2013-2014 Underdawgs Thread ( Lets get it)

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So do you think it will hurt my application if I only shadowed a month before applying?

I won't help as much as if it was earlier (if they notice) but it still shows effort and interest in the profession, which is a plus. I would group all shadowing into one entry on AACOMAS and just put name/specialty/hours for each area with the dates being overall. Then you can avoid any nitpicky timing or detail issues and still provide all the basic info, especially if you have trouble remembering exactly what months/days it took place on.
 
So you're saying without a peer reviewed scientific study no one can say the MCAT requires a significant level of reading comprehension, fast processing of information, synthesis of new information with old, comparative analysis of unfamiliar info to familiar, logical inferences, systematic process of elimination, processing of large amounts of new and unfamiliar info, or a large working knowledge base of chem/ochem/physics/bio?

No. It's the same argument with the SAT, many people used to claim it was predictive of intellectual capacity, but now we know it's simply not linked in any regard to intelligence. Intelligence is much more difficult to quantify. But what you're more or less talking about now is test taking ability, which the mcat may be a better predictor for than intelligence. But regardless, you cannot link these two things together without scientific study and even then in most cases it will be very weakly correlated.

Anyone who has taken it can tell you that on some level these skills are required. And some of these skills are markers for/go hand in hand with part of what many consider "intelligence." Yes, there are other components. No, I don't want to debate cultural bias in intelligence testing or exactly what the best definition of intelligence is. It seems like any time the "I" word is thrown around hysteria ensues.

I don't think you really understand what intelligence is in terms of psychological testing. Intelligence is simply the ability to learn and apply what you learn, which is why the verbal section may actually be somewhat predictive of it. The skills you mention are what we colloquially would call the tool set of the intelligent, but not intelligence. See, common sense and yet wrong.

At what level or how repeatable at what level is what the scientific testing could help reveal and is certainly up for debate. It is definitely not the end all or maybe even a "good" absolute test by scientific standards. But given the skills required to succeed on it, it seems to have the "intellectual potential" measurement covered a lot better than GPA. And from what I gather admissions committees tend to think along the same lines.

Chances are considerable repeated testing linked with longitutinal, cross sequential, cross section, etc. studies will just continue to push tests to attempt to attain a more pure and perfect measure until they inevitably fail and will launch society into more behavioral analysis as the only reasonably valid measure of anything worth measuring in terms of behavior and life outcomes. But what can I say, I'm highly critical of using cheap measures just because the alternative is more expensive.
 
So reading comprehension, fast processing of information, synthesis of new information with old, comparative analysis of unfamiliar info to familiar, logical inferences, systematic process of elimination, processing of large amounts of new and unfamiliar info, or a large working knowledge base of chem/ochem/physics/bio are simply test taking ability? And this claim is made without scientific study to back it up?

It's odd that most of the basic skill-sets to used to succeed in daily life, especially in a technical work environment (tech/medicine/engineering etc.), are being called "test taking skills?" I don't think success in these areas can be achieved without having them on some level.

I argue that the MCAT tests important skill sets that are "markers for/go hand in hand with" intelligence and you call the same things the "tool set of intelligence." I think this is simply an argument of semantics...

However, in the end, whatever term you want to call it, all the skills listed above are needed to succeed. These are important and will continue to be so, and scientific study are not adcoms will continue to measure our capacity in some form by this exam and the skills it tests.
 
So what are you worried bout silly?

The fact that I shadowed a month before I applied to DO schools. I mean, what if they think I did it just to check that req out ( I mean it's borderline a requirement).
 
The fact that I shadowed a month before I applied to DO schools. I mean, what if they think I did it just to check that req out ( I mean it's borderline a requirement).

Isn't that what you did though? I don't think it's going to be looked down upon , even if they think that.
 
So reading comprehension, fast processing of information, synthesis of new information with old, comparative analysis of unfamiliar info to familiar, logical inferences, systematic process of elimination, processing of large amounts of new and unfamiliar info, or a large working knowledge base of chem/ochem/physics/bio are simply test taking ability? And this claim is made without scientific study to back it up?

