ADCOMS: Semi-Solicited Advice [Part II]

[TinyHineyRikki]

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Hello adcomm,
I was waitlisted last year (2006 cycle ) at a school that I really liked and made it to #2 on the waitlist by the time the summer was over. I talked to the dean and she said that there were a couple of minor red flags (that I spent a year correcting). I was wondering whether my chances of acceptance would be high if I apply this coming June to the same school. One of my flags was lack of patient contact. I was also wondering if 100 hours of volunteering in a hospital would be enough.
Thanks

 

[moto_za]

HI adcom,

I was wondering if I will be at a disadvantage if I apply to med school w/o having second sems physics and the lab part. I have all my other prereqs done and have takin two upper level science courses and will be taking the mcat (studying 2nd sem physics on my own) this april.. thanks for your help!!

 

[southpawcannon]

Hi there, Adcom. I have gained several years experience in a medical profession with some time as a student trainer for athletics in undergrad as well as working as an athletic trainer(much similar to physical therapy) since having graduated 3 years ago. I also spent 6 years part-time while in undergrad at a cardiology clinic working as a tech in regular office and the nuclear stress lab. I have shadowed on some occasions as well, but feel that my employment in the above settings and interactions with physicians have given me plenty of opportunity to know and understand what a career in medicine would be like.

As a non-trad, I've got a couple of obstacles to overcome. GPA in my first two years of UG was not at all great (ended with two middle ear surgeries), although my GPA at my transfer was a full point + higher while in a rigorous, structured education program(and earned a foreign language minor). I have to retake a couple of my sciences from all the way back in '98 and '99 because a) did not do so well and b) the textbook material has changed a bit since and I want to be up-to-date, especially for the MCAT. I also began a graduate program last summer in sports medicine, but did not see myself as a career athletic trainer for a college or professional team, and a huge majority of positions are in those settings. I prefer the clinic/hospital setting. Thus, my stay in the grad program was very brief. I will be resuming my graduate studies in biology within the next year because I do want to finish something I started, and it will also allow me to take advanced sciences and have strong grades, which along with success in my pre-med courses, will hopefully show I am capable of succeeding in medical school and as a physician. I enjoy the diagnostics, pathophysiology and invasive techniques as well as the challenge of providing a path to better health.

In your opinion, do you feel that if successful in post-bac, grad and on MCAT, thus hopefully getting past initial screen, my long-term medical work history will increase my likelihood of being accepted?

Thank you in advance for your time in reading and responding to my post.

 

[avalon18217]

Hi Adcom,
I hate to post more stats on here, but to give the complete picture:
On my MCAT:
10-VR
10-BS
8-PS
K-WS!

GPA 3.67 (didn't know what I wanted to do the first few years, but my GPA is going up)
science GPA 3.92
Majors: Molecular Biology and Chemistry
Minors: Global Studies and Elective Studies

I only had a month to study for the MCAT, and never looked at the WS because I am a fairly good writer (just not fast enough I guess), so I thought my time studying would be better spent on the other sections. Will the WS cut me from the first round, or will I have a chance to redeem myself in the PS?
Thanks for you help.

 

[starvinmarvinmd]

Hello Adcomm
I was wondering how important thank you letters were after interviews to the decision making process. I sent one letter in real late compared to the interview date (like 2.5 weeks) because I was flying around. IS that going to huret my chances? Thanks for the help!

 

[mdm2fly]

Hi,
I was wondering if an SMP would be useful in my situation. I took 236 credits as an undergrad at my undergrad institution, along with some courses at a nearby community college (for fun, and for GE cred). I wanted to take as many courses as possible in college, which I regret GPA-wise, but not content-wise. Altogether, I have about 260 creds. My GPA is 3.47 and BCPM is 3.20. Do you think an SMP will be worthwhile? It won't really change my GPA by much at all.

Info that might help: MCAT score is a 34R (I got a 9 on the verbal...I read on an earlier post that you relied on the verbal section more than others during selection--I wish I knew that before I took the MCAT without studying for the verbal section). I'm going to be 24 at matriculation, so my undergrads won't be disregarded. I played a sport for 4 yrs, have volunteered in a clinical and non-clinical setting, done lab work/research, tutored, coached a sport, studied abroad.

 

[gujuDoc]

Hi,
I was wondering if an SMP would be useful in my situation. I took 236 credits as an undergrad at my undergrad institution, along with some courses at a nearby community college (for fun, and for GE cred). I wanted to take as many courses as possible in college, which I regret GPA-wise, but not content-wise. Altogether, I have about 260 creds. My GPA is 3.47 and BCPM is 3.20. Do you think an SMP will be worthwhile? It won't really change my GPA by much at all.

