MD 31 MCAT, 3.2cGPA, Brazilian descent

[Ronaldihno517]

MCAT breakdown is 11VR, 10 BS and 10PS and sGPA is a lowly 2.96. Had a positive trend but an absolutely awful first 3 semesters. I am not sure if Brazilian is considered URM.

Is there any MD hope for me? Can't afford to do a SMP but open to an MCAT retake if necessary.

EDIT: Adding more context:
I have 1 first author manuscript submitted (my PI expects it to be accepted) and 2 co-author publications.

Mentoring AA, Native, and Latino high school students with interest in the biomedical sciences through an NIH program based at my university.

Participated in an NIH pipeline program a few years ago.

I expect to raise my sGPA to slightly above 3.00 this semester and my cGPA to ~3.25 by the end of the semester.

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[Goro]

On the surface, the numbers are not competitive for MD schools, and on life support for the newest DO schools. But how positive is the positive trend????

Brazilians are not considered URM.

MCAT breakdown is 11VR, 10 BS and 10PS and sGPA is a lowly 2.96. Had a positive trend but an absolutely awful first 3 semesters. I am not sure if Brazilian is considered URM.

Is there any MD hope for me? Not looking to do a SMP but open to an MCAT retake if necessary.

 

[Catalystik]

31 MCAT, 3.2cGPA, Brazilian descent
MCAT breakdown is 11VR, 10 BS and 10PS and sGPA is a lowly 2.96. Had a positive trend but an absolutely awful first 3 semesters.
1) I am not sure if Brazilian is considered URM.

2) Is there any MD hope for me? Not looking to do a SMP but open to an MCAT retake if necessary.

1) They are not.

2) Consider getting your sGPA > 3.0 to avoid auto cut-offs, using postbac coursework. A 3.7+ SMP GPA would give you a quicker, surer likelihood of MD school consideration, but is not a guarantee of acceptance. For DO schools, I'd suggest some retakes to invoke the AACOMAS grade forgiveness policy to get that sGPA higher.

 

[Willy38]

MCAT breakdown is 11VR, 10 BS and 10PS and sGPA is a lowly 2.96. Had a positive trend but an absolutely awful first 3 semesters. I am not sure if Brazilian is considered URM.

Is there any MD hope for me? Not looking to do a SMP but open to an MCAT retake if necessary.

MCAT should be in range depending on which state you are from. I agree, GPA is a killer. If you can fix that you will have a good chance. Even a much higher MCAT (~37) score wouldn't offset the GPA. It obviously wouldn't hurt but assuming you retake and get a 37 (which is really tough) many schools will still average you to 34 still with a 2.96 gpa. Odds definitely aren't in your favor unless the GPA comes up.

Boa sorte!

 

[JuanPabloCastel]

On the surface, the numbers are not competitive for MD schools, and on life support for the newest DO schools. But how positive is the positive trend????

Brazilians are not considered URM.

Brazilian isn't "hispanic or latino"?

 

[Goro]

It depends upon what the US Census has to say. However, not all Latinos or Hispanics are URM either.

Brazilian isn't "hispanic or latino"?

 

[Doug Underhill]

Brazilians are Latino (Hispanic is more debatable, as Portuguese is the dominant language in Brazil instead of Spanish), but not all Latinos are underrepresented in medicine relative to their numbers in the US population. Do you speak Spanish? It is a very valuable EC to have in medicine. There are far fewer patients with Portuguese as a first language in the US if you speak that.

Use the AACOMAS grade replacement policy and retake those C/D/F first-year courses, then go DO.

 

[gyngyn]

Brasileiros may accurately indicate that they are Latino but they are not considered under-represented in medicine.

 

[KDoc2020]

Wait if he/she is Afro-Brazilian? Then wouldn't that make them URM?

 

[gyngyn]

Wait if he/she is Afro-Brazilian? Then wouldn't that make them URM?

African Americans are considered UIM.

 

[candbgirl]

Wait if he/she is Afro-Brazilian? Then wouldn't that make them URM?

Did he/she say Afro-Brazilian?

 

[KDoc2020]

Did he/she say Afro-Brazilian?

No but they didn't really clarify and I thought it may make a difference but I guess not

 

[Ronaldihno517]

I have usually identified myself as white/latino but I do have darker skin than most people I know of European descent. It's possible that my racial heritage is mixed, given that Brazil has a more heterogeneous population than most other countries but I do not have any extensive family records to look into this. I do speak portuguese fluently and Spanish somewhat fluently, if that helps.

