MD Would love some help with reducing my school list!

[Overman]

Hey all! Would love to get some advice on my school list.

1. cGPA - 3.8 // sGPA - 3.74
2. MCAT score(s) - 511 (125/129/129/128) -> 513 (128/129/127/129)
3. State of residence - PA
4. Ethnicity and/or race - ORM
5. Undergraduate institution or category - Mid
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer) ~200 hrs
7. Research experience and productivity - ~950 hrs neuroscience lab, one poster // ~720 hrs biology research, two posters and two talks // ~320 hrs pharmacology research in industry // ~300 hrs humanities art research, one poster
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented - 58 hours with neurology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, neuro-ophthalmology, and vascular surgery
9. Non-clinical volunteering - ~100 hrs total, mix of four different community/environmental activities // will be doing gap year of service with Americorps
10. Other extracurricular activities - Lots of leadership and teaching/tutoring experience!
11. Anything else not listed you think might be important - As I said in #9, currently in gap year, and I have a big interest in doing research, so research ranking/availability is important

School List:

Definitely Applying (20)

• University of Pittsburgh
• Drexel University
• Geisinger Commonwealth
• Temple University
• Thomas Jefferson University
• Penn State
• Brown
• Case Western
• Dartmouth
• Albert Einstein
• Emory
• George Washington
• Maryland
• Mayo
• Oakland
• Rochester
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• USC - Keck
• USF Morsani

Would like to add maybe 8-10 more schools, currently considering from this selection but would be open to any more suggestions:

• · Albany
  
  · Boston
  
  · Cincinatti
  
  · Colorado
  
  · Eastern Virginia
  
  · Georgetown
  
  · Hofstra
  
  · Indiana University
  
  · Iowa
  
  · Kentucky
  
  · Ohio State
  
  · Toledo
  
  · Tufts
  
  · U Minnesota
  
  · U Wisconsin
  
  · Virginia Tech
  
  · Wayne State
  
  · Western Michigan

I appreciate any feedback!

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[Faha]

Albany, Hofstra, Western Michigan, Tufts, Georgetown, Eastern Virginia and Cincinnati are worth adding. Most of the others are state schools that have a strong preference for their own residents and accept few non residents with your MCAT.

 

[Overman]

Albany, Hofstra, Western Michigan, Tufts, Georgetown, Eastern Virginia and Cincinnati are worth adding. Most of the others are state schools that have a strong preference for their own residents and accept few non residents with your MCAT.

Thank you!

 

[Goro]

Here is a more realistic list:


Duke (maybe)
U Cincy (maybe)
U VM
Pitt
Mayo
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush
Rosy Franklin
BU
MCW
Hofstra
NYMC
VCU
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
George Washington
Georgetown
Emory
USC/Keck
Tulane
Dartmouth
Loyola
Netter
Oakland-B
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
Any DO program. I can't recommend Touro-NY, or LUCOM, for different reasons

 

[Overman]

Here is a more realistic list:


Duke (maybe)
U Cincy (maybe)
U VM
Pitt
Mayo
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush
Rosy Franklin
BU
MCW
Hofstra
NYMC
VCU
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
George Washington
Georgetown
Emory
USC/Keck
Tulane
Dartmouth
Loyola
Netter
Oakland-B
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
Any DO program. I can't recommend Touro-NY, or LUCOM, for different reasons

Thanks for the detailed response @Goro, I appreciate it!

A few questions:
-I was worried about applying to Rush because of their insane non-clinical hours and assumed they would not take my Americorps gap year into account -- am I wrong in thinking that?
-I thought Duke was a top tier (as per WedgeDawg) and assumed it was a mega-reach for me.
-I will also be applying to some DO schools, thank you! I had Touro-NY on my list -- can I ask why you don't recommend it?

