I am late to apply for everything. Need advice to return as a stronger applicant.

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Lucasisfluffy

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Hi all,

I am a non-trad graduated 7 yrs ago. My plan was to apply a few low-tier MD schools and broadly to all DO schools.

I have my apps (DO and MD) ready, but I am still working on polishing my PS until the MCAT score come back next week. Why so late? cause I wanted to focus on studying while still working more than full time.

I recently spoked to a few advisors from private companies...they all said with my mediocre GPA and applying at this time my apps will be screened out right away , unless i have a 520 mcat. My ECs (+10,000 hours as allied health professional, 100+ volunteers hrs, leaderships in undergrad and my work) can't make up for that and it is not spectacular.

It's a bit hard to take in but I guess I need to wait next year. I just want to see if August submission to DO schools will handicap me and what could I do to strengthen my applications for next year.

Thank you.

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ehhh, so what's your GPA roughly? You don't need MCAT as high as 520 for MD or DO school unless you are international students without a green card.
I'm not familiar being a non-trad student, but experiences of a non-trad really vary.
However, I still believe you have lots of experience (not necessarily about medical stuff). Otherwise, what have you done in 7 years?
I think your ECs seem fine although volunteer hrs are just little. Finally it depends on what you have learned from your experiences and why you want to be a doctor.
 
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Hi all,

I am a non-trad graduated 7 yrs ago. My plan was to apply a few low-tier MD schools and broadly to all DO schools.

I have my apps (DO and MD) ready, but I am still working on polishing my PS until the MCAT score come back next week. Why so late? cause I wanted to focus on studying while still working more than full time.

I recently spoked to a few advisors from private companies...they all said with my mediocre GPA and applying at this time my apps will be screened out right away , unless i have a 520 mcat. My ECs (+10,000 hours as allied health professional, 100+ volunteers hrs, leaderships in undergrad and my work) can't make up for that and it is not spectacular.

It's a bit hard to take in but I guess I need to wait next year. I just want to see if August submission to DO schools will handicap me and what could I do to strengthen my applications for next year.

Thank you.
The DO cycle is longer than MD. You're fine until T-giving.
 
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August submission for DO isn't late. Hard to tell what your chances are without GPA
 
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ehhh, so what's your GPA roughly? You don't need MCAT as high as 520 for MD or DO school unless you are international students without a green card.
I'm not familiar being a non-trad student, but experiences of a non-trad really varies.
However, I still believe you have lots of experience (not necessarily about medical stuff). Otherwise, what have you done in 7 years?
I think your ECs seem fine although volunteer hrs are just little. Finally it depends on what you have learned from your experience and why you want to be a doctor.

My GPA is 3.3 (sGPA, cGPA) from a top public school.

Most of my volunteer hours (aside from that 100+hrs) are at work because everyplace I worked at are short-staffed so I took on extra roles/duties. My LORs are from the chief nurse officer and physicians who I worked closely and they knew it.

I work with populations with low social economic status. It wasn't until my 3rd year working in a rural town I recognized I wanted to do extend my practice and be a primary care provider. I once thought very hard on PA/NP primarily due to financial constraint, but I did't feel comfortable the training is enough to handle those complex elderly patients so I started to compete prerequisites (only a few) b/w 2015-2016.

I love to volunteer. Now that my finance is not as tight as before (granted, still no way I can afford quitting full-time) so I already have plans to go back to volunteer more (and take more class..just don't know what class will help)

If applying next year in May/June 1st give me a higher chance to get in, I need to take it. My projected MCAT score is 500-507 (depends on CARS..it can break me).

Thank you.
 
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Who have you been talking to? You do not need a 520 MCAT with your stats and ECs (although it would be nice!).

Your GPA is fine as long as you have an upward trend. My sGPA and cGPA are 3.3 with a 3.8 post-bacc. I spoke to a few private companies/medical school admissions as well. They told me I am competitive with my upward trend and ECs as long as I didn't bomb the MCAT. Got a 505. I am only applying to DO and 4 MD schools. I have already received one interview.
 
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Thank you very much for the replies. I talked to a former ADCOM from a competitive MD school.

I wish I have an upward trends :(

I didn't do a formal post-bacc (all i need is physics I, II, III), but that was my biggest mistake during those time not to quit my former job sooner where everyone left due to horrible management. I received B+, B, B+ from a UC extension :(.

I did take some science labs and anatomy class (all As) just for personal interest prior to working my way to applying med school.

Should I take some upper level science classes online ? I don't have any Cs in science but my low sGPA probably due to only a few As.
 
Thank you very much for the replies. I talked to a former ADCOM from a competitive MD school.

I wish I have an upward trends :(

I didn't do a formal post-bacc (all i need is physics I, II, III), but that was my biggest mistake during those time not to quit my former job sooner where everyone left due to horrible management. I received B+, B, B+ from a UC extension :(.

I did take some science labs and anatomy class (all As) just for personal interest prior to working my way to applying med school.

Should I take some upper level science classes online ? I don't have any Cs in science but my low sGPA probably due to only a few As.

I would expect that response from an ADCOM at a competitive MD school.

I'm not an ADCOM but I personally believe you need an upward trend. It sounds like my experience in college was similar to yours. Go back to school with a 75-100% class load and take upper level science classes (not online) and prove you can consistently get As. This is important because this is foolproof, indisputable evidence that you can grow, overcome challenges, and work hard. Get a good MCAT score and you're golden.
 
How many classes I should take per semester/quarter I should take w/ FT work to show I can handle meds school? Does it matter where I take it (state vs UCs?)?
The nearest university near my work (80miles) is UCLA extension which I took physics from.

I can only think of Genetics, Immunology, Embryology, or re-take Biochemistry (<--this is the lowest grade I got in science : B-)
 
Don't ever retake a B or B-. Get A's in 2 upper-level science classes per semester since you have other commitments (FT work, volunteering, etc.)
 
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Thanks! would 4 upper level classes enough for next year application? I might still apply this cycle depends on my MCAT score.
 
That's pretty far from a university. I can't really advise what to do about that. I would recommend taking upper level classes in person at a college or university and not a community college to ENSURE that adcoms won't have a problem with that but you may have to ask a few about what would be best.

I'm not familiar with semesters but at least two 5 credit classes per quarter with full-time work so whatever that translates to in semesters. If you can decrease your work hours to 30 hours/week that would help but people have done it doing 40 hours a week. Don't retake your biochem; that's not a terrible grade for a high level course. If you completed your prerequisites with As and Bs, take new science classes like the one you mentioned (as long as they are upper level).
 
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