1 Interview, thinking of retaking MCAT or more coursework... advice?

[2019MDApplicant123]

Hey all,

So far I've had 1 interview and am also on an "interview waitlist" which I don't think I'll get off. Interview was at my state school in December, apparently we won't hear back until late Jan/early Feb for my specific interview date. Since I've only had one interview so far, I am making plans for my reapplication.

Stats:
Asian, humanities degree

sGPA ugrad: 2.98
sGPA post-bacc: 3.75
sGPA total: 3.29

cGPA ugrad: 3.38
cGPA total: 3.45

-no real strong upward trend until my formal post-bacc, which was 8 courses over 1 year.

MCAT: 510 (127, 127, 127, 129)

• Clinical
  • 360 hours
• Research (no pubs, no posters, no presentations)
  • Hard science labs: 1000 hours (majority from while I applied this year)
  • Humanities: 300 hours
  • Classes: 166 hours
• Shadowing
  • 200 hours
• Non-clinical volunteering/paid
  • 1538 hours

Schools applied to:
Albany
Einstein
Rosalind
Creighton
Emory
GWU
Georgetown
USC
Temple
Loyola
MCW
Oakland
Rush
Jefferson
Tufts
Tulane
UW
WSU
several T20s as a crapshoot after I was finished with all of the above

I also didn't submit my secondaries until mid/late September which could have had a factor. When I reapply, I'm going to make sure they're submitted within the week of receipt.


I asked my counselor what I should do, and they told me to focus on my grades, and to get my sGPA total to a 3.7... From my calculations, even after doing 10 years of full-time coursework with all As, I'd be looking at a ~3.5 sGPA total. They told me that even if I get a 528 that it won't really change my odds for MD because of my GPA, despite my year at a formal post-bacc (I guess since I didn't ace my post-bacc courses?).

In my opinion, if I take my time through 6 months of full time studying and do well on the MCAT (520+), that would make a difference for my odds at MD and maybe makeup for my poor GPA? But I don't want to make a wrong decision at this point in time, so I'm open to any input..

My options (IMO):
1. Quit my current lab research, study full time for the MCAT at the end of April (~3 months to study) and reapply 2021 cycle
2. Take a whole year off, take the MCAT, get more clinical hours and reapply in the 2022 cycle
3. Focus more on grades and do another post-bacc or SMP

Can anyone give me some recommendations please? I have thought about overseas medical schools, but I am still aiming for low-tier MD schools. When I reapply, I will consider adding in DO schools. Thank you in advance!

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[Davidfromcali]

what state are you from?

 

[Sky138]

Probably Washington

 

[Osteosaur]

Your MCAT is fine. But that that GPA may be killing you. The post-bac by itself may not be entirely making up for it, especially if taken together its 3.29.

I think this is a situation where you either need to do an SMP, or go DO. Speaking as someone who has reapplied you really need to get into the mindset that you are below average as a candidate and are fighting for your life. Applying late, or wasting time on the off chance someone at Harvard really likes you just doesn't fly. Pick more schools like Temple and GW (mid-range private) and throw in Drexel. Also apply WAY earlier. You may be a lovely person but that app looks like everyone else's with lower numbers. You may be a great person but you aren't going to jump out in the MD admissions circuit.

 

[Genji_Shimada]

I always say be non traditional and confident. I applied to one school with 497 and 4.2cumulative. don’t retake the mcat. You will look unsure.

Many here claimed I’d never ever get in, but I got in to allopathic school with merit scholarship and had all A’s and one F . When Dr. “bad cop” was doing her part of the interview, talking about how mcat was just rly low why didn’t I retake etc. I said something along the lines of “I'm so glad you noticed, I also feel like it really highlights the rest of my stellar academic career!”

ppl will disagree, and they are entitled to! And I’m entitled to say what works for me.

I’m now pursuing an md/jd dual degree after failing out of med school (reynauds syndrome + all nighter before 3 exams + not enough to eat equaled one hell of a panic attack. Imagine a bunch of md faculty (ER doctor teaching class) saying you might have rhabdo and that you’ll “recover” from missing the exams. I didn’t lol).


imma be straight with ya- do you think you really think the interview is there because they were on the fence- despite whatever mcat score you got? you have much to offer in an interview! So much I’m sure that “here’s a higher number” makes you automatically seem like you doubted yourselves, their judgment, and you’ll prolly get in anyways haha.

good luck! Dm me how it goes

 

[Genji_Shimada]

Your MCAT is fine. But that that GPA may be killing you. The post-bac by itself may not be entirely making up for it, especially if taken together its 3.29.

I think this is a situation where you either need to do an SMP, or go DO. Speaking as someone who has reapplied you really need to get into the mindset that you are below average as a candidate and are fighting for your life. Applying late, or wasting time on the off chance someone at Harvard really likes you just doesn't fly. Pick more schools like Temple and GW (mid-range private) and throw in Drexel. Also apply WAY earlier. You may be a lovely person but that app looks like everyone else's with lower numbers. You may be a great person but you aren't going to jump out in the MD admissions circuit.

respectfully, I must say that our two approaches should be mixed.

