3.6x gpa, 3.5x sgpa, 500 mcat, DO schools

[postcardstamps]

Hello forum! I've been a bit of a stalker for the past several years, but my anxiety has been accumulating significantly and I thought maybe I'd ask for a bit of advice. I've tried to compare myself to previous posts, it seems like a lot of individuals are in the same boat.

My statistics are above, but below is some additional information.
-Psych undergrad, psychology research assistant, estimate of 2,000+ hours in four years
-substantial volunteer experience for the past 4 years working directly with patients, mostly in hospitals (2,000+ hours), nursing homes (3,000+ hours) and private homes (5,000+ hours). direct patient contact/discussions about health, medication plans, ADLs/IADLS, insurance, medical diagnoses and history, etc.
-not an URM
-applied to only DO schools, most on the east coast
-secondaries completed by last August, no invites/rejections/hold notices recieved

I really anticipated that my social work experience would speak volumes, but I think I overestimated it's gravity. My essays definitely outlined how important community involvement is to me, that becoming a physician will be a function of my drive to contribute to the community. I thought that four years in social work would prove that concept, I thought I'd have actual actions to back up my statements! I've also perused that schools that I applied to (school specific threads) and the DO acceptance thread. I thought that my statistics were positive, at least average.

Any suggestions? Advice? Thoughts? Equivalent bouts of anxiety?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Aggie95]

Obviously your research and work experience is fantastic; however, they don't show your commitment to medicine, specifically. Do you have any shadowing experience to prove that you know what you're getting yourself into? If not, then that might be why you have no II's.

Oh, also: maybe try to get some non clinical volunteering to show that you can and enjoy helping others even if money is not involved.

 

[postcardstamps]

That's very good advice. I've shadowed three doctors on three separate days, only one of them being a DO. I think I'll try and seek out more physicians to shadow once the holidays are over. Additionally, I think branching out for volunteer experience would also be a good idea.

Statistics wise, what about my MCAT? If I don't receive any acceptances this round, would you (or any one else reading this thread) suggest retaking it?

Thanks for your time, Aggie95!

 

[Aggie95]

If you're able to consistently score much higher on practice tests (510+), then a retake might be a good idea. Your MCAT is currently slightly below average (I think) for DO, but your GPA is above average, so overall I think your stats as they stand are competitive for DO.