Info that might help: MCAT score is a 34R (I got a 9 on the verbal...I read on an earlier post that you relied on the verbal section more than others during selection--I wish I knew that before I took the MCAT without studying for the verbal section). I'm going to be 24 at matriculation, so my undergrads won't be disregarded. I played a sport for 4 yrs, have volunteered in a clinical and non-clinical setting, done lab work/research, tutored, coached a sport, studied abroad.

I'm going to reiterate what was told to us on the Florida thread by REL another adcom member on this forum.

Postbac or Masters programs other then IMS/SMP type of programs are encouraged more because of the high risk nature of an SMP program. In other words, SMP programs tend to be very fast paced and one minor screw up could look really bad because courses may be worth as much as 7 or more credits and the course load is much different then taking a typical semester system type of course. His advice was to do another masters program in a hard science or a postbac program and use SMP as a last resort. That said, in your case, it would probably do no good to take a postbac as you've got well above 200 credit hours in undergrad. Your best bet would be to either do a 1 year masters in a hard science or an SMP program. You are also advised to apply broadly. Take a look through the MSAR and see which schools have stats near yours and whether or not they take out of state students etc.

If you do well in an SMP programs your chances of getting in do go up significantly but the risk of not doing well and screwing yourself over more is there too so keep in mind your options as you decide what works best for you.

 

[Kappy1]

Dear Adcom2 and gujudoc,

I have a 3.8 GPA and a 3.6 science GPA. I did lousy on the MCAT's twice (vr 6, ps 9, bs 9 ,second mcat was about the same). I have alot of EC's, LOR's. (Youth group leader, Research, shadowed a doctor, lifeguard,play an instrument...) I have been accepted to DO school and I have two interviews at med schools. What chance do I have to be accpted? For one of schools I've only recived the interview in March. Is it the interview that is sole factor for an accptance at this point or is the applicant totally re-evaluated after the interview?

 

[agniprithvy]

Hey Adcom 2 or gujudoc,

I was wondering if you could give me some advice about applying. I'm a 24 year old male thinking about applying this summer for matriculation in Fall 2008. I have a 33M (11P, 10V, 12B) MCAT score but only a 3.3-3.4 GPA ( if i remember correctly my BCPM is around a 3.2-3.3 without the addition of my grad school classes). I had a tough time my third year and my GPA took a nose dive and I found it very difficult to bring it back up ( my confidence was shot). I graduated '05 and took one year off to work and am now in a traditional 2 year research master's program in NYC. I'm doing fairly well in my classes so far.

I was wondering if I should apply or if I should hold off and attempt to strengthen my application even more. I don't know what else I could realistically do without getting a PhD. Also, I believe that I have pretty strong extracurriculars with a year of being an RA, president of some student organizations, and extensive clinical volunteer opportunities. I continue to volunteer at a clinic up in the bronx that gives me tons of clinical experience (taking BPs, doing a basic physical, presenting to a physician and giving immunizations and PPD tests). I also have a second author on a publication.

I have applied once before and really want to maximize my chances of getting admission.

Thanks,
mat

 

[Kfire326]

Hi Adcom members,

I'm curious to know... What would you say are the chances of a student (male, 20yo, caucasian) getting in (for EC 2007) with the following under their belt (applying in August/Sept 06):

3.71 cum. GPA, 3.64 science GPA, 29P MCAT (7V, 11PS, 11BS), ED internship, student govt, crisis/suicide hotline phone counselor.

About my verbal score, I was born and raised in America.. I put on my AMCAS that English is my first language, but I became fluent in another language just by picking it up from my parents as i grew up...never had any official schooling for it (briefly mentioned in my personal statement).

 

[Typical Premed]

Hello Adcomm,
I'm a Canadian student finishing up an honors degree this year at a major Canadian university. I have had several interviews this year at Canadian medical schools but I was considering the possibility of applying to some American schools next year if I don't get in. I was wondering what my chances of getting in to American school are and which schools would be most likely to accept Canadian applicants. Here are my stats....

GPA: 3.97
Science GPA: 3.98
MCAT: 36P (12PS, 10VR, 14BS)
Fairly extensive clinical exposure, good volunteer experience, decent extracurriculars, 5 years working as a counsellor at an overnight camp

 

[adcomm]

HI adcom,

I was wondering if I will be at a disadvantage if I apply to med school w/o having second sems physics and the lab part. I have all my other prereqs done and have takin two upper level science courses and will be taking the mcat (studying 2nd sem physics on my own) this april.. thanks for your help!!

as long as you have them on your schedule for senior year fall semester, it should be OK. when people do not have their prereqs complete (ie, missing one class but took MCAT, etc) we will invited them for interview but won't make an official decision until the transcript is in. it is still to your advantage to apply early enough to get an early interview, but remember to send your grades asap.

