Am I screwed?

[OLYWA]

Ok, non-trad post bac.

BS Paramedics 1995...with a 2.8 (Young, beer, etc)

Post-bac sciences completed 3.02 (unfortunately a result of 60hr workweeks while attending school)

10+ years field experience as a Paramedic with glowing letters of rec from ER and ICU/Internal Med physicians who know me and have seen my work, and potential.

Live in, and plan to return to a rural area that is grossly underserved in the area of primary care.

Taking the April MCAT...any opinions as to what score(s) will I need to end up somewhere other than Grenada?...or am I completely screwed as I fear?

Any responses are appreciated.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[medhacker]

Ok, non-trad post bac.

BS Paramedics 1995...with a 2.8 (Young, beer, etc)

Post-bac sciences completed 3.02 (unfortunately a result of 60hr workweeks while attending school)

10+ years field experience as a Paramedic with glowing letters of rec from ER and ICU/Internal Med physicians who know me and have seen my work, and potential.

Live in, and plan to return to a rural area that is grossly underserved in the area of primary care.

Taking the April MCAT...any opinions as to what score(s) will I need to end up somewhere other than Grenada?...or am I completely screwed as I fear?

Any responses are appreciated.

In my humble opinion, your chances are not that high but it may be done, particularly since you are non-trad

I would say aim for 27+ and apply to the *right* schools and you may have a decent chance. Best Wishes!

 

[Spankete87]

I had a 3.3 overall, 3.0 science and a 30Q MCAT and got into three different D.O. progrmas. I had 6 months of direct patient work, lots of volunteering/shadowing, and a trend upwards in my grades. Hope that helps!

 

[ShyRem]

DO: 27 or better MCAT. MD: you better have a 36+ MCAT.

I've just been where you're about to go. Good luck.

 

[Redneck]

Also, I think if you make it very clear that you are returning to that underserved rural area and have the history of living in that area to back up your claims, I think it will be a strength. If you are right that the docs you've been around will write glowing letters I think you'll pull it off. Just make sure you seal the deal in your interviews by explaining everything and being upbeat. Good Luck.

 

[dr.z]

In my humble opinion, your chances are not that high but it may be done, particularly since you are non-trad

I would say aim for 27+ and apply to the *right* schools and you may have a decent chance. Best Wishes!

I think 27 and up should get you into DO schools.

 

[mj1878]

I agree with the above. Do as well as you can on the MCAT. If you get a score in the teens-mid/high 20s, you'll show them that you were "just average" both in class and on the MCAT, and that adds up to an unimpressive application.

Yes DO schools look at the whole person, but volunteering and work experience in no way make up for a low GPA and low MCAT. They want exceptional individuals with varied life histories, but they also want academically-minded, intelligent folks. How do they measure the latter? MCAT and GPA. There's no other way.

You might be able to reconcile your low GPA with the ADCOMS if you are explicit about your work history and the fact that you weren't able to devote 100% of your time to class work.

 

[RUscrewed]

yep. do your best on the MCAT; that's all you can do. but most importantly, apply as early as you possibly can! i've heard of kids with significantly sub par stas getting in by simply applying ridiculously early. i think an MCAT prep course is probably worth the cost, too. and aim for a 27+ ... but kids do get in with a 20 -- so all is not lost if your MCAT score is mediocre.

Ok, non-trad post bac.

BS Paramedics 1995...with a 2.8 (Young, beer, etc)

Post-bac sciences completed 3.02 (unfortunately a result of 60hr workweeks while attending school)

10+ years field experience as a Paramedic with glowing letters of rec from ER and ICU/Internal Med physicians who know me and have seen my work, and potential.

Live in, and plan to return to a rural area that is grossly underserved in the area of primary care.

Taking the April MCAT...any opinions as to what score(s) will I need to end up somewhere other than Grenada?...or am I completely screwed as I fear?

Any responses are appreciated.

 

[yanky5]

You will only make it to an MD school with those credentials with a 36 MCAT. If you get around a 30MCAT, you should have a GOOD CHANCE IN A DO school but forget about the MD schools because I got a 31MCAT and 3.73 GPA. I applied to over 30 medical schools and they did not take me so I went to NYCOM. So, you can forget about it unless you do in the 95th percentile on the mcat. However, you should apply to 5 MD schools anyways, because they RARELY accept sub par people especially since you have so much medical experience (but that stuff doesn't mean as much as it should since they mostly care about grades and connections).

 

[Zerosixjt]

For DO or MD you should aim for high 20s low 30s at the very least. That being said, your years of experience may give you a boost. If you have a program that you are particularly interested in, find out the name of the faculty member or dean that is in charge and e-mail them directly. It may take some investigation on the web-site but they are usually posted. I have done this multiple times, and all but one has responded personally to my questions and kept the line of communication open. That way, they know your name and can give you advise specific to their programs.

 

[CatsandCradles]

10+ years field experience as a Paramedic with glowing letters of rec from ER and ICU/Internal Med physicians who know me and have seen my work, and potential.

Live in, and plan to return to a rural area that is grossly underserved in the area of primary care.

Any responses are appreciated.

In the book, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, the general states that:

We are to protect our weakpoints and playup our strengths.

So do just that. In your statements, highlight your experience as a paramedic and how it has shaped you. Make your essays really good, but very humble as well.

If you score higher than a 25, I'm sure you'll get in somewhere. I was sort of like you, I didn't have the greatest of scores, but I did have a lot of social work. And that helped me tremendously.

You said you live in an underserved area; emphasize that and talk a little bit about your community.

I wish you the best of luck. Don't let all these "You need a 37+ MCAT" people scare you - chances are they don't have the level of experience you already have - you certaintly have more medical experience than me already.


God Speed you well,

C&C