to reapply or not? accepted student in unique predicament..

[kkkelzoo]

Hello,

I was accepted into a DO program a few months ago and it is my only acceptance so far. However, I am considering reapplying because I am not impressed by what this school has to offer.

My question is: can I become a more competitive applicant in the next cycle without having to improve my MCAT or gpa? My stats are 28 MCAT, 2.49 cGPA, 2.29 sGPA. I graduated in 2014 one year early with great extra curriculars and spent the last year working as a staff assistant in a neurology clinic at a top allopathic school.

Here is my unique predicament: During my interview for my current job at this allopathic school, I told my interviewer/supervisor that I had no interest in attending medical school so that I wouldn't seem like a flight risk. Recently, I was asked to become the residency coordinator for the neurology department at this school and I accepted. This position was thrown at me after multiple faculty members supposedly convinced my supervisor (and eventual assistant dean at this school) that I was leaving for a better opportunity elsewhere and too valuable to lose.

If I decide to attend the DO program, I will have to come clean and tell everyone that I am in fact leaving for medical school in a few months. However, if I reapply, I will be able to serve a full year as a residency coordinator, which might be a good experience as a future med student/resident (I just turned 22 and will be significantly younger than the residents that I will be managing and the pay is nice). Also, I will be able to reapply to this allopathic school with support from faculty members, the chairmen of the neuro and neurosurgery department, a previous president of the school, and my supervisor/assistant dean. I have good to excelleng relationships with all these people and feel that two years of service at this school should be enough to ask for support.

I am just worried that my low stats are holding me back. I am reluctant to retake the MCAT because I have not taken organic chemistry. I am willing to take some more science classes after work to boost my GPA, but I cannot stop working because of my student loans. Taking a second gap year is not a big deal to me because I graduated a year early from school. I am just worried that good rec letters aren't enough to make me more competitive than I already am.

Do I have a chance at reapplying, or should I just commit the next 4 years of my life to this DO program? Please only people who have been in similar situations respond or people with experience working in admissions. Thank you!

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[DrMidlife]

Is that a typo? Your GPA's are below 2.5 and you got a DO acceptance?!?

Is there a strong multi-year mostly science academic performance in this story that isn't reflected in your GPAs?!?

I wouldn't be impressed by that DO school either. Their admissions standards are utterly irresponsible. Carib schools know better than to admit students who are this underprepared for med school.

The MD school where you're working isn't going to reject you for some story you told. It's going to reject you for your GPA.

Unless you're leaving out some big fat redemption in your story, this is a trainwreck. Or you're a troll.

 

[Jlaw]

Getting accepted with that GPA and a borderline MCAT was a coup to begin with. The GPA is what will hold you back as it is likely below the cutoff for 99% of schools. Your MCAT isn't great but some places would overlook it if you had other bright spots on your app. Unless you are going to enter a MS program and utterly dominate it, or spend a few years improving your GPA to >3.0 you probably won't have much success in reapplying. You may need to work on the GPA first to even gain acceptance into a masters program. Retaking the MCAT is pointless as even a stellar MCAT isn't going to help if you are automatically cut before they even look at your app. Also GPA and MCAT are typically correlated so its unlikely that you are going to take it again and score a 40 doing the same thing you did the first time.

I'm not sure how much weight your personal connections at the school will carry. They may help push you over the line if you were teetering on it but med school applications are so competitive that there are literally thousands of other applicants who are better on paper and that does matter to the school. They might like you but probably not enough to take on the risk of having you fail out. Also a year might seem like a long time but in job terms its nothing, you aren't doing them any favors by staying in the position for a year, they are probably hoping you take it for 5-10 years.

So overall- If you want to be a doctor anytime soon take the DO acceptance. Unless you are very confident in your current school saving a seat, you will likely need at least 2-4 years of additional classes to improve your GPA and an updated MCAT before other places will take you.

Good luck.

 

[kkkelzoo]

Omg those are typos! 3.49 and 3.29. I'll fix that and please update your responses too.

 

[kkkelzoo]

Also I have taken or go I haven't taken biochem which is a new section in the mcat

 

[Goro]

I suggest that you give up the acceptance because you really don't want to be a doctor in four years.

Hold your nose until year three, when the clinic stuff will make things better.

Your GPAs are below avg for MD schools, your sGPA especially so, unless you live in a "lucky" state like GA, LA or KS. A 28 MCAT is circling the drain.

Don't thin for a minute that just because the people at the MD school wanted you for this job that they'll want you for a student, or actually can do anything for you, unless they're on the AdCom.

 

[Jlaw]

Ok well given the new info - I would still say take the acceptance, its a gamble to turn it down on the expectation that you might get something better. Like Goro says unless you know people on the adcom who will vouch for you the current job is not going to help you get in. It may get you an interview but that only increases your chances from 1:10,000 to 1:1000 or so.

Sorry there is really no easy answer, at the end of the day you've got to go with your gut, but if you are set on being a doctor then don't turn down an acceptance.

 

[Jagon]

Don't accept. If you don't want to be a DO, than your future DO physician colleagues do not want you to be one either.

 

[kkkelzoo]

I have no issues being a DO, just not a fan of this particular school. Ive been wait listed for both md and do schools. If I get off the list for any of these other schools I'd leave my job with no reservations.

Thanks for everyone's input. I think it is best for me to just accept if this school is my only option and to make the most of it.

Interested to know what you guys think if one of my contacts actually is on the adcom.

 

[Jlaw]

I would try to speak with them candidly, tell them your situation and ask what they recommend and how they feel your app would be received.