DO (maybe MD) What are my chances to be admitted? Please help!

[KKman206]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hey Guys, I just would like to know my chances to be admitted to either a DO or MD school. I would like to know the schools that I should apply to.

MCAT 25L (PS-13, VR-4, BS-8)


My stats:
cGPA: 3.51
sGPA: 3.49

Major: Biomedical engineering

ECs:

Fellowship at NIH Clinical Center (IRTA) and have three conference paper published (first author).
Research at therapeutic ultrasound (HIFU) for undergraduate thesis.
Clinical volunteer for more than 300 hours
Shadow an oncologist (MD), a radiologist (MD/PhD), and a radiation oncologist (DO) for about 80 hours.

So...what are my chances? Btw, I am a non-native speaker.

Thanks.

 

[TriagePreMed]

VR 4 = 0% chances. You need at least a 6, preferably a 7 for DO and an 8 for MD.

 

[MedPR]

DO (maybe MD) What are my chances to be admitted

Hey Guys, I just would like to know my chances to be admitted to either a DO or MD school. I would like to know the schools that I should apply to.

MCAT 25L (PS-13, VR-4, BS-8)


My stats:
cGPA: 3.51
sGPA: 3.49

Major: Biomedical engineering

ECs:

Fellowship at NIH Clinical Center (IRTA) and have three conference paper published (first author).
Research at therapeutic ultrasound (HIFU) for undergraduate thesis.
Clinical volunteer for more than 300 hours
Shadow an oncologist (MD), a radiologist (MD/PhD), and a radiation oncologist (DO) for about 80 hours.

So...what are my chances? Btw, I am a non-native speaker.

Thanks.

Even for a non-native speaker, a 4 is too low. You'll be screened out of every US school.

 

[drshark]

... i dont think you have much chance with a 4, i dont even think they let people with 5s in... practice verbal for a month, use EK 101 and bring up that score. Plenty of non natives get 6+ in VR

 

[NeurosurgeonDO]

I think you should retake the MCAT. If you are unable to, wait a year, do plentiful research and do clinical work and retake the MCAT then.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

Hey Guys, I just would like to know my chances to be admitted to either a DO or MD school. I would like to know the schools that I should apply to.

MCAT 25L (PS-13, VR-4, BS-8)


My stats:
cGPA: 3.51
sGPA: 3.49

Major: Biomedical engineering

ECs:

Fellowship at NIH Clinical Center (IRTA) and have three conference paper published (first author).
Research at therapeutic ultrasound (HIFU) for undergraduate thesis.
Clinical volunteer for more than 300 hours
Shadow an oncologist (MD), a radiologist (MD/PhD), and a radiation oncologist (DO) for about 80 hours.

So...what are my chances? Btw, I am a non-native speaker.

Thanks.

That 4 in VR kills your chances...I suggest a retake.

 

[NeuroLAX]

... i dont think you have much chance with a 4, i dont even think they let people with 5s in... practice verbal for a month, use EK 101 and bring up that score. Plenty of non natives get 6+ in VR

+1 for EK 101 Passages. I went from 6 to 10- you can make similar gains, just put your mind to it. Many of the passages are boring, but you have to get passed that if you want to do much better.

 

[411309]

These people are wrong. At MOST schools you have a 0% chance however I hear there are some DO schools that dont look at VR and mainly just look at PS/BS subscores, those combined with your gpa make you strong at those specific schools. I forget which ones they are though.

 

[TriagePreMed]

These people are wrong. At MOST schools you have a 0% chance however I hear there are some DO schools that dont look at VR and mainly just look at PS/BS subscores, those combined with your gpa make you strong at those specific schools. I forget which ones they are though.

Not a 4 though.

 

[411309]

Not a 4 though.

I don't know. I suggest OP retakes because he could have a baller score with his success in both of the sciences but at the same time he should also do his research and try to find schools where VR isnt heavily weighed. I know at MSU the cutoff for VR is a 4 I hear.

 

[MedPR]

These people are wrong. At MOST schools you have a 0% chance however I hear there are some DO schools that dont look at VR and mainly just look at PS/BS subscores, those combined with your gpa make you strong at those specific schools. I forget which ones they are though.

I don't know. I suggest OP retakes because he could have a baller score with his success in both of the sciences but at the same time he should also do his research and try to find schools where VR isnt heavily weighed. I know at MSU the cutoff for VR is a 4 I hear.

😕 I know you have a special place in your heart for UDs, but a 4 is really a deal breaker. A 5-6 is pushing it as is.