It's odd that most of the basic skill-sets to used to succeed in daily life, especially in a technical work environment (tech/medicine/engineering etc.), are being called "test taking skills?" I don't think success in these areas can be achieved without having them on some level.

I argue that the MCAT tests important skill sets that are "markers for/go hand in hand with" intelligence and you call the same things the "tool set of intelligence." I think this is simply an argument of semantics...

However, in the end, whatever term you want to call it, all the skills listed above are needed to succeed. These are important and will continue to be so, and scientific study are not adcoms will continue to measure our capacity in some form by this exam and the skills it tests.

I'll be blunt, there's no way to really say any of what you mentioned is actually being utilized in a manner that is superior to the integrate of information needed to solve a rubix cube. I mean again, it seems like common sense and honestly I'll probably agree, but I've also seen plenty of things that seem common sense that I later find out are blatently wrong and blatent used of Heuristic knowledge. I mean, I'm just throwing you a bone here, but nothing here can be deductively stated without follow up experiments and studies. I'm reluctant to say anything more than doing well having to mean that you are good at test taking and even then it's a stretch.

I'm just not convinced and I'm naturally skeptical with my measures and tools. It's just the way I am after 4 years of realizing how god awful most behavioral research is and how hard it is to actually really create a good measure of anything in humans that isn't ultra reductionist ( Intelligence is reductionist) or doesn't require you to use something worthless as a measure.

So for the time being and until anything else comes out to disprove me ( I.e reject the Null Hypothesis) the mcat is just a measure to relate to how you will do in your pre-clinical classes and step one.
 
Any Underdogs get their MCAT scores back recently? What minimum score would you all be ok with to not retake the test?
 
Whew, thank you serenade for making this thread. I have a sGPA about 3.15, cGPA of 3.46, good LORs, ECs (like Pre-Soma, dabbled with AMSA a little, secretary of a health-related organization on campus, etc), leadership positions, a little research, shadowed MD and DO, both medical and non-medical volunteering, Greek life, and more. Taking my MCAT in June..

What makes me an underdog the most is being suspended for Fall 2013 due to infractions that added up over time.. from a strict private university however, but still- I was just handed that last month, and it's disappointing. I can still graduate and walk on time. If anyone has any advice please let me know, but otherwise, with the rest of my ducks in line at this point, I'm putting my best foot forward. I'm not making that part of my PS or anything, but of course have to include it in my application.

Good luck Class of 2018! Let's make moves!
 
23 or below is a death sentence IMO

:laugh: .... 🙄

Not necessarily. It depends on many factors (GPA, Post-Bacc, URM, etc...). In fact, a very close friend is starting this coming fall at a "top tier" DO program with 21 on the MCAT.

not surprising. DO schools may have gotten more competitive over the years, but it is still a far cry from MD's competitiveness.
 
:laugh: .... 🙄



not surprising. DO schools may have gotten more competitive over the years, but it is still a far cry from MD's competitiveness.


DO is ~3.5/27 and MD is ~3.7/31

Keep in mind there are always outliers in both, one URM with a 21 doesn't make something noncompetitive. There are plenty of special case applicants (URM/legacy/military etc.) that go MD every year with lower scores, over 7000 got in with a 26 or less between 2008-2010, and many of them weren't in the 3.8+ category (per AAMC data).
 
I thought I was an underdog. After looking at your guys' stats I think I'm a "super-underdog" 😛
 
Hang in there guys. Are you going to be ready to submit June 1st? I dont think I will be. I might need an extra week or so. :scared::scared::scared:
 
Thought I would ask my question on here before making a new thread....

I was a health science major in undergrad didn't have much of a plan just liked the science field, so I ended up graduating with a 2.5 gpa (sci and cum).

