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Congratulations on your fellowship. What is the second language or community? That may help with picking your more focused second tier schools. Also what medical schools are associated with the work you are doing?Hi! I am starting to make my school list in preparation for applying this upcoming cycle. I would love some advice on selecting some realistic mid-tier schools to apply to, because my current list is very top-heavy, keeping in mind that I might get yield-protected from some schools. I don't have an in-state school, unfortunately.I would also love to get some general feedback on my application.
GPA (3.98, both science and regular) from a top private school (not HPYSM)
MCAT 522 (129/130/131/132)
White, non-disadvantaged background
Currently taking a gap year abroad with a pretty prestigious fellowship, doing public health research with underserved populations (in second language)
Volunteering non-clinical/leadership:
1000+ hours volunteering as a crisis response counselor for survivors of sexual assault helpline (also question on this--currently classifying this as non-clinical volunteering, would that be correct? Some have said this could be clinical, but unsure)
Leadership in that organization as well^
Leadership in an organization also related to education on sexual violence on campus
150 hours volunteering as a mentor to disadvantaged students applying to college
Research:
1000+ hours research, some clinical (publication being written), some for an undergraduate thesis (medical related, with underserved population, does a thesis count as a publication?), most for my current job)
Clinical:
150 hours volunteering at a hospital as an advocate for trauma victims
50 ish hours shadowing currently, will be higher by application time
Starting to volunteer at a hospital soon (this will be where I am living abroad, obviously not the most ideal but I feel that my clinical experience is lacking a bit and I feel volunteering here is relevant as I am well-versed in ethics of volunteering abroad, don't consider myself the typical "medical tourism" student, and am interested in a global health career)
Hope to do medical interpreting when I return to the US and volunteer as well
Most of my activities are within a certain "theme" that is also consistent with my career goals/trajectory, so I think that will be a very helpful aspect of my application. I think the weakest part of my application is my lack of true clinical hours (again, uncertain if crisis counseling would count as this). I should have that number up to at least 250 hours by June, again part of that will be internationally-based. Shadowing should be higher by then as well. And have already been looking at volunteer positions in the US for next year.
I would love some advice on:
1. General feedback on my application, ways to improve (keeping in mind I can't do any US-based shadowing or clinical volunteering until June)
2. My school list. Would love suggestions on mid-tiers to add, especially schools that are located in urban areas with a high underserved, immigrant population (many mid-tiers like Dartmouth and Rochester seem to be more rural, I obviously understand that beggars can't be choosers, but I am very interested in the the underserved populations often found in urban areas and would love to use my language skills). As well as if you think I should remove any of these schools!
1. Boston University 2. Duke 3. Harvard 4. Columbia 5. Stanford 6. Penn 7. Wash U 8. Cornell 9. NYU 10. Johns Hopkins 11. U Chicago 12. Northwestern 13. UCSF 14. UCLA 15. Brown 16. Emory 17. UCSD 18. Vanderbilt 19. Yale 20. Icahn Mount Sinai 21. Case Western 22. Baylor 23. Michigan? 24. Miami?
Thank you so much!!!
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