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[Angus Avagadro]

Your application is not competetive due to your low MCAT. Your CARS score is in the 7 %tile. Your not getting acceptance due to that to a great degree. Your stats are also low. Focus on the MCAT, get that score up. Would also consider a Post Bac with a link to acceptance to help prepare yourself and convince adcoms you are ready for med school. I would avoid carribean schools if at all possible. It's the hardest path to being a physician in the US. Good luck and best wishes

 

[RocuROMANium]

What is your state of residence? How many credits of straight A’s would it take to get your GPAs to 3.0? You were accepted to SGU but don’t want to go there? Then why apply?

 

[deleted972488]

Your application is not competetive due to your low MCAT. Your CARS score is in the 7 %tile. Your not getting acceptance due to that to a great degree. Your stats are also low. Focus on the MCAT, get that score up. Would also consider a Post Bac with a link to acceptance to help prepare yourself and convince adcoms you are ready for med school. I would avoid carribean schools if at all possible. It's the hardest path to being a physician in the US. Good luck and best wishes

I think they did get it up to a 507? Kind of difficult to tell because they bombarded us with that wall of text and all the important information is buried.

However, their GPA is <3.0.

 

[Dr panda]

I think an SMP is your only option.

 

[mmchick]

His/her MCAT is like 507 and uGPA <3.0 with graduate GPA of 4.0.

First off, yeesh learn the art of conciseness. Not sure why you’d ever apply with <500 MCAT there’s just like literally no US MD schools that take that.. MSAR would’ve saved you your time and money. Not sure how viable your application is for US MD. I’ve heard graduate GPA is sort of moot given the stat inflation that typically occurs. Never go to Caribbean, there’s tons of resources on here to justify that. Consider DO - I’d say this is your only fighting chance, but your candidacy is even questionable with that uGPA. I’m sure most people here would suggest an SMP as a backdoor into a particular program. I fear a postbacc would make too little a dent on that uGPA.

 

[AnMDtoB]

No, I’m really wanting MD and not DO. Nothing against DOs whatsoever, they are great physicians.

Would you rather be a DO, or not be a doctor at all? This school list is *wildly* ambitious given your MCAT scores - a 507 alone would be a real reach for a lot of schools on this list, but adding in your two sub-500 attempts make all of the schools on this list very unrealistic. I'm not trying to be harsh, but I don't want you to waste several thousand dollars applying to schools that won't work out for you. Many DO schools are likely to turn you away too, but you'll have a much better shot there than MD schools so I would encourage you to consider them.

MSAR has very helpful admissions & MCAT score data on allopathic MD schools and access is only ~$30, I would recommend looking through their data on the schools on your list to understand what kind of stats MD schools are really admitting, keeping in mind that ALL of your MCAT scores matter, not just your highest one.

 

[deleted972488]

one of the biggest takeaways is that I needed to make my essays for this school only easier to follow and more direct for reading

You have not applied this takeaway.

The MD/PhD program is out of my league.

So are most, if not all, MD only programs.

I’m really wanting MD and not DO.

You need to rid yourself of this mindset because DO is your best bet. They will even include your graduate courses in your GPAs, which may bring you above 3.0.

Also, you got accepted into a Caribbean school, but you were right to turn down that acceptance. Do not go to the Caribbean.

 

[Med Ed]

I’m happy to answer any questions you may have, but thanks for any help you can provide! Yes, I may add more as I recall more to this process of ‘lots to unwrap’.

Not really. Bad GPA + bad MCAT pattern + bad school list = no acceptance.

If you want this you need to do a SMP, post an MCAT over 510, and get a lot more volunteering under your belt.

 

[deleted966008]

I’d really ask yourself if you can handle another 2-3 years of prep because that’s what it’s going to take. Even then, it still may not happen.

My personal opinion - you tried the MCAT 3 times and got a Masters already. Clearly something isn’t working and a career pivot to PhD should seriously be considered, particularly given your strong love for research.

 

[deleted972488]

PhD should seriously be considered

I disagree... a PhD is a huge (~6 year) commitment and is extremely difficult on people even when it is their first choice of career path. It is not something that should be done as a back-up to medical school. Plus the job market is really not great.

