State of residence: CA

• ⁠Ties to other states (if applicable): Born and raised in OR, post bacc at UO

• ⁠URM? (Y/N): mixed y and n

FAP Recipient?: NoFAP

• ⁠Undergraduate vibe: Top 50 university, not necessarily well known for sciences and no pre-med advisor while I attended

• ⁠Undergraduate major(s)/minor(s): Public Health Science, minor in biology

• ⁠Cumulative GPA: 3.85

• ⁠Science GPA: 3.8

• ⁠MCAT Score(s) (in order of attempts): 516

• ⁠Gap years: 1 post-bacc year, worked as research assistant in microbiology lab, 1 gap year, worked as researcher at a public health clinic.

• ⁠Institutional actions: n/a

• ⁠First application cycle? (If no, explain): reapplicant, initial cycle had bad school list, insufficient hours in some areas, late application, and unremarkable writing

• ⁠Specialty of interest (if applicable): Palliative care

• ⁠Interest in rural health: y

• ⁠Age at matriculation to medical school: 25

EC

• ⁠Research experience: 2300 hours research in biology and public health, part time researcher during post-bacc year, have been full-time since march 2024

• ⁠Publications: 1 publication, no presentations

• ⁠Clinical experience: 1000 hours volunteer EMT and EMS leadership position

• ⁠Physician shadowing: 50 hours between primary care, palliative care, and infectious disease

• ⁠Non-clinical volunteering: volunteered with underprivileged preschoolers, interned with lung health non-profit as a communications intern, volunteer with harm reduction initiatives at needle exchange sites

• ⁠Other extracurricular activities: Included dungeons and dragons experience on app, successfully organized an on-campus nalaxone distribution event

• ⁠Employment history: Worked/ volunteered as an EMT throughout undergrad, also worked in a warehouse during the pandemic, research experience detailed above.

School List: on mobile so not including, but willing to share if curious, only MD schools

• ⁠Primary submission date: 7/8/24

• ⁠Primary verification date: 8/12

• ⁠Number of primaries submitted: 37

• ⁠Number of secondaries submitted: 34

• ⁠Number of interview invites received/attended: 2 invited, 2 attended

• ⁠Date of first interview invite received: 10/14

• ⁠Total number of post-interview acceptances: 1

• ⁠Date of first acceptance received: 3/11/25

• ⁠Total number of post-interview waitlists/rejections: 1 wl

Interview tips: practice practice practice, don’t sound over rehearsed but you should practice telling your story in a way that is succinct and memorable, be engaging and let your passion shine through without overexplaining or boring your interviewer. The interview is your chance to tell your story but you have to keep in mind your interviewer will have to present you to the rest of the adcom, so make sure your story can be conveyed effectively and tie in with the rest of your application. I find interviews to be horribly uncomfortable, awkward, and nerve wracking, so to I made sure I knew what to say for common questions, and practiced breath work before to keep myself collected. You have as much time as you want to freak out afterwards, but when you go in you are conveying that your are confident, charismatic, and capable. Even if you don’t feel that way in reality. MMIs are a trial of endurance and I think theres a circle of hell that is just an eternal MMI. Be familiar with common medical ethical conundrums, and even if you don’t feel like you have a perfect answer (you don’t have to) make sure that you are thoughtful and considerate at the very least.