WAMC: URM, 3 gap years, (GPA 3.5, MCAT 504)

[RunningSpider]

• cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
  
  • cGPA: 3.57, sGPA: 3.60
• MCAT score(s) and breakdown:
  • 504 (124/127/125/128), this is my retake score. My first score was the same, 504.
• State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
  
  • Florida
• Ethnicity and/or race
  
  • Cuban/Mexican
• Undergraduate institution or category
  
  • public Florida university
• Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
  • CNA working at an underserved hospital (1000 hours)
  • Scribe at oncology clinic and plastic surgery clinic at university of Miami (1100 hours)
  • Hospital volunteer (80 hours)
• Research experience and productivity
  
  • Climate change ecology research, no pubs or posters (96 hours)
  • Undergraduate research through college course, was supposed to present poster but was shut down by COVID (48 hours)
• Shadowing experience and specialties represented
  
  • Geriatric PCP (28 hours)
  • Oncology at research hospital (25 hours)
  • Plastic Surgeon (20 hours)
• Non-clinical volunteering
  
  • Cancer fundraiser volunteer (16 hours)
  • Crisis Text Line Volunteer (20 hours but just started)
  • Completed orientation to start volunteering at local homeless shelter in my community
• Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
  
  • 3 gap years, self-employed middle school tutor (160 hours)
• Anything else not listed you think might be important
  
  • Received Pell grant for undergrad
  • Excellent writing skills (according to a professor I've written the best essay he's ever read by a student) so I feel like I can effectively tell my story. My family lost our home during my sophomore year of college. Thankfully, we didn't become homeless but I felt like it put me at a disadvantage.

I would really like to go to a Florida school, especially UM but I do realize my stats are very low. Would a third MCAT look bad? Should I apply this cycle if I continue to volunteer and retake? What more do I need?

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[Mr.Smile12]

I would hold off on an MCAT retake. You need at least 150 service orientation hours, so let us know when you get there with your shelter volunteering. Don't apply until you have at least 150 hours or your application could get screened out.

Take your time to get a strong application profile. I have a sense you tried to rush your MCAT...

 

[RunningSpider]

I would hold off on an MCAT retake. You need at least 150 service orientation hours, so let us know when you get there with your shelter volunteering. Don't apply until you have at least 150 hours or your application could get screened out.

Take your time to get a strong application profile. I have a sense you tried to rush your MCAT...

Thank you for the response! If I meet the 150 hours minimum would I otherwise have a shot at MD schools? Or most likely only DO?

 

[wysdoc]

Thank you for the response! If I meet the 150 hours minimum would I otherwise have a shot at MD schools? Or most likely only DO?

FSU has the lowest median MCAT at 508 and takes only Florida residents, so be sure that one is on your list.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for the response! If I meet the 150 hours minimum would I otherwise have a shot at MD schools? Or most likely only DO?

You need to get to 150 to avoid getting screened out at most schools, period. Get close to 250 to be with the average applicant to MD. Not sure with DO.

Are you FAP eligible?

 

[RunningSpider]

You need to get to 150 to avoid getting screened out at most schools, period. Get close to 250 to be with the average applicant to MD. Not sure with DO.

Are you FAP eligible?

No, my family is in a better position since college. All 4 of us are now working so the total household income exceeds the guideline.

 

[Faha]

Are you fluent in Spanish ?

 

[RunningSpider]

Are you fluent in Spanish ?

Not fluent, but I knew enough to work in a hospital with a majority of only Spanish-speaking patients and help translate for nurses. I understand the language but have trouble speaking it.

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
Florida State
U Florida
Central Florida
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
NOVA MD
Creighton
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Eastern Virginia
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Hackensack
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Belmont
TCU
For DO schools I suggest these:
NOVA
LECOM-Bradenton and Jacksonville
OCOM
BCOM (Florida Campus)
ACOM
PCOM (all schools)
NYITCOM
Touro-NY
MU-COM
UIWSOM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
AZCOM
TUNCOM

 

[RunningSpider]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
Florida State
U Florida
Central Florida
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
NOVA MD
Creighton
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Eastern Virginia
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Hackensack
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Belmont
TCU
For DO schools I suggest these:
NOVA
LECOM-Bradenton and Jacksonville
OCOM
BCOM (Florida Campus)
ACOM
PCOM (all schools)
NYITCOM
Touro-NY
MU-COM
UIWSOM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
AZCOM
TUNCOM

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your time helping me out <3