Taking the MCAT a third time

[bosewearer1]

I am one year removed from my BA. I am 23 years old, and don’t plan to matriculate until Fall of 2026. I have about fifteen months to improve my application for MD programs. I have taken the MCAT twice, and am planning on taking it again; I am confident in my ability to do score at least a 513 with a 126 in CARS. I would like advice on how to improve my application, and what schools I could consider with three MCAT attempts under my belt.

1. GPA 3.52
2. MCAT
MCAT1: 510 (126/123/130/131)
MCAT2: 508 (130/122/129/127)
3. New Jersey resident
5. B.A. from Top 25 US Liberal Arts Institution, Biochemistry w Honors
6. Clinical Experience
Interaction with rare disease patients (20+ hours)
Planning on finding opportunity for other clinical experience
Volunteer experience in operating room (50 hours)
7. Research experience and productivity
Chemistry research assistant (2 publications in chemistry journals)
Research assistant at NIH
Speaker at different conferences discussing NIH research
Abstracts published and posters presented discussing NIH research
8. Shadowing experience
Experience shadowing pathology, ent, internal medicine, orthopedic hand surgery (25+ hours) beginning shadowing program this July
9. Non-clinical volunteering
Volunteer at homeless shelter working with children (beginning in July)
10. Extracurricular
Organic chemistry tutor, New York City marathon runner, 2 years of research at NIH
11. Honors/Awards
Honors in biochemistry
Multiple semesters on dean’s list
12. I want to learn about the various connections of the human body in order to treat and care for individuals struggling with illness.

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[Mr.Smile12]

Can you tell us what you have done with clinical and nonclinical experience (with hours)?

 

[bosewearer1]

My research assistant position is translational. I do cell culturing experiments to study the rare genetic disease, and get to meet the patients that I am trying to create a treatment for. I have even had the opportunity to witness an autopsy of one of these patients. It is a very rewarding experience that makes me crave for more understanding of the human body and medicine.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Emphasis on HOURS. Follow the template instructions. Total hours is???

Also what about your prehealth advisors? What do they say about your profile?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

My research assistant position is translational. I do cell culturing experiments to study the rare genetic disease, and get to meet the patients that I am trying to create a treatment for. I have even had the opportunity to witness an autopsy of one of these patients. It is a very rewarding experience that makes me crave for more understanding of the human body and medicine.

You sound like a good candidate for graduate school (MS/PhD). Nothing stands out yet about "why medicine."

 

[candbgirl]

Why are you retaking the MCAT? You went down on the second attempt. What if you go down again?
Have you thought about taking a couple of gap years to develop a med school application? There isn’t one thing in what you’ve shared that says “I want to be a doctor and help people”. Your application screams “lab rat.”
You seem to have no theme to tell your story.

Please fill in this grid if you want good and focused help with your application.

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[bosewearer1]

You sound like a good candidate for graduate school (MS/PhD). Nothing stands out yet about "why medicine."

Please refer to my edited original post.

 

[Faha]

Your application will not be ready to apply in June. At a minimum, you should have 150+ hours of clinical volunteering/employment, 150+ hours of non clinical volunteering and 50 hours of in person physician shadowing when you submit your application. It does not appear that you will have those hours until after June 2024 but may have those hours by June 2025. You should also be aware that many schools average MCAT scores so that even if you increase your score to 512 your average will be 510 (which was your original score).

 

[bosewearer1]

Assuming that I collect these hours, and apply in June 2025, which schools should I apply to?

Your application will not be ready to apply in June. At a minimum, you should have 150+ hours of clinical volunteering/employment, 150+ hours of non clinical volunteering and 50 hours of in person physician shadowing when you submit your application. It does not appear that you will have those hours until after June 2024 but may have those hours by June 2025. You should also be aware that many schools average MCAT scores so that even if you increase your score to 512 your average will be 510 (which was your original score).

 

[Faha]

Assuming that I collect these hours, and apply in June 2025, which schools should I apply to?

For MD schools I suggest these:
Your 3 NJ state public schools
Hackensack
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Belmont
Alice Walton (when it opens)
TCU
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
You are competitive for all DO schools with your stats and I suggest these:
Rowan
Touro-NY
NYITCOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
MU-COM
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
CUSOM
WVSOM
NOVA
ACOM
UIWSOM
AZCOM
TUNCOM

 

[Goro]

For MD schools I suggest these:
Your 3 NJ state public schools
Hackensack
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Belmont
Alice Walton (when it opens)
TCU
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
You are competitive for all DO schools with your stats and I suggest these:
Rowan
Touro-NY
NYITCOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
MU-COM
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
CUSOM
WVSOM
NOVA
ACOM
UIWSOM
AZCOM
TUNCOM

I agree with the wise Faha.