Just a couple questions

[member1992]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi! I have a couple questions but here's a little background on me first...So I was a pre-optometry student and then started to consider med school for ophthalmology. I will be graduating in spring 2014 and finishing my first bachelors in 3.5 years.. I have a 3.3 gpa, hopefully it'll be a 3.4/5 by the end of the semester. I already took the OAT and scored in the 80th percentile. I'm Vietnamese. I don't really care where I go for medical school, I would be happy if i were just accepted. Also, DO is not an option. Here are my questions:

1. When should I take the MCAT if I want to go to med school next year? I know it may already be late so I would be open to applying the next cycle.

2. When is it considered "too late" to apply?

3. I still have to take microbiology and orgo2, will this decrease my chances of getting accepted?

4. Will they take into consideration my early graduation and 18+ credit semesters?

 

[sinombre]

Hi! I have a couple questions but here's a little background on me first...So I was a pre-optometry student and then started to consider med school for ophthalmology. I will be graduating in spring 2014 and finishing my first bachelors in 3.5 years.. I have a 3.3 gpa, hopefully it'll be a 3.4/5 by the end of the semester. I already took the OAT and scored in the 80th percentile. I'm Vietnamese. I don't really care where I go for medical school, I would be happy if i were just accepted. Also, DO is not an option. Here are my questions:

1. When should I take the MCAT if I want to go to med school next year? I know it may already be late so I would be open to applying the next cycle.

2. When is it considered "too late" to apply?

3. I still have to take microbiology and orgo2, will this decrease my chances of getting accepted?

4. Will they take into consideration my early graduation and 18+ credit semesters?

It's probably not going to happen without a post bacc/SMP.

1. You should probably boost your GPA first

2. Especially with low stats, you should really apply at the very beginning of the cycle.

3. No

4. Not really

 

[Doctor Strange]

1. If you would like to go to med school next year (Fall 2014), then you should take the MCAT this May.
2. It is considered "too late" to apply probably late September/early October, especially with your stats.
3. No.
4. No.

AMCAS (the MD primary application) is open for submission in early June, which marks the start of the cycle. After that, most schools will send secondary applications, which should be completed ASAP. