MD & DO 3.3 cGPA, 3.04 sGPA, URM. Do I even have a shot, or wasting my money?

[DoctorLacrosse]

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[BestDoctorEver]

You chances are VERY slim for MD due to your low sGPA, but you should apply if you get a 30+ MCAT score. I think you should focus more on DO (not only NYCOM)... You should be ok with a 27-28 MCAT score for NYCOM, but a 24+ MCAT should give a good shot at other low tier DO schools... I would not go with a committee letter if it will delay your application and if you can get LORs from profs and physicians that you shadowed.

 

[gumdrops]

**SUMMARY at the bottom if you do not wish to read my long sob story haha**

So as the application cycle approaches for 2015 and I begin getting my letters of recommendation in order, I am beginning to wonder if all I'm doing here is setting myself up for disappointment. Like many before me, I began my college career with a self-entitled attitude expecting A's to just happen. I finished my first two years of college with a GPA of 2.6 and a sGPA even lower, including an F in calculus 1. I've spent the last 3 years working hard to try and make my dream a reality, but I am worrying that this was all for nothing and the hole I dug myself was just too deep to realistically get out of in 3 years.

My GPA over my last 90+ credits has been ~3.6, including solid A's in all medically relevant courses I've taken (biochem, anatomy, physiology, micro, etc.), but upon graduation the best my AMCAS GPA could be would be ~3.3/~3.04 (cGPA and sGPA, respectively). I am studying for my MCAT now and will be taking it in early June, though I will still submit my app on day 1 and then update it with scores when they are released. I retook most of my really poor grades which brought my AACOMAS gpas up to ~3.4, so I am hoping that DO is still in reach.

Is there even an MCAT score that could get me into an MD school? I somehow doubt an overall GPA as low as mine with an F on the transcript (only truly scary blemish, other than the few C's of course) would be seen as acceptable, regardless of the crazy improvements I've made academically. I am more than happy with DO of course, but would either of the two NY DO schools even want me with my GPA? I truly want to stay in NY for med school more than anything, but will honestly go anywhere in the country if they would take me.

I have some decent ECs due to my need to work for survival, or at least I think so, including things like:
-being a nursing assistant at a hospital for 2 years
-being an ER tech at a hospital for 6 months and counting (Trauma team member)
-volunteering for a Hispanic center tutoring children and helping them become more fluent in English for 7 months and counting
-clinical research in ER for 2 years and counting (no pubs or anything)
-TA for A&P 1, A&P 2, and a geology course
-shadowing a family physician for 40 hours (DO LOR)
-Captain of two club sports teams
-Coach youth basketball for 2 years
-other small things I won't bother to list

I am also a White/Black/Hispanic mixed New York resident, if that matters. I am very outgoing and tend to do very well in interviews and public speaking situations, etc.

Any advice, tips, suggestions? Focus on DO and only a few low tier MD, or just go all out on both and hope for the best? Am I truly wasting my money, or will a good MCAT score make it possible? What is the lowest MCAT score I should even bother applying with? Do you think my Committee Letter will be awful due to my early college grades? Should I consider skipping the committee letter, especially since it will make my app later as well?

Thank you all for the help in advance, it is much appreciated!

SUMMARY:
New York resident, URM, poor start to college, HUGE upward trend in grades last 3 years
-3.3 cGPA, 3.04 sGPA, MCAT Pending, pretty decent ECs and very strong clinical experiences
-AACOMAS GPAs ~3.4, is NYIT-COM a possibility? what mcat needed? (dream DO school)
-Am I wasting my time and money even applying MD? Will it take a fantastic MCAT score to make it a possibility? What is the lowest I should even apply with?
-Will my committee letter be bad due to early grades? Should I skip it to make my app earlier and not risk it being a poor letter?
-Any schools that I should 100% apply to and give a shot? Any I should definitely avoid?

