DO Chances for DO with my stats

[wsubw]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to decide if I should apply, I know I'd be on the lower end of the spectrum with MCAT and GPA, but I have above average experience. I'd be 27/28 going in. I'm a late decider that I want medicine (DO only) and had previously planned on doing a PhD in basic science. But after experiencing it, I don't want a PhD anymore.

What are my chances:
Undergrad Major in Biology and Spanish, minor in theology:- Cumulative 3.4 /Sci 3.2
Masters/thesis based in - Infectious Disease - Cumulative 3.37

MCAT 23 (VR7, PS7, Bio 9)
Clinical volunteering activities 3 plus years regular volunteer for non-profit medical
Physician shadowing 3 plus years regular volunteer as medical assistant in cardiology/HF practice
Total over 1000 hours volunteering in medical related environment.

Research - 4 years at the bench (including my work Thesis) at a medical university. 1 published abstract first author, 1 published paper first author (two if you count my thesis), and another I’m working on, will also be a first author. I’ve also presented a number of times/places.

Nonclinical volunteer hours, 1x week for a year for 2 hrs. tutoring the homeless because those are the populations I like to work with.

My LOR are stellar.

Will be employed right out of MS at same school down the hall as a research assistant.

I plan on applying to DO and maybe one or two MD schools. I want to be an internal medicine doctor and would really like to work with impoverished communities.

So this is my dilemma. I’m 26 (which is still relatively young in life), but I feel old. I could take another year off (but at this point, I really want to apply early on in the cycle because my GPA is lower so if I apply later, I feel like I’d be putting myself at a disadvantage. I’m looking more into DO schools but I’m just not sure what my chances are. My graduate coursework mimicked the first year of medical school relatively closely and we also had to spend the majority of our time in lab working.

I know this isn’t the right thread for this question -> should I just retake the MCAT. I’m not a fan because it will be new and I’m not sure.

Thank you for your time.

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[Dr.Jekyll75]

I'm guessing you're from Wayne state judging from you user name but ya, your gonna have to retake. If you do decided to apply with the 23, apply to the new do schools

 

[wsubw]

No, but thanks for the reply!

 

[NonTrad16]

I'd be 27/28 going in. I'm a late decider that I want medicine (DO only) and had previously planned on doing a PhD in basic science. But after experiencing it, I don't want a PhD anymore.

What are my chances:
Undergrad Major in Biology and Spanish, minor in theology:- Cumulative 3.4 /Sci 3.2
Masters/thesis based in - Infectious Disease - Cumulative 3.37

MCAT 23 (VR7, PS7, Bio 9)
Clinical volunteering activities 3 plus years regular volunteer for non-profit medical
Physician shadowing 3 plus years regular volunteer as medical assistant in cardiology/HF practice
Total over 1000 hours volunteering in medical related environment.

Research - 4 years at the bench (including my work Thesis) at a medical university. 1 published abstract first author, 1 published paper first author (two if you count my thesis), and another I’m working on, will also be a first author. I’ve also presented a number of times/places.

Nonclinical volunteer hours, 1x week for a year for 2 hrs. tutoring the homeless because those are the populations I like to work with.

I plan on applying to DO and maybe one or two MD schools. I want to be an internal medicine doctor and would really like to work with impoverished communities.

My background is similar: I'm 27 turning 28 (during application submission), PhD -> MS thesis convert, 3 years of research, some pubs, 2 years working in a contract lab doing standard money making work and process R&D. From what I've observed:
-DO's appreciate more of the 'whole picture', but research isn't heavily emphasized.
-You should calculate your DO c/sGPA (which includes grad work... look up the method). Your GPA is ok, nothing to wow the adcoms... If you have any C/D's, you should probably retake those classes to help bump it up.
-But mainly... your MCAT is low. Personally, I'd retake. I wouldn't feel confident applying. Do you have an idea as to how you could prepare to achieve a better score?

Personally... I'd forgo this cycle in an effort to study/take the new MCAT and retake any low grades. Assuming you won't suffer being an RA for a year, it seems advantageous to apply with your best application. Your chances could be boosted greatly with a better MCAT and any easy GPA boosting retakes.

