Can I get in?

[moe_eves]

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[Faha]

If you score greater than 505 on the MCAT you would be competitive for most DO schools. A 508 would be competitive for some MD schools. Buy the MSAR and decide which schools are appropriate for you. Apply in June and apply broadly.

 

[Goro]

Can you get in? Yes, with a strategically thought out list.

Come back when you have your MCAT score.

I have a 3.882 cGPA and a 3.858 sGPA; 508 MCAT score (on a practice test, haven't actually taken the real MCAT yet). I go to a small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania. For the first 2.5 years of my undergrad, I was enrolled in a 5-year BS/MS physician assistant program but I had a change of heart and decided to take the extra steps to become a physician so I switched to a neuroscience major. One of the requirements of the PA program was that I have 500+ direct patient care hours, which I completed by working as a CNA in a hospital.

The major blemish on my application would be a summary offense for a disorderly conduct that I received a little over 2 years ago for being under the influence of marijuana. It was an extreme lapse in judgement and I was not currently working in healthcare at the time so I knew I wouldn't be drug tested so I decided to smoke some pot with a friend and we got busted. Bottom line is, the cop wrote us tickets for disorderly conduct (just summary offenses, NOT misdemeanors or felonies). The cop never wrote anything specifically about marijuana on our tickets, but I don't want to give any misleading information. Regardless, this will probably show up on a background check and I want to upfront and honest about what happened with any and all schools if they ask. Do I still have a shot at getting in anywhere? I would not care if it was a DO or MD school, just preferably not a Caribbean school. Thanks for any input!

 

[moe_eves]

Given that my offense was not a misdemeanor or felony (just a violation), can I check "no" when filling out the primary AMCAS application which asks if I have ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony? I know that this will show up in a criminal background check, but it technically is not a felony or misdemeanor. I'm just worried that it could come back to bite me in the long run if I don't disclose it; at the same time, I wouldn't want to give any unnecessary information that could potentially disqualify me from certain programs. Will this offense show up on a Certiphi background check? I'm pretty sure I can't see my own Certiphi until I submit my primary app. Thanks for the info so far, I really appreciate it!