Do I have a shot?

[Roche112]

So I'm currently 2 years out of college (will be 3 by the time I reapply).

I have a 3.55 cumulative GPA (3.23 science GPA). I am planning on taking a biology course this fall and a chemistry course. Assuming I get straight A's in those classes I can raise my cumulative gpa to 3.57 and science gpa to 3.34.

My previous MCAT was 506 and I am planning on retaking it in January 2021.

I have ~ 2,300 hours of scribing. I am also interviewing for several research positions at the moment.

I only have about 30-40 hours of true shadowing (ie not scribing).

I have ~ 300 hours of volunteering.

Should I take additional science classes in the spring as well to raise my science GPA? Should I try to get more shadowing hours?

Do I even have a shot at MD or DO?

I'm panicking and feel like a complete failure right now and just not sure what to do.

 

[M&L]

@Goro would know better, but to me it looks like you are competitive for DO.

 

[Osminog]

You would get interviews at DO schools if you were to apply to 15+ of them this cycle (before, say, October). You wouldn’t even have to re-take your science courses or the MCAT.

The MCAT score and sGPA sink your MD application quite a bit. Unless you think you can get a 514 or something (to try to outweigh both the low prior MCAT attempt and the low sGPA), you might be better off just going with the DO route—if you think you could tolerate OMM, extra board exams, etc.

 

[danielblank313]

Honestly, if you're okay with applying to mostly DO schools I'm not so sure you'd even need to retake the MCAT. Not that a higher score wouldn't earn you points, but a 506 MCAT assuming none of your subsections are below 125 should do the job. Coupled with some post bac classes you're taking assuming they are mostly As and assuming you have an upward trend, you're good to go.

 

[Goro]

So I'm currently 2 years out of college (will be 3 by the time I reapply).

I have a 3.55 cumulative GPA (3.23 science GPA). I am planning on taking a biology course this fall and a chemistry course. Assuming I get straight A's in those classes I can raise my cumulative gpa to 3.57 and science gpa to 3.34.

My previous MCAT was 506 and I am planning on retaking it in January 2021.

I have ~ 2,300 hours of scribing. I am also interviewing for several research positions at the moment.

I only have about 30-40 hours of true shadowing (ie not scribing).

I have ~ 300 hours of volunteering.

Should I take additional science classes in the spring as well to raise my science GPA? Should I try to get more shadowing hours?

Do I even have a shot at MD or DO?

I'm panicking and feel like a complete failure right now and just not sure what to do.

Read my post on reinvention for premeds if you're boning for the MD.

You're fine for DO right now

 

[Roche112]

Honestly, if you're okay with applying to mostly DO schools I'm not so sure you'd even need to retake the MCAT. Not that a higher score wouldn't earn you points, but a 506 MCAT assuming none of your subsections are below 125 should do the job. Coupled with some post bac classes you're taking assuming they are mostly As and assuming you have an upward trend, you're good to go.

Honestly, if you're okay with applying to mostly DO schools I'm not so sure you'd even need to retake the MCAT. Not that a higher score wouldn't earn you points, but a 506 MCAT assuming none of your subsections are below 125 should do the job. Coupled with some post bac classes you're taking assuming they are mostly As and assuming you have an upward trend, you're good to go.

my chem/phys section was 124. And I’m open to both DO and MD (there’s one of each in my state and in a perfect world I would be able to stay in state and go to one or the other)

 

[Roche112]

You would get interviews at DO schools if you were to apply to 15+ of them this cycle (before, say, October). You wouldn’t even have to re-take your science courses or the MCAT.

The MCAT score and sGPA sink your MD application quite a bit. Unless you think you can get a 514 or something (to try to outweigh both the low prior MCAT attempt and the low sGPA), you might be better off just going with the DO route—if you think you could tolerate OMM, extra board exams, etc.

part of my wanting to retake the MCAT was my C/P section was 124 and I know some schools frown on anything below125 or if there are larger gaps between sections. If I scored high enough on the MCAT (514+ like you mentioned) do you think this may help my chances of applying MD?

 

[Osminog]

part of my wanting to retake the MCAT was my C/P section was 124 and I know some schools frown on anything below125 or if there are larger gaps between sections. If I scored high enough on the MCAT (514+ like you mentioned) do you think this may help my chances of applying MD?

Yes. The current MCAT score isn’t competitive for MD schools.