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

[MedSchoolNoob]

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Hey Guys. I have a 3.44 GPA (3.31 BCMP) and should be hitting around 30 on the MCAT (based on all my practice exams; I've taken around 9). I'm set to take the MCAT in July so my scores won't be out until at least late August, early September. My Pre-Health Committee letter will be completed in Mid October. So my entire application will go through late October, early November for AACOMAS. Is it worth applying so late into the application cycle? Should I just wait one more semester and pull up my GPA a bit (maybe even get another LOR from the Research I'm currently doing)?

How many applicants to D.O schools have gotten acceptances after submitting their applications beyond the October mark of the cycle? Please post stats if you have. I'm just trying to make sure that I don't have to take a gap year if I don't have to (already worked out all my loans; it was a #*$& to do).

 

[Semicolon]

Hey Guys. I have a 3.44 GPA (3.31 BCMP) and should be hitting around 30 on the MCAT (based on all my practice exams; I've taken around 9). I'm set to take the MCAT in July so my scores won't be out until at least late August, early September. My Pre-Health Committee letter will be completed in Mid October. So my entire application will go through late October, early November for AACOMAS. Is it worth applying so late into the application cycle? Should I just wait one more semester and pull up my GPA a bit (maybe even get another LOR from the Research I'm currently doing)?

How many applicants to D.O schools have gotten acceptances after submitting their applications beyond the October mark of the cycle? Please post stats if you have. I'm just trying to make sure that I don't have to take a gap year if I don't have to (already worked out all my loans; it was a #*$& to do).

Don't wait for your pre-med committee letter to go through before applying; apply as soon as you get your MCAT score. Worry about the pre-med letter later as you don't need it for your primary.

Applying in the end of August/beginning of September would mean that your primary would be verified and sent out to schools in October, which is not considered late (although it's not early either) and will time itself well with your pre-med committee letter.

And while I don't have exact stats, I know that PLENTY of people have gotten in past October.

 

[lmnguye4]

I have a 3.51 cGPA and a 3.43 sGPA. I take my MCAT in July (will get at least 25). Is this good enough for NSU-COM? Or any D.O. school for that matter? 😀

ALSO, could applications be verified and/or sent out before taking the MCAT? 😕

 

[MedSchoolNoob]

Thanks a lot "Semicolon"! That was awesome advice! I totally forgot about the Primary application before the secondary.

 

[Bleurberry]

Don't wait for your pre-med committee letter to go through before applying; apply as soon as you get your MCAT score. Worry about the pre-med letter later as you don't need it for your primary.

Applying in the end of August/beginning of September would mean that your primary would be verified and sent out to schools in October, which is not considered late (although it's not early either) and will time itself well with your pre-med committee letter.

And while I don't have exact stats, I know that PLENTY of people have gotten in past October.

If that poster is still reading, my advice is to apply BEFORE taking MCAT.
That's exactly what I did. I applied a full 2 months and change before taking the August MCAT, and it was the best move by far.

 

[Spooner13]

If that poster is still reading, my advice is to apply BEFORE taking MCAT.
That's exactly what I did. I applied a full 2 months and change before taking the August MCAT, and it was the best move by far.

I definitely agree with this. If you apply before your MCAT scores are back, then you can just enter them in as soon as you get them. If you wait to submit your primary application before you get the scores back, you are going to lose around 6 weeks while your application is being verified.

For those of you that don't know how the primary application works, here goes: you enter in all of your extracurricular stuff, every grade you've ever received, a lot of personal info, personal statement, work experience, volunteer stuff, and awards. Also, you have to send AACOMAS transcripts from all of the schools (college level and up) you've attended. Do this part as soon as you can too. After you submit your AACOMAS, they will verify your application. This means that they will compare the grades you manually entered in your application to the grades on your transcript. This can take 4-6 weeks (and longer late in the application cycle). So if you are taking the MCAT in August, your goal should be to have your AACOMAS verifyied by the time your MCAT scores come in.

Just so you know, my pre-med committee letter was not turned in to schools until early December, and I got several interviews and a few acceptances. But try to get your stuff in before that. Good luck!

 

[Rollo]

I am not sure if my question is under the same topic of this thread, but I would rather ask it here than starting a new thread.

I attended CC for few years, and I am planning to transfer next semester to a 4-year university that has quarters system. When time comes to apply and I start calculating my gpa, should I account for that the units I earned at the CC weigh more than the units earned at the university?

On the AACOMAS, you will have to indicate which system your college uses for grades/units. In the end, it all equals out.

So NO, you don't have to take into the account that the units you earned at CC weigh more than university. AACOMAS will take care of those discrepancies.

Hey Guys. I have a 3.44 GPA (3.31 BCMP) and should be hitting around 30 on the MCAT (based on all my practice exams; I've taken around 9). I'm set to take the MCAT in July so my scores won't be out until at least late August, early September. My Pre-Health Committee letter will be completed in Mid October. So my entire application will go through late October, early November for AACOMAS. Is it worth applying so late into the application cycle? Should I just wait one more semester and pull up my GPA a bit (maybe even get another LOR from the Research I'm currently doing)?

How many applicants to D.O schools have gotten acceptances after submitting their applications beyond the October mark of the cycle? Please post stats if you have. I'm just trying to make sure that I don't have to take a gap year if I don't have to (already worked out all my loans; it was a #*$& to do).

Submit AACOMAS as early as possible. Your committee letters aren't needed by AACOMAS so that does not matter to them. You can indicate on AACOMAS that you are planning on taking the MCAT in July. The scores will be released to AACOMAS under Thx scoring system (this part you're going have to do manually since MCAT doesn't automatically release scores to AACOMAS).

