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deleted855460
I would appreciate advice on how to become a stronger applicant for the 2025 cycle. Just withdrew my app from the 2024 cycle
Personal details:
BPCM:
MCAT: Took 6/29/2023: 508 (127/126/126/129) --> Will retake in January 2024 or March 2024.
Extracurriculars/LoRs:
Personal details:
- State of residence: MA for 2025 cycle, but grew up in CA and worked between MA and CA for some years post-grad
- Parent as physician: Yes, one of them
- ORM (Asian)
- Graduated: 2020, Biology Major
- sGPA as of May 2020: 3.31 (downward trend or no change in sGPA for 6 straight semesters, mostly B's with the one C+ from Genetics and a B- from Chem. I started improving my grades during senior year, so Fall 2019 was a 3.6 and Spring 2020 was a 3.7 or 3.8 - I do not remember 100%).
- cGPA as of May 2020: 3.51
- DIY Post Bacc (Extension school, 2020-2022)
- sGPA: 3.80 -- AAMC said Pharmacology didn't count towards BCPM so I got a small boost lol.
BPCM:
- HS: N/A
- Freshman year: 2.85
- Sophomore: 3.23
- Junior: 3.22
- Senior: 3.68
- Postbacc undergrad: 3.80
- Cumulative undergrad: 3.47
- HS: 2.70
- Freshman: 3.71
- Soph: 4.00
- Junior: 3.20
- Senior: 4.00
- Postbacc undergrad: 3.70
- Cumulative undergrad: 3.71
MCAT: Took 6/29/2023: 508 (127/126/126/129) --> Will retake in January 2024 or March 2024.
Extracurriculars/LoRs:
- Leadership: 35 hours (led research field team meetings)
- Research: 1600 hours (clinical research - honestly lots of unpaid work after hours, so closer to 1800, but 1600 is what I mistakenly reported on my AMCAS)
- Marked as most meaningful experience & got co-signed LoR from PI & my supervisor, but will not ask them again for the 2025 cycle. I think it's an OK LoR, I just don't want to risk asking them again because my supervisor implied that I should not pursue medical school. Also, I left my job earlier than planned because I was rushing to take the MCAT before it was too late for the 2024 cycle. So they were not happy and threatened some stuff. Basically, kind of complicated.
- Honors: nothing special. Certificate of Recognition from Los Angeles Mayor for my work with a nonprofit when I lived in CA
- Nonclinical Community Service:
- Music volunteering: 65 hrs. The director said she wrote a glowing LoR for me and I am very certain she will write a letter again for the 2025 cycle
- Clinical community service:
- 40 hrs - free medical clinic
- 70 hrs - hospital volunteering, helping patients navigate etc
- Clinical exp, paid: scribed, medical assistant, etc across various clinics -- total: 650 + 640 = 1290
- Strong LoR from one of the MDs I scribed for
- Paid nonclinical: 3000 hours from working at parent's clinic since graduating high school, 273 hours from working at an oph clinic
- Teaching: 50 hrs at sunday school
- Phyisician Shadowing: 100 hrs (I kinda assumed that scribing = shadowing. I have only formally shadowed x < 5 hrs)
- I only have 28 postbacc undergrad credits - should I take 2 more classes (8 units)?
- How else can I improve my app (aside from MCAT retake)?