Advise on where to apply , are there any MD programs that would be interested?

[lights end]

Hi I am a nontraditional applicant applying for the 2015 cycle, previously I had been rejected by all my applied to school, do you all have any advise on where I might apply to this cycle. Since then I have completed a SMP with 3.7 and i have raised my MCAT to a 26... but I am planning on retaking if need be in July Attached is my resume, I am open to any and all advise or even different health care related paths ( DDS,DMD,PharmD, or DO) but I really would love to to my home med school state of LA, specifically LSU-Shreveport as their program seems to fit my needs and lifestyle best. Thanks!
HIGHLIGHTS
· Previous experiences in five research labs

· 200+ hours of community service



EDUCATION


Neuroscience Major

· Scholarship: William Mumford Haile, Jr. Scholarship: endowment scholarship for commitment to community service


· GPA 3.4


C.E. Byrd High School


· Top Jacket Byrd High School – Mentoring Program for freshman





RESEARCH EXPERIENCE


Undergraduate Researcher Spring 2012- current

Tulane University

· Early Hormones and Learning


Undergraduate Researcher

Tulane Medical Center October 2011-Summer 2012

· Research in Immunology



Undergraduate Researcher

Tulane Medical Center September 2010 - May 2011

· DOCA Salt Expression Effects on the perenial receptor site in relation to hypothalamtic tissue/ DOCA Salt Studies on hyper-tensive expressive mice in renin and pro renin studies


Undergraduate Researcher

Tulane Medical Center August-December 2009

• Studying Ovarian Cancer research through the analysis of peptide receptors in conjunction with macrophages derived from human adipose tissue

• Mentor: Dr. Aline Betancourt

CASMINS Researcher (Care of Collin College)

Baylor Health Sciences Center December 2008-March 2009

· Cardio - myopic research through DNA sequencing


Research Assistant April 2007-June 2008

Louisiana State University Health and Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA

· Selected for Biomedical Research at LSUHSC Shreveport through the S.M.A.R.T. program

“Correspondence between Collagenic Type IV and the Inter-relativity of the Pericellular Matrix of Laminin”

· Intel Talent Search Participant with research





COMMUNITY SERVICE

Volunteer

Ochsner Hospital New Orleans,LA

• Assist in post stroke patient management & care/ research into improvement in innovations in post stroke rehabiliation
• Director: Kris Huber R.N.

Volunteer

Ochsner Hospital New Orleans, LA February 2011 – Spring 2013

• Assist in basic patient care tasks. IE: medical observation, suture work, setting IV's

Volunteer August 2011 - Current

Sexual Aggression Peer Hotline and Education (SAPHE) program Tulane University

• Confidential help program for sexually assaulted students

Volunteer

Physician Shadowing

• Mentor : Ilyas Munshi, MD APMC

Volunteer

Global Volunteers - Balard, Romania May 2011

• Worked with mental and physically handicapped children
• Cases ranging from hydrocephaly to E.B.
• Worked in the ER and helped suture wounds

Volunteer/ Participant Spring Break 2010

Habitat for Humanity Gulf Port Reconstruction Build via United Way

Youth Director: Steven Christi

Lauren Abby habitat leader


Volunteer

Habitat For Humanity, Shreveport, LA Summer 2010


Volunteer

Habitat For Humanity, New Orleans, LA 2009


Math and Science Tutor/Volunteer

Urban League College Track, New Orleans September-December 2009


Volunteer

YMCA Camp Forbing 2005-2006

· 200+ community service hours











EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Eagle Scout/ Participant

Boy Scouts of America Troop 9, Shreveport, LA 2003-2008

· Eagle project – Rebuilding flower beds at Providence House- a Shelter for Women and Children

· A member of the scouting service and honors society known of as Order of the Arrow

· Senior patrol leader of troop 97 as well as assistant patrol leader

· BSA Lifeguard Certified

· Red Cross Lifeguard Certified



Violist, Violinist, Cello player, Guitar player 1997-2009

Various organizations and schools

· Auditioned with a Viola selection before panel of professional musicians and was selected for the Talented Arts Program (TAP) in the Caddo Parish Schools (unable to participate due to scheduling)

