MD & DO WAMC TX ORM 507/3.85 + School List Help!

[t3xasm3d]

Hey yall, looking to see your opinion on what my chances are for the upcoming cycle (TMDSAS 22-23). I am aware I have pretty average ECs. I would prefer not to retake my MCAT but it seems to be the weak point in my application so if reapplication is needed should this be all I need to improve on?

1. cGPA and sGPA (TMDSAS)
   
   1. cGPA: 3.85 - Large Upward Trend (3.3 4.0 4.0 4.0) - Failed chemistry freshman year, only A's since then.
   2. sGPA: 3.75
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown
   
   1. 504 → 507 (126/126/127/129)
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
   
   1. TX
4. Ethnicity and/or race
   
   1. Asian
5. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
   
   1. Scribe (270 Hours)
   2. Hospital Volunteer (200 Hours)
   3. COVID-19 Testing Laboratory (250 Hours)
6. Research experience and productivity
   
   1. Translational Research (200-250ish Hours) - (2 Publications, 1 Case Study, 1 Abstract Presented at Online Conference) - Unfortunately no first authors.
7. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   
   1. Emergency Medicine (26 Hours)
   2. Virtual Shadowing (FM + Radiology) (5 Hours)
   3. Pathologist + Dermatologist (20 Hours)
8. Non-clinical volunteering
   
   1. Food Pantry (200ish Hours)
9. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
   
   1. Programming Lead for online Community/Forum (2 YRS) Writing Code, Organizing Meetings, Hiring ect
   2. Leadership in Healthcare Clubs
10. Relevant honors or awards
    
    1. Deans List

No other red-flags other than failing a class my freshman year. Retook it over the summer and got an A.

School List :

1. ALL TMDSAS
2. TCU-UNT
3. UIWSOM
4. TUNCOM
5. ACOM
6. PCOM
7. KCOM
8. OSUCOM

I can expand on any of my EC's upon request. I'm unsure of my luck OOS with my MCAT + TX Residency so any advice on that is appreciated.

Also, my FL AVG was around 510.

@wysdoc @Goro @Faha @candbgirl @Mr.Smile12

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[chilly_md]

Do not apply to BCOM due to its newness and other issues. Do not apply to Kansas COM either since it is brand new.

I would not recommend retaking the MCAT again as a couple extra points on a 3rd attempt won’t move the needle much. You have food bank volunteering, but I would recommend also looking for an additional place to help such as a homeless shelter, soup kitchen etc. Make sure you have on-going clinical experience as well.

You have a great GPA and I would not worry about the failed course from freshmen year. TX schools favor higher GPAs and give more leeway on the MCAT. I do not think you are competitive for Baylor and UTSW though. You can try applying to ACOM, PCOM, and KCOM as extra DO schools.

 

[t3xasm3d]

Do not apply to BCOM due to its newness and other issues. Do not apply to Kansas COM either since it is brand new.

I would not recommend retaking the MCAT again as a couple extra points on a 3rd attempt won’t move the needle much. You have food bank volunteering, but I would recommend also looking for an additional place to help such as a homeless shelter, soup kitchen etc. Make sure you have on-going clinical experience as well.

You have a great GPA and I would not worry about the failed course from freshmen year. TX schools favor higher GPAs and give more leeway on the MCAT. I do not think you are competitive for Baylor and UTSW though. You can try applying to ACOM, PCOM, and KCOM as extra DO schools.

Thank you! My hospital volunteering and food pantry volunteering and currently still ongoing. As for Baylor and UTSW, I was on the edge about this but you are right, my MCAT is below 10% percentile so I will remove those from my list.

Do you think I should stop at the food pantry and start elsewhere? I am able to work with people in the front as they come in for bi-weekly meals/ingredients (underserved area/population) and not just spend all my time in the back. Is there a reason you suggest a homeless shelter, soup kitchen specifically? Thank you for your advice!

 

[Goro]

Hey yall, looking to see your opinion on what my chances are for the upcoming cycle (TMDSAS 22-23). I am aware I have pretty average ECs. I would prefer not to retake my MCAT but it seems to be the weak point in my application so if reapplication is needed should this be all I need to improve on?

