MD & DO 3.96 GPA but 24 MCAT :( help!

[SoDakDoc]

Hello everyone, I need some advice from anyone about my chances at MD and DO schools.
GPA = 3.96
MCAT = 24 (8PS 5VR 11BS)
State of Residence = South Dakota
1500+ hours of direct patient care in a hospital ER as a CNA
70 hours of physician shadowing (50 DO, 20 MD)
70 hours of hospital volunteering
active member of 2 clubs on campus
Biology Lab assistant for 1 semester (4 months)
LOR from one DO doc, one MD doc, and one science professor, all know me pretty well and have had good relationships with them so I am expecting good LOR

I know my mcat is crap I cannot believe it to be honest. My practice test average was around 29 with my highest score being 32 and lowest being 27. My VR score makes me sick, and all three of the section scores on my real mcat are about 2 points lower than what I was averaging for each section in practice tests. I am leaning towards retaking the test in January (before the new test starts). I already sent out my AMCAS application to 8 schools but after receiving my mcat score I think I will only do the secondary application for my state school, Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota. Can anyone weigh in about my chances at USD? or any other MD schools??
I am also interested in the DO option due to the great shadowing experience I had with a DO doc. However, I do not know if it is too late this cycle to fill out my AACOMAS appplication. Anyone know what my chances are at DO schools? help please! anyone!

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[tom10]

If your practice tests are that good I would definitely retake the test. My roommate in college did the exact same thing and got a 22. Retook a month later and got a 29 with a 4.0. Got into Indiana and is setting himself up nicely for urology at Mayo.

 

[SoDakDoc]

Thanks for the input tom10. I am pretty sure I will retake in January so I have time to study. Anyone else??

 

[Saxappeal1]

+1 tom10. I agree. If your averages were that much higher, it was probably a mix of anxiety and weaknesses that resulted in this score. Your VR sections were ok OP?

 

[candbgirl]

I really know nothing about DO but I have read several times that the DO app cycle is much longer than the MD cycle. So you might have a chance if you send in the primary very soon. Maybe @Goro will come along and give you some advice. Good luck!

 

[claduva94]

While it is longer the 5 in verbal will probably be lethal for most DO schools. The January test would be far too late for this cycle unfortunately.

 

[Saxappeal1]

I agree with claduva94. Retake and apply next cycle.

 

[SoDakDoc]

Thanks for the replies everyone! If I would have gotten at LEAST a 7 in VR then I wouldnt be as worried. Nothing I can do now about it tho. If @Goro would chime in on my DO chances that would be great! How heavily does research play in to the DO admission decision? I know it is important for MD.

 

[claduva94]

Thanks for the replies everyone! If I would have gotten at LEAST a 7 in VR then I wouldnt be as worried. Nothing I can do now about it tho. If @Goro would chime in on my DO chances that would be great! How heavily does research play in to the DO admission decision? I know it is important for MD.

Research is far less important for DO schools!

 

[Goro]

Concur that research is not important for DO schools. The VR5 is lethal for U SD, as is the 24 total.

For DO schools, a 24 can get you some IIs, especially at the newer schools. You'd be rejected from mine, alas, as well as the CA and NY TUCOMs, and CCOM.

A Jan 2015 retake will probably mean that if you can get IIs, it would be late in the game, and maybe only for a spot on a wait list. Get that MCAT score into the high 20s and then you'll be good to go.

Thanks for the replies everyone! If I would have gotten at LEAST a 7 in VR then I wouldnt be as worried. Nothing I can do now about it tho. If @Goro would chime in on my DO chances that would be great! How heavily does research play in to the DO admission decision? I know it is important for MD.

 

[n1ght-b1rd]

If you really want to apply this cycle, you should probably retake as soon as possible and prove that your 24 was a fluke.

 

[Judgmental]

I have a friend who had a 26 MCAT 5 in VR and got into Touro. However he got in off the waitlist two weeks before classes started. He was waitlisted or rejected at every other DO school he applied to (~10).
Honestly I would submit aacomas and retake the MCAT as soon as you can, rather than in january. His GPA was the same as yours. Being a CNA might give you some extra leeway

 

[Buckeye222]

I'm a little late to the game here but I thought I would mention this: I have a friend who got his bachelors in emergency medicine and took practically no prereqs apart from what is required to get into med school. He had a ton of volunteer hours and is a paramedic, but since he took very few hard science classes, he wasn't really prepared for the MCAT and got a 24 on it. His GPA was like 3.8-3.9. He got several interview invites, was waitlisted at a Big 12 school, and was accepted at his desired school, so he didn't even interview for the other offers. Just a word of encouragement. If you can pull your MCAT up to like 26 or so, there is a chance! Btw those were all MD schools.

 

[Doug Underhill]

3.96 GPA and 5 VR seems really questionable to me. An applicant who has a 4.0 GPA aside from some A- somewhere should not be getting a score that's substantially lower than the average for all test takers. VR isn't really about preparation and concepts like BS and PS are- it's supposed to test an inherent ability to reason. You were taking AAMC practice exams, so I'm guessing you had some idea on what the material is like.

Best of luck with the retake.

 

[DaMedDude]

You need a retake. 5 in verbal...chances of MD acceptance are 0. Chances at DO are low. You'll likely have to take the new MCAT.....the current MCAT spots are all completely full. Make sure you keep an eye out for if new spots open up.

 

[csx]

its jus that 5 thats killin u...

 

[SoDakDoc]

Hello everyone. Original poster here. I just retook the MCAT in January and scored a 31 (9/9/13). I am very happy with this score! I put in some serious work and it paid off by increasing my score by 7 points. I want to thank everyone here for the advice and input.