MD Reapplicant School List Help (cGPA 3.58, sGPA 3.48, 513 MCAT)

[emsea123]

White Female
VA resident
Applied in 2021 cycle to 27 MD schools: 1 pre-II hold (Drexel), 2 waitlists (EVMS, Penn State) -> rejections

I'm certain that my school list (plus lack of volunteer hours + clinical experience at the time and some late secondary submissions -> late interviews) contributed to my lack of success last cycle. I'm looking for some advice with constructing a new school list. I would like to stay in Virginia if possible but obviously will be applying broadly anyway.

Background: I graduated from a tier 2 university in 2019 with a BS in Neuroscience and a BA in French and Francophone studies. I know that my stats aren't stellar, but I have a really diverse set of experiences that I think set me apart in addition to my clinical experience. I also have an interesting reason for choosing the medical field (fast summary: my mother is an addict, leading me to neuroscience, which led me to explore the medical field and realize I could apply my curiosity and experiences to improve the health and quality of life of others)

MCAT: 502 (124/125/125/128) -> 513 (128/128/129/128)

Undergrad:
(My school used +/- grading scale and all my A-'s hurt me a lot, but I had a strong upward trend with a 3.93 my final semester.)
cGPA: 3.56
sGPA: 3.46

Post-Bacc:
4.0 (in two science courses)

Cumulative: cGPA 3.58, sGPA 3.48

ECs: (new ones in blue)

• Paid Clinical Experience:
  
  • medical scribe at a dermatology practice (~1300 hours)
  • currently a clinical research coordinator for the school of medicine that I would LOVE to attend (~1000 hours expected by the time I submit my app)
• Research:
  
  • Research Assistant at ICM - The Brain and Spine Institute (Paris, France) where I worked on multiple sclerosis research in French ~ 300 hours
  • Retrospective clinical research with the neurosurgeon I shadowed (~ 200 hours) but this never got published honestly b/c I bit off more than I could chew (it makes a great "learned my lesson" story about knowing your limits... also might exclude this completely from my app? idk)
  • I have several publications coming out this year that I worked on with the PI whose studies I coordinate.
• Shadowing: ~ 600 hours (OB/GYN, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, hepatology, obesity medicine)
• Non-Clinical ECs:
  
  • 4 years division 1 field hockey
  • Performing musician/songwriter/recording artist (2017-present)
• Non-Clinical Paid Employment:
  
  • Statistics grader (160 hours)
  • Training Site Director and Head Coach for a local field hockey club (1,920 hours)
  • Middle School Head Field Hockey Coach (165 hours)
• Volunteering/Community Service: ~150-200 hours expected by application submission
  • Hospice volunteer (completed 12 hours of training but never got to do this due to the pandemic)
  • Meals on Wheels driver (~30 hours but had to stop when I took a FT scribe job in 2020)
  • Food pantry/mobile produce pantry (~30 hrs currently)
  • Ronald McDonald House - starting this soon
• Honors/Awards/Recognitions
  
  • Graduated with Cum Laude Honors
  • Dean's List honors 5 semesters out of 8
  • NFHCA All-Academic Squad honors all four seasons of NCAA Division 1 field hockey competition.
  • All-League Honor Roll all four seasons of NCAA Division 1 field hockey competition.
• LORs: I had/have fantastic relationships with all of my letter-writers from my undergrad institution and did great in their classes (also got one from my field hockey coach and the neurosurgeon I shadowed for a summer). I am planning to get new LORs from the doc I scribed for and my current PI as well.

The school list I have so far for next cycle:

• Virginia Commonwealth University (I work here)
• Virginia Tech Carilion
• Eastern Virginia Medical School
• University of Virginia
• Georgetown
• George Washington University
• Wake Forest
• Temple
• Drexel
• Geisinger Commonwealth
• Sidney Kimmel Medical College (TJ)
• Penn State
• New York Medical College
• Hackensack
• Quinnipiac
• Wayne State
• Albany Medical College
• University of Vermont
• Rush Medical College
• Medical College of Wisconsin
• Charles E. Schmidt COM (Florida Atlantic University )
• NOVA Southeastern
• East Tennessee University
• University of Kentucky
• University of Louisville
• University of Miami
• Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
• West Virginia University
• Tulane University School of Medicine

Thank you for reading this and for your help!

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[candbgirl]

Did you use the MSAR when you developed your list of schools?
How many of these schools did you apply to last time?
Did you check the friendliness of these schools to OOS applicants? You have many OOS public schools that accept few applicants with your stats.
Did you apply last time with the 502 MCAT score? Be aware that some schools average multiple MCAT scores AMCAS rec that school do this.
Take Rush off your list. They expect and get hundreds if not thousands of service hours from their applicants.
Where are your DO schools. Your stats are more appropriate for DO schools. And if you are open to attending DO schools you might have good luck.

 

[emsea123]

Did you use the MSAR when you developed your list of schools?
How many of these schools did you apply to last time?
Did you check the friendliness of these schools to OOS applicants? You have many OOS public schools that accept few applicants with your stats.
Did you apply last time with the 502 MCAT score? Be aware that some schools average multiple MCAT scores AMCAS rec that school do this.
Take Rush off your list. They expect and get hundreds if not thousands of service hours from their applicants.
Where are your DO schools. Your stats are more appropriate for DO schools. And if you are open to attending DO schools you might have good luck.

Yes, I used MSAR for the list + checked OOS friendliness.

I had absolutely no idea they average MCAT scores! I didn’t apply with the 502. I applied after I got the 513. Do all schools do this?

I would prefer not to apply DO and instead optimize my MD school list as much as I can.

The schools on that list that I applied to last time are:
VCU (will have a letter of rec from a faculty member when I apply again)
Wake Forest
Georgetown
Temple
Drexel
University of Kentucky (I have strong family ties + a letter of rec from a faculty member)
Penn State
Tulane
EVMS
UVA
George Washington
Colorado
Dartmouth

 

[candbgirl]

Not all schools average scores. But there is no real way of knowing who does. But remember even if they don’t average, all of your scores are visible to reviewers. And there is no way to account for a reviewers attitude about a 502 score, even if you did shoot up 11 points. There is no sense in worrying. Your application is what you have. Good luck.

 

[emsea123]

Not all schools average scores. But there is no real way of knowing who does. But remember even if they don’t average, all of your scores are visible to reviewers. And there is no way to account for a reviewers attitude about a 502 score, even if you did shoot up 11 points. There is no sense in worrying. Your application is what you have. Good luck.

Ok thank you for your help!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I presume your two waitlists came after interview. Sure, it's not great, but you still have a chance until you get a rejection notice.

Not all schools average your scores, but they will see all of them. I think the retake helps but I also think the 513 might not be high enough for many of the schools on your list. Also I don't know what two courses you took, but for a postbac GPA, you probably would have been better served with more grades contributing to that GPA, but I don't know what you took before your degree. A 4.0 after two courses isn't really that impressive compared to a 4.0 after 4 or 6 or 8 science courses...

Did you ask the VCU admissions folks how to improve your file in case you have to reapply?

I understand the issue between MD and DO, but VCOM takes a lot of students (as does WVSOM) from Virginia, and you might have lost a year's worth of being a doctor by eschewing them.

 

[chilly_md]

East Tenneessee, FAU, FIU don't take many OOS students. Georgetown, GW, Wake, Drexel and NYMC are low-yield as an fyi. Rush requires many more volunteer hours than you have right now. I second the idea that you should ask VCU about your application, especially since that is your top choice. They are one of the schools that normally provides feedback.

 

[emsea123]

East Tenneessee, FAU, FIU don't take many OOS students. Georgetown, GW, Wake, Drexel and NYMC are low-yield as an fyi. Rush requires many more volunteer hours than you have right now. I second the idea that you should ask VCU about your application, especially since that is your top choice. They are one of the schools that normally provides feedback.

Thank you so much! This is really helpful.

 

[emsea123]

I presume your two waitlists came after interview. Sure, it's not great, but you still have a chance until you get a rejection notice.

Not all schools average your scores, but they will see all of them. I think the retake helps but I also think the 513 might not be high enough for many of the schools on your list. Also I don't know what two courses you took, but for a postbac GPA, you probably would have been better served with more grades contributing to that GPA, but I don't know what you took before your degree. A 4.0 after two courses isn't really that impressive compared to a 4.0 after 4 or 6 or 8 science courses...

Did you ask the VCU admissions folks how to improve your file in case you have to reapply?

I understand the issue between MD and DO, but VCOM takes a lot of students (as does WVSOM) from Virginia, and you might have lost a year's worth of being a doctor by eschewing them.

Yes they came after interview. These are my results from the 2021 application cycle, so they did end up becoming rejections.

My BS is in neuroscience, so I had most pre-reqs in my curriculum. I took physiology and biochem after I graduated to help me out with the MCAT (my first MCAT I took before those courses). Tons of people told me it wouldn’t be worthwhile to do a whole post bacc. I considered it, but in the end, decided against it.

I didn’t even think to follow up with schools about my application. I’m realizing now what a great tool that could have been. I assume much of the issue with my app was my lack of volunteering with VCU because they put a big emphasis on that. Do you think I could still reach out about my app last cycle, or is that window totally closed?

I may apply to those two DO schools just as backup. I guess I could give it a chance. I just don’t love the idea.

I appreciate all your help. This is great information/advice!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I didn’t even think to follow up with schools about my application. I’m realizing now what a great tool that could have been. I assume much of the issue with my app was my lack of volunteering with VCU because they put a big emphasis on that. Do you think I could still reach out about my app last cycle, or is that window totally closed?

As long as you couch it as preparing for a new application, it wouldn't hurt. You shouldn't expect detailed advice, but they might. Have your AAMC ID handy.

I may apply to those two DO schools just as backup. I guess I could give it a chance. I just don’t love the idea.

You might not like the idea, but all the Virginia schools allow their students to do rotations all around the state. You will wind up meeting students from VCOM as well as VCU, EVMS, and UVa during clerkships and probably graduates who are doing residencies.

 

[candbgirl]

Yes they came after interview. These are my results from the 2021 application cycle, so they did end up becoming rejections.

My BS is in neuroscience, so I had most pre-reqs in my curriculum. I took physiology and biochem after I graduated to help me out with the MCAT (my first MCAT I took before those courses). Tons of people told me it wouldn’t be worthwhile to do a whole post bacc. I considered it, but in the end, decided against it.

I didn’t even think to follow up with schools about my application. I’m realizing now what a great tool that could have been. I assume much of the issue with my app was my lack of volunteering with VCU because they put a big emphasis on that. Do you think I could still reach out about my app last cycle, or is that window totally closed?

I may apply to those two DO schools just as backup. I guess I could give it a chance. I just don’t love the idea.

I appreciate all your help. This is great information/advice!

Then don’t apply to those schools. There are hundreds of students that want to be docs that will be happy to apply and attend those schools. No sense in wasting your time or more importantly, the schools time if you “don’t love the idea”.