3.0 cGPA, 2.95 sGPA, MCAT 505

[imumm2]

Just trying to get an idea of my chances this cycle. Not picky with MD or DO.

Demographic: White Male
Age: 26

BS Biochemistry/Genetics - Texas A&M University - 2013
cGPA - 2.81
sGPA - 2.70

MS Medical Physiology - Case Western Reserve University - 2017
cGPA - 3.40
sGPA - 3.40

Total cGPA: 3.006
Total sGPA: 2.94

MCAT: 505 (127/125/127/126)

Shadowing: 60 hours with an osteopathic head of oncology, allopathic gastroenterologist, and allopathic orthopedic surgeon.

Work experience: 2015-January 2017: Lead toxicology analyst, January 2017 to present: Clinical Research Coordinator dealing with Crohn's disease, Ulcerative colitis, fatty liver disease and hepatitis C studies. Worked full time while in the masters program.

Volunteering: ~200 hours in organizations that help kids and adults with muscular disorders to have athletic outlets and exercise aids, such as playing wheelchair sports with them or fundraising events to acquire customizable trikes for strengthening exercises.

Research: 2 years of research experience in structural biology, fungal biology and bacteriophage labs. Primary author publication, 1 poster presentation.

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[Cardboard101]

The post-bacc is borderline. MD chances are very low. I'd apply to the newest DO schools and any that open for 2018.

 

[imumm2]

I forgot to mention, residency is in Tx and with grade replacement i'm at 3.11 cGPA and 3.05 sGPA. I plan on applying to the majority of DO schools that won't automatically screen me out, and of course the few schools still doing manual grade replacement. Do you have advice for MD schools I should target?

Short list would be:

Arizona-Tucson
USF
Washington State
Seton Hall
Nova Southeastern
LSU-NO

 

[Faha]

Arizona, USF, Washington State, LSU-NO do not accept non residents with your stats. Concentrate on DO schools and you may need a DO LOR for some schools. Include all these:
UIWSOM
ACOM
ARCOM
BCOM
WCU-COM
LMU-DCOM
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
LUCOM
VCOM (all 3 schools)
NYIT-Arkansas
RVU-Utah
any new schools that open for 2018.

 

[imumm2]

Arizona, USF, Washington State, LSU-NO do not accept non residents with your stats. Concentrate on DO schools and you may need a DO LOR for some schools. Include all these:
UIWSOM
ACOM
ARCOM
BCOM
WCU-COM
LMU-DCOM
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
LUCOM
VCOM (all 3 schools)
NYIT-Arkansas
RVU-Utah
any new schools that open for 2018.

But I don't think I meet the secondary requirements for VCOM, BCOM or RVUCOM?

 

[Faha]

But I don't think I meet the secondary requirements for VCOM, BCOM or RVUCOM?

What are those secondary requirements?

 

[imumm2]

What are those secondary requirements?

BCOM/RVUCOM - 3.0 sGPA
VCOM - 3.2 cGPA/sGPA in the last 120 hours

 

[Faha]

BCOM/RVUCOM - 3.0 sGPA
VCOM - 3.2 cGPA/sGPA in the last 120 hours

Try them anyway.

 

[imumm2]

Try them anyway.

Will do. So should I be aiming for certain MD programs or just shoot for DO? My committee advisor at CWRU suggested Ohio State because of some links to the school, but I know that'd be a pipe dream most likely.

 

[Cath Up]

You and I are fairly similar applicants, though I only have 2 postbacc courses compared to your MS, which I would think will help overall, particularly if adcoms notice it was alongside full time work (though obviously grades could have been better). It's probably worth it to apply this year, and you're right to focus on DO schools. I haven't seen any strong MD endorsements from any adcoms on SDN, ever, for someone with stats like yours or mine. Faha provides good school lists.

Over the next year, would focus on the following, in anticipation of a second application cycle and perhaps updates to any schools for this upcoming cycle:
- raising sGPA above 3.0 (most important part of your application, given prevalence of 3.0 cut-offs)
- could benefit from taking more undergrad courses to raise cGPA (I can't remember if this actually counts towards your uGPA anymore, though? I suspect it does.)
- additional volunteering in another area. Preferably in a rural, underserved population. Would be more rounded for this not to be clinical, though that's probably not important (clinical vs non-clinical).
- do you have a DO LOR from the osteopathic head of oncology? If not, get a LOR from a DO.
- consider more exposure to primary care.
- consider an MCAT retake, though would need to kill it.

