* *2009-2010 "What Are My Chances/Where Should I Apply/What Should I Do" * *

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BS and PS are 10
VR is 5
GPA 3.93

I know DO schools have avg. mcat of 25 and above. But with these scores and GPA can I get in.
I have all the other fields like volunteering, shadowing, scholarships, leaderships experiences in profile. Just the stupid VR is killing me...

Your advice would be helpful.
Thanks

first off congrats on such a great GPA, it shows you have what it takes to succeed in medical school..

I also echo others sentiments, retake the MCAT if you can get atleast a 7 on the VR and maintain your PS and BS scores I think you will be golden.
I have heard many times that Med Schools give considerable weight to VR scores then other sections. Get the ExamKrackers guide to Verbal, it provides great tips and do as many passages as you can.

GL

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Retake you should be able to push up your 5 in VR. A 7 or 8 will get you in to the interview of every DO school minus VCOM (if your not from the region) as well as (with luck) a few MD schools.
 
There are schools that will allow you to still apply, but you will be VERY LATE in the admissions process. It may be in your best interest to apply next year...Not telling you not to go for it, but do your research and be prepared! Best of Luck!!!
 
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Not true, doxy. MCAT scores alone won't get you an interview everywhere. Numbers won't get you an interview, but they can certainly keep you out of one.

To the OP: A 5 in VR will definitely hurt you. There are schools with cutoffs for each section, and 5 is well below the usual cut-offs. Some schools don't have cutoffs - but you'll have to do your research carefully. You would be better off getting that 5 up to at least a 7 before applying to have a better chance.
 
Congratulations on your strong GPA. What are you doing to study for the MCAT, and why do you think you're scoring so low? This is something to figure out now, before medical school. You can get all the good grades you want, but if you can't pass the shelf exams and the boards, then you'll be in trouble. Is it a language thing? Might it be helpful to take all the practise MCAT tests and GRE tests you can get your hands on? Maybe take a course?

As to getting into DO school, it's hard to say. With your strong GPA and good EC's, you'll probably get interviewed. It would be important to find out which DO schools accept foreign nationals, and it would be unwise to tell them that you want to go back to Canada. And, frankly, the longer you spend in America, the more you'll probably want to go back to Canada! Also, as a DO, you'll need to do an ACGME residency to have a full scope of practise opportunities back in Ontario.

My advice would be to take a 'research year' to improve your MCAT score, and, once you have a better MCAT, apply to Canadian schools and American MD schools. That year taken now might save you a lot of trouble later on bushwhacking an MD path with a DO degree.

Good luck!
 
BS and PS are 10
VR is 5
GPA 3.93

I know DO schools have avg. mcat of 25 and above. But with these scores and GPA can I get in.
I have all the other fields like volunteering, shadowing, scholarships, leaderships experiences in profile. Just the stupid VR is killing me...

Your advice would be helpful.
Thanks

Quick answer ... you may be able to get in, but probably need a minimum of 7 in each section. However, you can do better ... you know this. You scores in BS/PS and GPA indicate that you are capable of raising that VR and really having a competitive score. There is an issue with the way you are doing VR. You need to change up your methods (look around online, read reviews of companies, etc - I'd recommend EK verbal), practice, practice, practice, and bring the VR up to the PS/BS level. You'll be much happier. Plus, if you're applying 2010 cycle, you have time to study and retake. Good luck.
 
I know someone who got in this application cycle with a 25 (10 ps,10bs,5vr) and a 3.7. But I wouldn't take chances, if you have time re-take the MCAT.
 
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You have plenty of time to retake it. I had a 6 in VR (23 total) and was accepted to three schools and had interviews at two others (did not attend).

I was really nervous and did not have time to take it again... I would highly suggest taking it again.
 
Quick answer ... you may be able to get in, but probably need a minimum of 7 in each section. However, you can do better ... you know this. You scores in BS/PS and GPA indicate that you are capable of raising that VR and really having a competitive score. There is an issue with the way you are doing VR. You need to change up your methods (look around online, read reviews of companies, etc - I'd recommend EK verbal), practice, practice, practice, and bring the VR up to the PS/BS level. You'll be much happier. Plus, if you're applying 2010 cycle, you have time to study and retake. Good luck.

