TX Reapplicant Advice + Chances (3.45/4.0 SMP/513)

[PalaceLover]

Hey there! Applying for the upcoming 2022-2023 cycle (previously applied 2020-2021 cycle but no interviews), currently wrapping up SMP, any thoughts would be appreciated!

GPA: 4.0 SMP, c3.45, s3.35 ; Upward trend starting 3rd year, 3.7 sGPA/cGPA last 60 hours.

MCAT: 513 (127/128/129/129)

State/Ties: TX. Lived in the midwest for 10+ years prior to moving. Went OOS for undergrad in CA.

Ethnicity/Gender: ORM Male

Clinical experience:
Paid Employment: 2600 Hours as a Medical Scribe in FM (Authored a FM editorial which was published)
Clinical Volunteering: 120 Hours at Children's Hospital ; School Nurse 50 Hours

Research: 335 Hours Literature Review Research Project on Primary Care/FM ( 1st author publication in medium impact journal, 2 poster presentations) ; 40 Hours Neurology Lab (might omit)

Shadowing: 130 Hours
- 20 hours Family Medicine (DO) (Rural)
- 40 hours General Surgeon (MD) (Rural)
- 50 hours Family Medicine (MD) (Rural)
- 20 hours Pediatric Surgeon (MD) (Urban)

Non-clinical volunteering: 115 Hours Math and Science Tutor, 175 Hours Crisis Text Line, 35 Hours Food Bank/Pantry (70+ hours by application)

Leadership/Other ECs:
- 250 hours Leadership position in pre-health organization focused on rural medicine
- 530 hours paid employment as departmental office/lab assistant at Medical Center
- 110 hours paid employment as a middle school teacher for low SES students
- 2 years of club basketball and tennis
- Running a small art business for the last 8 years

Relevant honors or awards: Dean’s List Junior and Senior Year, Department of FM Scholarship Award

Current School List:

MD: All TMDSAS schools + some AMCAS?

DO: TCOM, SHSU, UIW, ATSU-SOMA, VCOM (LA), Westerns , PCOMs, NOVA?? [MCAT is expired for the remaining schools I was interested in]

Letters of Rec:

1. Volunteer Coordinator
2. Genetics Professor
3. Research Mentor (MD)
4. Bio Professor
5. FM Physician I scribed for (MD)
6. SMP Advisor/Prof


Changes from last Cycle (Bolded + Underlined above)
1. 2500+ hours of clinical experience
2. Letter from FM Physician
3. FM Editorial Publication
4. 4.0 SMP
5. Letter from SMP Advisor/Prof
6. More Crisis Text Line Volunteering
7. Food Bank/Pantry Volunteering
8. More shadowing
8. Applying Earlier/Completely reworked PS/Pre-write secondaries

Final Thoughts:

Looking back, there were too many holes in my app to have much success but I suppose I wanted to shoot my shot anyway (I also only applied to 2 DO schools last time which was a mistake). I feel writing and timing will be vastly better this time and bigger school list should also help.

- For TMDSAS, I have to pick 4 out of the 6 letters but if I go solely based on how strong the letters are, the bio + genetics prof letters get axed. Is it fine to go with the other 4 and not have a "true" science prof letter?
- Thinking about clinical research and continuing volunteering/hobbies for my gap year. If clinical research doesn't work out, is there anything else that could make my app stronger by addressing a weakness?
- My MCAT is expired by a couple months for some DO/AMCAS MD schools I was interested in. I assume the deadlines are extremely strict but has anyone heard of schools making exceptions?
- I've heard many OOS MDs are wary of interviewing TX residents but I have 2 close friends from TX who were accepted at OOS MDs without any ties and relatively average stats/ECs. I'm already at 20+ schools before touching AMCAS so I'm thinking that adding 5-10 OOS MD schools might be worth it (Mainly schools in the south/midwest). - - How do I factor in my SMP when looking at MSAR ranges? Any schools that might be more willing to take someone who did a postbacc/SMP (besides my SMP school of course)?

Thanks in advance!

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[Mr.Smile12]

You can try for some OOS non Texas schools provided they have a track record taking postbacs from Texas. This is where you have to leverage your SMP director because past history is great starting point.

Look at other medical schools that have SMP's but be aware if they will take postbacs from other programs.

 

[wysdoc]

Hey there! Applying for the upcoming 2022-2023 cycle (previously applied 2020-2021 cycle but no interviews), currently wrapping up SMP, any thoughts would be appreciated!

