Chances for MD/DO 3.88/507 & help with school list - very low CARS

[dr_asdrubal]

Hi, I would like some help/guidance in assessing my application and creating a school list for the upcoming cycle. Right off the bat, I want to address that I scored 121 on CARS on my 2nd attempt on the MCAT and this really worries me. I am not a first generation college student but English was not my first language.

1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS: 3.88 cumulative and 3.87 science; my AACOMAS science GPA is a bit higher
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown: 1st attempt 505 (125/123/129/128), 2nd attempt 507 (127/121/128/131)
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US): California
4. Ethnicity and/or race: White
5. Undergraduate institution or category: Cal State
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer): 300hrs volunteering at a hospital in an underserved community
7. Research experience and productivity: 2 years of dry-lab experience with 1 poster presentation, 2 publications, and 1 more on the way
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented: Primary care, sports medicine, OB/GYN, neurosurgery, surgical oncology ~ 120hrs total
9. Non-clinical volunteering: ~50hrs tutoring children from underserved/homeless communities, ~300hrs volunteering at a COVID test site
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc): I plan to take a gap year and I am working on getting a position as a research tech/associate in a wet-lab. I have also been working as a freelance tutor for different science subjects such as biochem, bio, chem, etc.
11. Relevant honors or awards: Dean's list every semester
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important: I have a few hrs of volunteering "left over" so to speak, for example, I have 8hrs volunteering at a blood drive, 8 hrs volunteering at a food bank but I don't know if this is even worth mentioning/adding to my application.

I would appreciate any and all help/feedback on my app and school list, especially from @Goro @gyngyn and @Faha. I am not sure how to balance my list between MD and DO - should they be about equal? More MD? More DO?

School list so far:

DO schools:
WesternU - California
WesternU - Oregon
PNWU-COM
TUNCOM
TUCOM-CA

PCOM
PCOM-GA
PCOM-South GA
RowanSOM
Nova Southeastern
Midwestern - Arizona
Midwestern - Chicago
Des Moines

MD schools:
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UCLA
UCSD
UC Riverside

USF-Morsani
Wayne State
Quinnipiac

Jefferson
Tulane
Tufts
Georgetown
Brown
BU
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Drexel
Commonwealth
Temple
GWU
NYMC
Penn State
Albany
Rush

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[Faha]

You have a good DO list.. Your MCAT is not competitive for schools such as UCLA, UCSD, USF Morsani, Tufts, BU, Brown so remove those. Rush is looking for applicants with many more volunteering hours than you have and Commonwealth has a regional preference. You could add these MD schools:
TCU-UNT
NOVA MD
Seton Hall
Oakland Beaumont
Vermont
Medical College Wisconsin

 

[Goro]

You have a good DO list.. Your MCAT is not competitive for schools such as UCLA, UCSD, USF Morsani, Tufts, BU, Brown so remove those. Rush is looking for applicants with many more volunteering hours than you have and Commonwealth has a regional preference. You could add these MD schools:
TCU-UNT
NOVA MD
Seton Hall
Oakland Beaumont
Vermont
Medical College Wisconsin

Agree with the wise Faha.

 

[dr_asdrubal]

@Faha @Goro

Do you guys think I have at least a decent shot at getting in somewhere? I feel like I should add more schools. What are your suggestions?

 

[Faha]

You should receive several DO interviews. If you want to add more DO schools consider these:
MU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
CUSOM
ACOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I will question your non-clinical volunteering: what were you doing at a COVID-19 test site that was non-clinical? Also tutoring is overrepresented as an activity for premeds so it won't carry much weight for you (or as much as you would expect), even if it were for underserved children. Exactly what experiences have you shown your ability to truly reach beyond your comfort zone? Just the 8 hours at the food bank?

 

[dr_asdrubal]

I will question your non-clinical volunteering: what were you doing at a COVID-19 test site that was non-clinical? Also tutoring is overrepresented as an activity for premeds so it won't carry much weight for you (or as much as you would expect), even if it were for underserved children. Exactly what experiences have you shown your ability to truly reach beyond your comfort zone? Just the 8 hours at the food bank?

I would guide people through a test that they performed themselves. I want to count it as non-clinical because I didn't think the people there would count as patients. I was counting on this being fine for non-clinical, but I could always pick up more hours at the food bank just in case.