3.3 cpa 26 mcat

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

nabilesmail

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2009
Messages
2,045
Reaction score
208
Hey guys, this is for a good friend of mine. She wants to apply this June, does she have a shot?

3.3 CPA (3.1-3.2 science) from UCSD
Ethnicity: Indian
MCAT: 8/8/10 - 26

EC's :

1 year of Cognitive Science Research- 100-150 hours

150 hours of volunteering in a VA care unit (clinical) over multiple summers

75 hours shadowing multiple physicians in India (She's going to try and shadow a D.O. before applying, but is having trouble finding one- would a M.D.be fine if she cannot find a D.O.?)

T.A. for Evolutionary Biology- 3 Quarters- Ran her own class of 30+ students, office hours, created study guides, created quizzes, graded tests etc.

2 yrs Officer of a club that serves/tutors at an EXTREMELY underserved Middle school in SD

1 yr- Running/Leading/Teaching Sunday school for the age bracket 4-6

If she applies as early as possible + pre-writes secondaries, Does she have a decent chance? I think if she gets to the interview stage, she'll do fine, she's an articulate, passionate, bubbly person!

Thanks!

Edit: Please read bottom question as well :]
 
Last edited:
Probably at the lower tier DO schools she'd find the most success. Asians with good stats, even in the DO world, are a dime a dozen.
 
I think if your friend is willing to do a post-bacc or SMP, she might even have a chance at MD schools. She'll probably have to retake the MCAT though and score at least a few points higher.

As she stands, she will be semi-competitive for lower-end DO schools, probably the ones that are newly opened. She'd be more competitive everywhere else if there is something extremely compelling about her application, whether it's a specific passion or EC that totally fits in with a school's culture, or she's totally sold on the osteopathic way of medicine (which there is no evidence of, since she hasn't shadowed a DO).

Your friend should also know that not all schools require a DO letter, but some do. Although it's not a necessity at many DO schools, a DO letter would help her case a great deal.

Keep in mind that the ranges that I'm seeing people apply to DO with and get accepted are anywhere from 3.3-3.5 cgpa AND sgpa and 28+ MCATs. She might want to hold off a year if she wants to get accepted to more competitive and established programs and perhaps even some lower-tier MD schools.
 
I think if your friend is willing to do a post-bacc or SMP, she might even have a chance at MD schools. She'll probably have to retake the MCAT though and score at least a few points higher.

As she stands, she will be semi-competitive for lower-end DO schools, probably the ones that are newly opened. She'd be more competitive everywhere else if there is something extremely compelling about her application, whether it's a specific passion or EC that totally fits in with a school's culture, or she's totally sold on the osteopathic way of medicine (which there is no evidence of, since she hasn't shadowed a DO).

Your friend should also know that not all schools require a DO letter, but some do. Although it's not a necessity at many DO schools, a DO letter would help her case a great deal.

Keep in mind that the ranges that I'm seeing people apply to DO with and get accepted are anywhere from 3.3-3.5 cgpa AND sgpa and 28+ MCATs. She might want to hold off a year if she wants to get accepted to more competitive and established programs and perhaps even some lower-tier MD schools.

I think as long as she has a chance for any D.O. she wants to apply now, but she will also retake the MCAT next April or May (and start studying January) if her cycle doesn't go well.

So she stands a decent chance at lower tier/newer D.O. schools?
 
I think as long as she has a chance for any D.O. she wants to apply now, but she will also retake the MCAT next April or May (and start studying January) if her cycle doesn't go well.

So she stands a decent chance at lower tier/newer D.O. schools?

She probably will get into one of the lower tiers DO if she apply early and strategically to 12+ schools. DO shadowing and a DO LOR will help tremendously.
 
She probably will get into one of the lower tiers DO if she apply early and strategically to 12+ schools. DO shadowing and a DO LOR will help tremendously.

Wonderful news. Do you think she should even try to apply at mid tier/upper tier D.O.'s?

What if she applied to every D.O. school (that accepts out of state), just to increase her chances?
 
Wonderful news. Do you think she should even try to apply at mid tier/upper tier D.O.'s?

What if she applied to every D.O. school (that accepts out of state), just to increase her chances?

There's no harm in trying, as long as she's okay with the fees. Just understand that some of the mid/upper tier DO schools (like PCOM, NSU) usually like applicants with higher averages than her. Think 3.4-3.5 GPA and 28-32 MCATs.
 
There's no harm in trying, as long as she's okay with the fees. Just understand that some of the mid/upper tier DO schools (like PCOM, NSU) usually like applicants with higher averages than her. Think 3.4-3.5 GPA and 28-32 MCATs.

I see, it's probably the same as applying to reaches, possible, but not probable.

I think her parents would want to maximize her chance and thus pay for it.
 
I think she will be fine. These schools would be good choices: Touro-NV, PNWU, SOMA, MUCOM, CUSOM, ACOM, VCOM, LMU, WVSOM, KCOM, KCUMB, and LECOM-E (although some of these may be regionally biased).
 
I think she will be fine. These schools would be good choices: Touro-NV, PNWU, SOMA, MUCOM, CUSOM, ACOM, VCOM, LMU, WVSOM, KCOM, KCUMB, and LECOM-E (although some of these may be regionally biased).

Thanks! I'll definitely tell her to look into them! Much appreciated!
 
Guys, an update, her GPA will be a 3.25 rather than a 3.3. She got a B+/B/C+ this last quarter (she had pneumonia and had to skip the first 2-3 weeks worth of school+ midterms)

She also hasn't finished her APP yet, do you guys think she should still apply if she gets the app in before July?
 