OP already has an MS in medical microbiology. Sounds like they should consider being a medical technologist.

 

[Tiran145]

Lol love how OP claims to want to be a doctor but is against his best bet to become one! Look at DO if you want to be a doctor. Don’t just do it for the MD behind your name.

 

[deleted966008]

I disagree... a PhD is a huge (~6 year) commitment and is extremely difficult on people even when it is their first choice of career path. It is not something that should be done as a back-up to medical school. Plus the job market is really not great.

OP already has an MS in medical microbiology. Sounds like they should consider being a medical technologist.

I didn’t mean to make PhD sound anything like a “back-up” and apologize if it came off that way. I understand it’s an arduous commitment with lots of job uncertainty on the other side.

The more important thing I was trying to say here is OP should consider career options outside of medical practice, regardless of what that other choice is.

 

[mmchick]

I am not gay, but let’s just say I understand this community well for diversity purposes.

Also, just noticed this in the forest of your text, but as someone from the LGBT community... dude. You can't claim you're diverse by "understanding" a community you're not part of whether you have a gay sibling or cousin or dog doesn't matter. It's great you have a peripheral idea of what our community faces, but you've never personally experienced the typical challenges associated with membership... therefore this can't be used a diversity perk. This whole post makes me think you're wildly naive + optimistic which isn't a good look..

Will digress to say take any one of the valuable insights that have been provided as serious life advice.

 

[Goro]

Hmm, first off I dislike my username. That’s actually a different username I use. I wanted ‘Determined Aneurysm’ but SND is being quite picky with my IP address and rejected my request multiple times to use the name I want and delete the Red one.

So I graduated with a BS in Biochemistry. I also graduated with MS in Medical Microbiology. I am a white male with strong European diversity from deceased grandparents. I am a medical scribe for three local emergency departments starting this application cycle. I volunteered at my local urgent care clinic for 102 hours and at another local emergency department + progressive care unit for 104 hours. I physician shadowed a pediatrician for forty hours and an infectious disease/HIV specialist MD for another 40 hours. I am a former member of Toastmasters International and did undergraduate research in biochemistry. I am a cycling aficionado and talented violinist. I received four scholarships for my undergraduate studies and took part in my local community college while in high school program. I have a letter of rec from two pediatricians, a science instructor and my graduate program coordinator. My parents divorced but one is a physician (to remain anonymous I will not say which specialty) and the other a former nurse.

MCAT scores – 492 two cycles ago (chem 124, CARS 120, biochem 126, psych/soc 122), 498 last cycle (chem 127, CARS 121, biochem 127, psych/soc 123) and 507 this cycle (chem 128, CARS 125, biochem 127, psych/soc 127). I really regret the two lower scores. Was my 498 the main reason I was denied? I believe so. The first MCAT attempt was a washout as I had no clue about the beast the MCAT is and believed it to be like the GRE. I was also a full-time graduate student at the time. I studied some but not as much for the last two attempts (several + months). Given I had taken the pre-med requirements 8-12 years ago, my recollection of them was rusty. I skipped the many many Khan Academy videos/problems on those courses and focused on what I never took – psychology/sociology. I am sorry but I just do not believe in that ‘cannot strike the testimony on previous MCAT scores’.

Originally, I chose pre-med but opted to become a research scientist after enjoying the sciences. I went back to medicine after seeing the powerful connection/applicable human empathy in graduate studies courses. I am strongly interested in infectious disease research (particularly HIV) and wish to do some research in the course of my career. I have interests thus far in the infectious disease specialty as well as wildness medicine. I definitely want to do international medicine involving my specialty and do not mind any school overseas programs. Service programs that I work in and pay for the tuition post graduating are not an issue for me as they appeal to me. I am not gay, but let’s just say I understand this community well for diversity purposes. The MD/PhD program is out of my league. Here’s the downer – my undergraduate GPAs are as follows: BCPM = 2.64, AO = 3.36 and Total = 2.88. This eliminates a lot of 3.0 GPA minimum medical schools. I had a 0.0 in calculus III after essentially falling apart. I improved toward the end of undergrad with double time on exams but maturity was my asset in graduate studies. My graduate GPA is a 4.0 in all these categories as I turned things around.