DO is a great point you raised. SMP is an automatic weapon or something, let’s not go down the road of “fighting for life” or “below average.” I failed out yes, but even still, I have the same mcat as before and got an interview at case. THEY said get a 505 and they’d take me. So op they wanna y’all to you, worst case it’s to say they want you but have a cutoff for mcat or gpa or smthg.

I applied in late April with to one school. Don’t do that. But apply to Harvard, especially when people say not to!

you didn’t fail out, you’re reapplying. My cousin is an anesthesiologist, and took 5 YEARS applying. Now he’s chase your dreams, if you do t get in, keep trying. Only give it up when you aren’t feeling like you could live without it.

Ok bye for 15 months! Feel free to flame me if you hate this post, just do it in a dm so you don’t derail op’s thread. All views become valid when the best points of each person becomes an amalgamation of good advice.

LAST thing, if they are randomly (I highly doubt this) just shooting negativity at you, definitely say smthg like “I cant change my gpa, which is why I think the mcat(s) I have on file serve to actually highlight how I am etc etc etc.”

They are considering you as of now. not uou as a college sophomore. I strongly feel that you can balance this dance delicately, but assertively. I’m telling ya you got in, go there knowing you very traditional plight is untraditional and express it with professional confidence.

Let’s not tell people to settle or accept anything other than admission (maybe give up after 7 years I guess).

 

[Genji_Shimada]

I asked my counselor what I should do, and they told me to focus on my grades, and to get my sGPA total to a 3.7... From my calculations, even after doing 10 years of full-time coursework with all As, I'd be looking at a ~3.5 sGPA total. They told me that even if I get a 528 that it won't really change my odds for MD because of my GPA, despite my year at a formal post-bacc (I guess since I didn't ace my post-bacc courses?).

they are stupid then (with good intentions albeit). They are basing things off of statistics that are (I allege) made more conservative so as not to be indirectly culpable if you didn’t get get in? Give it literally zero more thought forever.

 

[GreenDuck12]

they are stupid then (with good intentions albeit). They are basing things off of statistics that are (I allege) made more conservative so as not to be indirectly culpable if you didn’t get get in? Give it literally zero more thought forever.

This seems like hyperbole.

OP, the reality is your school list is heavily weighted to reach schools (Emory, etc) where your GPA is significantly below the 10% band and your mcat is at or below the median. I get the idea of retaking the MCAT to go for a 99% score is more expedient but also statistically unlikely. Look up the AAMCs reporting of score changes for folks who retake the mcat.

I agree with your advisor that more classes are needed but not for the same reason. I think you need to take more classes because right now you only have the equivalent of one year of strong academic performance. That doesn’t seem like nearly enough to convince an admissions committee that you have significantly improved. Any additional increases to your GPAs would be useful as well.

If I were in your shoes, I would plan on additional year of postbac work, and reapply afterwards with a combination of MD/DO schools and for MD schools, pick more reasonable programs. If you aren’t successful at that point, I would look at an SMP.

per your question above about foreign MD programs, I would strongly advise against them. Their business model preys on students with very high tuition and very low residency match/placement rates. Right now you have a pretty solid application for osteopathic medical schools. If you decided that you didn’t want to go through more classes, you could reapply with DO schools next cycle. As far as getting more clinical hours, I don’t think it’s necessary but I do think you should get some non-clinical volunteer experience with communities that are less fortunate the yours.

 

[2019MDApplicant123]

Thank you for the feedback everyone. I've been reading Goro's guide to reinvention and I think I'm debating between an:
1. SMP
2. Formal post-bacc
3. DIY post-bacc at my local state school or local private university.

If all goes well, one more year of post-bacc with all As will bring my sGPA to a 3.35 (Not sure if this is enough for MD, but that's where it'll be at).

For a DIY post-bacc: my state school undergrad courses are notorious for grading on a curve (mean grade of C) deflation as seen in large public universities. I'm not sure it would be similar to my experience in a formal post-bacc with accessible professors and resources. My local private university is less prestigious, and the post-bacc website seems more geared towards nursing students for some reason (closest thing the school offers to hard science/medical graduate programs are nursing and clinical psychology.) Does prestige and rigor of school matter for DIY post-bacc? Or is it just the grades that matter?

@Goro I would appreciate any input. I'm assuming my sGPA is still too low even after my formal post-bacc? If I'm going for MD, which of the three methods of additional coursework should I undertake?

As for MCAT, I think I will retake it in August. That way I'll have it out of the way before I start any fall coursework.

Thank you!

 

[Goro]

It's the grades that matter, at least for me.

With a 510 MCAT, your MD apps were donations. if you're boning for the MD, then you need to retake and score at 513 or better. Otherwise stick with DO schools and your state MD school.