The Underdog Applicants Stories

I'll throw in my $.02. As an undergrad, I was a full-time ski instructor, mt. biker, rock climber, partier. My grades sucked! By the second quarter of first year, I lost my 4-yr scholarship. This bumbed me out a bit, but my parents never had high expectations, so earning B's was "something to be proud of". When I graduated (with a 3.25), I didn't even bother to apply to med school. Working, raising a family, moving around the world, training for ultramarathons, and earning a graduate degree (3.9) all contributed to my growing up. For more than a decade, I had regretted the lifestyle I'd had as an undergrad - but never the memories or experience. The most important piece of advice I can offer is FOCUS! If you are studying for an exam, put everything into studying. If you are flying down a rocky slope on a mt. bike, put every fiber of your being into the descent. Whatever it is you are doing - be there. I received 6 interviews, 5 post-secondary rejections, and I am still waiting on post interview word from three schools. Last week, I was accepted to one of my top school choices.
Stay strong, and if medicine is your true calling, never quit.

count me in. my stats are 3.4-3.4 gpa and 25-25 mcat and I am white. I reak of a future DO. by the way, how is it that your mcat is 27-29? did you get extra credit or something? were they just not sure if you deserved a 27, 28, or 29?

thanks

llort said:

... by the way, how is it that your mcat is 27-29? did you get extra credit or something? were they just not sure if you deserved a 27, 28, or 29?

thanks

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Probably multiple sittings/scores

llort said:

count me in. my stats are 3.4-3.4 gpa and 25-25 mcat and I am white. I reak of a future DO.

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Get used to the smell buddy! Ha!

JMC goes to COMP = DO school where we all reak of DO. You get used to the smell, really.

JMC_MarineCorps said:

Get used to the smell buddy! Ha!

JMC goes to COMP = DO school where we all reak of DO. You get used to the smell, really.

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Wow...is that the rudest thing ever posted?

lfesiam said:

K just want to clear up the stats, mcat 27-29 is from 2 sittings =) my gpa is 3.33 overall, 3.58 nonsci, 3.09 science. that's why i put the range of 3.0-3.3 and 27-29.

The story with me is that I had one really bad semester. But I think if you show drastic improvement and persistence, medschools will still consider you...eventhough you might not be the ideal candidate.
I don't think you have to be perfect (3.5+ gpa and 32+ mcat) to get into an MD program.

Thanks for the posting guys, keep the stories comin.

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Yeah, my mcat scores aren't good (26Q, 24N). I feel that I worked really hard for the past 6-8 years (I worked hard in highschool and college) going to school full time and working a part time job on top of extra curriculars. I am going to through the application process right now. It has been difficult, and at this time I have mixed feelings about it. I was rejected pre-interview from my state allopathic school, which I thought I probably had the best chances at 6 months ago, looking at the rest of my application and also the fact that I am a state resident and attend the school's undergraduate institution. I have been invited for 1 interview that is this weekend, but none others so far. The other two allopathic schools to which I applied, have not responded and it's about the end of their interview season. I couldn't apply to more schools due to financial reasons. I am waiting optimistically to hear from my state's osteopathic school, which is my first choice. I will reapply next year if I am unsuccessful, but I am going osteopathic all the way. I came to find out rather late that my philosophy of the care a physician should provide is in line with osteopathy, not to say that allopathic physicians can't offer the same care. I also have more respect and faith in the way osteopathic schools conduct the application process. My word of advice to you would be to research the application processes closely of the schools to which you want to apply. Make sure you apply to school that don't use a formula that calculates a score using gpa and mcat scores (my state allopathic school does that) as an initial screening of applications to offer interviews or even open your file. That way, your file should hopefully get a good review, and qualifications other than mcat (that in my opinion, have more predictive power of your success as a medical student and later a physician), will reveal that you are a good candidate.

USCTex said:

Wow...is that the rudest thing ever posted?

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Couldn't be. I'd say not even close.

Too bad this thread isn't taken seriously, it'd be a great thread if it was. I have a 3.68 Overall 3.38 BCPM 28O MCAT, I know the overall is okay, but the science GPA (complete with a C in OChem 1) has kept me out of most interviews. But hey, if I can do it, SO CAN YOU! Just show your passion for medicine and someone will let you in.

