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deleted815862
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Apply next cycle or wait/ WAMC
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Nobody can give you any real help without your MCAT score. A 493 isn't competitive for medical school. You are hoping for a 17+ point jump. Is that truly realistic? Your GPAs are low for MD but okay for DO. If you really think you can bump your GPAs up that high in three semesters, I'd wait and apply after graduation. That will also give you more time to prepare for the MCAT. You only want to take that test once when you are totally ready and consistently scoring near your target score on practice tests. Look at DO schools to start and of course your state MD schools. So much depends on your MCAT. Good Luck!
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Yeah it's realistic. 498 on Kaplan practice test-->517 on real MCAT. If OP has not began studying yet, 17 points is not that crazy. I'd be worried about improving the GPA, so gap year may be necessary. You will likely need to apply DO, barring special circumstances (URM, etc...even so I would recommend DO schools as safety). Even after repair your GPA will probably be on the lower end (for MD; might be able to improve to average or above with grade replacement for DO). Work hard for the MCAT and see what your options are; I agree with above, that advice is not going to be incredibly informed until we know MCAT.
Add: aside from shadowing you have enough clinical exposure, worry about your GPA and MCAT. Post-bacc is probably a better option for you than SMP, as DO schools will replace grades for repeat courses (well AACOMAS will).
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You are proposing to dedicate next semester to your GPA, plus you haven't taken biochem yet. I don't see where the study necessary for a high MCAT score fits into that timetable when you need the results back in time for an application in June 2017. And even if all goes perfectly by June 2017 you will be applying with an sGPA of only 3.35, when your dream school average GPA is 3.7.
If you wait a year, you could have a GPA of 3.5/3.6 with a strong upward trend: you wouldn't need a post-bac at all with that. You would have had time to do the MCAT without either rushing or affecting your GPA while still getting an early application in to maximise your chances. And you could spend your gap year perfecting your EC's and earning some money to help you through the costs of med school. No brainer, really, isn't it?
If you wait a year, you could have a GPA of 3.5/3.6 with a strong upward trend: you wouldn't need a post-bac at all with that. You would have had time to do the MCAT without either rushing or affecting your GPA while still getting an early application in to maximise your chances. And you could spend your gap year perfecting your EC's and earning some money to help you through the costs of med school. No brainer, really, isn't it?
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