Help with guidance, what can I do?

[surgfering]

Hello there fellows, my story is a bit convoluted so I will try to convey it as smooth as possible.

I'm a 25 y/o male, 1st gen immigrant and applicant in the current cycle. Given my non-traditional background and low stats, I only applied to a few schools 4 MDs 1 DO. I have literally not heard back from any of them. That being said, I think that this will not be a successful cycle for myself, therefore, I would like to hear your inputs in what would be my best options for a successful 2021 cycle. Here is a little bit of my background:

GPA: 3.5 (Graduated in foreign institution with a BS and majored in cytology, currently taking math at local CC. I have taken lower level math and psychology at the same CC with a current GPA of 4.0. Panning on taking physics and chemistry unless advised otherwise)
MCAT SCORE: 1st Attempt 09/13/2019 492 (124/120/124/124). 2nd Attempt 05/29/2020 502 (124/123/128/127)
State of Residency: WY
Ethnicity or Race: Hispanic/Latino
Clinical Experience: Currently, sitting at ~6000 (I worked in a public hospital in my home country, and I have been working in a WY hospital for over 2 years now, current position includes supervising duties)
Research Experience: Approximately 1000 hours (It was a long time ago, as part of my thesis project for undergrad)
Shadowing Experience: I have done none, but literally work alongside doctors in several specialties (Surgery, Pulmonology/Critical Care, Anesthesiology) but mainly Pathology.
Non clinical volunteering: Did few things back home such as collecting toys for kids in need at hospitals, visiting nursing homes, etc. Currently, I have volunteered ~60hrs at the local Food Bank.
Publication: Thesis project back home, none in US.
Other things not listed but may be of importance: Attended medical school back home, completed 1st year and dropped out in the middle of 2nd year upon moving to the US.

I hope this information is enough. My current location significantly limits the amount of experiences and access to education that I have. I was wondering if I should consider an online PostBacc and drop my current self-paced post-bacc classes. I will appreciate any input, thank you so much!

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[deleted1054719]

1. Are the schools you applied to accepting foreign bachelors degrees? I could be wrong but I believe it is exceedingly rare that a US MD school (not too sure about US DO) accepts anything other than a US bachelor's degree. At the very least, they expect significant amounts of credits to be done in the US.

2. Your MCAT is too low for MD in my opinion. Your GPA can work but you need to retake that MCAT.

 

[candbgirl]

Your GPA is okay, a bit low but if other parts of your application were strong you might be okay.(Do US Med Schools accept degrees from foreign colleges.) your two MCAT scores are too low for MD and maybe for DO. (Depends on if they average your two scores.). Your ECs are confusing but might be okay if you get shadowing. Just because you “literally work alongside doctors” you really need to spend time shadowing physicians where you are an observer and not a participant. Sort of like a step back seeing how the doctor works, responds, interacts etc to the patient and team. You are going to need a much bigger list of schools. Four MD schools and one DO school aren’t enough. And with your stats you really need to focus on DO. Forget MD at this point.

 

[surgfering]

Your GPA is okay, a bit low but if other parts of your application were strong you might be okay.(Do US Med Schools accept degrees from foreign colleges.) your two MCAT scores are too low for MD and maybe for DO. (Depends on if they average your two scores.). Your ECs are confusing but might be okay if you get shadowing. Just because you “literally work alongside doctors” you really need to spend time shadowing physicians where you are an observer and not a participant. Sort of like a step back seeing how the doctor works, responds, interacts etc to the patient and team. You are going to need a much bigger list of schools. Four MD schools and one DO school aren’t enough. And with your stats you really need to focus on DO. Forget MD at this point.

Thank you so much for your reply. I will definitely retake the MCAT. I guess the thing that I am worried about the most are my pre-requisites. There are no Post bacc programs trageted to medical students in my current location, and I work full-time. I was wondering if you think an online post-bacc program can make a difference?

 

[surgfering]

1. Are the schools you applied to accepting foreign bachelors degrees? I could be wrong but I believe it is exceedingly rare that a US MD school (not too sure about US DO) accepts anything other than a US bachelor's degree. At the very least, they expect significant amounts of credits to be done in the US.

2. Your MCAT is too low for MD in my opinion. Your GPA can work but you need to retake that MCAT.

I will certainly do that. And yes, that is exactly what I am trying to accomplish with my undergraduate post bacc classes. That being said, do you think an online Post Bacc program will make a difference?