I think I'm in with you guys...I had a 3.4 undergrad, one awful semester including a C- in Physics II. 30P MCAT, and my graduate work has been less than stellar as well. I've been a champ in the osteopathic realm, having five interviews at all five schools I applied to...accepted to three, waitlisted one, and waiting for PCOM. Just got my first allopathic invite to my state school UConn this past week. I am still waiting to hear from several schools, but of those, I think I only really have a shot at NYMC, Drexel, maybe Penn State. And I am starting to accumulate quite a few rejections as well.

I could go on and on about my activities as an undergrad, and how the one bad semester changed everything...but I'll accept full responsibility, make no excuses, and say I had one hell of a good time in college. Good luck to you all, I really think that most of us will fall into place in the coming months. And for me personally, I will have no qualms about becoming a DO if that's where my path leads...but I would sure love to get into UConn!

Hey,
There's hope for anyone. I had a 26 on the MCAT, which I got this last August and a GPA of 3.25 when I applied. I've gotten into both MD schools that I applied to. It might bear mentioning that I have alot of volunteer, leadership, and medical related experiences. I think one thing that might have given me a major advantage is that I only applied to a couple of schools instead of 10 and I really knew those two schools. I researched them and knew what they were looking for in applicants and made sure to highlight those things when I wrote my primary, especially the secondaries, and even more so on the interviews. I had some good letters of rec too. I also prayed like crazy. No joke! Good luck everyone.

I just got accepted to an MD program as an international student (not Canadian) with a 3.2 undergrad GPA, 32 MCAT. Although I should add that I am about to finish my PhD (same 3.2 GPA), which probably helped. Volunteer translator for a couple of months and still waiting to hear from several top fifteen schools where I interviewed, and probably a lot of rejections from the nine schools I haven't heard from.

Moral of the story, it is doable, just apply to a lot of places and be persistent. Experiences out of the ordinary are a plus.

OK, enough lurking for me. My undergrad sucked it up (3.13 overall, 3.03 science), so I had to go to grad school. Lucky enough my university accepted me into two master's programs, and I kicked the MCAT's a$$. I've gotten into a few ("lower-ranked") allopathic schools... see MD Apps profile below.

So there is hope for a crappy undergrad GPA!

...okay, had to jump in here. my stats: undergrad was 2.12, 4.0 bost-bacc and 33 mcat. yes most of the almost 30 schools i applied to told me to f-off but i do have three interviews and two more in the works. Mitigating factors (in my favor) are my undergrad school and leadership/professional experience.

All told, I will be quite the party crasher.

have a couple of acceptances with at 27 and 3.8. Still waiting on a couple of schools post interview. Keep yalls heads up

I have two allopathic acceptances so far (applied to eight schools, waiting on three) with a 3.3 UG GPA, a 23 on the August MCAT, and I applied late . Non URM. It really depends on the school and if you have what they're looking for that year.

My stats aren't horrible - GPA 3.77, MCAT 28, but they're not exactly good. I have already been admitted to two schools, was waitlisted at my top choice, and I am about to interview at one more school (all allopathic). I was pleasantly surprised with my success so far in the admissions process. i think it's important to realize that numbers aren't everything. Go into interviews with confidence. Be sure also to emphasize your good points. Evidence of compassion for others can go a long way in an interview (in my opinion)

USCTex said:

Wow...is that the rudest thing ever posted?

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Not even close. Don't mind JMC. He's just a crazed Jarhead.









Btw, I'm also a crazed Jarhead. I like guns. Fear me.

TheProwler said:

Not in the least, since he was referring to himself.

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i think he was referring to the person who replied "get used to the smell". I agree it was pretty offensive.

I love these underdog stories. My stats: GPA: 3.75, BCPM GPA: 3.8, MCAT: 26. I got spanked by the MCAT, but I really did make an ardent attempt to do ok..hehe attempt. I guess what left me the most frustrated was that I am an extremely good test-taker, I have always scored in the 90% verbal and 99% in math... I got a 1430 on my SATs. So, that correlates to a 42/45 MCAT score. HAHAHAHAHA... sorry I am just enjoying a chuckle and thinking about the number of non-med. of any kind people who think the MCAT is just another standardized test.