I am trying to match myself the medical school mission statements but that is difficult given the number of schools to apply to. One can mold a secondary essay to fit any school’s mission, and so far I’ve had no problem with answering secondary essays prompts well. Some of the schools are a high tier reach, but I do meet or exceed their min. MCAT requirement. I’ve either been deterred from adding schools in AMCAS either because they are a far reach with regards to academic stats or they simply don’t mean anything to me. Why am I drawn to some random out of state school? I’m also encouraged by others to not go to a low-tier school. As my application improves, I don’t really want to. I am on the fence about joining the Air Force for medical school. I was denied from Univ. New Mexico for not being Native American. All the Florida schools are included as I went to one of them but did not attain Florida residency at any point. However, the Florida schools are high stats/low seats. I skipped TMDSAS as I’m not missing out on anything and it costs $165. Otherwise, there is no hard limit or cost $$ cap on the number of schools I apply to via AMCAS. I'm all in. I have strong family/friends ties to California from birth. No, I’m really wanting MD and not DO. Nothing against DOs whatsoever, they are great physicians. To wrap this up here’s the list of med schools on my mind based on desire to be on the West Coast U.S. as well as MCAT score/GPA. I’m trying to cap my applications to 20 schools max via AAMC FAP:

1) Accepted to: St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies (I do no want to go there as I heard the science labs are lacking, the tuition without scholarships is sky high and getting a residency/job in U.S. is more difficult, etc. etc…)
2) University of Washington – re-applied this year, received secondary last year (denied – one of the biggest takeaways is that I needed to make my essays for this school only easier to follow and more direct for reading. Enough medical experience was lacking)
3) Washington State University – secondary submitted this cycle, received secondary last year (denied)
4) Oregon Health Sciences University – non-screen secondary this year, received secondary last year (denied)
5) Florida State University – secondary submitted this year, received secondary last year (denied)
6) Univ. of Hawaii – applied this year, they want $150 to give me a secondary and pre-screen me
7) Loma Linda – re-applied this year, received secondary last year (denied)
8) Wright State Boonshoft – applied this year, have connections with a med resident who did first two years there
9) Ohio State – received secondary last year (denied)
10) Kaiser Permanente – secondary submitted this year (tough as this is a new school, free tuition, very popular, great healthcare provider, everyone applying has high stats for sure)
11) Emory – stats too low for this school
12) Univ. of Colorado – applied this year
13) Univ. of Wisconsin – denied prior to secondary last year due to undergrad GPA being below 3.0 despite web site stating 12 credits of postgraduate studies overshadows undergrad GPA not meeting the requirement
14) Univ. of South Carolina – Greenville – my secondary didn’t provide any connections to South Carolina according to my feedback phone call last year so I’m not re-applying
15) UC Davis (very low OOS acceptance, very difficult to get in, denied last cycle with no secondary and no feedback permitted)
16) UC San Diego (difficult to get in)
17) UCLA (difficult to get in)
18) Morehouse
19) Mercer
20) Marshall
21) Meharry
22) Wayne State
23) Creighton (really eyeing this as family friends got in)
24) West Virginia Univ.
25) Univ. of Alabama – secondary received last year (denied)
26) Louisiana State – New Orleans
27) Georgetown (hear this schools specializes in medical policy but I don’t really care about that. It’s a great school that is decent for my 507 MCAT score)
28) Drexel
29) Univ. of Florida – secondary received this year, the director of admissions suggests all new letters of rec and work/activities in re-applying! Re-applied this year, received secondary last year (denied)
30) USUHS
31) UC Irvine – stats too high to apply?
32) UC Riverside – applied this year
33) Univ. Michigan – I want to apply but the stats are beyond my reach currently
34) Loyola Stitch
35) Case Western – stats are beyond my reach currently
36) USC Keck – boy the stats are high there
37) Univ. of Lousiville – I have connections with a person who is doing their residency there
38) Dartmouth
39) Homer Stryker
40) New York Univ.
41) Vanderbilt Univ.
42) Pritzker
43) Rosalind Franklin
44) Nova Southeastern – secondary received last year (denied)
45) Tufts
46) Univ. of Miami (they seem highly selective)
47) Univ. Central Florida
48) Florida Atlantic Univ. – denied post secondary last cycle
49) Florida International University – secondary received last year (denied)
50) Rutgers

