Are my chances okay?

[Benevolent822]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I have already put in my application to 19 DO programs (basically all of the ones that accepted the Jan 2018 MCAT). This is the definition of "shotgunning it". I've already completed a few supplemental apps.

Here are my stats:
cGPA: 3.19
sGPA: 3.36 (I know, opposite of the norm)
MCAT: 505
B.S. in Biochemistry
4 LORs: 1 from a DO I shadowed under, 2 from science professors, 1 from the PI that I did research under at BYU.
Decent clinical experience:
-About 120 hours interpreting Spanish for Hispanic patients in a family practice (volunteer). Also served as the president of the society that organized the interpreting efforts.
-500+ hours working as a home healthcare assistant with plenty of patient exposure. I'm still working here.
-About 20 shadowing hours. Not much, but it's something.

Lots of consistent nonhealthcare volunteering:
-Served a 2-year volunteer LDS mission to the Hispanic people living in Utah. Essentially dedicated 2 whole years of my life to helping these people, and I gained a special love for them. This would total a little over 7,000 hours of volunteer experience.

Additional info included on apps:
-I was awarded a Biochemistry research fellowship as an undergrad, and my name will appear on a research paper for the work I did during that time.
-I worked part-time as a General and Organic Chemistry tutor for 4 semesters during my undergrad.

My worries come from my cGPA mostly. It's not so hot. My freshman year, I took classes from a community college, which classes I did not take seriously, resulting in 2 C's and an F. This is mostly what is dragging my cGPA down. I'm hoping my decent sGPA and above average MCAT will make up a bit of the difference. I'm hoping that the admissions committees will notice that I completed all of my prerequisite coursework within 1.5 years of each other. I took my first year Gen Chem class Fall 2015 and my last semester Biochemistry class in Winter 2017.

What are your thoughts on all of this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[001002154]

Your bigger worry should be that you are applying at the end of an application cycle in which very few seats remain open. You should get some very good looks next time around.

 

[mountainmed]

Lots of consistent nonhealthcare volunteering:
-Served a 2-year volunteer LDS mission to the Hispanic people living in Utah. Essentially dedicated 2 whole years of my life to helping these people, and I gained a special love for them. This would total a little over 7,000 hours of volunteer experience.

I think you should have decent chances if you apply broadly next cycle, like 001 was saying. But I would suggest not listing 7000 hours for your mission. As someone who also served an LDS mission, I would guess that most of those hours were not direct service. Your mission may have been different, but our riding bikes and finding addresses doesn't really count for service in my book. I think there are definitely parts of the experience that can and should be included, but not all. But the experiences gained and the actual service done are good. But good on ya for serving, man! I had some friends serve in Utah and they also loved it. Wouldn't trade my time on the mission for anything. Good luck with applying!

 

[Goro]

I have already put in my application to 19 DO programs (basically all of the ones that accepted the Jan 2018 MCAT). This is the definition of "shotgunning it". I've already completed a few supplemental apps.

Here are my stats:
cGPA: 3.19
sGPA: 3.36 (I know, opposite of the norm)
MCAT: 505
B.S. in Biochemistry
4 LORs: 1 from a DO I shadowed under, 2 from science professors, 1 from the PI that I did research under at BYU.
Decent clinical experience:
-About 120 hours interpreting Spanish for Hispanic patients in a family practice (volunteer). Also served as the president of the society that organized the interpreting efforts.
-500+ hours working as a home healthcare assistant with plenty of patient exposure. I'm still working here.
-About 20 shadowing hours. Not much, but it's something.

Lots of consistent nonhealthcare volunteering:
-Served a 2-year volunteer LDS mission to the Hispanic people living in Utah. Essentially dedicated 2 whole years of my life to helping these people, and I gained a special love for them. This would total a little over 7,000 hours of volunteer experience.

Additional info included on apps:
-I was awarded a Biochemistry research fellowship as an undergrad, and my name will appear on a research paper for the work I did during that time.
-I worked part-time as a General and Organic Chemistry tutor for 4 semesters during my undergrad.

My worries come from my cGPA mostly. It's not so hot. My freshman year, I took classes from a community college, which classes I did not take seriously, resulting in 2 C's and an F. This is mostly what is dragging my cGPA down. I'm hoping my decent sGPA and above average MCAT will make up a bit of the difference. I'm hoping that the admissions committees will notice that I completed all of my prerequisite coursework within 1.5 years of each other. I took my first year Gen Chem class Fall 2015 and my last semester Biochemistry class in Winter 2017.

What are your thoughts on all of this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Apply broadly and you should be okay.

 

[dial1010usa]

I have already put in my application to 19 DO programs (basically all of the ones that accepted the Jan 2018 MCAT). This is the definition of "shotgunning it". I've already completed a few supplemental apps.

Here are my stats:
cGPA: 3.19
sGPA: 3.36 (I know, opposite of the norm)
MCAT: 505
B.S. in Biochemistry
4 LORs: 1 from a DO I shadowed under, 2 from science professors, 1 from the PI that I did research under at BYU.
Decent clinical experience:
-About 120 hours interpreting Spanish for Hispanic patients in a family practice (volunteer). Also served as the president of the society that organized the interpreting efforts.
-500+ hours working as a home healthcare assistant with plenty of patient exposure. I'm still working here.
-About 20 shadowing hours. Not much, but it's something.

Lots of consistent nonhealthcare volunteering:
-Served a 2-year volunteer LDS mission to the Hispanic people living in Utah. Essentially dedicated 2 whole years of my life to helping these people, and I gained a special love for them. This would total a little over 7,000 hours of volunteer experience.

Additional info included on apps:
-I was awarded a Biochemistry research fellowship as an undergrad, and my name will appear on a research paper for the work I did during that time.
-I worked part-time as a General and Organic Chemistry tutor for 4 semesters during my undergrad.

My worries come from my cGPA mostly. It's not so hot. My freshman year, I took classes from a community college, which classes I did not take seriously, resulting in 2 C's and an F. This is mostly what is dragging my cGPA down. I'm hoping my decent sGPA and above average MCAT will make up a bit of the difference. I'm hoping that the admissions committees will notice that I completed all of my prerequisite coursework within 1.5 years of each other. I took my first year Gen Chem class Fall 2015 and my last semester Biochemistry class in Winter 2017.

What are your thoughts on all of this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Congrats by accepted to 2 of the schools. All the best picking one of those 2.

 

[Benevolent822]

Congrats by accepted to 2 of the schools. All the best picking one of those 2.

Thank you! Wife and I are weighing the pros and cons of each. Very excited, though!

 

[kamakazi5]

Which schools if you don't mind sharing?

 

[Benevolent822]

Which schools if you don't mind sharing?

Touro Nevada and William Carey. We're probably going with Touro, and we're ecstatic about it. 🙂

 

[dial1010usa]

Touro Nevada and William Carey. We're probably going with Touro, and we're ecstatic about it. 🙂

Good choice 🙂