Do I Have a Realistic Chance At MD Schools?

[deleted1010363]

Hi All,

I’m a non-trad (34 years old) and have begun taking my prerequisites for med school. I have a bachelors in business so I don’t have many BCPM’s. My under graduate gpa wasn’t very stellar. It was a 2.7. Because of the amount of credit hours I already have (I also minored), if I take all of my prerequisites (BCPM’s) and get straight A’s, it’ll only bring my AMCAS cGPA to a 3.05 (I had some F’s that are also hurting me). However, my sGPA would be a 3.81. Keep in mind that’s only if I get straight A’s (which I will work extremely hard and diligently to accomplish).

So hypothetically speaking, I would be looking at an AMCAS cGPA of 3.05 and sGPA of 3.81.

I worked as a CNA full time for 5 years so I have thousands of hours of clinical experience and many volunteer hours at clinics as well. I also have surgery hours that I was able to be a part of.

1) What would I need on the MCAT to stand any chance at getting acccepted at an Allopathic school?

2) Is my situation too bad for Allopathic schools and I should consider Osteopathic schools only?

I plan to apply to some DO schools, regardless, but would prefer to be in a MD school.

Thanks in advance.

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[notsobabydoc]

I think you will have a shot if you can bring your cGPA above 3 to avoid a hard cutoff.

 

[Schwifty]

Hi All,

I’m a non-trad (34 years old) and have begun taking my prerequisites for med school. I have a bachelors in business so I don’t have many BCPM’s. My under graduate gpa wasn’t very stellar. It was a 2.7. Because of the amount of credit hours I already have (I also minored), if I take all of my prerequisites (BCPM’s) and get straight A’s, it’ll only bring my AMCAS cGPA to a 3.05 (I had some F’s that are also hurting me). However, my sGPA would be a 3.81. Keep in mind that’s only if I get straight A’s (which I will work extremely hard and diligently to accomplish).

So hypothetically speaking, I would be looking at an AMCAS cGPA of 3.05 and sGPA of 3.81.

I worked as a CNA full time for 5 years so I have thousands of hours of clinical experience and many volunteer hours at clinics as well. I also have surgery hours that I was able to be a part of.

1) What would I need on the MCAT to stand any chance at getting acccepted at an Allopathic school?

2) Is my situation too bad for Allopathic schools and I should consider Osteopathic schools only?

I plan to apply to some DO schools, regardless, but would prefer to be in a MD school.

Thanks in advance.

With a cGPA above 3.0 and a 512+ MCAT I say you have a chance at MD, but there are a lot of other factors to consider like what state you're in or URM status

 

[LizzyM]

Two things that will stand out are your age and the year in which your undergrad degree was awarded. Those two items will make it very clear that you are a career changer and you may be screened differently because of those signals (not as hard a screen so as to avoid missing a gem).

Prepare rigorously for the MCAT after you have taken the pre-reqs or while you are finishing the last of the pre-reqs. Take practice tests under test conditions until you are at the point where the actual test day is just another test day like so many before. Also take the time to go over all the questions on the practice tests, even the ones you got right. This can take an enormous amount of time but time after time it is what the most successful test takers tell me that they do. Don't take the exam unless you are scoring 510 or better consistently. Of course, the higher your test score the better.

 

[deleted1010363]

Two things that will stand out are your age and the year in which your undergrad degree was awarded. Those two items will make it very clear that you are a career changer and you may be screened differently because of those signals (not as hard a screen so as to avoid missing a gem).

Prepare rigorously for the MCAT after you have taken the pre-reqs or while you are finishing the last of the pre-reqs. Take practice tests under test conditions until you are at the point where the actual test day is just another test day like so many before. Also take the time to go over all the questions on the practice tests, even the ones you got right. This can take an enormous amount of time but time after time it is what the most successful test takers tell me that they do. Don't take the exam unless you are scoring 510 or better consistently. Of course, the higher your test score the better.

Apologies...I forgot to mention my graduation year for my undergraduate degree. I graduated in 2011. My anticipated year of med school apps will be 2022 for the 2023 start year.

 

[deleted1010363]

With a cGPA above 3.0 and a 512+ MCAT I say you have a chance at MD, but there are a lot of other factors to consider like what state you're in or URM status

I reside in FL but I would not qualify as a URM student.

 

[Schwifty]

.