 

[adcomm]

Hi there, Adcom. I have gained several years experience in a medical profession with some time as a student trainer for athletics in undergrad as well as working as an athletic trainer(much similar to physical therapy) since having graduated 3 years ago. I also spent 6 years part-time while in undergrad at a cardiology clinic working as a tech in regular office and the nuclear stress lab. I have shadowed on some occasions as well, but feel that my employment in the above settings and interactions with physicians have given me plenty of opportunity to know and understand what a career in medicine would be like.

As a non-trad, I've got a couple of obstacles to overcome. GPA in my first two years of UG was not at all great (ended with two middle ear surgeries), although my GPA at my transfer was a full point + higher while in a rigorous, structured education program(and earned a foreign language minor). I have to retake a couple of my sciences from all the way back in '98 and '99 because a) did not do so well and b) the textbook material has changed a bit since and I want to be up-to-date, especially for the MCAT. I also began a graduate program last summer in sports medicine, but did not see myself as a career athletic trainer for a college or professional team, and a huge majority of positions are in those settings. I prefer the clinic/hospital setting. Thus, my stay in the grad program was very brief. I will be resuming my graduate studies in biology within the next year because I do want to finish something I started, and it will also allow me to take advanced sciences and have strong grades, which along with success in my pre-med courses, will hopefully show I am capable of succeeding in medical school and as a physician. I enjoy the diagnostics, pathophysiology and invasive techniques as well as the challenge of providing a path to better health.

In your opinion, do you feel that if successful in post-bac, grad and on MCAT, thus hopefully getting past initial screen, my long-term medical work history will increase my likelihood of being accepted?

Thank you in advance for your time in reading and responding to my post.

I think it makes for a logical career flow, and that is always and advantage over someone who has no apparent reason for applying late in life. as you already seem aware, your biggest hurdle is going to be proving that you can sit back down in the classroom and be successful with a heavy load of science courses. good luck!

 

[adcomm]

Hi Adcom,
I hate to post more stats on here, but to give the complete picture:
On my MCAT:
10-VR
10-BS
8-PS
K-WS!

GPA 3.67 (didn't know what I wanted to do the first few years, but my GPA is going up)
science GPA 3.92
Majors: Molecular Biology and Chemistry
Minors: Global Studies and Elective Studies

I only had a month to study for the MCAT, and never looked at the WS because I am a fairly good writer (just not fast enough I guess), so I thought my time studying would be better spent on the other sections. Will the WS cut me from the first round, or will I have a chance to redeem myself in the PS?
Thanks for you help.

when you do reasonably well on the verbal section, speak fluently in an interview, and have a personal statement completely and totally free of errors, we do not really look at the WS.

 

[adcomm]

Hello Adcomm
I was wondering how important thank you letters were after interviews to the decision making process. I sent one letter in real late compared to the interview date (like 2.5 weeks) because I was flying around. IS that going to huret my chances? Thanks for the help!

no

 

[adcomm]

Hi,
I was wondering if an SMP would be useful in my situation. I took 236 credits as an undergrad at my undergrad institution, along with some courses at a nearby community college (for fun, and for GE cred). I wanted to take as many courses as possible in college, which I regret GPA-wise, but not content-wise. Altogether, I have about 260 creds. My GPA is 3.47 and BCPM is 3.20. Do you think an SMP will be worthwhile? It won't really change my GPA by much at all.

Info that might help: MCAT score is a 34R (I got a 9 on the verbal...I read on an earlier post that you relied on the verbal section more than others during selection--I wish I knew that before I took the MCAT without studying for the verbal section). I'm going to be 24 at matriculation, so my undergrads won't be disregarded. I played a sport for 4 yrs, have volunteered in a clinical and non-clinical setting, done lab work/research, tutored, coached a sport, studied abroad.

I don't know about the other adcomm posters but we do NOT rely on the verbal section the highest- we look primarily at the sciences. a 9 with a well-written personal statement would be fine here. how long ago did you graduate? if you can show that you carried an upper level bio load in the last few years, and have done *something* with your time off since graduation, I do not think you need further course work.

 

[adcomm]

Dear Adcom2 and gujudoc,

I have a 3.8 GPA and a 3.6 science GPA. I did lousy on the MCAT's twice (vr 6, ps 9, bs 9 ,second mcat was about the same). I have alot of EC's, LOR's. (Youth group leader, Research, shadowed a doctor, lifeguard,play an instrument...) I have been accepted to DO school and I have two interviews at med schools. What chance do I have to be accpted? For one of schools I've only recived the interview in March. Is it the interview that is sole factor for an accptance at this point or is the applicant totally re-evaluated after the interview?

a 6 on any section is a risk factor for doing poorly on USMLE. your MCATs are keeping you from getting interviewed at most schools, and where you do get interviewed there will be a discussion when they go to vote on your application, because the bottom line is they might like you fine but you are an academic risk. your entire application will be re-evaluated.