In terms of my positive trend in GPA, I went to averaging about a 2.3-2.4 sGPA and 2.8cGPA during my first few semesters to around 3.5ish consistently as an upperclassmen and cGPA also around 3.5. My earlier grades were terrible and newer grades were not good enough to bring up the average. I go to a competitive school, but I am not sure if this matters much for admission.

Is it commonly accepted that Brasilians are not URM? Does it vary by region? I'd expect schools in areas such as Newark, New Jersey and Miami, Fl might give some preference given that many Brazilian immigrants and families live there.

 

[Ronaldihno517]

I also forgot to mention that I have 2 publications and will be first author of 1 publication by (hopefully) May. I have also been involved in a program meant to increase exposure in careers in science to african american and latino high schools students, as well as traditional clinical volunteering and shadowing.

 

[lcm2020]

It's debatable whether or not we'd be considered URM. Your best bet is contacting schools admission offices or some official authority and ask.

 

[Goro]

You might need a post-bac or SMP to convince MD schools. If you retake all F/D/C science coursework, then DO schools are a faster option.

Sorry, but I have yet to see that any school considers Brazilians as URM.

I have usually identified myself as white/latino but I do have darker skin than most people I know of European descent. It's possible that my racial heritage is mixed, given that Brazil has a more heterogeneous population than most other countries but I do not have any extensive family records to look into this. I do speak portuguese fluently and Spanish somewhat fluently, if that helps.

In terms of my positive trend in GPA, I went to averaging about a 2.3-2.4 sGPA and 2.8cGPA during my first few semesters to around 3.5ish consistently as an upperclassmen and cGPA also around 3.5. My earlier grades were terrible and newer grades were not good enough to bring up the average. I go to a competitive school, but I am not sure if this matters much for admission.

Is it commonly accepted that Brasilians are not URM? Does it vary by region? I'd expect schools in areas such as Newark, New Jersey and Miami, Fl might give some preference given that many Brazilian immigrants and families live there.

 

[gyngyn]

I have usually identified myself as white/latino but I do have darker skin than most people I know of European descent. It's possible that my racial heritage is mixed, given that Brazil has a more heterogeneous population than most other countries but I do not have any extensive family records to look into this. I do speak portuguese fluently and Spanish somewhat fluently, if that helps.

In terms of my positive trend in GPA, I went to averaging about a 2.3-2.4 sGPA and 2.8cGPA during my first few semesters to around 3.5ish consistently as an upperclassmen and cGPA also around 3.5. My earlier grades were terrible and newer grades were not good enough to bring up the average. I go to a competitive school, but I am not sure if this matters much for admission.

Is it commonly accepted that Brasilians are not URM? Does it vary by region? I'd expect schools in areas such as Newark, New Jersey and Miami, Fl might give some preference given that many Brazilian immigrants and families live there.

Individual schools have the autonomy to declare particular groups under-represented for that school. This designation will be based on demographic information that indicates that the community in question has unmet health disparites compared to other communities. The mere presence of people from a particular group is insufficient to merit special consideration. Examples of under-represented communities would include Cambodians, Hmong and Central Americans in some parts of CA. It is not based on skin color.

 

[Willy38]

I have usually identified myself as white/latino but I do have darker skin than most people I know of European descent. It's possible that my racial heritage is mixed, given that Brazil has a more heterogeneous population than most other countries but I do not have any extensive family records to look into this. I do speak portuguese fluently and Spanish somewhat fluently, if that helps.

In terms of my positive trend in GPA, I went to averaging about a 2.3-2.4 sGPA and 2.8cGPA during my first few semesters to around 3.5ish consistently as an upperclassmen and cGPA also around 3.5. My earlier grades were terrible and newer grades were not good enough to bring up the average. I go to a competitive school, but I am not sure if this matters much for admission.

Is it commonly accepted that Brasilians are not URM? Does it vary by region? I'd expect schools in areas such as Newark, New Jersey and Miami, Fl might give some preference given that many Brazilian immigrants and families live there.

Speaking Portuguese is definitely a plus. Spanish is valuable but is more common than Portuguese. It probably wouldn't be too tough to track down a spanish/english translator in a hospital but having a rare skill set like this (portuguese) is a big asset, albeit one that translates to a smaller percentage of the patient population.

 

[Ronaldihno517]

Thank you all for your responses so far.

I realize this thread is old, but I am considering to start preparing for application in this upcoming cycle based on the recommendation of my pre-med advisor and would like more input, if possible.

My plan is to apply broadly (about 40 MD schols, and 5-10 DO schools). I am currently registered for the new MCAT and will take it if I score well on at least 3 consecutive practice tests prior to the test date in May. My classwork and application pre-writing will take priority, so it is very possible that I would cancel the new MCAT if I am not ready.

