- Joined
- Jan 7, 2016
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Hi all,
Just to provide some background:
I have applied to medical school in the past two cycles - holding on to one waitlist spot currently, and I pray that it works out, but I am trying to plan ahead in case things don't go well there.
Stats:
36 MCAT (will expire for all but ~20 schools in the upcoming cycle)
3.6 GPA/ 3.3 sGPA
7-8 Publications (2nd author or lower), multiple years of full time research employment at Ivy League institution
300+ hours of volunteering in a hospital
5000+ hours of clinical/basic science research in total
200+ hours of shadowing
PLAN A: High risk, high reward?
- Take some core science courses over the summer (June-August, 9 credits) and retake a couple of bourses I got a B- in - can take my sGPA to 3.4 with 5 As.
- Continue volunteering and research
Retake MCAT in 2 months - keep in mind, I have been out of school for 3 years, and it will be hard to replicate my 97th percentile score in just two months of preparation.
PLAN B: Likely the wiser plan? (More expensive too - $40k?)
-Don't apply this year - do an SMP to boost my sGPA (NYMC or Rutgers 1 year program)
-Retake MCAT in January or April with more preparation
-Continue volunteering and research
-Take a few undergrad courses this summer to boost sGPA a little bit? (Unsure if necessary with SMP)
Thank you all for your advice in advance, and please feel free to suggest something new/different. All advice is good advice. If you know of any other SMP programs I should look at in the NY area, please feel free to talk about it as well.
Just to provide some background:
I have applied to medical school in the past two cycles - holding on to one waitlist spot currently, and I pray that it works out, but I am trying to plan ahead in case things don't go well there.
Stats:
36 MCAT (will expire for all but ~20 schools in the upcoming cycle)
3.6 GPA/ 3.3 sGPA
7-8 Publications (2nd author or lower), multiple years of full time research employment at Ivy League institution
300+ hours of volunteering in a hospital
5000+ hours of clinical/basic science research in total
200+ hours of shadowing
PLAN A: High risk, high reward?
- Take some core science courses over the summer (June-August, 9 credits) and retake a couple of bourses I got a B- in - can take my sGPA to 3.4 with 5 As.
- Continue volunteering and research
Retake MCAT in 2 months - keep in mind, I have been out of school for 3 years, and it will be hard to replicate my 97th percentile score in just two months of preparation.
PLAN B: Likely the wiser plan? (More expensive too - $40k?)
-Don't apply this year - do an SMP to boost my sGPA (NYMC or Rutgers 1 year program)
-Retake MCAT in January or April with more preparation
-Continue volunteering and research
-Take a few undergrad courses this summer to boost sGPA a little bit? (Unsure if necessary with SMP)
Thank you all for your advice in advance, and please feel free to suggest something new/different. All advice is good advice. If you know of any other SMP programs I should look at in the NY area, please feel free to talk about it as well.