Weaknesses in my app?

[deleted916225]

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Hi all, it's been a while since I've been on here. I'm a jr planning on applying this cycle and would appreciate advice/impresions of my application if anyone wants to look!

Neuroscience/human physiology double major, honors program w/ academic scholarship at state university

cGPA: 3.74
sGPA: 3.62
MCAT: 517 (126, 130, 130, 131) ... worried about the 126, practices were 129-130

A's in all courses except chem II, ochem I&2 (B-/C+), physics I, genetics

Research: 1000+ hrs biochem lab studying herpesviruses, poster presentation, 3rd author publication in JVI
200? (so far) hrs neuroscience lab studying mechanisms of drug addiction

Volunteering: ~50 hrs science museum (dino exhibit), ~50 hours tutoring middle schoolers, ~100 hrs children's hospital ... so mostly kid focused

Leadership(?): biochemistry TA this spring and hopefully next fall, honors mentor soph&jr year

Shadowing: ~50 hrs with an internist, orthopedic surgeon, FP, pediatrician ... planning on ~50 more to see surgery/ER as well

Hopeful LORs: first PI (hhmi recipient, well known lab) ... didn't talk to him much but he said he would write one when I left last spring
Post doc I currently work with in my neuro lab, we have a really great relationship!
Biochem prof I'm TAing for (also head of the biochemistry department), good relationship
Possibly my physio prof, I did well in his class and went to office hours pretty often
Physican from shadowing (not sure who yet)
... I need a non science/medical one but I don't have any close relationships with volunteer overseers/past profs

Hobies: singing, drawing, hiking, climbing ..

Couple other things: I'm a pretty good writer so I'm not too worried about my personal statement or essays (for now lol), I think I have an interesting story to tell with my own experience dealing with a crap illness, and I'm also planning on studying abroad next spring!
Please let me know if there's anything that stands out to you (good or bad)! Thank you so much -

 

[bones-n-sconez]

Your app looks solid stats wise. 126 is nothing to worry about. If schools did cutoff, its usually 125.

If you wanted to improve something, it seems you only have 100 clinical
and 100 non clinical volunteering hours. At the end of the day, quality > quantity but just a suggestion.

For letters, I think it’s important to diversify them. So getting two letters for research wouldn’t be the most ideal move imo. I would definitely get 1 research, 2 science, 1 non-science.

I personally would advise against a physician LOR if you only shadowed. Unless your shadowing experience was unique, you don’t really do much besides silently following a doctor and asking questions. I just can’t see a doctor you shadowed writing anything that stands out.

you still got a bit of time to form relationships w a non science professor if you’re taking a class now though.

 

[deleted916225]

Your app looks solid stats wise. 126 is nothing to worry about. If schools did cutoff, its usually 125.

If you wanted to improve something, it seems you only have 100 clinical
and 100 non clinical volunteering hours. At the end of the day, quality > quantity but just a suggestion.

For letters, I think it’s important to diversify them. So getting two letters for research wouldn’t be the most ideal move imo. I would definitely get 1 research, 2 science, 1 non-science.

I personally would advise against a physician LOR if you only shadowed. Unless your shadowing experience was unique, you don’t really do much besides silently following a doctor and asking questions. I just can’t see a doctor you shadowed writing anything that stands out.

you still got a bit of time to form relationships w a non science professor if you’re taking a class now though.

Thank you for the response! I'm curious whether I should pick my PI or post doc to write the research letter then? Who would you chose?

 

[WaterFlow]

Thank you for the response! I'm curious whether I should pick my PI or post doc to write the research letter then? Who would you chose?

PI.

 

[deleted916225]

PI.

I'm torn ... I really had no relationship with my old PI, so I wouldn't get anything besides a general lor. The post doc I currently work with knows my personality, strengths/weaknesses, aspirations ...