Apply this spring cycle OR apply next cycle? HELP

[premed-molecule]

I'm a junior and I planned to apply this spring 2015 but there were some issues:
- My gpa dropped to a 3.4 from a 3.5
- The earliest MCAT I can take in in April and that will give me my results by June 16th (I will have ~6 weeks in the winter break + spring semester to study for it. I will be talking physics 2,biochemistry and probably animal physiology that semester. I'm worried it will not be enough studying time to get a good score)
- I have only job shadowed one MD for ~10 hrs so far but I could do more this winter break
- Fees waived (thankfully)
Should I apply this cycle or next cycle? Or both? I can improve my gpa, get more studying for the mcat and get in more job shadowing. My other ECs are good.

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[allantois]

The answer depends on your MCAT very much.

 

[premed-molecule]

That is why I am conflicted. Should I take a risk and see how I end up doing? If I do bad then I would have to NOT submit my application for spring 2015. And that bad score would be in my history. Along with that I would still have that 3.4 GPA if I apply in 2015

 

[amad01]

you don't want to rush things. Are you planning to apply to DO or strictly MD

 

[premed-molecule]

Both DO and MD.

 

[Blue Blood]

.

Edit: Bad advice removed. Apologies

 

[ski89]

That is why I am conflicted. Should I take a risk and see how I end up doing? If I do bad then I would have to NOT submit my application for spring 2015. And that bad score would be in my history. Along with that I would still have that 3.4 GPA if I apply in 2015

you don't want to rush things. Are you planning to apply to DO or strictly MD

Yes, why do you want to rush things? I would be worried that taking physics II and biochem while studying for the MCAT is a BAD idea (despite the fact that those courses are obviously very important for the MCAT). Granted, I am not an ADCOM, but you seem to be rushing through all this just to apply this coming cycle, it shows a lack of maturity in my opinion. This is your life long career you are talking about, why not just take the extra year to really prepare yourself?

If I were you, I would take this semester to really focus on getting all As and getting more clinical experience. Then devote the summer to the MCAT. The MCAT is one of those things that takes your full attention in order to do your best (yes there will be people who killed the MCAT while doing a host of other things at the same time, but they are the exception rather than the rule, and furthermore, I might argue that even those people would have done even better if they devoted all their energy to the MCAT). Then come the fall get back to getting all As and buffing your ECs. Come application season in spring 2016 you could easily have a 3.6 GPA or higher depending on your current number of credits.

In sum. Don't apply next cycle. Work hard over the next year and you will find yourself with a much better application.

 

[ski89]

From someone who had to take a year off, I suggest you try to get in this year if you think you can swing studying for the MCAT. April is not the only month available to you, if your test date approaches and you don't feel ready push it back until June or July. AAMC will be back to 30 day score reporting by then. If you 1) get your primary verified 2) have secondaries pre-written, then being complete in July-Aug at most schools who don't screen won't be a problem.

The next few months will suck studying so much, don't let your GPA drop, and be smart about the process. Taking a year off is fine for some people and is certainly not the end of the world, I just wish I did't have to do it!

With all due respect I think this is bad advise. Yes it absolutely sucks to have to wait another year to apply, but you'll get over it. One extra year of UG compared to a lifetime of practicing medicine is nothing. And you know what, having to apply would suck soooo much worse than waiting another year to apply with a much stronger app, you have no idea how stressful the application year is, don't set yourself up for doing it twice.

 

[amad01]

The thing is, with a 3.4 GPA your chances at MD go down. Even if you wait a year and drill a 34+ MCAT, you are still competing with a thousand other 34 MCAT's who have 3.7+ GPA's. IF you are content with DO, my advice would be to take the mcat and apply this spring, because you won't need as stellar of an MCAT to get into a decent DO school. And if you happen to get a good MCAT, then throw out some MD apps as well.

hypothetical: say you wait a year and get a 34 MCAT and apply. All MD schools reject you and you end up in a solid DO school anyways. You would wish you had applied a year sooner to get the same result. I have a buddy in your same shoes who waited a year and got a 36 MCAT and applied to all the same schools as I did +some, but he has a 3.4 GPA and hasn't heard a word from any schools - 0 interviews. He's applying DO next cycle with some MD. If he gets into a DO school, he will have a 36 in a class where the average mcat is probably ~27. Yes, a bunch of people do get accepted to MD schools with 3.4 GPA every year, but it is not easy.

 

[Blue Blood]

With all due respect I think this is bad advise. Yes it absolutely sucks to have to wait another year to apply, but you'll get over it. One extra year of UG compared to a lifetime of practicing medicine is nothing. And you know what, having to apply would suck soooo much worse than waiting another year to apply with a much stronger app, you have no idea how stressful the application year is, don't set yourself up for doing it twice.

I agree. I have no clue what the OP is actually like. And judging by OP's current gpa that should be priority number 1.

With some afterthought I should know better being a two time test taker. Bad advice on my part.

 

[premed-molecule]

The thing is, with a 3.4 GPA your chances at MD go down. Even if you wait a year and drill a 34+ MCAT, you are still competing with a thousand other 34 MCAT's who have 3.7+ GPA's. IF you are content with DO, my advice would be to take the mcat and apply this spring, because you won't need as stellar of an MCAT to get into a decent DO school. And if you happen to get a good MCAT, then throw out some MD apps as well.

hypothetical: say you wait a year and get a 34 MCAT and apply. All MD schools reject you and you end up in a solid DO school anyways. You would wish you had applied a year sooner to get the same result. I have a buddy in your same shoes who waited a year and got a 36 MCAT and applied to all the same schools as I did +some, but he has a 3.4 GPA and hasn't heard a word from any schools - 0 interviews. He's applying DO next cycle with some MD. If he gets into a DO school, he will have a 36 in a class where the average mcat is probably ~27. Yes, a bunch of people do get accepted to MD schools with 3.4 GPA every year, but it is not easy.

I was hoping to raise my 3.4 with the spring semester + fall semester + the spring semester I apply(unless those spring semester grades won't be seen?).Unless you think it would be better to just apply and see what happens with the MCAT score I get? I heard reapplying isn't seen as the best thing.

 

[Blue Blood]

I'm just a bit bitter from having to watch a lot of people I know move on while I had to wait a year because of a few problems I had.

OP Priorities:
Break/Spring
1) Get As in Spring to bring up GPA
2) Get more shadowing
Summer
3) Come Summer Switch to MCAT and get a good score, SN2ed's Schedule really helped me improve, but with the new MCAT no one can really give you solid advise besides a solid content foundation, lots of passages, take any available e-mcats.

 

[amad01]

I was hoping to raise my 3.4 with the spring semester + fall semester + the spring semester I apply(unless those spring semester grades won't be seen?).Unless you think it would be better to just apply and see what happens with the MCAT score I get? I heard reapplying isn't seen as the best thing.

I would run some numbers and see with your current gpa based on current credit hours and add 4.0 multiplied by all your future credit hours and see what your highest possible GPA could be. If it's a big bump and you think you could do it, it would change a lot.