HIgh gpa/ MCAT

[JohnMackenzie]

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I am an international student with 3.99 gpa/ 40 mcat from top US undergrad. Are there DO schools that are number heavy that may ignore other flaws in my app just because of the high numbers.

 

[GUH]

I am an international student with 3.99 gpa/ 40 mcat from top US undergrad. Are there DO schools that are number heavy that may ignore other flaws in my app just because of the high numbers.

uhh as long as you took the pre-requisites and you weren't a criminal you'll get in.

 

[darklabel]

uhh as long as you took the pre-requisites and you weren't a criminal you'll get in.

And you have the required LoR's and SOME sort of EC (Such as going to volunteer at a hospital once every Saturday) then yeah, you should be fine for DO. I do know for MDs, it isn
t always about numbers.

 

[TriagePreMed]

And you have the required LoR's and SOME sort of EC (Such as going to volunteer at a hospital once every Saturday) then yeah, you should be fine for DO. I do know for MDs, it isn
t always about numbers.

For MD it's pretty much just numbers.

OP - Why waste your time applying DO? If it is that you have some conviction toward osteopathic medicine, they will expect you to show that in your EC and you'll be fine.

 

[darklabel]

For MD it's pretty much just numbers.

OP - Why waste your time applying DO? If it is that you have some conviction toward osteopathic medicine, they will expect you to show that in your EC and you'll be fine.

If you're below 3.8/32 then yeah, but after you get to 3.8+ and higher than 35, every increase is negligible (according to LizzyM and such). But of course it depends on the school.

And I have read on here and experience people with high stats that don't get into certain schools while their counterparts with lower numbers were. Its all just a crapshoot sometimes.

Also, if OP doesn't have some sort of EC or the required LoRs, he will have a difficult time getting into schools.

 

[JohnMackenzie]

1) Do you guys have any recommendation as to what schools are good to apply to. The ones that will look past my weaknesses just because of the high numbers.
2) How would I show osteopathic conviction in my ECs, any suggestions (besides shadowing DO).

 

[TriagePreMed]

1) Do you guys have any recommendation as to what schools are good to apply to. The ones that will look past my weaknesses just because of the high numbers.
2) How would I show osteopathic conviction in my ECs, any suggestions (besides shadowing DO).

Apply to KCUMB. They give good scholarships to high GPA/MCAT students.

 

[spiderman888]

.......

 

[JohnMackenzie]

Are there other colleges like KCUMB that like high numbers.

 

[Goro]

Depends on a number of things. What are your "flaws"? Not all schools accept international students; and some only if you have a a green card or US citizenship.

No matter what your numbers, if you have, say, no patient contact experience, you're not getting into either Stanford or a DO program.

I am an international student with 3.99 gpa/ 40 mcat from top US undergrad. Are there DO schools that are number heavy that may ignore other flaws in my app just because of the high numbers.

 

[scarecrow90]

 

[darklabel]

Apply to KCUMB. They give good scholarships to high GPA/MCAT students.

I normally agree with what you say, but do you really think med schools will accept high stats when the EC part of the app is relatively blank?

 

[TriagePreMed]

I normally agree with what you say, but do you really think med schools will accept high stats when the EC part of the app is relatively blank?

Since you're using the word "relatively," I will have to say yes. If someone has just a bit of shadowing and volunteering but an incredibly high GPA/MCAT, they can definitely get an acceptance. I know of someone with about 60 hours of volunteering and 30 or so hours of shadowing that got into WesternU with a 3.9/29 two cycles ago.

 

[kelminak]

Since you're using the word "relatively," I will have to say yes. If someone has just a bit of shadowing and volunteering but an incredibly high GPA/MCAT, they can definitely get an acceptance. I know of someone with about 60 hours of volunteering and 30 or so hours of shadowing that got into WesternU with a 3.9/29 two cycles ago.

Your speak of those numbers as being low, what is more typical for shadowing/volunteering hours? I've heard tons of different numbers ranging from specifics to "just do what you can and learn what you can take from it".

 

[mappingmedicine]

Crazy how it took until the 11th post on this thread for someone to point it out, huh?

 

[TriagePreMed]

Your speak of those numbers as being low, what is more typical for shadowing/volunteering hours? I've heard tons of different numbers ranging from specifics to "just do what you can and learn what you can take from it".

AT Still SOMA told me their average was about 200 volunteer hours with 100 shadowing. I don't know if that would be average at all schools, but I think it makes sense for the most competitive.

 

[notbobtrustme]

I am an international student with 3.99 gpa/ 40 mcat from top US undergrad. Are there DO schools that are number heavy that may ignore other flaws in my app just because of the high numbers.

the biggest flaw you have is that you are international. Unless you are a permanent resident, you're going to have an exceedingly difficult time attending any school even with those stats. As an intl student, you aren't qualified for federal loans, so you would need to figure out a way to pay for your expenses which can be >60,000 each year.

 

[JohnMackenzie]

Yes, the biggest "flaws" in my app are that I'm international and I am very bad interviewer. I do have the clinical volunteering and LORs. Any suggestions on where to apply as international and how to improve interviewing skills.

 

[user3]

There have been reports of people being accepted to DO schools (while not even getting interviews from MD schools) with nothing on their application but a high gpa and mcat.

 

[SFU]

Perfect GPA and 40 MCAT, there are a lot of schools you can get into, MD or DO. If you're not a troll, are you a robot? Those stats can get you into any school that takes internationals, as long as you have something on your ECs. Anyone who thinks otherwise, is drinking too much SDN Koolaid. Its a numbers game first and foremost, the rest is icing on the cake.

 

[edgerock24]

I heard on a Princeton Review podcast that individuals with 40+ MCAT's typically have some sort of social anxiety problems (not kidding). Wouldn't be surprised if this was the case for the OP (considering he just stated hes a bad interviewer).