Application Timeline Question - Low Hours or Retake MCAT?

[purplepuppy391]

I was hoping to get some opinions on my situation as an older non-traditional student.

Apply June 2024: Only have 150-250 clinical and 200-300 non-clinical hours.
Apply June 2025: Will have ~500 clinical hours and ~600 non-clinical hours. Will have to retake my MCAT for schools that have a 3 year limit.

I've heard 150-200 thrown around as a minimum number, but figured that it is still on the lower side and not actually competitive. Any thoughts? Do ya'll think it's worth waiting another year or will it not make a big difference? Do those extra hours outweigh the cost of having to retake the MCAT again?

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[Faha]

What is your MCAT score ?
Where is your state of residence ?
What are your cGPA and sGPA ?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

MD & DO - WAMC 3.3/513 Nontrad - Help w/ School List

cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS cGPA: 3.3 sGPA: 3.1 My undergrad GPA is from 5+ years ago, so I am taking diy postbacc courses now. Aiming to get a 4.0. If I take 6-8 classes and get a 4.0 I can bring my gpa up to a 3.4. MCAT score(s) and breakdown 513 (126/131/128/128) State of...

forums.studentdoctor.net

What will have changed? Usually 150 hours is a threshold. You can definitely accrue more hours depending on the schools on your list, but quality also plays a factor in those situations.

 

[purplepuppy391]

What is your MCAT score ?
Where is your state of residence ?
What are your cGPA and sGPA ?

513, CA now but I'm from WV, 3.4 cGPA and 3.3 sGPA (this is with a 20 credit 4.0 postbacc. I have a few more classes to still take"

 

[purplepuppy391]

MD & DO - WAMC 3.3/513 Nontrad - Help w/ School List

cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS cGPA: 3.3 sGPA: 3.1 My undergrad GPA is from 5+ years ago, so I am taking diy postbacc courses now. Aiming to get a 4.0. If I take 6-8 classes and get a 4.0 I can bring my gpa up to a 3.4. MCAT score(s) and breakdown 513 (126/131/128/128) State of...

forums.studentdoctor.net

What will have changed? Usually 150 hours is a threshold. You can definitely accrue more hours depending on the schools on your list, but quality also plays a factor in those situations.

Since I posted that I have around 100 hours of unpaid MCAT tutoring and mentoring I've done with disadvantaged premeds and finished 20 credits of my postbac with a 4.0. Looking back though it seems that chilly_md has said that reinventors need even more hours, so it seems unwise to apply with the bare minimum. Goro did give me a school list based on my MCAT and GPA yesterday.

 

[Faha]

If you were a West Virginia resident you would be competitive for West Virginia and Marshall. You are competitive for all DO schools with your stats.
I suggest these DO schools:
WVSOM
CUSOM
PCOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY
MU-COM
DMU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
CCOM
AZCOM
TUNCOM
For MD schools I suggest these:
West Virginia
Marshall
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
TCU
NOVA MD
Wake Forest
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Penn State
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
California University
Loma Linda (if you fit their mission)
Any new schools that open in 2024 (there may be several)

 

[purplepuppy391]

If you were a West Virginia resident you would be competitive for West Virginia and Marshall. You are competitive for all DO schools with your stats.
I suggest these DO schools:
WVSOM
CUSOM
PCOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY
MU-COM
DMU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
CCOM
AZCOM
TUNCOM
For MD schools I suggest these:
West Virginia
Marshall
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
TCU
NOVA MD
Wake Forest
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Penn State
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
California University
Loma Linda (if you fit their mission)
Any new schools that open in 2024 (there may be several)

Thank you! Do you think it'd still be fine to apply with around 200 clinical and 250 non-clinical hours this next cycle or it's better to wait another year to get more hours?

 

[Faha]

Thank you! Do you think it'd still be fine to apply with around 200 clinical and 250 non-clinical hours this next cycle or it's better to wait another year to get more hours?

You are fine to apply in June 2024.

 

[LindaAccepted]

Thank you! Do you think it'd still be fine to apply with around 200 clinical and 250 non-clinical hours this next cycle or it's better to wait another year to get more hours?

I'd also suggest that you shadow a DO or get some exposure to DO practice if you are applying mostly to DO schools.