Should I Even Bother Applying This Cycle? Writing MCAT on the 25th

[IceyDice]

So i'm a pharmacy graduate looking to applying to medicine. Due to my board exams finishing at the end of May, I didn't have time to study for the MCAT until afterwards and am writing on the 25th of August. I am looking to apply to American medical schools but i've heard this is too late in the cycle to start. I wouldn't get my application in until early September and even then my MCAT score won't be released until the end of September.

My GPA is ~3.63 with a huge upward trend, my projected MCAT is 512, but my ECs are above average so I don't stand out that much unless the pharmacy degree and work do. Should I even bother applying this late in the game or should I wait a year? I really don't want to wait 2 whole years to get into a medical program as i'm getting old so i'll be looking into the Atlantic Bridge Program and Sackler.

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[therms13]

So i'm a pharmacy graduate looking to applying to medicine. Due to my board exams finishing at the end of May, I didn't have time to study for the MCAT until afterwards and am writing on the 25th of August. I am looking to apply to American medical schools but i've heard this is too late in the cycle to start. I wouldn't get my application in until early September and even then my MCAT score won't be released until the end of September.

My GPA is ~3.63 with a huge upward trend, my projected MCAT is 512, but my ECs are above average so I don't stand out that much unless the pharmacy degree and work do. Should I even bother applying this late in the game or should I wait a year? I really don't want to wait 2 whole years to get into a medical program as i'm getting old so i'll be looking into the Atlantic Bridge Program and Sackler.

Apply today. Your chance diminishes with time but never quite reached zero until the deadline. You sound like a strong candidate.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

Apply today. Your chance diminishes with time but never quite reached zero until the deadline. You sound like a strong candidate.

If he applies today and the mcat score is poor, he then becomes a reapplicant to those schools...

The way the OP writes, it sounds like he's foreign, which makes it harder. I would probably consider waiting. Other opinions could vary though...

 

[IceyDice]

If he applies today and the mcat score is poor, he then becomes a reapplicant to those schools...

The way the OP writes, it sounds like he's foreign, which makes it harder. I would probably consider waiting. Other opinions could vary though...

I'm a Canadian. What other options are you talking about?

Apply today. Your chance diminishes with time but never quite reached zero until the deadline. You sound like a strong candidate.

That makes me feel a lot better.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

I'm a Canadian. What other options are you talking about?

I'm saying that as a Canadian, you have to target specific schools that are open to international students (meaning primarily Canadians) and make sure your application is as good as possible for those schools. Applying without knowing your MCAT and coming back with a bad MCAT would likely turn you into a reapplicant. Then its harder the second time around to get in.

Medical school is a marathon, not a race. They aren't going anywhere. Take the time to make your application as good as possible the very first time.

 

[candbgirl]

According to AAMC in 2014 , 1901 international students applied for admission to US MD schools.409 were accepted and 300 matriculated. I think there are only. 62 schools that accept international students. Your application will be really late when you are marked complete. What's the rush? Why not wait until next cycle and spend this year buffing up your ECs etc..


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[WarrensBeenThere]

Suggest you wait, but no real issue with trying.

 

[bigindian4891]

Projected MCAT? I love how many threads have "I anticipate a 510" " I see myself getting a 518" "Theres no way Im getting below a 511"...

Theres no score until you actually get the results.

 

[IceyDice]

Yes there is. You then become a reapplicant. Besides the fact, one cannot make a rational choice of where to apply without an MCAT score.
applying this late, especially as an international student, is a difficult hill to climb

What is wrong with becoming a re-applicant? In Canada it's usually preferred.

According to AAMC in 2014 , 1901 international students applied for admission to US MD schools.409 were accepted and 300 matriculated. I think there are only. 62 schools that accept international students. Your application will be really late when you are marked complete. What's the rush? Why not wait until next cycle and spend this year buffing up your ECs etc..

The rush is i'm getting old. I'm already 24. Medical school causes you to push back major life events such as buying a house, or having children because it postpones collecting an income and puts you into major debt. If i'm not working until i'm in my 30s it's going to significantly complicate these things and make them more difficult.

 

[gyngyn]

What is wrong with becoming a re-applicant? In Canada it's usually preferred.

.

A re-application is viewed "differently" in the US. State schools tend to be more tolerant toward their residents, but you don't have one...
Some schools hardly consider re-applicants and don't accept more than one re-application.
The best strategy is a single strong application.

 

[candbgirl]

You know what? You asked questions and people gave you answers. If you didn't want answers from very knowledgable people you shouldn't have asked the questions. So go ahead and do what you want to do. You seem to have a come back for every answer so there is really no sense in you seeking more information from the people here.


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[IceyDice]

You know what? You asked questions and people gave you answers. If you didn't want answers from very knowledgable people you shouldn't have asked the questions. So go ahead and do what you want to do. You seem to have a come back for every answer so there is really no sense in you seeking more information from the people here.

Why are you so angry? Every one of your responses has contained a hostile tone.

When a school sees a reapplicant, they view it as someone who has applied to multiple medical schools, all of which have evaluated you and decided to reject you. That already raises the bar



Oh, you are telling the wrong person that one. I have spent most of my advising career helping hundred of nontraditional and older students get into medical school. i regularly help people in their 30's, 40's and 50's go on to school. If you are worried about all the other items in life and income, then medicine is one of the hardest paths to achieve that. So much investment in time and money is needed up front before you get that payoff in the end. You would be better off as a UPS driver or auto mechanic as the analysis below shows

http://graphaday.blogspot.com/2010/04/doctor-salary-vs-ups-driver.html
http://www.er-doctor.com/doctor_income.html

Thank you for your advice, you seem to be coming at it from a different perspective than a lot of people here which is nice. I guess another big worry is that I don't have a strong connection with the professors who wrote my letters of reference and i'm worried I won't be able to ask them/they won't remember me a year from now.

A re-application is viewed "differently" in the US. State schools tend to be more tolerant toward their residents, but you don't have one...
Some schools hardly consider-re-applicants and don't accept more than one re-application.
The best strategy is a single strong application.

Okay, that is good to know, thank you. I'll have to seriously think about applying to American schools this year then.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

In Canada it's usually preferred.

But these aren't Canadian schools. Make sure to apply one time with the best app you possibly can.

The rush is i'm getting old. I'm already 24. Medical school causes you to push back major life events such as buying a house, or having children

I'm 24 and already have two kids. I work at a hospital where a large portion of the docs had multiple children during med school and residency. I will hopefully be starting medical school next year, while medical school is time consuming it doesn't need to put your life on pause.

I also want to add don't just assume you are going to get a 512, I had a very good friend who hit 513 on the MCAT scored and then hit 503 on test day. Until you actually have a real score then it is pointless to try and determine chances