2007-2008-What should I do thread? (where to accept, apply, and chances!) Part 2

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I wish I was 19 again 🙁 Anyway, like others have said, you probably don't have that many credits yet, so just buckle down and hit the books hard. Get the GPA up and rock the MCAT. I know, easier said than done, but that really is the basics of what you need to be doing to get ready for the horrid thing that is....Medical school application process.
 
You're a JUNIOR? and 19? Cool! Me too! The only advice I can give is to retake some stuff. Also, is there an upward trend to your GPA? Because that will help!
 
If you really want to do this, I would suggest you switch majors immediately. Switch to something less intense. If you are having this much trouble now, think about your junior and senior years. There is no need for any pre-med to trouble themselves with such a difficult major. I know people who have either switched to something like exercise science or sports nutrition, or chose it from the get go and all of them graduated with impressive GPA's, med school pre-reqs included. The way I see it, unless you plan on pursuing a PhD as well or extremely gifted, hard majors aren't worth the trouble in the long run. I wish I would have done this.
 
I'm going to throw this out there. My stats are

3.14 GPA
3.43 BCP
28P (7PS/11VR/10BS)

I got ever single secondary I applied to except NYCOM. So to those worried about not getting secondaries, you'll get them if you're above the 3.0 mark and ~24 MCAT. For the schools, secondaries are basically free money. Interview, that seems to be another story...I've gotten 3 so far, and have an informal meeting today with another school.
 
Hey, Im 31 (just turned) I was originally a mechanic self employed and motorcycle stunt rider (still am) before coming back to take a shot at this. Right out of highschool I went to a community college and pretty much bombed everything except for a couple of chem classes..c's. (Yeah that was good compared to others..

So now back at school, a little rough start: here are my stats,
Bio 2 and Phys 1 C+ in both
Chem 1 & 2 B+ in both
OChem 1 B+ Bio 1 B
Taking Phys 2 and Ochem 2 as well as MCAT prep course
Also doing Chem research for credit, so that is another A.
I have letters from D.O., both chem professors, over a year volunteering at Children's Hospital and a letter from them, letter from EMSA for volunteer work and I think thats it.
My Cum GPA 3.3,

So???? be gentle!
Oh, I just submitted my application on AACOMAS. After talking with some schools they told me to submit even without MCAT score and they could still move the process along??? Taking the MCAT on Jan 26

Thanks!!!
 
Motocycle stunt rider, that's pretty cool.👍

I think most people will say on this board that it is hard to know without an MCAT.
 
Thats what I figured, however, the people at LECOM, and PCOM both told me to apply as well as a few others. So I said what the hell and applied to a bunch. I am hoping the stunt rider plays a part...lol!
 
Bump, anyone?? Tex where you at? Anyone else have an opinion?
 
Tiretrauma said:
Bump, anyone?? Tex where you at? Anyone else have an opinion?
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We need to know your science GPA. Also, without an MCAT score everything is up in the air. Not to sound mean, but your chances with a January MCAT (which means that schools will not have your scores until early March) and applying later in the cycle puts you at a big disadvantage . . . unless you kill the MCAT. They will most likely not invite you to interview until they have your MCAT scores, so you're lookin at a late March, early April interview, which is pretty late.

Good Luck :luck:
 
One more try..😕
sithr said:
Hey guys..going to try this one more time and see if I can get some feedback:

Lots of helpful info on this site...👍

Hopefully I can get an opinion or two on my scenario..?

I completed my undergrad as a Film Major (I hope that doesn't hurt my chances) and have the following stats

MCAT - 10BS 9V 9PS (P)
Overall GPA - 3.45
Science GPA - 3.02 (w/o Math) Had B's and C's in a couple of Ochem and Physics courses but did well in Gchem and all bio courses. This past year I have been getting A's in upper division courses like physio and biochem. I hope/expect my sGPA to reach at least 3.2 by March.

EC - Hospital Volunteer, ER Shadow (MD), and should have DO ER shadow and LOR by end of the year.

I have zero research experience and no LORs yet.