Started shadowing various fields, liked pharmacy, loved shadowing the physician though, so decided to take things that route, got a DO letter, retook my poor grades at a new school (a CC unfortunately bc I'm broke) it was a 3.8gpa which is great but being a CC don't know how much leverage it would give me.

I have 3 years of neuro research which I did in undergrad, held positions in various health clubs, my ec's I feel are in good standing.

But I have some BIG red flags on my application.

1st-I have taken my mcat 6 times highest score is a 20S--> stupidly took my mcat the first two times with no prep and did kaplan tests on paper. The other three times I took after my cc classes and it was when i got my 20s.

Next red flag, last year I was accepted to a postbac program at DO school, and ended up withdrawing due to family problems (mom had complication due to diabetes) I had to come constantly to run our family business since it was the only source of income we had. Our house had foreclosed a few months ago so this was literally all we had to keep a roof over our heads.

The postbac was just a horrible experience. I loved what I was studying but felt like I never gave myself a proper chance due to the circumstances. The admissions committed there also told me as I was leaving to look into careers such as occupational therapy...it was awful and really belittling experience. Also I have a transcript from this school with all w's except for a D in biochem class.

I made some really really poor choices in the past, and I'm lost as to how I can fix them now. I spoke to admissions counselors at various schools, and they're advising me to not apply to medical school as my application is basically set in stone. I'm trying to not let this get to me, but I guess I'm just asking if any of you underdogs have any advice for me.

I really want this, but I need something in my stats to back me up. One counselor also told me even if I got a 30+ now, it wouldn't matter bc of the multiple attempts I've had already. 🙁 Pretty depressing.

I have looked into pharmacy, but I just don't want it badly enough. I'm trying to sort out my options realistically and go from there.

Anyway, if there is any advice/criticism you all have, it would be much appreciated. Thank you.
 
Hey guys. I think I would be considered an underdog due to my mcat but still hoping for the best!
cGPA: 3.67
sGPA: 3.48
MCAT: 24 - 8/8/8
Decent extracurriculars with research and letter from D.O.

Studying to take the mcat again in August and I will update my app then.

Any advice on which schools I have a better chance at?
 
Hey guys. I think I would be considered an underdog due to my mcat but still hoping for the best!
cGPA: 3.67
sGPA: 3.48
MCAT: 24 - 8/8/8
Decent extracurriculars with research and letter from D.O.

Studying to take the mcat again in August and I will update my app then.

Any advice on which schools I have a better chance at?

youre in the running for most schools (except Touro-NV), but the results will be rather hit and miss with the 24. you will get plenty of interviews though!
 
Thought I would ask my question on here before making a new thread....

I was a health science major in undergrad didn't have much of a plan just liked the science field, so I ended up graduating with a 2.5 gpa (sci and cum).

Started shadowing various fields, liked pharmacy, loved shadowing the physician though, so decided to take things that route, got a DO letter, retook my poor grades at a new school (a CC unfortunately bc I'm broke) it was a 3.8gpa which is great but being a CC don't know how much leverage it would give me.

I have 3 years of neuro research which I did in undergrad, held positions in various health clubs, my ec's I feel are in good standing.

But I have some BIG red flags on my application.

1st-I have taken my mcat 6 times highest score is a 20S--> stupidly took my mcat the first two times with no prep and did kaplan tests on paper. The other three times I took after my cc classes and it was when i got my 20s.

Next red flag, last year I was accepted to a postbac program at DO school, and ended up withdrawing due to family problems (mom had complication due to diabetes) I had to come constantly to run our family business since it was the only source of income we had. Our house had foreclosed a few months ago so this was literally all we had to keep a roof over our heads.

The postbac was just a horrible experience. I loved what I was studying but felt like I never gave myself a proper chance due to the circumstances. The admissions committed there also told me as I was leaving to look into careers such as occupational therapy...it was awful and really belittling experience. Also I have a transcript from this school with all w's except for a D in biochem class.