I have not gathered a clear consensus from my earlier inquiry and would like some thoughts on my plan as well as a conclusive thoughts on my chances. I appreciate the time everyone has taken to help me.

 

[gyngyn]

What are your calculated AMCAS and AACOMAS gpa's?

 

[Ronaldihno517]

What are your calculated AMCAS and AACOMAS gpa's?

My AMCAS gpa as it stands is 3.22 AMCAS BCPM is 2.96. I am taking one science course this semester at the institution I work for and could take two additional courses in the summer (ending in late June). I am averaging an A so far so I expect my final GPA this semester to be 3.25 and BCPM to be just above 3.00. I have not calculated my AACOMAS gpa but I imagine it to be similar.

 

[gyngyn]

My AMCAS gpa as it stands is 3.22 AMCAS BCPM is 2.96. I am taking one science course this semester at the institution I work for and could take two additional courses in the summer (ending in late June). I am averaging an A so far so I expect my final GPA this semester to be 3.25 and BCPM to be just above 3.00. I have not calculated my AACOMAS gpa but I imagine it to be similar.

There is nothing wrong with your MCAT.
Your gpa makes it very hard to offer advice.
It appears that you are focused on improving the stronger metric of your application.
At my school, this would not improve your chances, I'm afraid.

 

[Ronaldihno517]

There is nothing wrong with your MCAT.
Your gpa makes it very hard to offer advice.

I recognize that it is very low. Do you think with the positive trend, EC's, and publications and broad application strategy, I would at least get an interview or two?

I am not fishing for a good answer, but I have been receiving very mixed advice from almost everyone I've asked and am just trying to find some sort of consensus.

 

[gyngyn]

I recognize that it is very low. Do you think with the positive trend, EC's, and publications and broad application strategy, I would at least get an interview or two?

I am not fishing for a good answer, but I have been receiving very mixed advice from almost everyone I've asked and am just trying to find some sort of consensus.

GPA is a distinct metric that is not compensated for by other good acts.
I can only speak for my school, where this strategy would not work.
You have to get past the screeners at any school. It is likely that many schools will never get to your EC's and even if they do it will not reduce the perceived risk associated with the Sgpa.
There must be schools where it will work, though. Otherwise the graph on the front page would show no success and clearly, some are accepted!

 

[Ronaldihno517]

GPA is a distinct metric that is not compensated for by other good acts.
I can only speak for my school, where this strategy would not work.
You have to get past the screeners at any school. It is likely that many schools will never get to your EC's and even if they do it will not reduce the perceived risk associated with the Sgpa.
There must be schools where it will work, though. Otherwise the graph on the front page would show no success and clearly, some are accepted!

I know my chances are low, but it is at least comforting to know that some schools may give me the benefit of the doubt. I know my weakness is my GPA, but the MCAT is a much easier problem to fix. It's a few hundred dollars versus the tens of thousands of dollars to enroll in an SMP.

Do you think it would be a good idea to acknowledge my GPA as a weakness and my inability to afford an SMP in an application, if the application explicitly asks for an applican'ts weaknesses/what they have done to improve? Or would this be seen as inappropriate?

Also, just out of curiosity, what is a good MCAT/gpa range to pass the screeners? I know it must vary by school, but are there any rules of thumb?

Thank you very much for your help, this has been very informative.

 

[gyngyn]

I know my chances are low, but it is at least comforting to know that some schools may give me the benefit of the doubt. I know my weakness is my GPA, but the MCAT is a much easier problem to fix. It's a few hundred dollars versus the tens of thousands of dollars to enroll in an SMP.

Do you think it would be a good idea to acknowledge my GPA as a weakness and my inability to afford an SMP in an application, if the application explicitly asks for an applican'ts weaknesses/what they have done to improve? Or would this be seen as inappropriate?

Also, just out of curiosity, what is a good MCAT/gpa range to pass the screeners? I know it must vary by school, but are there any rules of thumb?

Thank you very much for your help, this has been very informative.

I can't give you a cutoff for gpas, but you should consider the 10th percentile in the MSAR to be a few tenths of a point above the floor.

Your MCAT is fine, normal in fact.
You don't require an expensive intervention to fix your gpa problem.
A DIY post bac in which you re-take science classes you did poorly in will do this.
CC is much less expensive than an SMP or institutional post-bac.

Some schools give an opportunity to address deficiencies in their secondary.
The secondary questions are posted in the school specific threads.
You might want look into that if you proceed with your current plan.

