WAMC - Super average stats with solid extracurricular activities. In addition to my list, can you tell me what would be a "reach" school?

[medicalschoolhopeful]

Ok, here are my stats:

1. cGPA: 3.61 sGPA: 3.42 (3.96 last 2 years of school, 80 hours)
2. MCAT score: 504 (126, 125, 127, 126)
3. Alabama Resident
4. ORM
5. State school for undergrad
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
   1. Hospital Volunteering: 200 hours
   2. HIV/STD Free clinic tester: 120 hours
   3. In my current gap year, I work at the organ center procuring tissue for transplant. Mainly optical tissue. I procure the tissue solo and have to read over the medical chart for tissue rule-outs, recover the tissue, and then prep the tissue for transplant.
7. Research experience and productivity
   1. Undergrad for two years in neurology: presented 3 posters
   2. National summer research grant ($7500) in neurology: 1 poster at conference
   3. In addition to organ center work, I currently oversee a biobank for tissue research. I manage the inventory of tissue and collaborate with researchers all over the country.
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. 40 hours at orthopedic clinic, surgery and non-surgery
   2. 20 hours in family medicine
   3. 10 hours with DO
9. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. Numerous activities (Big Brothers Big Sisters, etc) probably over 500 hours
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
    1. Co-founder and Captain of university club sports team
    2. President of Honors College
    3. Founded Operation Smile Club on campus
    4. Paid tutor for 2 years
11. Relevant honors or awards
    1. Graduated with honors
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important
    1. I participated in a bunch of random clubs while in school, but didnt think I needed to list specifics.

Most importantly, please include a list of schools you are interested in applying to. It is much easier for users to help you when you have taken the time to construct your own school list first!

For my list, a combination of state schools and DO schools:
1. UAB
2. USA
3. FSU
4. LSU
5. IDK what else?

3-4 DO schools as well

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[m1redsox]

I do not think you are competitive for MD programs. Your MCAT and GPA are far below average at most MD schools including your own state programs (<25th percentile for both your MCAT and GPA at UAB and USA). Your ECs are solid, but not outstanding enough to overlook your low stats. I recommend just applying to DO schools.

 

[medicalschoolhopeful]

I do not think you are competitive for MD programs. Your MCAT and GPA are far below average at most MD schools including your own state programs (<25th percentile for both your MCAT and GPA at UAB and USA). Your ECs are solid, but not outstanding enough to overlook your low stats. I recommend just applying to DO schools.

What would a realistic MCAT score be to make my application more competitive for MD?

 

[openstage]

509 as a minimum

 

[Faha]

U Alabama and South Alabama are your only realistic chances for MD schools. Also apply broadly to DO schools and I suggest these:
ACOM
CUSOM
PCOM (all schools)
ARCOM
NYIT-AR
VCOM (all schools)
AZCOM
TUNCOM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
MU-COM
DMU-COM

 

[m1redsox]

If you retake the MCAT, don’t do it until you are scoring 10+ points higher on practice tests. Marginal improvement on the MCAT is not considered a good thing. That being said, you’d have a solid chance at your state schools with a 509. For everywhere else, you’ll want to have a 510+ —especially since your sGPA is low. However, I’d recommend just trying for DO schools. There are a lot of great ones on the East Coast, and DO schools are prettymuch on the same level as USA. ACOM would be a fantastic place to go. My buddy chose to go there over UCLA.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

The upward trend will buy you a bit of forgiveness but RedSox is right, you need to be shooting for ~512 or better. Anything above a 509 on a retake will help you. Make sure those are on two consecutive full-length AAMC tests taken under conditions approximating Test Day. Third-party tests are often inaccurate.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Agreeing DO is your better shot, in addition to UA and USA in-state. As pointed out, a retake goal should involve increasing your composite score by 10 or more points, and 510+ is a rule-of-thumb minimum for MD to increase your chances.

 

[Goro]

I suggest:

Temple (maybe)
Oakland U Beaumont
SLU (maybe)
Wayne State
MCW
Loma Linda (only if you are SDA or a very devout Christian)
Loyola
Rosy Franklin
TCU/UNT
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
Your state school(s).

Any DO school. I can't recommend Nova, Wm Carey, BCOM, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. MSUCOM? Read up on Larry Nasser and you decide. LMU has an accreditation warning, which concerns me. CalHS is too new and appears to be too limited in rotations sites. UIW refuses to post their Boards scores, which is fishy.