DO Lower GPA/MCAT with good experience looking for school suggestions/ideas

[Ironjaw]

Hey guys, I'm looking for school suggestions, I've got low grades and MCAT with good extracurriculars.
Here's the quick and dirty:
Oregon Resident
MCAT 27: 8P/12V/7B
GPA 3.3 total, 3.4 science, Exercise science major at top 50 liberal arts school.
Shadow hours: 150 with a mix of rural, ICU and outpatient pulmonology
Patient contact hours: 1500+ (working in clinical research and practicing as an EMT)
Clinical research hours: 2000+ (going on 4.5 years of experience working in clinical research as both PI and assistant)
Volunteer hours: 1000+ (mix of community service and firefighting)
Peer reviewed publications: 5 total (4 as first author) all in MD reviewed journals best one was Annals of Emergency medicine.
Presentations: 10 with several at national society meetings like DFcon and ACSM
Jobs: Lots of clinical research leadership positions, medic on a wildland fire squad + odd jobs.
Leadership positions in clubs and fraternity throughout college, 2 years as a volunteer firefighter/EMT in my small town.
Good recommendations so far from 3 profs, 2 docs and my fire captain, all who know me well.
I'm particularly interested in programs good for rural family practice and emergency medicine.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[AlteredScale]

Hey guys, I'm looking for school suggestions, I've got low grades and MCAT with good extracurriculars.
Here's the quick and dirty:
Oregon Resident
MCAT 27: 8P/12V/7B
GPA 3.3 total, 3.4 science, Exercise science major at top 50 liberal arts school.
Shadow hours: 150 with a mix of rural, ICU and outpatient pulmonology
Patient contact hours: 1500+ (working in clinical research and practicing as an EMT)
Clinical research hours: 2000+ (going on 4.5 years of experience working in clinical research as both PI ans assistant)
Volunteer hours: 1000+ (mix of community service and firefighting)
Peer reviewed publications: 5 total (4 as first author) all in MD reviewed journals best one was Annals of Emergency medicine.
Presentations: 10 with several at national society meetings like DFcon and ACSM
Jobs: Lots of clinical research leadership positions, medic on a wildland fire squad + odd jobs.
Leadership positions in clubs and fraternity throughout college, 2 years as a volunteer firefighter/EMT in my small town.
Good recommendations so far from 3 profs, 2 docs and my fire captain, all who know me well.
I'm particularly interested in programs good for rural family practice and emergency medicine.

Wow, yeah you'll def be good to go for most if not all DO programs!

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

I think you might have some problem with the lower then 8 subsection. Your ecs are great though. Overall though you are fine for DO. Gonna have some no's though.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Seriously, apply anywhere you want to. You apply to maybe 6-10 schools and you will surely have a couple of acceptances in your hands. Your grades and MCAT are average (not poor by any means). And your ECs are astronomical.

 

[user3]

apply to 7-10 schools of your liking (except CCOM). you will get interviews almost everywhere as long as you turn in everything soon.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Wow, yeah you'll def be good to go for most if not all DO programs!

With a 7 in bio, I don't think so. They'll find success somewhere, but I'd apply broadly.

 

[AlteredScale]

With a 7 in bio, I don't think so. They'll find success somewhere, but I'd apply broadly.

You're making me worries with my 6 in VR @AlbinoHawk DO ! :I

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

A 6 in verbal is more forgiving than a 6 in bio. Since like they expect bio scores to likely be your highest section - since its probably most representative of what you learn in med school. Also the whole ESL thing comes in to play with verbal. Either way a 6 in any section is definitely not the strongest score. You need to absolutely make sure each of the schools that you apply to does not autoscreen. have heard many schools set their autoscreen at 6 or 7 for various sections. A couple even set it at 8.

 

[AlteredScale]

A 6 in verbal is more forgiving than a 6 in bio. Since like they expect bio scores to likely be your highest section - since its probably most representative of what you learn in med school. Also the whole ESL thing comes in to play with verbal. Either way a 6 in any section is definitely not the strongest score. You need to absolutely make sure each of the schools that you apply to does not autoscreen. have heard many schools set their autoscreen at 6 or 7 for various sections. A couple even set it at 8.

