Help me! Chances?!

[Jilted]

I know I hate seeing posts like these, but I just got my MCAT score in =\
1st attempt: 8/10/10=28
2nd attempt: 11/8/9=28
GPA ~3.8 Non-Science and ~3.4 Science
White Female...

These are the schools I applied to (I applied to a lot because I knew I needed to!!)
MD Schools: U Miami, U Maryland (In state), U Alabama, U Louisville, LSU-NO, Georgetown, GW, Quinnipiac, MUSC, U Oklahoma, Tulane, Uniformed Services University, Florida International University, U Arizona- Tucson, U Washington, VCU, WVU, WFU, UCF, UT Galveston, UT Houston, UT San Antonio, Texas A&M, Texas Tech- Lubbock.

DO Schools: ACOM, Campbell, VCOM-VA, VCOM-Carolinas, VCOM-Auburn, PCOM-GA, PCOM-PA

I've completed some secondaries already and I'm just feeling so discouraged

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[Catalystik]

I know I hate seeing posts like these, but I just got my MCAT score in =\
1st attempt: 8/10/10=28
2nd attempt: 11/8/9=28
GPA ~3.8 Non-Science and ~3.4 Science
White Female...

These are the schools I applied to (I applied to a lot because I knew I needed to!!)
MD Schools: U Miami, U Maryland (In state), U Alabama, U Louisville, LSU-NO, Georgetown, GW, Quinnipiac, MUSC, U Oklahoma, Tulane, Uniformed Services University, Florida International University, U Arizona- Tucson, U Washington, VCU, WVU, WFU, UCF, UT Galveston, UT Houston, UT San Antonio, Texas A&M, Texas Tech- Lubbock.

DO Schools: ACOM, Campbell, VCOM-VA, VCOM-Carolinas, VCOM-Auburn, PCOM-GA, PCOM-PA

I've completed some secondaries already and I'm just feeling so discouraged

Did you consider adding TCOM since you're applying to other Texas schools?

I suggest you check the Selection Criteria for your schools. You have no chance at UWashington, for example, as matriculating OOSers are from the WWAMI region or MD/PhD. WVU seems unlikely without strong state ties.

 

[claduva94]

Buy the MSAR. You applied to far too many schools that are unfriendly to OOS students. The Texas schools by law are supposed to be 90% IS. Obviously, you know your MCAT is working against you, especially since your sGPA isn't stellar. But if you should be solid for DO and lower tier MD. Care to share some ECs so we can do a better assessment?

 

[Jilted]

Did you consider adding TCOM?

Yes, actually I did apply to TCOM!

 

[BeancheBlanco]

I would only apply to MD if you have at least one EC that really stands out. And I'm assuming you have a good amount of clinical volunteering, non-clinical volunteering as well. Your GPA is mediocre and your MCAT is below average. You need to give a school a reason to want you in their class.

Tulane likes high MCATs and non-traditionals and they have a TON of applicants. I would remove it if you are a traditional applicant since your MCAT is your biggest weakness.

 

[Jilted]

Buy the MSAR. You applied to far too many schools that are unfriendly to OOS students. The Texas schools by law are supposed to be 90% IS. Obviously, you know your MCAT is working against you, especially since your sGPA isn't stellar. But if you should be solid for DO and lower tier MD. Care to share some ECs so we can do a better assessment?

Sure--
Treasurer of Honors Students' Association
Volunteer Coordinator of Art of Healing (we bring arts and crafts activities to sick children living in Ronald McDonald House)
VP of Women's Lacrosse Club
Panhellenic Delegate, Finance Assistant, Family Weekend Chair of my sorority
Biology 1 and 2 Workshop Leader
100+ hours shadowing Orthopedic Surgeon
100 hours shadowing Dermatologist
50 hours shadowing Primary Care
80 hours Research
Tons of volunteering with developmentally disabled individuals and with children

 

[Jilted]

I would only apply to MD if you have at least one EC that really stands out. And I'm assuming you have a good amount of clinical volunteering, non-clinical volunteering as well. Your GPA is mediocre and your MCAT is below average. You need to give a school a reason to want you in their class.

Tulane likes high MCATs and non-traditionals and they have a TON of applicants. I would remove it if you are a traditional applicant since your MCAT is your biggest weakness.

I completed my secondary to Tulane already and it's a top choice =\

 

[claduva94]

Do you have any clinical experience beyond shadowing?

 

[Jilted]

Do you have any clinical experience beyond shadowing?

I worked as a volunteer Medical Assistant at the Orthopedic Surgeon's office for about 80 hours or so, but other than that not so much

 

[allantois]

As a FL resident, I can just say that all FL MD schools can be thrown out of the window (FIU btw is $70,000 in tuition and fees alone for OOS).

