Where to apply?

[Tn615pride]

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Graduated in May 2015. 509 MCAT, 3.81 cGPa, 3.56 sGPA. 2.5 years of "research" primarily working on a dementia database. Heavily involved in campus church group including mission trips. President of an honors service org. Currently volunteering at a clinic for refugees and expect about 50 hours by the time I apply. Shadowed surgery, internal med, and orthopedics for a total of about 150 hours. Currently work for an airline in a supervisory position. LORs from 3 profs, 1 physician, research PI, and employer. Could get one from pastor as well. TN resident with ties to KY and could make an argument for ties to WV. Would prefer to attend school in a city or at least a decently populated area. Love the outdoors but I think I could enjoy somewhere like DC plenty too. Have looked into the LizzyM spreadsheet but want further opinions. Any suggestions on where I should apply?

 

[bananafish94]

Your MCAT will disqualify you from the top tier schools.

To begin:

East Tennessee
University of Tennessee
Louisville
Kentucky
WVU
Marshall (maybe--big OOS prejudice)

Any private school with reasonable statistics i.e. Rosalind Franklin or Drexel
Any new medical school
Any DO school.

Good luck!

 

[NickNaylor]

Buy the MSAR, look at places at which your MCAT/GPA are likely to be competitive, and work from there. By "likely to be competitive" I mean at the 50th percentile or better. Throw in some schools at which you may not be competitive but would really like to attend. That latter group shouldn't form the bulk of your list, though.

 

[gyngyn]

Loma Linda.

 

[UBC2014]

Definitely apply to USDO programs too. KCU is a really solid program and with strong board scores in particular.

 

[Tn615pride]

Thanks for the suggestions y'all! @NickNaylor would Georgetown and George Washington be reasonable reach schools or are they a little too high in terms of MCAT for me?

 

[Goro]

The lack of patient contact experience will hurt. The mission trip will be viewed as medical tourism.

If the "ties" you refer to are growing up ion those states, or going to college there, that that's real. But if it's your mom living there? Not a tie.

On the basis of your numbers, I recommend.

Temple
Jefferson
Drexel
WVU
Rosy Franklin
MCW
SLU
Loma Linda (but read their list of don'ts)
Albany
NYMC
VCU
U VM
EVMS
Oakland-B
Western MI
U TN
East TN
Any DO school, starting with KYCOM and LMU

Graduated in May 2015. 509 MCAT, 3.81 cGPa, 3.56 sGPA. 2.5 years of "research" primarily working on a dementia database. Heavily involved in campus church group including mission trips. President of an honors service org. Currently volunteering at a clinic for refugees and expect about 50 hours by the time I apply. Shadowed surgery, internal med, and orthopedics for a total of about 150 hours. Currently work for an airline in a supervisory position. LORs from 3 profs, 1 physician, research PI, and employer. Could get one from pastor as well. TN resident with ties to KY and could make an argument for ties to WV. Would prefer to attend school in a city or at least a decently populated area. Love the outdoors but I think I could enjoy somewhere like DC plenty too. Have looked into the LizzyM spreadsheet but want further opinions. Any suggestions on where I should apply?

 

[Tn615pride]

The lack of patient contact experience will hurt. The mission trip will be viewed as medical tourism.

If the "ties" you refer to are growing up ion those states, or going to college there, that that's real. But if it's your mom living there? Not a tie.

On the basis of your numbers, I recommend.

Temple
Jefferson
Drexel
WVU
Rosy Franklin
MCW
SLU
Loma Linda (but read their list of don'ts)
Albany
NYMC
VCU
U VM
EVMS
Oakland-B
Western MI
U TN
East TN
Any DO school, starting with KYCOM and LMU

Is there anything you would suggest getting into to boost my patient contact? I do interact with patients at the clinic I volunteer at but not an extreme amount. I only do one day a week now but I could start doing 2 and work a lot heavier with refugee initial visits and immunizations. My mission trips also haven't been medically related at all and have been to the same town in Haiti consistently. Will they be viewed positively in that case? As far as ties to KY... My mother does live there. But along with the rest of my family. I've spent extensive amounts of time there and its essentially a second home to me. Would admissions committees view that with any weight or is it pretty black and white with state residency being the only contributing factor? Thanks for your help!

 

[Goro]

Add more opportunities, like hospice or nursing homes. But you're on the right track.

