Defer/DO/MD/Wait/Caribbean

[medfreak1290]

Hey,

So I am a senior right now and am confused about what track to take.

My cum GPA is around a 3.7, and my science GPA is around a 3.6. I am a bio major with a psych minor.

I have taken the MCAT twice: first time - 25Q (10 PS, 7 V, 8 BS), second time - 25P (10 PS, 6 V, 9 BS).

I applied to SGU and got in, and have deposited to it for the August 2012 admission.

I am debating on whether I should sit for the MCAT again this summer and apply for 2013 DO admission or not.

Also, if this were the case, I would lose my seat at SGU and that is never a good thing.

Someone please help me out and give me advice!!!

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[411309]

try to get your verb to at least a 8 and apply DO, work on that verbal man.

you may get in as it stands though since your gpa is good.

 

[costales]

Have you read any of the SGU vs {insert US med school} threads on here?

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Also, if this were the case, I would lose my seat at SGU and that is never a good thing.

But exponentially better than attending SGU at all. Either retake the mcat and apply DO, or apply DO without retaking it. You could probably have some luck from the lower/newer schools at least. Don't go to SGU.

 

[Goro]

Even with the MCAT 6V score, your numbers are fine for any DO school.

Hey,

So I am a senior right now and am confused about what track to take.

My cum GPA is around a 3.7, and my science GPA is around a 3.6. I am a bio major with a psych minor.

I have taken the MCAT twice: first time - 25Q (10 PS, 7 V, 8 BS), second time - 25P (10 PS, 6 V, 9 BS).

I applied to SGU and got in, and have deposited to it for the August 2012 admission.

I am debating on whether I should sit for the MCAT again this summer and apply for 2013 DO admission or not.

Also, if this were the case, I would lose my seat at SGU and that is never a good thing.

Someone please help me out and give me advice!!!

 

[illegallysmooth]

Even with the MCAT 6V score, your numbers are fine for any DO school.

I wouldn't quite say that. I had a 34 MCAT and was rejected from a few DO schools, albeit with a lower GPA. But I agree the OP has a good shot at a DO programs and should apply.

 

[medfreak1290]

Thanks a lot for the insight. I'm leaning toward submitting my DO app by the end of the months and working on the MCAT hardcore for a bit and retaking them in July or so and submitting them for admission for 2013. Maybe private tutoring for the verbal and bio, and if I get a 28+ hopefully, let's hope it pans out well. Worse comes to worse, if I lose SGU, I never applied to Ross so maybe give them a call.

Quick question: does anyone know if DO schools or MD schools take the highest scores from each section, or do they look at the MCAT for each time you sit for it??

 

[FutureDoc01]

Try the EK verbal book. It worked wonders for me. I went up 6 points!


I go to LECOM, and they do not take the best subscores. They look at the highest MCAT.

Your also below average for LECOM. I think they said my class had a 27-28 MCAT average.

 

[user3]

Don't bother retaking that god awful test. Trust me, you will probably have over a dozen interviews if you apply broadly!

 

[DrJMR]

Hey,

So I am a senior right now and am confused about what track to take.

My cum GPA is around a 3.7, and my science GPA is around a 3.6. I am a bio major with a psych minor.

I have taken the MCAT twice: first time - 25Q (10 PS, 7 V, 8 BS), second time - 25P (10 PS, 6 V, 9 BS).

I applied to SGU and got in, and have deposited to it for the August 2012 admission.

I am debating on whether I should sit for the MCAT again this summer and apply for 2013 DO admission or not.

Also, if this were the case, I would lose my seat at SGU and that is never a good thing.

Someone please help me out and give me advice!!!

Study like your career depends on it (it does) and retake the MCAT when your ready. You can even be competitive for MD if you break 33+, if your EC's are all up to par. Never settle when you know you can do it

 

[se20001984]

Ur 8 verbal is bad

But MOST. Important is the 8 bio...that's prob 100000xworse

Ull be wait listed for ALL schools

 

[se20001984]

Anything below 7 is a red flag for schools

Of the 4 I talked to

 

[medfreak1290]

Yeah, I have heard that as well.

