DO Retake and be complete late or apply now with lackluster MCAT?

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gophergrl88

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I have a 3.6 science GPA and 3.6 undergraduate GPA, with a 3.97 post bacc from Hopkins.

MCAT- (yikes...) 8 PS, 10 VR, 7 BS from last spring. I took this before my post-bacc.

EC: Scribe x 2 years, Primary care shadowing, Trauma research, Hospice Care, Volunteer EMT, Literacy tutor, and Tennis coach for kids x 7 years.

LOR: 3 physicians (1 DO), 2 science professors, my religion professor, my tennis coaching supervisor, and my post-bacc committee.

My question is: Should I just apply with my current MCAT and hope for the best and a little luck, or should I retake my MCAT in August and be complete at schools in September? If so, what schools should I apply to?

My application is already verified.

Thanks for the help!

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If you're set on only applying DO, I think you can get something with these stats if you apply broadly ASAP. If you have any MD aspirations, you're going to want to retake that MCAT.
 
Suggest a retake. the DO cycle is longer so you can apply in Dec and still be fine. Note: I'd reject you before you entered the interview room with a 7 Bio score.


I have a 3.6 science GPA and 3.6 undergraduate GPA, with a 3.97 post bacc from Hopkins.

MCAT- (yikes...) 8 PS, 10 VR, 7 BS from last spring. I took this before my post-bacc.

EC: Scribe x 2 years, Primary care shadowing, Trauma research, Hospice Care, Volunteer EMT, Literacy tutor, and Tennis coach for kids x 7 years.

LOR: 3 physicians (1 DO), 2 science professors, my religion professor, my tennis coaching supervisor, and my post-bacc committee.

My question is: Should I just apply with my current MCAT and hope for the best and a little luck, or should I retake my MCAT in August and be complete at schools in September? If so, what schools should I apply to?

My application is already verified.

Thanks for the help!
 
I think you could be ok with a broad DO list. The 3.97 JHU post-bacc GPA says alot. The 7 Bio score will cause problems but I don't necessarily think that is lethal for all DO schools in your case.

That said if you wait a year build up your app and re-take your MCAT
a) given you have shown strong verbal skills already you are the type of person who with proper preparation is the type who can significantly improve their scores. An 8 in PS indicates gaps in content knowledge, not reasoning and thinking skills that your verbal shows. Even with the new MCAT, study hard and I think 80th+ percentile isn't a crazy goal with the proper commitment.
b) You have a 3.97 post-bac GPA at a top program. That also shows ability to do better on the MCAT than you did and furthermore those are pretty discordant trends that will catch attention. Re-take the MCAT, study thoroughly, get 80th+ percentile and with that post-bacc option MD options are definitely in play even with a bad score like this on your record.
c) Waiting a year and re-taking the MCAT and showing improvement will all but lock up a number of DO II's.


Like Goro said you can afford to wait a little for the DO cycle as well. But I look at a 3.97 JHU post-bacc GPA and a 10 verbal score and I see the ability to do far better on the MCAT and compete for MD programs with the proper MCAT prep which is why I'm making mention of that.
 
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