 

[deleted1010363]

FL isn't one of the "lucky" states unfortunately, but there are a bunch of schools there (I'm also from FL). Just aim for the highest MCAT you can get, 518+ puts you in a good position for MD, 512+ with a broad application you have a shot but I would still apply DO as a back up. Also, read this thread by @Goro if you haven't already, it might be some help to you.

Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

So you want to be a doctor, but your GPA is terrible. Is that the end? Rule #1: Take a deep breath, and stop fussing. The sky is not falling. But you are going to need to reinvent yourself. This will take both time and money. And always remember that you’re in a marathon now, not a sprint...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Awesome! Thanks for all the info and I’ll check out that thread! I appreciate it.

 

[Faha]

If your MCAT is at least 508 you could receive interviews from some MD schools. If 500 or higher you are fine for many DO schools.

 

[deleted1010363]

Two things that will stand out are your age and the year in which your undergrad degree was awarded. Those two items will make it very clear that you are a career changer and you may be screened differently because of those signals (not as hard a screen so as to avoid missing a gem).

Prepare rigorously for the MCAT after you have taken the pre-reqs or while you are finishing the last of the pre-reqs. Take practice tests under test conditions until you are at the point where the actual test day is just another test day like so many before. Also take the time to go over all the questions on the practice tests, even the ones you got right. This can take an enormous amount of time but time after time it is what the most successful test takers tell me that they do. Don't take the exam unless you are scoring 510 or better consistently. Of course, the higher your test score the better.

@LizzM How do applicants avoid being screened out? In other words, If my cGPA is at 3.05, would schools automatically screen me out and not actually ready my application to see that I am a reinvent/career changer?

 

[LizzyM]

@LizzM How do applicants avoid being screened out? In other words, If my cGPA is at 3.05, would schools automatically screen me out and not actually ready my application to see that I am a reinvent/career changer?

I know only one school very well and from what I know of it, every applicant gets at least one quick look before a denial goes out. The quick look might include the things I mentioned earlier such that someone who is 21 and a college senior with a 3.05 GPA might get passed by where as 35 year old, 10 years out of college might pique someone's interest, particularly if the sGPA is >3.75. If a quick look makes someone say, "what's up with this?" then you might warrant a closer look. It will be an uphill battle given that you are in a pool of thousands with less than 1,000 getting interviews and <500 getting offers of admission, with < 200 matriculating to any given school.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Two things that will stand out are your age and the year in which your undergrad degree was awarded. Those two items will make it very clear that you are a career changer and you may be screened differently because of those signals (not as hard a screen so as to avoid missing a gem).

Prepare rigorously for the MCAT after you have taken the pre-reqs or while you are finishing the last of the pre-reqs. Take practice tests under test conditions until you are at the point where the actual test day is just another test day like so many before. Also take the time to go over all the questions on the practice tests, even the ones you got right. This can take an enormous amount of time but time after time it is what the most successful test takers tell me that they do. Don't take the exam unless you are scoring 510 or better consistently. Of course, the higher your test score the better.

As far as MCAT prep: go over the questions you got wrong and use those to inform your content review. It is not nearly as important to go over the questions that you got wrong. In addition, official AAMC prep materials are by far the most accurate and the best for preparation.

 

[LizzyM]

As far as MCAT prep: go over the questions you got wrong and use those to inform your content review. It is not nearly as important to go over the questions that you got right. In addition, official AAMC prep materials are by far the most accurate and the best for preparation.

I'm just telling you want people who score 520+ tell me about how they prepared for the exam. Take it for what it is worth.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

I got a 519 and worked as an MCAT tutor; my students improved by an average of 7.5 points under my tutelage. Haven't had any 520+ scorers; most of the students I taught wound up in the 503-518 range.

 

[deleted1010363]

I got a 519 and worked as an MCAT tutor; my students improved by an average of 7.5 points under my tutelage. Haven't had any 520+ scorers; most of the students I taught wound up in the 503-518 range.

When will you be applying to med schools? If you already have, have you received any acceptances?

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

I am a medical student; I received two acceptances. As for the strategy discussed by LizzyM: I would say that going over the questions you got right is of marginal value. That might be useful when you are getting into the 516+ and especially in the 520+ range where every little bit counts, but you're leaving a lot of points on the ground when you're pulling 500s or even 510s and you get more bang for your buck from reviewing what you got wrong.