Your GPA is fine so I don't think you'll have to retake any classes. If you have time and want to, then by all means go ahead. But you shouldn't have any problems since you're confident that you will have around 30 on MCAT.

I have a 3.51 cGPA and a 3.43 sGPA. I take my MCAT in July (will get at least 25). Is this good enough for NSU-COM? Or any D.O. school for that matter? 😀

ALSO, could applications be verified and/or sent out before taking the MCAT? 😕

Yes, your stats are good enough for NSUCOM, however try to score higher than 25. Don't get depressed if you do end up with a 25 but higher the MCAT, better your chances, right?

And yes, application (AACOMAS specifically) can be verified before your MCAT scores are received. Schools will probably wait to offer you an interview until they get your MCAT. But since verification takes 4-6 weeks, and assuming you're taking your MCAT in June/July, the schools should recieve both your AACOMAS and MCAT together.

 

[Krupat]

I have had the worst research experience ever. I made over 400 slides half of them stained, dissected many rats, and embedded tissues. I worked for 1 1/2 semesters. I got a C and the professor wont reply to my emails, and I can't finish research due to my dad having stage IV cancer. So she found a replacement, and I took the replacement over and told her what work had to be done. The C it temporary, but I feel like she wont higher it, but I took all the stained slides and I have them with me. What can I do to get her to higher my grade? Seriously it is 5 credits, and she doesn't know how long the slide making process is. Please help. Thanks.

 

[csmittyB]

I have had the worst research experience ever. I made over 400 slides half of them stained, dissected many rats, and embedded tissues. I worked for 1 1/2 semesters. I got a C and the professor wont reply to my emails, and I can't finish research due to my dad having stage IV cancer. So she found a replacement, and I took the replacement over and told her what work had to be done. The C it temporary, but I feel like she wont higher it, but I took all the stained slides and I have them with me. What can I do to get her to higher my grade? Seriously it is 5 credits, and she doesn't know how long the slide making process is. Please help. Thanks.

Stealing slides from the lab is not going to help your situation. You may have made them, but they are not your property. Return them and ask the professor what you can do to raise the grade.

 

[Anita817]

this is a pretty specific situation and I'm not sure anyone can give sound advice on how to help you--I'm not even sure what exactly you want help with... but I can tell you that the word you are searching for is "raise."

 

[dokholiday]

I have a 3.5 overall, 3.47 science, a B10 V7 P7 N on my first mcat i took it again last april. I have 300 hours of volunteer work in the ER, med/surg, OR, and pediatrics. I have a year and a half volunteering as a chemistry tutor at my college. I have a year of research experiance in a molecular bio lab and 70 hours or so shadowing an emergency room doctor. Im also a nontradtional applicant im getting my degree in business admin with concentration in economics

I think my mcat is to low to get into a DO school and im not sure how i did on my second one. What do you think?

 

[The Poet Sings]

So I had emailed a bunch of schools and in one response, I was told to explain low gpa in my personal statement. How do you guys suggest going about this? I don't want it to turn into a sob story about my college years, and I don't want it to look like it doesn't belong there, either. Seriously, though, do they even care about what was going on in your life at the time? Or do they just say that? I hope they care, that would seriously help me out...

And, completely unrelated, how do AP grades get calculated into GPA? Many of the schools told me that they'd take my AP credits for English classes. On my transcript they're just "pass" though. Does anyone know what grade a "pass" is?

 

[jmass233]

I have a question about my chances for admission, and whether I should apply during the upcoming cycle or wait until next year. My cGPA is 3.19, with a science GPA of 3.13 (using my grades so far in my classes this semester) I am registered for the July 30 MCAT, and my scores on the AAMC practice tests so far have been 30, 33, and 32. I think my EC’s are all right, 3 summers of microbiology/immunology research; nearly 75 hrs of shadowing, 35 with DO’s and a DO LOR; some clinical, non-clinical volunteering; biology and chemistry TA; residence assistant for three years; plus I am a non-traditional student, started and managed a business for several years before going to school, I don’t know if that helps or not.

One problem is that I had ankle/foot surgery about 3 weeks into the semester last fall, and had a medical leave of absence from my school, but that means that I have 5 W’s on my transcript for the semester. Can I submit a letter from my doctor and/or school to help address this, or just address it in my PS?

I know the general advice is to apply early, so I’m wondering if July 30 is too late to take the MCAT. I intend to go ahead and submit my primary application as soon as it’s available, and have requested LOR’s, but since the MCAT scores won’t be released until at least Sept. 1, is that too late into the cycle, especially considering my low GPA?

Thanks, I appreciate any advice/suggestions!

 

[Krupat]

I didn't steal the slides I asked the histotech if I could take them and she said yes, I guess I can only make a decision on this issue because I only the horrid of this researcher =/. Thanks everyone.

 

[Tuckermans]

I have a 3.5 overall, 3.47 science, a B10 V7 P7 N on my first mcat i took it again last april. I have 300 hours of volunteer work in the ER, med/surg, OR, and pediatrics. I have a year and a half volunteering as a chemistry tutor at my college. I have a year of research experiance in a molecular bio lab and 70 hours or so shadowing an emergency room doctor. Im also a nontradtional applicant im getting my degree in business admin with concentration in economics

I think my mcat is to low to get into a DO school and im not sure how i did on my second one. What do you think?