 

[adcomm]

Hey Adcom 2 or gujudoc,

I was wondering if you could give me some advice about applying. I'm a 24 year old male thinking about applying this summer for matriculation in Fall 2008. I have a 33M (11P, 10V, 12B) MCAT score but only a 3.3-3.4 GPA ( if i remember correctly my BCPM is around a 3.2-3.3 without the addition of my grad school classes). I had a tough time my third year and my GPA took a nose dive and I found it very difficult to bring it back up ( my confidence was shot). I graduated '05 and took one year off to work and am now in a traditional 2 year research master's program in NYC. I'm doing fairly well in my classes so far.

I was wondering if I should apply or if I should hold off and attempt to strengthen my application even more. I don't know what else I could realistically do without getting a PhD. Also, I believe that I have pretty strong extracurriculars with a year of being an RA, president of some student organizations, and extensive clinical volunteer opportunities. I continue to volunteer at a clinic up in the bronx that gives me tons of clinical experience (taking BPs, doing a basic physical, presenting to a physician and giving immunizations and PPD tests). I also have a second author on a publication.

I have applied once before and really want to maximize my chances of getting admission.

Thanks,
mat

I think you are doing the right things (including continuted clinical involvement). if your GPA in your grad work is good (and you can continue to keep up with the work while applying) it seems reasonable to apply broadly during this cycle. you are the reason they invented graduate GPAs. good luck to you.

 

[adcomm]

Hi Adcom members,

I'm curious to know... What would you say are the chances of a student (male, 20yo, caucasian) getting in (for EC 2007) with the following under their belt (applying in August/Sept 06):

3.71 cum. GPA, 3.64 science GPA, 29P MCAT (7V, 11PS, 11BS), ED internship, student govt, crisis/suicide hotline phone counselor.

About my verbal score, I was born and raised in America.. I put on my AMCAS that English is my first language, but I became fluent in another language just by picking it up from my parents as i grew up...never had any official schooling for it (briefly mentioned in my personal statement).

why applying aug/sept? if your application was in on the very first day at my school, you would likely be interviewed at a point when we are still accepting. if you delay your application, you might get interviewed for a spot on the waitlist. if you think you can improve your MCAT score, retake it. most people I see who spoke another language as a child/at home put that as their first language... use whatever your parents spoke at home as your first language, imo.

 

[adcomm]

Hello Adcomm,
I'm a Canadian student finishing up an honors degree this year at a major Canadian university. I have had several interviews this year at Canadian medical schools but I was considering the possibility of applying to some American schools next year if I don't get in. I was wondering what my chances of getting in to American school are and which schools would be most likely to accept Canadian applicants. Here are my stats....

GPA: 3.97
Science GPA: 3.98
MCAT: 36P (12PS, 10VR, 14BS)
Fairly extensive clinical exposure, good volunteer experience, decent extracurriculars, 5 years working as a counsellor at an overnight camp

I really don't know how the canadian thing plays in with admissions- I don't know that we specifically have seen canadian applicants since I've been on our committee. Other than the nationality issue, awesome app, would accept.

 

[gujuDoc]

I think you are doing the right things (including continuted clinical involvement). if your GPA in your grad work is good (and you can continue to keep up with the work while applying) it seems reasonable to apply broadly during this cycle. you are the reason they invented graduate GPAs. good luck to you.

Since you asked my advice, I'm going to say my experience with talking with adcoms like REL, this advice would be spot on. I'd advise applying early, making sure your letters of recs are strong, your essays are strong, and that you apply broadly.

REL advised us on the fl. thread to do a non SMP masters if possible in a hard science and do well in that or to do a postbac. Since you seem to already be doing just that I don't forsee a problem. Additionally you have a strong MCAT score so if you apply broadly it wouldn't be an issue. Out of curiousity, how is your graduate GPA and what is the masters in?

 

[Kfire326]

why applying aug/sept? if your application was in on the very first day at my school, you would likely be interviewed at a point when we are still accepting. if you delay your application, you might get interviewed for a spot on the waitlist. if you think you can improve your MCAT score, retake it. most people I see who spoke another language as a child/at home put that as their first language... use whatever your parents spoke at home as your first language, imo.

are you saying that august was late for me to send in my application? most of my secondaries were complete in august... a few in sept.

I didn't end up re-taking the MCAT. I applied for EC 2007 with those credentials and got into a couple of schools. I was curious what adcom members here had to say because I consider myself a borderline applicant.

 

[agniprithvy]

Hey Gujudoc,

Thanks for your advice I sincerely appreciate it. 🙂
My masters will be a master's in biomedical sciences. Basically, I'm taking the full first year PhD curriculum but instead of doing lab rotations I have begun my research work. Currently my GPA is a 3.7. I'm hoping to keep it up this semester with some hard work.

