Credentials - Do you think I can get in somewhere?

[NettleHead]

Hi All,

If someone with experience would let me know what they think, I would appreciate it enormously.

I wanted to get some input on my credentials for med school because I am pretty sure I just BOMBED the physics section of the MCAT today (literally guessed wildly and felt like I never studied, even though I felt extremely prepared and studied for 6 months with 85 billion practice problems and 4 practice exams).

I am 27, female, white

Undergrad: Human Physiology TA in undergrad for head of the biology department, won individual award in graduating biology class for best undergraduate research project, special honors in biology, 3.58 GPA 3,7+ science GPA (last 4 semester GPA was about a 3.8), premed honors society/president/founder of premedical advising, yadda yadda
I shadowed a maxillofacial surgeon for a whole summer in undergrad, volunteered in the OR, did nutrition work with teens in Washington DC

Post grad: stem cell research Harvard Medical School/BWH (didn't manage to get anything published bc stem cell research was so new), Bio/chem tutor for teens with eating disorders
Very involved in local politics - single handedly got an important environmental law changed in a BIG city outside of Boston

Current: Herbalist and Nutritionist - work with plant botanical medicine/nutrition/conservation, see clients on a regular basis for GI issues (mainly IBD and IBS) and respiratory disorders - have had clients with complete remission of psoriasis, asthma, and am also fluent in Spanish, so I see Spanish speaking clients as well, and teach classes around the city, where I live, in nutrition/plant medicine/wildlife conservation/physiology
I also serve as an advocate for Spanish speaking people who need health guidance during their medical appointments - I translate/go over their bloodwork/help them with what questions to ask their physicians etc.

Got into a top 10 veterinary school, but decided not to go because the career prospects are horrible right now and I only want to do wildlife stuff (so I'm getting involved in Wildlife Rehab/medicine/environmental conservation) on the side.

I AM OBSESSED with medicine and want to help humanity (including wildlife) through medicine. What if I get like a 22 on the MCAT? Do you think I can get in somewhere? I don't care at all if it's DO/MD (my favorite doctor I've ever had was a DO).

I know this post might seem annoying, but I just wanted to see if anyone had input because I'm so sad right now about the MCAT physics...

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[aspirantmed]

If you do reasonably well on the MCAT, I'm sure you will be in good shape. The rest of your application, including GPA and activities, seems to be in good shape. If you score above a 30 and apply broadly, you should get some interviews at M.D. programs. If you score above a 27 or so, you should get looks from D.O. programs as well.

Of course, this is my speculation, but here's what I'd advise. First, if you just took the MCAT, relax for a few days. Your score won't be available for about a month, so there's no use in worrying about it now. In a few days, make a contingency plan. Decide what you will do if your score is low enough to require a retake, and make arrangements on what to do for the next year if you have to put off applying by another year. Then, when you have your score, see where all the pieces lie and decide what the best option is. No use in stressing about this so much while so much is still not determined. Most people feel pretty unsure when they take the MCAT, and the score (in my own experience and from advising pre-meds) is typically better than most people expect.

 

[NettleHead]

If you do reasonably well on the MCAT, I'm sure you will be in good shape. The rest of your application, including GPA and activities, seems to be in good shape. If you score above a 30 and apply broadly, you should get some interviews at M.D. programs. If you score above a 27 or so, you should get looks from D.O. programs as well.

Of course, this is my speculation, but here's what I'd advise. First, if you just took the MCAT, relax for a few days. Your score won't be available for about a month, so there's no use in worrying about it now. In a few days, make a contingency plan. Decide what you will do if your score is low enough to require a retake, and make arrangements on what to do for the next year if you have to put off applying by another year. Then, when you have your score, see where all the pieces lie and decide what the best option is. No use in stressing about this so much while so much is still not determined. Most people feel pretty unsure when they take the MCAT, and the score (in my own experience and from advising pre-meds) is typically better than most people expect.

Thank you so much for your guidance aspirantmed - it definitely made me feel better. And I really appreciate your time you took to read my lengthy post!

 

[Ace-Co-A]

Hi All,

If someone with experience would let me know what they think, I would appreciate it enormously.

I wanted to get some input on my credentials for med school because I am pretty sure I just BOMBED the physics section of the MCAT (literally guessed wildly and felt like I never studied, even though I felt extremely prepared and studied for 6 months with 85 billion practice problems and 4 practice exams).