I would hope for a minimum 26 on that MCAT you just took. You have a great application other than that, but it will be more challenging to get an acceptance with an MCAT of 24N. Get a better MCAT though, and you will be in the money. Good luck!🙂

 

[Rollo]

I have a 3.5 overall, 3.47 science, a B10 V7 P7 N on my first mcat i took it again last april. I have 300 hours of volunteer work in the ER, med/surg, OR, and pediatrics. I have a year and a half volunteering as a chemistry tutor at my college. I have a year of research experiance in a molecular bio lab and 70 hours or so shadowing an emergency room doctor. Im also a nontradtional applicant im getting my degree in business admin with concentration in economics

I think my mcat is to low to get into a DO school and im not sure how i did on my second one. What do you think?

I'm sure this was a typo but you took the MCAT in which you got 24N April of last year, correct? And you re-took it recently but are just waiting for the scores?

Your GPA is good, right on the average for matriculant GPA for DO schools so that is definitely a good news. Your ECs are strong and look great.

A 24 MCAT isn't the end of the world. Even on the re-take you manage around 25, you will be fine.

Apply early and broadly!

So I had emailed a bunch of schools and in one response, I was told to explain low gpa in my personal statement. How do you guys suggest going about this? I don't want it to turn into a sob story about my college years, and I don't want it to look like it doesn't belong there, either. Seriously, though, do they even care about what was going on in your life at the time? Or do they just say that? I hope they care, that would seriously help me out...

And, completely unrelated, how do AP grades get calculated into GPA? Many of the schools told me that they'd take my AP credits for English classes. On my transcript they're just "pass" though. Does anyone know what grade a "pass" is?

AP grades will just show up as credits earned. There is no grade for them so they won't count towards your GPA.

And yes, please find a way to include your academic story in your personal statement. You can make your PS entirely about that or you can include it in a paragraph. Do whatever you want but talk about it. Come from a position of strength, maturity, and learning. We all make mistakes in our lives, especially us young people. What the adcoms are looking for is maturity and self-awareness.

You don't want to say, "I had a tough life that's why my grades suck." You want to say, "I went through some challenging times and I've failed. But those failures taught me much about myself and my abilities. I certainly don't wish to fail again in life but should I, then I know that I will be able to deal with anything that gets thrown my way. I've made it this far." I just wrote that quickly but that gives you an idea. Keep it short, concise, and to the point.

Nobody wants to read a depressing story and invite that person for an interview. They do want to read an interesting story with a great ending. Keep that in mind.

I have a question about my chances for admission, and whether I should apply during the upcoming cycle or wait until next year. My cGPA is 3.19, with a science GPA of 3.13 (using my grades so far in my classes this semester) I am registered for the July 30 MCAT, and my scores on the AAMC practice tests so far have been 30, 33, and 32. I think my EC’s are all right, 3 summers of microbiology/immunology research; nearly 75 hrs of shadowing, 35 with DO’s and a DO LOR; some clinical, non-clinical volunteering; biology and chemistry TA; residence assistant for three years; plus I am a non-traditional student, started and managed a business for several years before going to school, I don’t know if that helps or not.

One problem is that I had ankle/foot surgery about 3 weeks into the semester last fall, and had a medical leave of absence from my school, but that means that I have 5 W’s on my transcript for the semester. Can I submit a letter from my doctor and/or school to help address this, or just address it in my PS?

I know the general advice is to apply early, so I’m wondering if July 30 is too late to take the MCAT. I intend to go ahead and submit my primary application as soon as it’s available, and have requested LOR’s, but since the MCAT scores won’t be released until at least Sept. 1, is that too late into the cycle, especially considering my low GPA?

Thanks, I appreciate any advice/suggestions!

Please stick to your plan and apply early, collect LORs, send in transcripts, etc. What the schools will do is wait for your scores to be released to send you a secondary/interview (schools differ on requirements for secondaries). What you can do in the meantime is look up secondaries on school's website or here on SDN, and start writing those essays.

End of August MCAT release is not late at all. Your GPA is low but your MCAT (if you get around 30), your ECs, your background, etc. will counter it.

As far as those Ws are concerned, I'd say address them in the PS. Keep it short and concise. But also, contact the schools and ask them if you should send them the letter from the surgeon. And if you get asked about it at interviews, then tell them (maybe bring the insurance bill as proof). You can maybe include it in the secondary essays.

But you definitely should find a way to discuss those 5 W's. You don't want to take your chances with adcoms just seeing "5 W's" which is a huge red flag unless in unique circumstances such as yours. Hope this helped.

 

[manbeast]

Stats:
Non-trad student. 29 y.o. male. Served 4 years as enlisted US Marine, married with 2 kids. Then, went to UCSD and got a BS in General Bio. in 2007 3.1 Science/3.3 cum GPA. Taking MCAT in August. 160 hrs ER volunteer, 290 hrs AIDS Hospice volunteer, 1.5 yrs full time Biomedical Engineering Tech. 40 hrs shadowing D.O.

Questions:
I have one pre-med requirement left (last quarter of Ochem) - planning on taking it winter quarter 2010 at UCSD but I am applying June 09, will I get secondaries w/o the last Ochem class? Could I get accepted w/o the last Ochem class?
Big Question - Would it be better for me to work on improving my GPA at UCSD while my application is being processed or should I apply for a post bacc program and try to pick up my GPA there (example Midwestern MS Biological science program). I am not sure which is a better way to improve acceptance chances.
Thanks for any help!!!

