Medical Where should I improve for reapplication?

[Mr.Smile12]

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Hello,

I applied to 37 schools and completed 37 secondaries. One interview invited and was put on the WL. I am CA resident, ORM, non-traditional (was a major in the humanities), LGBTQ+.

• Post-bacc GPA: 3.9x
• BCPM: 3.7x
• cGPA: 3.5x
• 504 --> 511 MCAT

My experiences include:

• ~750 hours clinical volunteering
• ~30 hours shadowing
• ~2,500 hours research lab (1 first author pub)
• ~2,000 hours volunteering (teaching sports and tutoring underserved kids)

How I am planning on improving my application:

• Increasing clinical exposure (currently applying to internships and jobs scribing)
• Increasing volunteering (teaching underserved adults how to read)
• Finishing secondaries in June (last cycle I was verified mid-June and finished secondaries in July/August)

How else can I improve my application? Do I need to retake the MCAT? Take more classes? How else do I improve my chances? I appreciate any and all feedback!

Can I get a breakdown of which schools? That's really shocking to me that you only got one interview except for the fact your shadowing hours are significantly lower than typically seen in applicants (say around 100 minimum with some primary care included). But I don't know if that's the only thing blocking you from further consideration.

 

[MusicDOc124]

Do you have any red flags, or even yellow flags that you didn't mention that might be important to know for context? Your app overall, as @Mr.Smile12 mentioned, is pretty surprising to have received only 1 IV-->WL from 37 apps.

 

[Goro]

I too am surprised that you haven't had more love. Can you share your school list? LGBT are considered URM by a number of schools, but as a reinventor, your MCAT might have been a tad on the low side. You should have had DO schools on your list.

Your essays may have been suspect, but a bad LOR might be sinking you.

I recommend the following:
Rewrite all essays and have multiple eyeballs vet them
Ask for feedback on your app once cycle is over (June)
If you don't have any volunteering with LGBT communities, get some. walk the walk and do not merely talk the talk (my fear is that unethical applicants will mark themselves as LGBT to gain a perceived URM advantage).
Work on interview skills
Consider these schools:

Kaiser
CalU Med
All UCs (delete UCR if you're not from the Inland Empire)
Wayne State
Loyola
Rush
SLU
Creighton
Jefferson
NYMC
Albany
BU
Tufts
Emory
Hofstra
Netter
EVMS
MCW
Dartmouth
Pitt (maybe)
Seton Hall
NovaMD
TCU/UNT
Drexel
Temple
GWU
Gtown
Tulane
Any DO school. I can't recommend Nova, Wm Carey, BCOM, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. MSUCOM? Read up on Larry Nasser and you decide. LMU has an accreditation warning, which concerns me. CalHS is too new and appears to be too limited in rotations sites.