 

[Goro]

-I was worried about applying to Rush because of their insane non-clinical hours and assumed they would not take my Americorps gap year into account -- am I wrong in thinking that?
I'm a big fan of AmeriCorps! So keep Rush on the list. Read this carefully, though:
Attributes of a Successful Candidate | MD Admission Requirements | Rush University

-I thought Duke was a top tier (as per WedgeDawg) and assumed it was a mega-reach for me.
You're in striking distance for Duke, and above their 10th %ile. I am using a avg of your scores for a 512. Duke's median MCAT score is 516.

-I will also be applying to some DO schools, thank you! I had Touro-NY on my list -- can I ask why you don't recommend it?

• Unethical way they handled the overbooking of their classes last year.
• Poor COMLEX II pass rates for a now mature school. This hints at poor clinical training.

 

[Overman]

-I was worried about applying to Rush because of their insane non-clinical hours and assumed they would not take my Americorps gap year into account -- am I wrong in thinking that?
I'm a big fan of AmeriCorps! So keep Rush on the list. Read this carefully, though:
Attributes of a Successful Candidate | MD Admission Requirements | Rush University

-I thought Duke was a top tier (as per WedgeDawg) and assumed it was a mega-reach for me.
You're in striking distance for Duke, and above their 10th %ile. I am using a avg of your scores for a 512. Duke's median MCAT score is 516.

-I will also be applying to some DO schools, thank you! I had Touro-NY on my list -- can I ask why you don't recommend it?

• Unethical way they handled the overbooking of their classes last year.
• Poor COMLEX II pass rates for a now mature school. This hints at poor clinical training.

Thanks!

 

[Overman]

Final school list:

• University of Pittsburgh
• Drexel University
• Geisinger Commonwealth
• Temple University
• Thomas Jefferson University
• Penn State

• Albany
• Albert Einstein
• Boston University
• Brown
• Case Western
• Cincinatti
• Colorado
• Dartmouth
• Eastern Virginia (EVMS)
• Emory
• George Washington
• Hofstra
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Maryland
• Mayo
• Oakland
• Quinnipac (Netter)
• Rochester
• Rush
• Tufts
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• USC - Keck
• USF Morsani
• Virginia Commonwealth
• Virginia Tech
• Western Michigan

@Goro -- Do you think this final list of 34 schools is OK? I removed some of the more religious institutions (Emory remains because of some connections). I also could not make the past CASPER days and did not want to delay my application until August 30th (if that's a concern), so I removed those as well.

@gyngyn -- I noticed that you would chance people for number of interviews in many of these threads -- was wondering if you would be willing do to the same for me. Thank you.

 

[Goro]

Forget U MI,..they don't need the donation. Ditto U CO, IU, Iowa, U MD, USF, and Va Tech.. One has to be > avg for OOS public schools. I can't recommend Penn state.

Final school list:

• University of Pittsburgh
• Drexel University
• Geisinger Commonwealth
• Temple University
• Thomas Jefferson University
• Penn State

• Albany
• Albert Einstein
• Boston University
• Brown
• Case Western
• Cincinatti
• Colorado
• Dartmouth
• Eastern Virginia (EVMS)
• Emory
• George Washington
• Hofstra
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Maryland
• Mayo
• Oakland
• Quinnipac (Netter)
• Rochester
• Rush
• Tufts
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• USC - Keck
• USF Morsani
• Virginia Commonwealth
• Virginia Tech
• Western Michigan

@Goro -- Do you think this final list of 34 schools is OK? I removed some of the more religious institutions (Emory remains because of some connections). I also could not make the past CASPER days and did not want to delay my application until August 30th (if that's a concern), so I removed those as well.

@gyngyn -- I noticed that you would chance people for number of interviews in many of these threads -- was wondering if you would be willing do to the same for me. Thank you.

 

[Overman]

Forget U MI,..they don't need the donation. Ditto U CO, IU, Iowa, U MD, USF, and Va Tech.. One has to be > avg for OOS public schools. I can't recommend Penn state.

I see, thanks!