MD Colorado GPA 3.72, MCAT 498, I plan on applying June 2016

[cfpope]

1. cGPA 3.72
   1. GPA changes from Freshman to Senior year
   2. 3.18, 2.94, 3.08, 3.34, 3.51, 3.59, 3.62, 3.64, 3.64, 3.69, 3.72
2. sGPA 3.83

MCAT score(s) and breakdown

1. 498
2. Biology 128, Chemistry/Physics 124, Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills 123, Social Sciences 123
3. Will be retaking July 22nd
4. How long are medical schools willing to wait for a new score before your chances of acceptance are significantly decreased?? ​

State of residence

1. Colorado

Ethnicity and/or race

1. White

Undergraduate institution or category

1. Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado

Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)

1. 1 year paid-employment 40 hours a week as a qualified medication administration personnel and a caregiver, involves A LOT of patient contact, interactions with family members, nurses, communication with physicans about their patients, dealing with pharmacies, lots of charting, carrying out physician orders, ensuring that the medication cart and charts are up to state standards.
2. 3.5 years working in a nursing home as a dietary aid (not exactly clinical experience but it was a paying job and I saw how nurses operated on a day to day basis, and interacted with the residents)
3. 1 year volunteering at a hospital, about 80+ hours but I need to get in contact with the volunteer coordinator to confirm the exact amount of hours.
4. About 1 day volunteering at an assisted living home

Research experience and productivity

1. Comparative analysis of fusion rates and incidence of subsidence in patients who received either Osteocel® or Infuse® rhBMP2 one year after undergoing XLIF®
   Abstract submitted to the Society of Lateral Access Surgery and I am currently writing the manuscript to be published, hopefully. 256 hours spent at this internship, about 40 hours or less spent on this project.

1. Characterization of a Novel Fungal Species Found on Resident Bats in Colorado; is Pseudogymnoascus destructans here? - Funded by Fort Lewis College. 136 hours was put into this project over the course of a year. It has been submitted for review to be published.

1. Alleviation of Pulmonary Inflammation due to Cigarette Smoke- A Reason to Eat Your Broccoli: Funded by the FOCUSSS grant through Fort Lewis College. Performed over 6 weeks at 8hrs a day during my sophomore year.

Shadowing experience and specialties represented

1. I have shadowed 2 MDs that specialize in physiatry for 15 hours, observed 2 surgeons that specialize in orthopedics, mostly the spine, for 5 hours, and shadowed 3 PA's for 5 hours each in the field of orthopedics.
2. Total shadowing hours: 35 hours

Non-clinical volunteering

1. Cleaning up the local river in my hometown for a day

Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)

1. Scholarship committee member
2. Tutoring Biology and Chemistry for 15 months
3. TA for Genetics and Cellular/Molecular Biology for 8 months
4. Shift supervisor at a student success center on campus
5. Member of a pre-health club and a chemistry club on campus
6. I will be starting as an Academic Services Coordinator at Fort Lewis College for a student success center (would this look good to medical schools? I would be leaving my full time job at the assisted living home, perhaps working weekends there still while I did this...)

Relevant honors or awards

1. Dean's list 5 times
2. Graduated with Cum Laude

Schools List:

1. University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus (1stchoice)
2. University of Washington School of Medicine (2nd Choice)
3. Oregon Health & Science University (3rdChoice)
4. University of Utah School of Medicine
5. University of California, Irvine School of Medicine
6. University of California, Davis School of Medicine
7. University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
8. Stanford University School of Medicine
9. University of Michigan--Ann Arbor Medical School
10. University of Minnesota School of Medicine

​

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[Whyamionhere]

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[gyngyn]

I cannot recommend an application with your current MCAT.
Do not rush the re-take hoping for an application in this cycle. Take all the time you need to address the deficiencies that led to the first score.
Two weak scores are far worse than one.
Even if you have a much improved score, your application will be considered complete and screened out at many places.

 

[cfpope]

I cannot recommend an application with your current MCAT.
Do not rush the re-take hoping for an application in this cycle. Take all the time you need to address the deficiencies that led to the first score.
Two weak scores are far worse than one.
Even if you have a much improved score, your application will be considered complete and screened out at many places.

