Applying this cycle. How am I looking?

[fsuoc]

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[Goobs]

A 19 without studying is average? Anyhow we aren't going to be of much help until you get a mcat score in or at least a reasonable average based on multiple aamc practice tests.

Anyhow any school is fine to go into any specialty. Score wise shoot for as high as you can, but the avg score for matriculated students is a 32.

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[OneTwoThreeFour]

Hey guys. I'm currently a senior at FSU and plan on applying this upcoming cycle. I take my MCAT in May and am currently preparing with a Kaplan on-site course. However, without any studying whatsoever and before taking Kaplan, I scored a 19 on a practice MCAT (which I am told is average for someone that has no idea what to expect) so I'm wondering what I should shoot for given the rest of my stats?

Heres what I've got so far:
GPA: cGPA: 3.7, sGPA: 3.58

EC:
- 1 year Certified EMT volunteering for FSU First Responders Unit (100 hours recorded, 200+ unrecorded)
- 1 semester as a First Responder preceptor (I train aspiring first responders)
- 2 years biology research (but no publications)
- 100+ hours of clinical shadowing in Dermatology and Orthopedic Surgery (including hours in the operating room)
- Currently working at a Dermatologist as a Medical Assistant, and plan to go full time after graduation (Prepare pts for surgeries, numb surgical sites, organize pt files and history reports, provide critical pt care in a clinical environment without any supervision)


Am I a competitive applicant for MD? If so, what should my MCAT score be to remain a competitive applicant?

Given my ECs, you can see I'm aspiring to go into Dermatology, so I'm assuming the medical school I choose would be important in getting my foot into such a competitive residency, correct? I was told if I want to go into dermatology, I should throw out any third-tier schools.

SDN might give you some grief for lack of leadership or community service experience. Also, MCAT 'average' score is a 24ish (8/8/8), which is not high enough to get in to MD. So you are shooting for above average, not average.

 

[SOMBound13]

A 19 without studying is average? Anyhow

You need to get a feel for how you'd do WITH studying. JMO, but right now it doesn't look good. I took the MCAT without any studying and got a 32 (only took one practice test the night before at 10 pm). I'm guessing that with some studying I would have gotten a 35ish. Hopefully, with studying you'll get more add'l points than that.

How did you do on the ACT or SAT?

What were your OChem grades? What were your other pre-req grades?

 

[I Love Cats]

You need to get a feel for how you'd do WITH studying. JMO, but right now it doesn't look good. I took the MCAT without any studying and got a 32 (only took one practice test the night before at 10 pm).

SOMBound13 helped me in a previous post of mine, so, with all due respect I'll say my tidbit.

Don't listen to what I quoted from him about MCAT stuff. I would hate for you to feel discouraged from a statement that came out too harshly. With quality studying, that number will skyrocket, and you can get a higher score than even he did with the right prep. Some people just are inherently better at these tests, and some have to put in months. Quick SDN searches and googling will help you find people who jumped over 10-15 points from their diagnostics to the real thing. Study appropriately and do what it takes to get your score up, and you'll be fine on the MCAT.

My post pertains to your MCAT. Just do the best that you possibly can and work from there.

 

[Goobs]

Well, given I took my first practice MCAT at night in a starbucks after a long days work, it shouldnt be indicative of anything, but I figured I'd add it in. My research (just googling) says the average student without preparing or ever looking at an MCAT is about 18-23.

Anyways, its not about my practice MCAT score. I meant this post to be, MCAT aside (saying I just do average, not so outstanding on the MCAT to outshine any of my shortcomings), are my current stats and ECs competitive, or am I looking at a rough and doubtful application process?

Looks like you caught my post before I edited it haha, give it a read again and it might be a bit more helpful. Anyhow given a decent (32+) MCAT you'd have a solid chance at admissions. Your ECs seem pretty good (shadowing, volunteering, leadership, job, research). The only thing lacking is non-medical volunteering, but maybe you can tailor your app to one of your strong points. I wouldn't focus too much on the I want to be a derm part since you haven't had a wide breadth of experience with other specialties yet and a LOT of people end up changing their mind. Plus derm is highly competitive so it might just come off the wrong way.

I don't mean to harp again on what I said in my previous post, but it was short since I was on my phone. Any US MD school will set you up to get into any specialty. There was a recent survey of residency directors who ranked the importance of certain factors on getting into their programs, and while school choice did matter it was really low on the importance scale. The common thought process I've run across on SDN is if you're not going to a top 30 med school, the name of the school doesn't matter anymore.

 

[Lollygag]

You need to get a feel for how you'd do WITH studying. JMO, but right now it doesn't look good. I took the MCAT without any studying and got a 32 (only took one practice test the night before at 10 pm). I'm guessing that with some studying I would have gotten a 35ish. Hopefully, with studying you'll get more add'l points than that.

