MD & DO WAMC Veteran - 3.39/3.75/507 + school list

[GettinAfterIt]

cGPA: 3.39 sGPA: 3.75 (3.9 last 60+ credits)
MCAT: 507 (126, 123, 126, 132)
State of Residence: Arizona
Veteran: 4 years as an Army Medic
Race: White
Undergrad Institution: U of Arizona
Clinical Experience: 6000+ hours of clinical experience total. Was stationed in Landstuhl, Germany for two years and worked at LRMC in multiple departments. This is what inspired me to become a physician. Then spent 1.5 years at Fort Campbell, 1 year working in primary care clinic.
Research experience: 130 hours documenting the psychosocial response to COVID-19 - calling covid positive patients and interviewing them.
Shadowing experience: 100 virtual shadowing during the pandemic, 40 hours in-person.
Non-clinical volunteering: 75 hours total, mostly with habitat for humanity
Clinical volunteering: 500 hours total - Blood drives while in the army + I volunteered as a behavioral health tech over the past year.
Relevant honors or awards: Dean's list, on track to graduate Summa Cum Laude, Expert Field Medical Badge (18% pass rate), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal.
Institutional Action: I stopped going to class during my freshmen year after joining the Army (2013), so I was technically "dismissed" while in basic training.
Strong ties: Arizona, Grew up in NJ, Sister lives in Florida, Lived in Tennesee

School list (MD):

UArizona - Phoenix
UArizona - Tucson
U of Colorado
University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson: New Brunswick
Rutgers New Jersey Med School: Newark
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall
Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Rush Medical College
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine
University of Tennessee College of Medicine
TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine

School list (DO):

A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona
Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine
Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University
University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine

I'd like to apply to ~ 30 MD and ~ 10 DO

Thanks!

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[chilly_md]

Thank you for your service! I would recommend taking off a few schools. UNLV and UNC take few students who are out of state or do not have ties. Burrell has concerns with board scores and attrition, so I would not apply there either. Here are some suggestions that might be worth adding:

MD:
Nova MD
Quinnipiac
Creighton
Albany
NYMC
Vermont
Temple
Drexel
EVMS
Oakland
Wayne State
George Washington
Georgetown
USUHS (if you have not already thought about it)
Medical College of Wisconsin

DO:
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM)
AT Still Kirksville (KCOM)
Kansas City University of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU)
Des Moines University (DMU)

That should get you to about the number you wanted to apply to for each.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you also for your service to our country.

I would also check in with doctors with whom you may have worked about their recommendations or pitches on schools on your list.

 

[Faha]

I suggest these MD schools from your list:
U Arizona - Phoenix
U Arizona - Tucson
U of Colorado
University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson: New Brunswick
Rutgers New Jersey Med School: Newark
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall
Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Rush Medical College
East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine
TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine
You could add any of these schools:
Vermont
Dartmouth
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
George Washington
Georgetown
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Tulane
Creighton
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Wayne State
Oakland Beaumont

 

[GettinAfterIt]

Thank you for your service! I would recommend taking off a few schools. UNLV and UNC take few students who are out of state or do not have ties. Burrell has concerns with board scores and attrition, so I would not apply there either. Here are some suggestions that might be worth adding:

MD:
Nova MD
Quinnipiac
Creighton
Albany
NYMC
Vermont
Temple
Drexel
EVMS
Oakland
Wayne State
George Washington
Georgetown
USUHS (if you have not already thought about it)
Medical College of Wisconsin

DO:
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM)
AT Still Kirksville (KCOM)
Kansas City University of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU)
Des Moines University (DMU)

That should get you to about the number you wanted to apply to for each.

Thanks a lot, this is really helpful! The only reason I added UNLV and UNC is because they're veteran-friendly, but I agree that in-state preference is weighted more heavily.

 

[GettinAfterIt]

Thank you also for your service to our country.

I would also check in with doctors with whom you may have worked about their recommendations or pitches on schools on your list.

Will do, thank you!

 

[GettinAfterIt]

I suggest these MD schools from your list:
U Arizona - Phoenix
U Arizona - Tucson
U of Colorado
University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson: New Brunswick
Rutgers New Jersey Med School: Newark
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall
Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Rush Medical College
East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine
TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine
You could add any of these schools:
Vermont
Dartmouth
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
George Washington
Georgetown
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Tulane
Creighton
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Wayne State
Oakland Beaumont

Awesome, I appreciate you writing all this out.

 

[deleted314957]

As a former USN medical corps Commander ( army equivalent Lieutenant Colonel) I am impressed by your accomplishments in a 4 year hitch and I sure hope some adcoms are too. They should be if they understand anything about what you achieved!

 

[GettinAfterIt]

As a former USN medical corps Commander ( army equivalent Lieutenant Colonel) I am impressed by your accomplishments in a 4 year hitch and I sure hope some adcoms are too. They should be if they understand anything about what you achieved!

That means a lot, sir! Really doing my best to translate my military experience into my personal statement and activities.

