Looking for some advice on whether I should retake MCAT, or if not how should I go about creating my school list or anything I should add to my application. Looking to stay in FL but not in the position to be picky. PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE
3.641 cGPA / 3.658 sGPA - Upward trend (3.47, 3.64, 3.86, 4.0)
Have some dual enrollment credits from HS that bring my overall down, otherwise would be 3.71
506 MCAT (125/125/127/129) - Is it worth a retake?? Really split about this
FL resident, FL Public School
B.S in Biological sciences / Natural and applied sciences
URM (Hispanic), low SES
**Research:**
1.5 years research in developmental psychology interviewing participants from ages 4-7 about their perceptions on experts (police officers, doctors, vets) - parents would leave the room and I would go through certain scenarios and stories with the children and ask specific questions and note their opinions and thoughts. Super longitudal study so no publications or posters
6 months research in nanomedicine/immunology at my undergrads medical school - Bench work, I would grow/culture various cancer cells and then run various assays for a nanogel synthesized for HIV treatment. Had to stop due to graduating and moving back home, so no pubs or posters.
**Leadership/Extracurriculars:**
Member then community service chair and later president for a pre-health organization, All of undergrad - Was a member since freshmen year, became community service chair junior year, then president my senior year. Was for all pre-health professions so we held clean-ups at zoos and beaches, workshops and visits from podiatrists, dentists, physicians, PAs, and veterinarians. We organized numerous volunteering, shadowing and research opportunities for our members and held our own events as well.
Programming committee member of a pre-medical organization, 3+ years - Struggling to separate activities as I did so much volunteering/events within the organization. Relay for life, dance marathons, fundraisers, food drives, workshops, and a lot more. 100% of money raised is donated directly to our local non-profit children’s hospital, raising around $60,000 each year. As apart of the programming committee I would help with planning and running our fundraisers and events.
**Clinical Experience:**
~2000 hours as a medical assistant and scribe for vascular surgery, treating venous insuffiency/reflux, venous ulcers, varicose veins and more - large Hispanic population, I spend a lot of the time translating for patients, interpreting for the doctor and much more. I do everything from patient intake/vitals, wound care, pre-op/post-op instructions, scribing, circulating and scrubbing in for some procedures, etc.
**Non-clinical Work Experience:**
2600 hours work-study during my first 2 years of college as a financial aid agent for my university assisting students with any questions about financial aid/resolving any issues. Had to work during school but saved enough to stop my final year to focus on raising GPA.
**Non-clinical Volunteering:**
Biochemistry LA ~50 hours
>50 hours volunteering teaching STEM topics and conducting experiments together to children in underserved areas alongside medical students from my undergraduates medical school
Medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic volunteering and shadowing at rural trauma hospitals and doing at home check-ups to extremely underserved areas where healthcare is inaccessible with local physicians - week long, about 60 hours in total.
In reality much more, just in the process of finding out how to separate these experiences from ones from organizations and leadership.
**Shadowing:**
30 hours Primary Care
15 hours virtual during COVID
(Can I use some of the hours from scribing/MA with vascular surgery here?)
Other: Apart of premed pipeline program with my undergrads medical school for underrepresented students, deans list sophomore year → senior year
No doctors in family, First gen in college, really lost on how to move forward with school list and would appreciate help on any guidance. Currently using MSAR as well.
3.641 cGPA / 3.658 sGPA - Upward trend (3.47, 3.64, 3.86, 4.0)
Have some dual enrollment credits from HS that bring my overall down, otherwise would be 3.71
506 MCAT (125/125/127/129) - Is it worth a retake?? Really split about this
FL resident, FL Public School
B.S in Biological sciences / Natural and applied sciences
URM (Hispanic), low SES
**Research:**
1.5 years research in developmental psychology interviewing participants from ages 4-7 about their perceptions on experts (police officers, doctors, vets) - parents would leave the room and I would go through certain scenarios and stories with the children and ask specific questions and note their opinions and thoughts. Super longitudal study so no publications or posters
6 months research in nanomedicine/immunology at my undergrads medical school - Bench work, I would grow/culture various cancer cells and then run various assays for a nanogel synthesized for HIV treatment. Had to stop due to graduating and moving back home, so no pubs or posters.
**Leadership/Extracurriculars:**
Member then community service chair and later president for a pre-health organization, All of undergrad - Was a member since freshmen year, became community service chair junior year, then president my senior year. Was for all pre-health professions so we held clean-ups at zoos and beaches, workshops and visits from podiatrists, dentists, physicians, PAs, and veterinarians. We organized numerous volunteering, shadowing and research opportunities for our members and held our own events as well.
Programming committee member of a pre-medical organization, 3+ years - Struggling to separate activities as I did so much volunteering/events within the organization. Relay for life, dance marathons, fundraisers, food drives, workshops, and a lot more. 100% of money raised is donated directly to our local non-profit children’s hospital, raising around $60,000 each year. As apart of the programming committee I would help with planning and running our fundraisers and events.
**Clinical Experience:**
~2000 hours as a medical assistant and scribe for vascular surgery, treating venous insuffiency/reflux, venous ulcers, varicose veins and more - large Hispanic population, I spend a lot of the time translating for patients, interpreting for the doctor and much more. I do everything from patient intake/vitals, wound care, pre-op/post-op instructions, scribing, circulating and scrubbing in for some procedures, etc.
**Non-clinical Work Experience:**
2600 hours work-study during my first 2 years of college as a financial aid agent for my university assisting students with any questions about financial aid/resolving any issues. Had to work during school but saved enough to stop my final year to focus on raising GPA.
**Non-clinical Volunteering:**
Biochemistry LA ~50 hours
>50 hours volunteering teaching STEM topics and conducting experiments together to children in underserved areas alongside medical students from my undergraduates medical school
Medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic volunteering and shadowing at rural trauma hospitals and doing at home check-ups to extremely underserved areas where healthcare is inaccessible with local physicians - week long, about 60 hours in total.
In reality much more, just in the process of finding out how to separate these experiences from ones from organizations and leadership.
**Shadowing:**
30 hours Primary Care
15 hours virtual during COVID
(Can I use some of the hours from scribing/MA with vascular surgery here?)
Other: Apart of premed pipeline program with my undergrads medical school for underrepresented students, deans list sophomore year → senior year
No doctors in family, First gen in college, really lost on how to move forward with school list and would appreciate help on any guidance. Currently using MSAR as well.