How did you do on the ACT or SAT?

What were your OChem grades? What were your other pre-req grades?

There are so many things wrong with this post.

1) That's obviously not indicative of the majority of pre-med's who take the MCAT. A 19 is exactly the average score that people usually get on a practice exam with no previous studying for it. They usually jump anywhere from 10-15 points above that after studying as, I Love Cats, already stated.

2) The ACT/SAT is completely different than the MCAT which has been reiterated ad nauseum on this forum. They are not comparable and cannot predict how someone will do on the MCAT, their completely different tests.

OP, I'm not an adcom so take this with a grain of salt, but with a decent MCAT score 31-32+, maybe more like 33+ to compensate for the lower sGPA, I think you would be okay.

The only thing that seems lacking is a leadership role. Is there anything that you have done where you had leadership experience?

You may not have tons of interviews lined up but with a decent MCAT score I think you would be able to secure a couple acceptances.

 

[Goobs]

There are so many things wrong with this post.

1) That's obviously not indicative of the majority of pre-med's who take the MCAT. A 19 is exactly the average score that people usually get on a practice exam with no previous studying for it. They usually jump anywhere from 10-15 points above that after studying as, I Love Cats, already stated.

2) The ACT/SAT is completely different than the MCAT which has been reiterated ad nauseum on this forum. They are not comparable and cannot predict how someone will do on the MCAT, their completely different tests.

OP, I'm not an adcom so take this with a grain of salt, but with a decent MCAT score 31-32+, maybe more like 33+ to compensate for the lower sGPA, I think you would be okay.

The only thing that seems lacking is a leadership role. Is there anything that you have done where you had leadership experience?

You may not have tons of interviews lined up but with a decent MCAT score I think you would be able to secure a couple acceptances.

I kind of figured that the OP could stretch training first responders gig into a leadership role.

 

[Lollygag]

I kind of figured that the OP could stretch training first responders gig into a leadership role.

That's true, how you describe the activity can be just as important as the activity itself. As long as the OP emphasizes the leadership role in the experience then they'd probably be set.

 

[SOMBound13]

1) That's obviously not indicative of the majority of pre-med's who take the MCAT. A 19 is exactly the average score that people usually get on a practice exam with no previous studying for it. They usually jump anywhere from 10-15 points above that after studying as, I Love Cats, already stated.

2) The ACT/SAT is completely different than the MCAT which has been reiterated ad nauseum on this forum. They are not comparable and cannot predict how someone will do on the MCAT, their completely different tests.

Personally, I have never heard that students jump 10-15 pts after studying. If so, I should have studied. lol And, If so, my score would have been in the 40s!

As for my comment about the SAT/ACT...Of course I know that these are different tests. I was asking for two reasons. One, to find out how this person typically does on standardized tests. Two, if the student took the ACT, then that can be somewhat a decent predictor for the MCAT (not perfect by any means, but if the student did rather lowish on the ACT, then it wouldn't be shocking that he wouldn't do well on the MCAT).

 

[Lollygag]

Personally, I have never heard that students jump 10-15 pts after studying. If so, I should have studied. lol And, If so, my score would have been in the 40s!

As for my comment about the SAT/ACT...Of course I know that these are different tests. I was asking for two reasons. One, to find out how this person typically does on standardized tests. Two, if the student took the ACT, then that can be somewhat a decent predictor for the MCAT (not perfect by any means, but if the student did rather lowish on the ACT, then it wouldn't be shocking that he wouldn't do well on the MCAT).

But that's the whole point is that it's not a good predictor, at all. I don't know anyone who studied for the SAT's in high school. I am by no means saying that people didn't, just that the majority of people never pick up an SAT book. You study months for the MCAT, most people will say anything shorter than 2 months of studying for it is not enough. In addition, the MCAT tests your cognitive ability in a different way than the SAT's do. Not to mention that was a test they took 4 years ago.

If you wanna know OP's SAT for your own pure curiosity then fine and I apologize for the rant. I just know WAY too many people who scored average SAT's (like 1500 combo) and pulled 35+ on the MCAT mainly because the MCAT actually matters so it's taken seriously and is 10x more difficult, but a 1500 SAT is more than enough to get into the average joe state school that a lot of us are going for and it's not as difficult to get so you just don't take it as seriously.

It's a minor detail anyhow, I just don't want OP to be discouraged because they didn't score a 1700+ on the SAT

 

[CjOz]

What should you shoot for? You shoot for a 45 bro, then you walk into that testing center ready to take some names, survive the 5 hour brain rape and walk out with a 31. Good day, sir.