MD 3.7 GPA 34 MCAT

[thirtysixorabove]

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[Doug Underhill]

1) 77.2% according to AAMC Table 25
2) Apply to a mix of low (Philadelphia triplets, Rosalind Franklin, Oakland, Quinnipiac) and mid-tier (SLU, Miami, Mayo) and all the CA state schools (not Riverside if you don't have connections to the Inland Empire)
3) Retaking a 34 is usually a bad idea
4) No, SMPs are not for people with 3.7s and a traditional masters' doesn't help your GPA
5) More clinical volunteering or a research publication
6) It does but you have enough shadowing hours

 

[thirtysixorabove]

Do I really have no chance at higher tier medical school?
Will which medical school I attend matter in my future career path?
Also what is the Philadelphia triplets??

 

[SCooFS]

Jefferson, Drexel, Penn State

 

[Vain Brother]

Do I really have no chance at higher tier medical school?
Will which medical school I attend matter in my future career path?
Also what is the Philadelphia triplets??

there are lots of higher tier med schools in california, just apply to all of them. then use the MSAR to look at some OOS schools that take a significant number if OOS students that you GPA/MCAT will be competitive at

the "philly triplets" are jefferson, temple, and drexel, but they get a ton of applications and aren't very high yield

you're going to get into med school if you apply well. get the MSAR and do your research and you'll be fine

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

what are my chances at MD school?

I'm a CA resident, I plan on taking a gap year. I am graduating this year but studying abroad next fall. What should I do during my gap year and this summer to make my application more competitive? Should I retake MCAT? Or apply to masters program to boost my GPA? Or add more EC? Get more shadowing hours? Since I am not sure shadowing abroad counts...

GPA: 3.7
MCAT: 1st time - PS 10 V 9 BS 10 (29); 2nd time - PS 11 V 10 BS 13 (34)

EC:
Research at top medical school immunology lab - 2 years
Volunteer at local hospital - 100 hrs and counting
Shadowing program abroad - 50 hrs
- Surgeons, pediatricians, radiology
Cancer related summer camp counselor - 2 years
Volunteer at special needs therapy - 2 years
Intern at local county public health office - 1 summer




To recap... here are my questions:
1) what are my chances at MD school?
2) what MD schools should I apply to?
3) should I retake MCAT?
4) should I apply to masters program to boost my GPA?
5) or should I focus on adding more EC? If so, what kind of EC?
6) does shadowing abroad count towards shadow hours? Should I get more shadow hours?


Thank you!

The average MCAT at top tiers is a 36, with a lot of research (usually publications), and a lot of leadership stuff. You will be fine, but as other's point out, apply broadly, apply early.
I have a 34 MCAT too, will apply to a few "reach" schools, but will have plenty of Mid-tiers and safeties in the mix (I think i'm down to 22 schools right now). Good Luck to you

 

[thirtysixorabove]

there are lots of higher tier med schools in california, just apply to all of them. then use the MSAR to look at some OOS schools that take a significant number if OOS students that you GPA/MCAT will be competitive at

the "philly triplets" are jefferson, temple, and drexel, but they get a ton of applications and aren't very high yield

you're going to get into med school if you apply well. get the MSAR and do your research and you'll be fine

Thank you for your helpful response!
How do you know your stat is competetive at a certain school? i.e. my mcat score is 34, should I look for med schools with median mcat score 34~36? or below 34?

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

Thank you for your helpful response!
How do you know your stat is competetive at a certain school? i.e. my mcat score is 34, should I look for med schools with median mcat score 34~36? or below 34?

The MSAR has the 10% to the 90% as well as the averages. This will help you get the list down to your reaches/competitive and safeties.
I am doing 22 schools, probably 5 "reaches", 12 "competitive, and 5 "safeties".
The MSAR is well worth the cost, gives you a sense of OOS interview and matriculants, so you know if you have a chance as an OOS.

My Brother is an M1 now at University of Michigan (IS), and he had a 3.75 GPA and a 33 MCAT - -average IS MCAT is 34 and OOS MCAT is 36.
He applied to 16 schools (a bit late in Aug/Sept), got 6 interviews and 2 acceptances.
Was a crapshoot on who rejected him, who invited him for interviews (mostly turned down by his safeties, go figure).
Apply broadly, apply early, and pre-write all the secondary essays. Good luck

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

what are my chances at MD school?

I'm a CA resident, I plan on taking a gap year. I am graduating this year but studying abroad next fall. What should I do during my gap year and this summer to make my application more competitive? Should I retake MCAT? Or apply to masters program to boost my GPA? Or add more EC? Get more shadowing hours? Since I am not sure shadowing abroad counts...

GPA: 3.7
MCAT: 1st time - PS 10 V 9 BS 10 (29); 2nd time - PS 11 V 10 BS 13 (34)

EC:
Research at top medical school immunology lab - 2 years
Volunteer at local hospital - 100 hrs and counting
Shadowing program abroad - 50 hrs
- Surgeons, pediatricians, radiology
Cancer related summer camp counselor - 2 years
Volunteer at special needs therapy - 2 years
Intern at local county public health office - 1 summer




To recap... here are my questions:
1) what are my chances at MD school?
2) what MD schools should I apply to?
3) should I retake MCAT?
4) should I apply to masters program to boost my GPA?
5) or should I focus on adding more EC? If so, what kind of EC?
6) does shadowing abroad count towards shadow hours? Should I get more shadow hours?


