2013-2014 Underdawgs Thread ( Lets get it)

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I am gearing up for a MCAT retake in early June since my last two MCAT scores (20, 22) were atrocious due to the 4 in VR. Will a 26-27 minimum in my retake give me a chance (Obviously I am shooting for 30+)? My GPAs are 3.2/3.35 c/sGPA and I have 100+ hours volunteering and ton of hours of healthcare experience. Will most schools count my previous two scores against me? Or will school average out my MCAT scores?
 
Just got II from atsu-soma. 3.2/3.44/25. Set for January 31 (earliest available time)
 
usmctodo said:
Hey everyone!
I was accepted to Rowan SOM 2 weeks ago with: 3.6/3.7/24 . Not URM, NJ resident.

Just wanted to say never give up!
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Your military service definitely helped you, as I have seen plenty of higher stats waitlisted and even denied from that school. Veterans seem to do really well in the application process, especially with DO schools.
 
Success Story:
I posted in the 2012 thread but I feel my story could encourage some people this year so I'll repost here too.

I struggled throughout college and ended up graduating with a 2.1 science GPA and 2.5 overall GPA, majoring in Bio at a state school. This was the result of poor study habit and sickness. I'm not sure what took over me, but I was crazy enough to still pursue medicine. I did 3 years informal postbac (basically retook about 20 classes to boost my GPA). I could not apply to any postbac programs with GPA cutoff. Then I took the MCAT and was pretty sad to only get 26: 10BS,10PS,6VR. At this point, my GPA (so hard to repair) was around 2.8 after many retakes. I retook the MCAT and sadly, it actually dropped to 22. However, I had many good clinical and volunteering experiences. I had no research experience, whatsoever. Because of my GPA, professors did not accept me into their research lab. I had no leadership position and not URM. However, I did not give up. I applied to a DO Postbac program and was accepted (could not believe it!). From my performance, I was accepted into their DO class. Because of my stats, I'm sorry I cannot go into more specifics, but this is one of the hardest DO schools to get into (stats wise). Because of this acceptance, I did not apply to any other medical school (I get to say I've never been rejected from a medical school!)

PS: I'm currently ranking in the top 10% of my DO class 🙂 I have a very balanced life. I still spend a decent amount of time with friends and family and getting 8 hours of sleep every night.

Good luck to everyone! Do not give up! You just gotta find a school that believes in you! Someday you could be an "Overdog" 👍
 
underdoog said:
Success Story:
I posted in the 2012 thread but I feel my story could encourage some people this year so I'll repost here too.

I struggled throughout college and ended up graduating with a 2.1 science GPA and 2.5 overall GPA, majoring in Bio at a state school. This was the result of poor study habit and sickness. I'm not sure what took over me, but I was crazy enough to still pursue medicine. I did 3 years informal postbac (basically retook about 20 classes to boost my GPA). I could not apply to any postbac programs with GPA cutoff. Then I took the MCAT and was pretty sad to only get 26: 10BS,10PS,6VR. At this point, my GPA (so hard to repair) was around 2.8 after many retakes. I retook the MCAT and sadly, it actually dropped to 22. However, I had many good clinical and volunteering experiences. I had no research experience, whatsoever. Because of my GPA, professors did not accept me into their research lab. I had no leadership position and not URM. However, I did not give up. I applied to a DO Postbac program and was accepted (could not believe it!). From my performance, I was accepted into their DO class. Because of my stats, I'm sorry I cannot go into more specifics, but this is one of the hardest DO schools to get into (stats wise). Because of this acceptance, I did not apply to any other medical school (I get to say I've never been rejected from a medical school!)

PS: I'm currently ranking in the top 10% of my DO class 🙂 I have a very balanced life. I still spend a decent amount of time with friends and family and getting 8 hours of sleep every night.

Good luck to everyone! Do not give up! You just gotta find a school that believes in you! Someday you could be an "Overdog" 👍
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Uberdog*
 
Pineapplesareyummy said:
3.6/3.9/22(6-8-8) accepted to LUCOM. But i'm literally hoping to get accepted anywhere else. Put on pre-interview holds on about 7 schools, been complete since october! (applied everywhere)

ahhhhhh
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Care to share why you hope to go elsewhere ? I'm interviewing there in Jan.
 
AkGrown84 said:
Acceptance letter to PCOM today! OOS, MCAT 25 (6p/10v/9b), c3.45, s3.5, non-traditional. I also interviewed at Drexel (no word back yet), and have an interview at LMU-DCOM next week and PNWU in January (that I may cancel). So insanely excited, as it's been a long road for me thus far and it's my first acceptance!