EXAM Krackers Verbal 101 all the way! Keep practicing. The EK books have really good descriptions with the solutions. Look for patterns in how to answer questions. Put yourself in the authors shoes, how would you answer questions from their perspective. Its worth the effort. You'll feel so much better about the application cycle when you bring the score up.
 
With MCAT 25 and 5 in VR I still got an interview at IUSM for 2010 cycle. However, even for the in-state they required 28-30 at least. So there goes the chance..

Not ture that due to my low MCAT I am applying to DO but MD is the degree I dreamed for until I figured out DO=MD. So DO, in my opinion, is a great choice because not as competitive especially in MCAT department.

For those who advised to retake, What is the guarantee that I'll get high VR score and high total MCAT? It's not possible to make the prediction and wait...




With your GPA you probably could have gotten away with a 25 MCAT, but I think a "5" in verbal hurts you quite a bit...who knows though it is all a crapshoot anyway.

(It sounds like you're just looking at DO because of your "less than stellar" MCAT, if that is the case I'd advise against it)
 
With MCAT 25 and 5 in VR I still got an interview at IUSM for 2010 cycle. However, even for the in-state they required 28-30 at least. So there goes the chance..

Not ture that due to my low MCAT I am applying to DO but MD is the degree I dreamed for until I figured out DO=MD. So DO, in my opinion, is a great choice because not as competitive especially in MCAT department.

For those who advised to retake, What is the guarantee that I'll get high VR score and high total MCAT? It's not possible to make the prediction and wait...

Well the hope is that since you have dreamed for this degree, that you would study more, practice more, etc. to guarantee a better VR score and overall. The best advice is to take as many practice tests under test conditions. Typically, your real score will be +/- 3-5 points, usually less, but you never know. Good luck!
 
Do you mind telling us how did u study for your mcat?

Sure. What I found to be the best study guide for science concepts is (seriously) the chapter summaries that are in your science text books. From broad concepts, to key terms the textbooks really helped out a lot before moving to an advertised MCAT study prep. Getting that base knowledge will make further studying a lot easier.

I actually floated between Examkrackers (not the books, the AudioOsmosis) and Kaplan. However, I do not see the need to take the $1,500 Kaplan course, and though Kaplan has been called Craplan, I found their organization of the material and connections between subjects (Bio to Physics for example) to be really helpful. Ive seen the new materials they have out and its better than ever. I do not rec. the premier program. They have a new series of 5 books for each subject with tons (I believe 1000+) of MCAT style questions.

For the sciences I just overloaded on practice questions and vocab. Not so much in hopes of seeing one on the test I took, but to get a grasp of the test itself. Knowing key terms was a LIFESAVER on the test and saved a lot of time to try and think about what something was. The practice questions not only gets you familiar with how you should approach the subject matter, it calms you down a lot for the test itself. For the vocab, (Kaplan offers a book on that too but I found it not that helpful) go over some old SAT English sections. Each vocab passage is set around a problem or significant event to something, (its not random passages from books). You cant really study for the verbal section, you just above par reading comprehension skills. For this the best thing you can do is read. Read short articles online or reports and just summarize. Try to dissect the main idea, parties involved, and all that type of stuff. For the writing section again the best thing you can do is read. From the newspaper, to online news sites like CNN, and also watching TV (the history channel and discovery channel), you need to get a sense of the world and be able to use what you find in support of your thesis statement.

You need to blend your studying from hard core analytical memorizing to critical thinking. If you simply memorize you will not do the best that you can. The MCAT is truly a thinking test and that ability to reason needs to be there. You just do not need to know what cellular respiration is, but how it is and what that means. Most of what you see on the MCAT will seem like a foreign language, do not let this hang you up. The MCAT wants to test how well you can attempt to understand things youve never seen before, by applying only a basic science knowledge. Dont memorize physics formulas, organic mechanisms or all the amino acids, but know what significance they have to human science. This is the biggest hurdle to overcome in MCAT prep.

Good luck.
 
I got defferred from WVSOM. They said that they would re-consider my application at another point in the process. Does this mean I did not get flat out rejected, but have little chance of getting accepted? Who has gone through this to get interviewed later in the spring and accepted? Is there any way to improve my chances of getting an interview at this point? Lots of questions because I don't know what this means and what to do. Thanks.
 
