Hi all,
This is my first thread asking for advice on applying to mostly DO and a few MD schools.
Stat:
UC Berkeley '13, uGPA of 3.4, and sciGPA of 3.3
MCAT OLD: 25
----> Breakdown: 9 PS, 6 VR, 10 BS
MCAT2015: 503
----> 127 C/P, 123 CARS, 127 B/B, and 126 P/S
CARS confidence band of 122-124
EC:
1) 1.5 years of working with under-served population in high school as a Program Coordinator.
2) Have ~300 hours of clinical experience over the last 3 years; will continue to shadow a doctor working with homeless and poverty population in SF.
3) Done research for 1.5 but no productive to the extent of publication (worked on bio-imaging)
4) Will have great LOR's from two science and one non-science (mentor) plus an MD. Will also get a letter from my boss at the non-profit and a community social worker (mentor)
Background:
I immigrated to the US from Cambodia at 13yo and did not learn to read in my own language until a year prior to arriving here. The first book I ever finished I was when I was a freshman in High School. My parents barely finished middle school. To make up for the lost time, I went to community college and 3 years later transfer to UC Berkeley. English has never been my strength but I did not shy away from it during my second time studying for the MCAT. I spent the last two months working intensely on it. I was scoring 127 before going in but I choked (apparently) on the day and got a 123.
Overall, I guess I'm considered URM due to socioeconomic status? I want to get your opinion on whether I should still applying this upcoming cycle. After reading most ops, I keep seeing advice to retake but that's financially difficult for me and will delay my application for another. I might be open to the option.
I gave the background above not as an excuse but rather for you to have a perspective. No sob story from me.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best,
Chamroen
This is my first thread asking for advice on applying to mostly DO and a few MD schools.
Stat:
UC Berkeley '13, uGPA of 3.4, and sciGPA of 3.3
MCAT OLD: 25
----> Breakdown: 9 PS, 6 VR, 10 BS
MCAT2015: 503
----> 127 C/P, 123 CARS, 127 B/B, and 126 P/S
CARS confidence band of 122-124
EC:
1) 1.5 years of working with under-served population in high school as a Program Coordinator.
2) Have ~300 hours of clinical experience over the last 3 years; will continue to shadow a doctor working with homeless and poverty population in SF.
3) Done research for 1.5 but no productive to the extent of publication (worked on bio-imaging)
4) Will have great LOR's from two science and one non-science (mentor) plus an MD. Will also get a letter from my boss at the non-profit and a community social worker (mentor)
Background:
I immigrated to the US from Cambodia at 13yo and did not learn to read in my own language until a year prior to arriving here. The first book I ever finished I was when I was a freshman in High School. My parents barely finished middle school. To make up for the lost time, I went to community college and 3 years later transfer to UC Berkeley. English has never been my strength but I did not shy away from it during my second time studying for the MCAT. I spent the last two months working intensely on it. I was scoring 127 before going in but I choked (apparently) on the day and got a 123.
Overall, I guess I'm considered URM due to socioeconomic status? I want to get your opinion on whether I should still applying this upcoming cycle. After reading most ops, I keep seeing advice to retake but that's financially difficult for me and will delay my application for another. I might be open to the option.
I gave the background above not as an excuse but rather for you to have a perspective. No sob story from me.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best,
Chamroen
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