WAMC/School list help (NC, 513 MCAT, 3.43 undergrad/4.0 grad) (2024)

First post on SDN! DESPERATELY need help with a school list. I am on my third gap year and this is my first and hopefully only cycle -- I want to apply to a large volume of schools!!

1. Undergrad GPA: 3.43; sGPA: 2.98; Graduate school GPA: 4.0
   1. Undergrad grades had a STRONG upward trend; straight As Junior & Senior year
   2. Masters in physiology; all upper level science classes
2. MCAT: 513 (130/126/126/131) (first MCAT in Septemer 2023 was a 500)
3. State: NC
4. White female
5. Undergrad: UNC-Chapel Hill (top 30 school); Grad school: NC State Masters in Physiology with a Certificate in Biotechnology
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer): 1850 hrs
   1. Nursing Assistant I in Float pool: 1000 hours
   2. Medical Scribe at Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery clinic: 500 hours
   3. Intern at private clinic in London -- 250 hours
   4. Volunteer on behavioral health ED & COVID Vacinnation clinic: ~100 hrs
   5. Hospice volunteer -- just started
7. Research experience and productivity: not sure of hrs; prob like 200?
   1. Research intern at UNC Neuroscience lab -- ran behavioral tests to study HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. 30 hrs- UNC Pediatrics
   2. 100 hrs- Charlotte Plastic Surgery (Cosmetic)
9. Non-clinical volunteering:
   1. Founder/president of a pen pal club for people with disabilities
   2. Read & Feed: nonprofit, read to elementary school children in underserved areas to address COVID learning loss
   3. Foster Village Charlotte event volunteer (just started)
10. Other extracurricular activities
    1. Teacher assistant in grad school for BIO 183 lab and a biotech lab (Metagenomics; BIT 477/577; taught undergrads/phd students)
    2. Honors Carolina Ambassador (honors college at UNC)
    3. Honors Carolina Orientation Leader
    4. Research Triangle Park Career Treks
    5. Coached sorority dance team to raise money for eating disorders (not sure if I should avoid sorority topic in work/activities)
11. Relevant honors or awards
    1. Honors Carolina (honors college at UNC; top 10% of each incoming class)
    2. Dean's list for last 4 semesters of undergrad (major grade improvement)
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important
    1. Very strong personal statement
    2. Solid letters of rec

MD schools I’m kinda looking at (pls help me narrow!):
Summary: Keep in mind that I have more service than research and I had an upward trend/grade improvement in grad school. Also went from a 500 to 513 on MCAT.

1. NC (in-state) Schools (4): UNC, Wake Forest, ECU, Duke (not sure if Duke is a waste of time)
2. Below my MCAT average (6): Albany, Penn State, Rush, TCU, Tulane, Drexel
3. At my MCAT average (8): Rosalind Franklin, Virginia Tech, Saint Louis, Vermont, EVMS, NOVA, VCU, Quinnipiac
4. Above my MCAT average (12- need to narrow down): Georgetown, Dartmouth, University of Miami, BU, UCSF, UConn NYU (Long Island and/or NYC), Emory, Tufts, Loyola Stritch Chicago, New York Medical College, Pitt

DO schools: VCOM, Campbell

Questions & Concerns:

1. **Mostly just want to know if I should go all in on like 30 MD schools and 5-10 DO schools, or split it more evenly between MD and DO.
2. I feel iffy about getting into MD given my lower science GPA (due to a few Cs freshman/sophom*ore year). BUT I do have a near perfect GPA from junior year to the end of grad school.
3. Also unsure whether a lower first MCAT will affect me? I did have a 13 pt increase so hoping this will show growth?

Welcome to the forums!

What advice have you received on a school list from your prehealth advisors? Did you grow up in NC? Hours for non-clinical volunteering. Also, highlight any activities you have taken on since you started your Master's program.

Faha said:

How many hours do you have in each of your non clinical volunteering activities ?

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I am still adding them up but I'd say about 200 each for the first two and 10 for the third one since I just started!! Thanks for replying

Mr.Smile12 said:

Welcome to the forums!

What advice have you received on a school list from your prehealth advisors? Did you grow up in NC? Hours for non-clinical volunteering. Also, highlight any activities you have taken on since you started your Master's program.

Click to expand...

UNC didn't really have pre-health advising and since I graduated from my grad school program a year ago, I am not really in touch with them.
I have lived in a suburban area of NC my whole life! And I do live on a farm so slightly rural.
Non-clinical: 200 each for the first two, just started the third one.

Thank you so much for your reply and advice!!