Oh and thank you Adcomm for your honest advice and encouragement.
Thanks,
Mathew

 

[arsenewenger]

What is your take on designating disadvantaged(for someone who is truly disadvantaged!) status on AMCAS. Is it something you look at to make interview decisions or not?






Thanks for your time!

 

[Dr. Josh]

I'm reposting my question because it seems that you missed it in your replies, and sorry it's so long.......thanking you in advance for this valuable service. I am a senior who switched into pre-med only last year and am now playing catch up on pre-reqs. I have an overall GPA of around 3.65, and in my sciences have 5 As, 1 B+ and a D+ in orgo which I'm retaking in the summer along with orgo 2. I'm taking 2 sciences now which I'm hoping to get As in. I have not taken the MCAT and after much deliberation I think I'm going to put off applying for another year because I'm just afraid with all the stuff I still need to complete I'd be applying too late. Since I'm probably borderline I think I need to give it my best shot and get my application in early. I have about 125 hours of hospital volunteer which did involve direct patient contact; I volunteered as a research assistant, have minimal lab volunteer experience and have some research but not clinical or published. I have done some shadowing but nothing official but i will get that done and I'm hoping to work with sick pediatric patients. I'm also in the process of trying to put together some sort of pediatric story book with helpful information about cancer treatment. I doubt it will be published but hope it can be used in some departments. I will have about 9 months before applying and a year and a half off before going to med school if I get in. I really need to earn some money. How do you think I should best use my time? Do you think it is wise for me to put off applying this cycle? What can I do to increase my chances and do you think I have much hope of getting in allopathic? osteopathic schools? Thanks!

 

[moto_za]

as long as you have them on your schedule for senior year fall semester, it should be OK. when people do not have their prereqs complete (ie, missing one class but took MCAT, etc) we will invited them for interview but won't make an official decision until the transcript is in. it is still to your advantage to apply early enough to get an early interview, but remember to send your grades asap.

Thanks adcomm!! Just one more question, in regards to your response.. I was wondering if you would recommend me to take the physics class over the summer to update schools with my grades before the end of fall? thanks a lot for your help!

 

[Kappy1]

a 6 on any section is a risk factor for doing poorly on USMLE. your MCATs are keeping you from getting interviewed at most schools, and where you do get interviewed there will be a discussion when they go to vote on your application, because the bottom line is they might like you fine but you are an academic risk. your entire application will be re-evaluated.

Dear Adcom 2 and Gujudoc,

Thank you for your previous advice. On my second Mcat I didn't have anything below a 7. What is the cutoff for section on an Mcat?( that an admissions committee will not consider the student an academic liability.)

 

[gujuDoc]

Hey Gujudoc,

Thanks for your advice I sincerely appreciate it. 🙂
My masters will be a master's in biomedical sciences. Basically, I'm taking the full first year PhD curriculum but instead of doing lab rotations I have begun my research work. Currently my GPA is a 3.7. I'm hoping to keep it up this semester with some hard work.

Oh and thank you Adcomm for your honest advice and encouragement.
Thanks,
Mathew

I think you'll be fine then.

 

[CagedBird]

Hello adcom, I have a question about LOIs. I had my final interview at my top choice school a little while ago. I haven't heard back from them yet but I was wondering if it would be best to send an Letter of Interest now before any decisions were made. Do letters of interest play any role if a decision has not been made yet? Also, what should be included in the letter of interest?
Thanks for your time.

 

[adcomm]

are you saying that august was late for me to send in my application? most of my secondaries were complete in august... a few in sept.

I didn't end up re-taking the MCAT. I applied for EC 2007 with those credentials and got into a couple of schools. I was curious what adcom members here had to say because I consider myself a borderline applicant.

oh, secondaries in aug? that's fine. I thought you meant amcas in aug.

 

[adcomm]

What is your take on designating disadvantaged(for someone who is truly disadvantaged!) status on AMCAS. Is it something you look at to make interview decisions or not?






Thanks for your time!

if you feel you were disadvantaged, then mark it and move on. we see this when people are raised in single-parent households with many sibs, when people had to work to support family throughout their educations, etc. not getting to go to a private HS like every other kid on your block doesn't cut it. try to see it through someone else's eyes.

we DO occasionally use this in decision-making, and usually correlate it with the AMCAS fee waiver. if you're getting the waiver, you probably should be checking the box.