 

[deleted1054719]

I will certainly do that. And yes, that is exactly what I am trying to accomplish with my undergraduate post bacc classes. That being said, do you think an online Post Bacc program will make a difference?

I do not recommend taking your classes online. You need 60-90 credits to be safe to apply to many US programs if I'm not wrong and that should basically equal 2-3 years of college again.

 

[Deltasidearm]

With your low MCAT scores and very borderline low GPA, you were DOA to the MD schools and should not have applied at all this cycle. Are you a US citizen? If not, then that will be hurting your odds, too. US schools--especially state schools--do not endeavor to train physicians that may not stay to practice in the US. Dropping out of medical school will not look good, either. You need to work on more volunteering in the US and get those physician shadowing hours. The biggest thing would be raising your MCAT substantially and potentially completing a masters--not a post bac. But that's all my opinion and worth exactly what you paid for it.
Honestly, you need to post in the reinvention thread run by @Goro to seek his advice.

 

[Goro]

Read this, OP

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[candbgirl]

Online pre reqs? Do not take them online. Many schools don’t accept online courses and I’d think most don’t accept online prereq science classes! Where are you living that you can’t take in person premed pre reqs? That seems a bit strange. Did you include your former med school courses and grades on your application?

 

[surgfering]

With your low MCAT scores and very borderline low GPA, you were DOA to the MD schools and should not have applied at all this cycle. Are you a US citizen? If not, then that will be hurting your odds, too. US schools--especially state schools--do not endeavor to train physicians that may not stay to practice in the US. Dropping out of medical school will not look good, either. You need to work on more volunteering in the US and get those physician shadowing hours. The biggest thing would be raising your MCAT substantially and potentially completing a masters--not a post bac. But that's all my opinion and worth exactly what you paid for it.
Honestly, you need to post in the reinvention thread run by @Goro to seek his advice.

Awesome! I appreciate the honesty and response! I will try and post this on that threat!

 

[caterwaiter]

Online pre reqs? Do not take them online. Many schools don’t accept online courses and I’d think most don’t accept online prereq science classes! Where are you living that you can’t take in person premed pre reqs? That seems a bit strange. Did you include your former med school courses and grades on your application?

There are many colleges (at least out here on the West Coast) that are operating almost completely online., including pre-med prerequisite courses. I would hope that medical school admissions will continue to accept online coursework, at least through Fall 2020/Winter 2021.

 

[candbgirl]

There are many colleges (at least out here on the West Coast) that are operating almost completely online., including pre-med prerequisite courses. I would hope that medical school admissions will continue to accept online coursework, at least through Fall 2020/Winter 2021.

I’m sure they will. The OP has several other issues, including being a former med student in a foreign country with two low MCATS. I think he’s going to need to go to in person science classes in America. It’s not a few classes. He’d like a full post bacc online.

 

[surgfering]

Read this, OP

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

Online pre reqs? Do not take them online. Many schools don’t accept online courses and I’d think most don’t accept online prereq science classes! Where are you living that you can’t take in person premed pre reqs? That seems a bit strange. Did you include your former med school courses and grades on your application?

I did include them in my application, among them: anatomy/neuroanatomy, histology, statistics, etc. I currently live in Wyoming, so pre-req classes are only offered during the fall semester at my local CC and during times that interfere with my full-time employment (currently work in a pathology lab as a cytologist supervisor). The prereqs require me to take other classes (which I am completing this semester) since I am a foreign grad. In summary, I have completed all the prerequisites in the foreign institution I graduated from, so now I am trying to re-do it here in America

 

[Faha]

If you complete all the prerequisites at your local CC you could receive interviews at some DO schools with your MCAT of 502. When you do apply include these schools in your application:
ACOM
ARCOM
NYIT-AR
WCU-COM
UIWSOM
ICOM
BCOM
Noorda-COM
ATSU-SOMA
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM Georgia and South Georgia
LUCOM

 

[surgfering]

If you complete all the prerequisites at your local CC you could receive interviews at some DO schools with your MCAT of 502. When you do apply include these schools in your application:
ACOM
ARCOM
NYIT-AR
WCU-COM
UIWSOM
ICOM
BCOM
Noorda-COM
ATSU-SOMA
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM Georgia and South Georgia
LUCOM

thank you so much for the thoughtful list!