 

[Rollo]

Stats:
Non-trad student. 29 y.o. male. Served 4 years as enlisted US Marine, married with 2 kids. Then, went to UCSD and got a BS in General Bio. in 2007 3.1 Science/3.3 cum GPA. Taking MCAT in August. 160 hrs ER volunteer, 290 hrs AIDS Hospice volunteer, 1.5 yrs full time Biomedical Engineering Tech. 40 hrs shadowing D.O.

Questions:
I have one pre-med requirement left (last quarter of Ochem) - planning on taking it winter quarter 2010 at UCSD but I am applying June 09, will I get secondaries w/o the last Ochem class? Could I get accepted w/o the last Ochem class?
Big Question - Would it be better for me to work on improving my GPA at UCSD while my application is being processed or should I apply for a post bacc program and try to pick up my GPA there (example Midwestern MS Biological science program). I am not sure which is a better way to improve acceptance chances.
Thanks for any help!!!

Schools require that you complete your pre-requisites BEFORE matriculation. So to answer your question, YES you will get secondaries AND you will get acceptances (granted your MCAT is somewhere around 28 and you do well with the rest of the process). But you will have to finish the o-chem class before you can start medical school. Hope that makes sense.

Your chances look good if you do well on the MCAT and apply early/broadly. So I don't think you should apply to a post bacc program just yet. You can improve your GPA by re-taking some of the classes in which you got Cs. If, for whatever reason, you aren't accepted for Fall 2010, then re-apply in June 2010 for Fall 2011, and apply for a post bacc program. However, your chances are pretty good considering your extensive and unique background. 👍

Apply early and broadly!

 

[slamindesi]

Rollo,

I have done:
- 50+ hours of volunteering at a Children's Hospital
- 80+ hours in a pre-med shadowing internship program
- Research Intern at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
- shadowed a DO oncologist who will be writing me a rec
- an office of a global health organization that raises money to package and send medical shipments to third world countries
- a member of a competitive south asian dance team (something cultural to toss in the mix)
- currently still in a research position in the biomedical engineering department at my school
- Fraternity
- Adopt-A-School program (help kids with hw, play games with them, read to them. An after-school program for them)

Thats pretty much the gist of it

Hopefully it will help me out if I do get interviews (cross my fingers)

 

[The Poet Sings]

Schools require that you complete your pre-requisites BEFORE matriculation. So to answer your question, YES you will get secondaries AND you will get acceptances (granted your MCAT is somewhere around 28 and you do well with the rest of the process). But you will have to finish the o-chem class before you can start medical school. Hope that makes sense.

I believe UNECOM is the only exception to this. On the 2010 CIB they have the following: Completion of pre-requisite courses required before supplemental application is offered.

So you won't get a secondary, and as a result, no acceptance. Manbeast and whoever else is in the same boat, don't bother applying to UNECOM if you haven't finished the pre-reqs (which for them also includes biochem).

And thanks, Rollo, for the help on how to include that part in my personal statement. I think I was imagining it to be something a lot more complicated than it needs to be. I'm sure I can find a place to stick something like that in. 🙂

 

[Tuckermans]

I believe UNECOM is the only exception to this. On the 2010 CIB they have the following: Completion of pre-requisite courses required before supplemental application is offered.

So you won't get a secondary, and as a result, no acceptance. Manbeast and whoever else is in the same boat, don't bother applying to UNECOM if you haven't finished the pre-reqs (which for them also includes biochem).

And thanks, Rollo, for the help on how to include that part in my personal statement. I think I was imagining it to be something a lot more complicated than it needs to be. I'm sure I can find a place to stick something like that in. 🙂

UNECOM does not require Biochem prior to application, just prior to admission. I am going there next year and I am taking my biochem final on Thursday. Also, I was offered a secondary to UNECOM before I had taken my second semester of organic and before I had finished the English requirement. Maybe they made a mistake with my application, but if you want to get exact information I would call the admissions office. They are very polite an friendly.
Good luck!

 

[The Poet Sings]

UNECOM does not require Biochem prior to application, just prior to admission. I am going there next year and I am taking my biochem final on Thursday. Also, I was offered a secondary to UNECOM before I had taken my second semester of organic and before I had finished the English requirement. Maybe they made a mistake with my application, but if you want to get exact information I would call the admissions office. They are very polite an friendly.
Good luck!

Based on what they have in the CIB would lead me to think otherwise, but I second your advice that the best place to get info is from the admissions office. They might have had different rules when you applied, and then changed it for the upcoming application season. That sounds reasonable. Or maybe they did just let your case slide because they loved you so much 😍.

 

[Tuckermans]

ahh...... shucks. lol😀

 

[link2swim06]

What is my chance at a DO school?

3.5 science gpa, 3,5 overall gpa, no upward or downward trend

26M - 6 Verbal -10 physical - 10 biology

1. Spinal cord injury research- 3 years - publication by application time
2. Research: obesity study of individuals in the ER (1 publication)
3. Hospital volunteer- various department - 200 hours - all clinical related (over three year period)
4. Owner/founder of small web-based business, thousands of customers, a few part time employees (June 2008-present)
5. Red Cross CPR/ first aid instructor (December 08-present)
6. Co-supervisor of approximately 40 volunteers in the ER, (taught them how to perform research related procedures, such as, pacemaker interrogation, balancing test, etc.) (January 08-December 08)
7. Assistant Manager / lifeguard (in charge of 30 lifeguards at a local swimming pool) (Summers of 2005, 2006, 2007)
8. Study Abroad - 2 week tropical ecology trip to Costa Rica
9. Deans list - honor program - honors scholarship
10. Habitat for Humanity trip for one week (december 08 (future))
11. Triathlon team member 07-08 / cycling club member 08-09 / completed multiple half-marathons (going to do the whole one someday I tell myself)
12. Worked for a house painting company -- not sure if its worth including (summer 06 & 07) (this job was scary as hell, hanging 50 feet off buildings trying to paint trim work)
13. Either biology TA or tutor (we will see which I get next quarter)
14. 44 hours shadowing a ER doctor, planning on shadowing a DO who is a GP soon
15. Pre-med club (on the fundraising committee)(september 08-present)
16. I volunteered at a hospital for a couple hundred hours in high school, but sadly I don't know how I could include this

