3.88cGPA, 3.85-ish sGPA, 28R MCAT- HELP ME :(

[bluesky80]

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Seriously, I'm about THISCLOSE to tears. I've literally been killing myself ever since I moved to CA and now I feel like I don't have a bloody prayer. Input is welcome:

CA resident (I work here. I'm an east coast transplant).

*3.88 cGPA from Penn State, grad. high honors with honors in psychology
*3.8-ish sGPA. I don't know the last number because I had to calculate it by hand and gosh knows what the AMCAS people are going to say. Was studying at UC Berkeley extension and have to complete my orgo labs. orgo lecture is done.
*Undergrad honors thesis
*Leadership/Volunteer positions in undergrad out the wazoo.
*3 posters. 2 papers submitted.
*Volunteering in a hospital for ~3 hrs per week and as a support for a woman with breast cancer for ~2 hrs per week (she is one awesome human being)
*2 years in a brain imaging lab at Yale until they moved and took me with them out to CA 2.5 years ago. So I"m a CA resident which is going to totally work against me. I conduct clinical interviews to rate and assess symptoms for a living.
*8 really good letters of rec
*Taught myself Spanish which I know I'll be challenged on in interviews. Fine with that.

LOUSY BLOODY MCAT SCORE. 10PS 9VR 9BS R. Retaking 9/9/10 in the hopes of still being able to apply this semester.

Applying to 22 schools, most of which I never considered before the lousy MCAT. I'm perfectly fine with leaving CA.

OPINIONS? HELP!!!!

 

[bluesky80]

The schools:
UCSF (I work here, let's face it, it's not going to happen)
Jefferson
Keck
Loyola
NYMC
Rosalind
Rush
Stony Brook
U Miami
U Vermont
U Arizona
UCD
UCI
U Maryland
U S Carolina
Einstein (not going to happen)
Dartmouth (not going to happen)
Drexel
Florida International
GW
Georgetown

 

[bluesky80]

*bump*

retake MCAT?! Edit list of schools?

 

[Catalystik]

Retaking is your best course, especially if you're not going to be happy with schools in the pool most likely to consider you. I'd also suggest reworking your list toward the less-selective end so as to target those schools.

I'd have suggested maybe:
MSU, Virginia Commonwealth, EVMS, Drexel, NYMC, Tulane, UIllinois, Rush, GWU, Temple, Toledo, Buffalo, Loyola, Loma Linda, and the new one in Michigan, Oakland (don't know a thing about it.)

 

[bluesky80]

Thank you. I did edit the list and am thinking of taking the MCAT again 9/9 if I get my diagnostics up.

Added Tulane, can't apply to Temple because my orgo labs won't be done in time which sucks because I would have loved to move to Philly.

*fingers crossed*

 

[Catalystik]

Are you confident of your ECs? I don't see shadowing listed, and you were vague about other activities. Since your clinical experience seems to be primarily through your research activity, you'll need to be abundantly clear that the one Experience covers both. Really strong experiences can trump numbers sometimes, so you may be better off than you think. Of importance is that your subscores are balanced.

How is your medical Spanish?

 

[bluesky80]

I'm pretty confident (although that can always come back to bite one).

In the hopes of maintaining my anonymity:
- worked as a mental health tech in a locked ward, 4 mos. Provided translations re: meds on occasion
-worked at a major university research lab for brain imaging in schizophrenia. I conduct most of the clinical interviews and was trained by the PI. Almost 5 years (2 years at one place and then they moved me with them when they transferred universities). I work between 50 & 60 hrs per week although I dropped to half time for a little while when I was taking 2 lectures, 2 labs, and studying for the MCAT (may explain my lousy score?). I've also done translations at our lab when needed. So I didn't technically shadow my boss (a psychiatrist and one of my LOR) but have received a ton of clinical training from him.
-working at this lab has resulted in 3 posters and two papers (submitted, not published). I'm pretty far down on the list of authors (part of a consortium) but my bosses RARELY allow staff on as authors. It was one heck of an honor and I worked my butt off.

Plus the other things listed below. Listed an honor society where I was treasurer and had received a scholarship in college plus two other volunteer/leadership positions I held.

Hoping that's enough? If not, not really sure what I could do considering how little time I have left.

 

[bluesky80]

Oh, and honors undergrad thesis.

 

[Catalystik]

Shadowing can be done very quickly. Maybe you could formally shadow your boss. Possibly he could provide contacts with other specialties. Then send in update letters later detailing the experience.

 

[bluesky80]

Unfortunately I doubt it'll fly with him and I don't know where I'd fit in the time. I'm already working long hours and studying for the MCAT again + volunteering. I've done symptom ratings with him and he's had me give a little run down on how to do certain ratings to his med school residents. Even went to a grand rounds or two. We've discussed symptoms and meds and diagnoses ad nauseam. I've dive bombed through charts as part of my job to determine dosages at time of research participation (with permission of course).

I'm not sure how shadowing would be different from this? Maybe I'm missing something?

 

[Catalystik]

It sounds like his residents are shadowing you, LOL.

Shadowing is watching the doctor prep for patient visits, interact with patients in the clinic, hospital, ER, or OR, do paperwork, dictate, use an EMR, fill out insurance paperwork and sign it, answer phone calls, stay on a schedule, respond to annoying, abrasive, ingratiating, or manipulative patients, etc. It gives one a feel for what one's day is like as a physician of varying types. It gives you the chance to talk to the doc about their perspectives on practicing medicine. Sounds to me like you've had some of that.

 

[bluesky80]

Yes, I definitely have between working as an MH tech and for the psychiatrist. Although it would certainly be interesting to do the same thing for other specialties. The trick would be that it would have to be weekends...

Thank you for your suggestions. You are a huge help!