed 24 hours so far and am on track to get 100, but shooting for 150 ideally and even higher if possible.
Non-clinical volunteering: I committed 50 hours through a virtual org that delivered supplies to frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic. Additionally, I volunteered about 300 hours to trailwork on the Appalachian Trail.
Research: Basic science in organometallic chemistry, about 750 hours. Worked on developing a new catalyst for a critical reaction in the pharmaceutical industry. Won a handful of departmental awards for it and named a 2nd author on a recently accepted publication in Organometallics.
Other Extracurriculars:
- Leadership in collegiate outing club: Vice President of Club, Treasurer (2x), Chair of Hiking Subclub (2x). Member of Student Risk Management Committee. Outdoor Logistics Coordinator for Sophomore Trips Program. 620 total hours. Also received some small club-level awards.
- Athletics: Not exactly a varsity athlete but I did compete on our college's woodsmen team for 4 years. The biggest role I had from that was planning, organizing and executing a home meet for over 200 competitors. 300 hours for the home meet, 240 hours for other competition stuff over the years.
- Student newspaper: Wrote and later served as a news executive editor, overseeing an organization of about 200 student writers, designers, photographers and other staff members. Served 900 hours for the year I was news executive editor, otherwise did about 250 hours of writing (76 articles).
- Undergraduate Science Journal: Wrote and edited articles for our undergraduate journal of science. Included both short news articles and longer literature reviews. 200 hours.
- Trail Crew: In addition to volunteer trailwork, I also worked full time doing trailwork during summer 2022 as part of a trail crew (again, working on the AT). 400 hours. Not included in the primary.
- Business Internships: During the pandemic (Summer-Fall 2020) (well before I had settled on being a pre-med), I did a couple of non-medical business internships, one with a tech startup and one with a private equity firm. 150 hours each.
- Teaching Science Fellow: 2000 hours - essentially acting as a tutor/TA and liaison between students and faculty in intro level Gen Chem and Organic Chem activities. Specifically a liaison to our first-generation college office, organizing events to introduce them to STEM learning.
- Resident Fellow - 400 hours - In return for free food/housing, I organize events and communications for our house.
- Additionally, I'm looking to get some more non-clinical volunteering done at a local food shelter...as much as I reasonably can fit into my schedule.
Awards: Nothing above club/department level. I'm an Eagle Scout too but that's not getting mentioned anywhere since it was before
Rec letters: 2 from chemistry profs (1 who I had twice, other I had twice + did research with), 1 from radiation oncologist I shadowed, 1 from Econ prof, 1 from outing club advisor.
Second, the school list (bold indicates still alive):
Boston U
Case Western
Duke
Emory
Geisel
George Washington
Georgetown
Harvard
Northwestern
Oregon
Penn
UVM
Stanford
Brown
Tufts
Arizona Phoenix
Arizona Tucson
UChicago
Colorado
UConn
UF
UMass
Miami
Michigan
UNC
UVA
Washington (this was extremely dumb, but I applied since my sister goes to UW. Again, stupid.)
Vandy
Wake
Wash U
Wayne State
Weill
Yale
Third, what I've changed up/am planning to change:
- Include the VA volunteering and any new non-clinical volunteering I can get between now and June. Having met with pre-health advisors, this is what they recommended. Maybe get some more shadowing too.
- Potentially swap out 1 of the letters for a letter from my TSF advisor, who is also a physician (retired, but worked as an endocrinologist for many years)
- Next year, work as a clinical research coordinator or other medical assistant. I already have one offer for a MA role in Boston at a Derm. office, but trying to see what I can continue to improve
- School list:
- Drop Washington, UNC, Oregon since they stack the deck against OOS applicants.
- Add USF, UCF, FAU, FSU, FIU, Nova
- Potentially drop some of the reachier-schools (namely Yale, Stanford, UChicago, etc.)