Is there anything you would suggest getting into to boost my patient contact? I do interact with patients at the clinic I volunteer at but not an extreme amount. I only do one day a week now but I could start doing 2 and work a lot heavier with refugee initial visits and immunizations.

Religious missions? Or GMO-type "go build a well" mission? Either way, not looked upon favorably.


My mission trips also haven't been medically related at all and have been to the same town in Haiti consistently. Will they be viewed positively in that case?

Doesn't count. YOU have to live there, not merely visit. The taxpayers of the Bluegrass State will be subsidizing your medical education, so they'll favor the home team, and you need to be > avg for them

As far as ties to KY... My mother does live there. But along with the rest of my family. I've spent extensive amounts of time there and its essentially a second home to me. Would admissions committees view that with any weight or is it pretty black and white with state residency being the only contributing factor?

 

[Tn615pride]

Add more opportunities, like hospice or nursing homes. But you're on the right track.

Is there anything you would suggest getting into to boost my patient contact? I do interact with patients at the clinic I volunteer at but not an extreme amount. I only do one day a week now but I could start doing 2 and work a lot heavier with refugee initial visits and immunizations.

Religious missions? Or GMO-type "go build a well" mission? Either way, not looked upon favorably.


My mission trips also haven't been medically related at all and have been to the same town in Haiti consistently. Will they be viewed positively in that case?

Doesn't count. YOU have to live there, not merely visit. The taxpayers of the Bluegrass State will be subsidizing your medical education, so they'll favor the home team, and you need to be > avg for them

As far as ties to KY... My mother does live there. But along with the rest of my family. I've spent extensive amounts of time there and its essentially a second home to me. Would admissions committees view that with any weight or is it pretty black and white with state residency being the only contributing factor?

Thank you for your help! I really appreciate it.

Also @gyngyn I've heard Loma Linda from a couple people and read up on it a little bit after the suggestion. The good: I'm already reasonably religious, I don't drink, and I don't use tobacco. The bad: I'm gay. It doesn't explicitly say in the student handbook that LGBTQ applicants will be automatically rejected or that gay students will be punished but I am assuming my shot there isn't too great. I'll do more research though.

Going further down the state school resident bias road... I attended college in FL. I've been living in TN since graduation. Any increased chance for FL schools after graduating from one?

And last, the dreaded MCAT retake question. I believe I spent too much time on content review and not enough on actual practice before the exam. I think I could have done better although I'm not sure how much. That being said, money is tight and another round of test prep would continue to take away from strengthening my application in other areas. Do you think I should retake or do you feel like I have a high probability of being successful this upcoming cycle with my current stats?

 

[Swish16]

KY doesn't have too many medical school applicants. I'd take a shot. I go to school in Missouri and have only driven through Kentucky and I have acceptances at both UK and UofL.

 

[Tn615pride]

KY doesn't have too many medical school applicants. I'd take a shot. I go to school in Missouri and have only driven through Kentucky and I have acceptances at both UK and UofL.

Do you mind if I ask your stats? I look to be just below UK and I think about on target with UofL.

 

[Goro]

Best to inquire in the school-specific thread, but off the cuff, I can't recommend LL to a gay student. You want a nurturing environment.

Thank you for your help! I really appreciate it.

Also @gyngyn I've heard Loma Linda from a couple people and read up on it a little bit after the suggestion. The good: I'm already reasonably religious, I don't drink, and I don't use tobacco. The bad: I'm gay. It doesn't explicitly say in the student handbook that LGBTQ applicants will be automatically rejected or that gay students will be punished but I am assuming my shot there isn't too great. I'll do more research though.

Going further down the state school resident bias road... I attended college in FL. I've been living in TN since graduation. Any increased chance for FL schools after graduating from one?

And last, the dreaded MCAT retake question. I believe I spent too much time on content review and not enough on actual practice before the exam. I think I could have done better although I'm not sure how much. That being said, money is tight and another round of test prep would continue to take away from strengthening my application in other areas. Do you think I should retake or do you feel like I have a high probability of being successful this upcoming cycle with my current stats?

 

[Swish16]

Do you mind if I ask your stats? I look to be just below UK and I think about on target with UofL.

I should've mentioned that I have rather strong stats for both schools. 3.8 Cumulative GPA/36MCAT.