ANyone get into medical school with MCAT under 25??

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confusedgirl06

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Hey guys,
Just wondering - did any of you get into medical school with an MCAT lower than 25?? (allopathic that is.) If so, can you just state what school and your stats. Thanks so much!

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Depakote said:
I know someone at UWash that got in off waitlist with a 25.

State resident, Non Trad. Great Extracurriculars/Life Experience, emphasis on great. Pretty sure the GPA was solid too.

Maybe I should have applied there.... a URM or no?
 
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Probably but it's such a small percentage that it's better to do something about it rather than hoping you will "win the lottery".
 
confusedgirl06 said:
Hey guys,
Just wondering - did any of you get into medical school with an MCAT lower than 25?? (allopathic that is.) If so, can you just state what school and your stats. Thanks so much!

Knowing that someone managed it doesn't mean you can. You have to assume that those who beat the odds in this way had some sort of special "in". It's sort of like trying to find someone who has been struck with lightening, so you can stand in the same spot. The more realistic approach would be to start prepping for a retake whenever practice scores suggest you are ready.
 
Law2Doc said:
Knowing that someone managed it doesn't mean you can. You have to assume that those who beat the odds in this way had some sort of special "in". It's sort of like trying to find someone who has been struck with lightening, so you can stand in the same spot. The more realistic approach would be to start prepping for a retake whenever practice scores suggest you are ready.


Ditto.
 
I shadowed a doctor who attended Penn State with a 17 on her MCAT. She was a PA resident.
 
Law2Doc said:
Knowing that someone managed it doesn't mean you can. You have to assume that those who beat the odds in this way had some sort of special "in". It's sort of like trying to find someone who has been struck with lightening, so you can stand in the same spot. The more realistic approach would be to start prepping for a retake whenever practice scores suggest you are ready.

Agreed. Although it doesn't have to be an "in." It could be a variety of things like an extunuating life circumstance.
 
LO281OK said:
I shadowed a doctor who attended Penn State with a 17 on her MCAT. She was a PA resident.


Yea, that was probably years and years ago.
 
She's two years out of a primary care residency... so ~9 yrs?
 
I concur with the above posts.....anyone who got in with subpar MCAT would have needed to have had something going for them that made them stand out....and they probably had to have high GPAs to boot. I have posted this comment before and I will continue to post this for all and any premeds who ask: do NOT assume that just because someone got in with lower scores that you will as will, not unless you also had whatever quality that made the other person stand out.
 
I got a 23 and got interviews even before my August MCAT(retake) came out.When I got my results in August I had a 24 yet got 7-9 interviews.I even turn down UC-Davis when I got an interview.I got accepted into Northwestern along with 3 other good programs. When I got accepted I asked them what they were looking for in my application.They all said the same thing: a complete applicant.I have friends that got in with 23s and 20s. They made up for it in HUGE ways like GPA and EC. So did I.


http://mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?id=5028
 
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24

University of Mississippi Medical Center

BCPM - GPA 3.84
AO - GPA 3.88
Overall GPA 3.86
 
BrettBatchelor said:
UWASH is I think almost 100% in state with the exception of MSTP.


and if you are an URM (like me :D ) and show interest in working in underserved communities
 
dom1n1c said:
I got a 23 and got interviews even before my August MCAT(retake) came out.When I got my results in August I had a 24 yet got 7-9 interviews.I even turn down UC-Davis when I got an interview.I got accepted into Northwestern along with 3 other good programs. When I got accepted I asked them what they were looking for in my application.They all said the same thing: a complete applicant.I have friends that got in with 23s and 20s. They made up for it in HUGE ways like GPA and EC. So did I.


http://mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?id=5028


Wow, Congrats!!! That is extremely impressive that you got into Northwestern with a 24! Good luck to you in the fall. But if you don't mind, I must ask, you must have had other things that made u stand apart from other applicants right?? I have the usual average GPA, lots of extracurricular/research experience, and good recommendations - but my MCAT is low and I don't really have anything that is out of the ordinary, so I'm not sure if I will have the same experience as you.
 
My cousin, who is now in her final year of OBGYN residency, scored a 20 on her MCAT. She had a 4.0 BCPM / 4.0 GPA with excellent ECs though.
 
BrettBatchelor said:
UWASH is I think almost 100% in state with the exception of MSTP.

Not exactly. UW accepts students from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. UW is the only medical school serving those 5 states.
 
confusedgirl06 said:
Wow, Congrats!!! That is extremely impressive that you got into Northwestern with a 24! Good luck to you in the fall. But if you don't mind, I must ask, you must have had other things that made u stand apart from other applicants right?? I have the usual average GPA, lots of extracurricular/research experience, and good recommendations - but my MCAT is low and I don't really have anything that is out of the ordinary, so I'm not sure if I will have the same experience as you.


Don't make the process about getting in and you will succeed.If you know you are going to be a doctor, you must put aside the fear of the interview. People can see fear in your face. They don't know if its b/c you are scared or b/c you are hiding something.Don't give them that choice to make in the first place. You are there b/c they want you. Before interviews,answer all your questions with a friend then in the mirror. See what others see. If you don't like what you see, don't get pissed. Smile! Why? B/c you saw it before anyone else did. Now you can work on it. If your ECs are weak:Volunteer where you know you will make a difference. Don't just go to a hospital to shadow.Go to your neighbourhood school and mentor kids there. You are never too young or old. Make people your priority and you will get in.Write what you did down in prep for your secondaries so you can get them in EARLY!