Guys, an update, her GPA will be a 3.25 rather than a 3.3. She got a B+/B/C+ this last quarter (she had pneumonia and had to skip the first 2-3 weeks worth of school+ midterms)

She also hasn't finished her APP yet, do you guys think she should still apply if she gets the app in before July?
It worth a shot just apply broadly.
 
Guys, an update, her GPA will be a 3.25 rather than a 3.3. She got a B+/B/C+ this last quarter (she had pneumonia and had to skip the first 2-3 weeks worth of school+ midterms)

She also hasn't finished her APP yet, do you guys think she should still apply if she gets the app in before July?

Yes!
 
DO programs yes, including mine, but MD schools, no.

Hey guys, this is for a good friend of mine. She wants to apply this June, does she have a shot?

3.3 CPA (3.1-3.2 science) from UCSD
Ethnicity: Indian
MCAT: 8/8/10 - 26

EC's :

1 year of Cognitive Science Research- 100-150 hours

150 hours of volunteering in a VA care unit (clinical) over multiple summers

75 hours shadowing multiple physicians in India (She's going to try and shadow a D.O. before applying, but is having trouble finding one- would a M.D.be fine if she cannot find a D.O.?)

T.A. for Evolutionary Biology- 3 Quarters- Ran her own class of 30+ students, office hours, created study guides, created quizzes, graded tests etc.

2 yrs Officer of a club that serves/tutors at an EXTREMELY underserved Middle school in SD

1 yr- Running/Leading/Teaching Sunday school for the age bracket 4-6

If she applies as early as possible + pre-writes secondaries, Does she have a decent chance? I think if she gets to the interview stage, she'll do fine, she's an articulate, passionate, bubbly person!

Thanks!

Edit: Please read bottom question as well :]
 
Can anyone suggest about 15-20 D.O. schools

I have the following

Touro-NV
PNWU,
SOMA,
MUCOM,
CUSOM,
ACOM,
VCOM,
LMU,
WVSOM,
KCOM,
\ KCUMB,
LECOM-E

Are these all good for OOS as well?
 
You are certainly a very good friend. But shouldn't she be doing this work herself? Has she submitted her primaries yet?

Yeah, she submitted a couple of days ago, I think on the 5th, still early?

I like helping out with this kind of stuff haha :]
 
TOURO NY
LECOM B
Touro Ca
AZCOM
NSU
RVU
 
Thank you all for your input! nabilesmail, you are a good friend indeed!

I got into AZCOM 🙂
 
Thank you all for your input! nabilesmail, you are a good friend indeed!

I got into AZCOM 🙂
Congrats! I guess AZCOM is not that 'MCAT obsessed' as most on SDN keep saying.
 
congrats!

can anyone tell me if AZCOM requires a DO letter?
I am sure you addressed the question to 'dr.said', but I will answer it. AZCOM do NOT require a DO letter. They will take either (M.D./ D.O.), but a D.O. letter is strongly recommended.


From their website:

Two letters of recommendation are required.


  • One letter from either a premedical advisory committee or science professor who has taught the applicant

  • Second letter from either a D.O. or an M.D. Letters from osteopathic physicians are strongly recommended, and letters written by immediate family members are not acceptable
 
I am sure you addressed the question to 'dr.said', but I will answer it. AZCOM do NOT require a DO letter. They will take either (M.D./ D.O.), but a D.O. letter is strongly recommended.


From their website:

Two letters of recommendation are required.


  • One letter from either a premedical advisory committee or science professor who has taught the applicant

  • Second letter from either a D.O. or an M.D. Letters from osteopathic physicians are strongly recommended, and letters written by immediate family members are not acceptable

thanks. and is AZCOM an established DO school?
 
Established in 1995 and their stats:

COMLEX LEVEL 1 BOARD SCORES (2013, NBOME REPORTING)
96.4 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers in 2012. (National average pass rate 90.6)

COMLEX LEVEL 2CE BOARD SCORES (2013, NBOME REPORTING)
91.02 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers in 2012. (National average pass rate 89.96)

COMLEX LEVEL 2PE BOARD SCORES (2013, NBOME REPORTING)
96.4 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers

COMLEX Level 3 Board Scores (2013, NBOME Reporting)

95.2 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers in 2013. (National average pass rate 95.1)

All but 2 people matched last year, 1 is doing a research gap year and the other is studying to re-take his boards. It's established!
 
Established in 1995 and their stats:

COMLEX LEVEL 1 BOARD SCORES (2013, NBOME REPORTING)
96.4 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers in 2012. (National average pass rate 90.6)

COMLEX LEVEL 2CE BOARD SCORES (2013, NBOME REPORTING)
91.02 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers in 2012. (National average pass rate 89.96)

COMLEX LEVEL 2PE BOARD SCORES (2013, NBOME REPORTING)
96.4 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers

COMLEX Level 3 Board Scores (2013, NBOME Reporting)

95.2 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers in 2013. (National average pass rate 95.1)

All but 2 people matched last year, 1 is doing a research gap year and the other is studying to re-take his boards. It's established!

nice! do they have in-state bias?
 
Not that I know of, I met a lot of different people in my interview. There's people from Canada on the AZCOM FB page. So I don't think so 🙂
 
My friend got into 3 allopathic schools with those stats. Nothing is impossible. It just makes things harder sometimes. She said what got her in was an awesome resume, essay, and LOAs. In her interview she was honest and they saw that she was capable despite not being the "ideal student".
 
I know this thread is years old, but what was the the OP's result?? I have similar stats and would like to know!
 
Top