Hi everyone! I just made an account so I'm not too familar with where to post this thread so I just started my own, but I would appreciate some feedback and advice any of you guys might have about my application to DO school during the 2019-2020 cycle:
Year in school: Starting 3rd year undergrad (majoring in biomedical sciences, minor in business adm.)
Country/state of residence: US/Wisconsin
Schools to which you are applying: Philadelphia College of Medicine, Midwestern COM Chicago, Loyola Chicago, Medical College of WI, Touro(all maybe?), *also need help compiling a list of where to apply!!!
Cumulative GPA: 3.3-3.36 (by end of junior year) (strong freshman year, terrible sophomore year due to mental health and family problems and had to commute 1 hour to/back to campus every day)
Science GPA: 3.06
Non-science: 3.73
MCAT Scores: Aiming for 515+
Research – undergraduate research assistant in neuroscience lab studying binge-eating feeding patterns in rats for 2 years now, started second semester freshman year; received Honors Summer Research Fellowship for independent summer research in 2016 with a stipend and worked intensively with PI and graduate students; presented research in Fellowship Fair, Biodiscovery Research symposium (university-wide); have 1 publication in Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Volunteering (clinical) – ~400+ hours in a hospital, have been volunteering for same healthcare group for 5 years now (have done all volunteer roles, and now train incoming volunteers); ~30-40 hours in local free medical clinic for the financially disadvantaged
Physician shadowing – include hours/specialties: Pediatrics (10 hours 3 physicians), Surgery (10 hours - 5 procedure), Anaesthesiology (10 hours, cases in a variety of procedures directly with the physician), Orthopedic Surgery (2 procedures)
Non-clinical volunteering: Campus Kitchen (recycling unused food to send to different sites in city), volunteered with fundraiser-luncheons in local temple for 2 years, go to India and donate books/shoes/uniforms to children in poor areas/schools
Extracurricular activities: AMSA, SOMA, Research Assistant, MU Brain Brigade (leadership role - content development chair to make neurosci content to present to ~120 local HS students to help them pursue STEM after high school), Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority (philanthropy chair, social external chairperson, multicultural committee)
Employment history: Digital Programs Undergrad Assistant in special collections in campus library, biology tutor for EOP (educational opportunity program in college that gives talented but financially disadvantaged HS students resources to do well)
Please include time span and weekly commitment for volunteering/research/shadowing/extracurriculars.: Hospital Volunteering (5 years+ and 8 hours every month during semester), Local Free Clinic (4 months and 1-2 times a month for 3 hours), Research (depending on semester, 3-4 hours per week), Shadowing (only have done it during breaks)
Immediate family members in medicine? (y/n): No
Specialty of interest: Surgery or OB/GYN
Shadowing experience: See above!
Graduate (degree no, but experience in the industry) -- Marketing Intern for Philips Healthcare in their cardiology unit working with clinicians in the summer of 2018 (paid internship)
*Interest in rural health (y/n): *Maybe, I'm not too exposed to it but would not mind
Year in school: Starting 3rd year undergrad (majoring in biomedical sciences, minor in business adm.)
Country/state of residence: US/Wisconsin
Schools to which you are applying: Philadelphia College of Medicine, Midwestern COM Chicago, Loyola Chicago, Medical College of WI, Touro(all maybe?), *also need help compiling a list of where to apply!!!
Cumulative GPA: 3.3-3.36 (by end of junior year) (strong freshman year, terrible sophomore year due to mental health and family problems and had to commute 1 hour to/back to campus every day)
Science GPA: 3.06
Non-science: 3.73
MCAT Scores: Aiming for 515+
Research – undergraduate research assistant in neuroscience lab studying binge-eating feeding patterns in rats for 2 years now, started second semester freshman year; received Honors Summer Research Fellowship for independent summer research in 2016 with a stipend and worked intensively with PI and graduate students; presented research in Fellowship Fair, Biodiscovery Research symposium (university-wide); have 1 publication in Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Volunteering (clinical) – ~400+ hours in a hospital, have been volunteering for same healthcare group for 5 years now (have done all volunteer roles, and now train incoming volunteers); ~30-40 hours in local free medical clinic for the financially disadvantaged
Physician shadowing – include hours/specialties: Pediatrics (10 hours 3 physicians), Surgery (10 hours - 5 procedure), Anaesthesiology (10 hours, cases in a variety of procedures directly with the physician), Orthopedic Surgery (2 procedures)
Non-clinical volunteering: Campus Kitchen (recycling unused food to send to different sites in city), volunteered with fundraiser-luncheons in local temple for 2 years, go to India and donate books/shoes/uniforms to children in poor areas/schools
Extracurricular activities: AMSA, SOMA, Research Assistant, MU Brain Brigade (leadership role - content development chair to make neurosci content to present to ~120 local HS students to help them pursue STEM after high school), Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority (philanthropy chair, social external chairperson, multicultural committee)
Employment history: Digital Programs Undergrad Assistant in special collections in campus library, biology tutor for EOP (educational opportunity program in college that gives talented but financially disadvantaged HS students resources to do well)
Please include time span and weekly commitment for volunteering/research/shadowing/extracurriculars.: Hospital Volunteering (5 years+ and 8 hours every month during semester), Local Free Clinic (4 months and 1-2 times a month for 3 hours), Research (depending on semester, 3-4 hours per week), Shadowing (only have done it during breaks)
Immediate family members in medicine? (y/n): No
Specialty of interest: Surgery or OB/GYN
Shadowing experience: See above!
Graduate (degree no, but experience in the industry) -- Marketing Intern for Philips Healthcare in their cardiology unit working with clinicians in the summer of 2018 (paid internship)
*Interest in rural health (y/n): *Maybe, I'm not too exposed to it but would not mind