· Played with the Arklatex Youth Symphony

· Past assistant principal position with the Byrd High School Orchestra

· Principal position of violist in the orchestral accompaniment to Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella for the Byrd High School

· Performed with Centenary College Orchestra



Team Member

Soccer 1995-2008

· Played for 14 years

· Latin club

· Junior Classical League Secretary - Captain Shreve High School

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[Goro]

The MCAT is a deal breaker for nearly all MD schools. You'll need to get it >30 for MD programs. However, you're fine for most DO programs. Can't advise for other medical professions.

 

[DrMidlife]

High school activities don't belong on a med school app.

Your rejections are due to your MCAT score. Definitely get a higher MCAT score before you apply again. Med school is full-to-bustin' with hours-long multiple choice tests. It's not optional to master the MCAT.

Best of luck to you.

 

[pietachok]

The MCAT is a deal breaker for nearly all MD schools. You'll need to get it >30 for MD programs. However, you're fine for most DO programs. Can't advise for other medical professions.

Your rejections are due to your MCAT score. Definitely get a higher MCAT score before you apply again. Med school is full-to-bustin' with hours-long multiple choice tests. It's not optional to master the MCAT.

You realize that his goal is LSU, where the average MCAT is between 29-30? I think the OP should also try contacting LSU, b/c clearly with that average MCAT, they've taken applicants with a 26 before. If they'll offer an application post-mortem, it may be helpful. They're very receptive to re-applicants, so maybe they're one of the places that will still do it for an IS applicant.

OP, if you're URM you can try the HBCUs. You're in the right region to be plausible in committing to serving their target communities.

Other than that, yeah, you have to pull up your MCAT before reapplying or re-apply DO. I do not advise retaking and retaking and retaking the MCAT. Do not retake it until you can significantly increase your score or you'll be cinching your fate of non-admittance. If you don't feel you can further improve it, apply to LSU, maybe the HBCUs (if you're in the right demographic) and apply broadly to DO schools. If you are determined to get an MD acceptance, I'd wait until you improve your MCAT to reapply even though you want to go to LSU -- schools can tell you are a reapplicant, and many are going to be particularly biased against a third time applicant even if you haven't applied to their own program every cycle.

 

[DrMidlife]

Understood. But even targeting LSU, needing 2 tries to get a 26 means that MCAT is a serious problem. And again, getting in somewhere is not a victory if you can't then succeed in med school.

 

[Goro]

100% concur. And it's LSU-Shreveport, not New Orleans, that has the lower floor for the MCAT. Still, OPs is a 2x MCAT taker and his/her last score is 3 points lower than the Shreveport avg. Wroth a shot? Yes. But chances? This does not look good.

Understood. But even targeting LSU, needing 2 tries to get a 26 means that MCAT is a serious problem. And again, getting in somewhere is not a victory if you can't then succeed in med school.

 

[pietachok]

Understood. But even targeting LSU, needing 2 tries to get a 26 means that MCAT is a serious problem. And again, getting in somewhere is not a victory if you can't then succeed in med school.

Agreed. That one may get knee deep into med school with lots of debt and be unable to pass board exams or at least unable to perform satisfactorily for the field in which they wish to do their residency is hugely concerning to me. If it were up to me, I would never apply with a 26, and if that were my max score, I'd be scared to go to med school. But clearly many schools find people every single year who are willing to live with that stress and who ultimately can/do manage to meet the minimum criteria for passing all the exams, rotations, shelfs, and boards.

Perhaps this is just reflecting my bad mood after a marathon 2 weeks on residency interviews, but I wonder if there would be any benefit to scoring the MCAT more like the STEP exams with a set pass/fail score and the inability to re-take it if you passed on first attempt. I know it would feel really harsh, but I feel like it might better correlate with the experience in med school and keep applicants more grounded in reality -- right now there's no clear idea of where a score is unrealistic for successful promotion through this career path, and it leads to a lot of wasted time, money, and emotions.