I think you'd be set for low-tier MD's with a 27+ MCAT and for mid-tier MD's with a 30+. Throw in DO's for good measure so that you can broaden your options. Just study hard for the MCAT because that will determine where you should apply. I'd apply MD in your case if you make a 27+, regardless. Best of luck to you.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

I think you'd be set for low-tier MD's with a 27+ MCAT and for mid-tier MD's with a 30+. Throw in DO's for good measure so that you can broaden your options. Just study hard for the MCAT because that will determine where you should apply. I'd apply MD in your case if you make a 27+, regardless. Best of luck to you.

Two very differing opinions to start off here lol. I guess it's impossible to really judge, but I figure I've worked too hard to not give MD a fair try as long as my MCAT is decent. I think I want at least a 30, but may just take your advice even if it's slightly below that. Going to keep working hard for that score. Thank you for the opinions so far, they are appreciated.

 

[gumdrops]

Two very differing opinions to start off here lol. I guess it's impossible to really judge, but I figure I've worked too hard to not give MD a fair try as long as my MCAT is decent. I think I want at least a 30, but may just take your advice even if it's slightly below that. Going to keep working hard for that score. Thank you for the opinions so far, they are appreciated.

The sGPA concern is overrated, honestly. Several people with your GPA and a 30+ MCAT on this interview have been accepted to US MD programs. And lest you believe otherwise from this forum, the URM boost is non-trivial. You also have great experience. I think you'd get a few MD interviews IF you do well on the MCAT. So get off this forum and study, lol.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

The sGPA concern is overrated, honestly. Several people with your GPA and a 30+ MCAT on this interview have been accepted to US MD programs. And lest you believe otherwise from this forum, the URM boost is non-trivial. You also have great experience. I think you'd get a few MD interviews IF you do well on the MCAT. So get off this forum and study, lol.

haha thank you for the encouragement, clearly what I needed (and not so secretly wanted ) to hear! you're the man (or woman) haha!

 

[gumdrops]

haha thank you for the encouragement, clearly what I needed (and not so secretly wanted ) to hear! you're the man (or woman) haha!

lol, I prefer to remain veiled in my cloak of mystery. jk, jk, you're solid and will do great when you apply if you go rock that MCAT. Now off to the scary MCAT subforum you go, young padawan! I have faith in you.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

The sGPA concern is overrated, honestly. Several people with your GPA and a 30+ MCAT on this interview have been accepted to US MD programs. And lest you believe otherwise from this forum, the URM boost is non-trivial. You also have great experience. I think you'd get a few MD interviews IF you do well on the MCAT. So get off this forum and study, lol.

I think you are being too 'rosy' in your assessment... Even Meharry MC stated a 3.3 sGPA is a competitive one for admission ... I definitely think OP should get that sGPA to a 3.2+ if he/she really wants MD... Then 28+ MCAT will give him/her a decent shot at low tier MD.

 

[touchpause13]

I'd focus more on DO schools, honestly that sgpa makes me nervous as there may be questions about whether or not you can handle the work of med school.

If you got 30 or higher on the MCAT I think you might have a chance at some MD schools.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

I'd focus more on DO schools, honestly that sgpa makes me nervous as there may be questions about whether or not you can handle the work of med school.

If you got 30 or higher on the MCAT I think you might have a chance at some MD schools.

thanks for the feedback everyone. as I mentioned before I was just a very unmotivated student my first two years and my science grades from that time reflect that. I was in my elementary/middle school/high school's gifted programs and received academic scholarships to college doing zero work, so I guess that got to my head and led to very poor early grades. something I regret every day, but alas here we are, dwelling doesn't change the past.

I've gotten mostly A's in all science courses since then and feel those early grades don't reflect my true intelligence whatsoever. hopefully I can crush the mcat and prove that, but time will tell. I guess just hoping my above average clinical experience, extreme "overnight" transformation in grades, and a good mcat score will help with that, but for now I will just do all I can and see what happens.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

I think you are being too 'rosy' in your assessment... Even Meharry MC stated a 3.3 sGPA is a competitive one for admission ... I definitely think OP should get that sGPA to a 3.2+ if he/she really wants MD... Then 28+ MCAT will give him/her a decent shot at low tier MD.