Would it be beneficial to put off submitting my application until after I take the MCAT again and get my scores? Or would you recommend waiting a year?

 

[gyngyn]

Would it be beneficial to put off submitting my application until after I take the MCAT again and get my scores? Or would you recommend waiting a year?

It's hard to imagine a situation in which you will have a strong application this year. Focus on the MCAT. Get a score consistent with success on the next try. Do not take it unless you are confident that it will be much better than the first. Schools see every score. You can't afford increasing by only a point or two!

 

[tantacles]

Would it be beneficial to put off submitting my application until after I take the MCAT again and get my scores? Or would you recommend waiting a year?

I would strongly recommend waiting a year. You COULD submit, but if the MCAT goes poorly, and based on your previous experience it might, you'll be in a poor position. Take the MCAT in July, see how you do, get more experience, reassess, and try to apply again in a year. It's just a year.

 

[cfpope]

It's hard to imagine a situation in which you will have a strong application this year. Focus on the MCAT. Get a score consistent with success on the next try. Do not take it unless you are confident that it will be much better than the first. Schools see every score. You can't afford increasing by only a point or two!

I would strongly recommend waiting a year. You COULD submit, but if the MCAT goes poorly, and based on your previous experience it might, you'll be in a poor position. Take the MCAT in July, see how you do, get more experience, reassess, and try to apply again in a year. It's just a year.

Thank you for your feedback! I would rather take my time with the MCAT the second time around, my only other concern is getting the letters of recommendation a year from now. Is it appropriate to ask my letter writers to write a letter and hold onto it for next year's cycle?

 

[tantacles]

Thank you for your feedback! I would rather take my time with the MCAT the second time around, my only other concern is getting the letters of recommendation a year from now. Is it appropriate to ask my letter writers to write a letter and hold onto it for next year's cycle?

Yes. Also, if your school has a pre-med committee, they will hold on to the letters for you. If your school doesn't, tell your letter writers that you want to be absolutely certain that you get in the first time you apply and that they should hold on to the letters for you.

 

[cfpope]

Yes. Also, if your school has a pre-med committee, they will hold on to the letters for you. If your school doesn't, tell your letter writers that you want to be absolutely certain that you get in the first time you apply and that they should hold on to the letters for you.

Great, good to know! That is really the only reason I felt so rushed. Thank you so much!

 

[Wjldenver]

1. cGPA 3.72
   1. GPA changes from Freshman to Senior year
   2. 3.18, 2.94, 3.08, 3.34, 3.51, 3.59, 3.62, 3.64, 3.64, 3.69, 3.72
2. sGPA 3.83

MCAT score(s) and breakdown

1. 498
2. Biology 128, Chemistry/Physics 124, Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills 123, Social Sciences 123
3. Will be retaking July 22nd
4. How long are medical schools willing to wait for a new score before your chances of acceptance are significantly decreased?? ​

State of residence

1. Colorado

Ethnicity and/or race

1. White

Undergraduate institution or category

1. Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado

Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)

1. 1 year paid-employment 40 hours a week as a qualified medication administration personnel and a caregiver, involves A LOT of patient contact, interactions with family members, nurses, communication with physicans about their patients, dealing with pharmacies, lots of charting, carrying out physician orders, ensuring that the medication cart and charts are up to state standards.
2. 3.5 years working in a nursing home as a dietary aid (not exactly clinical experience but it was a paying job and I saw how nurses operated on a day to day basis, and interacted with the residents)
3. 1 year volunteering at a hospital, about 80+ hours but I need to get in contact with the volunteer coordinator to confirm the exact amount of hours.
4. About 1 day volunteering at an assisted living home

Research experience and productivity

1. Comparative analysis of fusion rates and incidence of subsidence in patients who received either Osteocel® or Infuse® rhBMP2 one year after undergoing XLIF®
   Abstract submitted to the Society of Lateral Access Surgery and I am currently writing the manuscript to be published, hopefully. 256 hours spent at this internship, about 40 hours or less spent on this project.

1. Characterization of a Novel Fungal Species Found on Resident Bats in Colorado; is Pseudogymnoascus destructans here? - Funded by Fort Lewis College. 136 hours was put into this project over the course of a year. It has been submitted for review to be published.

