WAMC 3.46/514

[puzzled26]

1. cGPA: 3.46 sGPA: 3.17 did terrible on my last semester
2. 514(130/125/129/130)
3. CA
4. Asian
5. Transferred from community college to UC Berkeley
6. 160 hours at OR
7. Will start work as Clinical Research Coordinator in January, have one paper published by school (not sure if this counts )
8. Can my hours at volunteering at the OR also count as shadowing? Otherwise, I have ~100 hours from virtual shadowing
9. President of premed club at CC (2 years), Math Tutor (1 year), translating (2 years), Secretary of club at school (2 years), leader at non-profit organization that shares thank you cards to police officers, firefighters, and healthcare workers (2 years), teaching assistant in Biology class at CC (1 year), volunteer as teaching assistant in Project SHINE (1 year), officer at club for transfers (2 years)
10. Secretary of non-profit organization that provides free online tutoring for students (2 years)
11. Dean's list at CC (2 years)

Due to financial reasons, I'm planning on only applying to schools in CA. My current school list is below:
UCLA
UC Davis
UCI
UCSD
USC
UCSF

Am I being too ambitious? Thank you all!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Have you looked at the Postbac Consortium options?

 

[Faha]

You need 50 hours of in person shadowing before you apply. If you are unwilling to apply to MD schools outside of CA you should apply to all the DO schools in CA. The schools you listed are unlikely with your sGPA. You could add California University and Loma Linda (if you fit their mission).

 

[puzzled26]

Have you looked at the Postbac Consortium options?

Thank you for your response! I am currently considering to take classes at a local community college. My only concern is that if I take classes in Spring 2023, my GPA will only increase by .2. (also additional note: I am planning on applying next year!)

 

[puzzled26]

You need 50 hours of in person shadowing before you apply. If you are unwilling to apply to MD schools outside of CA you should apply to all the DO schools in CA. The schools you listed are unlikely with your sGPA. You could add California University and Loma Linda (if you fit their mission).

Hello, I appreciate your response! Would volunteering at the OR not be considered shadowing? I was physically present at the hospital.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for your response! I am currently considering to take classes at a local community college. My only concern is that if I take classes in Spring 2023, my GPA will only increase by .2. (also additional note: I am planning on applying next year!)

So you didn't look? UC Postbaccalaureate Consortium

 

[puzzled26]

So you didn't look? UC Postbaccalaureate Consortium

I looked at it previously and did not consider it as I am unable to pay for the classes.

 

[Faha]

Hello, I appreciate your response! Would volunteering at the OR not be considered shadowing? I was physically present at the hospital.

No. That is clinical volunteering.

 

[candbgirl]

Do you have any nonclinical volunteering serving unserved/underserved in your community. You have to get out of your comfort zone and interact with people very unlike yourself.

What did you do in the OR? Was there any face to face interaction with the patients?

 

[chilly_md]

Due to financial reasons, I'm planning on only applying to schools in CA. My current school list is below:
UCLA
UC Davis
UCI
UCSD
USC
UCSF

Am I being too ambitious? Thank you all!

With your sGPA where it is (especially with a downward trend), these would unfortunately be all donations to the schools and a waste of your money.

The community college classes would not be a good use of your time. You were already a CC student and you would need to show you can tackle higher level courses at a 4 year institution.

 

[puzzled26]

Do you have any nonclinical volunteering serving unserved/underserved in your community. You have to get out of your comfort zone and interact with people very unlike yourself.

What did you do in the OR? Was there any face to face interaction with the patients?

Thanks for your response! I'm currently volunteering most of my current time to a non-profit that serves K-12 students in low-income communities.

As for OR, I helped transfer patients to their rooms post-op. I often shadowed doctors and brought blood as needed, made beds, and restocked towels, etc.

 

[puzzled26]

With your sGPA where it is (especially with a downward trend), these would unfortunately be all donations to the schools and a waste of your money.

The community college classes would not be a good use of your time. You were already a CC student and you would need to show you can tackle higher level courses at a 4 year institution.

I was only considering CC classes since my local CC provides free tuition. Would this not be an adequate reason for why I chose CC over 4 year institutions?

 

[chilly_md]

I was only considering CC classes since my local CC provides free tuition. Would this not be an adequate reason for why I chose CC over 4 year institutions?

No. I assume you had taken many of your classes at a CC and then transferred, where you GPA fell. Going back to a CC would not help show you are academically capable.

 

[puzzled26]

No. I assume you had taken many of your classes at a CC and then transferred, where you GPA fell. Going back to a CC would not help show you are academically capable.

Would it be okay if I had a high MCAT score like 520 (hypothetical)? Also thank you so much I am literally lost