<p>Long story short, I've got many withdrawals (all medically necessary but in the teens) but I've got a 3.7+ G.P.A. and many good ECs (shadowing, scribing, volunteer, school organizations, honors member). I've still got 2.5 years of undergrad but I want to know how much of a battle I'm up against given my transcript as it relates to medical school admission. I don't want to attend a top school and I'd be happy at any allopathic Florida medical school.</p>
<p>Am I completely doomed?</p>
<p>Definitely an uphill battle. More than 5-6 withdrawals for any reason is going to red flag your app.</p>
<p>You are going to have to address this issue big time in your primary and /or secondaries. Medical school adcomms will want very strong assurances that the medical problem is under control and will not recur.</p>
<p>Besides making sure I’m healthy and giving an explanation in my primary/secondary, what else should I do?</p>
<p>Should I apply to more than just Floridian med schools?</p>
<p>Absolutely.</p>
<p>You’re going to be a high risk applicant. You should apply to as many medical schools as you can reasonably manage.</p>
<p>Even excellent applicants with textbook perfect applications cannot afford to apply to just their instate schools. It’s too risky to put all of your eggs in just a few basket. Apply widely to schools where your profile fits the school’s mission and where your stats are above the norm for accepted students.</p>
<p>I would say 25, perhaps even 30, schools wouldn’t be excessive.</p>
<p>Florida has 3 public med schools and while they do heavily favor in-state applicants, their admission rates in-state aren’t a guarantee by a long stretch.</p>
<p>University of South Florida 1960 in state applicants; 260 accepted<br>
University of Florida 1840 in state applicants; 186 accepted<br>
Florida State 2024 applicants; 198 accepted </p>
<p>Lousy odds!</p>
<p>Apply widely to improve your chances of an acceptance.</p>
<p>Medical schools want 100% of their seats filled for the entire year and for all 4 years, they want no risk of you dropping out & leaving an empty spot, tuition unpaid. If you have had a health issue, you will need to spend the next 2.5 years showing that it is now 100% under control. Even then some schools will not want to take the risk or some schools will have your application screened out before a real person ever sees it, so apply broadly & early.</p>
<p>But first, make sure your problem has been fixed and you can move on with 100% attendance. Med school is much more demanding and time consuming that undergrad.</p>
<p>Ws for medical reasons is definitely better than Ws for no reason but as others have stated, the key is going to be ensuring that your app says “I was having health issues before, but now I’m ok,” and not “I’m a ticking medical time bomb.” (which I think, for example, would be accomplished if the next 2.5 years go without a hitch)</p>
<p>Would it be prudent to apply to all Florida schools and, in addition, all HBCUs only?</p>
<p>I realize that casting a big net is ideal but I don’t think finances would allow me to apply to 20-30 schools.</p>
<p>Please check to see if you’re eligible for AMCAS Fee Assistance Program (FAP).</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/fap/[/url]”>https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/fap/</a></p>
<p>FAP will allow you to register for the MCAT at a reduced fee and will give you 14 free applications to medical school.</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/fap/benefits/[/url]”>https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/fap/benefits/</a></p>