MD Would love some help with reducing my school list!

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Overman

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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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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.
 
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!
 
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
 
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?
 
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-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.
 
-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!
 
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.
 
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.
 
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!
 
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