 

[xffan624]

I stopped going to class during my freshmen year after joining the Army (2013), so I was technically "dismissed" while in basic training.

So you have an academic dismissal in your record? If so, this will definitely need further explanation. Did you withdraw or fail these classes and are they included in your above GPA? Given how long ago it occurred it shouldn't be fatal, but you need to come up with a better explanation than I joined the Army and stopped going to class. Otherwise your app looks pretty solid.

ETA: Be sure to check out the VA benefits subforum in the Non-traditional student section if you have questions about VA benefits to help pay for school (if you haven't already used all your GI Bill on undergrad and/or have a disability percentage).

 

[GettinAfterIt]

So you have an academic dismissal in your record? If so, this will definitely need further explanation. Did you withdraw or fail these classes and are they included in your above GPA? Given how long ago it occurred it shouldn't be fatal, but you need to come up with a better explanation than I joined the Army and stopped going to class. Otherwise your app looks pretty solid.

ETA: Be sure to check out the VA benefits subforum in the Non-traditional student section if you have questions about VA benefits to help pay for school (if you haven't already used all your GI Bill on undergrad and/or have a disability percentage).

I was very immature and had no clue I had to withdraw from these classes. I thought I could just stop attending and they would automatically remove me. So I have like 4 Fs and a D from 9 years ago, but 3.9 GPA in everything else since then. Yes, these grades are included in my above GPA. If it wasn't for that first semester I'd have a stellar GPA.

I was thinking of bringing this up in my activities section and not drawing much attention to it in my personal statement because of the upward trend. What are your thoughts?

 

[xffan624]

I was very immature and had no clue I had to withdraw from these classes. I thought I could just stop attending and they would automatically remove me. So I have like 4 Fs and a D from 9 years ago, but 3.9 GPA in everything else since then. Yes, these grades are included in my above GPA. If it wasn't for that first semester I'd have a stellar GPA.

I was thinking of bringing this up in my activities section and not drawing much attention to it in my personal statement because of the upward trend. What are your thoughts?

Personal statement is ok if it fits your overall theme, but otherwise just mentioning it in the IA section would be fine. I'm guessing being in the Army taught you very well the importance of following/being aware of regulations and rules (as I distinctly from my days serving) so it shouldn't be too much of an issue for your application.

 

[GettinAfterIt]

Personal statement is ok if it fits your overall theme, but otherwise just mentioning it in the IA section would be fine. I'm guessing being in the Army taught you very well the importance of following/being aware of regulations and rules (as I distinctly from my days serving) so it shouldn't be too much of an issue for your application.

I really appreciate your feedback on this situation, as it was stressing me out. I may apply to a few more DO schools on top of my current list just to be safe.

 

[tulsajoe94]

I don’t know much about admissions, but you seem like the kind of person I’d want as a classmate. Hope you get in!

 

[GettinAfterIt]

I don’t know much about admissions, but you seem like the kind of person I’d want as a classmate. Hope you get in!

Haha thanks a lot! Hopefully that's a possibility one day.

 

[deleted314957]

As far as handling the freshman year “ dismissal” after joining the service I would emphasize that the country was at war ( rightly or wrongly) and you saw a chance to both serve and grow that exceeded the importance of college in your life at that time. If someone cannot understand that, you should not be interested in their school if that is representative of their institutional ethos.

I don’t see anything about your decision that requires a defense. An explanation sure, but not a defense.

 

[GettinAfterIt]

As far as handling the freshman year “ dismissal” after joining the service I would emphasize that the country was at war ( rightly or wrongly) and you saw a chance to both serve and grow that exceeded the importance of college in your life at that time. If someone cannot understand that, you should not be interested in their school if that is representative of their institutional ethos.

I don’t see anything about your decision that requires a defense. An explanation sure, but not a defense.

That is reassuring to hear. I'm going to start prewriting my IA section so I can hash out a decent explanation.

 

[GettinAfterIt]

Personal statement is ok if it fits your overall theme, but otherwise just mentioning it in the IA section would be fine. I'm guessing being in the Army taught you very well the importance of following/being aware of regulations and rules (as I distinctly from my days serving) so it shouldn't be too much of an issue for your application.

Quick question: being that my LizzyM is about 63, is it true I can add 5 points from being a veteran, so I should consider schools in the ~68 range?

 

[xffan624]

Quick question: being that my LizzyM is about 63, is it true I can add 5 points from being a veteran, so I should consider schools in the ~68 range?

That's what LizzyM has said, but admissions are a crapshoot so I would go for your state schools, veteran friendly schools, and private schools in that range. I'm not an expert on other schools so I will defer to others on school list.

 

[GettinAfterIt]

That's what LizzyM has said, but admissions are a crapshoot so I would go for your state schools, veteran friendly schools, and private schools in that range. I'm not an expert on other schools so I will defer to others on school list.

Okay, that makes sense. I'm debating if 10 DO is enough. I might do more like 25 MD and 15 DO

 

[chilly_md]

Okay, that makes sense. I'm debating if 10 DO is enough. I might do more like 25 MD and 15 DO

10 DO should be sufficient.