I made some really really poor choices in the past, and I'm lost as to how I can fix them now. I spoke to admissions counselors at various schools, and they're advising me to not apply to medical school as my application is basically set in stone. I'm trying to not let this get to me, but I guess I'm just asking if any of you underdogs have any advice for me.

I really want this, but I need something in my stats to back me up. One counselor also told me even if I got a 30+ now, it wouldn't matter bc of the multiple attempts I've had already. 🙁 Pretty depressing.

I have looked into pharmacy, but I just don't want it badly enough. I'm trying to sort out my options realistically and go from there.

Anyway, if there is any advice/criticism you all have, it would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Yikes. I am really sorry to hear about your tough family times that have negatively impacted your performance in school. I'm not sure if you are posting on this forum in order to get a boost of positive energy or receive honest advice. I suppose I can offer both.

I wont say that getting into medical school based on your stats isn't impossible, but if you really want to become a physician you have a pretty tedious journey ahead of you. First things first, you need to take care of your gpa. 2.5 is not going to cut it at any school. That will get you screened out of every school in America regardless of your MCAT. You need to go back to school and retake all your classes to get a cum and science gap above 3.0 and as close to a 3.25 as possible.

Once you have done that, you are going to need to take care of your low mcat. In my honest opinion, I would not advise you to apply to medical school until you can score at least a 24 on the mcat. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but if you have taken the mcat 6 times and you can't score above a 20 you are more than likely not capable of succeeding in medical school. I realize this is an underdog forum but not everyone is cut out to be a physician. I would study for the mcat and take multiple practice tests making sure that you can consistently score a 24 or above every single time. If you can raise your overall gpa to a 3.25 and can score a 24 or above on the mcat I believe you will get into medical school. You can always apply to Caribbean medical schools and see how that works out for you.

This may be tough to hear but based off what I have read so far I think medical school is not a good option for you. It's going to take at least 2 years to complete all the above suggestions and there are plenty of other satisfying careers in health care that require less time, money, and effort. If having the title of "doctor" is important to you, I would look into podiatry, optometry, or Caribbean medical schools. Don't give up. You can do this, but like I said, you need to weigh what is important to you. Take 2 years to become competitive for medical school or go in another direction now. Good luck
 
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Guys, I have an important question! My current cgpa=3.14 and sgpa=2.94. I have not taken MCAT yet. I will be taking it on July 2nd. I am also retaking 2 classes which will hopefully bring my cgpa up to 3.2 and sgpa up to 3.00. But my grades will not be added to my transcript until late July! All my PS, LOR's, EC's and everything else is ready to go. I want to apply asap but I know some schools screen sgpa's below 3.00. I am freaking out! Can anyone please give me advice on when and where to apply???? Thank You so much in advance!!

Wait until your July grades, you will be better off. You won't even get your MCAT until August anyways, so ZERO point in applying before. Just submit to 1 school to get verified.
 
Hang in there guys. Are you going to be ready to submit June 1st? I dont think I will be. I might need an extra week or so. :scared::scared::scared:

i want to submit by june 1st but im stuck on PS. I loved my from last cycle and i'm having a hard time reworking it.
 
i want to submit by june 1st but im stuck on PS. I loved my from last cycle and i'm having a hard time reworking it.

I'm there too..

How much are you changing? I was literally at the character limit, so I'm deleting some stuff to add in things I've done in the past year that I consider better...
 
Anyone else get their score back today? I was bracing for the worst. I took two aamc pretests the week of my real one and had a 25 then a 24 going in. Logged in today and saw I got a 26 (8-9-9). I had been hoping to clear a 10 in verbal but such is life.

So a 26 in with a roughly c3.4 s3.0 for now. App will be ready to submit nice and early. Next batch of grades come out late July, not expecting much change since I have a lot of credits. Then my final semester this Fall! Hopefully with some love before the holidays of course 🙂
 
Anyone else get their score back today? I was bracing for the worst. I took two aamc pretests the week of my real one and had a 25 then a 24 going in. Logged in today and saw I got a 26 (8-9-9). I had been hoping to clear a 10 in verbal but such is life.

