502 MCAT/ 3.8 cGPA/ URM - Should I retake?

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kitkatkike

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Hi, everyone. Just received my scores from the exam a few moments ago. 100% awful. Wondering if I should still apply for this upcoming cycle (and also retake in September).

I'm pretty much only looking at MD schools, though I do plan to put a couple DO schools on my list. I'm a GA resident, so I planned on applying to all in-state schools, a couple schools around the south (AL, FL, NC, TN, etc), and a few out there schools (MA, OR).

I'm in a state school with a 3.81 cGPA + 3.76(?) sGPA, with a slight upward trend (all A's this past year). MCAT (as mentioned before) was pretty damn bad with a 502. I believe I have 2 solid letters of rec (1 from work supervisor + other biology department committee letter) and 1 really great 1 (Physics professor). Completing a thesis (to be completed early August), got a research grant from a translational science program, did a poster presentation at PKP, and plan to present at the National Collegiate Honors Council conference this fall. In total, spent about ~200 hrs doing lab work.

Worked as a tutor for about 2 years (~600 hrs) and have ~300 non-clinical volunteering hours. In addition to my crap MCAT score, my clinical volunteering + shadowing aren't great either. I have ~26 hours for clinical volunteering (wondering if I should even put it on my app) and ~60 hours of shadowing in adult ER, peds ER, and the ICU. Spent a summer doing SHPEP, and I'm an URM (African/Female).

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There are some MD schools where you could receive interviews with your stats and I suggest all these:
Medical College Georgia
Mercer
Morehouse
Meharry
Howard
NOVA MD
George Washington
Temple
Drexel
Albany
New York Medical College
Quinnipiac
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane
Also apply to several DO schools and include PCOM Georgia and South Georgia.
Also include your clinical volunteering hours on your application. It is better to have some than zero.
 
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If you have clinical and non clinical volunteering hours working with underserved communities you could also add Drew/UCLA to your list.
 
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I'm in a similar boat with a 502. Really debating what I want to do now because I don't want to take another gap year...i only want to go DO, but i'm still worried I have 124/124/127/127 so it's not even an even spread....
 
I don't think you should retake. You will get into multiple DO schools and I honestly think MDs will give you a chance. I had similar stats (but I did a masters program and had a ton of volunteering/shadowing) and I had a good bit of interviews. So, I vote don't retake but if you decide to take a year off do it to improve your extracurriculars.
 
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