bit of a crisis!!! help mee

[bananayumboat]

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alright so heres a question guys, im a bio major asian american studies minor currently in my junior year entering senior year with a 2.93 hopefully over a 3.0 by the time i graduate, 33 on the mcats, taking it again this august. so i entered wanted the MD, now im thinkin' DO or dentistry, what do you guys think, do i have a shot anywhere??

~desperate for SOME feedback

 

[joueaupluie]

alright so heres a question guys, im a bio major asian american studies minor currently in my junior year entering senior year with a 2.93 hopefully over a 3.0 by the time i graduate, 33 on the mcats, taking it again this august. so i entered wanted the MD, now im thinkin' DO or dentistry, what do you guys think, do i have a shot anywhere??

~desperate for SOME feedback

Though I'm no expert, from what I've read on SDN, I'd say you have a shot at DO even without retaking the MCAT, though it can't hurt. Maybe MD. 😕

What's your state of residence?

 

[OMMFan]

I don't know how GPA figures into admissions (I have heard some schools require a minimum 3.0, and it sounds like the higher the better), but your overall MCAT score seems solid. Why are you retaking it?

Do you have any low grade science classes that you could retake to improve your GPA? It seems like a wise idea to do everything you can to make sure your senior year grades (especially in science courses) are high to demonstrate improvement. Based on everything I've read and experienced, admissions committees want to see that you are capable of doing well on both standardized exams as well as in science classes.

I'd definitely advise that you talk to and shadow several DOs and/or dentists to both satisfy the adcoms and make sure you're pursuing the right field.

 

[jawicobike]

alright so heres a question guys, im a bio major asian american studies minor currently in my junior year entering senior year with a 2.93 hopefully over a 3.0 by the time i graduate, 33 on the mcats, taking it again this august. so i entered wanted the MD, now im thinkin' DO or dentistry, what do you guys think, do i have a shot anywhere??

~desperate for SOME feedback

Apply broadly. Your MCAT will at least get you some interviews so be sure to brush up on your interview skills and you'll get in somewhere.

 

[mastamark]

alright so heres a question guys, im a bio major asian american studies minor currently in my junior year entering senior year with a 2.93 hopefully over a 3.0 by the time i graduate, 33 on the mcats, taking it again this august. so i entered wanted the MD, now im thinkin' DO or dentistry, what do you guys think, do i have a shot anywhere??

~desperate for SOME feedback

That is an awesome MCAT score. Especially for COMs. I think the average nationwide is around 28 or so. Good job on that beast. I hope I get that.

 

[bananayumboat]

yeah so thats my cum GPA tho, my premed GPA should be like a 3.3... i dont know i just feel like such a loser applying, i hope i have a shot at least... do u think its worth it to take over classes that u did poorly in but were not science classes...? i mean it would be easy to do but would it look bad? do admissions see that u took a class over?

Whats a COM?

 

[bananayumboat]

Though I'm no expert, from what I've read on SDN, I'd say you have a shot at DO even without retaking the MCAT, though it can't hurt. Maybe MD. 😕

What's your state of residence?

im from NY, so i want to apply around here to be somewhat closeto home/family and such. plus its always nice to keep the cost down if i can. tee hee 😉

 

[n0chi]

com is college of osteopathic medicine.

i think 33 on the mcats is enough, no need to redo them. focus on retaking classes that you got C or less in. the colleges do see that you retook them but its better to do that than redo the mcat in your case.

cheers!

 

[OMMFan]

If you scored very low on one of the MCAT sections and know you will improve that score then it may be appropriate to retake the MCAT. But if your scores are fairly solid across the board (i.e., each section with a score around 10), you risk wasting time that could be better spent on acing courses and *gasp* you may even score lower on the second try.

33 is a solid score in even the allopathic admissions world. It won't get you in anywhere on its own, but it's a very nice addition to an all-around great application and interview.

 

[LINYKid]

great mcat score

 

[rgerwin]

who takes a 33 over again?

 

[NonTradMed]

Do not retake the MCAT unless you strongly feel you underperform (as in, you consistently got 38-43+ on the practice). Your GPA is your problem, not MCAT. Take as many science classes/upper level classes and do well. You may even consider taking an extra year and fluffing up your GPA. If you can get your GPA above a 3.2, you have a strong shot (I think). What state are you from?

 

[dr.z]

who takes a 33 over again?

I guess the OP is. 33 is not a score to retake.