 

[adcomm]

I'm reposting my question because it seems that you missed it in your replies, and sorry it's so long.......thanking you in advance for this valuable service. I am a senior who switched into pre-med only last year and am now playing catch up on pre-reqs. I have an overall GPA of around 3.65, and in my sciences have 5 As, 1 B+ and a D+ in orgo which I'm retaking in the summer along with orgo 2. I'm taking 2 sciences now which I'm hoping to get As in. I have not taken the MCAT and after much deliberation I think I'm going to put off applying for another year because I'm just afraid with all the stuff I still need to complete I'd be applying too late. Since I'm probably borderline I think I need to give it my best shot and get my application in early. I have about 125 hours of hospital volunteer which did involve direct patient contact; I volunteered as a research assistant, have minimal lab volunteer experience and have some research but not clinical or published. I have done some shadowing but nothing official but i will get that done and I'm hoping to work with sick pediatric patients. I'm also in the process of trying to put together some sort of pediatric story book with helpful information about cancer treatment. I doubt it will be published but hope it can be used in some departments. I will have about 9 months before applying and a year and a half off before going to med school if I get in. I really need to earn some money. How do you think I should best use my time? Do you think it is wise for me to put off applying this cycle? What can I do to increase my chances and do you think I have much hope of getting in allopathic? osteopathic schools? Thanks!

to me, it sounds like you are accepting of the idea of taking a year off, and I don't discourage it. could you apply this cycle? probably- the process is a bit more random than we'd like to admit, and I've seen people get in with similar stories. it does sound like you'll be a much stronger applicant next year, and you have some cool ideas for the meantime. plus, you'll have a chance to really solidify your science GPA, and take your time and study for the MCATs. making money rocks, and you should totally do it. what are you interested in? if you can stomach patient-care or research for a year, do that, if not, bartend and continue to show volunteer and shadowing activities. if the answer to "what is he doing in his year off?" is "nothing", that's bad, but if it's "working full-time and volunteering", we can respect that.

 

[adcomm]

Dear Adcom 2 and Gujudoc,

Thank you for your previous advice. On my second Mcat I didn't have anything below a 7. What is the cutoff for section on an Mcat?( that an admissions committee will not consider the student an academic liability.)

the only documented correlation is a 6 on any section- but that's a 6 on any section, ever, even if the most recent taking is better. I think our section cutoffs for screening of non-URM applicants never goes below an 8 or 9.

 

[adcomm]

Hello adcom, I have a question about LOIs. I had my final interview at my top choice school a little while ago. I haven't heard back from them yet but I was wondering if it would be best to send an Letter of Interest now before any decisions were made. Do letters of interest play any role if a decision has not been made yet? Also, what should be included in the letter of interest?
Thanks for your time.

won't hurt, probably won't help much unless you didn't convey how much you truly want to be there in the interview. say that you're interested, why you like that school in particular, how what they have to offer matches with your goals, etc.

 

[CagedBird]

won't hurt, probably won't help much unless you didn't convey how much you truly want to be there in the interview. say that you're interested, why you like that school in particular, how what they have to offer matches with your goals, etc.

Thanks adcomm. I asked because I don't think the school will think I would be willing to go so far to attend their school. The school is pretty far from home, about a 5 hour plane ride or 26 hour drive. I did portray my interest in the interview but do you all look at distance as a deciding factor when seeing who to accept?
Thanks!

 

[dlaw417]

Hello Adcoms,

How much of an impact does the Grad GPA have on the admissions process? I'm trying to determine the time commitment necessary to become a competitive med school applicant. I'm currently a second year student at a top 20 law school, and I've come to the realization that medicine is my calling. - I promise I'm not going to pursue medical malpractice after med school, so please don't view me as the enemy 🙂.

Assuming I apply as early as possible (probably 2010) without taking any additional grad school classes post law school, here are my foreseeable stats:

3.85 undergrad gpa
3.9 finance major gpa
3.3-3.4 law school gpa (projection)
35+ mcat (projection - i've been scoring in the 13-14 VR range on practice exams, so i think this is possible)
3.8 bcpm (projection)

what type of impact would the 3.3-3.4 law gpa have on my application? I know that I'm going to be extraordinarily busy over the next couple years trying to fulfill prereqs while being a first/second year associate at my law firm, and I'd obviously prefer to not need to take additional grad school classes to improve my grad gpa. However, I don't want to risk being pre-screened based on that gpa.

I'd prefer to attend a CA med school (i'm in-state), so any advice on making my application as competitive as possible for a UC-caliber school would be much appreciated.

-thanks in advance

 

[sandyblonde11]

Hi Adcom,

Thanks for all of your advice!

Question re: personal statement. Should I mention the name of my PI? or a mentor, and so on? While it may not be significant to the reader, I don't want to be thought of as rude for not mentioning it.

I tried to find an answer to this somewhere in a thread, but I had no luck. If this already has been answered, someone let me know a better way to search threads!

Thanks again!

