Is this a good plan (timing wise?)

Started by Govols13
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Govols13

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Currently a junior in undergrad (major Kinesiology). About a cGPA of 3.80, sGPA of 3.78. As far as science courses:

Taken:
Inorganic Chem 1&2
Anatomy
Physiology
Bio 1
Physics 1

Still have yet to take:
Physics 2 (in progress this semester)
Bio 2
Organic 1&2 (taking all of it next summer)
Sciences for my major (biomechanics, exercise phys, etc)

Considering taking:
Genetics
Microbiology
Biochem

Not much ECs:
PT tech for 7 months
Currently a pharmacy tech (only a couple weekends a month)
Plan on getting some more soon


I was doing the physical therapy route up until recently, but I decided on D.O.

I'm on track to graduating on time (May 2013). I plan on studying for the MCAT immediately upon graduation, using the 3 or 4 month plan posted in the MCAT forum. I will then take my MCAT (Aug or Sept) and apply to D.O. schools for the Fall of 2014.

Does this sound about right? Will my MCAT score be too late to apply for the next academic year? Also, will a LOR from a PT be useful at all?
 
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if you want to apply to KCUMB they require both biochem and genetics so take that into consideration....id say if you don't want to take both you should definitely pick biochem i think most schools like that youve had some exposure.

if you can start studying during the semester and see if you can take the mcat earlier (even july)...the later the mcat the later schools start looking at your app..and it takes a month to get your score so if you take the sept mcat you won't get the score til october...also if you can take it earlier you can get your score back and if its not good enough or not what you want you have time to take it again while if you take the aug or sept you might get stuck til the jan mcat
 
Govols13 said:
Currently a junior in undergrad (major Kinesiology). About a cGPA of 3.80, sGPA of 3.78. As far as science courses:

Taken:
Inorganic Chem 1&2
Anatomy
Physiology
Bio 1
Physics 1

Still have yet to take:
Physics 2 (in progress this semester)
Bio 2
Organic 1&2 (taking all of it next summer)
Sciences for my major (biomechanics, exercise phys, etc)

Considering taking:
Genetics
Microbiology
Biochem

Not much ECs:
PT tech for 7 months
Currently a pharmacy tech (only a couple weekends a month)
Plan on getting some more soon


I was doing the physical therapy route up until recently, but I decided on D.O.

I'm on track to graduating on time (May 2013). I plan on studying for the MCAT immediately upon graduation, using the 3 or 4 month plan posted in the MCAT forum. I will then take my MCAT (Aug or Sept) and apply to D.O. schools for the Fall of 2014.

Does this sound about right? Will my MCAT score be too late to apply for the next academic year? Also, will a LOR from a PT be useful at all?
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As long as your GPA stays where it's at and you seriously start building up some EC activities the fact that your application will be a few months late will likely be negated. Ideally, you would want to be complete at schools no later than the end of July. In this case, you won't be complete until at least September. Do take the MCAT on the earliest August date you can.

Biochem vs. Genetics is a highly debated topic and I find it really depends on your university. At my university, the way Biochem is taught, it's not a real benefit for medical school. Med students come back and tell us that it helped them for about 2 or 3 lectures and after that it was a level playing field. Genetics, on the other hand, helps them throughout.

With that said, the overarching thing we hear at my university is that Cell Biology was one of the most beneficial courses taken. The other, slightly behind, is Immunology. Our Microbiology professor actually tells us that if we are faced with taking either Micro or Biochem/Immuno/Cell that we should choose one of the latter three. Micro is interesting, she says, but nowhere near as beneficial for medical school as the others.

Some people will see issues with taking Organic during a Summer session. Personally, I see no problem with it. It will be hard work, you will not learn everything you would traditionally, but you'll learn enough to get the MCAT score you need.

Try to avoid separating sequential courses by a semester. If you take them back to back you will build a better foundation.

Keep that GPA up - you're above average and want to stay that way!
 
Thanks for you replies guys. I didn't think I would be cutting the deadline that close, seeing as I should be finished taking the mcat (and receiving my score) almost a year in advance. Do schools really want applications in that early? And I hope schools won't look at me taking summer classes as an issue. I took both my anatomy and physiology together last summer and I feel like I retained the material better than most who take it during their normal spring/fall semester. I'll ask around to see which class would be more beneficial at my school.

Also, how many hours of EC would keep me competitive?
 
Govols13 said:
Thanks for you replies guys. I didn't think I would be cutting the deadline that close, seeing as I should be finished taking the mcat (and receiving my score) almost a year in advance. Do schools really want applications in that early? And I hope schools won't look at me taking summer classes as an issue. I took both my anatomy and physiology together last summer and I feel like I retained the material better than most who take it during their normal spring/fall semester. I'll ask around to see which class would be more beneficial at my school.

Also, how many hours of EC would keep me competitive?
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the application process is a year long process with schools using a rolling admissions starting in June the YEAR BEFORE you matriculate...you can submit your primary application (through AACOMAS) in June and mid-June they start getting sent to schools...the earlier you submit the primary the quicker it gets verified by AACOMAS...DO schools start handing out interview invites pretty quickly and will start accepting people a few weeks after the interview starts...so the later your app is in the more acceptances and interviews that will already be handed out...I have friends who have applied in January and gotten interviews and still been accepted (off of waitlist) but your odds go wayyyyy down then if you submitted your app in June-August
 
I applied late fall/early winter with a way lower GPA than you have, but a solid MCAT (30) and awesome EC's.

I got interviews, and an acceptance (non-waitlist) at my top school.

If you get your apps ready in the summer and have everything ready to go before you take the MCAT so that the MCAT is the only thing that needs finishing, you'll be in a good position. Fall isn't really that late IMO.


Best of luck!

SLC
 
SLC said:
As many as you can get, without jeopardizing your academic standing. Though it's less about how many hours, and more about what you do (again, IMO). Don't wait, get on it now. Find something you like and run with it.

SLC
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This. There's no magic number, find something you're passionate about and don't make it a mundane task. I have 3,000+ volunteer hours and enjoyed every one of them!

Hang in there!
 
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