 

[chemguy79]

Unfortunately, your GPA is not going to change by retaking the MCAT.

While SMP's are potentially expensive, they are the only way that you can improve your GPA. Since your GPA is the reason why you are unlikely to get an MD acceptance, so you should focus on fixing that versus trying to improve other aspects of your application that are already acceptable for a MD acceptance.

IMO, Scoring higher on the MCAT would create a larger GPA/MCAT discrepancy which could make an AdCom wonder such things as ... Was he/she just lazy during undergrad? Is he/she a merely strong at standardized exams? Why is he/she retaking the MCAT when his/her GPA is the problem?

 

[Doug Underhill]

While SMP's are potentially expensive, they are the only way that you can improve your GPA.

SMP is not his only option. 30 credits of 3.7+ in upper-level sciences as a post-bac would also do the job perfectly well, and for much less $ if done at an affordable state university. The other option is AACOMAS grade replacement + DO.

 

[chemguy79]

SMP is not his only option. 30 credits of 3.7+ in upper-level sciences as a post-bac would also do the job perfectly well, and for much less $ if done at an affordable state university. The other option is AACOMAS grade replacement + DO.

Since the OP stated that they couldn't afford the cost of a SMP, would it be reasonable to suggest taking 30 credits at a 3.7+ of upper level science courses in a DIY post-bac? IMO, 30 credits of upper-level sciences at a post-bac could be of a similar cost at the university level.

Obviously, there are multiple ways to improve the GPA (SMP, DIY post-bac, CC, etc.), but I was addressing his statements/concerns with respect to SMP and how the SMP would rectify his GPA issues whereas retaking the MCAT will not.

Furthermore, the OP mentioned his interest in MD programs. Therefore, the advice that he was given was relevant for MD programs. Obviously, AACOMAS is an option, However, he stated his interested in MD programs in this thread.

 

[Ronaldihno517]

I can't give you a cutoff for gpas, but you should consider the 10th percentile in the MSAR to be a few tenths of a point above the floor.

Your MCAT is fine, normal in fact.
You don't require an expensive intervention to fix your gpa problem.
A DIY post bac in which you re-take science classes you did poorly in will do this.
CC is much less expensive than an SMP or institutional post-bac.

Some schools give an opportunity to address deficiencies in their secondary.
The secondary questions are posted in the school specific threads.
You might want look into that if you proceed with your current plan.

So I have done some accounting and budgeting over the past few weeks and it seems that, if I am frugal over the next few months, I would be able to afford two semesters of full time coursework at my local community college as well as about 50 medical school applications (Planning on 40 MD and 10 DO) with a little left over for bills and miscellaneous expenses. Being on a student schedule would also free up more time for volunteering than working full-time in research allowed.

Do you think CC classes would be an acceptable alternative to a traditional postbac/ are they looked down upon?

Also, in the secondary applications would it be acceptable to point out my inability to afford a traditional postbac to fix my weakness and explain why I am taking CC courses? I am not sure how appropriate it would sound, but I would like the schools to know that I am trying to the best of my abilities to fix my weaknesses.

Thank you again for your advice. If only my pre-med adviser was as helpful.

 

[gyngyn]

So I have done some accounting and budgeting over the past few weeks and it seems that, if I am frugal over the next few months, I would be able to afford two semesters of full time coursework at my local community college as well as about 50 medical school applications (Planning on 40 MD and 10 DO) with a little left over for bills and miscellaneous expenses. Being on a student schedule would also free up more time for volunteering than working full-time in research allowed.

Do you think CC classes would be an acceptable alternative to a traditional postbac/ are they looked down upon?

Also, in the secondary applications would it be acceptable to point out my inability to afford a traditional postbac to fix my weakness and explain why I am taking CC courses? I am not sure how appropriate it would sound, but I would like the schools to know that I am trying to the best of my abilities to fix my weaknesses.

Thank you again for your advice. If only my pre-med adviser was as helpful.

It is very difficult to do 40 secondaries well.
CC classes are acceptable to most schools given your situation.
You don't need to use valuable application space to explain this.

 

[cmc21br]

40 secondaries?!?! That's a LOT of work, but you can also get a head start by pre-writing them...
Here is a link with the secondaries for the current cycle. Most schools tend to maintain the same essays over the years.
Don't forget to apply to your state school!!!
Boa Sorte e tudo de bom!

 

[Faha]

Instead of planning to apply to 40 MD schools and 10 DO schools the opposite would be better. Apply to 30 DO schools (including new ones opening in 2016) and 20 MD schools (concentrating on your state public MD schools and lower tier private schools).