Chance Me (MD)

[xsv borden]

I was wondering what you guys think my chances of acceptance into medical school are?
I am applying to most schools in texas. I am a biology major with a minor in chemistry.

GPA: 3.42
MCAT: 503 (only taken once)

Other factors:
* Science tutor for nearly a year
- worked with first generation students and those on academic probation
* Research assistant
-worked on antipyschotic medication study in collaboration with the obesity research cluster
- presented research at Experimental Biology conference
-worked on an NIH-funded Alzheimer's study
* Served as an Undergraduate Teaching assistant
* Participated in a medical mission to the country of Panama

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[xsv borden]

I also need to add that freshman year I received a marijuana paraphernalia citation. Dropped down to a class C misdemeanor.

 

[all things possible]

Are you URM?

 

[xsv borden]

Sorry, what is URM?

 

[Toutie]

Sorry, what is URM?

Under Represented in Medicine. Primarily black, Mexican, American Indian, and often Puerto Rican.

 

[xsv borden]

Yes. Hispanic male.

 

[all things possible]

Yes. Hispanic male.

What kind of Hispanic?

 

[Toutie]

Yes. Hispanic male.

Are you fluent in Spanish? And do you have service to the community?

 

[xsv borden]

I identify with Mexican/Latino, if that helps.

And I have one major community service project where we set up a 3-day clinic to serve the indigenous people of Panama, and we also built infrastructure there in communities that needed latrines (bathrooms). I also have a little community service from tutoring 1st-generation students.

I am not fluent in Spanish though.

 

[Toutie]

I identify with Mexican/Latino, if that helps.

And I have one major community service project where we set up a 3-day clinic to serve the indigenous people of Panama, and we also built infrastructure there in communities that needed latrines (bathrooms). I also have a little community service from tutoring 1st-generation students.

I am not fluent in Spanish though.

Your application would benefit MUCH more from community service to people in need here in the US than those in another country.

 

[xsv borden]

Your application would benefit MUCH more from community service to people in need here in the US than those in another country.

Thanks for your input thus far.

I want to add a few things for you to have a fuller picture.

1.) I have ~800 research hours
2.) ~500 tutoring hours
3.) about 80 shadowing hours
4.) Total community service hours total around 60 hours (had to focus on making money to pay rent mostly)

without adding any extra community service, how would you gauge my outlook for admission?

 

[Toutie]

Thanks for your input thus far.

I want to add a few things for you to have a fuller picture.

1.) I have ~800 research hours
2.) ~500 tutoring hours
3.) about 80 shadowing hours
4.) Total community service hours total around 60 hours (had to focus on making money to pay rent mostly)

without adding any extra community service, how would you gauge my outlook for admission?

Do you have any clinical experience? Either volunteer or paid?

 

[xsv borden]

My clinical experience consists of shadowing one anesthesiologist for 30 hours in one week,
and the experience in the pharmacy and shadowing doctors during the 3-day Panama clinic totals about 20 hours.
Both were unpaid. Panama was volunteer.

 

[Toutie]

My clinical experience consists of shadowing one anesthesiologist for 30 hours in one week,
and the experience in the pharmacy and shadowing doctors during the 3-day Panama clinic totals about 20 hours.
Both were unpaid. Panama was volunteer.

With technically no clinical experience at all, I would say your chances are very low. Were you planning on applying this year? If so, I would highly suggest you wait until next year, otherwise you will very likely end up being a re-applicant.

Get some clinical experience in this year...at least 100-150 hours...200+ would be even better.

And, are you open to applying to DO schools? You're GPA is just 'okay', and your MCAT is quite low for MD.

 

[xsv borden]

With technically no clinical experience at all, I would say your chances are very low. Were you planning on applying this year? If so, I would highly suggest you wait until next year, otherwise you will very likely end up being a re-applicant.

Get some clinical experience in this year...at least 100-150 hours...200+ would be even better.

And, are you open to applying to DO schools? You're GPA is just 'okay', and your MCAT is quite low for MD.

I was planning on applying this cycle but I was going back and forth. Thank you for your advice; you are definitely reinforcing my initial doubts after reviewing my application haha:/

My future activities is going to consist of getting a job at a hospital.
Will this boost my application or does it need to be realized (as in not future planned)?

Second question: does being a re-applicant have negative consequences?