I got into every program I interviewed at as a foreign student.That is unheard of.Why, b/c when I interviewed I asked 60% of the questions. I always fly in early and talk to the students and tour the campus.During the interview I always talk about the area and events around the school. I talk about what I learned about the school and why its for me.I never let the interview get out of control. How do you do that? Always be focus.Don't be ashame of your record.Know who you are. I end every answer to a question asked as a lead to the next question. Have three things that you know that you confident in.Example, my three are: my patient's right to choose, my family before medicine and taking time for my community. Every answer to any question comes thru these three and I end every answer with a lead to them. I am also brutally honest, while being nice. Being a strong christian has also enhanced my focus.

If you need to reach me leave a comment here.
http://mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?id=5028
 
Teerawit said:
Not exactly. UW accepts students from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. UW is the only medical school serving those 5 states.
Not so. Other states will treat residents of those states as in-state for the purposes of medical schools. Colorado also accepts those states residents and treats them as in-state for med school. (WICHE states I think they're called)
 
confusedgirl06 said:
Wow, Congrats!!! That is extremely impressive that you got into Northwestern with a 24! Good luck to you in the fall. But if you don't mind, I must ask, you must have had other things that made u stand apart from other applicants right?? I have the usual average GPA, lots of extracurricular/research experience, and good recommendations - but my MCAT is low and I don't really have anything that is out of the ordinary, so I'm not sure if I will have the same experience as you.


You will go thru this again in Residency interviews so you might as well do it now!
 
ShyRem said:
Not so. Other states will treat residents of those states as in-state for the purposes of medical schools. Colorado also accepts those states residents and treats them as in-state for med school. (WICHE states I think they're called)

Is this for the sake of argument? :p You know what I meant. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." ;)
 
Teerawit said:
Not exactly. UW accepts students from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. UW is the only medical school serving those 5 states.

U of Arizona also accepts students Wyoming, montana, alaska and idaho students
 
Maybe my post was a bit cryptic

I never meant to imply that WWAMI residents can't go elsewhere and aren't considered in-state elsewhere. I meant that UW is the big-daddy medical center serving that physical 5-state region.
 
Law2Doc said:
Knowing that someone managed it doesn't mean you can. You have to assume that those who beat the odds in this way had some sort of special "in". It's sort of like trying to find someone who has been struck with lightening, so you can stand in the same spot. The more realistic approach would be to start prepping for a retake whenever practice scores suggest you are ready.


Agreed. I would also go ahead and look at the MSAR for statistics on this. They have a nice little chart in there on this sort of data.

Most people I know with a 24-26 range had a stellar GPA and ECs. However, listen to the quoted advice.
 
I've got 2 friends-
One has a ridiculously good GPA, solid recs, had like a 23 MCAT score.. she's gotten in @ UVA, Penn State and is waiting to hear back from Harvard among other schools.
Another friend has a below 3 GPA, a below 20 MCAT score, has already been accepted to St. Matthews (Caribbean) and is hoping to get into another Caribbean school.
Hope this helps!
 
Not to make this a racial thing, but the only peeple that I know with MCATS below 25 who got in anywhere (MD) were minority students. Not to say they werent also very good applicants/wont make great doctors (one of my best friends actually) but it does make a difference.
 
prncvegita said:
I've got 2 friends-
One has a ridiculously good GPA, solid recs, had like a 23 MCAT score.. she's gotten in @ UVA, Penn State and is waiting to hear back from Harvard among other schools.
Another friend has a below 3 GPA, a below 20 MCAT score, has already been accepted to St. Matthews (Caribbean) and is hoping to get into another Caribbean school.
Hope this helps!



Somehow I don't think the OP was talking about Carribbean schools.
 
nontradwaitlist said:
Not to make this a racial thing, but the only peeple that I know with MCATS below 25 who got in anywhere (MD) were minority students. Not to say they werent also very good applicants/wont make great doctors (one of my best friends actually) but it does make a difference.


Not necessarily true. I knew a nurse who had a 24 and is now in med school. She was caucasian but had 10+ years of nursing experience. She's actually friends with one of the med students that post in the MCAT forum.

I also know another 1 or 2 cases where people with 24's got into MD schools. But the key thing was they had a stellar GPA. They had great ECs as well. By stellar GPA I mean 3.9+
 
gujuDoc said:
Not necessarily true. I knew a nurse who had a 24 and is now in med school. She was caucasian but had 10+ years of nursing experience. She's actually friends with one of the med students that post in the MCAT forum.

I also know another 1 or 2 cases where people with 24's got into MD schools. But the key thing was they had a stellar GPA. They had great ECs as well. By stellar GPA I mean 3.9+

I think that some schools may give a person a chance if they have say, 3 8's on the MCAT, and there isn't anything lower than a 7. But yeah - they have to have some pretty great other things going for them!
 
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