I think it's time for me to buckle down and give it my all for this next administration. Hopefully, sending out scores in August isn't too late for admission.

 

[Sinfest]

Study hard and retake the MCAT. You have a decent shot at MD schools with a good MCAT score.

 

[user3]

I have to laugh at some of these posts and wonder whether they realize that there are THOUSANDS of students accepted to DO schools right now with both lower GPA's and MCAT's than the OP.

But I agree it would be a good idea to retake to possibly become competitive for MD, but absolutely not DO.

I usually hesitate to recommend retakes is because there aren't enough accurate practice tests out there to gauge your readiness. The real MCAT is harder than even the most recent AAMCs and consequently MANY people do much worse on it than their practices; many people come into the test unknowingly unprepared. It is a crapshoot of a test and I feel so blessed to have gotten one of the easier ones when I took mine.

 

[Mosonik]

I have to laugh at some of these posts and wonder whether they realize that there are THOUSANDS of students accepted to DO schools right now with both lower GPA's and MCAT's than the OP.

But I agree it would be a good idea to retake to possibly become competitive for MD, but absolutely not DO.

I usually hesitate to recommend retakes is because there aren't enough accurate practice tests out there to gauge your readiness. The real MCAT is harder than even the most recent AAMCs and consequently MANY people do much worse on it than their practices; many people come into the test unknowingly unprepared. It is a crapshoot of a test and I feel so blessed to have gotten one of the easier ones when I took mine.

In many cases, people are better off with the harder MCATs than the easier ones due to the nature of the scoring... especially those around the mid 20s

 

[Whiskeypunch]

Your MCAT is perfectly fine for DO schools assuming you apply widely and interview well.

Don't go to SGU. Seriously it's just a terrible idea. Offshore unaccredited diploma mill with almost no prospects of residency given the coming residency crunch? No thanks.

 

[donkeykong1]

Do NOT go to SGU.

Apply broadly DO and apply early. Unless you're consistently scoring above 25 on practice tests, don't take the MCAT again as you might risk scoring lower. You have a decent chance at DO.

 

[MedMentor]

I agree with what has been said on this thread. OP you'll be fine applying to any DO school if you apply early and write excellent essays.

 

[se20001984]

Id focus on the bio
Prob easiest section to get like 11

Add the 7 from your 1st verbal
And 9-10 from ps

11,9,7

 

[DrMediterranean]

suck it up and go DO.

 

[donkeykong1]

I agree with what has been said on this thread. OP you'll be fine applying to any DO school if you apply early and write excellent essays.

I wouldn't go that far. State DO schools and some established private schools are reaching towards a 3.6/29 average level.

 

[illegallysmooth]

I wouldn't go that far. State DO schools and some established private schools are reaching towards a 3.6/29 average level.

Yep. And there is a disproportionate number of non-trads accepted into DO schools, usually with lower stats, but no less qualified. For example, I knew someone who went to LECOM-Erie after working almost 10 years as a PA. He hadn't taken chemistry or other pre-reqs since undergrad, so obviously his MCAT was going to be on the lower end. There were several other PAs in his program alone. So, the average stats at many DO schools who accept more non-trads can be deceiving. I even know traditional applicants with 3.8/27 and 3.5/35 who were rejected from several DO schools (and no, there weren't any red flags - they're both at MD schools now).

 

[MedMentor]

I wouldn't go that far. State DO schools and some established private schools are reaching towards a 3.6/29 average level.

Yes, I stand corrected. Thanks DonkeyKong.

