Hello I attend Texas A&M university
GPA: 3.50
Science GPA: 3.32
Research hours: 500 hours (paid and school credit)
Volunteer hours: 150 hours ( 100 hours with red cross)
MCAT: I haven’t taken it but all my practice exams range from 512-518
MCAT Goal: 515
What medical schools should I apply to? ( I am a Texas resident but I am open to go anywhere)
Other things: I am a Dell Scholar, Hispanic, single mother from Mexico, and I am a first-generation college student, Female, and Majors Biochem and Genetics Minor in history
Your science GPA is too low for allopathic medical schools and will likely get you screened out at many places, but it’s in the acceptable range for osteopathic medical schools.
Would you be open to going to a DO program?
There is no difference in clinical medical practice between DOs and MDs.
Your ECs are lacking and need some work to bulk them up.
Have you done any physician shadowing?
This is a must have.
If you do decide to apply to DO programs, many of them REQUIRE a letter recommendation from an osteopathic physician.
Focus your shadowing activities in primary care specialties.
I need a break down on your volunteering.
Med school applicants need two type of volunteering--clinical volunteering and community service.
Clinical volunteering involves working directly with patients under the supervision of a medical professional.
I think it's unlikely that Red Cross volunteering would not be included as clinical volunteering since you aren't working with sick/chronically ill people and aren't under the supervision of a nurse or physician.
Community service is volunteering with organization and groups outside of a medical setting. Ideally with disadvantaged groups.
How are your 150 hours broken down into those 2 types?
You will probably need more clinical volunteering hours and should continue your volunteer work with the Red Cross.
Where to apply?
This all depends on your MCAT score.
If it’s high enough (515+), you may want to consider applying to the less competitive in-state TX allopathic schools (everyplace except UTSW, UT-Austin, Baylor)
Assuming your MCAT >504, definitely apply to the 3 TX osteopathic med schools ( Sam Houston State, U North TX <–public and University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. <–private)
As a TX resident, it’s to your advantage to attend an in-state since public med school in TX since the public med schools are very inexpensive.
As for other recommendations–come back when you have a MCAT scores.
And unrelated to your competitiveness for med school--I have to ask.
Do you have someone who can help take of your children for you?
During medical school and especially once you get into your clinical training during the 3rd year, your hours are going be very unpredictable. You will be working long shifts. You will be working overnights in the hospital. You will be working on weekends. Your work hours will change every day on some rotations.
You need rock solid childcare to get through not just med school but residency. Residencies work you like a dog. 80 hour work week are normal and expected. On call nights (where you sleep at the hospital and are on duty for up to 32 hours straight) are common. And just because your shift is done, that doesn't mean you can go home--you have to stay past the end of your shift to hand off your cases to the next physician and do your paperwork.oh im sorry i mean to say my mother is a single mother from Mexico not me I’m a teenager with no kids and my volunteer hours are 100 hours of clinical and 50 non clinical
You definitely need more of both clinical and non-clinical hours. Plus shadowing. Aim for >150 hours each for both clinical & non-clinical volunteering, and at least 50 shadowing hours, focussing on primary care specialties.
You should target osteopathic medical schools since your GPAs are more in line with their admissions stats.