WAMC/Help with School List, 3.99 GPA/522 MCAT

[aspiringFS]

Hi all, applying this cycle and trying to work on my school list. Wondering if my subpar ECs will hold me back despite decent stats.

1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS:
   1. 3.99 cGPA, 3.98 sGPA
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown:
   1. 522 (129/131/130/132)
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US):
   1. California
4. Undergraduate institution or category:
   1. T20 public school
5. Major
   1. Physiology
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer):
   1. 700+ hours as a paid EMT
   2. 150+ hours as a pilot/copilot for Angel Flight West volunteer medical transport
7. Research experience and productivity (posters, publications):
   1. 300+ hours research, expect to have 1-2 publications and 1 poster.
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented:
   1. 50+ hours neurology, nephrology, family medicine
9. Non-clinical volunteering:
   1. 100 hours of volunteer tutoring for underserved high schoolers
10. Other extracurricular activities:
    1. Private/Instrument Rated pilot
    2. Learning Assistant (undergraduate TA) for multiple classes
    3. Backpacking/IM sports/guitar
    4. Founder/exec board of fraternity
11. Relevant honors or awards:
    1. Dean’s honors list
12. Employment:
    1. Science education teacher (300+ hours)
    2. Tutor (300+ hours)
13. Anything else not listed you think might be important:
    1. For context, I’m applying to med school with the intention of becoming a flight surgeon with the USAF/Navy, and applying for HPSP in conjunction with medical school. With that in mind, it’s not a huge deal if I’m forced to go the DO route, but I’d prefer MD. COVID kind of messed me up in terms of volunteering/shadowing.. By the time things opened up again, I was working so many hours to pay for flight lessons that I didn’t feel I had time, though in retrospect those hours are important enough that I should have carved out a slot. Trying to figure out if that and other limitations in my application will hold me back from a decent MD school (I could also always apply next cycle after getting more volunteer/shadowing hours)

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[Mr.Smile12]

With your stats, you should not get overlooked by all schools, especially if you get an HPSP. Have you talked to the admissions staff at Bethesda/USUHS?

Do you have any non-clinical volunteering experience that does not involve teaching or tutoring? Traditional activities include food distribution, shelter volunteering, employment or family services, Habitat for Humanity, etc. If you get this down, you'd be golden.

I will leave it for discussion on whether your 150 hours as a pilot for medical transport really should be considered "clinical experience." I can see it as if it were like an ambulance driver, but it would be interesting to see the consensus. Can you provide more details on what you do there?

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

You don't have to apply to DO schools unless you want them. Your nonclinical hours are a little weak, so you might want to call the piloting nonclinical if there's some wiggle room there.

You're a strong applicant...get in 200 hours with Habitat for Humanity or something and you're not golden, but platinum.