WAMC

[dr.asp]

Hey Everyone, looking for some advice here as a non-traditional re-applicant on my chances this cycle!

1. cGPA: 3.76, sGPA: 3.5 (approximated)
2. MCAT score: 506, 127,127,126,126 (Chem, CARS, Bio, Psych)
3. New York State resident.
4. ORM
5. SUNY Binghamton undergrad: accelerated 3/2 master's program with a 3.9 MS GPA
6. Clinical experience: 200+ hours shadowing and volunteering (Montefiore ED, private practices, etc.)
7. Research experience: research for 5 years, HS to College and clinical research co-author for presentation at Feinstein Institute.
8. Non-clinical volunteering: 100+ hours.
9. Other extracurricular activities: Dance team captain, many leadership positions in various clubs, tutoring for many years, managerial jobs concurrently with school (full-time), work in student government, etc.

I am a re-applicant, currently on GW's waitlist and will soon be working as a clinical research coordinator or with the department of health.

The following is my current school list and looking for any ideas on my chances/recommendations?
Drexel University College of Medicine
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
GW SMHS
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Meharry Medical College
NYMC
Penn State
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
SUNY Downstate
SUNY Upstate
Tulane

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[gyngyn]

Meharry is one of the three medical schools of the HBCU's.
You are missing Albany and the other Jesuits.
Where did you apply before? Any interviews?

 

[dr.asp]

Meharry is one of the three medical schools of the HBCU's.
You are missing Albany and the other Jesuits.
Where did you apply before? Any interviews?

Albany Med rejected me last year very early on so I wasn't sure if that'd be a good addition to my list. I interviewed at GW and was waitlisted there and besides that did not have any interviews. Applied to all the SUNY's last year and Albany, Einstein, Tufts, GW, WVU, Commonwealth, Drexel, NYMC, and Howard, Morehouse.

 

[Faha]

Add these schools to your list:
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
Seton Hall
NOVA MD
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
Also apply to at least 6 DO schools and you are competitive for all DO schools.

 

[gyngyn]

Albany Med rejected me last year very early on so I wasn't sure if that'd be a good addition to my list. I interviewed at GW and was waitlisted there and besides that did not have any interviews. Applied to all the SUNY's last year and Albany, Einstein, Tufts, GW, WVU, Commonwealth, Drexel, NYMC, and Howard, Morehouse.

Meharry is the third HBCU (Howard and Morehouse are the other two).
Take a look at @Faha's additions for choices that would be a better fit.

 

[dr.asp]

Add these schools to your list:
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
Seton Hall
NOVA MD
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
Also apply to at least 6 DO schools and you are competitive for all DO schools.

Thanks so much! I applied to vermont and quinnipiac last year but did not get any love from them, is it still advisable to apply there? I'm applying to some DO as well! Oddly enough I didn't get any love from DO last year but might have to do with no shadowing experience? Also, in terms of re-applying I know that there is generally a better chance but when answering questions on secondaries what should I focus on changing from last year?

 

[Faha]

You can reapply to Vermont and Quinnipiac. Where and when did you apply to DO schools last year ?

 

[dr.asp]

You can reapply to Vermont and Quinnipiac. Where and when did you apply to DO schools last year ?

Thank you! I applied to Chicago, Michigan, and Pomona.

 

[Faha]

Michigan accepts mainly Michigan residents and the other 2 are competitive. I suggest these DO schools:
PCOM
NYIT
LECOM (all schools)
MU-COM
VCOM (all 3 schools)

 

[dr.asp]

Michigan accepts mainly Michigan residents and the other 2 are competitive. I suggest these DO schools:
PCOM
NYIT
LECOM (all schools)
MU-COM
VCOM (all 3 schools)

Thank you! I believe I added UNE and Touro to my list as well for DO. Additionally, do you have any idea on what my chances are like this cycle for MD programs?

 

[Goro]

Hey Everyone, looking for some advice here as a non-traditional re-applicant on my chances this cycle!

1. cGPA: 3.76, sGPA: 3.5 (approximated)
2. MCAT score: 506, 127,127,126,126 (Chem, CARS, Bio, Psych)
3. New York State resident.
4. ORM
5. SUNY Binghamton undergrad: accelerated 3/2 master's program with a 3.9 MS GPA
6. Clinical experience: 200+ hours shadowing and volunteering (Montefiore ED, private practices, etc.)
7. Research experience: research for 5 years, HS to College and clinical research co-author for presentation at Feinstein Institute.
8. Non-clinical volunteering: 100+ hours.
9. Other extracurricular activities: Dance team captain, many leadership positions in various clubs, tutoring for many years, managerial jobs concurrently with school (full-time), work in student government, etc.

I am a re-applicant, currently on GW's waitlist and will soon be working as a clinical research coordinator or with the department of health.

The following is my current school list and looking for any ideas on my chances/recommendations?
Drexel University College of Medicine
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
GW SMHS
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Meharry Medical College
NYMC
Penn State
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
SUNY Downstate
SUNY Upstate
Tulane

Here is what I suggest:
NYMC
Drexel
Wayne State (maybe)
U Toledo
Seton Hall
Rosy Franklin
Loma Linda (only if you are SDA or a very devout Christian)
Loyola
WVU
VCU
U VM
MCW
SLU
Creighton
Albany
Oakland-B
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
Netter
Gtown
GWU
ALL SUNYs
Nova MD
Any DO school. I can't recommend Touro-NY, Nova, Wm Carey, LUCOM, for different reasons. MSUCOM? Read up on Larry Nasser and you decide.

