MD & DO 492/497 MCAT, 3.56c GPA, 3.42 sGPA - Great EC

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eaglehawk

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I would recommend retaking the MCAT and aim for a 505 for DO schools and 510+ for MD schools - though because you're a TX resident, your best shot would be applying to your in-state schools, though they have a strong preference for higher GPAs (average matriculant has around a 3.78 I believe.)

As for your two options - I would recommend adding a third option of just delaying applying till next cycle because your MCAT score is too low as is, and it can be lethal to apply with a third MCAT score that is low as well (since it seems that there is an issue with your MCAT as you've yet to break 500).
 
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My state of residence is Texas and I am not URM - (Southasian male)
The GPA-MCAT grid shows you have a 10% to 15% chance for a MD acceptance with your stats. You could apply to the Texas MD schools but there are no schools in Florida where you could be accepted with a MCAT of 497 AND all Florida schools give preference to Florida residents to varying degrees. You have a chance for interviews at some DO schools so consider applying to all these:
UIWSOM
ACOM
ARCOM
BCOM
WCU-COM
LMU-DCOM
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
LUCOM
VCOM (all 3 schools)
RVU-Utah
NYIT-Arkansas
TCOM
any new schools that may open for 2018. Most of these schools have MCAT medians in the 498 to 502 range so you have a chance for interviews with your good GPA and EC's. You may need a DO LOR for some schools.
 
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Thank you all for the input.

How do you all feel about this idea:
Apply currently to DO and in state Texas MD schools, and complete primary in June. Re-take MCAT on June 30 and complete secondaries in the time the new MCAT comes in (August 1). I strongly believe I will be able to break 503-504 by then. Do you believe that would help my case or just not make a difference at all?

Or take another MCAT late July and receive those scores in August 22 and complete application then.

So I would submit everything by mid July and complete with new MCAT on August 1. Would that be too late?
 
Thank you all for the input.

How do you all feel about this idea:
Apply currently to DO and in state Texas MD schools, and complete primary in June. Re-take MCAT on June 30 and complete secondaries in the time the new MCAT comes in (August 1). I strongly believe I will be able to break 503-504 by then. Do you believe that would help my case or just not make a difference at all?

Or take another MCAT late July and receive those scores in August 22 and complete application then.

So I would submit everything by mid July and complete with new MCAT on August 1. Would that be too late?

Completing your application in August is fairly late and can be lethal to the MD schools in Texas, considering that interviewing begins at the end of July. Also, personally, I think that if you're taking the MCAT for a third time, you should aim for around a 508+. Increments of 4-5 points per retake is not that great and not at all impressive.
 
Thank you for your response everyone.

I think I will be going with the following route:
Retake MCAT on June 30 - results on August 1
While studying, I will finish and submit primaries for DO on a 497 MCAT - before June 1
I will submit my AMCAS and TMDSAS primary in the first week of July, and update with my new MCAT score on August 1

Let me know what you guys think of this, or have any suggestions to improve it. I really appreciate you all taking the time to message me. Thank you!
 
No shadowing?
No patient contact experience???

I'd reject outright just for that. A 497 is lethal for nearly all DO schools. Auto-reject at mine. Your MCAT puts you in a risk zone for failing out of med school, and/or failing Boards.
 
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No shadowing?
No patient contact experience???

I'd reject outright just for that. A 497 is lethal for nearly all DO schools. Auto-reject at mine. Your MCAT puts you in a risk zone for failing out of med school, and/or failing Boards.

OP stated "...>350 shadowing hours..."

Now, direct patient contact/ experience? None reported.
 
Okay. ..good eagle eyes


I'm retaking my MCAT on June 30. If I were to perform >505 and apply once I get the results back for that (August 1). Do you believe that would make me little bit more competitive for DO school?

How would you define direct patient contact? When I volunteered in the emergency room, I interacted with patients in a medical setting. Does that suffice?
 
I'm retaking my MCAT on June 30. If I were to perform >505 and apply once I get the results back for that (August 1). Do you believe that would make me little bit more competitive for DO school?

How would you define direct patient contact? When I volunteered in the emergency room, I interacted with patients in a medical setting. Does that suffice?
Yes, and you didn't mention clinical volunteering in your OP, hence my concerns. If you have > 100 hours of that, you're fine.
 
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