1. Alleviation of Pulmonary Inflammation due to Cigarette Smoke- A Reason to Eat Your Broccoli: Funded by the FOCUSSS grant through Fort Lewis College. Performed over 6 weeks at 8hrs a day during my sophomore year.

Shadowing experience and specialties represented

1. I have shadowed 2 MDs that specialize in physiatry for 15 hours, observed 2 surgeons that specialize in orthopedics, mostly the spine, for 5 hours, and shadowed 3 PA's for 5 hours each in the field of orthopedics.
2. Total shadowing hours: 35 hours

Non-clinical volunteering

1. Cleaning up the local river in my hometown for a day

Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)

1. Scholarship committee member
2. Tutoring Biology and Chemistry for 15 months
3. TA for Genetics and Cellular/Molecular Biology for 8 months
4. Shift supervisor at a student success center on campus
5. Member of a pre-health club and a chemistry club on campus
6. I will be starting as an Academic Services Coordinator at Fort Lewis College for a student success center (would this look good to medical schools? I would be leaving my full time job at the assisted living home, perhaps working weekends there still while I did this...)

Relevant honors or awards

1. Dean's list 5 times
2. Graduated with Cum Laude

Schools List:

1. 
   
   
   • University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus (1stchoice)
   • University of Washington School of Medicine (2nd Choice)
   • Oregon Health & Science University (3rdChoice)
   • University of Utah School of Medicine
   • University of California, Irvine School of Medicine
   • University of California, Davis School of Medicine
   • University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
   • Stanford University School of Medicine
   • University of Michigan--Ann Arbor Medical School
   • University of Minnesota School of Medicine

CF...Getting into a top tier MD program is very competitive and I recommend a gap year to take a review class and really focus upon MCAT prep. Here are the latest admission stats for UC Anschutz:

Admissions and Enrollment
7114 Applicants and 316 Accepted.
Average MCAT 511 (33 on the old scale.)

So you have a lot of ground to make up on the MCAT. Focus on it, practice like mad, and you will have a shot.

 

[cfpope]

CF...Getting into a top tier MD program is very competitive and I recommend a gap year to take a review class and really focus upon MCAT prep. Here are the latest admission stats for UC Anschutz:

Admissions and Enrollment
7114 Applicants and 316 Accepted.
Average MCAT 511 (33 on the old scale.)

So you have a lot of ground to make up on the MCAT. Focus on it, practice like mad, and you will have a shot.

Most definitely. My problem on the last MCAT I took was that I just didn't study as much as I should have (almost not at all), never took one practice test except a diagnostic, and kept changing the date in hopes it would give me more time, but eventually I just decided to take it and see how I did. I'm honestly confident that I can do really well if I just put the time and effort into it. A part of me was hoping there was still time for this application cycle, but I am really glad I asked for some opinions because it probably saved me a lot of money and hours.

 

[triplejtwo]

1. cGPA 3.72
   1. GPA changes from Freshman to Senior year
   2. 3.18, 2.94, 3.08, 3.34, 3.51, 3.59, 3.62, 3.64, 3.64, 3.69, 3.72
2. sGPA 3.83

MCAT score(s) and breakdown

1. 498
2. Biology 128, Chemistry/Physics 124, Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills 123, Social Sciences 123
3. Will be retaking July 22nd
4. How long are medical schools willing to wait for a new score before your chances of acceptance are significantly decreased?? ​

State of residence

1. Colorado

Ethnicity and/or race

1. White

Undergraduate institution or category

1. Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado

Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)

1. 1 year paid-employment 40 hours a week as a qualified medication administration personnel and a caregiver, involves A LOT of patient contact, interactions with family members, nurses, communication with physicans about their patients, dealing with pharmacies, lots of charting, carrying out physician orders, ensuring that the medication cart and charts are up to state standards.
2. 3.5 years working in a nursing home as a dietary aid (not exactly clinical experience but it was a paying job and I saw how nurses operated on a day to day basis, and interacted with the residents)
3. 1 year volunteering at a hospital, about 80+ hours but I need to get in contact with the volunteer coordinator to confirm the exact amount of hours.
4. About 1 day volunteering at an assisted living home

Research experience and productivity

1. Comparative analysis of fusion rates and incidence of subsidence in patients who received either Osteocel® or Infuse® rhBMP2 one year after undergoing XLIF®
   Abstract submitted to the Society of Lateral Access Surgery and I am currently writing the manuscript to be published, hopefully. 256 hours spent at this internship, about 40 hours or less spent on this project.