Rewrite all essays and have multiple eyeballs vet them. Try to get in more non-clinical volunteering, and stop research if you're still doing it.

 

[Faha]

The GPA-MCAT grid shows that applicants with your stats have a 60% chance for a MD acceptance. The odds are higher if you have all your secondaries in by early August AND you apply to all the schools on your list and mine.

 

[dr.asp]

Here is what I suggest:
NYMC
Drexel
Wayne State (maybe)
U Toledo
Seton Hall
Rosy Franklin
Loma Linda (only if you are SDA or a very devout Christian)
Loyola
WVU
VCU
U VM
MCW
SLU
Creighton
Albany
Oakland-B
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
Netter
Gtown
GWU
ALL SUNYs
Nova MD
Any DO school. I can't recommend Touro-NY, Nova, Wm Carey, LUCOM, for different reasons. MSUCOM? Read up on Larry Nasser and you decide.

Rewrite all essays and have multiple eyeballs vet them. Try to get in more non-clinical volunteering, and stop research if you're still doing it.

Thank you so much for your input! Can I ask why you recommend stopping research?

 

[Goro]

Thank you so much for your input! Can I ask why you recommend stopping research?

You don't think five years of research in a reapplicant hasn't made any impressions? Maybe it's time to do something different?

 

[dr.asp]

You don't think five years of research in a reapplicant hasn't made any impressions? Maybe it's time to do something different?

I understand what you mean, thank you! I am currently considering job opportunities in the event I do not make it off GW's waitlist and was looking into clinical coordinator positions as well as the Dept of Health in NYC. Would the research positions be detrimental in your opinion?

 

[dr.asp]

The GPA-MCAT grid shows that applicants with your stats have a 60% chance for a MD acceptance. The odds are higher if you have all your secondaries in by early August AND you apply to all the schools on your list and mine.

Thank you again for your input! I have already submitted my application (a couple of weeks now) and started submitting secondaries so I will definitely try to add more to my list and get all secondaries taken care of asap. Would you think that GW would possibly be my best bet for next year as well as I interviewed with them this year?

 

[Goro]

I understand what you mean, thank you! I am currently considering job opportunities in the event I do not make it off GW's waitlist and was looking into clinical coordinator positions as well as the Dept of Health in NYC. Would the research positions be detrimental in your opinion?

Further research might be of use for your Plan B career, but it's not going to help you get into med school.

Let's put it this way. A first author Cell paper isn't going to get you into med school now.

 

[Faha]

Your state public schools are usually where your best chances are.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Further research might be of use for your Plan B career, but it's not going to help you get into med school.

Let's put it this way. A first author Cell paper isn't going to get you into med school now.

Holy mackerel, Goro. Doesn't a first-author Cell paper carry a huge amount of weight - it's clearly a killer EC, as rare and as impressive as an Olympic medal. Many full professors don't have papers in journals like that!

 

[Goro]

Holy mackerel, Goro. Doesn't a first-author Cell paper carry a huge amount of weight - it's clearly a killer EC, as rare and as impressive as an Olympic medal. Many full professors don't have papers in journals like that!

Pay very careful attention: look at the stats and ECs of the OP. Frankly, they are, at best, "meh". A Cell paper isn't going to push him/her over accept line. You continually focus, moth-like to a flame, on single metrics. Stop doing that.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Agreed, @Goro : stats and ECs are very much "meh". Could that Cell paper kick the OP up a "tier" of applicants? I know OP isn't Harvard material with those stats and ECs. Could they be competitive for a school like Dartmouth or Keck with a first author paper in Cell or Nature?

 

[dr.asp]

Agreed, @Goro : stats and ECs are very much "meh". Could that Cell paper kick him up a "tier" of applicants? I know OP isn't Harvard material with those stats and ECs. Could they be competitive for a school like Dartmouth or Keck with a first author paper in Cell or Nature?

1. I am a she. 2. I would appreciate (and this goes for @Goro as well) any and all suggestions in a constructive manner but referring to my stats and EC's as "meh" and debating whether my chances would substantially increase with a publication was not my question nor is it necessary to state it in this way. I was simply asking why one would stop research altogether when I could concurrently volunteer, etc. I understand the reasoning but all in all not the way to disseminate advice.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Research has diminishing marginal returns. For you, per unit of time invested, clinical and nonclinical volunteering would be best. You're much weaker on that than you are on research. Good luck - you're a competitive candidate for your state MD schools and any DO school.

 

[aftomdhopeful]

What do you think affected your application last year that you have changed? It seems like you should have a decent chance with a solid school list. Did you apply too late in the cycle? Did you freeze up on your interview?

 

[dr.asp]

What do you think affected your application last year that you have changed? It seems like you should have a decent chance with a solid school list. Did you apply too late in the cycle? Did you freeze up on your interview?

I actually sent everything in by mid-August I believe. I know some of my schools were delayed because of Casper and my interview at GW went great to my knowledge! That was my only interview last year. Due to financial reasons I only applied to 19 schools: MD and DO, so obviously not as many as most people with my stats would apply to. At this point I would like to take into consideration everything everyone has said and add schools but again there is a financial constraint so I was attempting to narrow it down more.

I have added volunteering and research throughout the year and now I have a grad degree, etc. I believe my biggest weak point is my MCAT but this is my last year with it so not going to retake at the moment.