So a 26 in with a roughly c3.4 s3.0 for now. App will be ready to submit nice and early. Next batch of grades come out late July, not expecting much change since I have a lot of credits. Then my final semester this Fall! Hopefully with some love before the holidays of course 🙂

sgpa is kind of low, but I think you will be fine as long as you apply broadly and aim for schools like LMU and LECOM-E and not DMU or CCOM.
 
Anyone else get their score back today? I was bracing for the worst. I took two aamc pretests the week of my real one and had a 25 then a 24 going in. Logged in today and saw I got a 26 (8-9-9). I had been hoping to clear a 10 in verbal but such is life.

So a 26 in with a roughly c3.4 s3.0 for now. App will be ready to submit nice and early. Next batch of grades come out late July, not expecting much change since I have a lot of credits. Then my final semester this Fall! Hopefully with some love before the holidays of course 🙂

yeah I got my score today: 24 (10PS, 8VR, 6BS). Retaking in August
 
I'm there too..

How much are you changing? I was literally at the character limit, so I'm deleting some stuff to add in things I've done in the past year that I consider better...

Mines like 60% new 40% old. I'm hoping that's okay? :shrug:
 
Hi everyone,

Good news: I scored 28(11,7,10). My score from last July take was 20(8,3,9).
Bad news: I'm no longer an underdog and won't be belonging to this awesome supportive group.

I wish you all the best of luck.

Time to get this AACOMAS application done.
 
Hi everyone,

Good news: I scored 28(11,7,10). My score from last July take was 20(8,3,9).
Bad news: I'm no longer an underdog and won't be belonging to this awesome supportive group.

I wish you all the best of luck.

Time to get this AACOMAS application done.

We are happy that you are no longer an underdog, but you should remain a contributor to that thread anyway...Right!
 
Hi everyone,

Good news: I scored 28(11,7,10). My score from last July take was 20(8,3,9).
Bad news: I'm no longer an underdog and won't be belonging to this awesome supportive group.

I wish you all the best of luck.

Time to get this AACOMAS application done.

Great news bro! Good score.
 
Hi everyone,

Good news: I scored 28(11,7,10). My score from last July take was 20(8,3,9).
Bad news: I'm no longer an underdog and won't be belonging to this awesome supportive group.

I wish you all the best of luck.

Time to get this AACOMAS application done.

Way to turn around that verbal!
 
Hi everyone,

Good news: I scored 28(11,7,10). My score from last July take was 20(8,3,9).
Bad news: I'm no longer an underdog and won't be belonging to this awesome supportive group.

I wish you all the best of luck.

Time to get this AACOMAS application done.

wow thats great! wish you the best! care to offer any advice on how you raised your score? im retaking in august.
 
Hi everyone,

Good news: I scored 28(11,7,10). My score from last July take was 20(8,3,9).
Bad news: I'm no longer an underdog and won't be belonging to this awesome supportive group.

I wish you all the best of luck.

Time to get this AACOMAS application done.

Wow!! I've been watchin ur story for a while and I'm so happy for you!
 
Hi everyone,

Good news: I scored 28(11,7,10). My score from last July take was 20(8,3,9).
Bad news: I'm no longer an underdog and won't be belonging to this awesome supportive group.

I wish you all the best of luck.

Time to get this AACOMAS application done.

This is awesome !! Wow great job
 
Hey guys! Haven't read through this whole thread, but I remember posting in a thread like this when I was pre-med. Anyway, just wanted to share my story and give you a little encouragement. I am currently going into my 4th year of med school. It took me 3 application cycles and 4 MCAT retakes to get accepted (My highest score was a 27, lowest 19). My gpa was 3.4, sGPA 3.0. I had gotten Cs in Chemistry, Organic Chem and Physics, and ended up retaking all 3 at a community college and getting As. The first application cycle I only applied to MD schools (15) and got no interviews. The second time I applied to a mix of MD and DO schools, got one interview at Meharry and was waitlisted. The last time I applied to 15 DO schools, got 5 acceptances and declined the rest of my interviews after my 1st acceptance. I'm sitting here studying for Step 2 boards thinking "how the heck did I get here?". If I can do it, so can you!! I had so many people telling me I should "just be a nurse" or go to PA school (not that there is anything wrong with PAs and nurses). If you wanna be a doc, DON'T GIVE UP!!! I have to get back to studying but just wanted to pop my head in and say hello and good luck!
 
