What does a typical medical student from a T20 school look like?

[NYC21doc]

*Schools that I am particularly highly interested about are primarily NYC-based so: Columbia, Mt. Sinai, Cornell, NYU, and Einstein.

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[rball]

They come in all shapes and sizes. From my experience, if you're looking at top 20 you're looking at, for the most part, students who killed their GPA and MCAT (regardless of major or difficulty of coursework), who checked all the boxes in terms of research, volunteering, clinical experience, leadership, etc., who have very compelling reasons for why they want to become doctors, who presented themselves in the best light possible in terms of applications and interviews, and who have 1 or 2 things that help them stand out from the rest. Also understand that top 10 and top 5 usually mean higher stats and/or more things that set you apart and make the committee go "wow."

Looks like you already have a lot of the intangibles in terms of things that make you stand out. I'd focus on killing the MCAT (and I mean absolutely killing it, look at the medians for the top 20s and understand that they may only rise in the future), getting your GPA up, and continuing with everything else you're doing. And then think about your compelling reasons for why you want to become a doctor. After that, you have all the ingredients for success and its all about presenting yourself in the best light possible on your interviews and essays and showcasing your fit for each school on secondaries and interviews.

 

[jarednogeek]

I interviewed at a T20 though am choosing my local state school to be closer to home/feels like a better fit. I just made good grades, got a good MCAT, and did clinical and non clinical activities that gave me diverse experiences and allowed me to tell a good story. I did have all the “boxes” checked, but did very little research.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Individuals with 3.8+/520+, at a minimum. Some have things like first-author Nature papers. Occasionally, you'll see people with stuff like MacArthur Genius Grants or full tenured professors at elite universities come through. Rhodes, Marshall, and Fulbright scholars are a dime a dozen, as are concert pianists, Olympic medalists, professional athletes, and Special Forces soldiers. To stand out at top 20 schools you need something that would be considered extraordinary, world-class achievement: a MacArthur Genius Grant. Full tenured professorship - before you're 30. At an elite university. The Navy Cross. Founding a national or international nonprofit with a staff of thousands. Winning the Tour de France, or being the next Larry Bird. Something that gets you in the front page of the New York Times, or a spot in 60 Minutes. Maybe being a Senator or Representative might count as well.

 

[LonelyBoi]

3.7+, 518+, strong research seems to be the guarantee for top 20. Stronger the research you have, the higher you go up the top 20s. With 3 Papers, you’re definitely in the highest tier for research. Of course for applicants with mediocre research, I would say it can be compensated with higher stats or extensive clinical experience.

 

[rball]

I respectfully disagree with the post saying that to stand out, you need some world class achievement. Maybe to stand out at Harvard, but not at top 20s. None of the things he stated are even close to a "dime a dozen." The only thing that is accurate are the stats (GPA/MCAT) that he gave. Always remember with stats: the higher, the better.

If what you said in your initial post is true, you already have enough to stand out at top 20. Unfortunately, where you go to undergrad does matter a ton for top private schools, so that is a big factor (but not insurmountable). For you, the thing that is lagging is your GPA, and the thing missing is your MCAT.

It is not impossible to get into top 20's; most of the people I know in top 20s are normal people who went to a strong undergrad, have excelled academically, have been committed to research and to medicine, checked off most/all the boxes, and have done a few things to help them stand out above the rest. They also presented themselves extremely well in apps/interviews/etc

 

[NYC21doc]

I respectfully disagree with the post saying that to stand out, you need some world class achievement. Maybe to stand out at Harvard, but not at top 20s. None of the things he stated are even close to a "dime a dozen." The only thing that is accurate are the stats (GPA/MCAT) that he gave. Always remember with stats: the higher, the better.

If what you said in your initial post is true, you already have enough to stand out at top 20. Unfortunately, where you go to undergrad does matter a ton for top private schools, so that is a big factor (but not insurmountable). For you, the thing that is lagging is your GPA, and the thing missing is your MCAT.

It is not impossible to get into top 20's; most of the people I know in top 20s are normal people who went to a strong undergrad, have excelled academically, have been committed to research and to medicine, checked off most/all the boxes, and have done a few things to help them stand out above the rest. They also presented themselves extremely well in apps/interviews/etc

Thank you so much for the response. I currently attend a public Texas university however... so when you said they prefer prestigious institutions, is TX still considered in a favorable light?

 

[jarednogeek]

Thank you so much for the response. I currently attend a public Texas university however... so when you said they prefer prestigious institutions, is TX still considered in a favorable light?

You’ll be fine. It’ll depend on your stats/story. I went to a Texas school and interviewed at baylor😛 (a 20) (and a damn cheap one at that)