 

[holycow]

hi, I posted this earlier, but didn't get a response. So i am posting again..sorry!
Hello Adcom,

Thanks for your help.
I will be done with undergrad in may. I took the mcat once, and got a 24. I have a pretty low Gpa..3.1 both cum and BCPM. I had a stroke, and was struggling with treatment with that, so i missed alot of school. Though i am perfectly fine now-no residual symptoms. I am an EMT-B, have my Phlebotomy certification, worked as a PCA for someone who is quadriplegic, four years of research experience in two different labs. I have done quite a bit of volunteering, and shadowing a couple of different specialty docs. I will be retaking my mcat again obviously. I was also thinking about doing a Special masters program. Do you think it is necessary for me to do one, and if so, should i apply this june or wait until I am done with the SMP ? ALso, if i do apply this year, approx how many schools should I apply to?Thank you.

 

[adcomm]

Thanks adcomm. I asked because I don't think the school will think I would be willing to go so far to attend their school. The school is pretty far from home, about a 5 hour plane ride or 26 hour drive. I did portray my interest in the interview but do you all look at distance as a deciding factor when seeing who to accept?
Thanks!

occasionally we say things like "this person won't be coming here" but it doesn't really impact our decision to admit or not- we still leave that up to you. LOIs are a question of "enough, but not too much" contact. DO do it, but don't overdo it.

 

[adcomm]

Hello Adcoms,

How much of an impact does the Grad GPA have on the admissions process? I'm trying to determine the time commitment necessary to become a competitive med school applicant. I'm currently a second year student at a top 20 law school, and I've come to the realization that medicine is my calling. - I promise I'm not going to pursue medical malpractice after med school, so please don't view me as the enemy 🙂.

Assuming I apply as early as possible (probably 2010) without taking any additional grad school classes post law school, here are my foreseeable stats:

3.85 undergrad gpa
3.9 finance major gpa
3.3-3.4 law school gpa (projection)
35+ mcat (projection - i've been scoring in the 13-14 VR range on practice exams, so i think this is possible)
3.8 bcpm (projection)

what type of impact would the 3.3-3.4 law gpa have on my application? I know that I'm going to be extraordinarily busy over the next couple years trying to fulfill prereqs while being a first/second year associate at my law firm, and I'd obviously prefer to not need to take additional grad school classes to improve my grad gpa. However, I don't want to risk being pre-screened based on that gpa.

I'd prefer to attend a CA med school (i'm in-state), so any advice on making my application as competitive as possible for a UC-caliber school would be much appreciated.

-thanks in advance

I can't really comment on the superbeast that is CA admissions. on the other coast, at my school, you are acceptable assuming you have significant medical experience to show you know what you're getting into.

 

[adcomm]

Hi Adcom,

Thanks for all of your advice!

Question re: personal statement. Should I mention the name of my PI? or a mentor, and so on? While it may not be significant to the reader, I don't want to be thought of as rude for not mentioning it.

I tried to find an answer to this somewhere in a thread, but I had no luck. If this already has been answered, someone let me know a better way to search threads!

Thanks again!

usually that gets listed in the activities section "worked under dr x in the blah blah blah research program" no need to slide it into the PS as well.

 

[adcomm]

hi, I posted this earlier, but didn't get a response. So i am posting again..sorry!
Hello Adcom,

Thanks for your help.
I will be done with undergrad in may. I took the mcat once, and got a 24. I have a pretty low Gpa..3.1 both cum and BCPM. I had a stroke, and was struggling with treatment with that, so i missed alot of school. Though i am perfectly fine now-no residual symptoms. I am an EMT-B, have my Phlebotomy certification, worked as a PCA for someone who is quadriplegic, four years of research experience in two different labs. I have done quite a bit of volunteering, and shadowing a couple of different specialty docs. I will be retaking my mcat again obviously. I was also thinking about doing a Special masters program. Do you think it is necessary for me to do one, and if so, should i apply this june or wait until I am done with the SMP ? ALso, if i do apply this year, approx how many schools should I apply to?Thank you.

your GPA and mcat will bring you in below screening cutoffs, and while I'd love to say that my school does look at the whole picture, with 10,000 applicants we have to screen SOMEWHERE. for that reason, I do think a post-bacc would be to your advantage. if you are confident in your ability to do well in a rigorous program (my school likes post-baccs that actually have you taking med school classes, for some reason- I guess there are a few in our area that they know well) as well as prepare for and significantly improve your MCAT, you could apply sooner, but it will be your decision regarding your personal sanity and how you'd feel about re-applying vs holding off. regardless you need to apply to a bunch of schools. your activities sound fine, but you need to bring some higher numbers to the table. good luck!!

 

[Dr. Josh]

occasionally we say things like "this person won't be coming here" but it doesn't really impact our decision to admit or not- we still leave that up to you. LOIs are a question of "enough, but not too much" contact. DO do it, but don't overdo it.

How can an adcomm really even think that? Trust me, if it's the only school you're accepted to, it can be a 26 hr plane ride and we'd still come.

