MD cGPA=3.57, sGPA=3.51, MCAT=509, but one Red Flag

[Judson]

Help me pick out my schools / WAMC!

Below are my current stats and even further below is a list of schools I am considering applying to. Keep in mind that I have a non-violent, non-drug related misdemeanor (offense date = Jan 2010). I was a stupid kid that turned his life around. Please advise on my school list at the end of this post!

1. Graduated from a Top-15 Public University with a BS in Psychology in May 2015

o cGPA = 3.58 (pending AMCAS verification)
o sGPA = 3.51 (pending AMCAS verification)​

2. MCAT Composite = 509 (82% rank)

o C/P = 126 (68% rank)
o CARS = 125 (62% rank)
o B/B = 131 (99% rank)
o P/S = 127 (78% rank)​

3. 26 years old, white, Caucasian, male
4. Virginia Resident since graduation (prev. Pennsylvania Resident)
5. Clinical experience

o Clinical research lab (40+hrs/wk since July 2015)
o Interned at the campus clinic where I conducted intakes (100 hours over two semesters)
o Volunteered at the local hospital (300 hours over 20 months)​

6. Research experience and productivity

o Currently in an RA in a lab that pumps out multiple papers a year

+ 1 Poster presentation to date, more to come​

o Research Coordinator of clinical neuropsychology lab for one year at undergrad lab (RA'd 2yrs total)

+ 1 Publication (third author) under review
+ 4 Poster presentations (one as first author)​

7. Shadowing experience and specialties represented

o Shadowed at campus clinic

+ Physicians Shadowed = Primary Care, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry
+ Also shadowed lots of PAs , NPs, Clinical Psychologists, Lab Techs, Radiology Techs, Physical Therapists​

8. Non-clinical volunteering

o Philanthropy Chair for organization that raised over $6,200 to help kids with cancer​

9. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)

o Teaching Assistant for Biology Labs = Intro Biology, Honors Intro Biology, and Comparative Plant and Vertebrate Physiology
o President of campus Psi Chi chapter (psych honor society)
o Member of campus Alpha Epsilon Delta chapter (pre-health honor society)
o Worked in restaurants as a cook and waiter from ages 14-24
o Chess Team for two semesters (wasn’t that good unfortunately because I really love playing chess)​

I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but all this is to help you help me pick out schools to apply to! I am only interested in applying to MD schools at this time. My current list of schools definitely has some reaches! Looking to be in a warm place or near PA/VA! Here it is:

VCU
Eastern VA
UVA
Virginia Tech
USUHS
Emory
PSU
Jefferson
Drexel
Temple
Duke
Wake Forest
UNC
U. Miami
USF
FL International
Central FL
Keck
UCLA
UCSD
U. South Carolina (all locations)
U. Arizona (both locations)

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[aymar]

Hi there! I don't know much about most of the schools on the list, but just a quick FYI on out of state applicants to UNC from their website:

The criterion for the out-of-state applicants is very competitive, and the applicants who meet the following academic criteria at the undergraduate level will typically be considered for an interview: science GPA (or BCPM) of >3.49; cumulative GPA of >3.59 and total MCAT score of 33 or 514. Note these criteria must be on your AMCAS application at the time of submission.

 

[Judson]

Hi there! I don't know much about most of the schools on the list, but just a quick FYI on out of state applicants to UNC from their website:

The criterion for the out-of-state applicants is very competitive, and the applicants who meet the following academic criteria at the undergraduate level will typically be considered for an interview: science GPA (or BCPM) of >3.49; cumulative GPA of >3.59 and total MCAT score of 33 or 514. Note these criteria must be on your AMCAS application at the time of submission.

Thank you for the reply! I removed UNC from my list and will start looking through the others for similar cutoffs!

New working list:
VCU
Eastern VA
UVA
Virginia Tech
USUHS
Emory
PSU
Jefferson
Drexel
Temple
Duke
Wake Forest
U. Miami
USF
FL International
Central FL
Keck
UCLA
UCSD
U. South Carolina (all locations)
U. Arizona (both locations)

 

[nonamesleft]

Help me pick out my schools / WAMC!
4. Virginia Resident since graduation (prev. Pennsylvania Resident)

You don't have state ties to these:
U. Miami
USF
FL International
Central FL

Not sure how much state ties matter to these, but you also don't have ties to these:
Wake Forest
Keck
U. South Carolina (all locations)
U. Arizona (both locations)

Your scores aren't that great for these:
UCLA
UCSD
Emory
Duke
UVa (you might be ok for this one since you're in-state)

USUHS <- are you AF/navy/army?

 

[gyngyn]

Begin by deleting all the CA schools and Duke.

 

[Judson]

You don't have state ties to these:
U. Miami
USF
FL International
Central FL

Would having extended family (aunts/uncles and grandma) living in FL count as a state tie?

Your scores aren't that great for these:
UCLA
UCSD
Emory
Duke
UVa (you might be ok for this one since you're in-state)

Do I have a shot at any of these schools as my "reach school"?

USUHS <- are you AF/navy/army?

No, but I thought only a small percentage of the entering class has a military background. I actually was in the process of signing up for the navy, but got accepted to college and put a hold on the military.

 

[Judson]

Begin by deleting all the CA schools and Duke.

I take it CA schools should be removed because I'm OOS with relatively low stats for those schools and Duke because numbers as well?