Feel like I'm in limbo

[afujiwa3]

I recently got a 504 on the MCAT even though I was scoring 509-510 the week before. I just made a test-day error and I ended up doing bad (123) in the CARS section. So, I decided to not apply anywhere this cycle (except ECU, already sent my app for verification). The worst part was CARS was always my best practice section going into the MCAT. Anyways, I figured I could raise my 3.5 GPA during my gap year since I have time now; however, I was just told that I can't get readmission to my university (graduated last semester). At least not until spring semester. I got my MCAT score too late and I needed to apply for readmission x amount of weeks ago. I also don't plan on retaking the mcat until next year.

I'm continuing my volunteer work at a free clinic 4 hrs / week (have ~200 currently). I train MMA, and I am thinking about competing during my gap year. I have no job. I applied to a bunch of jobs after my MCAT, and I realized that I'm not employable. Who wants a chem major with a bunch of scribing and volunteering experience? Almost nobody except medical schools. I don't want to scribe again, I got 600 hrs already. Plus, that doesn't seem like it would improve my application much, and the pay is low. I would rather find a job as a waiter.

So, I guess I'm looking for some guidance on what to do. I want to improve my application before the next cycle.

Cliffs:
-MCAT surprisingly bad. 123 cars killed any chances of acceptance to a MD school this cycle imo
-univ I graduated from won't let me back in for one semester
-only things I got going on is a MCAT date in jan and maybe some martial arts competitions in the mean time.
-I will apply next year, but I feel like I am not able to do much until then.

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[candbgirl]

You could apply DO if that interests you. Their cycle is later and longer.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[ATPsynthase123]

I recently got a 504 on the MCAT even though I was scoring 509-510 the week before. I just made a test-day error and I ended up doing bad (123) in the CARS section. So, I decided to not apply anywhere this cycle (except ECU, already sent my app for verification). The worst part was CARS was always my best practice section going into the MCAT. Anyways, I figured I could raise my 3.5 GPA during my gap year since I have time now; however, I was just told that I can't get readmission to my university (graduated last semester). At least not until spring semester. I got my MCAT score too late and I needed to apply for readmission x amount of weeks ago. I also don't plan on retaking the mcat until next year.

I'm continuing my volunteer work at a free clinic 4 hrs / week (have ~200 currently). I train MMA, and I am thinking about competing during my gap year. I have no job. I applied to a bunch of jobs after my MCAT, and I realized that I'm not employable. Who wants a chem major with a bunch of scribing and volunteering experience? Almost nobody except medical schools. I don't want to scribe again, I got 600 hrs already. Plus, that doesn't seem like it would improve my application much, and the pay is low. I would rather find a job as a waiter.

So, I guess I'm looking for some guidance on what to do. I want to improve my application before the next cycle.

Cliffs:
-MCAT surprisingly bad. 123 cars killed any chances of acceptance to a MD school this cycle imo
-univ I graduated from won't let me back in for one semester
-only things I got going on is a MCAT date in jan and maybe some martial arts competitions in the mean time.
-I will apply next year, but I feel like I am not able to do much until then.

Apply DO, your stats are the average for DO matriculants


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[mw18]

I recently got a 504 on the MCAT even though I was scoring 509-510 the week before. I just made a test-day error and I ended up doing bad (123) in the CARS section. So, I decided to not apply anywhere this cycle (except ECU, already sent my app for verification). The worst part was CARS was always my best practice section going into the MCAT. Anyways, I figured I could raise my 3.5 GPA during my gap year since I have time now; however, I was just told that I can't get readmission to my university (graduated last semester). At least not until spring semester. I got my MCAT score too late and I needed to apply for readmission x amount of weeks ago. I also don't plan on retaking the mcat until next year.

I'm continuing my volunteer work at a free clinic 4 hrs / week (have ~200 currently). I train MMA, and I am thinking about competing during my gap year. I have no job. I applied to a bunch of jobs after my MCAT, and I realized that I'm not employable. Who wants a chem major with a bunch of scribing and volunteering experience? Almost nobody except medical schools. I don't want to scribe again, I got 600 hrs already. Plus, that doesn't seem like it would improve my application much, and the pay is low. I would rather find a job as a waiter.

So, I guess I'm looking for some guidance on what to do. I want to improve my application before the next cycle.

Cliffs:
-MCAT surprisingly bad. 123 cars killed any chances of acceptance to a MD school this cycle imo
-univ I graduated from won't let me back in for one semester
-only things I got going on is a MCAT date in jan and maybe some martial arts competitions in the mean time.
-I will apply next year, but I feel like I am not able to do much until then.

If you're looking to apply MD, I don't think your year in school raising your GPA will be too well spent. If you've already graduated and have a 3.5 with about 120 hours, you could only get it up to a 3.6 with 30 hours of A's this year. For me, that is a lot of tuition money and a lot of pressure for what won't be a dramatic difference in your application. If you were interesting in doing grade replacement for DO, you could make a marked difference. But you could apply DO this cycle if you wanted to.

Edit: You could probably make a more substantial improvement in your science gpa, I suppose.

 

[Goro]

You're in a marathon now, not a sprint. Med schools aten't going anywhere.

