Apply now or retake 2015 MCAT?

[Parcas]

I am a 4th year undergraduate at a State University in NY with the intention of only applying to MD schools. My stats are below.

GPA: 3.8 (ScGPA: 3.7)
MCAT: 25
Three years of stem cell research (hopefully a publication before I graduate)
Two summer internships at two different medical schools
Volunteer work at a nursing home and shadowing geriatricians
One summer of shadowing a general practitioner
Won some notable awards and honors

I'm in a tight spot because the 2015 MCAT makes it so that I need more time to study. I have a few options though:
1.) Apply with my current stats to MD schools
2.) Retake the MCAT in July (do you think that's too late?? I know it's borderline, but I won't be ready by May or June)
3.) Take two years off, study my ass off throughout the year, and take my MCAT either in September or later depending on if I get a summer internship in Austria. Plus I'll hopefully be working as a research associate or some sort of research job in addition to doing more shadowing during 2 gap years.

What do you recommend I do? I'm really unsure. I'm scared of taking 2 years off because I'm just prolonging what I deeply want to do. I'm also scared that I won't be prepared for taking the 2015 MCAT before it's too late to apply within this cycle -- I haven't even practiced the new sections and definitely need to relearn things based on my 25. What would you do in my shoes and what do you suggest I do? Thanks a lot

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[Goro]

I suggest #2.

A 25 MCAT will put you right into the reject pile for MD schools, but you can at least apply to one place, get verified, and then send your updated MCAT once you have the results. You will need to do very well (>>30 or the equivalent on the new MCAT) as schools tend to average (but not all...seek out those that take only the most recent or best. I do not believe that a a July retake will be too late.

Do NOT take the MCAT until you7 are fully ready, even if it means delaying an app cycle!

 

[Doctor Dream]

I am a 4th year undergraduate at a State University in NY with the intention of only applying to MD schools. My stats are below.

GPA: 3.8 (ScGPA: 3.7)
MCAT: 25
Three years of stem cell research (hopefully a publication before I graduate)
Two summer internships at two different medical schools
Volunteer work at a nursing home and shadowing geriatricians
One summer of shadowing a general practitioner
Won some notable awards and honors

I'm in a tight spot because the 2015 MCAT makes it so that I need more time to study. I have a few options though:
1.) Apply with my current stats to MD schools
2.) Retake the MCAT in July (do you think that's too late?? I know it's borderline, but I won't be ready by May or June)
3.) Take two years off, study my ass off throughout the year, and take my MCAT either in September or later depending on if I get a summer internship in Austria. Plus I'll hopefully be working as a research associate or some sort of research job in addition to doing more shadowing during 2 gap years.

What do you recommend I do? I'm really unsure. I'm scared of taking 2 years off because I'm just prolonging what I deeply want to do. I'm also scared that I won't be prepared for taking the 2015 MCAT before it's too late to apply within this cycle -- I haven't even practiced the new sections and definitely need to relearn things based on my 25. What would you do in my shoes and what do you suggest I do? Thanks a lot

Out of curiosity, why are you only applying MD? Your odds of general acceptance would be a lot greater if you applied to some DO schools too.

 

[Parcas]

Out of curiosity, why are you only applying MD? Your odds of general acceptance would be a lot greater if you applied to some DO schools too.

Aside from the social stigma of going to one (which is not my driving force), I want to achieve the best of my abilities and attend a more competitive medical school -- for both personal goals and to have more options for residency, going abroad, and occupational locations, etc. The majority of DO doctors with their holostic-styled training end up becoming primary care physicians -- which I don't want to become. I also plan to attend medical school in NYC so I'll probably apply to NYIT, but it's not my first choice and it drastically limits my options.

But what would you do in my shoes? And why do DO schools appeal to you aside from the lower standards and "holistic" view?

 

[Doctor Dream]

Aside from the social stigma of going to one (which is not my driving force), I want to achieve the best of my abilities and attend a more competitive medical school -- for both personal goals and to have more options for residency, going abroad, and occupational locations, etc. The majority of DO doctors with their holostic-styled training end up becoming primary care physicians -- which I don't want to become. I also plan to attend medical school in NYC so I'll probably apply to NYIT, but it's not my first choice and it drastically limits my options.

But what would you do in my shoes? And why do DO schools appeal to you aside from the lower standards and "holistic" view?

I totally understand where you're coming from, I think a lot of pre-meds share the same mentality. Here's how I see DO though, from reading SDN and shadowing.

-The stigma you're referring to is virtually non-existent. most patients don't care what your degree is. As long as you're a provider, they only care how well you do your job. Physicians who post on SDN also say coworkers don't care if you're a DO or MD. Just like patients, they only care how well you do your job.
-MD's do have more opportunities for residency and all that, but if you excel in med school, there's no reason you can't land a great residency in a specialty you enjoy. I work at a small hospital and I know of an ophthalmologist, surgeon, interventional cardiologist, and anesthesiologist who are all DO's. The anesthesiologist also has travelled across the globe to 3rd world countries serving in small clinics.

I see DO as another pathway to my dream job. I really like primary care, so if I ended up doing that I think I'd be happy. It might even be my first choice of residency after I finish med school, I don't know. It isn't that the "lower standards" and holistic view of DO necessarily appeal to me. I think I have the stats and EC's to make a strong MD applicant, but I wouldn't want to overlook any great opportunity to become a doctor. Many of us pre-meds won't make it in to med school, so I think it's a good idea to consider all options and maximize your chances of getting in. I just want to be a doctor, so I'd be ecstatic to be either an MD or a DO.

 

[MDdream777]

I am a 4th year undergraduate at a State University in NY with the intention of only applying to MD schools. My stats are below.

GPA: 3.8 (ScGPA: 3.7)
MCAT: 25
Three years of stem cell research (hopefully a publication before I graduate)
Two summer internships at two different medical schools
Volunteer work at a nursing home and shadowing geriatricians
One summer of shadowing a general practitioner
Won some notable awards and honors

I'm in a tight spot because the 2015 MCAT makes it so that I need more time to study. I have a few options though:
1.) Apply with my current stats to MD schools
2.) Retake the MCAT in July (do you think that's too late?? I know it's borderline, but I won't be ready by May or June)
3.) Take two years off, study my ass off throughout the year, and take my MCAT either in September or later depending on if I get a summer internship in Austria. Plus I'll hopefully be working as a research associate or some sort of research job in addition to doing more shadowing during 2 gap years.

What do you recommend I do? I'm really unsure. I'm scared of taking 2 years off because I'm just prolonging what I deeply want to do. I'm also scared that I won't be prepared for taking the 2015 MCAT before it's too late to apply within this cycle -- I haven't even practiced the new sections and definitely need to relearn things based on my 25. What would you do in my shoes and what do you suggest I do? Thanks a lot

If MD is your dream then go for it. You will have to work really hard to get your MCAT score up though. I have a friend that has a 34 on his mcat and still hasn't heard back this cycle, medical school acceptance is super competitive. And I used to be just like you, thinking that I only wanted to be a MD. But I realized that I don't care about the letters behind my name, I just want to help people and become a doctor. I applied both DO and MD this cycle and got into my state DO school, and then a month later I got into my state MD school. Befpre I got into my MD school, I accepted the fact that I would be a DO, and I was fine with that because I would still be doing my dream job no matter what. And my dad is a MD and he works with several DOs and he said they are better doctors than some of the MDs he works with. It all depends on how hard and well you work and how you relate to patients. The patients just see that you are a doctor, they don't care about the letters behind your name.