I am 27, female, white

Undergrad: Human Physiology TA in undergrad for head of the biology department, won individual award in graduating biology class for best undergraduate research project, special honors in biology, 3.58 GPA 3,7+ science GPA (last 4 semester GPA was about a 3.8), premed honors society/president/founder of premedical advising, yadda yadda
I shadowed a maxillofacial surgeon for a whole summer in undergrad, volunteered in the OR, did nutrition work with teens in Washington DC

Post grad: stem cell research Harvard Medical School/BWH (didn't manage to get anything published bc stem cell research was so new), Bio/chem tutor for teens with eating disorders
Very involved in local politics - single handedly got an important environmental law changed in a BIG city outside of Boston

Current: Herbalist and Nutritionist - work with plant botanical medicine/nutrition/conservation, see clients on a regular basis for GI issues (mainly IBD and IBS) and respiratory disorders - have had clients with complete remission of psoriasis, asthma, and am also fluent in Spanish, so I see Spanish speaking clients as well, and teach classes around the city, where I live, in nutrition/plant medicine/wildlife conservation/physiology
I also serve as an advocate for Spanish speaking people who need health guidance during their medical appointments - I translate/go over their bloodwork/help them with what questions to ask their physicians etc.

Got into a top 10 veterinary school, but decided not to go because the career prospects are horrible right now and I only want to do wildlife stuff (so I'm getting involved in Wildlife Rehab/medicine/environmental conservation) on the side.

I AM OBSESSED with medicine and want to help humanity (including wildlife) through medicine. What if I get like a 22 on the MCAT? Do you think I can get in somewhere? I don't care at all if it's DO/MD (my favorite doctor I've ever had was a DO).

I know this post might seem annoying, but I just wanted to see if anyone had input because I'm so sad right now about the MCAT physics...

I don't understand why you're stressed out. Your GPA is competitive. Have you taken the MCAT? (This is not clear in your original post.) Otherwise, keep up the good fight and hang in there.

 

[NettleHead]

I don't understand why you're stressed out. Your GPA is competitive. Have you taken the MCAT? (This is not clear in your original post.) Otherwise, keep up the good fight and hang in there.

Thank you for your reply! Yes I apologize that my post wasn't clear. I took the MCAT today and felt like I guessed on the entire physics section, despite a lot of deliberate practice...

 

[DreamerAchiever]

Thank you for your reply! Yes I apologize that my post wasn't clear. I took the MCAT today and felt like I guessed on the entire physics section, despite a lot of deliberate practice...

I felt as if I guessed on the physics section today too, I ran out of time!

 

[masaraksh]

Not to be a prick, but if you studied for 6 months, did a bunch of practice problems, and then ended up 'guessing wildly' on a physical sciences section, then you seriously did something wrong. Did you use an MCAT specific review book & test yourself on AAMC tests? I hope you didn't do something silly like study Physics 1 & 2 notes from your undergrad class (much better to study through MCAT focus).

 

[Low Flow]

From what I've gathered, almost everyone feels like their actual test went horrible. I'm sure it won't turn out nearly as bad as you think it did. Even if you did get as low as a 26 or 27, you'd still definitely have a good shot at D.O.

I got super depressed waiting for my score too, and convinced myself that I got a 26, was going to have to retake it, then take a year off, and my life was over. Ended up actually getting a 30. Moral of the story: keep your head up

 

[umbrellaapp]

Take a break - your MCAT results will probably be closer to your AAMC average than what you felt like coming out of the test. There's no point in worry for what is done - chin up chum

 

[NettleHead]

Thank you everyone!

 

[Osteoth]

What state are you from?

 

[NettleHead]

What state are you from?[/QUOTE

I'm a resident of Colorado

 

[BrCo]

I wouldn't try to predict your score. I thought I bombed everything and it turned out just fine. Just relax and realize most people feel like they did much worse than reality.

 

[Ismet]

Moving to WAMC

 

[NettleHead]

OK looking for advice again...

So after calculating my total GPA/sGPA etc... it's lower than I thought!

My cumulative would have been a 3.65 if it weren't for these stupid accounting courses I took at a community college before I was a freshman and an online statistics course that I took for pretty much no reason, that was HORRIBLE, back in 2011 and I got a C+. Now my cumulative is a lousy 3.52 and my science GPA is a 3.53.

Do you think I still have a shot at DO school and some "lower tier" MD schools if I can get a 29 on the MCAT at least?

Thanks so much for your advice everyone I really appreciate it! Don't know what I would do without SDN...

 

[candbgirl]

Come back when your MCAT arrives! We really can't help you without it. And stop worrying - there isn't anything you can do until that score comes back and you see where you are . Well I suppose you can think about how you'll answer why not vet school?

 

[NettleHead]

Come back when your MCAT arrives! We really can't help you without it. And stop worrying - there isn't anything you can do until that score comes back and you see where you are . Well I suppose you can think about how you'll answer why not vet school?

Hahaha ok I'll stop freaking out. Thank you you're right!

 

[NettleHead]

OK here is my score 7PS/11VR/10BS

I am SUPER relieved about PS, as crazy as that sounds. And that is the lowest I've gotten on a PS, but this particular MCAT killed me as far as PS is concerned. Do you think I have a slight shot at MD with a 28? Or DO? Imagining taking the MCAT again ... I can hardly even handle thinking about it.