Also: Univ. South Florida – secondary received last year (denied), Univ. of Arizona (denied pre-secondary due to below 3.0 undergrad GPA), California Univ. of Science and Medicine (denied post secondary last cycle), California Northstate Univ. College of Medicine (denied post secondary last cycle)
Please see the attached personalized .docx document I created based off internet sites/AAMC on how to choose a school based on my own personal preferences. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have, but thanks for any help you can provide! Yes, I may add more as I recall more to this process of ‘lots to unwrap’.

Beggars can't be choosy. As of right now, your stats are lethal for MD, but OK for DO.

For MD, Read my guide to premed reinvention.

 

[deleted966008]

Beggars can't be choosy. As of right now, your stats are lethal for MD, but OK for DO.

For MD, Read my guide to premed reinvention.

Can OP still reinvent after 3 MCATs, multiple cycles, and a Masters degree?

 

[gyngyn]

Hmm, first off I dislike my username. That’s actually a different username I use. I wanted ‘Determined Aneurysm’ but SND is being quite picky with my IP address and rejected my request multiple times to use the name I want and delete the Red one.

So I graduated with a BS in Biochemistry. I also graduated with MS in Medical Microbiology. I am a white male with strong European diversity from deceased grandparents. I am a medical scribe for three local emergency departments starting this application cycle. I volunteered at my local urgent care clinic for 102 hours and at another local emergency department + progressive care unit for 104 hours. I physician shadowed a pediatrician for forty hours and an infectious disease/HIV specialist MD for another 40 hours. I am a former member of Toastmasters International and did undergraduate research in biochemistry. I am a cycling aficionado and talented violinist. I received four scholarships for my undergraduate studies and took part in my local community college while in high school program. I have a letter of rec from two pediatricians, a science instructor and my graduate program coordinator. My parents divorced but one is a physician (to remain anonymous I will not say which specialty) and the other a former nurse.

MCAT scores – 492 two cycles ago (chem 124, CARS 120, biochem 126, psych/soc 122), 498 last cycle (chem 127, CARS 121, biochem 127, psych/soc 123) and 507 this cycle (chem 128, CARS 125, biochem 127, psych/soc 127). I really regret the two lower scores. Was my 498 the main reason I was denied? I believe so. The first MCAT attempt was a washout as I had no clue about the beast the MCAT is and believed it to be like the GRE. I was also a full-time graduate student at the time. I studied some but not as much for the last two attempts (several + months). Given I had taken the pre-med requirements 8-12 years ago, my recollection of them was rusty. I skipped the many many Khan Academy videos/problems on those courses and focused on what I never took – psychology/sociology. I am sorry but I just do not believe in that ‘cannot strike the testimony on previous MCAT scores’.

Originally, I chose pre-med but opted to become a research scientist after enjoying the sciences. I went back to medicine after seeing the powerful connection/applicable human empathy in graduate studies courses. I am strongly interested in infectious disease research (particularly HIV) and wish to do some research in the course of my career. I have interests thus far in the infectious disease specialty as well as wildness medicine. I definitely want to do international medicine involving my specialty and do not mind any school overseas programs. Service programs that I work in and pay for the tuition post graduating are not an issue for me as they appeal to me. I am not gay, but let’s just say I understand this community well for diversity purposes. The MD/PhD program is out of my league. Here’s the downer – my undergraduate GPAs are as follows: BCPM = 2.64, AO = 3.36 and Total = 2.88. This eliminates a lot of 3.0 GPA minimum medical schools. I had a 0.0 in calculus III after essentially falling apart. I improved toward the end of undergrad with double time on exams but maturity was my asset in graduate studies. My graduate GPA is a 4.0 in all these categories as I turned things around.

