Can a 3.3 get me in?

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adri88

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I am seriously discouraged at this point in the process, and sometimes I think seriously of just giving up the idea of medicine and finding a different career.

Do you guys think I have any hope of an allo school (yes, I am also applying DO)?

cGPA: 3.30
sGPA: 3.38

MCAT practice tests around 31 (studying HARD to push this higher)

Sort-of upward trend the last few years with one (really) bad study abroad semester:
3.313
3.347
3.267
3.293
3.862
2.283
3.513
3.820

4 years as an RA in a Top 10 Med School Lab – 1 (hopefully soon 2) middle author publication

1 year as a residential counselor in a group home

ECs:
50 hours at an urban free clinic where I (alongside medical students) get to see patients
100 hours volunteer in ED in major hospital
30 hours at AIDS outreach and fundraising
25 hours in local trail/river conservation group
10 hours volunteer at a homeless shelter

Captaining and helping to organize adult rec sports teams (soccer, softball, Frisbee). We have become a big group. We also raise money and collect sports equipment for kids who couldn’t otherwise afford organized sport.

Shadowing:
28 hours with MD in a large primary care group
16 hours with Neurologists
16 hours with DO/family practice

I think I can interview well, but I am really starting to lose hope.

What do you think?
 
More clinical experiment.
Other Ec's are extremely good.
I think if you get a 30+ on the mcat and apply broadly you'll get in somewhere.
 
IMO, an MCAT of 34 with an upward trend in BCPM GPA would give you a shot at MD schools. An upper 20s MCAT should be enough to get an acceptance at DO programs. Don't give up; you're nearly there.

The research sounds outstanding. Your clinical experience and shadowing are fine. The nonmedical community service is nice to see, but more hours would be nice to see by submission time (unless there is a big (volunteer) time commitment to the sports group not described.. You have good leadership, and maybe even teaching/coaching though you didn't specify it. Perhaps you are a mentor in the group home.

Why are you losing hope? I think there's a good chance you'll be a physician some day from what you've presented.
 
A MCAT of 31-32+ is good enough.
 
Thanks for the advice and support. I'm working on getting more clinical hours now, but I'm not sure how much more I can do before I apply for 2015. I plan on applying very broadly to allo schools and to a few DO schools, but in terms of location of schools, my preference is MD.

I am still always a bit discouraged that my GPA is going to keep me out of the MD programs, but I don't want to spend the money or the time on any SMP prgrams. I'm just hoping I can rock the MCAT and get the opportunity to interview. I think I can show that I have grown and become more serious about medicine in the 4 years since college.

I think I need to remind myself that if I don't do really well on the MCAT this time around, I can just apply next year. I guess I should head over to the non-trad forum and have them tell me that in no way is 28 too old to start med school!
 
Catalystik said:
What happened that 2.28 semester?
Click to expand...


I went abroad and was unprepared for the language difficulties in class (I thought I spoke better German than I did!), and unprepared for all the studying when I just wanted to have fun in Europe.

While I was away, my school back home changed their study abroad policy form being pass/fail to being graded and included in GPA calculations. It was a tough thing to come home to.
 
adri88 said:
While I was away, my school back home changed their study abroad policy form being pass/fail to being graded and included in GPA calculations. It was a tough thing to come home to.
Click to expand...
Bummer. Did you appeal to the deans on this issue, since the change was ex post facto? Seems to me you'd have a good case for having the grades converted to P/F.
 
Catalystik said:
Bummer. Did you appeal to the deans on this issue, since the change was ex post facto? Seems to me you'd have a good case for having the grades converted to P/F.
Click to expand...

It was 5 years ago, unfortunately, and I can't take that many pass/fail credits and still have my diploma. I'm considering that one HUGE regret, and hoping that I get the opportunity to explain myself in an interview.
 
Avg MCAT is 30.9 for an accepted student. So 31 is essentially average
 
robflanker said:
Avg MCAT is 30.9 for an accepted student. So 31 is essentially average
Click to expand...

True for MD acceptances, however it is not average overall. Secondly the OP is also considering DO schools, so the average accepted MCAT is different in that case as well.
 
What do you mean is not the "avg overall"? Are you referencing the avg MCAT of non-accepted applicants and all applicants? If so, who cares about those numbers?
One would want to know how they stack up against those accepted, not those who didn't, and thus 31 is the avg MCAT score that matters for MD applicants.

And yes if the OP is considering DO then it is different, but seen as this is pre-allo WAMC then DO discussion becomes a little offtopic.
 
I know a girl with a 3.3 gpa and 32 MCAT and she got into an allopathic medical school. basically she knew the dean of admissions. but other than that, she's also a nice person.
 
ps. i have a 3.38 gpa and a 35 mcat
and i dont know any deans
i haven't been accepted yet
but i've just got my first interview invite
 
OP, I know several people with slightly higher GPAs and MCAT scores in the high 20s that got in. I would be willing to bet that any of these people that offered you advice do not sit on an admissions committee nor have they ever sat in on a meeting. Each person's situation is different and asking what your chances of getting into medical school are to a bunch of people who really don't know what they're talking about won't do much good for your sanity. Oh and I have very similar stats, applied late, and have been offered 2 interviews in the last 2 weeks to MD schools...and my MCAT isn't close to a 35+ like the people on this same forum have told me that I would need to get an interview somewhere.
 
Morsetlis said:
Below average GPA and average MCAT do not an acceptance make.
Click to expand...

Well I had multiple acceptances with those numbers (with very good EC's). The OP seems to have decent EC's and I think if he applied smart, he will make it.

By apply smart I mean

1) Early application/Secondaries
2) Well thought out personal statement and secondaries (demonstrating your strengths and goals).
3) Strong interview skills
4) Apply broadly 25+ Schools (if you have the money).
 
Catalystik said:
For DO schools, the average acceptee GPA is 3.45.
Click to expand...

Those stats are inflated by MD-bound applicants. I'm sure if you look at matriculants, it's much lower.

EDIT: I apologize if that comment came off mean, but I just mean to say that those numbers that schools post up can be deceiving.

To the OP, just study hard for MCATs. Do well. The higher the score, the easier it will be on you. If you do get 30-32, it is an upward battle, I'll tell you that. But it is possible....
 
The avg MCAT is a 31 so they accept a good portion of applicants in the upper 20s.


Also the median MCAT for matriculants in DO schools is a 26 in 2009.
 
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