Okay great. So getting a 12 on bio might be my redeeming factor. Is it true that most if the DOs don't autoscreen? I wasn't so sure which is why I applied to 30 DO programs.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

I promise I am not trying to be pessimistic, just realistic for you...
A 12 in bio is actually pretty average. I mean it will only help you, but definitely be realistic about how far that one number can carry you. A majority of people applying to med school are science majors (bio in particular) so typically the bio section is the highest score. So a good bio score does not stand out as well as a good verbal or physical science score.

I have heard that a lot of DO schools autoscreen. They really try and push this fluffy beautiful picture that they are all holistic and stuff, but they definitely autoscreen. Some do it harder than others, but its definitely present in the application process. Some will do it before secondaries and some will do it after. A 6 in any section is not very good news. I am sure with 30 schools you will have some luck, so you prepared well. But I have heard of people getting screened out for having higher numbers than that (7's, and then a couple people have said their 8 got them screened, but I believe that less). Only time will tell. You definitely took good steps by applying early and to plenty of schools.

 

[AlteredScale]

I promise I am not trying to be pessimistic, just realistic for you...
A 12 in bio is actually pretty average. I mean it will only help you, but definitely be realistic about how far that one number can carry you. A majority of people applying to med school are science majors (bio in particular) so typically the bio section is the highest score. So a good bio score does not stand out as well as a good verbal or physical science score.

I have heard that a lot of DO schools autoscreen. They really try and push this fluffy beautiful picture that they are all holistic and stuff, but they definitely autoscreen. Some do it harder than others, but its definitely present in the application process. Some will do it before secondaries and some will do it after. A 6 in any section is not very good news. I am sure with 30 schools you will have some luck, so you prepared well. But I have heard of people getting screened out for having higher numbers than that (7's, and then a couple people have said their 8 got them screened, but I believe that less). Only time will tell. You definitely took good steps by applying early and to plenty of schools.

Thank you for the advice! I def need to face this realistically and not optimistically so I really am ready for autoscreens galore haha. But I appreciate it nevertheless.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

You're making me worries with my 6 in VR @AlbinoHawk DO ! :I

You shouldn't confuse a 6 in verbal to be the same as 6/7 in bio.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Thank you for the advice! I def need to face this realistically and not optimistically so I really am ready for autoscreens galore haha. But I appreciate it nevertheless.

I mean who knows, you could get a ton of love. Even for ridiculously strong applicants, it can be a crap shoot. I am just talking about statistics and anecdotes on here. But still, applying to 30 schools this early. I would be seriously shocked if you didnt get a few interviews and a couple of acceptances.

 

[AlteredScale]

You shouldn't confuse a 6 in verbal to be the same as 6/7 in bio.

True true, that was definitely the neuroticism in me haha.

 

[AlteredScale]

I mean who knows, you could get a ton of love. Even for ridiculously strong applicants, it can be a crap shoot. I am just talking about statistics and anecdotes on here. But still, applying to 30 schools this early. I would be seriously shocked if you didnt get a few interviews and a couple of acceptances.

I appreciate that! Who knows, my ECs are different but like you said, it's a crap shoot for everyone. Thanks again for the words of wisdom

 

[orangeman25]

I promise I am not trying to be pessimistic, just realistic for you...
A 12 in bio is actually pretty average. I mean it will only help you, but definitely be realistic about how far that one number can carry you. A majority of people applying to med school are science majors (bio in particular) so typically the bio section is the highest score. So a good bio score does not stand out as well as a good verbal or physical science score.

I have heard that a lot of DO schools autoscreen. They really try and push this fluffy beautiful picture that they are all holistic and stuff, but they definitely autoscreen. Some do it harder than others, but its definitely present in the application process. Some will do it before secondaries and some will do it after. A 6 in any section is not very good news. I am sure with 30 schools you will have some luck, so you prepared well. But I have heard of people getting screened out for having higher numbers than that (7's, and then a couple people have said their 8 got them screened, but I believe that less). Only time will tell. You definitely took good steps by applying early and to plenty of schools.

Agree with everything posted, except the fact that a 12 in bio is average. It's close to the 95th percentile - not even close to being average.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Agree with everything posted, except the fact that a 12 in bio is average. It's close to the 95th percentile - not even close to being average.

Yea I suppose "average" is not necessarily the right word. I guess what I was getting at was that a the bio sections are normally higher than the other sections.