Application Advice

[dragonandfire]

Hi everyone. I hope you all are doing well. I wanted to tell you guys some of my application information and ask if you thought it would be a good idea for me to retake the MCAT, apply this cycle or where to apply to?

I am from New York. I have done extensive research after my undergrad for 3 years at Yale Medical School and MIT where I earned a first author publication in Cell as a research assistant as well as a collaborating author on 3 other smaller papers. I also got the opportunity to shadow several MDs and DOs while in undergrad and my time after graduating. I was a Biochemistry major that had a 3.52 CGPA and a 3.41 SGPA. I have taken the MCAT 3 times now. My first two scores were 500 & 499 respectively. I took the MCAT for the third time last month and received a score of 502 (126/124/125/127). My parents are Indian and I don't want to tell that I will be waiting another year to apply for medical school. What do you guys think I should? I really appreciate your help!

 

[Dagrimsta1]

Apply Broadly and to DO schools instate. If all fails, you can always retake the MCAT. Cost of applications is steep yes, but it could save you a year.

If MD is the only way you want to go, focus your energy on retaking the MCAT and scoring >508.

 

[Goro]

Hi everyone. I hope you all are doing well. I wanted to tell you guys some of my application information and ask if you thought it would be a good idea for me to retake the MCAT, apply this cycle or where to apply to?

I am from New York. I have done extensive research after my undergrad for 3 years at Yale Medical School and MIT where I earned a first author publication in Cell as a research assistant as well as a collaborating author on 3 other smaller papers. I also got the opportunity to shadow several MDs and DOs while in undergrad and my time after graduating. I was a Biochemistry major that had a 3.52 CGPA and a 3.41 SGPA. I have taken the MCAT 3 times now. My first two scores were 500 & 499 respectively. I took the MCAT for the third time last month and received a score of 502 (126/124/125/127). My parents are Indian and I don't want to tell that I will be waiting another year to apply for medical school. What do you guys think I should? I really appreciate your help!

Don't bother retaking. You have plateaued and your score isn't going to magically rise.

Apply NOW

 

[dial1010usa]

Are you a re-applicant or this will be your first time applying?
Your MCAT is below avg for MD.
Apply broadly for DO schools and you will be accepted as your gpa is above avg and MCAT is good.
Research doesn't play big role in DO schools.
How's your other EC, clinical and non clinical? volunteer?

 

[Faha]

Do you have any physician shadowing hours or clinical volunteering or employment hours with patient contact ?

 

[dragonandfire]

Are you a re-applicant or this will be your first time applying?
Your MCAT is below avg for MD.
Apply broadly for DO schools and you will be accepted as your gpa is above avg and MCAT is good.
Research doesn't play big role in DO schools.
How's your other EC, clinical and non clinical? volunteer?

I am going to be a first time applicant. I have shadowed two MDs, two DOs and several PAs. All in all, I would say that I had around 300 shadowing hours for them all combined. I was in a campus run tutoring program for chemistry and organic chemistry. I worked on 3 reach projects in undergrad and got publications from each one. I also won several awards/fellowships for my research in undergrad and afterwards. I volunteered at my local hospital the senior year of high school and summer before undergrad. I was apart of several clubs in undergrad for outreach. Lastly I went to a outreach trip outside the US to shadow physicians. My GPAs are low due to a really bad first semester of college where I had taken an accelerated organic chemistry course. This destroyed my GPA and after that I had worked hard to bring it back up to what it is now. I got a C in Organic Chemistry the first time, but as a retake I got an A. Do you think schools (MD and DO), after all this about me, will give me shot?

 

[dial1010usa]

I am going to be a first time applicant. I have shadowed two MDs, two DOs and several PAs. All in all, I would say that I had around 300 shadowing hours for them all combined. I was in a campus run tutoring program for chemistry and organic chemistry. I worked on 3 reach projects in undergrad and got publications from each one. I also won several awards/fellowships for my research in undergrad and afterwards. I volunteered at my local hospital the senior year of high school and summer before undergrad. I was apart of several clubs in undergrad for outreach. Lastly I went to a outreach trip outside the US to shadow physicians. My GPAs are low due to a really bad first semester of college where I had taken an accelerated organic chemistry course. This destroyed my GPA and after that I had worked hard to bring it back up to what it is now. I got a C in Organic Chemistry the first time, but as a retake I got an A. Do you think schools (MD and DO), after all this about me, will give me shot?

As I mentioned above your MCAT is low for MD but you are good for DO schools.