WAMC - TX Resident w/ 503 MCAT - Primary Care/Prevention Medicine Focus

[thepl.eb]

---

Members don't see this ad.

• GPA
  • cGPA: 3.79
  • sGPA: 3.47
• MCAT: 503 (126/124/126/127)
• State of residence or country of citizenship: TX (grew up went to college in Cali moved last year closer to all my family and have in state status)
• Ethnicity and/or race: ORM Asian - Parents born and educated outside of the USA
• Undergraduate institution: Cal Poly SLO
• Clinical experience:
  • 250 hours at major Dallas area hospital as a patient representative
  • 60 hours as a Behavioral Technician (ABA Therapy)
  • 400 hours as a caregiver for my mother - managed meds, massaged her feet, cooked meals for her, took her to and from chemo appointments
• Research experience and productivity
  • 120 hours in Mango Satiety Research Lab
  • 350 hours for Capstone Research Project - Policy Proposal for Universal Healthcare
• Shadowing experience and specialties represented
  • 70 hours shadowing a cardiologist - getting LOR from him
• Non-clinical volunteering
  • 120 hours: Red Cross - in college club + after in North Texas area
  • 300 hours: BeAware - nonprofit I started with the intent to further prevention in the local commmunity this is my passion project which I am growing with the support of some important people
  • 20 hours: serving on the advisory board for a major government department's grant to uplift low SES students and bring them into healthcare job as leaders to combat the new age issues - like misinformation
  • 400 hours on crisis text line
  • 300 hours serving on leadership team of CSA - service organization at college where we used to support the local community and connect new students to opportunities and serving needs of the community
• Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
  • Tutor
• Relevant honors or awards: 6 Deans Lists, Cumma Laude
  
  Was expecting a higher MCAT score, just got this back. Already sent out TMDSAS app with all schools included. Should i try to apply to any of the MD schools at all, esp considering bias against TX schools? Which DOs should i apply to?
  
  I was really thinking of applying to Temple, Jefferson, GW, Rush, Pitt, NYIT, PCOM -> but after seeing my score I don't know. Is Oklahoma State even worth it? How about TCU?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums. 503/3.47 sGPA is challenging for MD programs. DO is going to be your best bet.

 

[Faha]

You could receive interviews at many DO schools and I suggest these:
UIWSOM
OSU-COM
VCOM (all schools)
WCU-COM
ACOM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
MU-COM
PCOM
LECOM (all schools)
BCOM (both schools)
WVSOM
CUSOM
TUNCOM

 

[thepl.eb]

Welcome to the forums. 503/3.47 sGPA is challenging for MD programs. DO is going to be your best bet.

I have been doing a postbac DIY at a CC in Texas since I left. As of now I completed 11 hours - will complete 20 by time of matriculation hopefully. The sGPA on that side has been a 4.0. I actually have a really big upward trend, would that be of any help?

 

[thepl.eb]

You could receive interviews at many DO schools and I suggest these:
UIWSOM
OSU-COM
VCOM (all schools)
WCU-COM
ACOM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
MU-COM
PCOM
LECOM (all schools)
BCOM (both schools)
WVSOM
CUSOM
TUNCOM

Will do UIW. Would you not say I have to worry about OSU's in state bias?

I have ties to rural areas surrounding Memphis, should I shoot my shot at Baptist. Should I try anything in any of the MD schools at all? Any Texas schools you think I could get some love from?

 

[candbgirl]

Apply only to DO schools out of state. Your low stats don’t bode well for OOS MD schools. Your in progress post bac might help next cycle if you don’t get in this cycle. Is that 4.0 included in your AMCAS GPA?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I have been doing a postbac DIY at a CC in Texas since I left. As of now I completed 11 hours - will complete 20 by time of matriculation hopefully. The sGPA on that side has been a 4.0. I actually have a really big upward trend, would that be of any help?

Can't predict what adcoms do, but future coursework doesn't matter here. You could have waited until you had finished 20 hours where the postbac effort would have more credibility. Most places could factor your most recent 30-60 hours of upper-level science coursework, but no guarantee.

If you had grown up for most of your pre-college life in rural Texas, perhaps you would get a better shot at some Texas MD schools like Tyler, Rio Grande, or Lubbock (as examples). Still, DO schools are your best shot because there is more history with DO programs and rural health.

 

[wysdoc]

Will do UIW. Would you not say I have to worry about OSU's in state bias?

I have ties to rural areas surrounding Memphis, should I shoot my shot at Baptist. Should I try anything in any of the MD schools at all? Any Texas schools you think I could get some love from?

