MD & DO 3.45 cGPA, 2.99 sGPA, 27 MCAT (retaking in two weeks) Where should I apply?

[AamirB]

I'm trying to figure out where I'm going to be applying this cycle and I need some help. I definitely want to apply broadly (around 30) and I don't really care whether it's MD or DO. By the end of this semester I should have a cGPA around 3.5 (right now it's 3.45) and a sGPA around 2.99 (it might be 3.0). My MCAT is 27 but I am retaking it on May 17th. I understand that I have very little or any chance at MD schools but I would still like to try. I am from Michigan (I'm a Junior at MSU) so I will definitely be applying to all 7 schools here.

I think I have decent ECs. I'm in leadership positions in two organizations, I have 50 hours of volunteering at a hospital and 50 hours at a community health clinic (I have about 100 or so more volunteer hours from other things), I took part in a service trip last year and led that trip this year, I'm part of theater group and an accapella group. In terms of clinical experience I have about 50 hours shadowing a neurosurgeon (DO), 70 hours shadowing a general surgeon (DO) and 40 hours shadowing an internal medicine doctor (MD also she is my mother). I have also been doing research for the past 2.5 years but no publications.

I really don't want to have to take a gap year. I made a list of about 40 schools that I'm interested in and I think I might have a shot at but maybe I could get some help curating it.

University of North Dakota
CMU
Wayne State
Western Michigan
MSUCOM
MSUCHM
Oakland
UofM
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
Rush
University of Ilinois
New York Medical College
Lincoln Memorial
Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
University of New England
Philadelphia COM
NSU COM
San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
Cooper Medical School
Virginia Tech
Eastern Virginia
University of Arkansas
Marshall University
TUCOM - CA/NV/Harlem/Middletown
Western University
Tulane University
University of Missouri
Oklahoma State
NYIT
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Hofstra University
The Commonwealth Medical College
KCUMB
Herbert Wertheim
George Washington
Drexel

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[gyngyn]

Listing the hours shadowing your Mom will make everybody cringe.
Is your Spanish as good as your English?
North Dakota is extremely regionally focused (or are you Native American?).

Is there any way you can get both your gpa's into >3.0 territory? That's essentially a screen at many of the places on your list. Use AMCAS and AACOMAS calculator to give us the exact gpa's. It will make a difference.

 

[WillburCobb]

I second what gyngyn says about UND. Only chance there is if you're NA (even if you're a former resident your numbers would still keep you out of the running for an II). I'd also re-consider Tulane unless you can do 32+ on your MCAT retake (they tend to favor high MCAT and re-invention over GPA).

 

[AamirB]

Listing the hours shadowing your Mom will make everybody cringe.
Is your Spanish as good as your English?
North Dakota is extremely regionally focused (or are you Native American?).

Is there any way you can get both your gpa's into >3.0 territory? That's essentially a screen at many of the places on your list. Use AMCAS and AACOMAS calculator to give us the exact gpa's. It will make a difference.

Is listing my mom really wrong to do? I was told that if would be okay as long as she wasn't the only one and it's not like she's writing a letter of rec for me.
My Spanish is really good but I wouldn't say it's on the same level as my English.

Also I recalculated using this spreadsheet http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/amcas-gpa-calculator-revised.590424/
without the current semester grades I'm at 3.46 for cGPA and 3.27 for sGPA.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

Is listing my mom really wrong to do? I was told that if would be okay as long as she wasn't the only one and it's not like she's writing a letter of rec for me.
My Spanish is really good but I wouldn't say it's on the same level as my English.

Also I recalculated using this spreadsheet http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/amcas-gpa-calculator-revised.590424/
without the current semester grades I'm at 3.46 for cGPA and 3.27 for sGPA.

For SJB, your Spanish don't have to be good like your English. However, you have to be able to carry a conversation in Spanish since the interview is conducted in both languages. I think you have a great shot with your stats...

 

[Goro]

Your numbers are not competitive for MD schools, nor most DO programs (you'd be rejected from mine). Don't bother with retaking the MCAT; even a 45 won't help, unless you've made all As in the past two years.

STRONGLY suggest that you retake all F/D/C science corusework, and then apply broadly to DO programs.

The MD schools will appreciate the donations in the form of your app fees.

I'm trying to figure out where I'm going to be applying this cycle and I need some help. I definitely want to apply broadly (around 30) and I don't really care whether it's MD or DO. By the end of this semester I should have a cGPA around 3.5 (right now it's 3.45) and a sGPA around 2.99 (it might be 3.0). My MCAT is 27 but I am retaking it on May 17th. I understand that I have very little or any chance at MD schools but I would still like to try. I am from Michigan (I'm a Junior at MSU) so I will definitely be applying to all 7 schools here.

