Graduating senior; where do I go from here?

[Golden_Grahams]

Good afternoon SDN!

I am graduating this Spring semester and had a pretty clear cut plan for how I would be spending my gap year in order to make sure I was completely ready for medical school and the best applicant I could be. However, the AACOMAS policy change on grade replacement has forced me to reevaluate this so I am looking for some advice.

I am a senior biology major at a large public university with a 3.36 cGPA and a 3.21 sGPA. I have a pretty strong upward trend and have retaken a few classes that I got C's in (where the problem lies). I have taken the MCAT and got a 503 on it. I have two years of research experience, around 200 shadowing hours, more than 800 service hours, serve as the student director of a national medical outreach organization, am one of the coordinators for the largest student run organization on campus (which raises money for under served pediatric medical patients), and have a fair amount of awards and recognition. I also should have some very strong letters of recommendation.

Given my strengths and weaknesses as an applicant, my original plan was to taken two upper division sciences classes in the fall and two in the spring of my gap year as an informal post-bacc. Meanwhile, I would be able to work as either a PCA or a scribe for the year at my local hospital (I am fortunate enough to get to pick between the two). This would help my science GPA while addressing my lack of formal clinical hours. The issue is, I made this plan while osteopathic medical schools still accepted grade replacement, so my GPA went from being a 3.6/3.4 to a 3.36/3.21. I am confident in my ability to do well this semester, so I fully intend to graduate with above a 3.4 cGPA, but as a white, middle class student I worry that my GPA and MCAT might be too low now. My only real selling point is that I am a first generation college student. Do I grind over the summer and get my MCAT score up? Do I stick with my original plan to boost my GPA and get clinical experience?

Any advice or help is appreciated. Thank you for your time!

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[bears1992]

Good afternoon SDN!

I am graduating this Spring semester and had a pretty clear cut plan for how I would be spending my gap year in order to make sure I was completely ready for medical school and the best applicant I could be. However, the AACOMAS policy change on grade replacement has forced me to reevaluate this so I am looking for some advice.

I am a senior biology major at a large public university with a 3.36 cGPA and a 3.21 sGPA. I have a pretty strong upward trend and have retaken a few classes that I got C's in (where the problem lies). I have taken the MCAT and got a 503 on it. I have two years of research experience, around 200 shadowing hours, more than 800 service hours, serve as the student director of a national medical outreach organization, am one of the coordinators for the largest student run organization on campus (which raises money for under served pediatric medical patients), and have a fair amount of awards and recognition. I also should have some very strong letters of recommendation.

Given my strengths and weaknesses as an applicant, my original plan was to taken two upper division sciences classes in the fall and two in the spring of my gap year as an informal post-bacc. Meanwhile, I would be able to work as either a PCA or a scribe for the year at my local hospital (I am fortunate enough to get to pick between the two). This would help my science GPA while addressing my lack of formal clinical hours. The issue is, I made this plan while osteopathic medical schools still accepted grade replacement, so my GPA went from being a 3.6/3.4 to a 3.36/3.21. I am confident in my ability to do well this semester, so I fully intend to graduate with above a 3.4 cGPA, but as a white, middle class student I worry that my GPA and MCAT might be too low now. My only real selling point is that I am a first generation college student. Do I grind over the summer and get my MCAT score up? Do I stick with my original plan to boost my GPA and get clinical experience?

Any advice or help is appreciated. Thank you for your time!

I know a few newer schools only really consider the last 120-90 credits. (PNWU specificly said they only consider the last 90 credits). The only school you would get screened out would be KCU because they have a cut off at 3.25 for cumulative and science GPA. From what I've heard from adcoms, clinical experience only does so much (difference between 200 and 1000 clinical hours may not be that huge to adcoms) but volunteer hours outside of the medical field can really help. I think you have better EC's than most of people that apply. Also I would say that you have many selling points, not just "first generation college student". You have research experience, upward trend, non medical volunteer hours. Those are things that I don't think your average applicant will have.

I imagine with your current score that if you apply broadly (20-30 school) you would get two or three IIs. My opinion would be to retake the score and shoot for a 508+ but I have seen adcoms advise against retaking a mediocre score so I don't know what to tell you there.

 

[Alienman52]

Good afternoon SDN!

