A concise chances post

[BruceBanner]

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Hello. Not a big poster but I have been around SDN for awhile.

I know there is a lot of these but I've noticed the responses have been of better quality than ValueMD and the other subforums here.

My summary:

26 y.o. male, did my undergrad at Plymouth State U. (a small state school in new england).

UG cum- 3.41
Ug sci- 3.2

MCAT: 24P, 26Q (same year)

I was actively involved in clubs and tutoring throughout college, won the Undergrad A+P Fellowship, EMT-B license and experience as a ski patrol medic, 1 year of hospital volunteering, Cardiac rehab internship, 60 + hours of shadowing surgeons, currently work at MGH in clinical research under a major service chief, LOR from same chief, good LORs from professors, bench lab exp in an environmental lab and a basic sci. lab for harvard...think that is most of it.

I have applied to SGU and am working on my D.O. app; considering another Caribbean school. Retaking the MCAT is not an immediate option due to financial considerations and time. I would have to quit my job at the MGH and move back home, take out a loan, etc. I have spoken to my preceptor at the MGH and he seems to think that I am not out of the realm of getting accepted anywhere; and that the Caribbean should be a last-option. I know that isnt the general consensus for scores like mine on SDN, but he is an attending at a major harvard-affiliate hosp. I think I have reasonable chances at SGU and long-shot chances at a US allo, reasonable for D.O.

Anyhow, that was wasnt very concise but I would appreciate any constructive input.

 

[AngryBaby]

Hello. Not a big poster but I have been around SDN for awhile.

I know there is a lot of these but I've noticed the responses have been of better quality than ValueMD and the other subforums here.

My summary:

26 y.o. male, did my undergrad at Plymouth State U. (a small state school in new england).

UG cum- 3.41
Ug sci- 3.2

MCAT: 24P, 26Q (same year)

I was actively involved in clubs and tutoring throughout college, won the Undergrad A+P Fellowship, EMT-B license and experience as a ski patrol medic, 1 year of hospital volunteering, Cardiac rehab internship, 60 + hours of shadowing surgeons, currently work at MGH in clinical research under a major service chief, LOR from same chief, good LORs from professors, bench lab exp in an environmental lab and a basic sci. lab for harvard...think that is most of it.

I have applied to SGU and am working on my D.O. app; considering another Caribbean school. Retaking the MCAT is not an immediate option due to financial considerations and time. I would have to quit my job at the MGH and move back home, take out a loan, etc. I have spoken to my preceptor at the MGH and he seems to think that I am not out of the realm of getting accepted anywhere; and that the Caribbean should be a last-option. I know that isnt the general consensus for scores like mine on SDN, but he is an attending at a major harvard-affiliate hosp. I think I have reasonable chances at SGU and long-shot chances at a US allo, reasonable for D.O.

Anyhow, that was wasnt very concise but I would appreciate any constructive input.

Your stats are just a hair below avg for SGU over the past couple terms so I think you'd have a great shot there. You could also get into a number of DO schools if you have a reasonable DO LOR. Unless you're a URM or live in the midwest or Virginia I'd say allo is probably out in my experience (better stats but you've got better EC's) but you've got to give it a shot anyway. Basically I'm agreeing with your assessment in a rather verbose manner. Regarding the MCAT, it'll only be worth taking again if you're sure you'll do better than 26 not only because what you said you'll have to do to take it, but because you're a shoe-in at some DO school or SGU. If you come back with another 24 or 25 SGU's August class might be out, but they do have another every Jan that is considerably lower than the August class (I heard around a 25).

As long as you apply broadly you'll get in somewhere as-is. But I do spend most of my forum-time on VMD so take that for what it's worth 😎

EDIT: although, ever since Death Magnetic came out I've been on the Metallica forums an inordinate amount as well.

"BOW DOWN!!"

 

[BruceBanner]

Your stats are just a hair below avg for SGU over the past couple terms so I think you'd have a great shot there. You could also get into a number of DO schools if you have a reasonable DO LOR. Unless you're a URM or live in the midwest or Virginia I'd say allo is probably out in my experience (better stats but you've got better EC's) but you've got to give it a shot anyway. Basically I'm agreeing with your assessment in a rather verbose manner. Regarding the MCAT, it'll only be worth taking again if you're sure you'll do better than 26 not only because what you said you'll have to do to take it, but because you're a shoe-in at some DO school or SGU. If you come back with another 24 or 25 SGU's August class might be out, but they do have another every Jan that is considerably lower than the August class (I heard around a 25).