Keep on truckin', underdogs!! You can do it!
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I know this is great but congrats! good to see you are getting love from philly schools 😀. Do you live in philly by any chance
 
chocolateislife said:
you interviewed at drexel? i kinda just assumed philly md schools dont interview without a 30 mcat. good luck!!
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Nope lol I know of a few 28-29s who have received interviews at drexel with 3.4-3.5s. I can think /of one student who got accepted with like a 3.4/29. This particular individual matriculated into a school boasting a 3.8/33 average. Numbers aren't everything, applicant was not a URM.

Drexel is a school worth applying to IMO if you are a strong DO applicant, lets ay a 3.3-3.5/3.3-3.5/27-30. I can think of a few schools that have similar ranges to Drexel.
 
serenade said:
PCOM favors PA students, but it is foremost a private school. It is also known to have the weirdest admission process under the sun.
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If you aren't from PA but you go to a university in PA, does that help?
 
Dreamstoo said:
If you aren't from PA but you go to a university in PA, does that help?
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Genuinely speaking? It would be also difficult to really even prove it just through looking at a feeder school list, because it would likely not inform me of their state of residence.
 
Dreamstoo said:
I know this is great but congrats! good to see you are getting love from philly schools 😀. Do you live in philly by any chance
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No, live in Alaska! Just about as far away as you can get.
 
I was legitimately scared that I wouldn't get a single acceptance because my MCAT was so low. Because of this, I applied broadly to 11 DO schools. I was pre-secondary rejected from CUSOM (for the 6 in verbal), got iis from 6 schools, 5 acceptances, and one waitlist.
kc0X8t
 
So I'm in the same boat with a 2.7s/2.87c
I'm going into my last semester. Would you suggest me to retake the courses I received an C in? But the only thing is my institution only allows 3 retakes. So is it best I just graduate and them retake courses another college such as a CC?
 
hallowmann said:
I actually had a very low undergrad GPA, mainly due to a bad year some time ago that I didn't handle right. I have high 3.0s post-bac GPAs, and a mid 30s MCAT, but nothing can really salvage my undergrad grades, short of retaking all of those classes, many of which can only be taken at my home institution. That's my story.

My guess is that a lot of people in a similar situation had some rough undergrad situation. That's the nice thing about DO though, you have a second chance in it. Just like the people that for some reason or another just don't perform well on standardized tests, people with low GPAs need that second chance to show what they can do when given the opportunity.
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I have a low undergrad gpa 2.76s/2.85c
I have only three retake option and I'm a semester away from graduation. What would you suggest for me to boost my gpa?
 
denn206 said:
I was legitimately scared that I wouldn't get a single acceptance because my MCAT was so low. Because of this, I applied broadly to 11 DO schools. I was pre-secondary rejected from CUSOM (for the 6 in verbal), got iis from 6 schools, 5 acceptances, and one waitlist.
kc0X8t
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Would you mind sharing your stats and where you got in?
 
Am I an underdawg: 3.75 cGPA, 3.6 sGPA, 25 MCAT (8P, 8V, 9B). I feel like an underdawg...hopefully I get some interviews in the new year.
 
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CrypticMind said:
Am I an underdawg: 3.8 cGPA, 3.65 sGPA, 25 MCAT (8P, 8V, 9B). I feel like an underdawg...hopefully I get some interviews in the new year.
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I would say you're not too much of an underdog based on your excellent GPA. The MCAT is certainly on the lowish side... but perhaps not low enough to be too much of a red flag (since it's balanced pretty well). I think you'll have fine chances if you applied broadly.
 
When you guys are posting GPAs are you posting AACOMAS? (Forgive me if that's a stupid question!)
 
Temperature101 said:
You are not an underdog... What is your school list?
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LECOM-E
LECOM-B (rejected pre-interview)
DMU
LUCOM (invited for interview)
VCOM
WVSOM
KCUMB
KCOM
Marian University
NOVA
PCOM
AZCOM
CCOM
NYCOM

Adding: VCOM-CC and PCOM-Ga

MD:
UIC
UMN
MCW
St. Louis University

My top choices are KCUMB, PCOM, DMU, NOVA, CCOM.
 
7toMD said:
When you guys are posting GPAs are you posting AACOMAS? (Forgive me if that's a stupid question!)
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Yes... Your transcript GPA usually means nothing for AACOMAS and especially for people who have retakes in their transcripts.
 