I am graduating this Spring semester and had a pretty clear cut plan for how I would be spending my gap year in order to make sure I was completely ready for medical school and the best applicant I could be. However, the AACOMAS policy change on grade replacement has forced me to reevaluate this so I am looking for some advice.

I am a senior biology major at a large public university with a 3.36 cGPA and a 3.21 sGPA. I have a pretty strong upward trend and have retaken a few classes that I got C's in (where the problem lies). I have taken the MCAT and got a 503 on it. I have two years of research experience, around 200 shadowing hours, more than 800 service hours, serve as the student director of a national medical outreach organization, am one of the coordinators for the largest student run organization on campus (which raises money for under served pediatric medical patients), and have a fair amount of awards and recognition. I also should have some very strong letters of recommendation.

Given my strengths and weaknesses as an applicant, my original plan was to taken two upper division sciences classes in the fall and two in the spring of my gap year as an informal post-bacc. Meanwhile, I would be able to work as either a PCA or a scribe for the year at my local hospital (I am fortunate enough to get to pick between the two). This would help my science GPA while addressing my lack of formal clinical hours. The issue is, I made this plan while osteopathic medical schools still accepted grade replacement, so my GPA went from being a 3.6/3.4 to a 3.36/3.21. I am confident in my ability to do well this semester, so I fully intend to graduate with above a 3.4 cGPA, but as a white, middle class student I worry that my GPA and MCAT might be too low now. My only real selling point is that I am a first generation college student. Do I grind over the summer and get my MCAT score up? Do I stick with my original plan to boost my GPA and get clinical experience?

Any advice or help is appreciated. Thank you for your time!

Don't retake the MCAT. Your score is fine. The average MCAT for AACOMAS matriculants in 2015 was ~27.33, which is about 503.

I would continue on with your original plan. Just because you don't have a super high GPA doesn't mean that you won't be able to create a qualitative "wow" factor by doing well in a bunch of upper division science courses. I have no doubt that admissions committees will look past a few low undergraduate grades in favor of some fantastic scores in upper division sciences. You also mentioned that you were confident that you will graduate with a cumulative GPA of over 3.4. This is acceptable for DO, so doing well in upper division sciences will only help.

Good luck to you OP.


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[Alienman52]

I know a few newer schools only really consider the last 120-90 credits. (PNWU specificly said they only consider the last 90 credits). The only school you would get screened out would be KCU because they have a cut off at 3.25 for cumulative and science GPA. From what I've heard from adcoms, clinical experience only does so much (difference between 200 and 1000 clinical hours may not be that huge to adcoms) but volunteer hours outside of the medical field can really help. I think you have better EC's than most of people that apply. Also I would say that you have many selling points, not just "first generation college student". You have research experience, upward trend, non medical volunteer hours. Those are things that I don't think your average applicant will have.

I imagine with your current score that if you apply broadly (20-30 school) you would get two or three IIs. My opinion would be to retake the score and shoot for a 508+ but I have seen adcoms advise against retaking a mediocre score so I don't know what to tell you there.

I strongly concur with your first paragraph but a 503 MCAT score is by no means mediocre. The average AACOMAS matriculant MCAT score was ~27.33 in 2015 so it would not be in the OP's best interest to retake considering the OP will have over a 3.4 cumulative GPA by the time he or she graduates.

Edit: Courtesy of Efle's MCAT 2015 conversions scale, a 503 is approximately a 27.

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[bears1992]

I strongly concur with your first paragraph but a 503 MCAT score is by no means mediocre. The average AACOMAS matriculant MCAT score was ~27.33 in 2015 so it would not be in the OP's best interest to retake considering the OP will have over a 3.4 cumulative GPA by the time he or she graduates.

Edit: Courtesy of Efle's MCAT 2015 conversions scale, a 503 is approximately a 27.

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You are right, I just meant mediocre as far as it's average for matriculates. I guess it doesn't really help or hurt @Golden_Grahams. With those EC's I think he will be fine but then again, I am basing this off of other students cases so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

If you graduate with a 3.4+ cGPA and sGPA, paired with your 503 MCAT, you will get some love if you apply broadly. You have more research experience than the average DO applicant as well, you may want to consider NSU.. they seem to like students with more research experience.

As long as that 503 is relatively well balanced, I think you will get interviews.

As for your plan, I concur with @Alienman52; proceed! Ace those upper-level science classes.


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