1. Characterization of a Novel Fungal Species Found on Resident Bats in Colorado; is Pseudogymnoascus destructans here? - Funded by Fort Lewis College. 136 hours was put into this project over the course of a year. It has been submitted for review to be published.

1. Alleviation of Pulmonary Inflammation due to Cigarette Smoke- A Reason to Eat Your Broccoli: Funded by the FOCUSSS grant through Fort Lewis College. Performed over 6 weeks at 8hrs a day during my sophomore year.

Shadowing experience and specialties represented

1. I have shadowed 2 MDs that specialize in physiatry for 15 hours, observed 2 surgeons that specialize in orthopedics, mostly the spine, for 5 hours, and shadowed 3 PA's for 5 hours each in the field of orthopedics.
2. Total shadowing hours: 35 hours

Non-clinical volunteering

1. Cleaning up the local river in my hometown for a day

Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)

1. Scholarship committee member
2. Tutoring Biology and Chemistry for 15 months
3. TA for Genetics and Cellular/Molecular Biology for 8 months
4. Shift supervisor at a student success center on campus
5. Member of a pre-health club and a chemistry club on campus
6. I will be starting as an Academic Services Coordinator at Fort Lewis College for a student success center (would this look good to medical schools? I would be leaving my full time job at the assisted living home, perhaps working weekends there still while I did this...)

Relevant honors or awards

1. Dean's list 5 times
2. Graduated with Cum Laude

Schools List:

1. 
   
   
   • University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus (1stchoice)
   • University of Washington School of Medicine (2nd Choice)
   • Oregon Health & Science University (3rdChoice)
   • University of Utah School of Medicine
   • University of California, Irvine School of Medicine
   • University of California, Davis School of Medicine
   • University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
   • Stanford University School of Medicine
   • University of Michigan--Ann Arbor Medical School
   • University of Minnesota School of Medicine

How is your cGPA a 3.72, math doesn't add up

 

[Scrubs101]

How is your cGPA a 3.72, math doesn't add up

I think OP did a chronological order of his/her cGPA(notice how it went up ever so slowly near the end but fast in the beginning). That's at least what I'm taking from it, not sure though


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[Lawpy]

How is your cGPA a 3.72, math doesn't add up

I think OP did a chronological order of his/her cGPA(notice how it went up ever so slowly near the end but fast in the beginning). That's at least what I'm taking from it, not sure though


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

@cfpope please calculate your cGPA and sGPA using the following spreadsheet and get back to us with the right numbers.

 

[DocMom93]

Deleted.

 

[gyngyn]

I'm sitting here with my daughter and we have this similar problem. 3.89 GPA unweighted and 3.95 sGPA from Boston University with stellar leadership/awards/internships. She is an athlete and tore her ACL her freshman year and then again her senior year on the court. She had two reconstructive surgeries during the semester. The last one was in October and she is still in physical therapy.

She took the MCAT in May and got a 498. What are her choices? We were looking at DO's, Caribbean MD's and taking the MCAT again early August for this cycle. Any thoughts? We really need help.

This looks like it needs its own thread (in the first person).

 

[medschoolplease123]

@cfpope please calculate your cGPA and sGPA using the following spreadsheet and get back to us with the right numbers.

spreadsheet does anyone know how reliable this spreadsheet is? I entered in everything correctly, but both my cGPA and sGPA are a bit lower based off of the spreadsheet compared to what I calculated. Even on my final transcript my cGPA is higher than the one that the spreadsheet is displaying... *kinda freaking out* haha

 

[Lawpy]

spreadsheet does anyone know how reliable this spreadsheet is? I entered in everything correctly, but both my cGPA and sGPA are a bit lower based off of the spreadsheet compared to what I calculated. Even on my final transcript my cGPA is higher than the one that the spreadsheet is displaying... *kinda freaking out* haha

The spreadsheet (which i got from a sticky thread in the WAMC forums) is based on the AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide. This is what you should be following since AMCAS GPA is taken into account by medical schools.

