3.2 cGPA and 3.0 sGPA, WAMC and school list?

[SimpleButterscotch36]

Hi y'all!

This is my first post and would appreciate any insight to my chances at med school if I apply this cycle, and perhaps help with a school list? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.
I'm a CA resident and ORM.
Graduated with a science degree with a 3.2 cgpa and 3.0 sGPA (ouch). Rough start due to personal problems in the family, and later on, I worked full-time to support myself. Not much of upward or downward trend, pretty steady trend.
I have about 4000 hours of in-home caregiving experience, and about 1300 hours in research, as a lab tech then a specialist, with 2 co-author publications so far.
I also worked about 150 hours as a middle school tutor. These were all paid positions.
Any unpaid experience I have are from community internships - about 90 hours for writing and researching about community outreach activities with a "spread the word" kind of goal.
Currently preparing for the Mcat to take in mid-May, and scoring around 519-521 on my FL's (fingers crossed that I don't get test-day nerves and I can get a score in this range on test day!!).
As a CA resident, I'm thinking of applying to all the state schools. OOS schools that I'm considering include Wayne State and Rosalind Franklin...
What do y'all think? I'm looking forward to reading your responses. Thank you

@Faha @LizzyM

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[chemdoctor]

@Goro

 

[Goro]

Hi y'all!

This is my first post and would appreciate any insight to my chances at med school if I apply this cycle, and perhaps help with a school list? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.
I'm a CA resident and ORM.
Graduated with a science degree with a 3.2 cgpa and 3.0 sGPA (ouch). Rough start due to personal problems in the family, and later on, I worked full-time to support myself. Not much of upward or downward trend, pretty steady trend.
I have about 4000 hours of in-home caregiving experience, and about 1300 hours in research, as a lab tech then a specialist, with 2 co-author publications so far.
I also worked about 150 hours as a middle school tutor. These were all paid positions.
Any unpaid experience I have are from community internships - about 90 hours for writing and researching about community outreach activities with a "spread the word" kind of goal.
Currently preparing for the Mcat to take in mid-May, and scoring around 519-521 on my FL's (fingers crossed that I don't get test-day nerves and I can get a score in this range on test day!!).
As a CA resident, I'm thinking of applying to all the state schools. OOS schools that I'm considering include Wayne State and Rosalind Franklin...
What do y'all think? I'm looking forward to reading your responses. Thank you

@Faha @LizzyM

Your GPAs are lethal for MD and circling the drain for DO. A high MCAT will not remediate a weak GPA, it will only accentuate the discrepancy.

Read this:

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[Faha]

Post your actual MCAT score here when available and I will suggest schools.

 

[SimpleButterscotch36]

@Faha @Goro Thank you for your responses. I’ll work on my grades and mcat then come back. In the meantime, do you have feedback on my EC’s and how I could improve them? Are my hours okay?

 

[Goro]

@Faha @Goro Thank you for your responses. I’ll work on my grades and mcat then come back. In the meantime, do you have feedback on my EC’s and how I could improve them? Are my hours okay?

You need shadowing and service to others less fortunate than yourself.

 

[SimpleButterscotch36]

@Faha Hi Faha, I've taken the MCAT since my last post and have a 517. Would appreciate any insight and advice from you about school list and my chances. Thanks so much.

 

[chilly_md]

What is your year by year gpa? Did you take classes since the time you graduated?

 

[Faha]

@Faha Hi Faha, I've taken the MCAT since my last post and have a 517. Would appreciate any insight and advice from you about school list and my chances. Thanks so much.

You are competitive for most DO schools with your stats (a few have GPA cutoffs higher than yours). I suggest these schools:
WESTERN
TUCOM-CA
AZCOM
TUNCOM
UIWSOM
KCU-COM
ATSU (both schools)
DMU-COM
WCU-COM
ACOM
PCOM (all schools)
LECOM (all schools)
MU-COM
WVSOM
NYIT-AR
Touro-NY
For MD schools you could try these:
California University
Loma Linda (if you fit their mission)
UC Davis
UC Irvine
TCU-UNT
Creighton
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Wayne State
Oakland Beaumont
NOVA MD
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Seton Hall
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac

 

[SimpleButterscotch36]

You are competitive for most DO schools with your stats (a few have GPA cutoffs higher than yours). I suggest these schools:
WESTERN
TUCOM-CA
AZCOM
TUNCOM
UIWSOM
KCU-COM
ATSU (both schools)
DMU-COM
WCU-COM
ACOM
PCOM (all schools)
LECOM (all schools)
MU-COM
WVSOM
NYIT-AR
Touro-NY
For MD schools you could try these:
California University
Loma Linda (if you fit their mission)
UC Davis
UC Irvine
TCU-UNT
Creighton
Loyola
Medical College Wisconsin
Western Michigan
Wayne State
Oakland Beaumont
NOVA MD
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Seton Hall
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac

Thank you so much!!