 

[Goro]

Your MCAT score is lethal for MD schools and for PCOM, CCOM, AZCOM, the NY and CA Touros, Western and KCUMB. Your best chances will be at the newest schools. I can't recommend LUCOM.

The middling performance in your MS doesn't exude confidence from this Adcom member either.

Hi guys,

I'm trying to decide if I should apply, I know I'd be on the lower end of the spectrum with MCAT and GPA, but I have above average experience. I'd be 27/28 going in. I'm a late decider that I want medicine (DO only) and had previously planned on doing a PhD in basic science. But after experiencing it, I don't want a PhD anymore.

What are my chances:
Undergrad Major in Biology and Spanish, minor in theology:- Cumulative 3.4 /Sci 3.2
Masters/thesis based in - Infectious Disease - Cumulative 3.37

MCAT 23 (VR7, PS7, Bio 9)
Clinical volunteering activities 3 plus years regular volunteer for non-profit medical
Physician shadowing 3 plus years regular volunteer as medical assistant in cardiology/HF practice
Total over 1000 hours volunteering in medical related environment.

Research - 4 years at the bench (including my work Thesis) at a medical university. 1 published abstract first author, 1 published paper first author (two if you count my thesis), and another I’m working on, will also be a first author. I’ve also presented a number of times/places.

Nonclinical volunteer hours, 1x week for a year for 2 hrs. tutoring the homeless because those are the populations I like to work with.

My LOR are stellar.

Will be employed right out of MS at same school down the hall as a research assistant.

I plan on applying to DO and maybe one or two MD schools. I want to be an internal medicine doctor and would really like to work with impoverished communities.

So this is my dilemma. I’m 26 (which is still relatively young in life), but I feel old. I could take another year off (but at this point, I really want to apply early on in the cycle because my GPA is lower so if I apply later, I feel like I’d be putting myself at a disadvantage. I’m looking more into DO schools but I’m just not sure what my chances are. My graduate coursework mimicked the first year of medical school relatively closely and we also had to spend the majority of our time in lab working.

I know this isn’t the right thread for this question -> should I just retake the MCAT. I’m not a fan because it will be new and I’m not sure.

Thank you for your time.

 

[wsubw]

Hi Goro,

Thanks for your input, I've seen your suggestions throughout the forums. I'm not interested in MD schools, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to get into any DO schools at this time. If I retake the MCAT (I really only had a few weeks to study for it during my other classes) do you think I would need to retake some of my other science classes as well?

My masters was thesis based and the emphasis was on research. Is there a way I can use that to explain why I didn't have a 4.0 during my masters. I've taken biochemistry & molecular biology, cell biology, methods, infectious disease, mechanisms of pathology.

I want to selectively apply to schools that might give me a chance, but I'm not sure I have a chance with my current stats. If I take biology, can I take it at a community college of should I take it at my old university? Do you think a better usage of my time would be the MCAT?

 

[wsubw]

My background is similar: I'm 27 turning 28 (during application submission), PhD -> MS thesis convert, 3 years of research, some pubs, 2 years working in a contract lab doing standard money making work and process R&D. From what I've observed:
-DO's appreciate more of the 'whole picture', but research isn't heavily emphasized.
-You should calculate your DO c/sGPA (which includes grad work... look up the method). Your GPA is ok, nothing to wow the adcoms... If you have any C/D's, you should probably retake those classes to help bump it up.
-But mainly... your MCAT is low. Personally, I'd retake. I wouldn't feel confident applying. Do you have an idea as to how you could prepare to achieve a better score?

Personally... I'd forgo this cycle in an effort to study/take the new MCAT and retake any low grades. Assuming you won't suffer being an RA for a year, it seems advantageous to apply with your best application. Your chances could be boosted greatly with a better MCAT and any easy GPA boosting retakes.

I feel ya, and it's a completely different world. Well this time around, I wouldn't be working/lab and taking classes, so I could focus more on studying for the MCAT. I wanted to try and take it before the new version, I'd probably take a Kaplan course this time around. I had access to some of the older Kaplan/AAMC tests and I was getting 27-29 on them. I wasn't really prepared for the 23 I got.