Which GPA should you use? The GPA used in the graphs below is total undergraduate GPA. You may use this spreadsheet to calculate your GPA. For official information on how your GPA is calculated, look at the following AMCAS resource. Your AMCAS GPA may be different from your school's calculation.

Which MCAT should you use? The MCAT score represented in the AAMC data is for the most recent score for each applicant. Keep in mind that each medical school may have their own policy on how they view multiple test scores.

What percentages are displayed? The percentages displayed in this thread are the percent of applicants with one or more acceptance at a U.S. allopathic (M.D.) school. The historical acceptance percentage also varies depending on ethnicity/race. Those percentages are displayed in later posts. Also, note that this percentage is only based on two data points-- cGPA and MCAT. A variety of other factors go into each admissions decision, so this percentage should not be taken to mean "your chance at acceptance."

 

[medschoolplease123]

The spreadsheet (which i got from a sticky thread in the WAMC forums) is based on the AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide. This is what you should be following since AMCAS GPA is taken into account by medical schools.

Dang okay. Yeah hmm. hopefully the official GPA that AMCAS gives me will be a bit higher than the one I calculated since we don't know exactly what they may or may not change in my course entry classifications.

 

[medschoolplease123]

for those of you using the spreadsheet, just note that the "S" or "SH" on your transcripts that you enter (if you have any, from say research or independent study or senior thesis) that lowers your GPA during the spreadsheet calculations. I pray that AAMC does NOT penalize you for having SH or S on your transcripts which would lower your GPA such as when you enter the S or SH in the spreadsheet. Can anyone attest to this? @gonnif @Goro @Faha @AnatomyGrey12 @lnguyen1412

 

[medschoolplease123]

Does that include satisfactory and unsatisfactory grades? even though I didn't technically receive a "traditional" grade (i.e. A/B/C...)

for purposes of AMCAS calculations, all courses with grades are treated equally in calculations, separated only by BCPM or AO

 

[medschoolplease123]

Because that would actually hurt my grades if you base it off of the spreadsheet, because the S/SH on my transcript when entered on the spreadsheet lowers my GPA than when it is not there.

for purposes of AMCAS calculations, all courses with grades are treated equally in calculations, separated only by BCPM or AO

 

[lnguyen1412]

@medschoolplease123 I think I have the calculator. Just need to change math to science because AAMC defines it as sciences. For AACOMAS, it does not.

I believe this calculator give me the closest one when AACOMAS verified my apps, like 0.01 changes.

 

[medschoolplease123]

Phew! That is definitely going to make my mind at ease! Thank you very much! I couldn't seem to find that info on the AAMC website

@medschoolplease123 I think I have the calculator. Just need to change math to science because AAMC defines it as sciences. For AACOMAS, it does not.

I believe this calculator give me the closest one when AACOMAS verified my apps, like 0.01 changes.

Did you have any S/U grades on your transcript that you either did or did not enter into that spreadsheet you just gave me? And did that affect your DO cGPA/sGPA? Also would you guys consider an EMT considered as a sGPA I mean what more is science GPA than an EMT class haha but then again it doesn't fit with the "traditional" bio/chem/phys for DO or the bio/chem/phys/math for MD. Thoughts?

 

[lnguyen1412]

Phew! That is definitely going to make my mind at ease! Thank you very much! I couldn't seem to find that info on the AAMC website


Did you have any S/U grades on your transcript that you either did or did not enter into that spreadsheet you just gave me? And did that affect your DO cGPA/sGPA? Also would you guys consider an EMT considered as a sGPA I mean what more is science GPA than an EMT class haha but then again it doesn't fit with the "traditional" bio/chem/phys for DO or the bio/chem/phys/math for MD. Thoughts?

The S/U will not affected your transcript in my calculator. In AACOMAS it does not affected your calculation GPA as well.
I have no knowledge on the EMT courses.