I'm really interested in getting into Western (it's local) and wondering if I have a decent chance getting in. I'm thinking it's too late to apply now but should be fully ready to apply early for the next cycle.

I'm having a hard time getting into a research program at my school...Should this be a priority? Or is my time better sent increasing my GPA and shadowing a DO ER physician? Or take the MCAT again? Or something else? Any suggestions about getting into Western?

Thanks in advance for any help!
Click to expand...
 
sithr said:
One more try..😕
Click to expand...

Try to get some leadership experience if you can't get into research. Also, try to become a tutor or a mentor if you enjoy teaching. Keep shadowing as many different types of physicians as possible. If you really want to do research, I would suggest going and meeting with a lot of professors in person and asking them if you can do something (anything) in their labs. Don't just show up unprepared, read up on their research and give them reasons as to why you're interested. If you're doing well in a class, visit the professor during office hours and see if they might be able to help you or know of someone who might have a space. Getting an emt certification might help as well, followed by relevant experience in an ER or something of that nature. Hope this helps!
 
I am a senior in an NJ school and I applied to these schools:
- UMDNJ SOM (Got secondary)
- PCOM (Got secondary)
- NYCOM (Got nothing)
- Lake Erie (Got secondary)
- CCOM (Got secondary)
- UNECOM (Got secondary)
- WVSOM (Got secondary and interview)

I sent out the applications around the beginning of October, the secondaries toward the end of October.

My Science GPA is 3.362, Non-Science GPA is 3.427, and Total GPA is 3.396

My MCAT score was 7 PS, 13 VR, P Essay, 10 BS. This was the second time I took the MCAT, and this was in July.

I shadowed one MD, and two DOs. One of the DO was a graduate of UMDNJSOM, and the other DO is an instructor at UMDNJSOM (Dr. David Mason).

I volunteered at a hospital one summer, and did one summer of research at UMDNJ RWJMS and research at my own school.

I am a double-major in Biology and Psychology.

I attended the UMDNJ SOM Mini-medical school 8-week program in my Junior year.



Do you think I'll get in ANYWHERE? I'm worried because I haven't gotten any interviews lately, except for WVSOM. I'm hoping to get into UMDNJ SOM though. Someone give me a reality check if I need one.
 
Simple Answer: Yes

Your statistics rank you up there very competitive for most osteopathic schools. Hope you had good LORs and your interviews go well.
 
Dude, relax and drink a beer. You've worked hard, now its time to relax.

Besides, its out of you hands. It will workout for you, I promise.
 
MCAT of 30 with a 3.39 (AKA ~ 3.4) overall GPA, I'd have to guess and say your stats are pretty good for a senior 👍
 
packitinstan said:
Try to get some leadership experience if you can't get into research. Also, try to become a tutor or a mentor if you enjoy teaching. Keep shadowing as many different types of physicians as possible. If you really want to do research, I would suggest going and meeting with a lot of professors in person and asking them if you can do something (anything) in their labs. Don't just show up unprepared, read up on their research and give them reasons as to why you're interested. If you're doing well in a class, visit the professor during office hours and see if they might be able to help you or know of someone who might have a space. Getting an emt certification might help as well, followed by relevant experience in an ER or something of that nature. Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions.👍
 
I graduated from a liberal arts college with a 3.975 gpa. i only have a 23 on the mcat. i have clinical and volunteer experience as well as a ton of extracurricular activities. I have been to visit nycom and I KNOW that i am absolutely meant to be at that school. With a score of a 23 what are my chances for getting in? I'm an instate resident as well. I'm hoping to get an interview at least. I feel that i would really be able to convey to someone in admission in an interview that I would be an awesome osteopathic physician. What are my chances for getting an interview? Also how important is it to have a letter of recommendation from a DO? I have shadowed allopathic and osteopathic physicians but i do not have a close enough relationship with a DO to get a letter. Thank for your help.
 
cat8softball said:
I graduated from a liberal arts college with a 3.975 gpa. i only have a 23 on the mcat. i have clinical and volunteer experience as well as a ton of extracurricular activities. I have been to visit nycom and I KNOW that i am absolutely meant to be at that school. With a score of a 23 what are my chances for getting in? I'm an instate resident as well. I'm hoping to get an interview at least. I feel that i would really be able to convey to someone in admission in an interview that I would be an awesome osteopathic physician. What are my chances for getting an interview? Also how important is it to have a letter of recommendation from a DO? I have shadowed allopathic and osteopathic physicians but i do not have a close enough relationship with a DO to get a letter. Thank for your help.
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your GPA is amazing. Hopefully it should offset your MCAT. Your mcat isn't really that low, although it's on the lower side of things.
 
