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You received good advice in your recent WAMC thread. You have a good MCAT, but an honestly below-average GPA for the MD schools, and a complete lack of in-person clinical experience is a major red flag for any school. Especially for someone completely shifting careers, they're going to want to be sure that you know what you're getting yourself into.Non-traditional applicant wondering what my best path into school is for the 2022 cycle. BS/MS in biochemical engineering from Stanford. 3 years work experience in dietary supplement manufacturing as a process engineer. Due to COVID, I haven't been able to get any clinical experience. I'm trying to accumulate 100 hours by June 1st by volunteering at vaccine clinics and a local hospital by June 1st, but will that be enough in this cycle? Or should I defer a year?
I'm very, very set on staying in the Western US for school. I'd rather go DO at RVUCOM than stay in NY for an MD program. I was born in CA and went to college there; I went to middle/high school in CO. I moved to upstate NY 2.5 years ago after graduating and absolutely hate being so far away from friends, family, and my entire support system. I'm actively job searching to get back west and establish residency, but this takes time. Any thoughts on competitiveness for CA schools with such strong ties but no residency if I can't relocate in time?
I know my MCAT puts me far above most DO schools. Is having such a high MCAT but limited clinical hours an issue for DO schools?
Stats:
3.5 cGPA and sGPA
522 MCAT
26F, white
Research experience and productivity: 500 hours undergrad + poster presentation. 300 hours senior capstone project in chemical engineering + poster. 1000 hours as a paid intern in industry - presented to corporate leaders, but nothing I can list as a paper/poster/even disclose due to NDA.
Shadowing experience and specialties represented: 50+ hours by May, all virtual. Hoping to get in person but seems unlikely given COVID.
Non-clinical volunteering: 500+ hours music performance for charity/community events through college music group.
Other extracurricular activities: college music group leadership for 3 years. Wilderness trip leader for freshman orientation and weekend trips. Wilderness First Aid/CPR certification is the closest thing I have to medical experience. I did have to use the first aid on multiple occasions while leading trips.
Relevant honors or awards: Class of 20XX Award of Excellence for contributions to university community.
Personal statement will focus on why the change from engineering to medicine
Interest in primary care and rural medicine
School list:
Colorado (top choice)
Stanford (far reach)
UCSF
UCLA
UCSD
UC Davis - how competitive am I with strong ties to northern CA?
UC Irvine
UC Riverside
USC
Kaiser
Cal Northstate
Cal University
Oregon Health
Mayo Arizona
UA Tucson
UA Phoenix
I'd apply to other state schools in the west, but I don't have ties.
DO Schools:
PWNUCOM
ATSU-SOMA
AZCOM
CHSU-COM
Western CA
Western OR
Touro CA
Touro NV
I know you really want to get into school in 2022, but your app would be much, much stronger if you take a gap year to get in-person clinical experience. Not to mention actually establishing residency.
If you insist on applying this year, there is no "best path" when the apps open in 3 months. There's not much you can do in that little time, so you just roll the dice, hope for the best, and come up with a backup plan in case you don't get in (which would be likely).