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Hey guys,
Here are my stats:i recently (1/28/2012) took my mcat retake after scoring only a 22 the first time. My new score is a 32 (i still can't believe it!). I calculated my gpa using the calculator posted on SDN and found that my overall gpa= 3.2 and science gpa= 3.2.
Below are my extracurricular activities:
-2 years of nonclinical research with a pending publication
-over 50 hours of shadowing an MD, a D.O., a PA
-4 years as a volunteer in the eye clinic of my school's student health center (took appointments, assisted patients with selecting contact lenses and glasses, took patient x-rays)
-spent 2 summers volunteering in a hospital in a developing country (loads of patient contact)
-worked full time in a sporting goods store for 4 years
-started a small business with my own employees ((Would this count as leadership experience ??))
-volunteer tutor for 3 years
-part of fundraising committee of an organization that mentors high school students
-I already have a recommendation letter from the D.O i shadowed and will be able to get one from an M.D.
I feel like I am lacking in clinical experience so maybe i should take a gap year and get a job in a hospital setting.
Below are my questions:
- Do you think i should give applying in the upcoming cycle a shot or wait until next cycle?
-If i do take a gap year and apply in the 2013 cycle, would i still have a chance to reapply in the following year without my mcat score expiring?
Agreed. You have a great shot
Don't put it off unless there is something else you really want to do before you go to med school (keep in mind, you can always work in a clinical setting during the year you are applying).
there really isn't anything else i want to do. i graduated in june and spent all my time until January to study for the mcat. i knew with a 22 no school would even consider me. now, all i want to do is fulfill my dream of becoming a D.O. hopefully, at least one school will consider me good enough and give me a chance.
I think you'll have no problem getting interviews as long as you raise that MCAT to about a 27-28
He/she already said they got 32 on the retake!
I think you'll have no problem getting interviews as long as you raise that MCAT to about a 27-28.
Oh, and apply EARLY. This really matters a lot more than people think (of course, there are the exceptions... but don't risk it).
I think you're good to go, though some exposure to sicker US patients than found in an eye clinic would be nice to see. If you could get in two-three months of volunteering with acutely ill or injured patients before you apply and continue through the application season (letting schools know about ongoing involvement through update letters), I think you'll have satisfied the most stringent expectations. Consider looking not just at hospitals, but also clinics (private, free-, low-income, VA, family planning, etc), skilled-level nursing homes, and rehab centers, depending on what is nearby.Hey guys,
Note: i am only interested in applying to osteopathic medical schools.
Here are my stats:i recently (1/28/2012) took my mcat retake after scoring only a 22 the first time. My new score is a 32 (i still can't believe it!). I calculated my gpa using the calculator posted on SDN and found that my overall gpa= 3.2 and science gpa= 3.2.
Below are my extracurricular activities:
-2 years of nonclinical research with a pending publication
-over 50 hours of shadowing an MD, a D.O., a PA
-4 years as a volunteer in the eye clinic of my school's student health center (took appointments, assisted patients with selecting contact lenses and glasses, took patient x-rays)
-spent 2 summers volunteering in a hospital in a developing country (loads of patient contact)
-worked full time in a sporting goods store for 4 years
-started a small business with my own employees ((Would this count as leadership experience ??))
-volunteer tutor for 3 years
-part of fundraising committee of an organization that mentors high school students
-I already have a recommendation letter from the D.O i shadowed and will be able to get one from an M.D.
I feel like I am lacking in clinical experience so maybe i should take a gap year and get a job in a hospital setting.
Below are my questions:
- Do you think i should give applying in the upcoming cycle a shot or wait until next cycle?
-If i do take a gap year and apply in the 2013 cycle, would i still have a chance to reapply in the following year without my mcat score expiring?
I think you're good to go, though some exposure to sicker US patients than found in an eye clinic would be nice to see. If you could get in two-three months of volunteering with acutely ill or injured patients before you apply and continue through the application season (letting schools know about ongoing involvement through update letters), I think you'll have satisfied the most stringent expectations. Consider looking not just at hospitals, but also clinics (private, free-, low-income, VA, family planning, etc), skilled-level nursing homes, and rehab centers, depending on what is nearby.
Do you have an upward grade trend in the sciences? Any upper-level Bio or Biochem yet?
What kind of X-Rays are taken in an eye clinic?
What kind of clinic?
A scribe position is an excellent source of clinical experience, which most would feel also includes a shadowing component.i am going to apply to be a scribe, which will provide me with more patient contact than volunteering in a hospital/clinic would.
my only concern is that the application process for a scribe position is longer than applying to be a volunteer at a hospital, however, by the time interviews come in, i should be already working as a scribe. .
A scribe position is an excellent source of clinical experience, which most would feel also includes a shadowing component.
How competitive is the position? Are you likely to get it, and what factors determine who is picked?
sorry for not replying sooner. i have been researching the best opportunities for me to gain clinical experience. i am going to apply to be a scribe, which will provide me with more patient contact than volunteering in a hospital/clinic would.
my only concern is that the application process for a scribe position is longer than applying to be a volunteer at a hospital, however, by the time interviews come in, i should be already working as a scribe.
Can you please give me your input on this.