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Is that the only school that you applied to? What are some of your stats so we can have an idea of how you are as an applicant? Also are you a WV resident?
 
Here it goes..

  • MCAT 24 = 10 P, 8 V, 6 B.
  • GPA is a overall 3.4
  • Science GPA 3.2
  • Graduate Work 3.2
  • I have extracurricular activities, including several leaderships/organization positions. Shown commitment to community service for a consistent period of time with various projects/trips. Shadowed various health professionals ie health clinic, hospital setting and nursing home)
  • Will be unable to provide a DO Letter of recommendation; so getting deffered from WVSOM is a moot point

Planning on applying to

  • CCOM
  • PCOM
  • UMDNJ
  • NSU
  • NYCOM
  • UNE


Constructive criticism would be preferred (even though I know perhaps what may be hard to hear...)
 
If you are going to add more schools, you need to do it NOW! It is getting late in the application period. You still have a chance for this year, but the longer you wait, the smaller the chance gets...

That being said, you should start preparing yourself mentally for the fact that you may need to reapply next year. Your MCAT is a little low. I would consider retaking it in the mid summer if you have not heard anything from any of the schools you applied to by april. The rest of your profile is good enough to be a good candidate for most DO schools. You also should look for a DO to shadow to get a DO LOR. Have everything ready and re-apply on the day that the primary applications open for the next cycle. I hope that it does not come to this point for you, but I just think you should be prepared with a plan B if it comes to that. Best of luck!
 
Thanks. It is late in the application process and I feel that I have a small chance at this point in getting in. Although I may be considered competent enough on a certain range of schools, I feel that reading these forums, I can predict that it is not going to be a positive likelihood. I had been waiting on a DO Letter, but that did not work out. And so, now, I need to just submit the rest of my apps. I don't think I can find another DO to shadow to build enough rapport to ask for a letter. My state is not necessarily "DO friendly" in terms of finding someone to shadow. Anyways, thanks for the constructive ("nice") advice. I will submit my apps now.
 
Hi, im going to be a 2nd semester freshman, and i was wondering about what to take for my sophomore year. Does it sound better to take Bio 2/ Chem 2, for my first semester sophomore year, and then take physics 1 alone for the 2nd semester, or take chem 2 my first semester of sophomore year and bio 2/physics 1 my 2nd semester?
 
Personally I'd do the first option, only because it leaves Physics to be done on its own. I struggled with it, as opposed to Bio and Chem, so I needed more study time for it. But honestly it won't make a huge difference, I don't think, so if you have a better physics prof at your school that's only available either in the fall or spring, I'd base my decision on that. I'll move this to WAMC, since it includes "What Should I Do?" type of questions. :)
 
3.3 gpa 3.5 science gpa
shadowing 1 and 1/2 year
volunteer 2 years shelter
1 year volunteer church
Job for 4 years
planing to apply to tourocom
nyit

Could I get in?
what Mcat score would I need?
 
3.3 gpa 3.5 science gpa
shadowing 1 and 1/2 year
volunteer 2 years shelter
1 year volunteer church
Job for 4 years
planing to apply to tourocom
nyit

Could I get in?
what Mcat score would I need?

Yes you could get in, there's no magical MCAT score that will guarantee you an acceptance. I only buy the philosophy that the lower your GPA, the higher the MCAT needs to be to compensate to a point. Most of the people that say this will tell you that you need an abnormally high score like 35+ when in reality very few people get that score in the first place and it's just not realistic. I think you'd stand a good chance at your state school with an MCAT anywhere above their average matriculant.

Edit: Just noticed you're planning on DO schools. Definitely anything over 27 or 28 is not going to get your app tossed because your MCAT score is too low. Study hard and score as high as you possibly can.
 
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Yes you could get in, there's no magical MCAT score that will guarantee you an acceptance. I only buy the philosophy that the lower your GPA, the higher the MCAT needs to be to compensate to a point. Most of the people that say this will tell you that you need an abnormally high score like 35+ when in reality very few people get that score in the first place and it's just not realistic. I think you'd stand a good chance at your state school with an MCAT anywhere above their average matriculant.

