WAMC: 4.0 cGPA and 518 on most recent AAMC FL Practice MCAT

[Nehemiah-Jantomaso]

Hello! Thank you in advance for any advice and input! My top choice med school is far and above UVA so any specific recommendations in terms of that would be incredible. I do have some connection with UVA as a big reason I would like to go into medicine has to do with being treated by physicians there when I was 13, having shadowed in the UVA emergency department, and having two strong LOR from UVA med schoool graduates.

1. cGPa, 4.0, sGPA, 4.0
2. I take the MCAT on 05/10/2024. My AAMC FL practice exams have been 514, 516, and the most recent was 518 (129, 128, 131, 130).
3. Virginia
4. Caucasian. I have been told my whole life I am native american and am in the process of confirming this.
5. Liberty University
6. 170 hours as emergency department volunteer and volunteer trainer over the past 3 years, 250 hours as volunteer EMT, 40 hours as American red cross blood drive volunteer, 20 hours as scribe at the Virginia Free Clinic, 500 hours as scribe at cardiology center, just began as the scribe supervisor over a team of 6 scribes at this cardiology center which will be a full-time position for the next 1 year.
7. 250 hours in organic chemistry research on BPA alternatives with 4 poster presentations and one oral presentation, 50 hours of genetics research.
8. 200 hours of shadowing experience in bariatric surgery, general surgery, emergency medicine (about 110 hours are emergency medicine), primary care, sports medicine, orthopedic surgery
9. 40 hours with an organization that leads outdoor adventure trips for at risk youth. I am starting at the soup kitchen this semester. Also, 200 volunteer hours as a teaching assistant for zoology, general chemistry, and cell biology.
10. President of the premed club at my school with ~150 members, officer in the med serve club that organizes service trips with the local nursing home, owner of a prominent wedding photography business in the VA and NC area.
11. Deans list, and in the pre-medical honor society.
12. I am one of 9 children and grew up in a low-income family, I am a fee assistance program student.

• University of Virginia (UVA)
• VCU
• Eastern Virginia Medical School
• Wake Forest
• UNC Chapel Hill
• Sidney Kimmel Medical College
• Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
• Emory University School of Medicine
• Mercer University
• Florida State University
• USF Health Morsani College of Medicine
• Louisiana State University
• West Virginia School of Medicine
• Robert Larner University School of Medicine
• Pennsylvania State University
• Duke University School of Medicine

Thank you again!

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[AJS59]

How many hours will you accumulate at the soup kitchen? That's where you're lacking the most in your application - see if between that and other sources you can get 100ish more hours. Otherwise, your application is very good.

When are you looking to apply/take the MCAT?

Your school list is a good start but maybe need some improvement:
-LSU is not OOS friendly, so unless you have Louisiana ties I would remove that
-Same with West Virginia
-Why no Virginia Tech?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I agree, and VCOM should also be in play
Check your OOS stats. Why UNC? LSU? WVSOM?

Because we are not allowed to consider race/ethnicity as a checkbox, how have you explored your Native American identity and heritage? It does not appear you have from the description.

 

[Nehemiah-Jantomaso]

How many hours will you accumulate at the soup kitchen? That's where you're lacking the most in your application - see if between that and other sources you can get 100ish more hours. Otherwise, your application is very good.

When are you looking to apply/take the MCAT?

Your school list is a good start but maybe need some improvement:
-LSU is not OOS friendly, so unless you have Louisiana ties I would remove that
-Same with West Virginia
-Why no Virginia Tech?

Thank you for your input! I will be taking the MCAT on May 10th and will be applying as soon as the cycle opens in June. I should be able to accumulate 50-60 hours at the soup kitchen by then and will continue throughout the next year (although I know projected hours do not hold much weight).

I have VT on my list but for some reason failed to list it here. I chose schools based on east coast location and within my expected statisitics. I need to go back through and edit this list based on OOS friendliness. Are there any other OOS friendly schools that you would reccomend for me? I will be applying to 20 schools as this is what the FAP covers.

 

[Nehemiah-Jantomaso]

I agree, and VCOM should also be in play
Check your OOS stats. Why UNC? LSU? WVSOM?

Because we are not allowed to consider race/ethnicity as a checkbox, how have you explored your Native American identity and heritage? It does not appear you have from the description.

Thank you for your input! I have not filtered my list on OOS friendliness so I will go back through and make edits based on this. You are correct in that I have not explored much of my Native American heritage. The reason I did not have VCOM on my list is that the FAP only covers MD schools, but after rethinking this I will add it to the list.

Are there any other schools within my stats range that are OOS friendly you would reccomend?
Again, I appreciate your time and helpful information.

 

[AJS59]

Most-all private schools will fit those definitions. Otherwise, I'd maybe consider adding Michigan, Ohio State, UMass Colorado which are decently OOS friendly enough and with a 4.0/515+ you could be competitive at. A lot of that though depends on your mission fit (which others can define).

People like Faha can help generate a more comprehensive list (I am not an expert, just a recently accepted student!)