I think if I were to take another year of straight science courses I could definitely get it up that high or higher, but I don't want to waste anymore time with this. I'm ready for medical school and would love a NY state MD, but if that ends up not being possible then I'd be ecstatic with DO as well. hoping for the best I guess. thank you for keeping it real with me though.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

I think if I were to take another year of straight science courses I could definitely get it up that high or higher, but I don't want to waste anymore time with this. I'm ready for medical school and would love a NY state MD, but if that ends up not being possible then I'd be ecstatic with DO as well. hoping for the best I guess. thank you for keeping it real with me though.

You definitely have a great shot at DO. GL

 

[tpsreport]

I think if I were to take another year of straight science courses I could definitely get it up that high or higher, but I don't want to waste anymore time with this. I'm ready for medical school and would love a NY state MD, but if that ends up not being possible then I'd be ecstatic with DO as well. hoping for the best I guess. thank you for keeping it real with me though.

Hey Lacrosse

You won't need to take any more classes if you're aiming for DO.

If you want a shot at MD, you'll have to do well on your MCAT. Some NY state MD's won't screen you just because you have a low GPA (i.e. Upstate).

If you're serious about medicine, take the MCAT (because you'll need to anyway), and then come back and let us know what you get so we can better advise the DO or MD route. Good luck!

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

Hey Lacrosse

You won't need to take any more classes if you're aiming for DO.

If you want a shot at MD, you'll have to do well on your MCAT. Some NY state MD's won't screen you just because you have a low GPA (i.e. Upstate).

If you're serious about medicine, take the MCAT (because you'll need to anyway), and then come back and let us know what you get so we can better advise the DO or MD route. Good luck!

ill be taking my mcat in early June and will certainly report back when I know. hopefully I can get advice on a school list at that time. thanks again!

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

any other advice on the committee letter question? is it better to be over a month earlier without it, or is it a death sentence to not have one when I can get one?

 

[tpsreport]

any other advice on the committee letter question? is it better to be over a month earlier without it, or is it a death sentence to not have one when I can get one?

I'm not certain about DO schools, but I'm fairly certain most med schools won't mark your application as 'complete' until they receive all the letters that they require. It's clear your grades aren't great and med schools already know that. What else can your undergrad say besides the truth in the numbers right in front of the application? You've also improved a great deal. Remember schools want to look good too, so I think they'll highlight your improvement in your letter. Unless you have some sort of beef with the school or institutional action that is hidden (which you shouldn't anyway) you should always ask for the Committee letter if it is offered by your school. You don't want schools to screen you just because you didn't have one.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

any other advice on the committee letter question? is it better to be over a month earlier without it, or is it a death sentence to not have one when I can get one?

Not a death sentence IMO. I got in without a committee letter even if my undergrad offers it... I would not seek it if it will put you a month behind.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

I would feel more comfortable having it just because it guarantees that the LOR requirements are met for every school (at least I'm assuming this is true). I will speak to my advisor and see realistically how soon I can get it in and decide from there I guess. still a long, stressful road to applying ahead.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

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[Beargryllz]

I'm white and made it in with the same GPA. Do good MCAT stuff

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

I'm white and made it in with the same GPA. Do good MCAT stuff

congrats man that's an awesome accomplishment, happy for you. do work in med school!

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

Lacrosse, the upward trend means ALOT. me suggest the Princeton Reveiw for MCAT studying; check out the MCAT section of this forum for personal advice on how to properly study for the MCAT exam. Best of Luck again, man! You can do it, stay positive always.

I appreciate that man thanks. will check back in when I can provide an mcat score! hoping for the best