CrypticMind said:
LECOM-E
LECOM-B (rejected pre-interview)
DMU
LUCOM (invited for interview)
VCOM
WVSOM
KCUMB
KCOM
Marian University
NOVA
PCOM
AZCOM
CCOM
NYCOM

Adding: VCOM-CC and PCOM-Ga

MD:
UIC
UMN
MCW
St. Louis University

My top choices are KCUMB, PCOM, DMU, NOVA, CCOM.
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You are probably an underdog for your top choices except KCUMB...The others have high average MCAT score (28+). Otherwise, you should be ok for the other DO schools.
 
First II!!!!

I am humbled and honored that Charles Drew University UCLA wants to interview me!

DEFINITE UNDERDOG FOR MDs
 
Thelonelyarab said:
What are your stats if you dont mind me asking?
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Sure !!!

2.99 cGPA, .2.77sGPA AMCAS GPA
3.2 cGPA, 3.1 sGPA AACOMAS GPA, B.A. Chicano/Latino Studies at UCI, 3.5 post-bac GPA , 24 MCAT ( 7PS 8 VR 9 BS)
300+ hours clinical experience, 100+ hours as department coordinator for surgical floor
1 year research in genetics lab, 1 year research in stress and response lab, 1 year research in fly lab
2 years as high school basketball coach
3 part time jobs while in college
URM

There is hope out there guys. I would have never thought an MD yet alone a UC would want to interview me. Got to start preparing for it and nail this one!
 
burning_bridges said:
Sure !!!

2.99 cGPA, .2.77sGPA AMCAS GPA
3.2 cGPA, 3.1 sGPA AACOMAS GPA, B.A. Chicano/Latino Studies at UCI, 3.5 post-bac GPA , 24 MCAT ( 7PS 8 VR 9 BS)
300+ hours clinical experience, 100+ hours as department coordinator for surgical floor
1 year research in genetics lab, 1 year research in stress and response lab, 1 year research in fly lab
2 years as high school basketball coach
3 part time jobs while in college
URM

There is hope out there guys. I would have never thought an MD yet alone a UC would want to interview me. Got to start preparing for it and nail this one!
Click to expand...

wow

congrats
 
Marian sent me an email today taking me off the hold list to deny me an interview invite.
 
burning_bridges said:
First II!!!!

I am humbled and honored that Charles Drew University UCLA wants to interview me!

DEFINITE UNDERDOG FOR MDs
Click to expand...
burning_bridges said:
Sure !!!

2.99 cGPA, .2.77sGPA AMCAS GPA
3.2 cGPA, 3.1 sGPA AACOMAS GPA, B.A. Chicano/Latino Studies at UCI, 3.5 post-bac GPA , 24 MCAT ( 7PS 8 VR 9 BS)
300+ hours clinical experience, 100+ hours as department coordinator for surgical floor
1 year research in genetics lab, 1 year research in stress and response lab, 1 year research in fly lab
2 years as high school basketball coach
3 part time jobs while in college
URM

There is hope out there guys. I would have never thought an MD yet alone a UC would want to interview me. Got to start preparing for it and nail this one!
Click to expand...
Congrats! I hope you got in.
 
why do people claim schools with low averages like LMU or WVSOM accept lower stats b/c they look at applicants differently than other schools? It just makes sense that due to their location, these schools are less popular/competitive.
 
dreamcatcher1520 said:
3.0 sgpa 24MCAT 3.37cgpa. Just got accepted first cycle, first interview. Good luck guys.
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user3 said:
why do people claim schools with low averages like LMU or WVSOM accept lower stats b/c they look at applicants differently than other schools? It just makes sense that due to their location, these schools are less popular/competitive.
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People always want to feel special! However, his/her stats are below average for LMU. I was told that school average stats are: 3.3 c/sGPA and 26 MCAT. Maybe there is something about his/her application that caught the eyes of the adcom.
 
BestDoctorEver said:
People always want to feel special! However, his/her stats are below average for LMU. I was told that school average stats are: 3.3 c/sGPA and 26 MCAT. Maybe there is something about his/her application that caught the eyes of the adcom.
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below average =/= "not competitive"
 
user3 said:
below average =/= "not competitive"
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I think you are spitting hairs here. This applicant has 3.0 sGPA and 24 MCAT... LMU average: 3.3 c/sGPA and 26 and you are telling the applicant is competitive with his/her stats. I think that's a stretch.
 
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