Thank you!

Oh, I took MCAT twice too, with similar scores as you (much better second time). Some schools average MCATs, some take latest, some take best.
Adcoms will see both. I assume my 34 MCAT is really discounted a bit, as it took 2 tries to get there, so I'm applying to 22 schools instead of 15-18 to compensate.

 

[thirtysixorabove]

Oh, I took MCAT twice too, with similar scores as you (much better second time). Some schools average MCATs, some take latest, some take best.
Adcoms will see both. I assume my 34 MCAT is really discounted a bit, as it took 2 tries to get there, so I'm applying to 22 schools instead of 15-18 to compensate.

Thank you so much for your insights! They were all so helpful! I really appreciate it.

Can I ask what schools you applied to? What school would be considered reach for MCAT of 34?

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

G

Thank you so much for your insights! They were all so helpful! I really appreciate it.

Good luck to you, as being a California resident is tough (way too many of you pre-meds there and not enough instate seats). Check out the MSAR for Private and State schools that are OOS friendly with your MCAT/GPA in the 10/90. I assume you will apply to all the California schools (maybe think about deleting Stanford/UCSF, unless you have publications). Arizona is friendly to OOS, if you want to stay West.

Or, move to Texas to establish residency, they have lots of schools, need to take 90% instate, have really cheap tuition. I think of Texas as the opposite of California, lots of med school seats for Texas residents, and the competition is reasonable, not insane like CA. That would be an extreme move though. Best wishes

 

[Goro]

Chances excellent, but CA schools are hard to crack.
1) what are my chances at MD school?

See my list below. Just make sure the schools don't average scores.
2) what MD schools should I apply to?

Doing so would be a sign of poor judgment, and you wouldn't get an interview at gyngyn's CA school.
3) should I retake MCAT?
Do that and I'll smack you upside the head across the electrons. Your GPA is above the median for acceptees.
4) should I apply to masters program to boost my GPA?

I don't think you need a gap year...Apply 6/1/15!
5) or should I focus on adding more EC? If so, what kind of EC?

No and yes, domestically!!!
6) does shadowing abroad count towards shadow hours? Should I get more shadow hours?


I suggest:
U AZ
U Colorado
U VM
U So FL
U Cincy
U Toledo
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush
Rosy Franklin
BU
NYMC
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Emory
USC
Tulane
Dartmouth
Loyola
Creighton
Baylor
Mayo
Pitt
Northwestern
NYU
Vanderbilt
Columbia
Cornell
Duke
Case
Any new MD school, especially Hofstra. Skip Central MI though.
And yes, the UCs. Skip UCR unless you're from the Inland Empire.

 

[thirtysixorabove]

Chances excellent, but CA schools are hard to crack.
1) what are my chances at MD school?

See my list below. Just make sure the schools don't average scores.
2) what MD schools should I apply to?

Doing so would be a sign of poor judgment, and you wouldn't get an interview at gyngyn's CA school.
3) should I retake MCAT?
Do that and I'll smack you upside the head across the electrons. Your GPA is above the median for acceptees.
4) should I apply to masters program to boost my GPA?

I don't think you need a gap year...Apply 6/1/15!
5) or should I focus on adding more EC? If so, what kind of EC?

No and yes, domestically!!!
6) does shadowing abroad count towards shadow hours? Should I get more shadow hours?


I suggest:
U AZ
U Colorado
U VM
U So FL
U Cincy
U Toledo
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush
Rosy Franklin
BU
NYMC
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Emory
USC
Tulane
Dartmouth
Loyola
Creighton
Baylor
Mayo
Pitt
Northwestern
NYU
Vanderbilt
Columbia
Cornell
Duke
Case
Any new MD school, especially Hofstra. Skip Central MI though.
And yes, the UCs. Skip UCR unless you're from the Inland Empire.

Thank you so much for such thorough and helpful response! I can't thank you enough for all the time and thoughts you put into it. Sincerely, thank you!

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

Thank you so much for your insights! They were all so helpful! I really appreciate it.

Can I ask what schools you applied to? What school would be considered reach for MCAT of 34?

Really depends on the whole package, not just MCAT/GPA. Reach schools usually require quite a bit of research, as they are training the next generation of academics (or that is what they wish). From Goro list, these would be considered reaches:

Dartmouth
Northwestern
Vanderbilt
Columbia
Cornell
Duke
Case

 

[thirtysixorabove]

Really depends on the whole package, not just MCAT/GPA. Reach schools usually require quite a bit of research, as they are training the next generation of academics (or that is what they wish). From Gyngyn list, these would be considered reaches:

Dartmouth
Northwestern
Vanderbilt
Columbia
Cornell
Duke
Case

I see. I am sorry but what is the Gyngyn list?

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

I see. I am sorry but what is the Gyngyn list?

My bad, mixed up adcom Gyngyn with Goro list (they are both faculty at med schools who comment frequently). Highly recommend following their posts.
Also add LizzyM to the follow list (she's at some high tier east coast school that remains nameless).

 

[thirtysixorabove]

Thank you everyone!!