Help with schools list?? 3.51 cGPA, 3.29 sGPA, 33 MCAT (May 2014)

[hopelesslyhopeful]

Hi All! I am applying to both MD/DO schools this cycle

As mentioned above, MCAT is 33, sGPA is 3.29, cGPA is 3.51

I have a variety of extracu.rricular (clinical and non clinical, can be listed if it will help) and I am a resident of California.

**I feel its important to note I do not have a DO letter of recommendation (only an MD one) at the moment and will probably not have one before applying, though I may be able to obtain one in the next 2-3 months.

So far I have:

CCOM
KCOM
NSUCOM
NYIT
Western
Dmu
KCUMB
Touro - California
PNWU
LECOM
OUHCOM
ATSU-SOMA
MSUCOM

Any thoughts would be appreciated!!

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[DrMikeP]

Check to see if all of the schools on your list will accept the older MCAT. I'd add some more new schools like ACOM and GET A DO LOR! If you get it in by secondaries time that's ok.

 

[edgerock24]

List looks good. I'd remove schools like OUHCOM and MSUCOM since they heavily favor in state residents (and out of state tuition can be very expensive).

 

[kelminak]

Check to see if all of the schools on your list will accept the older MCAT. I'd add some more new schools like ACOM and GET A DO LOR! If you get it in by secondaries time that's ok.

This might help:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...ept-old-2014-mcat-in-2017-2018-cycle.1183207/

 

[Goro]

Hi All! I am applying to both MD/DO schools this cycle

As mentioned above, MCAT is 33, sGPA is 3.29, cGPA is 3.51

I have a variety of extracu.rricular (clinical and non clinical, can be listed if it will help) and I am a resident of California.

**I feel its important to note I do not have a DO letter of recommendation (only an MD one) at the moment and will probably not have one before applying, though I may be able to obtain one in the next 2-3 months.

So far I have:

CCOM
KCOM
NSUCOM
NYIT
Western
Dmu
KCUMB
Touro - California
PNWU
LECOM
OUHCOM
ATSU-SOMA
MSUCOM

Any thoughts would be appreciated!!

Add MUCOM and all three VCOMs.

 

[mathnerd88]

Check which schools still accept that MCAT score.

Taking the MCAT in May 2014 is outdated at many schools. I only know of one school that accepts MCAT five years before matriculation.

 

[hopelesslyhopeful]

Add MUCOM and all three VCOMs.

I was going to apply to MUCOM but I don't believe my MCAT score will be valid, as I read they will only be accepting the new MCAT.

I will look into the VCOMs!! Thanks for the feedback.

Many of the schools on the list have "MD or DO, DO preferred" for the letter of recommendation. I'm working on getting one currently, but if I can't, how bad is it??

 

[Goro]

As long as they don't say "DO required" you're OK.

If you live within driving distance of a COM, go check them out and chat up the DO faculty.

I was going to apply to MUCOM but I don't believe my MCAT score will be valid, as I read they will only be accepting the new MCAT.

I will look into the VCOMs!! Thanks for the feedback.

Many of the schools on the list have "MD or DO, DO preferred" for the letter of recommendation. I'm working on getting one currently, but if I can't, how bad is it??

 

[DrMikeP]

I was going to apply to MUCOM but I don't believe my MCAT score will be valid, as I read they will only be accepting the new MCAT.

I will look into the VCOMs!! Thanks for the feedback.

Many of the schools on the list have "MD or DO, DO preferred" for the letter of recommendation. I'm working on getting one currently, but if I can't, how bad is it??

A DO rec letter is something you can directly control through effort, unless you live in the middle of nowhere Alaska get one! Even if a school doesn't require it, it will help you! It may not eliminate you at some but it will earn you points at most, sometimes big points. You can always submit it later.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[oogieboogie123r]

From my list (I took June 2014 MCAT):

No:
AZOM (no, matriculation)
PCOMs (nope)


Yes:
ACOM ('four years old')
ATSU-SOMA & ATSU-KCOM ('three years from time of application')
CCOM (yes in email)
DMU-COM (yes in email, goes by calendar years)
KCU-COM (yes on site)
LECOMs (yes - called)
LMU-DCOM (yes - called)
NYIT-COM ('application date')
NSU-COM (CIB, 'time of application')
PNWU-COM (CIB, yes)
RowanSOM (yes)
Touros (yes)
TCOM (yes)
KYCOM (yes, called)
VCOMS (yes, called)
WVSOM (yes, emailed)
Western U (yes)
WCUCOM (yes, called)