 

[SimpleButterscotch36]

What is your year by year gpa? Did you take classes since the time you graduated?

I’ll have to double check but it’s about 3.3->3.16>3.18>3.24
I have a lot of units accumulated (215 units) so it would be hard to raise my gpa. But I have taken 3 classes After graduating (3.5 post bacc gpa ). I plan to take more after this summer when I can better focus.

 

[chilly_md]

I’ll have to double check but it’s about 3.3->3.16>3.18>3.24
I have a lot of units accumulated (215 units) so it would be hard to raise my gpa. But I have taken 3 classes After graduating (3.5 post bacc gpa ). I plan to take more after this summer when I can better focus.

Yes it will be hard to raise your GPA, but it would look good if you can show you have improved by doing well over a year’s worth of classes.

If you plan to apply this cycle, I would not recommend sending an application to an MD school. It is likely a donation. You can apply to UC Riverside or UC Davis if you fit their mission and/or attended the school for undergrad.

 

[SimpleButterscotch36]

Yes it will be hard to raise your GPA, but it would look good if you can show you have improved by doing well over a year’s worth of classes.

If you plan to apply this cycle, I would not recommend sending an application to an MD school. It is likely a donation. You can apply to UC Riverside or UC Davis if you fit their mission and/or attended the school for undergrad.

Thank you!
I am planning to apply this cycle and was thinking that I could send updates to schools about my post bacc classes. I also understand it’s better to apply with better grades the first time.
What are your thoughts on sending updates?

 

[chilly_md]

Thank you!
I am planning to apply this cycle and was thinking that I could send updates to schools about my post bacc classes. I also understand it’s better to apply with better grades the first time.
What are your thoughts on sending updates?

The MD schools will likely not wait to see that before deciding on your application. I do not think they will feel obligated either to take a 2nd look, especially if these grades are for fall courses and will appear on your transcript in December or January. Similar with DO, but there is more leeway considering your MCAT and non-academic experiences. They may invite you to an interview beforehand or have additional interview slots available after the New Year.

 

[stinkycheeseperson]

if i were you i'd wait another year. then you could have like 45 credits and real life and be like, see i got it. especially if you have anything interesting going on.

DO could go either way but MD is almost certainly a donation.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Congratulations on the MCAT score. I noticed you mentioned having to take care of family issues while you were taking classes, and that didn't help your GPA.

You also noted a significant number of hours of in-home caregiving. Were you paid/employed as an in-home caregiver, and were any of the clients relatives? What did you do in that role? 4000 hours is over 2 years of full-time work.

 

[SimpleButterscotch36]

Congratulations on the MCAT score. I noticed you mentioned having to take care of family issues while you were taking classes, and that didn't help your GPA.

You also noted a significant number of hours of in-home caregiving. Were you paid/employed as an in-home caregiver, and were any of the clients relatives? What did you do in that role? 4000 hours is over 2 years of full-time work.

Thank you! @Mr.Smile12
Yes, i was employed by a social services program as an in-home caregiver. The client was another family member who was almost total care, so I assisted with all daily activities such as feeding, changing/dressing, mobility exercises and etc., in addition to transportation to doctor appointments, medication administration, checking vitals, changing dressing for sores, etc. I was the primary caregiver, and there were others that came in for several hours a day while I'm at school. So I was also responsible for training other caregivers and was the primary contact.
Do you think it's worth mentioning this on my application, and that it's suitable to list as clinical experience?

 

[chilly_md]

Thank you!
Yes, i was employed by a social services program as an in-home caregiver. The client was another family member who was almost total care, so I assisted with all daily activities such as feeding, changing/dressing, mobility exercises and etc., in addition to transportation to doctor appointments, medication administration, checking vitals, changing dressing for sores, etc. I was the primary caregiver, and there were others that came in for several hours a day while I'm at school. So I was also responsible for training other caregivers and was the primary contact.
Do you think it's worth mentioning this on my application, and that it's suitable to list as clinical experience?

You can list it as clinical employment and discuss it in your personal statement, but I would advise you to have another clinical experience activity as some members of admissions will want you to be involved with patients who are not related to you.