I am trying to match myself the medical school mission statements but that is difficult given the number of schools to apply to. One can mold a secondary essay to fit any school’s mission, and so far I’ve had no problem with answering secondary essays prompts well. Some of the schools are a high tier reach, but I do meet or exceed their min. MCAT requirement. I’ve either been deterred from adding schools in AMCAS either because they are a far reach with regards to academic stats or they simply don’t mean anything to me. Why am I drawn to some random out of state school? I’m also encouraged by others to not go to a low-tier school. As my application improves, I don’t really want to. I am on the fence about joining the Air Force for medical school. I was denied from Univ. New Mexico for not being Native American. All the Florida schools are included as I went to one of them but did not attain Florida residency at any point. However, the Florida schools are high stats/low seats. I skipped TMDSAS as I’m not missing out on anything and it costs $165. Otherwise, there is no hard limit or cost $$ cap on the number of schools I apply to via AMCAS. I'm all in. I have strong family/friends ties to California from birth. No, I’m really wanting MD and not DO. Nothing against DOs whatsoever, they are great physicians. To wrap this up here’s the list of med schools on my mind based on desire to be on the West Coast U.S. as well as MCAT score/GPA. I’m trying to cap my applications to 20 schools max via AAMC FAP:

1) Accepted to: St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies (I do no want to go there as I heard the science labs are lacking, the tuition without scholarships is sky high and getting a residency/job in U.S. is more difficult, etc. etc…)
2) University of Washington – re-applied this year, received secondary last year (denied – one of the biggest takeaways is that I needed to make my essays for this school only easier to follow and more direct for reading. Enough medical experience was lacking)
3) Washington State University – secondary submitted this cycle, received secondary last year (denied)
4) Oregon Health Sciences University – non-screen secondary this year, received secondary last year (denied)
5) Florida State University – secondary submitted this year, received secondary last year (denied)
6) Univ. of Hawaii – applied this year, they want $150 to give me a secondary and pre-screen me
7) Loma Linda – re-applied this year, received secondary last year (denied)
8) Wright State Boonshoft – applied this year, have connections with a med resident who did first two years there
9) Ohio State – received secondary last year (denied)
10) Kaiser Permanente – secondary submitted this year (tough as this is a new school, free tuition, very popular, great healthcare provider, everyone applying has high stats for sure)
11) Emory – stats too low for this school
12) Univ. of Colorado – applied this year
13) Univ. of Wisconsin – denied prior to secondary last year due to undergrad GPA being below 3.0 despite web site stating 12 credits of postgraduate studies overshadows undergrad GPA not meeting the requirement
14) Univ. of South Carolina – Greenville – my secondary didn’t provide any connections to South Carolina according to my feedback phone call last year so I’m not re-applying
15) UC Davis (very low OOS acceptance, very difficult to get in, denied last cycle with no secondary and no feedback permitted)
16) UC San Diego (difficult to get in)
17) UCLA (difficult to get in)
18) Morehouse
19) Mercer
20) Marshall
21) Meharry
22) Wayne State
23) Creighton (really eyeing this as family friends got in)
24) West Virginia Univ.
25) Univ. of Alabama – secondary received last year (denied)
26) Louisiana State – New Orleans
27) Georgetown (hear this schools specializes in medical policy but I don’t really care about that. It’s a great school that is decent for my 507 MCAT score)
28) Drexel
29) Univ. of Florida – secondary received this year, the director of admissions suggests all new letters of rec and work/activities in re-applying! Re-applied this year, received secondary last year (denied)
30) USUHS
31) UC Irvine – stats too high to apply?
32) UC Riverside – applied this year
33) Univ. Michigan – I want to apply but the stats are beyond my reach currently
34) Loyola Stitch
35) Case Western – stats are beyond my reach currently
36) USC Keck – boy the stats are high there
37) Univ. of Lousiville – I have connections with a person who is doing their residency there
38) Dartmouth
39) Homer Stryker
40) New York Univ.
41) Vanderbilt Univ.
42) Pritzker
43) Rosalind Franklin
44) Nova Southeastern – secondary received last year (denied)
45) Tufts
46) Univ. of Miami (they seem highly selective)
47) Univ. Central Florida
48) Florida Atlantic Univ. – denied post secondary last cycle
49) Florida International University – secondary received last year (denied)
50) Rutgers

Also: Univ. South Florida – secondary received last year (denied), Univ. of Arizona (denied pre-secondary due to below 3.0 undergrad GPA), California Univ. of Science and Medicine (denied post secondary last cycle), California Northstate Univ. College of Medicine (denied post secondary last cycle)
Please see the attached personalized .docx document I created based off internet sites/AAMC on how to choose a school based on my own personal preferences. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have, but thanks for any help you can provide! Yes, I may add more as I recall more to this process of ‘lots to unwrap’.

