WAMC: cGPA: 3.52, sGPA 3.51, 512 MCAT, Non-Trad / Institutional Action / School List Help

[elanvidal]

1. cGPA: 3.52, AMCAS sGPA: 3.51, AACOMAS sGPA: 3.82
2. MCAT: 512, 126/129/127/130
3. Utah resident, close ties to Oklahoma (born/lived there for 25 years) and Iowa (dad/siblings live there)
4. White from low income family and rural community
5. University of Central Oklahoma, BA in Philosophy + minor in leadership, postbacc AS in Biology at Utah community college
6. ~1000 hours as a CNA (projected, only a couple hundred so far because I started this part time job a couple months ago). Also got my CNA certification last year.
7. 2 summers of research, 3 research projects, 5 conference presentations (but all from 2013-2016). Both SURPs were competitive. One was cancer research, other was microbiology + ophthalmology (endophthalmitis).
8. 50 hours shadowing 2 family medicine doctors (1 DO, 1 MD) both of whom are writing me letters, hoping to get more shadowing soon.
9. Lots of general volunteering in first undergrad degree from several years ago, none recently. Trying to get some soon at a local shelter.
10. Student government and various clubs in first undergrad degree. Since graduating in 2018, I've been working full time in software. Worked 2 years as a tutor in college, including 1 year as a supervisor.
11. Outstanding Freshman award, full-ride scholarship to undergraduate, selected to somewhat prestigious leadership group with a scholarship in undergrad,
12. Have worked full time as a software engineer since 2018, including while doing med school prerequisites. GPA from first undergrad degree was 3.39, but postbacc GPA in the last ~50 hours was 3.92 (all A/A-), so total GPA of 3.52 showing an upward trend. Besides low GPA, only red flag on my application is an IA from 7 years ago, explained here. I'm also a bit older (28, if it matters) and career changing from software to medicine.

Here is my current school list. It's heavy MD but I think I have a good chance at the DO schools on my list for various reasons so I decided to be a little aggressive with my MD applications.

MD
- Albany Medical College
- Central Michigan University
- Creighton University
- Drexel University
- George Washington University
- Loma Linda
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- Rosalind Franklin
- Saint Louis University
- Temple University
- Tulane
- UMKC
- University of Arizona - Tucson
- University of Illinois
- University of Minnesota
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Utah
- University of Vermont
- University of Wisconsin
- Wake Forest
- Wayne State
- Western Michigan

DO
- Des Moines University
- Lake Erie COM
- Oklahoma State COM
- Rocky Vista COM (Utah campus)

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[chilly_md]

If you started your clinical experience a few months ago, you are likely not ready to apply (especially if you are changing careers). You have several schools that take few to no OOS students without significant ties or higher stats (Iowa, CMU, Arizona, Minnesota, Wisconsin, UMKC). Loma Linda is off the table considering your IA.

Your DO list should look more like:

DMU
LECOM
OSU
KCU
KCOM
AZCOM (high tuition though)
PCOM
Touro NV
NYITCOM
VCOM

RVU’s Utah campus is too new and you can avoid the for-profit nature.

 

[Faha]

You have several state public schools on your list that admit very few applicants with your GPA and non connection to the state.
I suggest these schools from your MD list:
Albany Medical College
- Creighton University
- Drexel University
- George Washington University
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- Rosalind Franklin
- Temple University
- Tulane
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Utah
- University of Vermont
- Wake Forest
- Wayne State
You could add these schools:
TCU-UNT
NOVA MD
Penn State
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Albany
Quinnipiac
Medical College Wisconsin
Also add more DO schools such as:
TUNCOM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
MU-COM
ACOM
WCU-COM
VCOM ( all 4 schools)
Touro-NY
NYITCOM
WVSOM
ARCOM
UP-KYCOM
Noorda-COM