Do I even bother applying to MD?

[surfguy84]

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So I'm competitive for DO (due to grade replacement) but not sure how I'm sitting for MD.

The Good:

-I'm a non-trad, with great EC's, leadership experience, and a strong desire to go into primary care (and thousands of hours of work/volunteer experience to back this desire up).
- 3.9x post-bacc which includes 7/8 pre-reqs along with some upper division bio courses.
-cGPA has a strong upward trend; my last 80 hours are 3.65 gpa.
-sGPA is a 3.3; a few terrible grades 10+ years ago have damaged my science GPA. I've maintained a 3.8 in all science classes taken since Fall of 2006.

The Not-so-good:

-My cGPA is a 3.1 (terrible freshmen/soph years did a number on me, circa 2002-2004)
-29 MCAT
-LOR's are average
-I'm non-URM

Is applying MD even worth my time and money given my situation?

 

[Goro]

Not with that MCAT, alas.

So I'm competitive for DO (due to grade replacement) but not sure how I'm sitting for MD.

The Good:

-I'm a non-trad, with great EC's, leadership experience, and a strong desire to go into primary care (and thousands of hours of work/volunteer experience to back this desire up).
- 3.9x post-bacc which includes 7/8 pre-reqs along with some upper division bio courses.
-cGPA has a strong upward trend; my last 80 hours are 3.65 gpa.
-sGPA is a 3.3; a few terrible grades 10+ years ago have damaged my science GPA. I've maintained a 3.8 in all science classes taken since Fall of 2006.

The Not-so-good:

-My cGPA is a 3.1 (terrible freshmen/soph years did a number on me, circa 2002-2004)
-29 MCAT
-LOR's are average
-I'm non-URM

Is applying MD even worth my time and money given my situation?

 

[hubriz]

It is absolutely possible that you get accepted into an MD program, should you apply. A buddy of mine has an identical MCAT score and very similar GPA and post-bac situation and was accepted into 4 MD programs this year, including one top 25. He sold himself and his experiences well.

Edit: https://www.aamc.org/download/321518/data/2012factstable25-4.pdf

This table shows that white applicants with your GPA and MCAT score have a 20% chance of acceptance to an MD school, but this is of course independent of your experiences and post-bac success, which I believe increase your odds significantly. Importantly, it also shows you that you want to aim for a minimum of a 33 if you do retake the MCAT.

 

[aspirantmed]

If you are set on M.D., then I would re-take the MCAT with a higher score and then apply. If you simply want to get into medical school and are comfortable with the possibility of attending D.O. school, then apply this year to both M.D. and D.O. and see what happens. The odds are set against you, but as @hubriz's post shows (even though it's inadvisable to confuse anecdote with evidence) it's not impossible.

 

[surfguy84]

Not with that MCAT, alas.

Do you (or anyone else) have an opinion on what are a couple of especially good masters w/linkage programs? The one at rosalind franklin seems like a decent option...are there any others like it or better?

 

[intamin]

I don't think the problem is your GPA anymore, or as much I should say. It's your MCAT. Programs like that are typically geared for people with lower GPAs but higher MCATs. Retake your MCAT and ace it and you should have a fair shot at MD. As far as the programs go, there's UCinci, RFU, Drexel IMS, Georgetown and Boston U are the popular ones. I don't think RFU amd Drexel are as strict about their MCATs but I believe the average applicant at UCinci has around a 3.2-3.3 cGPA with a 33-34 MCAT.

 

[yanks26dmb]

Not with that MCAT, alas.

I always wondered about this (partially bc OP and I have similar stats)....given the % acceptance rates for someone with his stats, OP has a 20% shot of acceptance. I would *think* given his post-bacc, volunteering, and primary care desire/experience, OP would have better than 20%..perhaps 33%? I dont know...

In any event, that's like a 1 in 3 shot of acceptance. Odds to interview would be even higher. If OP presents himself well during an interview, those odds of acceptance may creep up even more. I wouldn't go as far as to say odds are in his/her favor, but still, ~40% odds of acceptance are pretty solid.

Am I missing something here Goro when I interpret that GPA/MCAT chart?

 

[Goro]

OP, pay attention!