 

[Rollo]

Rollo,

I have done:
- 50+ hours of volunteering at a Children's Hospital
- 80+ hours in a pre-med shadowing internship program
- Research Intern at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
- shadowed a DO oncologist who will be writing me a rec
- an office of a global health organization that raises money to package and send medical shipments to third world countries
- a member of a competitive south asian dance team (something cultural to toss in the mix)
- currently still in a research position in the biomedical engineering department at my school
- Fraternity
- Adopt-A-School program (help kids with hw, play games with them, read to them. An after-school program for them)

Thats pretty much the gist of it

Hopefully it will help me out if I do get interviews (cross my fingers)

Yeah wow, that's a very impressive list of ECs. This is definitely one of the strong points in your application. Play this factor up during your secondaries/interviews.

What is my chance at a DO school?

3.5 science gpa, 3,5 overall gpa, no upward or downward trend

26M - 6 Verbal -10 physical - 10 biology

1. Spinal cord injury research- 3 years - publication by application time
2. Research: obesity study of individuals in the ER (1 publication)
3. Hospital volunteer- various department - 200 hours - all clinical related (over three year period)
4. Owner/founder of small web-based business, thousands of customers, a few part time employees (June 2008-present)
5. Red Cross CPR/ first aid instructor (December 08-present)
6. Co-supervisor of approximately 40 volunteers in the ER, (taught them how to perform research related procedures, such as, pacemaker interrogation, balancing test, etc.) (January 08-December 08)
7. Assistant Manager / lifeguard (in charge of 30 lifeguards at a local swimming pool) (Summers of 2005, 2006, 2007)
8. Study Abroad - 2 week tropical ecology trip to Costa Rica
9. Deans list - honor program - honors scholarship
10. Habitat for Humanity trip for one week (december 08 (future))
11. Triathlon team member 07-08 / cycling club member 08-09 / completed multiple half-marathons (going to do the whole one someday I tell myself)
12. Worked for a house painting company -- not sure if its worth including (summer 06 & 07) (this job was scary as hell, hanging 50 feet off buildings trying to paint trim work)
13. Either biology TA or tutor (we will see which I get next quarter)
14. 44 hours shadowing a ER doctor, planning on shadowing a DO who is a GP soon
15. Pre-med club (on the fundraising committee)(september 08-present)
16. I volunteered at a hospital for a couple hundred hours in high school, but sadly I don't know how I could include this

Don't include stuff you did in high school. That is irrelevant (unless you rescued endangered animals or some weird thing).

The 26 MCAT isn't bad but the 6 is a little iffy. Now what I'm about to tell you is stuff I've only heard from the grapevines so don't take my word for it but do check with admissions at the schools you apply to. Some schools don't look at an applicant if they have a 6 or below on any section of the MCAT. As I said, don't take my word for it because I do not know this for a fact, but it wouldn't hurt to call the admissions and find out for real.

And I would include that house painting job. Sure, it's not medically relevant, but adcoms want to see a well-rounded applicant, not a total pre-med nerd.

Everything else looks great. Double check about that 6 and go ahead, apply early and broadly.

 

[link2swim06]

Yeah wow, that's a very impressive list of ECs. This is definitely one of the strong points in your application. Play this factor up during your secondaries/interviews.



Don't include stuff you did in high school. That is irrelevant (unless you rescued endangered animals or some weird thing).

The 26 MCAT isn't bad but the 6 is a little iffy. Now what I'm about to tell you is stuff I've only heard from the grapevines so don't take my word for it but do check with admissions at the schools you apply to. Some schools don't look at an applicant if they have a 6 or below on any section of the MCAT. As I said, don't take my word for it because I do not know this for a fact, but it wouldn't hurt to call the admissions and find out for real.

And I would include that house painting job. Sure, it's not medically relevant, but adcoms want to see a well-rounded applicant, not a total pre-med nerd.

Everything else looks great. Double check about that 6 and go ahead, apply early and broadly.

Is there anywhere I can find out about the 6 besides calling every school, like a website?

 

[Spooner13]

Is there anywhere I can find out about the 6 besides calling every school, like a website?

I would say that you can start with this website here:
http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/cib2010/2010-CIB-complete.pdf

It has a lot of info on each school (like admissions requirements. You can also check out the princeton review book. They have a new one each year. It's called something like "180 best medical schools." You don't really have to buy it. Just go to a book store and look at the schools you are interested in. You should know, however, that some of the stats in that book are a few years old, but it's a pretty good guide.

 

[Rollo]

Is there anywhere I can find out about the 6 besides calling every school, like a website?

Like I said, I've only heard about it through the grapevines. If I had heard it from an official source, then I'd have identified the source and told you where I heard it from. But a 6 is going to hold you back from lot of places. Better to call up each school and find out from admissions. Look at it this way, spending 5 minutes on the phone with a school might save you application fees to that school.

Have you thought about a re-take?

 

[MusicIsLife]

I've been to 3 different school. First was CC college than University than transfer to another University. My undergraduate at the final unveristy of BS in Business Management was 2.9.