SHSU and UH Fertitta will look at your primary care focus as a big plus

 

[thepl.eb]

Apply only to DO schools out of state. Your low stats don’t bode well for OOS MD schools. Your in progress post bac might help next cycle if you don’t get in this cycle. Is that 4.0 included in your AMCAS GPA?

It is including it

 

[thepl.eb]

SHSU and UH Fertitta will look at your primary care focus as a big plus

Honestly UH has been a school I really wanted to go to, even when I thought I was expecting a higher MCAT. Ideally I want to go anywhere in state so that I could get cheaper tuition. SHSU would be great as well. But my primary overall and experiences lead more to a prevention focus, which I am twisting into a primary care focus. Like I don't have direct experience shadowing or working in primary care clinic, but always wanted to work as a PCP and do a fellowship in preventive medicine. This has been what motivated me to go into medicine along with a long story of my mother and grandfather having battles with cancer throughout my college career, all of which I went over in my essays.

Just to be sure, there isn't time to retake the MCAT for this cycle anymore, right?

 

[thepl.eb]

Can't predict what adcoms do, but future coursework doesn't matter here. You could have waited until you had finished 20 hours where the postbac effort would have more credibility. Most places could factor your most recent 30-60 hours of upper-level science coursework, but no guarantee.

If you had grown up for most of your pre-college life in rural Texas, perhaps you would get a better shot at some Texas MD schools like Tyler, Rio Grande, or Lubbock (as examples). Still, DO schools are your best shot because there is more history with DO programs and rural health.

That's fair. I want to shoot my shot honestly this year. Worst comes to worst I'll give it another shot, if I could at least get into SHSU or UNT I would be happy. I grew up in California and moved here closer to be to my family. Looking over the secondaries, I think I can only explain for Tyler that I have ties to a similar rural area as my grandparents live in a rural town near Memphis where I often spent summers in growing up. But no direct ties to any of these areas.

 

[LunaOri]

Honestly UH has been a school I really wanted to go to, even when I thought I was expecting a higher MCAT. Ideally I want to go anywhere in state so that I could get cheaper tuition. SHSU would be great as well. But my primary overall and experiences lead more to a prevention focus, which I am twisting into a primary care focus. Like I don't have direct experience shadowing or working in primary care clinic, but always wanted to work as a PCP and do a fellowship in preventive medicine. This has been what motivated me to go into medicine along with a long story of my mother and grandfather having battles with cancer throughout my college career, all of which I went over in my essays.

Just to be sure, there isn't time to retake the MCAT for this cycle anymore, right?

It won’t help for MD this cycle, but you could have it in your pocket if you need to re-apply. But only take it again now if you are certain you could do MUCH better—otherwise wait and continue to study.

 

[thepl.eb]

It won’t help for MD this cycle, but you could have it in your pocket if you need to re-apply. But only take it again now if you are certain you could do MUCH better—otherwise wait and continue to study.

I might see how things are going then and just prep and retake on the side if I am not getting interviews by November or December. That way I can retake next February.

 

[Faha]

Will do UIW. Would you not say I have to worry about OSU's in state bias?

I have ties to rural areas surrounding Memphis, should I shoot my shot at Baptist. Should I try anything in any of the MD schools at all? Any Texas schools you think I could get some love from?

OSU has a regional preference. BUCOM is a new school so no data on match.

 

[thepl.eb]

OSU has a regional preference. BUCOM is a new school so no data on match.

Yeah I'm worried about the regional preference on OSU. I am from the Dallas area, so it's an extremely close drive. But not sure how they defined the region.

In terms of BUCOM though there isn't match data, I have strong ties to the area and my grandparents are patients at Baptist and I have always heard of the service and mission they have even before they built this school. I even have a rec from a well regarded physician at the hospital system so I feel like I have a strong chance there.

 

[thepl.eb]

SHSU and UH Fertitta will look at your primary care focus as a big plus

Just want to finalize and send out my app (already sent TMDSAS earlier this month but would appreciate feedback on this AMCAS/AACOMAS list.

• ALL TMDSAS Schools
• AMCAS
  • Pitt (just wanted to try out one big name after seeing a few lucky people here)
  • UIC SOM
  • TCU
  • Rosalind Franklin
  • Alice Walton SOM (WALMART)
• AACOMAS
  • Oklahoma State (from Dallas so really close and hoping that helps)
  • NYIT COM
  • PCOM
  • MSU COM (is this smart since i'm OOS?)
  • Touro COM - CA (grew up in Bay Area so hoping the ties suffice)
  • Incarnate Word
  • Rocky Vista - Colorado
  • Baptist COM