GPA: 4.0 SMP, c3.45, s3.35 ; Upward trend starting 3rd year, 3.7 sGPA/cGPA last 60 hours.

MCAT: 513 (127/128/129/129)

State/Ties: TX. Lived in the midwest for 10+ years prior to moving. Went OOS for undergrad in CA.

Ethnicity/Gender: ORM Male

Clinical experience:
Paid Employment: 2600 Hours as a Medical Scribe in FM (Authored a FM editorial which was published)
Clinical Volunteering: 120 Hours at Children's Hospital ; School Nurse 50 Hours

Research: 335 Hours Literature Review Research Project on Primary Care/FM ( 1st author publication in medium impact journal, 2 poster presentations) ; 40 Hours Neurology Lab (might omit)

Shadowing: 130 Hours
- 20 hours Family Medicine (DO) (Rural)
- 40 hours General Surgeon (MD) (Rural)
- 50 hours Family Medicine (MD) (Rural)
- 20 hours Pediatric Surgeon (MD) (Urban)

Non-clinical volunteering: 115 Hours Math and Science Tutor, 175 Hours Crisis Text Line, 35 Hours Food Bank/Pantry (70+ hours by application)

Leadership/Other ECs:
- 250 hours Leadership position in pre-health organization focused on rural medicine
- 530 hours paid employment as departmental office/lab assistant at Medical Center
- 110 hours paid employment as a middle school teacher for low SES students
- 2 years of club basketball and tennis
- Running a small art business for the last 8 years

Relevant honors or awards: Dean’s List Junior and Senior Year, Department of FM Scholarship Award

Current School List:

MD: All TMDSAS schools + some AMCAS?

DO: TCOM, SHSU, UIW, ATSU-SOMA, VCOM (LA), Westerns , PCOMs, NOVA?? [MCAT is expired for the remaining schools I was interested in]

Letters of Rec:

1. Volunteer Coordinator
2. Genetics Professor
3. Research Mentor (MD)
4. Bio Professor
5. FM Physician I scribed for (MD)
6. SMP Advisor/Prof


Changes from last Cycle (Bolded + Underlined above)
1. 2500+ hours of clinical experience
2. Letter from FM Physician
3. FM Editorial Publication
4. 4.0 SMP
5. Letter from SMP Advisor/Prof
6. More Crisis Text Line Volunteering
7. Food Bank/Pantry Volunteering
8. More shadowing
8. Applying Earlier/Completely reworked PS/Pre-write secondaries

Final Thoughts:

Looking back, there were too many holes in my app to have much success but I suppose I wanted to shoot my shot anyway (I also only applied to 2 DO schools last time which was a mistake). I feel writing and timing will be vastly better this time and bigger school list should also help.

- For TMDSAS, I have to pick 4 out of the 6 letters but if I go solely based on how strong the letters are, the bio + genetics prof letters get axed. Is it fine to go with the other 4 and not have a "true" science prof letter?
- Thinking about clinical research and continuing volunteering/hobbies for my gap year. If clinical research doesn't work out, is there anything else that could make my app stronger by addressing a weakness?
- My MCAT is expired by a couple months for some DO/AMCAS MD schools I was interested in. I assume the deadlines are extremely strict but has anyone heard of schools making exceptions?
- I've heard many OOS MDs are wary of interviewing TX residents but I have 2 close friends from TX who were accepted at OOS MDs without any ties and relatively average stats/ECs. I'm already at 20+ schools before touching AMCAS so I'm thinking that adding 5-10 OOS MD schools might be worth it (Mainly schools in the south/midwest). - - How do I factor in my SMP when looking at MSAR ranges? Any schools that might be more willing to take someone who did a postbacc/SMP (besides my SMP school of course)?

Thanks in advance!

@bluewolffe it looks as if you have made substantial improvements to your resume since last time and I think you will have more success.
The TMDSAS schools will take an MCAT score from up to 5 years ago, so your score is still good at them. TCU (AMCAS) wants a score within 3 years.
TMDSAS letters should have at least one science professor letter so you need to include one or both of the professor letters. If your SMP advisor was also a science professor that can be one of them, if you feel it will be stronger especially since you did so well in the SMP.
For TMDSAS leave off the volunteer coordinator letter (but list them as a contact on your activity list).
OOS schools all have their own guidelines for # of letters so read their sites carefully. More is not always better.