I have long ways to go but how do I really calculate my GPA ?

When I start taking new pre-reqs course, do I start calculating from 2.9 ?

Thanks

Merc

Hi all,

I would like to get your feedback on how my post-bacc history might look to adcoms. I guess I would like to know now, when my MCAT prep is beginning, whether I've successfully done anything to "up" my chances. It's very hard to look past my own mistakes - they haunt me...I know the climb is still steep, but might I have a chance at a serious look now?

First degree: Psych w/ 2.6-ish GPA.
Second degree: Bio w/ 3.57 and new overall GPA = 3.02

Here is my semester breakdown:

Spring '07: Chem 1 + Calc I (both retakes, both A's)
Summer '07: Chem 2+lab (both A's) & Physics 1+lab (B+/A-)
Fall '07: Orgo I+lab (B/A), Physics 2+lab (B+/A-), Intro Public Health (A)
Spring '08: Comparative Vert. Anat, combined lect/lab (B), Micro (A), OrgoI+lab (B/A)
Summer '08: Genetics+lab (A/A), Cell Bio (B)
Fall '08: Biochem (B+), D. Bac, combined lect/lab (B), Ecology (A), Physiology+lab (B/A)

Anyone else out there w/ a similar situation? What else have you done to continue to diminish the past?

p.s. This is kinda out of left field, but I really really want to approach my Biochem prof for an LOR, but I haven't spoken to him since graduation...how do you recommend I get back in touch w/ him? And what do I bring to the table to get a good LOR from him?

A big thank you in advance to any encouragement, further words of advice, and help that you may have for me 🙂

 

[jfellings]

.....

 

[time2go]

id apply but your chances are slim to MD and good for DO

 

[beckhunter116]

It might help for advice if you tell us your GPA? Because even though your MCAT is slightly below average (for DO) a high GPA may compensate for it.

 

[jfellings]

...

 

[Rollo]

I took the 3/28/09 MCAT and ended up with a 25Q (PS:7 VR:10 BS: 8) which I know is not great. I have been debating my options for this application cycle. I am thinking about applyign with that score and retaking in August but wanted to get some input as to whether apply and retake or save my money and apply next year with my new (hopefulyl improved) score. I have 3 years of clinical experience and have pretty good EC and LOR. Any advice would be appreciated.

My overall is a 3.4 and my science is a 3.2

A 25 is pretty average so it's not that bad. Your GPA is slightly on the lower side but again, it's not the end of the world because averages mean that half of the people had stats below it.

I'd say go ahead and apply this year. But do it as early as possible and apply very broadly. There are couple of people on this forum who applied with stats similar to yours and got multiple acceptances.

Also, since you're retaking the MCAT in August, by the time your scores get to schools (September), schools will have started to look at your applications around that time. So it is only in your favor to apply early and re-take the MCAT in August.

If you get rejected, then there is always next year. But that's for later. Right now, worry about starting and finishing the AACOMAS when it opens in May and submit it in June, the first day it will let you.

 

[upslegend]

So I was curious to know if I should do a double major or take higher level classes in my fifth year. My cGPA is 3.05 and science GPA is 3.1 (I think, i'm not sure how to calculate that properly). I'm going for a double major in bioprocessing science but at this point, i'm concerned my GPA is low and might benefit more from taking upper-level science classes than classes in my major. I'm taking my MCATs in June. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Hokie06]

.

 

[link2swim06]

link2swim06, I also got a 6 on my verbal section of the MCAT (B-11, P-10) and I had an overall of 3.5 and science of 3.6. I received interview invite from Bradenton, Touro-Harlem, NYCOM, AZCOM, LECOM-Erie, and DMU. So i'm guessing the 6 in verbal didn't hurt me too much during the application process. I think as long as the rest of your application is okay you are fine. I did however get rejected from CCOM and Western. If you are thinking about applying to MD schools, I would retake the MCAT and aim for a 9 or higher on the verbal section. If not, my guess is that you will be fine for DO schools. Good luck

Thanks for letting me know. This what I wanted to here. I am going to retake becuase I was getting mostly 9 on verbal before test day. I feel like going for a 31 on AAMC practice 10 to a 26 on test day makes feel like I have to retake.

I guess my problem with the retake is the earliest I can take it is the end of July (i have classes until june and want 5-6 weeks to study). My question is how do I apply, becuase if I send my current scores to MD schools I doubt I will get a secondary. So do I wait until the end of August for my scores and send them in or do I apply as soon as possible and somehow update my scores?

 

[badapplestix]

I posted this in allopathic, but I'm also interested in DO schools. Specifically pcom, western, umdnj-som, ccom, msucom, nsu, kcom, azcom, lecom, and maybe a few others.

Hello everyone,

Just got my MCAT score and am extremely pleased. So I just wanted to know my chances of getting an acceptance, and also which schools I should apply to (CA resident).

cGPA:3.45, sGPA:3.26, MCAT:34P

I have a significant upward trend:
Freshman GPA 2.862
Sophomore GPA 3.479
Junior GPA 3.645
Senior GPA 3.969

Also, here are my extracurriculars:
Participant, Davis Honors Challenge (DHC) (9/05-6/07)
Research Investigator, Alta Family Health Clinic, Dinuba CA (7/06-9/06)
Research Investigator, Children's Hospital Central California, Madera CA (7/07-9/07)
Research Assistant, Himachal Pradesh India (8/08-9/08)
Research Assistant, Department of Pediatrics, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento CA (10/08-Present)
Volunteer, UC Davis Medical Center (1/07-3/07)
Volunteer, Sutter Davis Hospital (01/08-06/08)
Volunteer w/ Orthopedist and Oncologist, Chandigarh India (8/08-9/08)
Volunteer w/ Pediatric Surgeon, Madera CA (2/08-Present)
Students Teaching AIDS to Students, Davis CA (3/07-Present)
Intramural Basketball, Softball, Flag Football, Tennis. Winner of UC Davis Spring Championship Tennis Tournament (04/08)

I'd appreciate any opinions on both DO and MD schools. Thank you!

