Advice Please!!!

[doc4you]

hi,

just looking for some honest feedback...

i'll be applying to med schools for 2008 admission..i'm taking the mcat this summer (third time, but i think i'll be doing much better)...

summary of 'stats':

*Undergraduate cumulative GPA..3.486

*graduated in may '06 from a fairly small, private liberal arts college with a BS in Biology and a concentration in molecular cell physiology

*was a member of several honor societies and held a position in two of them (was secretary in one and historian in another)...however, these societies were quite inactive and didn't do much outside of an occasional meeting...

*was a lab assistant for a general bio class for a few months

*had volunteered in the ER at a local hospital one summer

September '06 to just recently: was a student in a medical technology program that consisted of didactic (lecture) and practical laboratory experiences...was to complete this program in august, but discovered that working in a lab just wasn't for me (the work was too repetitive and mundane...not enough problem solving [i like to play detective and try to diagnose things], and i couldn't put a 'face' on the specimens i analyzed (i found myself wishing i could meet the patient from whom the specimen was drawn to trace his or her medical progress)]...

while in the program, i also spent some time with pathology residents and seemed to enjoy more of what they did, than what i was doing and learning in med tech (not that i'd necessarily want to be a pathologist)...unfortunately, these residents have since left the hospital and relocated (haven't kept in touch with them)...

drawn more than ever to medical school, i took a leave of absence from the remainder of the med tech program to concentrate on my goal, study for the mcat, and soon go through the process of applying to schools...

but i'm curious....with competition to med schools being so great....do i stand a chance of getting in anywheres??? ....

i wasn't anything outstanding in college and probably considered to be average in med tech... any LORs i get will probably not stand out enough from other applicants to make any great impact...so i'm wondering..

given all this (sorry...it's kind of lengthy)....what advice would anyone have concerning the above?...how may i best maximize my chances of med school acceptance??

i appreciate any input or guidance you may have....i just want to make med school a reality, like everyone else... THANKS!!!!!!!!!!

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[Falco2525]

without MCAT this means nothing...3rd time MCAT is somewhat a concern...especially because you will likely miss the early part of the applicaiton season...be selective about where you apply...get 31+ on the mcat

 

[TheAmazingGOB]

All of your activities look great, but if you have a mediocre MCAT score it's all moot. Unless you are a URM, you HAVE to do well on the MCAT. And considering it's your 3rd attempt, you should definately shoot for 31+. Also, only apply to schools that take your best or most recent MCAT score in each section as even if you do well the third time, the first two scores could still hurt you with schools that average. If you don't do very well there's always DO or the Caribbean...

 

[koennen]

Why do you think you'll do much better the third time around on the MCAT? Unless you didn't prepare the first two times, you likely won't do much better at all.

 

[Old ortho]

Apply broadly, and also apply to some osteopathic schools too if you MCAT < 31.

 

[doc4you]

Thanks for the replies...keep them coming...

'Amazing'...what did you mean by a URM??

also, a 31+ is what i'm aiming for...i've found that my critical thinking skills have improved A LOT through the med tech program i was in...plus, i'm performing much better on practice mcats than i ever did in the past....so this may be achievable

thanks again

 

[geogil]

URM= underrepresented minority, ie black, hispanic, etc. Asian is not included in this, search and you will find many flame wars giving reasons why/why not.
Have your practice MCAT tests been in the 31+ range? Be very cautious where you apply. Some schools take the the average of all your MCAT, some only the highest from each sectin, and some will take the most recent. Figure out which of those options will be most advantageous and apply to those schools. Get yourself an MSAR and figure out which schools will have MCAT in teh range that you will realistically have.

Isn't there a stickied "what are my chances" thread?

 

[Depakote]

Apply broadly, and also apply to some osteopathic schools too if you MCAT < 31.

That 3rd MCAT has me concerned as well. I would echo the above advice. For this round, I would apply broadly and I would include some Osteopathic schools in the mix as a reinforcement (they do tend to be more forgiving of early academic difficulties). There are DO programs that will accept you without a DO letter of recommendation.

Good luck.

 

[degoo_]

hi,

just looking for some honest feedback...


*was a member of several honor societies and held a position in two of them (was secretary in one and historian in another)...however, these societies were quite inactive and didn't do much outside of an occasional meeting...

I don't know why you feel compelled to say this here, but certainly don't mention this in your application or in any of your interviews. Focus only on what you did, not what you haven't done.

 

[doc4you]

That 3rd MCAT has me concerned as well. I would echo the above advice. For this round, I would apply broadly and I would include some Osteopathic schools in the mix as a reinforcement (they do tend to be more forgiving of early academic difficulties). There are DO programs that will accept you without a DO letter of recommendation.

Good luck.

What DO schools would you happen to be aware of that don't require LORs??

 

[docmode]

Without your first two scores it's tough to give advice. For instance, a 6 in verbal, etc. If you were getting in the mid 20 range I would say you might have a hard time. Can you share those so we can understand the picture better?

 

[doc4you]

unfortunately...yes, my 2 scores were less than admirable....i don't recall exactly what they were, but they were both numerically similar in the low 20's, with my 2nd mcat only 1 point better than my first...

i think broken down into sections....verbal was around a 7, physics a 6, bio 8....i was still in college when i took them...but now that i'm out, everything i've learned in physics, bio, etc. seems to make more sense to me and i'm more confident...weird, i know..

i have never applied to med schools before...this will be my first time in doing so...

hope that helps in putting things in perspective..

 

[docmode]

I hate to be pessimistic but to think you'll score in the 30's might be a stretch. I think you'll need something unusual, like working at Hospice, to stand out. Have you ever thought of Caribbean med schools or DO? That might be a possibility to throw into the mix when applying. I would take some practice tests and keep studying hard. Possibly a Kaplan review course might help if you haven't done that before. Good luck, keep pluggin!

 

[Depakote]

What DO schools would you happen to be aware of that don't require LORs??

Off the top of my head...

UMDNJ
DMU
CCOM
KCUMB

There's more, but those were the one's I got into with only MD LORs.

Check through this and you'll find more info about the required LORs.