 

[jellibelli]

duplicate

 

[jellibelli]

I guess the OP is. 33 is not a score to retake.

I think the OP wants to retake the MCAT to get an even higher score to offset her low GPA (to apply and increases chances with MD schools). However, a 33 is great for DO schools and the GPA isn't bad at all.

Hey OP - apply to a wide range of schools, both MD and DO. If you want to apply for dentistry as well, you'll have to study and take the DATs. The question now becomes : do you really want to do the MCATs AND the DATs right after one another?

 

[Faraaz23]

Well its not senior year yet. If I were you, I'd do everything I could to raise that GPA. You have this summer, why not take a couple classes? Also, on aacomas, if you retake a class (at least a math or science), they'll replace the grade when figuring your GPA. Your MCAT score is going to be among the top end of DO applicants, I don't think you, by any means, NEED to take it over again. That energy may be better focused on getting A's in as many credit hours as you can. As others have said, apply early, and broadly- not just to the most selective DO schools (PCOM, CCOM, NYCOM, TCOM are some of the most selective ones).

Also, if you're thinking about dentistry, keep in mind that dental schools want one hell of a reason as to why an applicant is applying to both medical and dental school. I've been told by many a dental student that if you have in the past, or are currently applying to med school simultaneously, you're going to have a much harder time getting in.

Good luck.

 

[doctor_who]

If you are not a senior yet, then do everything you can to get a solid GPA, by graduation. Run some statistics based on your number of classes, points, etc. and see what your projected maximum GPA would come out at the end of the year at the best case scenario. I was in your shoes at application time, as well. I had some unforeseen circumstances occur in my freshman year that caused my GPA to plummet. I too was going into my Senior year with a low GPA, 2.86. I did all the scenarios, and the highest I could have brought my GPA with 24 semester hours of A's before med school was not gonna be enough. I scored a 32 on the MCAT. I spoke with several admissions committees and they said the best thing for me to do was to do the best I could my Senior year and retake the MCAT to show the I was still eager to prove my intellectual capacity. I knew I could do better on the MCAT since I had not taken a prep course. I took Kaplan, and scored a 38. I got into Med school, in fact several. But based on my circumstances I had my freshman year, all of the ad coms at the schools I interviewed at said I prob would have gotten in with a 32, but the 38 was a shoe in. My GPA improved to a 3.03. In short anything is possible, email some ad-coms with some scenarios and explanations if you have any, I did and received favorable responses. Then do your best your senior year...retake the MCAT..ONLY if you know you can do better.

 

[HunterGatherer]

Please read the FAQ regarding what is included in your science GPA. Math is not included in the science GPA for DO schools. You should know what is your cumulative GPA and also science GPA since those are both looked at closely. Also read up the section about grade retakes in the FAQ. This will help determine what courses you need to take.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=240220

Your MCAT score is excellent for DO schools and should help show academic potential especially if you have an upward grade trend.

 

[caduceus27]

dude
your gpa is about the same as mine. and im a sophmore entering my junior year. my advice would be to try to take some classes to get your gpa up a bit. its good but to be sure its better to take some classes to get your gpa to a better standing. i think that you should not take the mcats agian your score is fantastic. i think combined with a good gpa you can get into some ivy league schools. i think you should concentrate on getting your grades up. so if you can get a refund go ahead.
make progress everyday!

alright so heres a question guys, im a bio major asian american studies minor currently in my junior year entering senior year with a 2.93 hopefully over a 3.0 by the time i graduate, 33 on the mcats, taking it again this august. so i entered wanted the MD, now im thinkin' DO or dentistry, what do you guys think, do i have a shot anywhere??

~desperate for SOME feedback

 

[Kuba]

figure out what you want to do first - MD, DO, Dentistry, optometry, podiatry. You can't just apply to al and hope you get in somwhere and that is who you will be. Figure out what you want and work hard for it or else you will be miserable.

 

[cyclohexanol]

figure out what you want to do first - MD, DO, Dentistry, optometry, podiatry. You can't just apply to al and hope you get in somwhere and that is who you will be. Figure out what you want and work hard for it or else you will be miserable.

Agreed 👍

OP: you said you wanted to be an MD. If you want to be a physician, you can be an MD or a DO, doesn't really matter. But don't start looking into other "sorta kinda" related fields just because you don't think you can get in to an MD school. If you want to be a physician, work on your GPA and keep reapplying until you get in (and apply to MD and DO schools).