Medical What schools should I apply to?

[Goro]

I need help cutting down my school list and was also looking for thoughts on my app in general. Do I have a fighting chance?

cGPA: 3.91
sGPA: 3.81
MCAT: 514 (128/128/128/130), September 2020
Year: Graduated May 2021 (2 weeks ago)
Undergrad: Pitt
Majors: Anthropology and Natural Sciences (BS, BA)
Minors: Theatre Arts and Chemistry
State of residence: PA
Ties to other states: NJ, MD, CA (relatives live there)
Race: Asian- Indian
no family in medicine

Research: 1350 hours total

• First author abstract submitted and accepted to American Psychological Association National Conference 2021 (poster will be presented in August 2021)
• First author oral presentation at John Hopkins University's National Research Symposium on my anthropology thesis research (presented in April 2021)
• Oral presentation at Honors College Research Fair on the impact of a teaching project (presented March 2021)
• 1 publication in the making [delayed by COVID] (mentioned this on app but manuscript would be submitted in the fall of 2021 so wouldn't really count)

Clinical experience: 1240 hrs total

• 490 hours as a hospice volunteer
• 390 hours at a Free Health Clinic as community health fellow
• 360 hours as hospital volunteer (patient transporter at a cancer center)

Shadowing: 60 hours

• 20 hours shadowing a psychiatrist
• 10 hours shadowing a neurosurgeon
• 10 hours shadowing a cardiothoracic surgeon
• 20 hours shadowing a family med physician

Non-clinical volunteering: 884 hours

• Make A Wish chapter president (230 hours)
• Refugee tutoring organization mentor and tutor (204 hours)
• Community service chair of my fraternity where I was in charge of trips to the Boys and Girls Club (450 hours)

Other ECs:

• Wrote, directed and produced a documentary short film about a refugee youth at American summer camp (was selected for a global film festival) and applied for a University grant to organize an exhibit showcasing refugee youth. The exhibit showcased the artistic work of other students as well.
• Founded a course at my University on "Hamilton: An American Musical" and co-taught some lectures on theatre arts and hip-hop with a political science faculty member.
• Honors College ambassador and social president.
• Heavily involved with Theatre Arts department and my two of my original plays have been produced by the school for playwriting festivals.

Employment: 345 hours

• 345 hours as a paid Undergraduate Research Mentor for the school of Arts and Sciences

Honors/Awards:

• Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa as a junior (served as treasurer for student organization)
• Chancellor's Scholar- full-ride merit scholarship
• Graduated summa cum laude
• Dean's list all semesters
• I'm listing four other school-specific awards in this section (champion of school poetry slam, etc.)

Hobbies:

• Used up all 15 activities and did not include a hobbies.

Anything else:

• Interested in psychiatry and family medicine (dual board)
• Studied abroad in the Amazon Rainforest to conduct anthropological field research (discussed this in PS)
• Trying to apply with a theme of narrative medicine/medical humanities: my PS talks about this and I tried to make this come through with my activities
• LORs 5 letters total (2 from science profs (A gen chem prof I worked closely with and the ecology prof I interacted with very closely in the abroad program, he is the head of ecology dept at my school) , 1 from Playwriting prof, 1 from science lab PI, 1 from my anthro research faculty mentor). All should be strong but nothing too crazy.
• Also interested in refugee medicine

School List: 45 schools (need help cutting down list to 40 schools at most, preferably 38)

Albany
Albert Einstein
Boston
Case Western
Central Michigan
Rosalind Franklin
Cooper
Drexel
Eastern Virgina
Emory
Quinnipiac
Dartmouth
Geisinger
George Washington
Georgetown
Hackensack
Temple
Loyola
Medical College of Wisconsin
New York Medical College
Northeast Ohio
William Beuamont
Ohio State
Penn State
University of Vermont
Rush
Rutgers New Jersey
Saint Louis
Sidney Kimmel
Toledo
Brown
Tufts
Tulane
Cincinnati
Maryland (relative goes to med school)
UMiami
UMich
Pitt
Rochester
Wisconsin
Wake Forest
Wayne State
WVU (west virginia)
Western Michigan
Wright State

Any deletions, schools that can swapped, or even additions are welcome (but I am trying to max the list at 40)

Thanks so much in advance!!!!!!


Thanks for all your help in advance!!!!!!

OH State
U Cincy
U IA
40 schools is overkill; I recommend 25-35. You'll burn out writing 40 secondaries.
My list above

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[TheBoneDoctah]

Thank you so much! I was unsure of adding U IA (this is Iowa, right?) (because I was under for stats) I'm thinking of removing Wright State, U Cinci, Northeast Ohio, Rutgers, and Rochester and that would put me at 40. I know 40 is a lot but I am doing nothing else at all during the summer so I was thinking if I have the time I might as well try it. I will likely try to cut down to 35 though. Any other school you think wouldn't fit my app?

Any general thoughts or impressions on the app for this cycle?

Sorry for all the questions and thanks for being so helpful to us premeds!

Agree with cutting down the list. You have a competitive app. Quality matters on your secondaries and you will likely get one from most schools. That’s a lot of time/energy/cash.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I am doing nothing else at all during the summer so I was thinking if I have the time I might as well try it.

Wait, what?

I agree with above that you should narrow down to a more realistic set of schools... but while a break after graduation is reasonable, I hope you have a solid gap year plan!

 

[MusicDOc124]

With ties in NJ, I'd consider adding Rutgers RWJ as you only mention Rutgers NJMS. I'd also consider adding Hackensack Meridian SOM at Seton Hall. New school, but it has a 3-year pathway if you're interested in that, or a 4th year where you can pursue a masters or additional rotations or research depending on what/where you want to go.

Definitely apply to less than 38-40, but ensure you have a few backups and such, which is why I mention the above due to ties.

 

[Goro]

Hi! Thank you! I've got Hackensack on my list already but I have cut Rutgers due to there being so many public OOS schools on my list. I've kept Cooper which is New Jersey. Do you think I should cut Qunippiac, Dartmouth, and Brown? They seem like easy cuts to me.

Having relatives living in a state is not a tie. You having lived in a state or gone to school there is a tie.

I can't recommend the New Jersey schools other than Hackensack.
You could strike Brown from the list because they tend to like their own undergraduates.

 

[Goro]

Ah I see, I will remove both Brown and Dartmouth then. Likely Maryland as well since my only tie is a relative that goes to UMD med school. Do you have any thoughts on my app in general? Would I be competitive for schools on my list?

Your app looks great!

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

You have gotten great recs from the ADCOM on here that know specific schools better than me.