 

[Roy Munson]

Hello folks, Post-Bacc student here looking for some advice. I did my undergrad in Psychology and now am enrolled in a post-bacc pre-med program to catch up on science courses. Here are my stats:

- 25 year old male.
- Undergrad GPA: 2.5 🙁
- Post-Bacc Pre-Med GPA (Sciences): 3.8
- 150+ hours volunteering at Free Health clinic.
- 50+ hours volunteering in ER.
- MCAT: 27Q

I know it's not much info, but any quick thoughts/comments? I'd really appreciate it!

 

[Rollo]

I posted this in allopathic, but I'm also interested in DO schools. Specifically pcom, western, umdnj-som, ccom, msucom, nsu, kcom, azcom, lecom, and maybe a few others.

Hello everyone,

Just got my MCAT score and am extremely pleased. So I just wanted to know my chances of getting an acceptance, and also which schools I should apply to (CA resident).

cGPA:3.45, sGPA:3.26, MCAT:34P

I have a significant upward trend:
Freshman GPA 2.862
Sophomore GPA 3.479
Junior GPA 3.645
Senior GPA 3.969

Also, here are my extracurriculars:
Participant, Davis Honors Challenge (DHC) (9/05-6/07)
Research Investigator, Alta Family Health Clinic, Dinuba CA (7/06-9/06)
Research Investigator, Children's Hospital Central California, Madera CA (7/07-9/07)
Research Assistant, Himachal Pradesh India (8/08-9/08)
Research Assistant, Department of Pediatrics, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento CA (10/08-Present)
Volunteer, UC Davis Medical Center (1/07-3/07)
Volunteer, Sutter Davis Hospital (01/08-06/08)
Volunteer w/ Orthopedist and Oncologist, Chandigarh India (8/08-9/08)
Volunteer w/ Pediatric Surgeon, Madera CA (2/08-Present)
Students Teaching AIDS to Students, Davis CA (3/07-Present)
Intramural Basketball, Softball, Flag Football, Tennis. Winner of UC Davis Spring Championship Tennis Tournament (04/08)

I'd appreciate any opinions on both DO and MD schools. Thank you!

I think your numbers are solid but get some shadowing done. With DOs, specifically. And try to get a recommendation letter from a DO too since NSU and LECOM require a DO letter.

Hello folks, Post-Bacc student here looking for some advice. I did my undergrad in Psychology and now am enrolled in a post-bacc pre-med program to catch up on science courses. Here are my stats:

- 25 year old male.
- Undergrad GPA: 2.5 🙁
- Post-Bacc Pre-Med GPA (Sciences): 3.8
- 150+ hours volunteering at Free Health clinic.
- 50+ hours volunteering in ER.
- MCAT: 27Q

I know it's not much info, but any quick thoughts/comments? I'd really appreciate it!

I'm not sure how your post-bacc GPA affects your undergrad GPA. AACOMAS accepts the most recent grade in a course, so that means if you did re-take, your latest grade will be used to calculate AACOMAS GPA.

Most schools have a GPA cutoff of 2.7 to recieve a secondary. I know that there are couple of people on SDN who had very low undergrad GPA but bumped it with post-bacc/masters (one of these SDN users is TexasTriathlete....look him up and message him).

Your MCAT is fine and ECs are fine (get some shadowing done though). Your GPA dilemma is something I'm not familiar with so I can't comment on that.

 

[Titans]

Do med schools overlook bad freshman year because I had a 2.8 my freshmen year.

 

[Semicolon]

Do med schools overlook bad freshman year because I had a 2.8 my freshmen year.

As long as you had an upward trend for the rest of your college career, then your freshmen year won't carry much weight.

 

[Titans]

As long as you had an upward trend for the rest of your college career, then your freshmen year won't carry much weight.

Thanks,that makes me better

 

[beckhunter116]

Hello folks, Post-Bacc student here looking for some advice. I did my undergrad in Psychology and now am enrolled in a post-bacc pre-med program to catch up on science courses. Here are my stats:

- 25 year old male.
- Undergrad GPA: 2.5 🙁
- Post-Bacc Pre-Med GPA (Sciences): 3.8
- 150+ hours volunteering at Free Health clinic.
- 50+ hours volunteering in ER.
- MCAT: 27Q

I know it's not much info, but any quick thoughts/comments? I'd really appreciate it!

When AACOMAS calculates your GPA it will show each individual GPA. So for you: cumulative undergrad gpa, undergrad science gpa, post bacc gpa, postbacc science gpa, cum GPA (undergrad + post bacc) and cum science gpa. Or kind of like this. It shows multiple gpas so schools can see you rocked in the sciences. If it doesn't work out this cycle retake some of your psychology classes to raise your gpa.

 

[GeronimoJungle]

I'll try not to ask anything that I can get from old threads, so here goes.

I just recently began thinking about DO, and think that my background, grades, and personal philosophy are a better fit than MD. I'll list what I have going for me, and then start with the questions.

