What else am I lacking?

[Kr#36]

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Current stats:
cGPA: 3.59
sGPA: 3.80
MCAT(expected based on MANY diagnostics) 510-515

Non-traditional student (age 27)

-Worked for 3 years as a medical sales rep. Spent 1600 hours in a family practice clinic working with patients and docs in a genetic testing role. Then in another position over 500 hours in the OR working with ENT's.

-Research: Spent one summer conducting sexual health surveys in a behavioral research lab on campus. I know I need to improve. What is the best type of situation to gain this experience? Trying to get a lab tech job? Something in a clinical trial?

EC's:
-1 year with Relay for life in a leadership role on the entertainment planning committee
-5 years with the Boys and Girls Club as a mentor
-Team captain on division 1 track and field team(ran all four years)
-2 years as a team fundraising lead for the Alzheimers Association

Shadowing:
Family Practice: 20 hours
ENT: 40 hours

Only have 1 state school and I'm borderline at best.

Am I competitive for MD with my app the way it is? I am okay with applying DO as well

What glaring holes do I need to fix prior to applying?

 

[Goro]

Quit fussing. You're quite competitive.

Let's see Your list.

 

[Kr#36]

I don't mean to fuss, I guess my main concerns are that:
1) I lack any research outside of a behavioral lab for 3 months
2) I'm non-trad
3) I don't know how a med sales job looks to schools. From my point of view I spent a ton of hours with physicians and patients in the OR and office but again it was sales so they could see it differently.

Anyways, schools so far:

University of Iowa (My home state)
Des Moines University

TCOM
UTHSCSA
UT Houston
Dartmouth
Tufts
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
Keck School Of Medicine of USC
Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center
Brown
Loyola
U of Arizona COM
U of Arizona COM-Phoenix
University of Colorado
Miami
U of Minnesota
U of Wisconsin SOMPH
Wake Forest
Tulane
U of Illinois COM
Temple

 

[flyingeagle]

I don't mean to fuss, I guess my main concerns are that:
1) I lack any research outside of a behavioral lab for 3 months
2) I'm non-trad
3) I don't know how a med sales job looks to schools. From my point of view I spent a ton of hours with physicians and patients in the OR and office but again it was sales so they could see it differently.

1) It is not necessary to have research to get into medical school, unless you are gunning for the top schools. But you have research, so you're fine.
2) This is not an issue at all. Non-trad is the new trad. If anything, being non-trad will help you because you have more life experiences to share and might be perceived as more unique than someone right out of undergrad.
3) I don't think this will matter as much as you think, but I'd like to hear someone else's opinion.

 

[DingoPingo]

Looks like an extraordinary app to me. Great work, OP! Especially the extensive clinical experience and athletics.

Think it just depends on MCAT and the other parts of the app (LOR, essays, etc.). If you get 515 on diagnostics, you might even be able to expect 520+.

Personally I think you can aim high, but I'm not an expert on schools so I'll let others comment.

 

[ciestar]

Wow, your ECs are amazing! I wouldnt worry, apply broadly and you'll be fine!

 

[ciestar]

I don't mean to fuss, I guess my main concerns are that:
1) I lack any research outside of a behavioral lab for 3 months
2) I'm non-trad
3) I don't know how a med sales job looks to schools. From my point of view I spent a ton of hours with physicians and patients in the OR and office but again it was sales so they could see it differently.

Anyways, schools so far:

University of Iowa (My home state)
Des Moines University

TCOM
UTHSCSA
UT Houston
Dartmouth
Tufts
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
Keck School Of Medicine of USC
Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center
Brown
Loyola
U of Arizona COM
U of Arizona COM-Phoenix
University of Colorado
Miami
U of Minnesota
U of Wisconsin SOMPH
Wake Forest
Tulane
U of Illinois COM
Temple

Do you have ties to Texas? If not, I'd remove those schools. They have rigid requirements for accepting TX residents.

Remove Brown, they highly favor their own undergrads (so does Dartmouth to some extent but they LOVE nontrads and you have a great story to tell). Your list has a LOT of state schools on it. Be careful with that, again, they definitely favor their own residents.

I also left off Illinois because their OOS tuition is absurd.

My suggestions:
Iowa
Dartmouth
Tufts
Rosalind Franklin
USC-Keck
Rush
Loyola
Miami
Wake Forest
Tulane
Temple
Jefferson
Drexel
Penn State
Vermont
Saint Louis
Medical College of Wisconsin
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
UVA (maybe)
Oakland

@Goro is better at suggesting these things, obviously, especially the reaches. But as far as a wide net, i definitely gave you a ton to look at!

 

[Goro]

research is research. I agree that 3 months is a short time, but non-trads get cut some slack on this.

1) I lack any research outside of a behavioral lab for 3 months

See above. Older applicants bring life experience and more gravitas than the typical pre-med.
2) I'm non-trad

You will need to spin your app as to how you want to work with patients, not on them.
3) I don't know how a med sales job looks to schools. From my point of view I spent a ton of hours with physicians and patients in the OR and office but again it was sales so they could see it differently.

Anyways, schools so far:

University of Iowa (My home state)
Des Moines University
Tufts
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center (has significant volunteering requirement)
Loyola
Miami
Wake Forest
Tulane
Drexel
Wake
EVMS
VCU
U VT
MCW
SLU
Creighton
Gtown
GWU
Netter
Temple
Albany
NYMC
ANY DO school.

Obviously, MCAT will make or break you.

 

[Kr#36]

Thank you everyone for the replies and guidance, it certainly is appreciated.

@ciester Yes I do have some ties to Texas, its an odd situation and there is an older thread on here about it so I won't dive into it here.

@Goro Is there any particular reason outside of GPA and an unknown MCAT that you advised I removed Keck and Dartmouth(coincidentally my top choices)

 

[MaxPlancker]

You are more than fine for MD schools.

I'd apply to Dartmouth, they are known to like non-trads!

 

[Goro]

EDIT: The MCAT is precisely why I removed them. Medians are 3.7 at Keck and Dartmouth, you're well in striking distance.

@Goro Is there any particular reason outside of GPA and an unknown MCAT that you advised I removed Keck and Dartmouth(coincidentally my top choices)

 

[Kr#36]

EDIT: The MCAT is precisely why I removed them. Medians are 3.7 at Keck and Dartmouth, you're well in striking distance.

Thank you Goro, I'll be sure to pop back on the thread and say how everything went

 

[Kr#36]

Quick update, would be interested to hear how my strategy should change? Turns out based on a rule I didn't know about, I'll be considered a TX resident and not an Iowa resident (married to Tx resident for over 12 months prior to app deadline).