Hi Cat,
I think you have a good chance. Did you got to the open house?
They stated that last year's class average MCAT was 27. You are a little below that but with a stellar GPA. Worst case scenario is that you need to retake the MCAT and score better than 27 to get in next year.
 
Tiretrauma said:
Bump, anyone?? Tex where you at? Anyone else have an opinion?
Click to expand...

Just saw this... yeah, science GPA is important to know. More for some schools than others. With a solid MCAT and science GPA, I know that KCUMB will give you a look. Other schools, like Nova, are big on the non-science GPA. If you can get a high-20's or better MCAT, I think you'll have some options. This late in the game, it is hard to say, but there will still be spots open. Just get all your stuff in ASAP.

Also, GA-PCOM is apparently big on the older non-trads. Might want to give them a look. Where are you from? They favor students from the South, apparently the Southeast specifically.
 
Hi, even though I am still waiting for the verification of my primary application. I just briefly calculated my GPA.
1)Science 3.31
2)Non-science 3.62
3)MCAT 27P

Four research lab experiences, one publication pending. A few awards and scholarships. Moderate amount hospital volunteer. Great LOR.
I am a Canadian.
I have applied to 15 DO schools and the big 4 Carribean schools.

Could you tell me my chances at this stage? Could I get in at least one DO? I think I will start to receive 2' applications around Dec 8th. and I will finish them all in 5 days. So hopefully by mid-december my application will be complete.
 
HI everybody 🙂 I know its pretty freakin late in the application cycle, but I was wondering if I still have a shot if I submit my aacomas primaries within the next week or so?? any advice?? Oh yeah and I got all my letters ready to go in interfolio.
Science GPA 3.3,
Non science 3.5
MCAT 32
 
Glenasaurus said:
HI everybody 🙂 I know its pretty freakin late in the application cycle, but I was wondering if I still have a shot if I submit my aacomas primaries within the next week or so?? any advice?? Oh yeah and I got all my letters ready to go in interfolio.
Science GPA 3.3,
Non science 3.5
MCAT 32
Click to expand...

I say go for it! You've got pretty good GPAs and a great MCAT. Just get the app in as soon as you can because it takes several weeks to be completed by AACOMAS. In the meantime locate the secondaries for all the schools you are applying to and have them ready to go out once your primary application is sent. :luck:
 
Just wondering my chances at CCOM and NSU-COM
cum GPA:3.42
Science: 3.46
MCAT: 27M
3 years of volunteer work at hospital along with clinical summer work.
 
BCPM: 2.95 and non science is 3.56 overall 3.22. Sucks more than I thought it would. I'm shocked I even got the secondaries that I got.
 
umean2tellme said:
BCPM: 2.95 and non science is 3.56 overall 3.22. Sucks more than I thought it would. I'm shocked I even got the secondaries that I got.
Click to expand...

Be glad about the secondaries. So, there are several threads about gpa shock, did you not know what your gpa was going to be? Either way, it's not bad at all! I've seen much lower make it into medical school. Good luck!
 
Apply to Nova, but not KCUMB.

Nova told me that my non-science GPA was too low. Of course, its like 2.2
 
umean2tellme said:
BCPM: 2.95 and non science is 3.56 overall 3.22. Sucks more than I thought it would. I'm shocked I even got the secondaries that I got.
Click to expand...


yeah, kinda stinks to think that if you had never taken a science class at all, you could be well over the 3.5 range...i personally think that that gpa (the one without sci, factored in) should count as our overall...but thats just wishfull thinking....superwishful.:laugh:
 
My overall non-science sucks balls. Most of my kinesiology degree, with a few exceptions, is in the non-science category, and I graduated with a 2.2 GPA.

