3.2 cGPA/3.1 sGPA 40MCAT

[enzyme93]

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Personal info:
Male
Biochemistry Major
3.2 cGPA
3.1 sGPA
40 MCAT (planning on taking the MCAT2015 and getting a similar high percentile score as I did with the old MCAT)
No GRE yet
All A's in junior year taking all advanced science courses
Had a serious immediate family illness which caused me to miss a lot of class frosh/soph year
Came to US as war refugee from Sarajevo, Bosnia

12 months of biochemistry research at home institution
10 months of microbiology research at Loyola
1 Presentation
TA'ed 16 labs and lectures in chemistry and math thus far
Private tutor for 2 years ongoing

2 summers worth of hospital volunteering
speak 7 languages, including english
5 outstanding LOR, 4 of which come from research mentors

Applying MD, PhD, and MD/PhD for the upcoming cycle

What do you guys think my chances are considering all this basic info? I basically have two bad semesters because of that family illness but my junior year is flawless. I took nothing but my advanced science courses junior year. I really want to apply MDPhD but I don't know if this is realistic bc of my gpa. Any advice?

 

[Doudline]

Apply widely and you'll get into MD and PhD programs with near certainty.

I don't know how stringent MD/PhD programs are about gpa however.
Yours is very, very low considering the competition you're facing; while the average applicant will have a lower MCAT by a few points, he/she'll also have a significantly higher GPA, and more research experience. Go browse the Physician Scientists forum here for more feedback on how high mcat/low gpa applicants fare.

 

[candbgirl]

Why are you retaking the MCAT?

 

[enzyme93]

Thanks for the response doudline. I'm not sure how it will play out in the numbers game. I am hoping my personal info and extracurriculars plus LOR lessen the gap.

Candbgirl: I figure almost everyone is applying this cycle with the new mcat. Since I did really well on the old one, I can do really well on the new one and show schools that my gpa is definitely not indicative of my knowledge

 

[texan2414]

.

 

[iforget2]

No need to take the new mcat. And it's not true that most people will be applying with the new mcat. Taking the new mcat will cause you to have to wait for the score to come out, making your application later than those who apply solely with the old mcat.

Also, you don't need to take the GRE for med school..

 

[enzyme93]

I read on AAMC that AMCAS won't submit the first round of applications to the designated medical schools until last june, early july. The new scores will come about in early june so it should be ok.

I'm applying to a few PhD programs as I stated in my original post so I'll need the GRE

 

[intangible]

I don't think you're understanding what everyone's trying to explain.

Your score is extraordinary as-is. Trying to take it again will come off as overkill, and it's very unlikely you'll do any better. In fact, it's more likely that you do worse...which will hurt you when applying.

 

[enzyme93]

Thanks for your post, intangible. In your opinion, do you think then that my score and personal circumstances for my poor grades are enough to overcome my low gpa?

 

[intangible]

Thanks for your post, intangible. In your opinion, do you think then that my score and personal circumstances for my poor grades are enough to overcome my low gpa?

With a solid personal statement explaining the circumstances, amongst everything else a medical school applicant tends to have (shadowing, clinical and non-clinical volunteering, hobbies, research, etc.), yes—I think your 40 will give you about the same chances someone would have with a 3.6 and a 30, give or take two points.

Your application will likely be an eyebrow raiser—just make sure you're looking at the MSAR and keeping an eye on median GPAs. Don't waste your time applying to schools that will likely screen you out.

 

[enzyme93]

I'm unaware of which schools have these types of cutoffs.

I'm an Illinois resident, so I'd like to apply to all the Chicago schools (loyola, uic, uchicago, northwestern etc) as well as uiuc. I particularly like uic's mdphd program.
I was also looking at bigger state schools in the midwest (i.e. michigan, indiana, wisonsin-madison, I like case western's program as well).

To venture further, I like a bunch of northeast programs (umass, pitt, nyu etc).

What schools would you say are realistic options for me for MD only and MD/PhD?

 

[SpaceBuff12]

With a solid personal statement explaining the circumstances, amongst everything else a medical school applicant tends to have (shadowing, clinical and non-clinical volunteering, hobbies, research, etc.), yes—I think your 40 will give you about the same chances someone would have with a 3.6 and a 30, give or take two points.

I disagree with using the personal statement to address an applicant's shortcomings; it's best to avoid the perception of being an excuse-maker or whiner (not saying the OP is that, it is just best to avoid the potential appearance of such). Instead an applicant should focus on their interest(s) in medicine and characteristics that make them a good candidate. If they must (or feel the need to) address their grades, save it for the secondary; there, write about failure, how they overcame their struggles, and what they learned from it.

Think of an application as an ad campaign to sell the applicant. If an application is littered with 'I struggled with . . . ,' 'it was difficult to . . . ,' 'I should've/would've/could've,' it paints a bad picture of the applicant, consciously or subconsciously. Coke doesn't advertise by plastering billboards with images of overweight kids playing video games in their parent's basement; neither should OP.