I began college doing dual credit at a community college when I was 15, and, naturally, didn't do well. I began by taking Bio I & II for NON-science majors, and getting C's in both. I also made C's in both Gen Chems (although made a B and an A respectively in the O Chems). Therefore I have some dead weight hanging around. These GPAs below were calculated with an MD calculator.

Freshman:
cGPA - 2.59
sGPA - 2.00

Sophmore:
cGPA - 3.26
sGPA - 2.91

Junior: Began at a University
cGPA - 3.06
sGPA - 3.00

Senior: All science including O Chem II, Genetics, Human phys, etc (31 hours included to date)
cGPA - 4.00
sGPA - 4.00

Total:
cGPA - 3.26
sGPA - 3.30

I graduate in December, and assuming the continuing 4.0, will graduate Magna Cum Laude (University GPA >3.7) with an overall cGPA of 3.35 and sGPA of 3.49 with my BS before I turn 21.

I take my MCAT on May 22nd, and believe I can score >30 based on practices.

ECs: I have worked all the way through school with three of those in the medical field. I worked for 1.5 years as a veterinary technician working with exotics and wildlife rehab, and the past 1.5 years in surgery as a second assistant (1,000s of hours scrubbed). I have backpacked through the rainforests in WA and OR, backpacked the Ozarks, south TX desert, etc (going all the way across Zion in UT this summer!). I attended both the TX state chess competition, and the TX state fencing competition. Helped teach both Zoology and Animal phys labs as a TA.

Also:

• TCC Dean’s Honor List 2006
• Honored in Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges 2006
• Member of Phi Thetta Kappa Honors Society
• Vice President and Officer of Sigma Kappa Delta, English Honor Society
• Member of Medical Doctor Preparatory Association (MDPA)
• Awarded In Recognition for Outstanding Marketing and Public Relations – August 9, 2007 by Psi Gamma chapter of Sigma Kappa Delta
• Won 1st Place Short Fiction in “Drama and Desire” Writing Contest- April 26, 2007
• Invited to join Golden Compass International Honors Society 2008
• Authored Veterinary Technician Client Relations Manual
• Community service: Annual Eagle Mountain Lake Area Clean-up (volunteered 3 years)
• Awarded ‘G’ youth soccer instructing license

LOR: I have 1 from my Universities HPAC, 1 from my O Chem II prof, 1 from my surgery manager, and 2 from surgeons (both MD). All are very strong. I can definitely get a DO or two to write one for me if needed.

I feel almost untraditional, even though I probably am not. 🙂

My questions are:
1. I am applying to all of the schools in TX (MD and DO) through TMDSAS. Where else should I apply?

2. Are there any other DO schools in TX besides TCOM?

3. Does the military offer the same scholarships/opportunities to DO students as they do MD students? I am planning on attending flight surgeon school right out of my intern year and paying off my time as a GMO pre-residency.

4. How do applying to DO schools differ from MD schools other than MD using AMCAS and DO using AACOM?

5. I am planning on sending out applications as soon as I can, meaning they will be sent before I get my MCAT score back. Should I do this differently?

That should do it for now. Thanks in advance!

 

[dangit]

Hello,

Your GPA looks good. It seems like you've had a rough start, but you've improved your GPA and that's important. It's better to see an upward trend in your GPA than a downward trend.

You have a lot of EC...the only thing I would say is that it would be better if you could shadow a DO doctor if you want to apply to DO schools broadly. Some schools will require a letter, others won't.




My questions are:
1. I am applying to all of the schools in TX (MD and DO) through TMDSAS. Where else should I apply?

For Texas schools, whether it's DO or MD, you must apply through TMDSAS. For MD everywhere else, it's AMCAS. For DO everywhere else, it's AACOMAS.

2. Are there any other DO schools in TX besides TCOM?

Texas has only one DO school.

3. Does the military offer the same scholarships/opportunities to DO students as they do MD students? I am planning on attending flight surgeon school right out of my intern year and paying off my time as a GMO pre-residency.

The military does offer the same scholarship programs to DO schools. They recognize them as medical students.

4. How do applying to DO schools differ from MD schools other than MD using AMCAS and DO using AACOM?

You hit the nail. Those are the only distinctions.

5. I am planning on sending out applications as soon as I can, meaning they will be sent before I get my MCAT score back. Should I do this differently?

You can't send your application before you get your MCAT back. You can have it verified and ready to go out to schools. Once your MCAT is reported, the different application services (ie TMDSAS, AMCAS, AACOMAS) will send it out asap. But, make sure you fill out your application asap and enter your grades. YOu want to have your app verified asap so you can send off your app once the MCAT comes in. Good luck!

That should do it for now. Thanks in advance!

I responded within the quotes.

 

[beckhunter116]

I had heard that our primary app could be verified and sent out without our MCAT on it (just the date planned)?

 

[Semicolon]

I had heard that our primary app could be verified and sent out without our MCAT on it (just the date planned)?

You are correct, sir.

 

[beckhunter116]

You are correct, sir.

I am not a sir, but I do enjoy being correct! 😀

 

[Rollo]

GeronimoJungle:

Your application looks great. Your GPA shows an upward trend and is pretty good so no worries there. Get a good MCAT score (28+) and you will be competitive for DO schools. Your ECs are solid although I didn't see shadowing a DO in there...try to get that done over the summer.

You can definitely send out the application before your MCAT scores are released. After you get done with AACOMAS, start filling out the secondaries (there is a thread here about the secondary essays).

As far as other DO schools, think about applying to somewhere in midwest....KCUMB, AZCOM, ATSU, OSUCOM, etc. I imagine you want to stay around Texas...if not, then hell apply everywhere...what have you got to lose besides some money...?