Edit: Just noticed you're planning on DO schools. Definitely anything over 27 or 28 is not going to get your app tossed because your MCAT score is too low. Study hard and score as high as you possibly can.

I agree with what was already said. Just try your best and as long as you get above their average score...probably around 27...you should be fine.
 
3.3 gpa 3.5 science gpa
shadowing 1 and 1/2 year
volunteer 2 years shelter
1 year volunteer church
Job for 4 years
planing to apply to tourocom
nyit

Could I get in?
what Mcat score would I need?

Agreed, MCAT 28 or above will get you interviews. Write a good essay and you will be fine.
 
YOU NEED AN MCAT SCORE FOR US TO SPECULATE!


:boom: If I see another one of these type of questions.

Sorry, I was guilty of asking this question before because it can be truly nerve racking. But without an MCAT score it is just us guessing. Take for instance if you got a 36 (studied your a** off and killed the test) your a lock at tons of schools. Or the other side of the tracks if you bomb it and get a 18 kiss your chances goodbye. And if you fall somewhere in the middle (like most of us) I would say you will still have a decent chance at some of the middle tier DO schools.
 
Apply to more than two schools and get a 27-29++ on your mcat. That would put you on the correct path to success. Generally speaking.
 
Yes you could get in, there's no magical MCAT score that will guarantee you an acceptance. I only buy the philosophy that the lower your GPA, the higher the MCAT needs to be to compensate to a point. Most of the people that say this will tell you that you need an abnormally high score like 35+ when in reality very few people get that score in the first place and it's just not realistic. I think you'd stand a good chance at your state school with an MCAT anywhere above their average matriculant.

Edit: Just noticed you're planning on DO schools. Definitely anything over 27 or 28 is not going to get your app tossed because your MCAT score is too low. Study hard and score as high as you possibly can.

First, I think you see this more with MD than DO schools. It's also a simple matter of competitiveness. No, a 35 isn't even close to realistic for most people...but neither is getting into medical school with <3.0 GPA. They kind of mirror each other. One good (albeit rough) way of estimating your competitiveness is simply to figure out your LizzyM score (10x GPA + MCAT). What this basically says is that for every 0.1 GPA point below average at school, you should have 1 pt higher on the MCAT than average. Therefore at a DO school w/ average GPA (of matriculant) of 3.3 and MCAT of 28, a person with a GPA of 3.0 is going to need a 31 to be competitive. The average DO school has a median matriculant GPA of 3.44 and MCAT of 26. For the OP, this means his/her average GPA of 3.4 would require somewhere around a 26-27 to be competitive. This is, of course, assuming all soft factors (clinical experience, volunteer experience, leadership, LORs, interviews, etc.) are on par.
 
First, I think you see this more with MD than DO schools. It's also a simple matter of competitiveness. No, a 35 isn't even close to realistic for most people...but neither is getting into medical school with <3.0 GPA. They kind of mirror each other. One good (albeit rough) way of estimating your competitiveness is simply to figure out your LizzyM score (10x GPA + MCAT). What this basically says is that for every 0.1 GPA point below average at school, you should have 1 pt higher on the MCAT than average. Therefore at a DO school w/ average GPA (of matriculant) of 3.3 and MCAT of 28, a person with a GPA of 3.0 is going to need a 31 to be competitive. The average DO school has a median matriculant GPA of 3.44 and MCAT of 26. For the OP, this means his/her average GPA of 3.4 would require somewhere around a 26-27 to be competitive. This is, of course, assuming all soft factors (clinical experience, volunteer experience, leadership, LORs, interviews, etc.) are on par.

Remember that LizzyM is useful, but it's more of a rough estimate about where you should apply.
 
Do yourself a favor--Apply to as many schools as you can afford and that you could realistically see yourself going to.

This whole process is a crapshoot. Everybody ends up getting surprised with the final results. Some places you didn't think you would get an invite from gives you one, but the school in your hometown silently rejects you. It happens.

The more schools you apply to, the better chance you have of getting in.

And do your best on the MCAT.
 
Remember that LizzyM is useful, but it's more of a rough estimate about where you should apply.