Hey guys! Haven't read through this whole thread, but I remember posting in a thread like this when I was pre-med. Anyway, just wanted to share my story and give you a little encouragement. I am currently going into my 4th year of med school. It took me 3 application cycles and 4 MCAT retakes to get accepted (My highest score was a 27, lowest 19). My gpa was 3.4, sGPA 3.0. I had gotten Cs in Chemistry, Organic Chem and Physics, and ended up retaking all 3 at a community college and getting As. The first application cycle I only applied to MD schools (15) and got no interviews. The second time I applied to a mix of MD and DO schools, got one interview at Meharry and was waitlisted. The last time I applied to 15 DO schools, got 5 acceptances and declined the rest of my interviews after my 1st acceptance. I'm sitting here studying for Step 2 boards thinking "how the heck did I get here?". If I can do it, so can you!! I had so many people telling me I should "just be a nurse" or go to PA school (not that there is anything wrong with PAs and nurses). If you wanna be a doc, DON'T GIVE UP!!! I have to get back to studying but just wanted to pop my head in and say hello and good luck!

Congrats.... Regarding the MCAT, Did they bring that up during your interviews the fact that you took multiple times? If so, How did you answer? I ask you that because I am about to take the MCAT a second time after getting 20 on my first attempt and I am afraid that will be a red flag in my application...
 
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Congrats.... Regarding the MCAT, Did they bring that up during your interviews the fact that you took multiple times? If so, How did you answer? I ask you that because I am about to take the MCAT a second time after getting 20 on my first attempt and I am afraid that will be a red flag in my application...

I didn't get asked at all by D.O. schools. MD schools asked me multiple times throughout the interview :laugh: If it is asked, just be honest with them. They understand that not everyone is a good test taker, and poor scores don't always correlate with a poor physician later on down the line 🙂
 
wow thats great! wish you the best! care to offer any advice on how you raised your score? im retaking in august.

Thanks.

There is no secret formula to how I raised my score. Simply put, I studied my @ss off. For my first take, I used EK books for sciences, EK101 for verbal, and AAMC FL's 3-7. I studied for only 5 weeks, ~4-5 hours per day.

For my retake, I used TPR books for content review. I spent ~10 weeks, ~6 hous per day doing content review. After that, I spent another 8 weeks, ~7 hours per day practicing passages and discrete questions using tprh sw, tprh ICC book, as well as passages from TBR. During that time, I was taking one AAMC FL every week. For verbal, I initially started by redoing all of the EK101 passages. I also did few of tprh verbal passages. Then, I realized that these passages don't reflect AAMC verbal passages in any way, so I laid those passages off, and started practicing only AAMC passages. I did each AAMC verbal passage at least three times. Between the passages found on the FL's and the AAMC "R" versions of the FL's, there are more than 80 passages.

Now that I have taken the MCAT for the second time, I think I would have focused more on using TBR for practicing PS passages since they help you develop your calculation skills. For biology, nothing was sufficient except some tprh ICC passages and the AAMC guideline book. For verbal, it was a good decision to lay off other books and focus on AAMC passages. That what helped me bringing my score up by 4 points.