1. cGPA and sGPA (TMDSAS)
   
   1. cGPA: 3.85 - Large Upward Trend (3.3 4.0 4.0 4.0) - Failed chemistry freshman year, only A's since then.
   2. sGPA: 3.75
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown
   
   1. 504 → 507 (126/126/127/129)
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
   
   1. TX
4. Ethnicity and/or race
   
   1. Asian
5. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
   
   1. Scribe (270 Hours)
   2. Hospital Volunteer (200 Hours)
   3. COVID-19 Testing Laboratory (250 Hours)
6. Research experience and productivity
   
   1. Translational Research (200-250ish Hours) - (2 Publications, 1 Case Study, 1 Abstract Presented at Online Conference) - Unfortunately no first authors.
7. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   
   1. Emergency Medicine (26 Hours)
   2. Virtual Shadowing (FM + Radiology) (5 Hours)
   3. Pathologist + Dermatologist (20 Hours)
8. Non-clinical volunteering
   
   1. Food Pantry (200ish Hours)
9. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
   
   1. Programming Lead for online Community/Forum (2 YRS) Writing Code, Organizing Meetings, Hiring ect
   2. Leadership in Healthcare Clubs
10. Relevant honors or awards
    
    1. Deans List

No other red-flags other than failing a class my freshman year. Retook it over the summer and got an A.

School List :

1. ALL TMDSAS
2. TCU-UNT
3. Tulane
4. NOVA MD
5. Oakland Beaumont
6. Quinnipiac
7. UIWSOM
8. TUNCOM
9. ACOM
10. PCOM
11. KCOM
12. Kansas City University

I can expand on any of my EC's upon request. I'm unsure of my luck OOS with my MCAT + TX Residency so any advice on that is appreciated.

Also, my FL AVG was around 510.

@wysdoc @Goro @Faha @candbgirl @Mr.Smile12

For MD stick to the TX schools

For DO, Any DO program. Include OSUCOM. I can't recommend LMU, ARCOM, RVU, Nova, BCOM, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. Avoid those new schools that haven't graduated a class yet, if at all possible.

 

[chilly_md]

Thank you! My hospital volunteering and food pantry volunteering and currently still ongoing. As for Baylor and UTSW, I was on the edge about this but you are right, my MCAT is below 10% percentile so I will remove those from my list.

Do you think I should stop at the food pantry and start elsewhere? I am able to work with people in the front as they come in for bi-weekly meals/ingredients (underserved area/population) and not just spend all my time in the back. Is there a reason you suggest a homeless shelter, soup kitchen specifically? Thank you for your advice!

No I would actually recommend doing the food pantry as well as something else on top of it if possible. The options I mentioned are just additional places to serve those less fortunate, you can come up with something else too. It would help to have more hours and another activity as your total # of activities is a little shorter than most from what I’m seeing.

At least for AMCAS schools, you have 15 slots and it’s usually recommended to have close to all of them filled.TMDAS is different but right now it seems you have 10 distinct items. That’s including Deans’ List as a separate award which isn’t worth much on an app and your publications/research achievements as another.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

It depends on what you did in the food pantry but I'd keep going with it. It would be nice if you had other experiences, and I don't know what insights you could have gotten from leadership. Your best shot with allopathic medicine is in-state.

 

[Faha]

You should receive several interviews from your Texas schools. The Texas schools like high GPAs. You are competitive for all DO schools.

 

[candbgirl]

Your application looks good. But I know next to nothing about the Texas process. Good luck as you move forward.

 

[t3xasm3d]

For MD stick to the TX schools

For DO, Any DO program. Include OSUCOM. I can't recommend LMU, ARCOM, RVU, Nova, BCOM, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. Avoid those new schools that haven't graduated a class yet, if at all possible.

Yea I don't think I'll have much luck with OOS MD. Thanks! What do you think about my F freshman year, how do ADCOMS look at it if it's a one-off? There is no excuse on my end, it was because I was lazy and didn't realize I would fail until it was too late. What would be the best way to go about saying this? @Goro @wysdoc

No I would actually recommend doing the food pantry as well as something else on top of it if possible. The options I mentioned are just additional places to serve those less fortunate, you can come up with something else too. It would help to have more hours and another activity as your total # of activities is a little shorter than most from what I’m seeing.