As long as you apply broadly you'll get in somewhere as-is. But I do spend most of my forum-time on VMD so take that for what it's worth 😎

EDIT: although, ever since Death Magnetic came out I've been on the Metallica forums an inordinate amount as well.

"BOW DOWN!!"

I stopped listenting to Metallica years ago...after Load. I may give this new one a listen...but it would take a lot to get me to like Metallica again.

Thanks for your response!

 

[dragonfly99]

I'm not on any admissions committees, but unless they've changed their ways a lot in the last 6 years, I would say you'll have lots of trouble getting in to US MD schools. I don't think the Midwest would be any easier necessarily (I'm originally from Missouri). The problems are the GPA and MCAT score. If you are an underrepresented minority they are looking for you, and that would be a different story. Also you went to an undergrad many people haven't heard of (not knocking that as so did I, but it's just a fact). If it was 3.4 science GPA from MIT they might let it slide, but not from a little known school.

If the Harvard professor/dept chair thinks you should be able to get in, then get him to pull strings for you somewhere (U of Mass, etc.).

Admissions committees tend to be rigid in terms of cutoffs for things like GPA and MCAT scores, and I'm worried they won't even get to reading your fantabulous LOR from the Harvard dept chair, despite what he is saying.

I'm sure you could get in to the Caribbean. DO I'm not that well informed about, but I think they'd be less harsh on the MCAT score and probably the grades also.

 

[McGillGrad]

Unless you are a minority, have a state with perferential instate acceptances or know voodoo, you are stuck with the Carib or DO.

Go wherever you will fit in better (but for the Carib ONLY consider AUC/SGU/Saba/Ross).

 

[BruceBanner]

I think DO would be a better fit for me, plus it is on the safe side regarding securing a good residency. Everyone I talk to seems to have a different opinion, but the one recurring consensus is that the Caribbean should be the LAST resort. No offense to any who chose this over DO, but again I think there is less long-term risk with stateside osteopathic schools.

The attending I work for encouraged me to send in all of my US secondaries, but I think he is perhaps a bit too removed from the application process to know that it would take a miracle to get in to a US allo school with my stats.

He said that Penn State accepts all the way down to a 24 on the mcat, but I would be floored if they accepted those stats from a 26 year-old white guy. Sucks but that's the hand I have right now.

 

[dragonfly99]

Get your Harvard boss(es) to try and pull strings for you.

I am thinking your GPA is more of a limiting factor than your MCAT, though the MCAT won't help either, particularly in the northeast or California, which I think tend to be more competitive. I just don't know many allo schools that take people with GPA's of 3.4. They have so many people turning in applications with a 3.7 or 3.8 GPA and they have to week out applications somehow.

I think your plan is fine.

 

[berkeleyboy]

Hello. Not a big poster but I have been around SDN for awhile.

I know there is a lot of these but I've noticed the responses have been of better quality than ValueMD and the other subforums here.

My summary:

26 y.o. male, did my undergrad at Plymouth State U. (a small state school in new england).

UG cum- 3.41
Ug sci- 3.2

MCAT: 24P, 26Q (same year)

I was actively involved in clubs and tutoring throughout college, won the Undergrad A+P Fellowship, EMT-B license and experience as a ski patrol medic, 1 year of hospital volunteering, Cardiac rehab internship, 60 + hours of shadowing surgeons, currently work at MGH in clinical research under a major service chief, LOR from same chief, good LORs from professors, bench lab exp in an environmental lab and a basic sci. lab for harvard...think that is most of it.

I have applied to SGU and am working on my D.O. app; considering another Caribbean school. Retaking the MCAT is not an immediate option due to financial considerations and time. I would have to quit my job at the MGH and move back home, take out a loan, etc. I have spoken to my preceptor at the MGH and he seems to think that I am not out of the realm of getting accepted anywhere; and that the Caribbean should be a last-option. I know that isnt the general consensus for scores like mine on SDN, but he is an attending at a major harvard-affiliate hosp. I think I have reasonable chances at SGU and long-shot chances at a US allo, reasonable for D.O.

Anyhow, that was wasnt very concise but I would appreciate any constructive input.

You'll get into one of the good caribbean schools with those stats no problem👍

 

[bipolardoc]

You'll get into one of the good caribbean schools with those stats no problem👍

You wont get in no problem to a US MD, but you will get into a DO school easily. Personally, if you're not too insecure about the letters behind your name I think you should go to a DO school versus Carib MD.