Some things to consider about which med schools to apply to

If you're stressed out about your future and where to go to medical school (much less get accepted) you are not alone.  Many there are many qualified applicants to Medical School yet fewer than half ever matriculate.  The good news for you is there are 4 paths one can take to become a Doctor.

1. Probably the best way if you can pull it off is to get accepted into an American allopathic (MD) school.  Things to take into account is they are harder to get into, you need a relatively high GPA and MCAT (your GPA or MCAT alone can't get you in but it can keep you out.)  The state school to which you are a resident is your best bet, state schools guarantee the majority of their positions to their state's residents and this is because the state is investing into their best interest by subsidizing your education with the hope you stick around to practice.  Private schools have a higher tuition  but they offer the same level of competitiveness.  What makes Harvard or Stanford so great isn't because the school's name will get you into that competitive residency (it can't)but rather the scores you will receive on your USMLE's  from being surrounded by the best and brightest students and faculty will likely be higher but in reality no matter where you go you it is ultimately up to you to do well on the USMLE's
2. An option that is growing in popularity is Osteopathic medical Schools (DO).  These schools get you licensed to be a physician and you can go into any specialization (but they do draw in more general practice) as long as you do well.  Traditionally there had been two barriers that kept osteopathic medicine from being seen as equals to allopaths; the first being they aren't as well known (although this has changed significantly over the past decade and well known physicians such as Dr.90210 are DO's) the second thing that held them back was that they are a little more liberal in their teaching (many still teach manipulation yet few go onto use that 'chiropractor stuff' in their own practice.) This has changed as the Allopathic symptomatic approach met the osteopathic holistic approach somewhere in the middle.  Some DO schools actually blend with MD schools in some of their clinical classes and hospital rotations and entirely in residency programs.  The good thing about DO programs is they you can get in with a lower GPA or MCAT than most allopathic schools because they focus more on the big picture and the applicant being well rounded.
3. Caribbean Medical Schools are growing in populrity and reputation.  The Big 3 are Saint George's, Ross, and American University of the Caribbean but there are others like University of Health and Medical Sciences St. Kitts which are good.  Some reputable Caribbean schools can have USMLE pass rates comparable to allopathic medical schools which is amazing since they typically are full of students who got rejected from US allopathic schools.  Many accept student 3 times a year and do the first 4 semesters year round making it possible to graduate faster.  One other thing to note is that most of these programs send you out to an affiliated hospital (often from another Allopathic medical school) to do your clinical training (also known as hospital rotations which lasts about 2 years.)
4. The 4th route is if you're not accepted find something meaningful to do that will strengthen you as a medical school candidate.  Drexel and Columbia university are schools in which have programs tailored to this, they are shorter than most masters programs usually a year, give you a chance to take a class or 2 with medical students and really are directed at getting higher MCAT score.  It isn't necessary to get a masters if that not something you want you don't even need to go to school (although it might be helpful for keeping you conditioned to the learning environment for when you get in).  Jobs in which you are paid to administer health care or conduct research are helpful and you may find something more suited to you doing this.  There are places you can get your EMT certification in as little as 3 months.  
   

Now if you're lucky enough to get accepted to multiple schools there are several factors to take into consideration.  You should find answers to the following questions: Am I a good fit here (family environment, church, feel of campus, climate,etc)?, Will my spouse survive here?, What is the USMLE pass rate?, What residencies are graduates entering into?, What do the graduates have to say about their Alma mater, etc.

When applying to medical school its important to do some research as to whether or not you have a legitimate chance of getting in.  These schools charge you to apply and they charge even more to send in a secondary application, so if you're applying outside your state of residence and they only accept 3 out of state students maybe its a waste of time and money into the application process.  If you're set on getting into a limited number of schools have a back up plan in case you don't get accepted.  If getting in is all that matters to you apply to schools you would want to get into, as well as some that you think you will get into (putting more lines in the water increases the chances of getting a bite). Don't get overly intimidated about the averages (some people get in with higher and lower scores),  make sure you have something to offer you might be surprised but sometimes you don't have to be the best just the best fit and good enough everywhere else to get accepted.  Some schools such as the University of Utah consider every applicant with a 3.0 and above as a possible student and the MCAT and GPA only play 20% into what they're looking at, in fact when you land your interview the interviewers don't see your scores instead they look at personal statements and make sure you're well rounded.  You may be asked questions totally unrelated to medicine such as: why are poor people poor?  or What do you think about the crisis in Darfur? Getting into Medical school doesn't only depend on your GPA, MCAT, extra curriculars, and service hours Medicine is looking for well rounded physicians who are not only competent but posses the social skills, compassion, and understanding to truly help others.