This is true. The analysis of it done for the med school spreadsheet using AMCAS acceptance data did support a near 50/50 value ratio between GPA & MCAT. The spreadsheet itself actually calculates an adjusted score using AMCAS data that might be of more use to the OP if a slightly better (albeit still rough) estimate is desired. (Obtaining said spreadsheet, however does require some creativity at this time.)
 
Hi guys, can you please speculate on my chances? :oops:

I have just submitted my primary AACOMAS today. I realize I am late.

cGPA: 3.25
sGPA:3.2
MCAT: PS:7, VR:10, BS:8, WS:R

-A few years of research
-Hospital volunteering
-Lots of community service & leadership
-Awards
-Good letters of recommendation

I called UMDNJ today and they told me not to bother because I'm so late.. I've applied to the 3 Touros, ATSU-SOMA and WUHS-COMP. Thanks for any feedback.
 
Hi guys, can you please speculate on my chances? :oops:

I have just submitted my primary AACOMAS today. I realize I am late.

cGPA: 3.25
sGPA:3.2
MCAT: PS:7, VR:10, BS:8, WS:R

-A few years of research
-Hospital volunteering
-Lots of community service & leadership
-Awards
-Good letters of recommendation

I called UMDNJ today and they told me not to bother because I'm so late.. I've applied to the 3 Touros, ATSU-SOMA and WUHS-COMP. Thanks for any feedback.
I think you are late and your stats are not stellar albeit not bad. I think your chances are slim to none to get in this cycle. If I were you, I would retake the MCAT and apply next cycle. As you might know already, you GPAs are on the low side; so you might need to get an mcat score of 28+ to compensate for your low GPA. I think for you it might be easier to increase your mcat score since you have a good VR score which is the most difficult section to improve for most people. BS and PS are easier to increase with a little bit more studying. Retake the mcat and apply next cycle. If you dont wanna retake the mcat, you should apply early and broadly to at least 10 schools to get a decent chance.
 
Does this thread confuse the hell out of anyone else? It's a freaking mess. We need to make a sub-forum 'what are my chances' like they have in pre-allo!
 
Hello everyone! I am new to student doc network! I see that everyone offers great advice and I hope that I can help someone out in the future as well. For now, though, I would like to ask you about my chances...
I have a 3.3 cumGPA, 3.1 sGPA. 27O MCAT ...degree in biopsychology, good lor's
low gpa... from first two years... upward trend in 3rd and 4th. also, left high school in 10th grade (high school proficiency exam)
currently 3.94 in an MPH. Applied super late...sent in my supps two weeks ago (death in the family in a state far away, had to be away from home a while (CA). I didn't explain or use that as an excuse in any of my applications because I didn't feel it was necessary. I received secondaries from: AZCOM, CCOM, SOMA, TOURO (CA, NV, NY), NYCOM, NSUCOM, Western. Des Moines rejected me right away, but my only rejection.
What do you guys think? Is there a chance? NSU was the first I completed and haven't heard a peep from them. Other schools at least sent confirmation of receipt of the materials. Does anyone know what the deal with NSU is?
I am just stressing out at this point.... don't want to get my hopes too high...
I am ok with applying next year...but as you all understand, I am excited to get started.
one more things... DO only! Truly passionate about this profession and it is not my back-up. I did mention that in my essays...in a prettier way of course. Thank you all for your help and good luck to every one of you!:love:
 
Hello everyone! I am new to student doc network! I see that everyone offers great advice and I hope that I can help someone out in the future as well. For now, though, I would like to ask you about my chances...
I have a 3.3 cumGPA, 3.1 sGPA. 27O MCAT ...degree in biopsychology, good lor's
low gpa... from first two years... upward trend in 3rd and 4th. also, left high school in 10th grade (high school proficiency exam)
currently 3.94 in an MPH. Applied super late...sent in my supps two weeks ago (death in the family in a state far away, had to be away from home a while (CA). I didn't explain or use that as an excuse in any of my applications because I didn't feel it was necessary. I received secondaries from: AZCOM, CCOM, SOMA, TOURO (CA, NV, NY), NYCOM, NSUCOM, Western. Des Moines rejected me right away, but my only rejection.
What do you guys think? Is there a chance? NSU was the first I completed and haven't heard a peep from them. Other schools at least sent confirmation of receipt of the materials. Does anyone know what the deal with NSU is?
I am just stressing out at this point.... don't want to get my hopes too high...
I am ok with applying next year...but as you all understand, I am excited to get started.
one more things... DO only! Truly passionate about this profession and it is not my back-up. I did mention that in my essays...in a prettier way of course. Thank you all for your help and good luck to every one of you!:love:

Just remember that you late in the application process, and it will take a little longer than normal to hear back from some of these schools. If I recall NSU took about 4-6 weeks to get back to me about an interview, so don't stress it just yet! Nova did not send me a confirmation that they received my materials, but you can check your status online for NSU. Here's the link http://medicine.nova.edu/do/admissions/acceptance.html

Don't stress out just yet... Your numbers are good enough to get in somewhere, but you will have to play the waiting game for now. It never hurts to start making a Plan B... Start thinking about retaking the MCAT over the summer, and be ready to reapply on June 1 if it does not work out this time around. Best of Luck!
 
Does this thread confuse the hell out of anyone else? It's a freaking mess. We need to make a sub-forum 'what are my chances' like they have in pre-allo!

I agree completely! Part of the problem with the confusion is because the mods are just adding other strands to consolidate them in one place. Yes they were posted in the wrong place, but we need a sub forum for this strand!
 
I agree completely! Part of the problem with the confusion is because the mods are just adding other strands to consolidate them in one place. Yes they were posted in the wrong place, but we need a sub forum for this strand!

Good idea!
 
I think you are late and your stats are not stellar albeit not bad. I think your chances are slim to none to get in this cycle. If I were you, I would retake the MCAT and apply next cycle. As you might know already, you GPAs are on the low side; so you might need to get an mcat score of 28+ to compensate for your low GPA. I think for you it might be easier to increase your mcat score since you have a good VR score which is the most difficult section to improve for most people. BS and PS are easier to increase with a little bit more studying. Retake the mcat and apply next cycle. If you dont wanna retake the mcat, you should apply early and broadly to at least 10 schools to get a decent chance.

Unfortunately I can't afford to (financially) hang around for one more year to try again. I will have to start in the Caribbean this year if I don't have any luck with DOs.
 
My stats:
MCAT: V-10 BS-9 PS-8 = 27M
GPA: 3.32
Have a DO recommendation.
Major: Astronomy and Journalism
Extracurriculars include: student senate, columnist for the school newspaper, leadership in student organizations, and some mild research.

I applied on AACOMAS during the summer to UNECOM, NYCOM, Touro-NY, VCOM, OUCOM, CCOM, LECOM-Erie, PCOM, PCOM-GA, and WVCOM. I had a hard time getting a DO rec, so I submitted secondaries to PCOM, UNECOM, and NYCOM in October.

Got an interview from UNECOM and then rejected, and one from NYCOM then waitlisted. My DO letter came in on December and I finished applying to the rest of the schools.

Any opinions on where I'm headed. I am getting nervous and I am thinking about submitting my primary to some more schools... like everywhere else. Will it be worth it?

Thanks
 
My stats:
MCAT: V-10 BS-9 PS-8 = 27M
GPA: 3.32
Have a DO recommendation.
Major: Astronomy and Journalism
Extracurriculars include: student senate, columnist for the school newspaper, leadership in student organizations, and some mild research.

I applied on AACOMAS during the summer to UNECOM, NYCOM, Touro-NY, VCOM, OUCOM, CCOM, LECOM-Erie, PCOM, PCOM-GA, and WVCOM. I had a hard time getting a DO rec, so I submitted secondaries to PCOM, UNECOM, and NYCOM in October.

Got an interview from UNECOM and then rejected, and one from NYCOM then waitlisted. My DO letter came in on December and I finished applying to the rest of the schools.

Any opinions on where I'm headed. I am getting nervous and I am thinking about submitting my primary to some more schools... like everywhere else. Will it be worth it?

