Improving from here?

[Kardio]

Yeah

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[Knicks17]

Target MCAT: 528. It is there for you to get try your best to reach it! Shoot for the moon and even if you miss you will land among the stars But idealy anything above 510 should make you pretty solid for DO. @Goro any advice?

 

[rufflev]

An MCAT of 500 - 505 will be competitive for most DO schools, a 508+ will be competitive for all DO schools.

Well rounded application, two suggestions (1) shadowing - perhaps try to fit in ~ 50 hours of primary care, as that is the primary focus of most DO schools and typically primary care shadowing > specialty shadowing, and (2) if you did a science major, then do not do a post-bacc (you have too many credits now to raise your sGPA), your GPA is on the lower end, so an SMP would be beneficial, though often very expensive.

Note that most schools pre-screen at 3.0, but I believe some like KCUCOM pre-screen at 3.25, so make sure to do that research prior to applying.

 

[Goro]

An MCAT of 500 - 505 will be competitive for most DO schools, a 508+ will be competitive for all DO schools.

Well rounded application, two suggestions (1) shadowing - perhaps try to fit in ~ 50 hours of primary care, as that is the primary focus of most DO schools and typically primary care shadowing > specialty shadowing, and (2) if you did a science major, then do not do a post-bacc (you have too many credits now to raise your sGPA), your GPA is on the lower end, so an SMP would be beneficial, though often very expensive.

Note that most schools pre-screen at 3.0, but I believe some like KCUCOM pre-screen at 3.25, so make sure to do that research prior to applying.

Agree with this, but the OP's downward trend is very concerning, and will hurt him/her at my school.

 

[Goro]

Thanks for the feedback so far everybody.

Would you recommend assuming responsibility for, and addressing the trend, in my application?

I understand that AdComs will be concerned with the GPA trend. I have two options; (1) an expensive SMP or (2) address it in my applications and hope for the best. If I am not accepted in the 2018/19 cycle, I will go the SMP route.

I will get accepted and graduate somehow, some way at some time

I recommend (1).
In the mean time, you can take some DIY post-bac courses and ace them, to same the trend was a fluke. No need for an SMP. There are plusses and minuses to both routes for reinvention.

The risk in your explanation as of right now, is that it will come off as an excuse. You also run the risk of having your judgment questioned, as you should have withdrawn from coursework if you couldn't be at your best, instead of bulldozing your way through. Without further coursework, Adcoms will also worry that you're still at risk for poor performance. Thus, you need to prove that you can handle med school.

Med schools aren't going anywhere, and more will have opened their doors by he time you apply.

 

[Goro]

I appreciate your suggestion and those concerns are exactly what I was afraid of hearing.

I think the best I could pull off (without the ironic financial freedom I get from loans to do an SMP) would be taking ~3 advanced sciences classes at a local Community College over the next 8 or 9 month. This route just didn't seem 'strong' enough to me, given that 3 classes (over 2 or 3 semesters) aren't tough to ace if it's all I'm doing outside of work.

I could do a 1 year paramedic school as an alternative option (and switch to working nights) - but that seems like much more than necessary.

For right now, I'm going to worry about the MCAT and return to ya'll when I've got that score.

While a vocational school is good for Plan B, it's not going to impress Adcoms. You need to prove that you can handle med school.