All but one or two classes of my post-bac 80+ hours are science classes, and that's where I started doing well.
 
my science gpa is killing me tooo... good luck to the both of us..
 
Haha I knew it wasn't going to be great but i was thinking closer to 3.1. organic chem = gpa euthanasia with a fork
 
umean2tellme said:
BCPM: 2.95 and non science is 3.56 overall 3.22. Sucks more than I thought it would. I'm shocked I even got the secondaries that I got.
Click to expand...

Where did you apply and where did you get secondaries? Here is pulling for the underdogs we've got to keep each other going
 
LauraDO said:
Where did you apply and where did you get secondaries? Here is pulling for the underdogs we've got to keep each other going
Click to expand...

nsucom
azcom
unecom
msucom
nycom

got secondaries from msucom, nsucom (completed the secondary just waiting for them to get signature page) and unecom.

does msucom send out secondaries to everyone that meets the gpa cut off? there secondary is quite intimidating and I dont know if it's worth filling out if i haven't shadowed a DO (did shadow md).
 
I am a non-traditional student that came back to school after about 10 years. Directly out of high school, I was, well lets just put it, not very interested in school, and didnt do anything. Needless to say my grades were non-existent and my gpa was in the 1.... range.

So, a couple of years ago, I decide to go back to school, and I do much better, gpa 3.4. However, I apply to medical school and AACOMAS needs all of my grades from everywhere...now my overall and science are 2.2. I got murdered!! Anyone have any advice? Im old and dont want to keep repeating or taking classes to get this gpa up just so that when its calculated with my early years it over comes it.
 
Well, first of all, AACOMAS didn't murder you.

Second, sounds like you don't understand the whole grading process of AACOMAS very well.

You can help your GPA by retaking those courses you did poorly in and doing well.

Otherwise, with your current GPA, you are not going to get in based on all the schools' cutoffs.

Old is very relative. How old are you exactly?
 
megboo said:
Well, first of all, AACOMAS didn't murder you.

Second, sounds like you don't understand the whole grading process of AACOMAS very well.

You can help your GPA by retaking those courses you did poorly in and doing well.

Otherwise, with your current GPA, you are not going to get in based on all the schools' cutoffs.

Old is very relative. How old are you exactly?
Click to expand...

I just turned 31, and not interested in taking more classes. I think I have proved my abilities in the last few years. Why should what I did as an idiot teenager make a difference now? My application otherwise is pretty strong i feel.
 
Tiretrauma said:
I just turned 31, and not interested in taking more classes. I think I have proved my abilities in the last few years. Why should what I did as an idiot teenager make a difference now? My application otherwise is pretty strong i feel.
Click to expand...

I'm 31 too, and if I had to do it, then you do too.

EVERYONE is required to submit all college transcripts, even if you took them in high school. No exceptions.

Please, please, please don't be a troll.
 
I graduated with a 2.2, and I had to take 80+ hours of post-bac at about a 3.4 clip, to go along with a 33 on the MCAT, to get accepted. And even then, it hasn't been a cakewalk.

Luckily, I didn't take a lot of things classified as "science" in my undergrad, so I came out with about a 3.3 cumulative science GPA.
 
80 + wow!! Congrats bro on your acceptance!!

As for being a troll,(not sure what that means) just because you had to do it, doesnt mean I have to or should! I am confident in my abilities and know without a doubt this is what I want to do, and osteopathic was the way I wished to do it, but If I have to wait and take more classes, I will hit the carribean instead.
 
Give us a breakdown of all your numbers. Cumulative GPA, science GPA, non-science GPA, post-bac, MCAT, etc
 
Tiretrauma said:
80 + wow!! Congrats bro on your acceptance!!

As for being a troll,(not sure what that means) just because you had to do it, doesnt mean I have to or should! I am confident in my abilities and know without a doubt this is what I want to do, and osteopathic was the way I wished to do it, but If I have to wait and take more classes, I will hit the carribean instead.
Click to expand...

