Can I still go to medical school?

[The Last Reclaimer]

Hi All. I'll make this short and sweet. I finished undergrad in Dec 2019 with all the premed pre-reqs. I have 3500 clinical hours and a few other volunteer experiences. My GPA are 3.71 and sGPA 3.63. I plan to take the MCAT in May. I am worried the DO Schools will give me a hard time getting an acceptance since I have been out of school since Dec of 2019. What do you all think?

Edit: I am only applying DO and I don't think I can do a master's.
Edit 2: I have delays in applying due to previously having a lack of clinical hours but also dealing with financial hardship at home and helping my parents with that, and then last year my father received a terminal lung diagnosis. I have no idea how to explain this to a med school.

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[MateoGM416]

Yes, although you might need to do a masters program.

 

[Calizboosted76]

Im not sure that a masters would be necessary. You will have to explain the gap from undergrad to applying for medical school and hopefully there are some meaningful activities that went on from then to now. The main goal is to do well on the MCAT. We cant tell you if you can go to medical school without that pertinent info.

 

[Dr. Basketball]

Wait for your MCAT score. Get recent LORs. Do not do a masters program unless you like wasting time/money, if your MCAT is good enough I don't think you need one. Best of luck.

 

[The Last Reclaimer]

Yes, although you might need to do a masters program.

I have leftover debt from undergrad and really want to avoid this. Am I being unreasonable?

 

[The Last Reclaimer]

Im not sure that a masters would be necessary. You will have to explain the gap from undergrad to applying for medical school and hopefully there are some meaningful activities that went on from then to now. The main goal is to do well on the MCAT. We cant tell you if you can go to medical school without that pertinent info.

I edited my post with an explanation; I should've said that originally. I acquired two different healthcare experiences and I am helping my parents.

 

[Calizboosted76]

I edited my post with an explanation; I should've said that originally. I acquired two different healthcare experiences and I am helping my parents.

Come back when you have an MCAT score.

As far as the gap. I think you have decent reasoning for taking a few years and do not think it will be held against you. @Goro

 

[elitetexan]

I graduated in May of 2019. Took me four cycles to get in as I have a MCAT score of 500 for my third attempt. I worked full time in medicine as a scribe and now as a lab supervisor overseeing 16 urgent care labs, having around the same amount of hours as you. I volunteered at a dog rescue and shadowed physicians and I am now an accepted DO student starting this year. Study hard, get an MCAT score and write about your experiences and how they have fueled you passion to pursue medicine. Good luck Reclaimer, keep us updated!

 

[Goro]

Hi All. I'll make this short and sweet. I finished undergrad in Dec 2019 with all the premed pre-reqs. I have 3500 clinical hours and a few other volunteer experiences. My GPA are 3.71 and sGPA 3.63. I plan to take the MCAT in May. I am worried the DO Schools will give me a hard time getting an acceptance since I have been out of school since Dec of 2019. What do you all think?

No, they won't

Edit 2: I have delays in applying due to previously having a lack of clinical hours but also dealing with financial hardship at home and helping my parents with that, and then last year my father received a terminal lung diagnosis. I have no idea how to explain this to a med school.

You tell the truth. Very sorry to hear about your dad. This could easily be the subject of a greatest challenge essay.
You're fine! Just take the MCAT only where you're ready for it.

 

[agetroyaj]

Current student at an osteopathic school here! We have a ton of individuals in our class who are over the age of 30, have medicine as their second career, have been out of school for 7+ years, etc. As far as I know, many of them did not have to do a Masters program. During the application process, a lot of what matters is your personal story and how you got to the point where you are at in applying! The school will ask about your gap, but it will be from a POV of getting to know you as a person rather than as a critique.

I would say to focus killing it on the MCAT and apply with confidence. Work on having an answer for the "Why medicine?" question and how the gap that you took has shaped/delayed/progressed that passion for healthcare.

 

[dgdg]

Your gap time description (involving personal sacrifices) shows your response to sudden uncontrollable external forces in your life. You responded maturely and with devotion to your family. I think that says a lot about your character if you explain it properly.
I hope a medical school would look at a similar applicant with the proper grades and credentials and say, "Well, he/she has already been tested in life and did the right thing. That is going to predict a successful medical career, and someone I'd want to care for me. We need them here - Accepted."

 

[The Last Reclaimer]

A sincere thanks to everyone's replies. I wanted to ask one final question. When is the cut-off for "on time" and "late" for osteopathic medical schools? I Hear its October, if that correct?

 

[Calizboosted76]

A sincere thanks to everyone's replies. I wanted to ask one final question. When is the cut-off for "on time" and "late" for osteopathic medical schools? I Hear its October, if that correct?

I believe late is considered December. There is a lot more leniency with DO applications. I added a school in November, got an interview couple days later.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Hi All. I'll make this short and sweet. I finished undergrad in Dec 2019 with all the premed pre-reqs. I have 3500 clinical hours and a few other volunteer experiences. My GPA are 3.71 and sGPA 3.63. I plan to take the MCAT in May. I am worried the DO Schools will give me a hard time getting an acceptance since I have been out of school since Dec of 2019. What do you all think?

Edit: I am only applying DO and I don't think I can do a master's.
Edit 2: I have delays in applying due to previously having a lack of clinical hours but also dealing with financial hardship at home and helping my parents with that, and then last year my father received a terminal lung diagnosis. I have no idea how to explain this to a med school.

Your explanations seem fine, and having dealt with a family member having a terminal diagnosis, I would suspect will make you a better physician. I don't think you need any masters degree. You just need a solid score >502. You should be fine for most schools

 

[Goro]

A sincere thanks to everyone's replies. I wanted to ask one final question. When is the cut-off for "on time" and "late" for osteopathic medical schools? I Hear its October, if that correct?

December