I think I have decent ECs. I'm in leadership positions in two organizations, I have 50 hours of volunteering at a hospital and 50 hours at a community health clinic (I have about 100 or so more volunteer hours from other things), I took part in a service trip last year and led that trip this year, I'm part of theater group and an accapella group. In terms of clinical experience I have about 50 hours shadowing a neurosurgeon (DO), 70 hours shadowing a general surgeon (DO) and 40 hours shadowing an internal medicine doctor (MD also she is my mother). I have also been doing research for the past 2.5 years but no publications.

I really don't want to have to take a gap year. I made a list of about 40 schools that I'm interested in and I think I might have a shot at but maybe I could get some help curating it.

University of North Dakota
CMU
Wayne State
Western Michigan
MSUCOM
MSUCHM
Oakland
UofM
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
Rush
University of Ilinois
New York Medical College
Lincoln Memorial
Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
University of New England
Philadelphia COM
NSU COM
San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
Cooper Medical School
Virginia Tech
Eastern Virginia
University of Arkansas
Marshall University
TUCOM - CA/NV/Harlem/Middletown
Western University
Tulane University
University of Missouri
Oklahoma State
NYIT
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Hofstra University
The Commonwealth Medical College
KCUMB
Herbert Wertheim
George Washington
Drexel

 

[candbgirl]

Do you have a MSAR and more importantly have you done any research on these schools? IMO I don't think you are near ready to apply this year. You need some grade repair. Your ECs seem rather sparse too. I think when you do apply focus on the DO schools and selected MD schools. By that I mean the MD schools in your state that you are in range with your stats. Forget about other MD schools unless you just want waste money.

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[gyngyn]

Is listing my mom really wrong to do? I was told that if would be okay as long as she wasn't the only one and it's not like she's writing a letter of rec for me.
.

It's not wrong to shadow your Mom, it's just awkward and adds little to your application. Your experience as the child of a physician can be an important aspect of an essay or application but for shadowing there are better altenatives..
You will notice that you are below the 10% for just about all the MD schools you have listed.

 

[Kochanie]

The posted GPA conversion is wrong... I think. C+ is 2.3, not 2.5 and etc.

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181676/data/amcas_grade_conversion_guide.pdf

 

[AamirB]

The posted GPA conversion is wrong... I think. C+ is 2.3, not 2.5 and etc.

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181676/data/amcas_grade_conversion_guide.pdf

My school uses a numeric system with increments of 0.5 so I calculated according to that.

 

[Kochanie]

That's a lot of money when you can improve your application...

 

[AamirB]

That's a lot of money when you can improve your application...

I can't not try though. I can't just give up a year without having taken a chance. Even if there is the most minuscule possibility of me getting in, I owe it to myself and my parents to try. Besides, other people on this very site have told me that I have a pretty good chance at many DO programs. I'm probably going to focus more on DO schools than MD, learning what I have the past few days, but I would still like to apply broadly, my parents don't care how much it costs as long as I get accepted somewhere .

 

[Kochanie]

I can't not try though. I can't just give up a year without having taken a chance. Even if there is the most minuscule possibility of me getting in, I owe it to myself and my parents to try. Besides, other people on this very site have told me that I have a pretty good chance at many DO programs. I'm probably going to focus more on DO schools than MD, learning what I have the past few days, but I would still like to apply broadly, my parents don't care how much it costs as long as I get accepted somewhere .

I understand, my parents think I'm going to waste a year by not applying next year. Good luck.

 

[chemguy79]

I can't not try though. I can't just give up a year without having taken a chance. Even if there is the most minuscule possibility of me getting in, I owe it to myself and my parents to try. Besides, other people on this very site have told me that I have a pretty good chance at many DO programs. I'm probably going to focus more on DO schools than MD, learning what I have the past few days, but I would still like to apply broadly, my parents don't care how much it costs as long as I get accepted somewhere .

With a science GPA below 3.0, you could to have a very difficult time getting into a DO program. Frankly, I wouldn't apply to any MD programs with your current GPA regardless of your financial situation. In my opinion, your science GPA combined with your MCAT are too low to even have a minuscule possibility of getting accepted.

I understand that your family may be pushing for you to get accepted this year; However, if you fail to get accepted, you'll be considered a reapplicant. As a reapplicant, you will be expected to make major improvements to your application. Think wisely before wasting your resources.

 

[AamirB]

With a science GPA below 3.0, you could to have a very difficult time getting into a DO program. Frankly, I wouldn't apply to any MD programs with your current GPA regardless of your financial situation. In my opinion, your science GPA combined with your MCAT are too low to even have a minuscule possibility of getting accepted.

I understand that your family may be pushing for you to get accepted this year; However, if you fail to get accepted, you'll be considered a reapplicant. As a reapplicant, you will be expected to make major improvements to your application. Think wisely before wasting your resources.

I actually recalculated my GPA (because I'm bad at math) and it's actually 3.26 which I think gives me a much better chance at DO programs at least.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

I actually recalculated my GPA (because I'm bad at math) and it's actually 3.26 which I think gives me a much better chance at DO programs at least.

You should focus mainly on DO, but your stats should be ok for San Juan Bautista if you speak Spanish.