Good luck!
 
hey guys! Haven't read through this whole thread, but i remember posting in a thread like this when i was pre-med. Anyway, just wanted to share my story and give you a little encouragement. I am currently going into my 4th year of med school. It took me 3 application cycles and 4 mcat retakes to get accepted (my highest score was a 27, lowest 19). My gpa was 3.4, sgpa 3.0. I had gotten cs in chemistry, organic chem and physics, and ended up retaking all 3 at a community college and getting as. The first application cycle i only applied to md schools (15) and got no interviews. The second time i applied to a mix of md and do schools, got one interview at meharry and was waitlisted. The last time i applied to 15 do schools, got 5 acceptances and declined the rest of my interviews after my 1st acceptance. I'm sitting here studying for step 2 boards thinking "how the heck did i get here?". If i can do it, so can you!! I had so many people telling me i should "just be a nurse" or go to pa school (not that there is anything wrong with pas and nurses). If you wanna be a doc, don't give up!!! I have to get back to studying but just wanted to pop my head in and say hello and good luck!

urm?
 
I was wondering if anyone could offer advice on whether I have selected schools that I have a decent shot at or not. Or if I have left one out that you would advise for me to apply to? I have done a decent amount of research on each but I would love to hear from those who have first hand experience. I am a TX resident.

A.T. Still University, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, MO
A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, AZ
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, AL
Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, NC
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Carolinas Campus, SC
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - Bradenton Campus, FL
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - Erie/Seton Hill, PA
Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, TN
Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, FL
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Admissions Office, WV
Western University of Health Sciences/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific - Pomona, CA
William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine, MS

Pomona and Nova are the long shot ones. I have family in CA would love to be there.

Hey guys. I think I would be considered an underdog due to my mcat but still hoping for the best!
cGPA: 3.67
sGPA: 3.48
MCAT: 24 - 8/8/8
Decent extracurriculars with research and letter from D.O.

Studying to take the mcat again in August and I will update my app then.
 
I was wondering if anyone could offer advice on whether I have selected schools that I have a decent shot at or not. Or if I have left one out that you would advise for me to apply to? I have done a decent amount of research on each but I would love to hear from those who have first hand experience. I am a TX resident.

A.T. Still University, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, MO
A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, AZ
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, AL
Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, NC
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Carolinas Campus, SC
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - Bradenton Campus, FL
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - Erie/Seton Hill, PA
Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, TN
Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, FL
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Admissions Office, WV
Western University of Health Sciences/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific - Pomona, CA
William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine, MS

Pomona and Nova are the long shot ones. I have family in CA would love to be there.

I think some of those schools require a DO letter. I would make sure not to apply to them if you dont have one (MD letter =/= DO letter).
 
Fellow underdogs,

According to aacomas I'm sitting at a 3.12 cgpa, 3.05 sgpa and 27 mcat. I think with the 3 retakes that I have planned for fall, I may go up a bit. For now though, does anyone want to advise me where I should apply just to get my app verified? My stats are way below the averages of all schools so I really don't know where to apply 🙁. Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks guys!
 
I was wondering if anyone could offer advice on whether I have selected schools that I have a decent shot at or not. Or if I have left one out that you would advise for me to apply to? I have done a decent amount of research on each but I would love to hear from those who have first hand experience. I am a TX resident.

A.T. Still University, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, MO
A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, AZ
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, AL
Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, NC
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Carolinas Campus, SC
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - Bradenton Campus, FL
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - Erie/Seton Hill, PA
Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, TN
Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, FL
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Admissions Office, WV
Western University of Health Sciences/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific - Pomona, CA
William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine, MS

Pomona and Nova are the long shot ones. I have family in CA would love to be there.


I have a 25 MCAT and my gpas were very similar to yours (my science was very slightly lower) and I got interviews at ACOM, Campbell, wcu, LMU, PCOM-Ga, nsu, and Lecom-B. I know for sure tho that my interviews at Lecom-b and especially NSU were only because I live so close to the school and someone cancelled so don't take much weight into those two. I got rejected from AT still in AZ, LECOM-Pa, VCOM-CC, and got placed on eternal hold at WVSOM (they're big into region preference and volunteering both of which I lacked or was limited on)

Not to say you shouldn't apply to the others but I was just giving you my personal experience. Hope this helps
 
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