 

[tide11189]

Whatever you decide to do, don't go to the Caribbean. It is a dead end for most.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

I was in a similar boat as in what to do. I went to a big school, ****ed around a lot, graduated with a 3.2 GPA having to retake biochem, ochem 1 and ochem 3. Yeah, I sucked. I decided not to apply to medical school straight out of college. Got a graduate degree (it was paid for so all I lost is time, MPH)...4.0 during that. I applied to DO and MD schools simultaneously because I was going to go through that **** tastic process once. Went to CCOM, graduated 3x/170 something kids. Tried for ortho because I didn't think I would match (MD ER was my back up). Ended up matching. I am almost a fourth year ortho resident, got offered a job w/ salary guarantee of 515k for three years and 125k bonus available now at my home hospital in a metro area of 750k (certainly not rural).

I turned it down.

I got waitlisted at several MD programs. I got accepted to the two DO schools i applied to. A bird in the hand is better than....


Apply for MD and DO. Take your acceptance and get on with your life. The MD and DO politics very nearly disappear in the real world. No one has EVER asked me what my degree is when they roll into the trauma bay with a catastrophic grade 3C open tibia.

 

[Temperature101]

Try the EK verbal book. It worked wonders for me. I went up 6 points!


I go to LECOM, and they do not take the best subscores. They look at the highest MCAT.

Your also below average for LECOM. I think they said my class had a 27-28 MCAT average.

You went up 6 points !!! Were you scoring 2-3?...I did score 7 and 6 in the first two practice and I will be thrill if I can go up 3 points...Do you have any tips that you can share with us?

 

[Temperature101]

OP stats are OK for DO...it would not make sense to go to SGU unless he/she has a problem with the DO degree.

 

[Temperature101]

I was in a similar boat as in what to do. I went to a big school, ****ed around a lot, graduated with a 3.2 GPA having to retake biochem, ochem 1 and ochem 3. Yeah, I sucked. I decided not to apply to medical school straight out of college. Got a graduate degree (it was paid for so all I lost is time, MPH)...4.0 during that. I applied to DO and MD schools simultaneously because I was going to go through that **** tastic process once. Went to CCOM, graduated 3x/170 something kids. Tried for ortho because I didn't think I would match (MD ER was my back up). Ended up matching. I am almost a fourth year ortho resident, got offered a job w/ salary guarantee of 515k for three years and 125k bonus available now at my home hospital in a metro area of 750k (certainly not rural).

I turned it down.

I got waitlisted at several MD programs. I got accepted to the two DO schools i applied to. A bird in the hand is better than....


Apply for MD and DO. Take your acceptance and get on with your life. The MD and DO politics very nearly disappear in the real world. No one has EVER asked me what my degree is when they roll into the trauma bay with a catastrophic grade 3C open tibia.

Is that salary for three years or per year? If it is per year, I would say why turn down a salary like that?

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

Is that salary for three years or per year? If it is per year, I would say why turn down a salary like that?

That was per year. Why? Because as hard as it is to stare that much money in the face and say no, thanks, I just wasn't ready yet.

They wanted me to do a hand fellowship. I am between peds and hand. This hospital system wants a hand guy, the other hospital system in town wants a peds guy. By signing a contract, I was committing to something that I wasn't sure about yet...and am still not.

 

[UrshumMurshum]

I agree with Buckeye,

Work hard in school, learn from your professors and experiences, get good stats/LORS and you'll be able to practice whatever you want.

Now for OP, you'll probably be able to get in with those stats, you should apply early though.

 

[medfreak1290]

Thanks a lot for the feedback!!

I have decided to apply DO in the US! I filled out the app and am applying for 12 schools.

To make myself look even better for the schools, I decided on doing a master's program sorta deal so i've been applying everywhere for that. let's see, hopefully something works out.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

Thanks a lot for the feedback!!

I have decided to apply DO in the US! I filled out the app and am applying for 12 schools.

To make myself look even better for the schools, I decided on doing a master's program sorta deal so i've been applying everywhere for that. let's see, hopefully something works out.

This is good. As with anything, its not so much the school but what you make of it.

My personal experience is a story of turning relative tragedy (my parents are Indian (DO was not part of their vocab), my younger brother went to an MD school and is an ENT resident) into success.