I need an honest opinion on my stats and chances of acceptance

[KVG]

I graduated with a GPA of 3.7 and currently an MPH student. My MCAT is a 24 and my weakness is in the verbal section because English is my third language and I did not grow up in the US. I have many experiences from internships abroad, shadowing, years of research, publications, and years of volunteer. I would appreciate honest opinions on what my chances are to get into a DO school and which schools are most likely to accept me.

Thanks!

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[BestDoctorEver]

I graduated with a GPA of 3.7 and currently an MPH student. My MCAT is a 24 and my weakness is in the verbal section because English is my third language and I did not grow up in the US. I have many experiences from internships abroad, shadowing, years of research, publications, and years of volunteer. I would appreciate honest opinions on what my chances are to get into a DO school and which schools are most likely to accept me.

Thanks!

What is your MCAT breakdown? If your VR>=5, you will get in somewhere (low tier DO). I suggest this list: KYCOM, VCOM, LMU-DCOM, WCUCOM, LUCOM, ACOM, SOMA, PCOM-GA, PNWU, CUSOM (if VR>6).....

 

[KVG]

My Verbal is a 5! My physical sciences is a 9 and my biological sciences is a 10!

 

[BestDoctorEver]

My Verbal is a 5! My physical sciences is a 9 and my biological sciences is a 10!

You will get in somewhere... Avoid CUSOM.

 

[KVG]

I appreciate your guidance!

 

[Postictal Raiden]

I agree with BestDoctorEver.

However, with your high GPA, I would suggest that you don't sell yourself short. Dedicate the next 3-4 months of your life to studying the mcat and retake in late April or May. If you score 30+, then you may consider the MD route since state MD schools tend to be "cheap". However, a score of 26+ with nothing less than 7 on verbal, will open a whole new horizon for you in the DO world.

 

[CSqueed]

There are some people on the underdog thread with your GPA and a 6 in VR who got into most "upper tier" DO's. Raise the sciences more ---> actually study.

 

[KVG]

I would love to retake the test but this was already a retake which increase me from a 21 to a 24 and I am a full time graduate student and a full time researcher until next winter/spring and will have no time for studying for the MCAT again! I am affraid not having time will make my score worse rather than better.

 

[CSqueed]

I would love to retake the test but this was already a retake which increase me from a 21 to a 24 and I am a full time graduate student and a full time researcher until next winter/spring and will have no time for studying for the MCAT again! I am affraid not having time will make my score worse rather than better.

You should be okay for getting into a DO school if you apply to like 20 of them on June 1st (whenever opening day is).

There was actually an inspirational thread some time ago about some dude posting about how he got in (ATSU-SOMA) with a 5 in VR and rocked the boards.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

I would love to retake the test but this was already a retake which increase me from a 21 to a 24 and I am a full time graduate student and a full time researcher until next winter/spring and will have no time for studying for the MCAT again! I am affraid not having time will make my score worse rather than better.

If you just want to get somewhere (anywhere), Do NOT retake.

 

[KVG]

That's nice to hear! I feel like I have never had an issue in school but not being an English language native really does make the verbal difficult specially when it comes to Philosophy and stuff.

 

[KVG]

Given my situation right now I do want to just get in anywhere! I absolutely need to continue working for financial reasons and I love my graduate MPh program (in Epidemiology and Biostatistics) and I am already 25 years old! I won't have time for retaking the MCATs unless I quite everything!

 

[BestDoctorEver]

That's nice to hear! I feel like I have never had an issue in school but not being an English language native really does make the verbal difficult specially when it comes to Philosophy and stuff.

Apply early next cycle and you will be ok... I bet you will have 2+ acceptances if you don't have the personality of a rock.

 

[KVG]

I don't think I have the personality of a rock so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[CSqueed]

Given my situation right now I do want to just get in anywhere! I absolutely need to continue working for financial reasons and I love my graduate MPh program (in Epidemiology and Biostatistics) and I am already 25 years old! I won't have time for retaking the MCATs unless I quite everything!

Just read down the list of underdogs and apply to the schools where people got interviews with 5's and 6's.

 

[KVG]

I am new to this forum; where can I find this underdog list?

Thx

 

[CSqueed]

I am new to this forum; where can I find this underdog list?

Thx

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...ead-lets-get-it.1000254/page-62#post-14792565

Go to page 1

 

[KVG]

Thanks much!

 

[DamanTHFC]

You will get in somewhere... Avoid CUSOM.

Why avoid CUSOM?
I'm just curious ... idk much about it, but I did read this, in which the author was pretty positive about CUSOM.
http://risingdoctor.blogspot.com/2013/04/which-osteopathic-medical-school-do-is.html

 

[BestDoctorEver]

Why avoid CUSOM?
I'm just curious ... idk much about it, but I did read this, in which the author was pretty positive about CUSOM.
http://risingdoctor.blogspot.com/2013/04/which-osteopathic-medical-school-do-is.html

Because his/her VR score is a 5. I heard that CUSOM want a minimum of 7 subscore in every section.

 

[QuantumJ]

Echo the advice to buckle down and retry the MCAT. Good GPA and a few more points will put you in a good position assuming everything else is kosher.

 

[ToKingdomCome]

Because his/her VR score is a 5. I heard that CUSOM want a minimum of 7 subscore in every section.

This is not true. I know someone who had a 6

 

[coolingglasses]

Reasonable odds.

 

[Lost Vagus]

If you just want to get somewhere (anywhere), Do NOT retake.

I know some people that took the mcat five times. Find a school that takes the best score. Most DO schools don't care how many times you take it.

 

[hallowmann]

I know some people that took the mcat five times. Find a school that takes the best score. Most DO schools don't care how many times you take it.

I feel like this is a very misleading statement. They might not care if you take a couple retakes and do much better, but most schools care how many times you take it if you get roughly the same scores. Some schools even average MCAT scores.

Taking it 5 times is not a good sign especially if it demonstrates a plateau. For example if OP took it again and got a 23, 22, 24 etc., it pretty much shows that's the best they can do. That is not a good sign.

If OP can't devote time to studying and guarantee they can do better, there's no point in retaking it. They can get in as is. That said, if they could study and guarantee doing well on a retake that would be best.