 

[afujiwa3]

I won't apply DO until next year. I'd rather take the one year and take a real shot at MD. I know my MCAT will improve. Like Goro said, med school isn't going anywhere.

Can i take classes at a community college for a semester?

 

[Petrichor1]

I think you should have applied to more medical schools but I see your 123 being your biggest fear and I actually think what you decided is fine. I am also in limbo but funny enough my degree supposedly has better employment, still I have applied to over hundreds of places and turned up nothing. Take this semester to study and do your other activities. Your gpa is fine but if you take classes at a school that has a medical school you could potentially use next semester to network and possibly get to know important ppl and utilize university resources. You may even have better luck with getting a job since nowadays everything happens through networking and not your skills.

 

[afujiwa3]

I think you should have applied to more medical schools but I see your 123 being your biggest fear and I actually think what you decided is fine. I am also in limbo but funny enough my degree supposedly has better employment, still I have applied to over hundreds of places and turned up nothing. Take this semester to study and do your other activities. Your gpa is fine but if you take classes at a school that has a medical school you could potentially use next semester to network and possibly get to know important ppl and utilize university resources. You may even have better luck with getting a job since nowadays everything happens through networking and not your skills.

What other schools did you have in mind? Im not a URM. Technically I could still send out my app to more schools, and I have time to work on secondaries. I figured my CARS score would get me screened.

 

[Petrichor1]

What other schools did you have in mind? Im not a URM. Technically I could still send out my app to more schools, and I have time to work on secondaries. I figured my CARS score would get me screened.

You need to buy yourself an msar and start applying to all your state and nearby schools. If you can't afford, wait till next cycle. But I genuinely think that provided a well rounded application you should try and see. Here is what I would do:
1. Get msar. Apply to schools that have 10th percentile acceptance of a 28 mcat score.
2. Call each adcom and explain your 123 and ask if it's wise to apply there.
3. Wisom: avoid evms and musc. Both require higher mcat. Avoid Tulane if you don't want caspr.
3. Once you apply, start prewriting secondaries. Hope for best but start mcat prep now and forget abt rest.

 

[afujiwa3]

You need to buy yourself an msar and start applying to all your state and nearby schools. If you can't afford, wait till next cycle. But I genuinely think that provided a well rounded application you should try and see. Here is what I would do:
1. Get msar. Apply to schools that have 10th percentile acceptance of a 28 mcat score.
2. Call each adcom and explain your 123 and ask if it's wise to apply there.
3. Wisom: avoid evms and musc. Both require higher mcat. Avoid Tulane if you don't want caspr.
3. Once you apply, start prewriting secondaries. Hope for best but start mcat prep now and forget abt rest.

2. Everybody on here says the adcom will just say to apply and see because they don't want to discourage any potential applicants... even if it is a waste of money or time.
3. I don't understand your 3. the first one, not the second.

I guess I might as well start filling out more apps since I don't have any classes or a nearby MCAT date. Money isn't an issue if it is for applications.

 

[Petrichor1]

2. Everybody on here says the adcom will just say to apply and see because they don't want to discourage any potential applicants... even if it is a waste of money or time.
3. I don't understand your 3. the first one, not the second.

I guess I might as well start filling out more apps since I don't have any classes or a nearby MCAT date. Money isn't an issue if it is for applications.

I think admissions ppl have been very genuine and as far as I am concerned a lot of it depends on your overall application. I have had some schools straight up tell me that I was not competitive for their class based on my stats and while that stung, it was very helpful in my strict assessment of msar (seriously this is the resource that really brings you back to earth). I still want to apply to schools that are like top tier but since I have run out of money, I think it was better planning applying to schools that gave me 5% of hope versus 0.0001%. As far as I am concerned, sdn is packed full of overachievers. Taking some advice and leaving some is always a good practice because it's really the people who do well that post their experiences. With the exception of adcoms, I wouldn't genuinely believe in everything. It is always a good initiative to figure things out personally. I actually try to push myself away from this site as much as I can during my application cycle (clearly not doing the best job here). Regardless, this is the best site to keep you updated as well as thinking straight. Seriously, I am only applying to DO programs because of the huge awareness sdn has created for them. So maybe try to research the DO method. I recently shadowed a really awesome DO who loves their job and was the nicest physician I have met (and I've met many pompous people before that at a top tier medical school). August is their peak season so you might want to take the chance if your really don't want to waste time. Yes, this cycle schools are seeming to give more weight to the mcat so if at all possible my suggestion would be to prepare really well for mcat and apply next year. Even though money is not an issue if you have to reapply, you will be at a disadvantage being a reapplicant because schools you apply this cycle would want a significant amount of improvement in turn. I hope you take my advice of applying to more schools knowing that. With your score applying really early in July would have been a wise technique. I am not an adcom so beyond that I cannot say but having the limited knowledge of your application, you will need that mcat to shine for you.

By my number 3 step I just wanted to let you know of a couple schools that are being or have known to be particularly picky with oos applicants. I gather you are one based on your post. Evms and musc are basically looking for over 510 mcat applicants. I am saying this out my own experience (I wish I had known earlier lol, could have applied to other programs).