MD & DO Classic "What are my chances" question!

[shmorgborg]

Hi SDN community! I've been rummaging through posts for a year or so now but found it is about time for me to ask the dreaded question myself.

Senior (May '16 grad) undergrad about to obtain BS (Neurobiology/Physiology) taking at least 2 gap years, matriculating Fall 2018 if possible.
cGPA: 3.15 (improvement senior year, rough junior year)
sGPA: 3.0
MCAT: not taken (intended Apr'17) nor studied for yet, but practice tests say baseline 505 so shooting for at least 515.
Leadership: Resident Assistant for two years with RA of the year award, executive board of organization on campus for two years and recently organized a benefits concert raising money for Syrian refugees, learning assistant (essentially a TA) for an introductory biology course for 3 semesters.
Local volunteering: soup kitchen (~20 hrs) and assisted living home a few years back for ~60 hrs.
Other volunteering: public health trip to Ethiopia for a month working with a community on the food insecurity issues they face.
Clinical: Well known clinical research lab in DC for 300+ hours seeing patients and helping with research, shadowed trauma bay four nights or 32 hours, shadowed sports medicine MD along with DO fellow for 320 hours, volunteered in pathology lab in high school for 120 hours (relevance anymore?)
Extracurriculars: club tennis, university band ensemble every semester, self-employed piano teacher

After I graduate: Clinical Information Manager (scribe) in emergency department for at least 1 year.
Pre-health advisor recommended right away going for a post-bacc grade enhancement program.
My questions:
-Can I get into MD/DO schools with the above situation? (I am genuinely interested in DO as well)*If not then:
-I was considering simultaneously applying to the schools as well as post-bacc programs in case I do not receive interviews (pricey, I know) but is this a reasonable idea?
-Is a grade-enhancing postbacc really my best choice, or should I go for an SMP? I have been told these can show your ability to handle a higher level course load as long as you do well, as opposed to simply improving your undergraduate GPA (unless that's really what I need to do here)
-Should I take a class or two at a state university while I am scribing, and if so, should it be an undergraduate class or a graduate class? My alma mater is out of state, unfortunately.

Much obliged in advance.

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[Optimist Prime]

you'll probably need a SMP for MD, but with a semester or two of retaking classes you did poorly in you would be fine to apply for DO schools. Also while doing this you should work on getting more clinical and non clinical volunteering.

 

[shmorgborg]

you'll probably need a SMP for MD, but with a semester or two of retaking classes you did poorly in you would be fine to apply for DO schools. Also while doing this you should work on getting more clinical and non clinical volunteering.

Hi Optimist Prime! Thanks for your feedback. I know for sure I'm trying to get more non-clinical volunteering hours. Is a combined 600+ clinical hours really not enough? Those are all voluntary hours and only half are actually shadowing doctors.
I would not be able to take courses at the same school, so would retaking the same courses at a different university really be worthwhile just to average out the two grades or should I take higher level undergraduate courses there instead? I could also take graduate courses potentially, as far as I know, without being degree-seeking. I'm wondering if it's better to try to improve what's already there i.e. baccalaureate, or to prove that I can do well period with challenging courses i.e. graduate level.

 

[gyngyn]

I would not be able to take courses at the same school, so would retaking the same courses at a different university really be worthwhile just to average out the two grades or should I take higher level undergraduate courses there instead? I could also take graduate courses potentially, as far as I know, without being degree-seeking. I'm wondering if it's better to try to improve what's already there i.e. baccalaureate, or to prove that I can do well period with challenging courses i.e. graduate level.

DO schools remove the old grade and replace it with the new one (retaken at any school). That makes them a better choice for many low gpa applicants.

 

[Optimist Prime]

Hi Optimist Prime! Thanks for your feedback. I know for sure I'm trying to get more non-clinical volunteering hours. Is a combined 600+ clinical hours really not enough? Those are all voluntary hours and only half are actually shadowing doctors.
I would not be able to take courses at the same school, so would retaking the same courses at a different university really be worthwhile just to average out the two grades or should I take higher level undergraduate courses there instead? I could also take graduate courses potentially, as far as I know, without being degree-seeking. I'm wondering if it's better to try to improve what's already there i.e. baccalaureate, or to prove that I can do well period with challenging courses i.e. graduate level.

I said clinical volunteering also because in your post it appears that you are including research. Theres a difference between research involving patients, and straight up clinical volunteering.

 

[shmorgborg]

I said clinical volunteering also because in your post it appears that you are including research. Theres a difference between research involving patients, and straight up clinical volunteering.

Ah, okay. That makes sense. Well, to clarify, I simply assist with the research very minimally. Objectively it is mostly clinical volunteering. 60/40, 70/30 maybe. It's a unique position that provides me a variety of experiences so it's a bit difficult to quantify in just one category.