At least for AMCAS schools, you have 15 slots and it’s usually recommended to have close to all of them filled.TMDAS is different but right now it seems you have 10 distinct items. That’s including Deans’ List as a separate award which isn’t worth much on an app and your publications/research achievements as another.

Oh, okay that makes sense. I will definitely look to add another activity and increase my hours before this cycle starts. Thanks!

 

[t3xasm3d]

It depends on what you did in the food pantry but I'd keep going with it. It would be nice if you had other experiences, and I don't know what insights you could have gotten from leadership. Your best shot with allopathic medicine is in-state.

It varies, when the pantry is closed, I stock different kinds of food and prepare bags of ingredients/meals to give out to those who are signed up with our program. When it's open I hand out those bags to those people in need. It is with an underserved population and sometimes those who are homeless.

For my leadership, my programming was more of a hobby but it helped in other areas such as my healthcare clubs where I would make/edit the website and help to manage ways that other students can get involved with our volunteering (automate spreadsheets + reminders ect). I was an officer in two separate clubs in which I helped manage this. Along with this it also helped a little with my research where I was able to make something to find sources with specific keywords and put them into a spreadsheet for one of the physicians on our project. Should this be something that I talk about or do you think I should leave it out since it's not directly healthcare-related. Thanks! @Mr.Smile12

You should receive several interviews from your Texas schools. The Texas schools like high GPAs. You are competitive for all DO schools.

Your application looks good. But I know next to nothing about the Texas process. Good luck as you move forward.

Thank you!

 

[wysdoc]

Yea I don't think I'll have much luck with OOS MD. Thanks! What do you think about my F freshman year, how do ADCOMS look at it if it's a one-off? There is no excuse on my end, it was because I was lazy and didn't realize I would fail until it was too late. What would be the best way to go about saying this? @Goro @wysdoc

Oh, okay that makes sense. I will definitely look to add another activity and increase my hours before this cycle starts. Thanks!

I don't think they will bash you for 1 F, sometimes a newby freshman doesn't read the syllabus well enough and realize how much of the grade is based on certain assignments or tests. Don't bring it up but if asked say something like how you got way too far behind in that class as you were learning how to study in college but learned to be more organized/keep up.

 

[Goro]

Yea I don't think I'll have much luck with OOS MD. Thanks! What do you think about my F freshman year, how do ADCOMS look at it if it's a one-off? There is no excuse on my end, it was because I was lazy and didn't realize I would fail until it was too late. What would be the best way to go about saying this? @Goro @wysdoc

Oh, okay that makes sense. I will definitely look to add another activity and increase my hours before this cycle starts. Thanks!

About that F, you should be prepared to talk about it, but it's not lethal. And for God's sake,, don't write about it in your PS!!!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

You have 4.0's your 2nd-4th years, and with a 3.3 in your freshman year, that might have been your only F/really bad grade. There's no question you made an adjustment and rocked college. Don't make that F trigger you; you're way past that. (Unless there was an IA related to it.)

 

[t3xasm3d]

I don't think they will bash you for 1 F, sometimes a newby freshman doesn't read the syllabus well enough and realize how much of the grade is based on certain assignments or tests. Don't bring it up but if asked say something like how you got way too far behind in that class as you were learning how to study in college but learned to be more organized/keep up.

About that F, you should be prepared to talk about it, but it's not lethal. And for God's sake,, don't write about it in your PS!!!

Thanks! I am going to take ownership of it if it comes up in my interview and say something along those lines. I was debating about writing about it in my PS... not anymore. 😅😅

You have 4.0's your 2nd-4th years, and with a 3.3 in your freshman year, that might have been your only F/really bad grade. There's no question you made an adjustment and rocked college. Don't make that F trigger you; you're way past that. (Unless there was an IA related to it.)

There was no IA related to it, just missing assignments and low exam grades. It really was a wake-up call to me and I got my stuff together after it. Thanks!