Reapplicant WAMC/ school list help (NC, 3.67/508->513)

[seriouspineapple425]

I am a reapplicant for the 2024-2025 MD cycle. I graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 2023 and have completed one gap year in research and have a medical assistant job lined up for this coming year to start in June. I would like advice on my school list and other aspects of my application to work on in the coming year. I realize my application is research heavy (full time clinical research position this past year + undergrad research) but I will be getting more clinical experience this coming year as an MA and plan to highlight that in secondaries. I also aim to get more volunteering with disadvantaged populations after I move for new job in June. I want to make sure my school list is smart with enough target schools and not too many reach schools where I wouldn't have a chance as I made that mistake last cycle. Also unsure of which schools can truly be considered "target" with a 513 as a retake and if that has a negative effect or not.

1. cGPA: 3.67 and sGPA: 3.57
2. 2023 MCAT: 508 (128/125/128/127); 2024 MCAT retake: 513 (128/128/130/127)
3. NC resident but lived in SC for 5 years in childhood and still have a lot of family in SC (strong ties). current gap year in PA (minor ties), moving back to NC
4. White, rural background
5. UNC Chapel Hill; Biology and Exercise and Sport Science double major (Honors) with Chemistry minor
6. Clinical: 125hrs current (2125 expected): current hours split between Red Cross, university covid testing sites, and hospital program to sit with dying patients; expected 2000hrs from orthopedic surgery clinic medical assistant job starting in June. Gap year research job included interacting with patients as clinical research but not counted here
7. Research: 2720hrs at time of application (2yrs in undergrad with thesis project related to ACL reconstruction, gap year in orthopedic surgery research with 1 first author pub in process, 1 coauthor, 1 abstract submission, and 2 poster presentations in undergrad), gap year research job as MME
8. Shadowing: 100hrs btwn orthopedic surgery and oncology, opportunity for more (probably need to diversify specialties here)
9. Non-clinical volunteering: 374 total; organization to help veterans confront PTSD w/ fly fishing/outdoor recreation this past year and next year (80hrs now, 120+ expected, MME), undergrad biology dept ambassador/student mentor and tour guide (110hrs), organization for outdoor conservation in undergrad (144 hrs), will start with food pantry once I move after June
10. Leadership 222hrs total: 192 hrs of leadership position of student org that raised money for childrens hospital (2yr member, 2yr leadership role, MME), 30hrs undergrad Bible study group leader
11. waiter off and on for 2 years in undergrad for 780 hours, member of prehealth organization in undergrad for 4 years where I was member of philanthropy committee to plan fundraising events and blood drives (144hrs, may include as leadership exp or just as an extracurricular)
12. LOR: 2 from biology professors (one being an MD), 2 from research mentors (undergrad and gap year), chance to get one from doc I will be working with this coming year but unsure if that will be in time before the fall

Current School List with previous schools applied to indicated w/ R or II:
1. ECU (R)
2. South Carolina Greenville (R)
3. South Carolina Columbia (II then waitlisted)
4. Rush (R)
5. TCU (R)
6. Penn State
7. George Washington (R)
8. Wake Forest (R)
9. MUSC (R)
10. Virginia Tech (R)
11. SUNY Downstate
12. Rosalind Franklin
13. Eastern Virginia
14. SUNY Upstate
15. UNC (R)
16. VCU (R)
17. Tufts
18. Miami (R)
19. Georgetown
20. Pitt (R)
21. Albert Einstein

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[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

So you only had 1 interview (USC Columbia)? Good luck and hope the WL turns to an offer to make this exercise moot.

Why do you think you struck out so much? Is it just your clinical hours? You are catching up with more "expected hours". You also need to show me you are more comfortable being with those who make you uncomfortable. I acknowledge the fly fishing with PTSD-veterans, but while worthwhile, it doesn't really show me you have the stomach for some crude situations you will be witnessing in medicine. You haven't split your past clinical experience to show me you have enough experience.

Whatever happened to serving back in your home community? I presume after you move back, you'll do something in this area. It's not convincing to me that you have a sense of purpose as a future physician. You can help others in numerous non-physician roles given what you have described, so I need something that says you'd run towards the burning building when you hear people needing help. (Others, feel free to disagree.)

 

[candbgirl]

-What are the significant improvements that you have made to your application from last cycle? It seems much of you activity time is projected(expected) and frankly ADCOMS can see right through that. It’s well known that projected means I’ll do it if life does not intervene. Schools expect significant improvements in a reapplication.
-Try to get some shadowing with a primary care physician.
-I’m not sure if you have any nonclinical volunteering based on what you have shared. You haven’t shown an ability or desire to get outside of your comfort zone to help those in need.
-Be aware that schools(some, many, most ?) average multiple MCAT scores. AMCAS recommends that they do this but there is no way to know who does what.
-Good luck.

 

[seriouspineapple425]

Welcome to the forums.

So you only had 1 interview (USC Columbia)? Good luck and hope the WL turns to an offer to make this exercise moot.

Why do you think you struck out so much? Is it just your clinical hours? You are catching up with more "expected hours". You also need to show me you are more comfortable being with those who make you uncomfortable. I acknowledge the fly fishing with PTSD-veterans, but while worthwhile, it doesn't really show me you have the stomach for some crude situations you will be witnessing in medicine. You haven't split your past clinical experience to show me you have enough experience.

Whatever happened to serving back in your home community? I presume after you move back, you'll do something in this area. It's not convincing to me that you have a sense of purpose as a future physician. You can help others in numerous non-physician roles given what you have described, so I need something that says you'd run towards the burning building when you hear people needing help. (Others, feel free to disagree.)

This is good insight, thank you.

I had thought that my lack of clinical hours was a major weakness (your points seem to agree with this), and specifically sought out the MA job and sitting with dying patients to address it. I like your point about being comfortable with the uncomfortable. My personal statement draft narrative is partially centered on that sentiment: using research to make order of the chaos that is sometimes present in medicine to create solutions vs. the times when no solutions exist, but I will make sure I clarify and expand it to address the concerns you brought up.

Would your advice be to add another volunteer experience in the community/clinical focused in conjunction with the narrative to answer the sense of purpose to become a physician, or is it a case of too little too late?

 

[Faha]

Your unsuccessful cycle was due to your low clinical hours (125) and your low non clinical hours. You would be better off to apply a year from now after you have accumulated all those clinical and non clinical hours that you have planned.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

My personal statement draft narrative is partially centered on that sentiment: using research to make order of the chaos that is sometimes present in medicine to create solutions vs. the times when no solutions exist, but I will make sure I clarify and expand it to address the concerns you brought up.

Technically, since you already applied, you have submitted a personal statement. Is this summary description accurate of what you submitted?

If so, then why didn't you apply to research programs? If not, then you have something to base a complete PS rewrite on that could get you better results should that be needed.