 

[gujuDoc]

How can an adcomm really even think that? Trust me, if it's the only school you're accepted to, it can be a 26 hr plane ride and we'd still come.

Yeah but generally people who give off that impression could either possibly give off that impression by things written in essays especially secondaries or because they are extremely competitive all around that it is sometimes easy to predict who might not end up staying at a particular school if they seem like an applicant who has the stats and profile needed to get in more competitive schools. After reviewing hundreds of applications data often shows trends that seem to occur very often and those are the people I'd venture to guess and adcom would get that sort of impression from. I know at USF, REL has often stated trends in numbers of people who've dropped initial acceptances to USF to attend other schools in or out of states when determining the liklihood that someone will get off the waitlist.

 

[CagedBird]

occasionally we say things like "this person won't be coming here" but it doesn't really impact our decision to admit or not- we still leave that up to you. LOIs are a question of "enough, but not too much" contact. DO do it, but don't overdo it.

Hello again. Thanks so much for your help, one more question for you. Can you specify what you mean by do it but don't overdo it? Are you saying that I should say I have a strong interest in the school but not to the point of desperation? Would overdoing it be: I have visited a number of schools and your school stands out because of (reason)? I was going to include an update and then say I have "continued strong interest but I don't want to send it and then hurt my chances of admission. What are your thoughts?

 

[adcomm]

Hello again. Thanks so much for your help, one more question for you. Can you specify what you mean by do it but don't overdo it? Are you saying that I should say I have a strong interest in the school but not to the point of desperation? Would overdoing it be: I have visited a number of schools and your school stands out because of (reason)? I was going to include an update and then say I have "continued strong interest but I don't want to send it and then hurt my chances of admission. What are your thoughts?

doing it: contacting the admissions office with a letter several times if you're on the waitlist.

overdoing it: calling your interviewer, calling the admissions office, sending letters that make it sound like you'll end your life if you don't get in, etc.

if you have normal social skills, you don't overdo it. 🙂

 

[hlchess]

Hi Adcoms,

I also got waitlisted at my top choice. I've already sent a LOI, and I'm wondering if there is anything else I can do to help me get in. Would it help if I did something like start volunteering more and send them an update letter?

Some people suggested meeting with the dean. How can I do that? Do I just call the admissions office and ask to set up a time to meet with a dean? Also, what should I talk to the dean about? Is it okay to ask him directly what I can do to improve my application?

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Kappy1]

the only documented correlation is a 6 on any section- but that's a 6 on any section, ever, even if the most recent taking is better. I think our section cutoffs for screening of non-URM applicants never goes below an 8 or 9.

Dear adcom 2,

Thank you for your advice. At this point should I retake the MCAT's for a third time eventhough I did not do well the previous two times? What is non-URM?

 

[Beau Geste]

Hi adcoms -

You may have answered this question, but I can't seem to find it directly from your mouths -

what do you consider an "early" application? More specifically, what is the calendar range of an "early" application? June 1 - ?


Thanks!

 

[gujuDoc]

Dear Adcom 2 and Gujudoc,

Thank you for your previous advice. On my second Mcat I didn't have anything below a 7. What is the cutoff for section on an Mcat?( that an admissions committee will not consider the student an academic liability.)

At USF, REL has told us that they encourage us to get no lower then a 7. That said, there are anecdotal cases of people getting a 6 but no lower then a 6 in Verbal. Does it mean you'll get interviewed? That is hard to determine as it depends on what the committee as a whole decides and whom you are up against in the applicant pool.

REL is the adcom director at USF COM in Tampa, Fl.

Another colleague of his who works with the diversity initiatives and office of academic enrichment has essentially stated that they take into account a slightly lower verbal score in instances where English isn't a first language or the person comes from a more disadvantaged background i.e. some URMs or people from rural areas. The case is looked at upon a case by case scenario if the overall score is great. Say for instance you have a 32 overall by having a 14, 7, 11 and your GPA is above the average at the school. They may then encourage you to apply if all else is good. however, if your overall scores are below then they'd encourage a retake. Not to say they wouldn't encourage a retake even if, but it might not be necessary if the overall is high and the GPA is high. Concessions are made based on case by case scenario and also depend on the school you are applying to as you will see if you take a look through the MSAR. At USF, if your overall score is below the min. required but you have a strong GPA and everything else is strong, but you are off by a point or 2, they'll send your application to a special committee and then that committee will decide on your fate.

However, from what REL told a friend who did this, those people rarely get past that committee if the overall isn't low. At more competitive schools, the 7 may hurt. Is this your first time taking the test? If it is, I'd definitely recommend a retake but ask you to talk to not just the one or two adcoms on here but more specifically to the admissions directors at schools of interest. Many schools are willing to make appointments with you to answer your concerns especially state schools. it is my best advice that you speak to those specific schools of interest and gather their different opinions on your own personal situation.