 

[imumm2]

You and I are fairly similar applicants, though I only have 2 postbacc courses compared to your MS, which I would think will help overall, particularly if adcoms notice it was alongside full time work (though obviously grades could have been better). It's probably worth it to apply this year, and you're right to focus on DO schools. I haven't seen any strong MD endorsements from any adcoms on SDN, ever, for someone with stats like yours or mine. Faha provides good school lists.

Over the next year, would focus on the following, in anticipation of a second application cycle and perhaps updates to any schools for this upcoming cycle:
- raising sGPA above 3.0 (most important part of your application, given prevalence of 3.0 cut-offs)
- could benefit from taking more undergrad courses to raise cGPA (I can't remember if this actually counts towards your uGPA anymore, though? I suspect it does.)
- additional volunteering in another area. Preferably in a rural, underserved population. Would be more rounded for this not to be clinical, though that's probably not important (clinical vs non-clinical).
- do you have a DO LOR from the osteopathic head of oncology? If not, get a LOR from a DO.
- consider more exposure to primary care.
- consider an MCAT retake, though would need to kill it.

I do have a LOR from the head oncology DO, so I'm set there and I just took the 3/31 MCAT. Hopefully it is an improvement.

 

[Cath Up]

I do have a LOR from the head oncology DO, so I'm set there and I just took the 3/31 MCAT. Hopefully it is an improvement.

Oh that's great about the LOR and MCAT. The ~30 day wait is stressful.

To address the original question, I would give you a 15-35% chance of admission this cycle. Hard to know how the MS grades will be favored. It is my understanding that MS's usually have grade inflation so 3.4 might be disliked to some extent. It looks like you are at between the 30th-40th percentile for your MS grades, in terms of DO matriculants.

Once you have an sGPA above 3.0, will really help. Looks like you're in the 50-60th percentile for DO matriculant MCAT and ~10th percentile for GPA. 651/3498 (18.6%) of applicants with cGPAs between 2.8 - 3.19 were accepted in the most recent data.

The most relevant osteopathic stats that I know of, and base my chance of admission on, are here: http://www.aacom.org/docs/default-s...riculant-profile-summary-report.pdf?sfvrsn=10

For MD chances, off the top of my head I think you'd have a 10-20% chance if you were elsewhere in the US. Since you're from Texas and would use TMDAS, I have no clue.

If you increased your cGPA and sGPA to >3.2 (would probably take 1-2 years of postbacc science courses) the data says your DO chances would shoot up to 33%+. Realistically, probably significantly greater given the upward trend and MS performance.

 

[imumm2]

Oh that's great about the LOR and MCAT. The ~30 day wait is stressful.

To address the original question, I would give you a 15-35% chance of admission this cycle. Hard to know how the MS grades will be favored. It is my understanding that MS's usually have grade inflation so 3.4 might be disliked to some extent. It looks like you are at between the 30th-40th percentile for your MS grades, in terms of DO matriculants.

Once you have an sGPA above 3.0, will really help. Looks like you're in the 50-60th percentile for DO matriculant MCAT and ~10th percentile for GPA. 651/3498 (18.6%) of applicants with cGPAs between 2.8 - 3.19 were accepted in the most recent data.

The most relevant osteopathic stats that I know of, and base my chance of admission on, are here: http://www.aacom.org/docs/default-s...riculant-profile-summary-report.pdf?sfvrsn=10

For MD chances, off the top of my head I think you'd have a 10-20% chance if you were elsewhere in the US. Since you're from Texas and would use TMDAS, I have no clue.

If you increased your cGPA and sGPA to >3.2 (would probably take 1-2 years of postbacc science courses) the data says your DO chances would shoot up to 33%+. Realistically, probably significantly greater given the upward trend and MS performance.

Yea, I keep running through questions in my head. I'm not helping myself relax at all.

I think the MS perception will depend on the school. I attended a medical school virtual fair a month or two ago and spoke with Creighton. They said that graduate GPAs WILL he weighted as more important than your uGPA, so a big plus for me. I think you are right about the inflation though.

The LOR DO has connections at UNT (former faculty at the health science center) and the gastroenterologist is current faculty at UTSW. They're friends so supposedly they will be discussing how to further help me out. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for the advice, all great info, really appreciate it!

 

[Cath Up]

Yea, I keep running through questions in my head. I'm not helping myself relax at all.