Here is the actual place to request a name change!

https://forums.studentdoctor.net/account/UserNameChange

 

[Goro]

Can OP still reinvent after 3 MCATs, multiple cycles, and a Masters degree?

OP will need to retake and ace the MCAT (513+) and the SMP for MD

 

[Kardio]

If this is a troll, it's a really good one

 

[Goro]

If this is a troll, it's a really good one

You're haven't been on SDN long enough I see. From history, SDNers like these are the real deal.

Another strike against OP is that s/he has a history of poor choice making.

 

[Kardio]

You're haven't been on SDN long enough I see. From history, SDNers like these are the real deal.

Woah - And I thought I was on the spectrum.

Edit:
Reread that, I might have come across the wrong way.
If OP is legit, then I'm more cognitively well-adjusted than I thought.

 

[RedReticle]

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[deleted972488]

Re: The gay thing - I had unprotected sex with a dude and had to go on PEP. So while I veer straight and that was just dinking around dumb fun, I have been around the gay community, to be clear.

Omg.

 

[Phoebus Apollo]

:troll:

 

[deleted966008]

Well now that we all know the specifics of your bi-curiosity, your chances for MD have suddenly become golden.

On the off chance you are seriously inquiring, I don't think you should do an SMP unless you have $$ to blow. You already got a 4.0 on a masters so personally I don't see how another 4.0 in one of these "special" masters is going to turn the tide. Don't take out loans for something that might be useless.

 

[RedReticle]

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[deleted972488]

Honestly wtf. I'll delete that, fine. I was clarifying that bold response the user had about diversity. I am not the only one who has asked this question about the LGBQT community involvement and adding diversity to the application. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Med schools want diversity, and they ask. I'm NOT trolling for the last time. What do I need to do to demonstrate my sincerity on this point? I'm about ready to leave the world wide web of SDN and not return. All you all do is attack attack attack. -- This reply I just made is going to get my whole post removed because of SDN's overly strict rules. My account will probably be banned. I really don't care. My application is as it is, my personal life is my own as it should be and will apply to medical schools as I will. The medical schools will decide if I am accepted or not. Not you guys.

Good luck getting into medical school with your stats and/or with essays that say “I once slept with a guy so I understand the community.”

 

[RedReticle]

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[deleted972488]

Please use your common sense nobody goes that detailed. I'd never go that detailed on a professional application in a professional environment. I never have. The previous user negatively attacked me, falsely stating how I have no experience with the LGBQT community. So, I went all in and gave him/her the details. Was it wrong? Yea...it was too detailed. I even felt that way when I posted that sentence. Not socially appropriate, and I apologize. Even if this is just an anonymous forum, I screwed up. But you all haven't been any better in being attackative. I still do not see the harm in 'professionalizing' it and demonstrating diversity. If anything, just check the box on the application when it asks if you are LGBTQ. However, this SDN really feels like an overly monitored Xbox Live chat session where everyone feels free to speak their minds. Hence, I am out of it and will not post again. My mistake.

You said you do not identify as LGBTQ, so it is offensive to me, as an LGBTQ person, that you are suggesting that you lie about it because of your one night stand. Also, being LGBTQ is not a free ticket to medical school, by the way. One still needs to have competitive grades and a competitive MCAT score, and you have neither of those.

Multiple people have already given you solid advice. Apply DO, do an SMP and score >513 on the MCAT, or find another career. This is not, as you say, “attackative.” This is advice that will need to take unless you want to have another unsuccessful application cycle.

 

[RedReticle]

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[mmchick]

If you come into SDN, people will give their critical feedback. If there is an overwhelming adverse reception to your application, one might take that as prompt to reflect on themselves and how they present their life experiences. I’d hedge that as in your best interest. Good luck to you.