 

[Toutie]

I was planning on applying this cycle but I was going back and forth. Thank you for your advice; you are definitely reinforcing my initial doubts after reviewing my application haha:/

My future activities is going to consist of getting a job at a hospital.
Will this boost my application or does it need to be realized (as in not future planned)?

Second question: does being a re-applicant have negative consequences?

Clinical experience would serve you much better if it were actually on your application as opposed to listed as "planned in the future".
Being a re-applicant is a negative. While it is certainly not an insurmountable negative, you would be best served to apply only once with your best possible application.

Let me tag @Faha and @gyngyn on this thread for their insight on this thread.

 

[xsv borden]

Clinical experience would serve you much better if it were actually on your application as opposed to listed as "planned in the future".
Being a re-applicant is a negative. While it is certainly not an insurmountable negative, you would be best served to apply only once with your best possible application.

Let me tag @Faha and @gyngyn on this thread for their insight on this thread.

Thank you so much for your input. I can't tell you how much this helps! I have so many questions. I'm first generation and first ever to aim for a medical career in my family.

1.) If I were to get the clinical experience before applying, would I also need to retake my MCAT for MD? or is that risky?
2.) Also, now that I'm seriously questioning applying this cycle, what do I do about letters of evaluation from the people that agreed to write one already?
Is it a thing to request they post-pone sending it in for a year?

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence?

 

[xsv borden]

Where is your state of residence?

I'm located in Texas.

 

[Faha]

You can apply to your Texas MD schools. Your chances would be higher if you were fluent in Spanish so maybe that it something you can work on. Also apply to at least 10 DO schools and you have TCOM and UIWSOM in Texas. Other DO schools to consider include:
ACOM
ARCOM
NYIT-Arkansas
BCOM
RVU-Utah
ATSU-SOMA
VCOM (all 3 schools)

 

[candbgirl]

The problem with listing future stuff is that many times life intervenes and it never gets done. And that's not good. And your Panama experience isn't looked upon positively with many ADCOMS so get experience right here in the USA. Really think about putting off your application for a year. As to the MCAT retake it's a tough call. You don't want to have a drop in your score. And it's hard to increase your score enough to make a difference. A couple of points isn't going to help you out. You have a lower GPA for MD. You should focus on DO.


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[xsv borden]

You can apply to your Texas MD schools. Your chances would be higher if you were fluent in Spanish so maybe that it something you can work on. Also apply to at least 10 DO schools and you have TCOM and UIWSOM in Texas. Other DO schools to consider include:
ACOM
ARCOM
NYIT-Arkansas
BCOM
RVU-Utah
ATSU-SOMA
VCOM (all 3 schools)

I see. Thank you guys for all your help. You guys are most definitely helping me get a better picture.

But here's where I'm at now. I'm thinking (based on what you guys hinted at) I would have decent chances for acceptance into DO school.
But with some added clinical experience I could apply to MD school next cycle.
However, I have not yet submitted even the TMDSAS. Thus, I feel behind and this could hinder my odds.
So is it reasonable to postpone my application until next cycle so I can add clinical hours and attempt a faster submission???

 

[xsv borden]

I see. Thank you guys for all your help. You guys are most definitely helping me get a better picture.

But here's where I'm at now. I'm thinking (based on what you guys hinted at) I would have decent chances for acceptance into DO school.
But with some added clinical experience I could apply to MD school next cycle.
However, I have not yet submitted even the TMDSAS. Thus, I feel behind and this could hinder my odds.
So is it reasonable to postpone my application until next cycle so I can add clinical hours and attempt a faster submission???

I forgot to mention I have to very strong letters of evaluation and all the employment positions I've held (tutoring, research, and undergraduate TA) are leadership roles. Does this in any way
help balance out a low GPA for MD school?

 

[Faha]

Yes, adding clinical hours and submitting next June is a good strategy. You could also become fluent in Spanish in the coming year.

 

[xsv borden]

Yes, adding clinical hours and submitting next June is a good strategy. You could also become fluent in Spanish in the coming year.

Probably the route I'm going to focus on. I do have one last question though. As far as letters of evaluation that were already agreed upon, how do I go about securing those same letters for next cycle?

 

[Faha]

Probably the route I'm going to focus on. I do have one last question though. As far as letters of evaluation that were already agreed upon, how do I go about securing those same letters for next cycle?

I assume you can use the same letters but check with your school's policy.