Nova Southeastern is a very nice school though (my dermatologist went there)

 

[claduva94]

Ok well to be blunt your chances at the Texas schools are very low since you are a resident of Maryland. Same goes for Florida, Washington, and quite a few of the other schools you apply to. I suggest applying to low tier private schools. @Goro may be able to provide more perspective on how to interpret your clinical volunteering but the fact that your shadowing and experience as a medical assistant is really disproportionate I think it could be problematic.

 

[allantois]

@claduva94 ,

sorry for being creepy but when I added your community service, work, research, hospital volunteering, and shadowing from reported on your MD profile, it adds up to 4600. Considering that you hope to matriculate right after undergrad (which is 3 years for you), you only had 2 years to accumulate all those hours, which if you divide 4600 hours by 104 weeks (2 years) we get 44 hours per week. I'm just genuinely wondering how you managed such a huge EC commitment all while majoring in engineering and studying for MCAT?

 

[claduva94]

@allenlchs A substantial amount of that is done during the summer or is concentrated in large chunks (The majority of my volunteer experience is through a hosting program where I spend 15-20 hours per student and have hosted approximately 50 students). This summer I am working 40 hours a week and research 25 hours a week, which sums up to about 1200 hours of that total. But those hours include a little bit of work experience from high school that I continued in college as well as include my projected hours that I listed on AMCAS (Since they are extrapolations there are ballpark numbers). But pretty much my work and research has a lot of down time which lets me study quite a bit. During the school year, I am probably closer to the 35-40 hours a week (20 hrs/week for work, 10-15 hrs/week for research, which I receive academic credit for, and about 5 hrs/week volunteering in weeks that I don't host). But to answer your question, I don't have a lot of free time. I stay very busy. I do well academically without a large amount of effort because I am good at engineering courses. I don't consider engineering to be a difficult load if you have the mind for it. Sorry if I didn't answer all parts of your question.

 

[Time Table]

Could be stuff from high school, increasing the work to 70 hours a week during the summers, there are many ways

 

[allantois]

@allenlchs A substantial amount of that is done during the summer or is concentrated in large chunks (The majority of my volunteer experience is through a hosting program where I spend 15-20 hours per student and have hosted approximately 50 students). This summer I am working 40 hours a week and research 25 hours a week, which sums up to about 1200 hours of that total. But those hours include a little bit of work experience from high school that I continued in college as well as include my projected hours that I listed on AMCAS (Since they are extrapolations there are ballpark numbers). But pretty much my work and research has a lot of down time which lets me study quite a bit. During the school year, I am probably closer to the 35-40 hours a week (20 hrs/week for work, 10-15 hrs/week for research, which I receive academic credit for, and about 5 hrs/week volunteering in weeks that I don't host). But to answer your question, I don't have a lot of free time. I stay very busy. I do well academically without a large amount of effort because I am good at engineering courses. I don't consider engineering to be a difficult load if you have the mind for it. Sorry if I didn't answer all parts of your question.

You did I just wanted to get a general sense of how it is done. I'm assuming you got a lot of credits from high school too. Either way, it's impressive.

 

[claduva94]

Haha thanks . I am actually worried that it will will raise red flags . But I got about 15 credits. I take 20 credits a semester though. But, like I said, those engineering courses come naturally to me. I'd guess, without counting research, I spend about 20 hours a week outside of class so a good portion gets done at work.

 

[Goro]

Your MCAT score is <10th percentile for U MD, so I'm not keen on your chances there.
MD schools to consider are:

Quinnipiac,
Uniformed Services University (have you done any homework on your choices???? USU requires a military commitment upon graduation)
VCU,
WVU
EVMS
Rush
TCMC
Albany
Wake Forest
MCW
SLU
Creighton

You're fine for any DO school, including mine. Your list is fine and suggest adding LECOM, WVCOM, MUCOM, CCOM, DMU, AT Still, Both FL schools, LMU-Debusk, Pikesville
DO Schools: ACOM, Campbell, VCOM-VA, VCOM-Carolinas, VCOM-Auburn, PCOM-GA, PCOM-PA

 

[Ismet]

Moving to WAMC

 

[Faha]

These state schools accept very few OOS applicants with a MCAT of 29: U Alabama, U Louisville, LSU-NO, MUSC, U Oklahoma, Florida International University,
U Washington, WVU, UCF, UT Galveston, UT Houston, UT San Antonio, Texas A&M, Texas Tech- Lubbock. In addition to Quinnipiac, consider other new medical schools such as Hofstra, Oakland Beaumont, Western Michigan. Other low tier schools where you would have a chance for an interview: New York Medical College, Albany, Drexel, Temple, Jefferson, Rosalind Franklin, Loyola, Rush, St. Louis, Creighton. You should be fine for DO.