The schools and AACOM are not going to change their criteria just for you. The bottom line is that you are not going to get in anywhere with that gpa, even with a 45 MCAT, unless you raise it to the minimum cutoffs.

You might even have trouble in the Caribbean with that gpa.

If you don't believe me, just contact the schools you are interested in and tell me what they say when you tell them you are going to apply with a 2.2 gpa. I guarantee they will all tell you that your chances are zero because you don't meet the minimum requirements.

I'm just one person who's gone through this admissions process from start to finish and I applied to a lot of DO programs and know their criteria.

I wish you luck, though, because that's the only way you'll get in with a 2.2 gpa.
 
TexasTriathlete said:
Give us a breakdown of all your numbers. Cumulative GPA, science GPA, non-science GPA, post-bac, MCAT, etc
Click to expand...

What I like to refer to as the early years- Cum 1.4, Science 1.8,

The good years, Science 3.2,Non science 3.8 +Research, Volunteer and letter of rec from Children's Hospital and all science profs.
 
You know, the ER docs call people that do that crap on crotch rockets "organ donors". Hey, looks like fun though - as long as the pavement or another car doesn't kiss you at a high rate of speed.
 
megboo said:
The schools and AACOM are not going to change their criteria just for you. The bottom line is that you are not going to get in anywhere with that gpa, even with a 45 MCAT, unless you raise it to the minimum cutoffs.

You might even have trouble in the Caribbean with that gpa.

If you don't believe me, just contact the schools you are interested in and tell me what they say when you tell them you are going to apply with a 2.2 gpa. I guarantee they will all tell you that your chances are zero because you don't meet the minimum requirements.

I'm just one person who's gone through this admissions process from start to finish and I applied to a lot of DO programs and know their criteria.

I wish you luck, though, because that's the only way you'll get in with a 2.2 gpa.
Click to expand...

If you did all this, what were your stats and where are you now? Did you get in anywhere?
<hater> Ill get in, I wont stop until I do!
 
gasapple said:
You know, the ER docs call people that do that crap on crotch rockets "organ donors". Hey, looks like fun though - as long as the pavement or another car doesn't kiss you at a high rate of speed.
Click to expand...


I ride with ER docs first of all, and I dont do any stunts or shows unless it is in a controlled safe environment. Im performing in the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh in January, dont think I will get hit by any cars there..
 
Tiretrauma said:
80 + wow!! Congrats bro on your acceptance!!

As for being a troll,(not sure what that means) just because you had to do it, doesnt mean I have to or should! I am confident in my abilities and know without a doubt this is what I want to do, and osteopathic was the way I wished to do it, but If I have to wait and take more classes, I will hit the carribean instead.
Click to expand...

You may be confident in your abilities, but that dosn't mean that the adcoms will be. I did the same thing, and sucked it up and retook classes that I did bad in and improved my GPA to 3.1. I am not sure why you think that you should be exempt from the hoops that we all have to jump through. Most of us are confident in our abilities, but the fact of the matter is that there are thousands of confident applicants that schools have to sift through, and your stats need to meet their minimum standards to even be considered. If you are interested in the Carribean, go for it. They do have GPA requirements as well, though usually less stringent. The application deadlines for many of the Carribean schools are later though, so you can apply DO if you want and if you don't make and don't want to wait you can go for the Carribean. Just be prepared to explain why your GPA is where it is, and have a backup plan in case you don't get in anywhere.
 
Lokhtar said:
TexasTriathelete is an exception, not the rule. Most won't get in with his GPA, let alone yours. Take the MCAT, and go for the caribbean or one of the other overseas schools.

Also, I believe Texas will discard anything over ten years old, so maybe you can apply there?
Click to expand...


Yep, under the Texas Fresh Start provision... Keep in mind that you will be "tabula rossa" for anything older than 10 years meaning that you will have to retake all pre-requisites. Bummer, I'd think, but might be the only way. I'd considered "Texas Fresh Start" but my undergrad GPA was at a 3.0 and then I had over 40+ hours graduate-level science coursework at approximately 3.5 to pull attention away. You could overshadow that with post-bacc work but the consensus is you might need to retake some of those ugrad courses and do well on the MCAT.
 
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