MD Half way done post bacc, what are my chances now?

[SSerenity]

My undergrad cGPA was 3.3 & sGPA of 3.34, MCAT 33
I have 12 publications, 3 first author papers with over 300 citations & research awards
Lots of leadership experience and volunteer work.

I just finished my first semester of my post bacc program. The first semester was supposed to be the hardest. I read a book on how to study before the semester started, and I ended up getting a 4.0. I don't want to jump the gun, but I do think I'll get another 4.0 in my second and final semester of my program.

I plan to retake my MCAT this June. I predict my score will go up a ~3+ points (relative to the new scale). I know a lot of this sounds ambitious, but I think its in the realm of possible. I never really knew how to study until I started my post bacc program.

If I pull this off, what are some of the top schools that might accept me despite my low UG GPA?
Do I have a shot at any Ivy leagues?

PS: I am Canadian

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[Aggie95]

Why are you planning on retaking a 33!?!

 

[SSerenity]

Why are you planning on retaking a 33!?!

My local schools that consider me in-province will require the new MCAT by the time I get around to applying unfortunately.

 

[candbgirl]

What about shadowing, clinical ECs, etc. you actually sound more research focused.
Why not a PhD instead. Why medicine? But hard to predict really. Top schools are a crap shoot,

 

[Petrichor1]

You have way above the publication number needed for top phd programs. This is truly interesting why you want to get an md. How did you even manage that many publications?

 

[SSerenity]

I have about 10 years of volunteer experience in a convalescent home on record with direct patient contact. However, this was something I did up until I graduated high school. All my volunteer experience after that was through my club in university & focussed on student advocacy. I'm told that my lack of recent clinically related volunteer work might hold me back. However, I don't know who much of this is true.

I work in Bioinformatics, and I just really gold mined one particular niche that I was really good at. I learned programming while I was in high school and I basically taught myself bioinformatics then volunteered in a lab. My learning curve was really small, and I had a good mentor.

Medicine is what I am interested in, for many reasons. Although, I am open to the idea of an MD/PhD program. I wanted to take some time and talk to some MD/PhD folk to try and get a feel for what its like before I make any solid decisions in either direction. I've been really bored with my bioinformatics research for lately, which is another reason I hesitate to pursue a PhD program. I've really loved all my pre-med courses. I see myself combining my self-taught skills (programming,robotics,entrepreneurship) with my formal education (MD) years down the road, which is another reason I'm attracted to medicine. I've been reading lots of books about the future of medicine, and they all seem to agree that these skills will be critical in the near future in medicine. Any thoughts are welcome!

 

[OGLoc23]

My undergrad cGPA was 3.3 & sGPA of 3.34, MCAT 33
I have 12 publications, 3 first author papers with over 300 citations & research awards
Lots of leadership experience and volunteer work.

I just finished my first semester of my post bacc program. The first semester was supposed to be the hardest. I read a book on how to study before the semester started, and I ended up getting a 4.0. I don't want to jump the gun, but I do think I'll get another 4.0 in my second and final semester of my program.

I plan to retake my MCAT this June. I predict my score will go up a ~3+ points (relative to the new scale). I know a lot of this sounds ambitious, but I think its in the realm of possible. I never really knew how to study until I started my post bacc program.

If I pull this off, what are some of the top schools that might accept me despite my low UG GPA?
Do I have a shot at any Ivy leagues?

PS: I am Canadian

This is an interesting and atypical situation. Your research experience will undoubtedly impress the Ivies and top schools, especially considering that they require a research background, but I'm unsure if it will trump your low GPA and low-for-top-schools MCAT.

Did you get any thoughts from the advisers in your postbacc program? If you're intent on attending a top school, perhaps you can contact them and ask if your research background can compensate for your stats.

 

[LuluLovesMe]

I would not retake a 33 MCAT unless I was averaging 1 standard deviation above that score in practice exams. That should be around a 519-520 I think.

 

[SSerenity]

This is an interesting and atypical situation. Your research experience will undoubtedly impress the Ivies and top schools, especially considering that they require a research background, but I'm unsure if it will trump your low GPA and low-for-top-schools MCAT.

Did you get any thoughts from the advisers in your postbacc program? If you're intent on attending a top school, perhaps you can contact them and ask if your research background can compensate for your stats.

Not even with a 4.0 post bacc? =/

I'll be talking to my advisers sometime after the winter break!

 

[Petrichor1]

Not even with a 4.0 post bacc? =/

I'll be talking to my advisers sometime after the winter break!

I don't know, you are a brilliant candidate and I would actually wager that you apply while you do postbacc. You have a passion that brightly shows and maybe top research institutes might be forgiving in this instance. I was at a time considering md/phd but then I came across mice and I really oppose animal studies as it is an emotional journey for me. I said no sir, I want to be a doctor.