APPLY DO Primary September, complete Mid october?

[jimhawking]

Apply DO or not​

Hi im 25, graduated 2021. 3.85 gpa and im taking my mcat in end of august. I have only studied 2 wks for the mcat so far. I have a lot of great ecs more than 2k hours of clinical work, leadership, nonclinical volunteering etc.
I do not want to take another gap year, the mcat i had couple situations arise. I cant afford another gap year since i need to support my fiance and I. But it is what it is no excuses.
Will I be ok sending DO applications in September and having secondaries done beginning of October?
Thanks
@Goro , anyone else that can help

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[Goro]

Yes.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

I’m more concerned about you rushing the MCAT which might lend you into another gap year either way (with a bad score on top of it). But no, that would not be too late to apply DO.

 

[jimhawking]

I’m more concerned about you rushing the MCAT which might lend you into another gap year either way (with a bad score on top of it). But no, that would not be too late to apply DO.

I see, thanks a lot. Wouldnt a retake be fine? Is there anything to really lose?

 

[Goro]

I see, thanks a lot. Wouldnt a retake be fine? Is there anything to really lose?

The MCAT is as much an assessment of judgement as it is for competence.

Quoting the wise Homeskool: Taking the MCAT is like getting married: ideally you only do it once, and the more times you do it the worse you start looking to suitors with good judgment.

 

[jimhawking]

The MCAT is as much an assessment of judgement as it is for competence.

Quoting the wise Homeskool: Taking the MCAT is like getting married: ideally you only do it once, and the more times you do it the worse you start looking to suitors with good judgment

Thats a great quote lol. I havent taken it before however. Is it that risky you think?

 

[DrStephenStrange]

I see, thanks a lot. Wouldnt a retake be fine? Is there anything to really lose?

When you submit your app all your scores are available for the schools to see. It can be interpreted anyway they like.

 

[Goro]

Thats a great quote lol. I havent taken it before however. Is it that risky you think?

Don't take a high stakes, career deciding exam until you are 100% ready for it.

Med schools aren't going anywhere.

 

[jimhawking]

Don't take a high stakes, career deciding exam until you are 100% ready for it.

Med schools aren't going anywhere.

i agree but im 25 and im getting old with nothing to show. i also have a fiance which makes it even more embarrassing and a whole family to explain it to.

 

[_med21_e]

i agree but im 25 and im getting old with nothing to show. i also have a fiance which makes it even more embarrassing and a whole family to explain it to.

I promise you there’s nothing to be embarrassed over. As someone who took 3 application cycles and is in their late 20s, I wish I gave the MCAT more thought. I wished I could have seen what a blessing those multiple cycles were and take advantage of the time I had. I wish I could have worried less about getting in at a certain age. I spent more effort trying to get IN versus actually considering which school I was gonna spent 4 years of my life at. Take your time. There’s no rush. Med school will still be there no matter what. I do think it’s concerning you’ve only started studying 2 weeks for an exam that’s at the end of this month but you know yourself best. Uworld and AAMC resources are your best bet. Just please be prepared for the reality of OMM and taking multiple board exams if you go the DO route.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

i agree but im 25 and im getting old with nothing to show. i also have a fiance which makes it even more embarrassing and a whole family to explain it to.

I was living with my parents and didn’t get into medical school until I was 27. Trust me I know the feeling. I had many people in my class that were in their 30s when they started, and 1 in their mid 40s, and another one in their early 50s. Every one has their own path to medical school, nothing to feel ashamed about. Trying to rush things could actually lead to worse outcomes than taking your time to do it the right way.

 

[jimhawking]

I was living with my parents and didn’t get into medical school until I was 27. Trust me I know the feeling. I had many people in my class that were in their 30s when they started, and 1 in their mid 40s, and another one in their early 50s. Every one has their own path to medical school, nothing to feel ashamed about. Trying to rush things could actually lead to worse outcomes than taking your time to do it the right way.

Thanks for this perspective man, how would you go about explaining it to my family and others if you were me, i wimped out? idk i just feel ashamed. and how did you deal with it personally?

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Also, you can only take the MCAT 7 times in your lifetime. Imagine not getting a good score the first couple times, then when you finally get a decent enough score, you may not get into medical school right away (many perfect applicants take 2-3 cycles before they get in, let alone someone with multiple retakes; only about 40-50% of all applicants manage to get an acceptance in any given cycle). Then your MCAT also expires after 3 years, and you may need to retake it again if you never manage to get in. All these can be factors adding gap years after another and potentially decreasing your chances as you go. That’s why you need to have a game plan and not rush things from the get go.

 

[jimhawking]

Also, you can only take the MCAT 7 times in your lifetime. Imagine not getting a good score the first couple times, then when you finally get a decent enough score, you may not get into medical school right away (many perfect applicants take 2-3 cycles before they get in, let alone someone with multiple retakes; only about 40-50% of all applicants manage to get an acceptance in any given cycle). Then your MCAT also expires after 3 years, and you may need to retake it again if you never manage to get in. All these can be factors adding gap years after another and potentially decreasing your chances as you go. That’s why you need to have a game plan and not rush things from the get go.

i definitely see what you are saying but i havent taken the mcat before. which is why i feel its a blank slate.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

i definitely see what you are saying but i havent taken the mcat before. which is why i feel its a blank slate.

You wanna take the MCAT once and be done with it. There’s no clean slate. You should not go into it thinking you can just retake it and everything will be just fine.

Most people study at least 3 months for the MCAT. I really don’t think you’re doing yourself a favor by studying only for a month, but then again you know yourself best, so do what works for you.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

3.85 gpa and im taking my mcat in end of august. I have only studied 2 wks for the mcat so far. I have a lot of great ecs more than 2k hours of clinical work, leadership, nonclinical volunteering etc.
I do not want to take another gap year, the mcat i had couple situations arise. I cant afford another gap year since i need to support my fiance and I. But it is what it is no excuses.

Let us know once you get a score. As mentioned, you're on track for AACOMAS application timelines.

You may not want to take another gap year, but you need to be prepared to unless you want to turn into a super-desperate applicant. Because you mentioned you are engaged, you must consult with your partner on your school list.

 

[jimhawking]

Let us know once you get a score. As mentioned, you're on track for AACOMAS application timelines.

You may not want to take another gap year, but you need to be prepared to unless you want to turn into a super-desperate applicant. Because you mentioned you are engaged, you must consult with your partner on your school list.

Thanks a lot, appreciate it

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Many schools will average your MCAT scores. So you ideally only want to take it once. If your first score is bad, it will be hard to get your average up to a competitive score. Take the test when you have adequately prepared.