MD & DO 3.5 GPA 31 MCAT poor ecs

[Johnyellow]

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Hey guys. I was wondering if you could give me your opinion as far as to what my chances are for med school (MD/DO but preferably MD)
I have a 3.5 GPA (3.45 sGPA) and i got a 31 in the MCAT. It turns out organic chemistry is the monster that will haunt me to the end of time lol.
I believe my stats, while not great (far from that actually), are not the worst around. I just want to know how only having 100 hours of volunteer work, 50 hours of shadowing, and 75 hours of hospital volunteering as my only ECs affect my chances.
Any thoughts, comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

 

[Utenation]

Hey guys. I was wondering if you could give me your opinion as far as to what my chances are for med school (MD/DO but preferably MD)
I have a 3.5 GPA (3.45 sGPA) and i got a 31 in the MCAT. It turns out organic chemistry is the monster that will haunt me to the end of time lol.
I believe my stats, while not great (far from that actually), are not the worst around. I just want to know how only having 100 hours of volunteer work, 50 hours of shadowing, and 75 hours of hospital volunteering as my only ECs affect my chances.
Any thoughts, comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

Your stats aren't bad for MD school. Lots of people get in with stats like those.
Those can't be your only EC's. What do you do for fun? What have you been involved with lately? EC's don't have to be medically related. Also, what can you do in terms of research?

 

[orangeman25]

Hey guys. I was wondering if you could give me your opinion as far as to what my chances are for med school (MD/DO but preferably MD)
I have a 3.5 GPA (3.45 sGPA) and i got a 31 in the MCAT. It turns out organic chemistry is the monster that will haunt me to the end of time lol.
I believe my stats, while not great (far from that actually), are not the worst around. I just want to know how only having 100 hours of volunteer work, 50 hours of shadowing, and 75 hours of hospital volunteering as my only ECs affect my chances.
Any thoughts, comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

I'm in a similar predicament when it comes to stats so I thought I would share. I've spoken to a good amount of people about the process and the stats you have are near the borderline of MD/DO. To get an MD acceptance it is your ECs that will need to be above average. You don't need extraordinary ECs (though that wouldn't hurt), but they do need to be thorough. I would beef up on clinical experience first and foremost. Research is becoming more common in most applicants, so you should probably have some given that your numbers are right around average. Research isn't necessary though of course and really depends where you will be applying.

 

[gyngyn]

State?

 

[Johnyellow]

Your stats aren't bad for MD school. Lots of people get in with stats like those.
Those can't be your only EC's. What do you do for fun? What have you been involved with lately? EC's don't have to be medically related. Also, what can you do in terms of research?

Well i dont have any club involvement right now. I gave it a shot but my grades started to slip so i decided to focus on school and the volunteering stuff. Regarding research im due to graduate next spring (2 semesters from now), would it make sense to engage in some research? I know of a couple opportunities

 

[Johnyellow]

State?

I live in florida

 

[Johnyellow]

I'm in a similar predicament when it comes to stats so I thought I would share. I've spoken to a good amount of people about the process and the stats you have are near the borderline of MD/DO. To get an MD acceptance it is your ECs that will need to be above average. You don't need extraordinary ECs (though that wouldn't hurt), but they do need to be thorough. I would beef up on clinical experience first and foremost. Research is becoming more common in most applicants, so you should probably have some given that your numbers are right around average. Research isn't necessary though of course and really depends where you will be applying.

I got a year or so to get clinical experience to a higher number but i dont think its never going to be really competitive. Im going to retake the mcat this summer since my scores are average (if even that) and apply for the next cycle. I would technically lose a year but i wanna be a stronger first time applicant, rather than having to reapply. Any thoughts on this??

 

[gyngyn]

I live in florida

That's a good state to apply in! Your MCAT is fine.

 

[Johnyellow]

That's a good state to apply in! Your MCAT is fine.

Oh man it sure is good to hear that!! What should i focus on regarding my ECs? Clinical volunteer, more shadowing or a mixture of the two?

 

[gyngyn]

Oh man it sure is good to hear that!! What should i focus on regarding my ECs? Clinical volunteer, more shadowing or a mixture of the two?

EC's, in and of themselves, are less important than the characteristics for which they serve as a proxy. We want people with altruism and commitment to service who also know what they are getting into. To the degree that you have done this in areas relevant to your own community you will succeed.

 

[Johnyellow]

EC's, in and of themselves, are less important than the characteristics for which they serve as a proxy. We want people with altruism and commitment to service who also know what they are getting into. To the degree that you have done this in areas relevant to your own community you will succeed.

That has always been my take on the subject. Its not about the sheer volume of hours but rather about why you do what you do and what you get out of it. I guess people just like scaring others by throwing out random numbers like you don't have a chance without 200 hours in everything or stuff like that. Thank you for the help

 

[Utenation]

Well i dont have any club involvement right now. I gave it a shot but my grades started to slip so i decided to focus on school and the volunteering stuff. Regarding research im due to graduate next spring (2 semesters from now), would it make sense to engage in some research? I know of a couple opportunities

Totally. Research experience is very helpful. You're interviewing with a bunch of PhD's who do research every day so having some research experience gives you something to talk about (at the very least).

 

[Goro]

Below avg numbers and cookie cutter stats don't bode well. This is not the app of someone who dearly wants to be a doctor, but only wants to do what's convenient. If you're truely aiming for MD schools, then a gap year is suggested. Otherwise, aim for DO programs.

Service need not be "unique". If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients.

Hey guys. I was wondering if you could give me your opinion as far as to what my chances are for med school (MD/DO but preferably MD)
I have a 3.5 GPA (3.45 sGPA) and i got a 31 in the MCAT. It turns out organic chemistry is the monster that will haunt me to the end of time lol.
I believe my stats, while not great (far from that actually), are not the worst around. I just want to know how only having 100 hours of volunteer work, 50 hours of shadowing, and 75 hours of hospital volunteering as my only ECs affect my chances.
Any thoughts, comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

 

[Catalystik]

I got a year or so to get clinical experience to a higher number but i dont think its never going to be really competitive. Im going to retake the mcat this summer since my scores are average (if even that) and apply for the next cycle. I would technically lose a year but i wanna be a stronger first time applicant, rather than having to reapply. Any thoughts on this??

I agree that one should not apply until their application is the best it's going to be. Apply once and do it right.

Well i dont have any club involvement right now.

Clubs won't make your application stronger unless they lead to a leadership opportunity or are a springboard to volunteering. If you enjoy the socialization with like-minded people and aren't time challenged, then join for the fun of it.

 

[BeancheBlanco]

Hey guys. I was wondering if you could give me your opinion as far as to what my chances are for med school (MD/DO but preferably MD)
I have a 3.5 GPA (3.45 sGPA) and i got a 31 in the MCAT. It turns out organic chemistry is the monster that will haunt me to the end of time lol.
I believe my stats, while not great (far from that actually), are not the worst around. I just want to know how only having 100 hours of volunteer work, 50 hours of shadowing, and 75 hours of hospital volunteering as my only ECs affect my chances.
Any thoughts, comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

I wholeheartedly recommend taking at least one gap year and doing some significant, unique ECs. Also try to show commitment by continuing with some things that you have done while in college.