I think the MS perception will depend on the school. I attended a medical school virtual fair a month or two ago and spoke with Creighton. They said that graduate GPAs WILL he weighted as more important than your uGPA, so a big plus for me. I think you are right about the inflation though.

The LOR DO has connections at UNT (former faculty at the health science center) and the gastroenterologist is current faculty at UTSW. They're friends so supposedly they will be discussing how to further help me out. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for the advice, all great info, really appreciate it!

Of course.

One more thing- did you calculate your final cumulative/science GPAs factoring in your MS grades? I could be wrong, but I don't think that is how AACOMAS reports undergrad GPA. If that's the case, and you did factor in MS grades to your uGPA, and you haven't taken postbacc, non grad classes after you graduated in 2013, you probably wouldn't want to apply this cycle because you are far from the 3.0 cutoff for most schools. Undergrad GPA and grad GPA are reported separately through AMCAS.

 

[imumm2]

Of course.

One more thing- did you calculate your final cumulative/science GPAs factoring in your MS grades? I could be wrong, but I don't think that is how AACOMAS reports undergrad GPA. If that's the case, and you did factor in MS grades to your uGPA, and you haven't taken postbacc, non grad classes after you graduated in 2013, you probably wouldn't want to apply this cycle because you are far from the 3.0 cutoff for most schools. Undergrad GPA and grad GPA are reported separately through AMCAS.

I did include the MS grades into my calculations, because the program is listed as a formal postbacc.

 

[candbgirl]

Many MD schools do not give much credence to Masters programs because it is generally assumed you will score very well and end up with a high gGPA. Interestingly you didn't do that at all. DO I think does include your gGPA in calculation your uGPA. You probably need to spend some time researching what schools include your Master grades. Even with them included your GPAs are too low for getting through the auto screen. You might have better luck with DO but it's going to be very tough.


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[Faha]

Will do. So should I be aiming for certain MD programs or just shoot for DO? My committee advisor at CWRU suggested Ohio State because of some links to the school, but I know that'd be a pipe dream most likely.

Where is your state of residence?

Will do. So should I be aiming for certain MD programs or just shoot for DO? My committee advisor at CWRU suggested Ohio State because of some links to the school, but I know that'd be a pipe dream most likely.

Where is your state of residence?

 

[imumm2]

Where is your state of residence?

Where is your state of residence?

Residence is in TX. Thanks for your help by the way!

 

[Faha]

The Texas MD schools like applicants with high GPA's so concentrate on a DO application.

 

[LibBum]

Why apply to Washington State?

Both Washington schools have a bias for WAMI and Washington State applicants. I am a Texas resident and went to grad school at UW - 3.97 Grad GPA, still no love from UW SOM. Save your money and focus on schools that like come back stories.

 

[drplzz]

Don't waste your money on an app cycle. It is so expensive and exhausting going through an app cycle, so it is really important to have the strongest application possible. Right now, you don't have that. Get both your gpas up over 3.0. This is especially important for the science gpa. Applying with your stats DO and MD would likely be lethal. You didn't perform exceptionally well in your post bac like you should have, so you need to take more classes to show them you can handle upper level science courses.

 

[Goro]

Lethal for MD, OK for DO, if you apply broadly.

Just trying to get an idea of my chances this cycle. Not picky with MD or DO.

Demographic: White Male
Age: 26

BS Biochemistry/Genetics - Texas A&M University - 2013
cGPA - 2.81
sGPA - 2.70

MS Medical Physiology - Case Western Reserve University - 2017
cGPA - 3.40
sGPA - 3.40

Total cGPA: 3.006
Total sGPA: 2.94

MCAT: 505 (127/125/127/126)

Shadowing: 60 hours with an osteopathic head of oncology, allopathic gastroenterologist, and allopathic orthopedic surgeon.

Work experience: 2015-January 2017: Lead toxicology analyst, January 2017 to present: Clinical Research Coordinator dealing with Crohn's disease, Ulcerative colitis, fatty liver disease and hepatitis C studies. Worked full time while in the masters program.

Volunteering: ~200 hours in organizations that help kids and adults with muscular disorders to have athletic outlets and exercise aids, such as playing wheelchair sports with them or fundraising events to acquire customizable trikes for strengthening exercises.

Research: 2 years of research experience in structural biology, fungal biology and bacteriophage labs. Primary author publication, 1 poster presentation.