Where do I go from here?

[peter99]

Because of some bad advice I was given as well as poor decision making on my part, I applied to only 12 MD schools this past cycle and submitted all of my secondaries in September. Needless to say, it's not looking good for me right now. I have 2 Rs, 2 holds (so 2 soft Rs), and radio silence. Unfortunately, due to family issues, I have not done anything from September until now to bolster my application for this upcoming cycle. I have just now gotten a job as a medical assistant which I will be starting in a few days, but there's no way that that alone will improve my app enough to make me a good reapplicant. I applied to UMD (hold), NYMC (hold), Jefferson (R), RWJ (R), Tufts, Emory, MCW, Ohio St, Cincinnati, Miami, Tulane, Penn St.

Stats: ORM, high SES, Maryland resident, graduated from the University of Maryland in 2022 with a degree in biology (neurobiology specialization), graduated from Rutgers biomedical sciences SMP in May 2023.

GPA: 3.18 uGPA, 2.95 sGPA, 3.83 SMP GPA

MCAT: 511 (127/127/128/129)

Research: 60 hours in a mouse lab at Oregon Health and Science University in Summer 2022. Abstract written and poster was presented at Society for Pediatric Pathology.

Clinical volunteering: None

Non-clinical volunteering: 130 hours. Most of that was with an organization with my church that provided meals to homeless shelters in my county. I did that all through high school and up until Covid started when I was a sophomore in college. Also spent time as a Red Cross blood donor ambassador for 6 months.

Clinical hours: 800 as a medical assistant in an urgent care office from January-September 2023. All of these hours were earned while I was completing my SMP, meaning I had 0 coming out of undergrad.

Shadowing: 90 hours

ECs: Eagle Scout. I worked in sports operations with my undergrad university during my sophomore through senior years. Also worked as a Summer camp counselor the Summer after my freshman year of college.

Besides the fact that I submitted my app so late, my sub 3 sGPA stands out to me as a red flag, as does the fact that all of my clinical hours were earned in less than a year. I'm wondering how to go forward now. I think it would be a very bad idea to reapply to any of the 12 schools I previously applied to this coming cycle, but would it be a horrible idea to apply to an entirely different and larger set of schools this coming cycle? I'm leaning towards yes, especially because of the gap in experience between September and now. I'm not really sure the path forward I should take.

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[Faha]

Half the schools on your list were unrealistic with a MCAT of 511, so essentially you applied to only 6 schools. Your clinical and shadowing hours are more than adequate. It would be helpful if you accumulate another 50+ hours of non clinical volunteering with the homeless shelter.
I suggest these schools if you reapply in June:
Maryland
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Belmont
TCU
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Drexel
Temple
Hackensack
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
West Virginia
Any new schools that open for 2025 (Alice Walton, Methodist, Roseman, American University)
Also apply to DO schools and I suggest these:
WVSOM
PCOM (all schools)
LECOM (all schools)
Touro-NY
NYITCOM
MU-COM
DMU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
AZCOM
TUNCOM
ACOM
UIWSOM
UP-KYCOM
CUSOM
LMU-DCOM

 

[peter99]

Thanks for the advice! I applied to Maryland and MCW this past cycle. Would an additional 50+ hours of volunteering be enough to show significant improvement to reapply there?

 

[Faha]

Thanks for the advice! I applied to Maryland and MCW this past cycle. Would an additional 50+ hours of volunteering be enough to show significant improvement to reapply there?

Yes, some schools screen out applicants with less than 150 hours of non clinical volunteering.

 

[Med Ed]

Thanks for the advice! I applied to Maryland and MCW this past cycle. Would an additional 50+ hours of volunteering be enough to show significant improvement to reapply there?

It would be a good start.

Relatively few applicants "have it all." Most have to approach the process with both strengths and weaknesses. Your SMP GPA and your MCAT are both good, but given the sum of your academic history you will not be branded an academic all star. You also don't have the research angle. That leaves you with a more humanistic/service-oriented approach. So you need to start buffing up that part of your application ASAP.

Try to remember, though, it's not just about the hours. Non-clinical volunteering should give you experiences that inform your goal of joining a service profession, and that you can discuss in a meaningful way in your application and interviews.

 

[climb_2009]

Checking the lowest c&sGPA, MCAT and OOS student data on MSAR helped me decipher which schools where I’d be a competitive applicant and could help you broaden your list! It costs less than 30 bucks/free with fap and I’d say strategically planning my schools helped me score!