I don't think the problem is your GPA anymore, or as much I should say. It's your MCAT. Programs like that are typically geared for people with lower GPAs but higher MCATs. Retake your MCAT and ace it and you should have a fair shot at MD. As far as the programs go, there's UCinci, RFU, Drexel IMS, Georgetown and Boston U are the popular ones. I don't think RFU amd Drexel are as strict about their MCATs but I believe the average applicant at UCinci has around a 3.2-3.3 cGPA with a 33-34 MCAT.

Those stats are extremely deceiving. They're for the nation as a whole, and you can't look at it that way...you have to look at each school. And a 29 for any given school is ~<10th%ile of the matriculants. The odds go up a tad for state schools in the south and mid-west that are very regionally-specific, like, say, LSU or U AR. Throw in legacies, and if URMs aren't taken out of the numbers, the odds go down even more.

The reason I'm not sanguine about OP is that non-trads who reinvent themselves need good (>33) MCAT scores to go with the stellar repaired GPAs for MD schools..



I always wondered about this (partially bc OP and I have similar stats)....given the % acceptance rates for someone with his stats/MCAT, OP has a 20% shot of acceptance. I would *think* given his post-bacc, volunteering, and primary care desire/experience, OP would have better than 20%..perhaps 33%? I dont know...

In any event, that's like a 1 in 3 shot of acceptance. Odds to interview would be even higher. If OP presents himself well during an interview, those odds of acceptance may creep up even more. I wouldn't go as far as to say odds are in his/her favor, but still, ~40% odds of acceptance are pretty solid.

Am I missing something here Goro when I interpret that GPA/MCAT chart?

 

[el_duderino]

What's your MCAT score breakdown? How do you feel about that score vs your MCAT potential and/or practice tests?

 

[surfguy84]

What's your MCAT score breakdown? How do you feel about that score vs your MCAT potential and/or practice tests?

Scored a hair below my practice test average. I do feel like I've hit a ceiling..not sure if it's my study methods or I'm just not smart enough.

My breakdown was 9/10/10. Honestly, the difference between a 29 and a 31 could literally be 2 questions....It's unfortunate that +2 questions correct means you're in MD territory and -2 means you're not...but I understand that's the way it goes, so I must accept it. I think I can do better, but it really is a crap shoot on any given day..

 

[el_duderino]

Yeah I'd say that even with the excellent post-bac, the middling MCAT and low cGPA will probably rule you out for MD. If I were you I would apply to a handful of MD programs anyway.

 

[surfguy84]

How much of an impact will my desire to go into primary care (and work/volunteer history to back it up) make to adcoms? I'm willing to bet a lot claim they want to go the PCP route....but few have the history as I do to illustrate it's more than just words.

I'm considering applying to historically black schools...any opinion? My volunteer efforts have traditionally been with people of color (not just black) and I've really immersed myself in that culture...worth a shot as a white guy?

 

[mimelim]

Scored a hair below my practice test average. I do feel like I've hit a ceiling..not sure if it's my study methods or I'm just not smart enough.

My breakdown was 9/10/10. Honestly, the difference between a 29 and a 31 could literally be 2 questions....It's unfortunate that +2 questions correct means you're in MD territory and -2 means you're not...but I understand that's the way it goes, so I must accept it. I think I can do better, but it really is a crap shoot on any given day..

I'm sorry, but the dividing line between getting into an MD program or not is NOT 2 questions on the MCAT.

 

[yanks26dmb]

I'm sorry, but the dividing line between getting into an MD program or not is NOT 2 questions on the MCAT.

Eh.....it very well could be. OP would be sitting a lot better with a 31. And since 2 points could very well be 2 questions, it's certainly plausible.

 

[mimelim]

If you think the MCAT is a crapshoot, there is something wrong.

No, it won't. Adcoms know the MCAT. They know how it is scored. They know that there isn't a real difference within a couple of points. Within a full application, two questions on the MCAT is negligible.

 

[yanks26dmb]

If you think the MCAT is a crapshoot, there is something wrong.

No, it won't. Adcoms know the MCAT. They know how it is scored. They know that there isn't a real difference within a couple of points. Within a full application, two questions on the MCAT is negligible.

By your reasoning there is little difference between being at a schools MCAT 10th percentile and being at their median.....which is often separated by ~2 points.....
,