Not sure (some of these I didn't want to apply to, so I didn't look them up):
BCOM (I think yes)
CUSOM (no, I believe)
LUCOM (unsure)
Marian MU-COM (unsure)
MSU-COM (unsure)
OU-HCOM (I think you can)
OSU-COM (don't think so)
RVU-COM (think so)
UNECOM (i need to call them actually)


Edit: Unless you want to take the MCAT again, I'd apply now. I don't have my table split up into 3 v.s. 4/5 years, but I think a lot of schools' cut off is soon.

 

[cassis_Cake]

Apply to AZCOM, they will accept your mcat. There is another thread floating around with the OP posting a spreadsheet of schools who accept his 2014 mcat for next cycle 2017-18. Azcom was even on it. He emailed all the schools and had their response.

Here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...ept-old-2014-mcat-in-2017-2018-cycle.1183207/

 

[hopelesslyhopeful]

thanks for all the feedback guys!! Thanks for the lists Both are extremely helpful.

 

[hopelesslyhopeful]

A DO rec letter is something you can directly control through effort, unless you live in the middle of nowhere Alaska get one! Even if a school doesn't require it, it will help you! It may not eliminate you at some but it will earn you points at most, sometimes big points. You can always submit it later.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Definitely understand completely. I am working on it for sure! I live in a small farm town, so finding a DO who is open on the weekends (since I work full time) has been very difficult. I found a DO that is at an urgent care in a nearby town but hes out for the next two weeks on vacation, so hopefully I can get in with him when he gets back!

 

[AsianPersuasion]

I can totally understand the difficulty of finding a DO. My friend is out looking and calling endlessly. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't VCOM require you to have a DO letter within 30 days or something after acceptance? And doesn't Erie make you interview with one for 30 min if you don't have one etc?

 

[oogieboogie123r]

No worries, happy to help. I went through this too and just ended up seeing this. Doublecheck AZCOM if you want to apply there for 2016-2017. Their site says, "only MCAT exam scores earned from tests taken no more than 3 years prior to the matriculation date of the planned enrollment year are acceptable." CIB also says oldest MCAT is August 2014. DMU-COM gave me a yes too.

 

[DrMikeP]

Definitely understand completely. I am working on it for sure! I live in a small farm town, so finding a DO who is open on the weekends (since I work full time) has been very difficult. I found a DO that is at an urgent care in a nearby town but hes out for the next two weeks on vacation, so hopefully I can get in with him when he gets back!

I posted some strategies for finding someone to shadow. It's not the easiest thing but it does make you more credible when they ask why DO.

If you have a nearby DO school give them a call. Many have a list and some offer open house exp. I within a week or so ago posted a link to an online 4w course introducing Osteopathic Med. Don't remember what thread but that could also help flesh out your app a bit as well.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[cassis_Cake]

No worries, happy to help. I went through this too and just ended up seeing this. Doublecheck AZCOM if you want to apply there for 2016-2017. Their site says, "only MCAT exam scores earned from tests taken no more than 3 years prior to the matriculation date of the planned enrollment year are acceptable." CIB also says oldest MCAT is August 2014. DMU-COM gave me a yes too.

Although AZCOM may state that MCAT expires in three years from matriculation date, they may be a little more lenient than that and you can definitely call them to ask. Let us know what their responses are if you do. I think the OP of the thread I posted the link for contacted them and they said it was acceptable. I know for a fact that someone got accepted with an MCAT score that was within three years from the time of applying but not the time of matriculation at AZCOM.

 

[hopelesslyhopeful]

Although AZCOM may state that MCAT expires in three years from matriculation date, they may be a little more lenient than that and you can definitely call them to ask. Let us know what their responses are if you do. I think the OP of the thread I posted the link for contacted them and they said it was acceptable. I know for a fact that someone got accepted with an MCAT score that was within three years from the time of applying but not the time of matriculation at AZCOM.

I plan on calling them this week, so I will definitely let you know.

Also, just an update for those interested: I picked up a night shift one night a week as a ward clerk at the local hospital (7pm-7am). It just so happens that on my first training shift there was a DO on staff working, and she is absolutely fine with me shadowing her! So, fingers crossed than I can arrange a letter of rec out of this!