2007 cycle questions

[Pablo Honey]

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I have a few really pressing questions about applying for the 2007 cycle:

1. My situation is such that I have a very strong MCAT (38S) but subpar undergrad gpa (3.25 overalll....around a 3.0 science). I am currently doing a SMP at barry university but only have 9.0 credits so far (i have maintened a 4.0 GPA). By august i will have 15 credits. Should I wait until august to send in my AMCAS? IF so, will this significantly hurt my chances?

2. I have very strong volunteer experience (including a year service in Americorps), however, i have very little experience in the medical field (i.e. no shaddowing or voluteering at a hospital). In fact, my only really med experience was working in a D.O. clinic (it was this experience that caused me to rule out applying to D.O. Schools). Is this drawback significant enough to warrant waiting until the 2008 cycle?

3. Lastly, i was considering drawing on one of my positive experiences working in the D.O. clinic for my personal statement...is this a bad idea if applying to an M.D. school (the statement looks not at the validity of osteopathic medicine, but rather one of the more personal experiences i had with a patient).

thanks in advance for any advice offered.

 

[socal1015]

Check this thread it out. It might be of help

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=280835

What I personally can say is that it's better to have a high MCAT score and lower GPA than the opposite and your score is off the charts. Is there some type of explanation that you can give to adcoms for why your GPA dropped so low? If there was a certain period in your undergrad that you were struggling in which caused your grades to drop but the rest was pretty good, then it might look better for you because you can say that some outside factor hindered your study time.

About the hospital/clinical experience, how long did you work in that D.O. clinic? If you did a good amount of time, I think it should suffice. I really don't think that should hurt you when applying to M.D. schools because they can't expect people to find an M.D. clinic to work at in order to gain experience. I think you should go ahead and apply this year as soon as you can.

 

[Pablo Honey]

thanks for the advice and the link...

just to answer your questions:

1. my gpa was low b/c i wasnt a pre med in undergrad so i wasnt really concerned about my gpa...and i hated undergrad (well the educational aspect at least).

2. I worked in the clinic for for 3-4 months. It was a paying job ( i worked 4 days a week 10am-6pm). I guess the reason im concerned is the fact that this clinic is one of those non-traditional DO clinics where they primarily practice osteopathy and hence are commonly looked down upon by mds.


Also...about the sending in my app in august v.s. june, ...will this significantly hurt my chances?

thanks again

 

[chaldobruin]

I have a few really pressing questions about applying for the 2007 cycle:

1. My situation is such that I have a very strong MCAT (38S) but subpar undergrad gpa (3.25 overalll....around a 3.0 science). I am currently doing a SMP at barry university but only have 9.0 credits so far (i have maintened a 4.0 GPA). By august i will have 15 credits. Should I wait until august to send in my AMCAS? IF so, will this significantly hurt my chances?

2. I have very strong volunteer experience (including a year service in Americorps), however, i have very little experience in the medical field (i.e. no shaddowing or voluteering at a hospital). In fact, my only really med experience was working in a D.O. clinic (it was this experience that caused me to rule out applying to D.O. Schools). Is this drawback significant enough to warrant waiting until the 2008 cycle?

3. Lastly, i was considering drawing on one of my positive experiences working in the D.O. clinic for my personal statement...is this a bad idea if applying to an M.D. school (the statement looks not at the validity of osteopathic medicine, but rather one of the more personal experiences i had with a patient).

thanks in advance for any advice offered.

Your MCAT score is excellent. Your GPA will raise a few eyebrows but with that score you still have a shot at some schools, given the rest of your app is solid. Is there a reason why your GPA is where it is that you can explain to adcoms? Is there an upward trend or is it about the same throughout 4 years?

It might be wise to consider waiting for next cycle, especially if you do not have research. Try looking for a research position as well as a volunteer position in a clinic of some sort this year, and your odds of acceptance will increase dramatically. You want to bring the big guns out for the adcoms.

 

[floridakppr]

I have a seperate question. I took an AP english course in high school, received college credit for it, but took it again in college to ensure that I would not have to deal with certain med schools not counting it. Should I indicate the course in college as a repeat on AMCAS? And, am I right in putting it as a part of the first school I attended?

 

[vtucci]

AP Credits do not translate like real courses on the AMCAS because there is no grade associated therewith so I do not think you need to write it up as a repeat.

I think it might be wiser for you to try to get your AMCAS in a bit earlier (like July) instead of August. But will it significantly hurt your chances? That might depend on the school.

EC-- you have accumulated approximately 12 weeks at 40 hours a week and probably have more clinic time than people who did a few hours over a longer period of time. If you really have outstanding volunteer experiences in other areas, you will probably be okay.

Make sure you write a kick ass PS and make sure your LORs are in order.