Waitlisted MD. Reapply MD with MCAT Retake or apply DO?

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Hi,

I am a prospective re-applicant and was hoping to get some advice on the next steps to take.

I applied to 30+ MD programs this year and am wait listed at 2 schools. At this time, I would like to prepare myself for a reapplication for the 2012-2013 cycle.

I haven't contacted the schools directly to ask for advice on how to improve my application because I don't want to them to think that I have given up hope. I'm just trying to be practical on my end and take care of things earlier rather than later.

I have a good feeling that my MCAT score (20's) was the weakness in my current application. My sGPA = 3.5, cGPA = 3.6, ECs are rather strong (10 years of volunteering in the same area, clinical research with 5 publications, national public service, graduate degree with 3.9 GPA from an ivy, shadowing at large teaching hospital, co-founder of a free clinic, etc.).

I thought my interviews went well. I was prepped by members of the admissions committee at a top 5 med school and was given good feedback by actual interviewers. I am a non-traditional applicant with diverse life experience and had some interesting stories to share about my clinical experience in rural America.

I hadn't planned on reapplying until recently. At this point, the earliest MCAT date in my area is in late July.

Do I go ahead and plan to take the MCAT in July, but submit my application in June? Or, should I wait another year and take the MCAT earlier and with more prep? My other option is to not go MD and apply solely to DO programs this year with my MCAT score, which is average for accepted DO applicants.

What are some things I should consider in making a decision? Like the schools that have me wait listed, I am very indecisive right now and want to be very prudent about the decision I make.

Thanks for any input!

Originally Posted by vivalarev

Hi,

I am a prospective re-applicant and was hoping to get some advice on the next steps to take.

I applied to 30+ MD programs this year and am wait listed at 2 schools. At this time, I would like to prepare myself for a reapplication for the 2012-2013 cycle.

I haven't contacted the schools directly to ask for advice on how to improve my application because I don't want to them to think that I have given up hope. I'm just trying to be practical on my end and take care of things earlier rather than later.

I have a good feeling that my MCAT score (20's) was the weakness in my current application. My sGPA = 3.5, cGPA = 3.6, ECs are rather strong (10 years of volunteering in the same area, clinical research with 5 publications, national public service, graduate degree with 3.9 GPA from an ivy, shadowing at large teaching hospital, co-founder of a free clinic, etc.).

I thought my interviews went well. I was prepped by members of the admissions committee at a top 5 med school and was given good feedback by actual interviewers. I am a non-traditional applicant with diverse life experience and had some interesting stories to share about my clinical experience in rural America.

I hadn't planned on reapplying until recently. At this point, the earliest MCAT date in my area is in late July.

Do I go ahead and plan to take the MCAT in July, but submit my application in June? Or, should I wait another year and take the MCAT earlier and with more prep? My other option is to not go MD and apply solely to DO programs this year with my MCAT score, which is average for accepted DO applicants.

What are some things I should consider in making a decision? Like the schools that have me wait listed, I am very indecisive right now and want to be very prudent about the decision I make.

Thanks for any input!

Well it depends on what you scored low 20s or high 20s?

Originally Posted by shinbeats

Well it depends on what you scored low 20s or high 20s?

Mid 20's...it's good enough to make the cut-off for the MD programs that wait listed me and obviously too low to be taken seriously by other MD programs that rejected me. I realized average MCAT for accepted applicants vary by DO program, so I was wrong in presuming that my MCAT is acceptable for all DO programs.

Retake MCAT in July but submit to MD and DO in June. Apply to all DO in June and half MD in June then apply to other half after MCAT.

Originally Posted by shinbeats

Retake MCAT in July but submit to MD and DO in June. Apply to all DO in June and half MD in June then apply to other half after MCAT.

Thanks for the advice, Shinbeats...guess I just needed the encouragement more than anything!

Originally Posted by shinbeats

Retake MCAT in July but submit to MD and DO in June. Apply to all DO in June and half MD in June then apply to other half after MCAT.

+1

Looks like your entire application is pretty incredible. The one thing that might be holding you up is the MCAT.

You've got a long time to prepare for the July exam so I'd say put in all your efforts into that. If you break 30s I'd say you have an amazing chance at a lot of schools. Good luck, OP