MD & DO Chances Update

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[Doug Underhill]

The MCAT is very, very important. The short answer for what score to aim for is "as high as you can get". African-American applicants with a score of 24-26 and a GPA of 3.2-3.39 had a 59% chance of being accepted to at least one medical school. If you can get a 27, your odds go up to 75%. A 30 will bring it to 84%. If you're taking the 2015 MCAT, the scores are different. A score of 24 corresponds to the 39th percentile, while 27 is the 57th. A 30 is 75th percentile.

Do you have any physician shadowing? 20 hours or so would suffice. They want to know that you know what a doctor's day is like. A physician letter is not required: generally, two science professor LORs and one LOR from someone who is not a science professor is required.

Your age will not negatively impact you. As for making your application better, the most important thing by far is a good MCAT score.

 

[member000000000]

Thanks for the quick response Doug, I know I should aim high but I just asked so that I can have some kind of estimate of realistic improvement from my diagnosis mcat (which I don't take until the 20th) to the actual thing. If someone gets a 23 on the diagnosis I would think that it would be hard to jump 7 points for a 30 right?

African-American applicants with a score of 24-26 and a GPA of 3.2-3.39 had a 59% chance of being accepted to at least one medical school. If you can get a 27, your odds go up to 75%. A 30 will bring it to 84%.

Is your information for medical school in general or only DO?

Do you have any physician shadowing?

No. Hopefully I will get the opportunity if I get into this pre medical program at the hospital.

 

[member000000000]

Bump

 

[Doug Underhill]

Thanks for the quick response Doug, I know I should aim high but I just asked so that I can have some kind of estimate of realistic improvement from my diagnosis mcat (which I don't take until the 20th) to the actual thing. If someone gets a 23 on the diagnosis I would think that it would be hard to jump 7 points for a 30 right?

It depends entirely on why you got a 23 and how much time you have, as well as your study plan and the tools you plan to use. We have a MCAT forum here with lots of good strategies: I used it to get an excellent score.

Is your information for medical school in general or only DO?

The stats come from AAMC Table 25. AAMC defines "accepted" as "a person who has applied to one of the U.S. Allopathic Medical Schools and who has been offered admission to (i.e., been accepted by) one or more of those schools". From this, I believe it is MD only. DO statistics are harder to come by in line with the holistic philosophy of the discipline.

No. Hopefully I will get the opportunity if I get into this pre medical program at the hospital.

You don't need to do it at a hospital, just call around some doctors in your area. Adcoms like an interest in primary care- particularly if you've actually participated in primary care so you know what you're talking about.

 

[rodmichael82]

23 on diagnostic test is pretty good. Study 2-3 months and you can easily jump to a 30 (75 percentile). If you score the 75 percentile score you have a good shot at MD schools if you apply broadly and early.