D1 Athlete, non-traditional, GPA (meh) What are my chances of getting in?

[SS045]

I have been reading a few threads in all the forums posted here and I was hoping some of you could give me some indication of how I will do once I apply to schools and maybe what schools I should look into.
So here's my story

-Grew up with my mother in Guatemala while she was doing medical missions around Guatemala city. Spent most of my teens in a hospital volunteering and translating for patients and doctors.

-D1 volleyball player, Did not take my first two years of academics seriously (not even a little bit). I transferred schools to play and finally put in some effort! I graduated with my degree in psychology with a 3.8 GPA.

-After graduation I realized I wanted to continue working in healthcare but I felt like being a physician was what I would really love. I got a job in a hospital as a phlebotomist, where I have been for the past year. I also spent that year completing all the prerequisites for MD.

-Shadowed a few PS's, surgeons, primary care doctors here and there.

- Volunteered with athletics and a little out on my own.

-Research assistant for Developmental Psych and Sociology Labs

Finished the year of Prereqs with a 3.5 (I left my last school with a 3.0)

I am taking the MCAT AUG 19, I have been scoring 500-505 on Practice tests the last few weeks.

Please let me know what you guys think and if you have any advice please let me know!!

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[gyngyn]

Your current MCAT range is good for many DO schools. It's not good for MD.
Don't take the test until you are confident you will get a score consistent with success.

 

[Goro]

Can you please summarize what is your sGPA and cGPA?

I have been reading a few threads in all the forums posted here and I was hoping some of you could give me some indication of how I will do once I apply to schools and maybe what schools I should look into.
So here's my story

-Grew up with my mother in Guatemala while she was doing medical missions around Guatemala city. Spent most of my teens in a hospital volunteering and translating for patients and doctors.

-D1 volleyball player, Did not take my first two years of academics seriously (not even a little bit). I transferred schools to play and finally put in some effort! I graduated with my degree in psychology with a 3.8 GPA.

-After graduation I realized I wanted to continue working in healthcare but I felt like being a physician was what I would really love. I got a job in a hospital as a phlebotomist, where I have been for the past year. I also spent that year completing all the prerequisites for MD.

-Shadowed a few PS's, surgeons, primary care doctors here and there.

- Volunteered with athletics and a little out on my own.

-Research assistant for Developmental Psych and Sociology Labs

Finished the year of Prereqs with a 3.5 (I left my last school with a 3.0)

I am taking the MCAT AUG 19, I have been scoring 500-505 on Practice tests the last few weeks.

Please let me know what you guys think and if you have any advice please let me know!!

 

[jcve34]

It depends on which practice tests you're doing. That's a decent range to be in for Kaplan or TPR. Typically you score higher than those practice tests on the real thing. A better indicator of your score will be AAMC's content.

 

[SS045]

Can you please summarize what is your sGPA and cGPA?

My sGPS is a 3.3 and my cGPA is a 3.5

 

[Goro]

Circling the drain for MD.

My sGPS is a 3.3 and my cGPA is a 3.5

 

[SS045]

Circling the drain for MD.

Should I write off all MD schools and only focus on DO? And do you recommend any schools?

 

[Goro]

You're fine for all DO schools with a 505, except maybe AZCOM. A 500 will cut out the coastal Touros, and CCOM as well.

 

[TJ15]

My sGPS is a 3.3 and my cGPA is a 3.5

If you manage to get a 510+ on the MCAT, I would go ahead and apply to your state schools maybe a few other MD schools. It helps that you can speak another language as well.

 

[TJ15]

*Posted twice by accident

 

[sweepsingle33]

You said that you grew up in Guatemala with your mother. Do you know if you qualify as URM status?

 

[gyngyn]

You said that you grew up in Guatemala with your mother. Do you know if you qualify as URM status?

She was doing missions there. She is not a native.

 

[DoctorLongDog]

Apply only DO and Howard University.

 

[SS045]

Circling the drain for MD.

So an update on my progress, I did not do as well as I would have liked on the MCAT , 496 (not my best moment). I decided to only apply to my state schools (for tuition purposes) and DO schools. In regards to my GPA there is an upward trend in my classes; my Postbacc courses are all A's and B's. I was accepted to SGU but I doubt I want to go that route. I am not comfortable with the obscene amount of debt. I have gone through my school's Premed Advisory Committee and they were very impressed with me and told me as long as I could get an interview they did not doubt that I would get an offer.
My main question would be how should I approach admissions offices in order to get that interview? I have heard stories from medical students stating they simply called and plead their case, but I am not sure how they went about doing that. Any suggestions and/or advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Goro]

A 496 is equivalent to a 23 on the old MCAT. This is lethal for all MD schools and tons of DO schools, including mine. Even LUCOM has standards.

You may have some luck with LECOM, UIW, RVU-UT, ARCOM, WVSOM, LMU, KYCOM, all three VCOMs, ACOM, and NYITCOM-AR.

Your MCAT score puts you in the risk zone for failing out of med school and/or failing Boards.

Calling Admissions offices and begging or pestering them will lead to you getting a warning, followed by a court order. You show a med school that you're interested in them by sending them an application, not by being a special snowflake with entitlement issues.

I strongly suggest planning for an MCAT retake.

So an update on my progress, I did not do as well as I would have liked on the MCAT , 496 (not my best moment). I decided to only apply to my state schools (for tuition purposes) and DO schools. In regards to my GPA there is an upward trend in my classes; my Postbacc courses are all A's and B's. I was accepted to SGU but I doubt I want to go that route. I am not comfortable with the obscene amount of debt. I have gone through my school's Premed Advisory Committee and they were very impressed with me and told me as long as I could get an interview they did not doubt that I would get an offer.
My main question would be how should I approach admissions offices in order to get that interview? I have heard stories from medical students stating they simply called and plead their case, but I am not sure how they went about doing that. Any suggestions and/or advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[SS045]

A 496 is equivalent to a 23 on the old MCAT. This is lethal for all MD schools and tons of DO schools, including mine. Even LUCOM has standards.

You may have some luck with LECOM, UIW, RVU-UT, ARCOM, WVSOM, LMU, KYCOM, all three VCOMs, ACOM, and NYITCOM-AR.

Your MCAT score puts you in the risk zone for failing out of med school and/or failing Boards.

Calling Admissions offices and begging or pestering them will lead to you getting a warning, followed by a court order. You show a med school that you're interested in them by sending them an application, not by being a special snowflake with entitlement issues.

I strongly suggest planning for an MCAT retake.

Thank you for responding. I know the MCAT score is absurd. I was actually scoring 510-515 on Aamc practice tests. A lot went wrong on test day unfortunately. I am planning a retake for early February. I thought I should at least apply since my fees were not too outrageous but if I don't get any interviews I will most certainly be applying next cycle.

 

[Goro]

That would be a waste of time and money. Take your mom out to dinner instead.

I thought I should at least apply since my fees were not too outrageous

 

[oopsaloo]

have u already submitted ur primary?

 

[SS045]

have u already submitted ur primary?

I have submitted already. I did this at the suggestion of my PMAC advisers.

 

[SS045]

That would be a waste of time and money. Take your mom out to dinner instead.

What are your thoughts on a Post bacc for me instead of just a retake of the MCAT?

 

[Goro]

Your MCAT is the problem!

What are your thoughts on a Post bacc for me instead of just a retake of the MCAT?

 

[SS045]

So quick update for everyone who replied and gave input a few months ago, I ended up getting interviews at 3 schools (two MD and one DO). I was accepted to Arkansas School of Osteopathic Medicine and I will be attending there in the fall.

Thanks for answering my questions during my application period! Now on to student loans....