Where should I apply?

[drspacewoman]

Hey everybody,

I'm looking for some help figuring out where to apply this year. I applied to these schools last year and feel like I could have done a better job curating my list: University of Illinois (IL resident), Stritch, Rosalind Franklin, Rush, Drexel, Temple, NYMC, Albert Einstein, SLU, Wisconsin, Tulane, Indiana, and Keck (reach but wanted to try).

Here are my stats:

• cGPA: 3.89/sGPA: 3.97

• Psychology major, somewhat nontrad (career path changer - started prereqs during my senior year of undergrad and finished them up after graduation)

• MCAT: 510 (127/131/124/128)

• Over 2000 hours as an ER scribe, ongoing, Assistant Chief Scribe for the past year

• Shadow a psychiatrist (~50 hours currently, ongoing on an irregular basis)

• Volunteer as a certified crisis counselor with Crisis Text line (~100 hours by time of application)

• Volunteered as Peer Mentor in my undergrad in my psychology department (advised students on academic and *occasionally* personal matters, helped with course selection, served as resource for grad school info/career planning, ~80 hours total)

• Completed a volunteering project with an organization that works with under-served communities on the south side of Chicago as part of an experiential learning course (~25 hours of volunteering with their college prep program for underprivileged high school students plus creation of a hypothetical community intervention plan)

• No formal laboratory research, but did complete psychological research proposals and projects in 3 semesters of Research Methods classes as a requirement for my major

• Very strong Committee letter from my undergrad institution

I am retaking the MCAT next month in hopes of at least getting a more even score distribution. Assuming I am able to do this, where do you guys think I should apply? I'm open to MD or DO.

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[Faha]

Did you have any interviews or waitlists? When were your applications complete?

 

[drspacewoman]

Did you have any interviews or waitlists? When were your applications complete?

Unfortunately I didn't get either. I completed most apps in August, some in September.

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools for your next application:
U Illinois
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Rush
Medical College Wisconsin
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane
Vermont
Quinnipiac
New York Medical College
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
GW
Georgetown
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Apply in June and submit all your secondaries by July. You may be able to add more schools in July depending on your new MCAT score.
You are competitive for all DO schools so apply to at least 6. You may need a DO LOR for some schools.

 

[candbgirl]

Before you reapply to Rush, check out their insane amount of required hours in clinical and nonclinical . Also check out what accepted students have in these areas. What have you done to significantly improve your application for this cycle? Some of the schools on your list have definite missions of serving the underserved and 25 hours doesn't really indicate your commitment to that community. Try to get some shadowing of a variety primary care docs. I know you only asked for a list of schools but you might want to fill in some gaps with your current stats. Check out CCOM . It's a DO school in the Western burbs. Good luck.


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