 

[enzyme93]

Thanks for the advice, spacebuff12.

Does everyone receive secondaries after sending in the primary amcas? I worry that not explaining my situation from the start in the personal statement will hinder me from receiving secondaries at all. I know I will have at least 2, maybe 3, LOR from very close personal relationships with PIs that will shortly discuss why I had that bad year. Is this enough?

For MD/PhD, I have to write three essays: motivations for pursuing an MDPhD, summary of research, and why I want to go to medical school. Excuse my confusion, but is the personal statement an entirely separate essay from the 'why i want to go to medical school'? I don't know where I could even mention my explanation for my grades.

 

[Doug Underhill]

Honestly, if you're applying MD, Ph.D, and MD/Ph.D, it's kind of questionable. First, the Ph.D-only issues: your grades are perfectly fine for a good Ph.D program. Your research on the other hand, seems kind of lackluster compared to many good applicants. You may have two years in a lab, but what do you really have to show for it? Where was the presentation- was it at a national conference, or was it a small talk at your home institution? They don't care about your legendary MCAT score at all, by the way.

For MD admissions, you don't really have much volunteering and the GPA is below the 10th percentile at a large number of MD-granting programs, despite the steep upward trend. Steep upward trends can only go so far.

 

[candbgirl]

Do you have the MSAR? If not get it right away. It will be very helpful as you develop your list of schools. Despite your killer MCAT your GPAs are really low for MD or MD/Phd programs! I'm not sure your MCAT will make schools ignore your GPAs or cause them to give you a "psychological" bump". Most schools do send out secondaries before screening.

 

[Goro]

So help me, if you retake that near perfect MCAT, I'm going to reach through the electrons and smack you upside the head!

Strong rising trends are always appreciated and there are plenty of schools that reward reinvention, like Duke, Vandy, Case and U Miami, to name a few.

Personal info:
Male
Biochemistry Major
3.2 cGPA
3.1 sGPA
40 MCAT (planning on taking the MCAT2015 and getting a similar high percentile score as I did with the old MCAT)
No GRE yet
All A's in junior year taking all advanced science courses
Had a serious immediate family illness which caused me to miss a lot of class frosh/soph year
Came to US as war refugee from Sarajevo, Bosnia

12 months of biochemistry research at home institution
10 months of microbiology research at Loyola
1 Presentation
TA'ed 16 labs and lectures in chemistry and math thus far
Private tutor for 2 years ongoing

2 summers worth of hospital volunteering
speak 7 languages, including english
5 outstanding LOR, 4 of which come from research mentors

Applying MD, PhD, and MD/PhD for the upcoming cycle

What do you guys think my chances are considering all this basic info? I basically have two bad semesters because of that family illness but my junior year is flawless. I took nothing but my advanced science courses junior year. I really want to apply MDPhD but I don't know if this is realistic bc of my gpa. Any advice?

 

[enzyme93]

So help me, if you retake that near perfect MCAT, I'm going to reach through the electrons and smack you upside the head!

Strong rising trends are always appreciated and there are plenty of schools that reward reinvention, like Duke, Vandy, Case and U Miami, to name a few.

Thanks for your comment, goro! Excuse my ignorance, but what are reinvention schools? Case Western has one of my favorite programs

 

[Goro]

Meaning that they reward you for your massive comeback. They realize that the you of now isn't the you of then.

We Americans love a good comeback story.

Thanks for your comment, goro! Excuse my ignorance, but what are reinvention schools? Case Western has one of my favorite programs

 

[enzyme93]

Meaning that they reward you for your massive comeback. They realize that the you of now isn't the you of then.

We Americans love a good comeback story.

Haha! Then I might be better off than I thought!

May I ask what are some more schools that you would consider 'reinvention' besides the ones you listed? I would prefer to stay in the midwest if I could, but if I have a better chance at a good program, then location isn't a deciding factor.

 

[Goro]

Definitely your state schools, Wayne State, Rush, MCW, SLU, Rosy Franklin, BU, NYMC, Albany, Drexel, Temple, Jefferson, Tufts. I think any of the new MD schools would work as well.

Haha! Then I might be better off than I thought!

May I ask what are some more schools that you would consider 'reinvention' besides the ones you listed? I would prefer to stay in the midwest if I could, but if I have a better chance at a good program, then location isn't a deciding factor.

 

[enzyme93]

Definitely your state schools, Wayne State, Rush, MCW, SLU, Rosy Franklin, BU, NYMC, Albany, Drexel, Temple, Jefferson, Tufts. I think any of the new MD schools would work as well.

Sounds great! Thank you for your help and insight! The only thing left to do is apply and see what happens!

Thank you all, I appreciate your help😀

 

[Goro]

Sometimes one has to apply with the app one has, warts and all. A 40 MCAT score is nothing to sneeze at! Good luck!