We're getting closer and closer to August...so here's how I'm doing in this game so far (it really is a crapshoot game...kind of like russian roulette):
12 apps. out
6 interviews (in addition to the four following schools: BU and AE)
2 acceptances (Robert Wood and Penn State)
2 waitlists (Cornell and NJ Med)
2 rejections (NYU and Columbia)

All others are still fooling w/ my fate
Good luck everybody

sweetpeamd09 said:

I love these underdog stories. My stats: GPA: 3.75, BCPM GPA: 3.8, MCAT: 26. I got spanked by the MCAT, but I really did make an ardent attempt to do ok..hehe attempt. I guess what left me the most frustrated was that I am an extremely good test-taker, I have always scored in the 90% verbal and 99% in math... I got a 1430 on my SATs. So, that correlates to a 42/45 MCAT score. HAHAHAHAHA... sorry I am just enjoying a chuckle and thinking about the number of non-med. of any kind people who think the MCAT is just another standardized test.

We're getting closer and closer to August...so here's how I'm doing in this game so far (it really is a crapshoot game...kind of like russian roulette):
12 apps. out
6 interviews (in addition to the four following schools: BU and AE)
2 acceptances (Robert Wood and Penn State)
2 waitlists (Cornell and NJ Med)
2 rejections (NYU and Columbia)

All others are still fooling w/ my fate
Good luck everybody

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wow that is awesome with a 26. Nice job.

Why I felt like an underdog during this process:

Going for me
3.8/35
motivation
being white, male

Going against me
little to no real shadowing experience
deciding to become a doc after undergrad
NO family (counting extended) with anything more than community college bachelor's --> not knowing any professionals/rich people/docs at all
horribly botched premed committee interview resulting in terrible committee letter
having almost no advising (save SDN)
no nonscience recommendations
being from California
being white, male

The result? I completed 35 secondaries, including most of the top 30 schools, attended 8 interviews and got into 2.

The conclusion? It's not all about numbers.

fakin' the funk said:

Why I felt like an underdog during this process:

Going for me
3.8/35
motivation
being white, male

Going against me
little to no real shadowing experience
deciding to become a doc after undergrad
NO family (counting extended) with anything more than community college bachelor's --> not knowing any professionals/rich people/docs at all
horribly botched premed committee interview resulting in terrible committee letter
having almost no advising (save SDN)
no nonscience recommendations
being from California
being white, male

The result? I completed 35 secondaries, including most of the top 30 schools, attended 8 interviews and got into 2.

The conclusion? It's not all about numbers.

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wait, doesn't your application prove that it IS about numbers since you have fantastic numbers versus good ECs and letters?

neuronerd said:

wait, doesn't your application prove that it IS about numbers since you have fantastic numbers versus good ECs and letters?

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I guess it doesn't prove anything! I didn't clarify which schools were receptive to my app. I was 1-for-20 in getting interviews from top 30 schools. I was around 10-for-15 in getting interviews from Cali-friendly state schools and lower-ranked privates.

I concluded what I did by assuming that someone with my numbers and more of a normal/typical/good application would get lots of interviews at top 30s.

Caucasian Male
3.4 Overrall GPA
3.3 BCPM
29Q MCAT
A little research
Tons of Clinical
Good LOR's
Worked full time as a medic during undergrad-non trad student
Accepted at several DO, a few MD
Attending Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MD) fall 2005

yes, kiddies, it can be done!

http://www.mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?myid=02642

lfesiam said:

Hey everyone

Unlike many ideal applicants with 3.5+ gpa and 32+ MCAT, I'm proud to say I am an underdog because I worked my butt off for the 3.0-3.3 gpa and 27-29 MCAT (ROCKY song playing in the background). Just want to reach out to people like me and would like to hear some stories from you guys.

I'm applying for the entering class of 2005 and so far I have 1 interview at Oklahoma and was put on the "intermediate" pool (inteview waitlist) at SUNY Buffalo and SUNY Upstate. Other than that, I received a bunch of rejections. I'm still waiting to hear from about 10 more schools. So keep your heads up everyone!


Research Tech A, thomas jefferson univ
BA, univ of penn 2004

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My story is in the Me link right below my post. it's my MDapplicant profile.

I attended a very small liberal arts college (no one outside the area really knows of it), graduated with a 3.46 overall, 3.48 general, 3.43 science GPA, MCATs 1st was a 26L (terrible) and second was a 30O (12verbal, 10bio,8 psci). I had a ton of good volunteer experience, was a NSF research fellow, applied for and received a Sigma Xi grant for personal research, and was an NIH IRTA fellow for 2 years. Have one paper published and a good amount of clinical experience. I applied to 15 schools total, got 8 interviews, waitlisted at 7, rejected to one, and finally got in off a waitlist. Persistence, thats what it takes.

3.5 GPA
25P MCAT
no research
not URM
got into top choice