3.11 cGPA, 3.03 sGPA, 31Q MCAT

[kevlar917]

Hey all, I'm applying to DO schools this upcoming cycle (2012-2013), and I just wanted to get an idea of my chances.

Stats:
cGPA 3.11
sGPA 3.03
MCAT 31Q (PS 11, VR 10, BS 10)
Shadowed ophthalmologist for a day in the OR
Working to have shadowed a DO by app time
50 hours hospital volunteering
MCAT Bio instructor for Princeton Review
Various non-medical volutneer/EC's

I graduated last May with a BS in electrical engineering. I'm back in school getting a bio degree to boost my GPA a little, and I'll be finished up in May 2013. Also, if this semester goes as well as it has been so far (*knocks on wood*), my cGPA and sGPA will be ~3.15 when I apply.

Any feedback would be great, thanks!

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[Catalystik]

Hey all, I'm applying to DO schools this upcoming cycle (2012-2013), and I just wanted to get an idea of my chances.

Stats:
cGPA 3.11
sGPA 3.03
MCAT 31Q (PS 11, VR 10, BS 10)
Shadowed ophthalmologist for a day in the OR
Working to have shadowed a DO by app time
50 hours hospital volunteering
MCAT Bio instructor for Princeton Review
Various non-medical volutneer/EC's

I graduated last May with a BS in electrical engineering. I'm back in school getting a bio degree to boost my GPA a little, and I'll be finished up in May 2013. Also, if this semester goes as well as it has been so far (*knocks on wood*), my cGPA and sGPA will be ~3.15 when I apply.

Any feedback would be great, thanks!

Do your undergrad grades show an upward grade trend? Do you have a C or better in all the prerequisites? Have you taken any upper-level Bio and Biochem? Have you retaken any low grades to take advantage of the AACOMAS grade replacement policy?

I've seen that folks with stats like yours have gotten into DO med schools, but I'd suggest that your chances would be better if your transcript demonstrates that you can excel in med school-like classes.

EC-wise, I have additional concerns: your clinical experience is very sparse. If your application looks like you just decided to try for med school, that could hurt you. Adcomms want to be convinced that you've thought through the career path carefully, considered it over time, and tested it with various experiences.

 

[kevlar917]

Do your undergrad grades show an upward grade trend?
Yes. They have been on an upward trend for a year and a half now. This is actually the reason I stayed in school to get a 2nd degree - to have the upward trend in grades, and to take upper-level bio classes.

Do you have a C or better in all the prerequisites?
Yes.

Have you taken any upper-level Bio and Biochem?
I'm currently taking cell biology, biochem, and molecular biology of bacterial disease

Have you retaken any low grades to take advantage of the AACOMAS grade replacement policy?
Only for a couple of classes (the GPA's above include grade replacement). Many of the grades I could replace are in difficult engineering classes, so retaking them probably wouldn't give a better grade than before

EC-wise, I have additional concerns: your clinical experience is very sparse. If your application looks like you just decided to try for med school, that could hurt you. Adcomms want to be convinced that you've thought through the career path carefully, considered it over time, and tested it with various experiences.

I figured my EC's would be a weakness. It's not that I just decided to go to med school. The problem is that some of my non-med EC's take up a lot of time, hence why I haven't had time to fully devote to shadowing, etc, but I'm aware that it might look differently on my app. I decided a while ago after completing some engineering internships and decided that engineering wasn't for me (I intend to discuss this in my PS, for what it's worth). Hopefully it's not too late to rectify the situation before the summer.

 

[Catalystik]

Do your best to beef up the hours before you submit your application. Plan to continue the clinical experience during the application year for 3-4 hours per week. Let schools know periodically about this as well as other pertinent activities through update letters.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I think grade-wise you're a bit low, but I got in with similar cumulative grades, but I had a very strong post-bacc. I also think your volunteer hours are really really low... That could hurt you, MCAT is great.... Apply June 1, no later.... And apply broadly

 

[411309]

I think your ECs are a bit low but I think you can get into a DO school. If you check the underdog thread there was a guy with your gpa and a slightly higher mcat that got several interviews. He had better ECs but still. I think youll get interviews man, goodluck. Im applying with a low end gpa (3.26) and taking my mcat in may so ill be in your shoes.

 

[kevlar917]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'll definitely be beefing up my EC's between now and June 1st, and will continue them through the application period, both to be able to update schools and to have better EC's should I need to re-apply.

 

[411309]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'll definitely be beefing up my EC's between now and June 1st, and will continue them through the application period, both to be able to update schools and to have better EC's should I need to re-apply.

Make sure to give updates in the underdog thread this year, I think once you work on your ECs and apply early youll get a good amount of interviews.