I do agree, however, that the OP has a really solid shot if they retake and get a 7+ on VR without dropping too much on BS/PS.

 

[NeuroLAX]

😕 I know you have a special place in your heart for UDs, but a 4 is really a deal breaker. A 5-6 is pushing it as is.

I do agree, however, that the OP has a really solid shot if they retake and get a 7+ on VR without dropping too much on BS/PS.

+1 I would not feel comfortable spending thousands of dollars with a 4 on VR (25 total). I'd rather apply late with a much better score, or wait til the next cycle with the better score.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I don't know. I suggest OP retakes because he could have a baller score with his success in both of the sciences but at the same time he should also do his research and try to find schools where VR isnt heavily weighed. I know at MSU the cutoff for VR is a 4 I hear.

The cutoffs are arbitrary, you're not going to get in with the minimal. With a 4 he has absolutely no chance.

 

[Bacchus]

Moved to WAMC

 

[411309]

Like I said, i heard talk of some adcoms NOT EVEN LOOKING AT THE VR SECTION and only caring about the ps/bs at some DO schools. i cant confirm how true this is, but it's a sdn rumor worth checking out.

 

[KKman206]

Thanks for the advices and I will definitely check those schools out or contact them individually to see if they have any minimum requirement.

 

[KKman206]

Thanks for the reply. I used EK 101 and TPR at the same time; however, the VR just didn't work out for me. This is frustrating. Any other suggestions?

 

[coolingglasses]

A 25 at your GPA gives you zero shots at MD, and the VR 4 gives you a minimal shot at DO (the L isn't helping much either).

imho, retake, get your verbal up a few points. Your outlook will improve dramatically.

 

[JJwins]

... i dont think you have much chance with a 4, i dont even think they let people with 5s in... practice verbal for a month, use EK 101 and bring up that score. Plenty of non natives get 6+ in VR

Agreed! I'm a non-native and I scored 8 on VR and R on writing. I started freshman year of college with a paper that looked like as if it was written by a fifth-grader and went on to double major in English and Biology. I still struggle with English (especially Grammar) every now and then but the point is: if I can do, anyone can! I was beyond horrible at English when I started college and I've come a long way. I didn't spend much time on VR. I only practiced VR when it was time to take the practice MCAT's BUT the single biggest factor that raised my score was that I went back and tried to figure out why the correct answer was better than mine. In many instances, I noticed that I picked an answer that was true of the passage but not necessarily of what the question was asking, or that I picked an answer based on my own biases instead of what the author's thesis suggested.

Coming from a non-native, the best advice I can give you is that "practice makes perfect." I recommend that you spend a day gathering tips on how to tackle the VR and then using a EK or a similar book to just practice through the questions. And remember, you're reading to gain a general idea of content, and author's argument-- the passage is there for you to refer back to whenever you want/need so no need to get bogged down with details! And good luck! You have great stats for DO schools, IMO. If you could just raise that VR score, I don't see why you would have problem getting accepted! 👍

 

[KKman206]

Agreed! I'm a non-native and I scored 8 on VR and R on writing. I started freshman year of college with a paper that looked like as if it was written by a fifth-grader and went on to double major in English and Biology. I still struggle with English (especially Grammar) every now and then but the point is: if I can do, anyone can! I was beyond horrible at English when I started college and I've come a long way. I didn't spend much time on VR. I only practiced VR when it was time to take the practice MCAT's BUT the single biggest factor that raised my score was that I went back and tried to figure out why the correct answer was better than mine. In many instances, I noticed that I picked an answer that was true of the passage but not necessarily of what the question was asking, or that I picked an answer based on my own biases instead of what the author's thesis suggested.

Coming from a non-native, the best advice I can give you is that "practice makes perfect." I recommend that you spend a day gathering tips on how to tackle the VR and then using a EK or a similar book to just practice through the questions. And remember, you're reading to gain a general idea of content, and author's argument-- the passage is there for you to refer back to whenever you want/need so no need to get bogged down with details! And good luck! You have great stats for DO schools, IMO. If you could just raise that VR score, I don't see why you would have problem getting accepted! 👍

Thank you so much for the input and encouragement. I think I will try to retake it if it is not too late at this late of application cycle. Best wishes to your applications.

 

[JJwins]

Thank you so much for the input and encouragement. I think I will try to retake it if it is not too late at this late of application cycle. Best wishes to your applications.

You're most welcome! Good luck! 🙂