Thanks

Were you able to ask for a file review as to why you were rejected/waitlisted from those schools? You only filled out secondaries for three schools? That's your problem right there. You've only got PCOM now, but they have been kind of hit or miss this year. What kind of clinical experience do you have? Fill out more secondaries and add more schools! It is gettin late in the cycle and time is not on your side.
 
okay so im going to apply for the 2011 cycle which is right around the corner so i thought id ask now. im going to take the mcat in aug and taking classes up to aug. here are my stats

Bio I/Bio II: Originally D/D Retaken for A/A
Bio Lab I/II: A/A
Chem I/Chem II: C/C
Chem Lab: C+
Physics I/Physics II: B/B+
Physics Lab I/II: A/A
Orgo I/Orgo II: C/C
Genetics: C
Physiology: C

im also going to retake chem 1 and 2 over the summer and hope to get A's in both. im taking biochem this coming semester. my sgpa now is about 2.8 but should get to a 3 after my retake.
 
okay so im going to apply for the 2011 cycle which is right around the corner so i thought id ask now. im going to take the mcat in aug and taking classes up to aug. here are my stats

Bio I/Bio II: Originally D/D Retaken for A/A
Bio Lab I/II: A/A
Chem I/Chem II: C/C
Chem Lab: C+
Physics I/Physics II: B/B+
Physics Lab I/II: A/A
Orgo I/Orgo II: C/C
Genetics: C
Physiology: C

im also going to retake chem 1 and 2 over the summer and hope to get A's in both. im taking biochem this coming semester. my sgpa now is about 2.8 but should get to a 3 after my retake.

If you can do better, you should retake OChem, Genetics and Physiology. Ochem because its a solid 6-8 hours depending on the lab's inclusion and genetics and physiology are first year med school classes. You don't want to demonstrate weaknesses in courses that are going to hit harder and faster as a med student.
 
If you can do better, you should retake OChem, Genetics and Physiology. Ochem because its a solid 6-8 hours depending on the lab's inclusion and genetics and physiology are first year med school classes. You don't want to demonstrate weaknesses in courses that are going to hit harder and faster as a med student.

i wont have time to retake those classes considering i want to apply as early as possible for the 2011 cycle so that would be around may. what are my chances without retaking those classes?
 
i wont have time to retake those classes considering i want to apply as early as possible for the 2011 cycle so that would be around may. what are my chances without retaking those classes?

That depends on lots of other factors. A 2.8 sGPA won't help you and I feel a few schools either screen post-secondary for cGPA and sGPA or they recommend a 3.0 in each to be competitive. Make sure you clear that hurdle, no matter what you do. You'll also need a very good MCAT score to alleviate any concerns they may have had about your academic capabilities. Those are just the "numbers," we haven't even begun to discuss experiences.
 
My case is here...

Also, I live in NY. I am planning to go to school close to my house. So can you give grades to some of these schools from 1 being lowest and 5 being highest and also rate my chances...1 being very little chance and 5 being very good chance.

NYCOM
TouroCOM-NY
PCOM
LECOM(PA)
VCOM
WVCOM
UMDNJ-SOM
 
Hello. I am currently in my 8th trimester (out of 10) in a Doctor of Chiropractic Program. I have decided to finish out the program- which I graduate from in December 2010; however, I am preparing to apply to D.O. programs. Chiropractic is not for me and I have found a lot of problems with their limited scope of practice, inability to provide "complete care", philosophy, etc. My first 2 years of chiropractic school almost identically matches the first 2 years of medical school- I took a full year of cadaver lab, year of biochem, over a year of various physiology, neuroanatomy, histology, embryology, etc. We always took very high course loads- ranging from 25- 41.5 credits/trimester (what I am taking now.)

I will also have a full year of direct patient contact both in the student clinic and outpatient clinical setting.

I am looking for any feedback on areas that I should be working on.

The following are my statistics:

Undergrad GPA: science 3.24, cumulative 3.2
Chiropractic: science 3.28, cumulative 3.32
I have shadowed M.D.'s and D.O.'s for over 50 hours.
I have 3 great LOR's- 1 from the D.O. that I shadowed, and the other 2 from professors- one from my clinical supervisor and 1 from my neurology/EENT professor.
I volunteer for Hospice 2 hrs/week.

I am currently taking 14 credits in undergrad/prereq course so I will most likely get a 4.0 in those which should raise my science undergrad gpa to about a 3.4.

I am just looking for any areas that I could strengthen prior to application.
I will be taking the MCAT in May. Thanks for your help!
 
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