I thinkkk being donor ambassador is more of a leadership role than volunteer which cuts even deeper to the lack of volunteer hours. More hands on volunteering could help with Penn state and make you fit Wayne state’s mission. With DO, I’ve heard below 3.0 might have more success with DUQCOM and KCUCOM.

 

[Goro]

Checking the lowest c&sGPA, MCAT and OOS student data on MSAR helped me decipher which schools where I’d be a competitive applicant and could help you broaden your list! It costs less than 30 bucks/free with fap and I’d say strategically planning my schools helped me score!

I thinkkk being donor ambassador is more of a leadership role than volunteer which cuts even deeper to the lack of volunteer hours. More hands on volunteering could help with Penn state and make you fit Wayne state’s mission. With DO, I’ve heard below 3.0 might have more success with DUQCOM and KCUCOM.

Not at KCU. I can't recommend any brand new school either

 

[Goro]

Half the schools on your list were unrealistic with a MCAT of 511, so essentially you applied to only 6 schools. Your clinical and shadowing hours are more than adequate. It would be helpful if you accumulate another 50+ hours of non clinical volunteering with the homeless shelter.
I suggest these schools if you reapply in June:
Maryland
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Belmont
TCU
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Drexel
Temple
Hackensack
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
West Virginia
Any new schools that open for 2025 (Alice Walton, Methodist, Roseman, American University)
Also apply to DO schools and I suggest these:
WVSOM
PCOM (all schools)
LECOM (all schools)
Touro-NY
NYITCOM
MU-COM
DMU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
AZCOM
TUNCOM
ACOM
UIWSOM
UP-KYCOM
CUSOM
LMU-DCOM

Agree with the wise Faha but omit LMU

 

[peter99]

It would be a good start.

Relatively few applicants "have it all." Most have to approach the process with both strengths and weaknesses. Your SMP GPA and your MCAT are both good, but given the sum of your academic history you will not be branded an academic all star. You also don't have the research angle. That leaves you with a more humanistic/service-oriented approach. So you need to start buffing up that part of your application ASAP.

Try to remember, though, it's not just about the hours. Non-clinical volunteering should give you experiences that inform your goal of joining a service profession, and that you can discuss in a meaningful way in your application and interviews.

Would it be in my best interest to improve my research experience at this point, or is my uGPA too low to get me into any big name research-oriented schools?

 

[TennCare]

Would it be in my best interest to improve my research experience at this point, or is my uGPA too low to get me into any big name research-oriented schools?

If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you apply to any DO schools this cycle? Surely would have gotten some interviews

 

[peter99]

If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you apply to any DO schools this cycle? Surely would have gotten some interviews

Frankly, because I was arrogant in thinking I was a shoe-in for MD. I was also led down a bad path by advisors who told me I had a good chance at the schools I applied to.

 

[Med Ed]

Would it be in my best interest to improve my research experience at this point, or is my uGPA too low to get me into any big name research-oriented schools?

To adopt a research-heavy approach would be a multi-year undertaking. You would be up against people with thousands of hours invested and the publications and presentations to show for it. Your MCAT would expire, and your uGPA would still be sitting there.

I mean, if your goal has evolved such that you seek a research-oriented career in academic medicine, then perhaps you should consider this route. Otherwise just do the simpler things and get in somewhere (anywhere) much sooner.

 

[chilly_md]

Would it be in my best interest to improve my research experience at this point, or is my uGPA too low to get me into any big name research-oriented schools?

Schools that reward reinvention tend to value service as opposed to research. Especially for where your MCAT is on top of that. I would say you would need to get to 250 total hours of non-clinical volunteering to show significant improvement for your case.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I don't know what advice you got from your SMP faculty, but they need to support your application if they have a strong track record with getting SMP students similar to you. I hesitate to question their advice without knowing what it is and why you discount it in retrospect.

The school list you provided should be very familiar with the SMP and the success of their graduates. Faha's list includes other regional schools you did not include that you could have a chance.

How much did they help you with writing your application? I don't remember if you have PREview or Casper scores. Did you apply to Belmont since they stated accepting applications in November.

 

[peter99]

My SMP directors unfortunately offered very little support throughout my application. They did not help me with my writing at all. I compiled my school list on my own and sent it to them with my stats and asked if it looked ok, and they said yes. That, along with writing a committee letter, was the extent of their support. In hindsight, it was totally my fault for not doing more research on realistic schools for me.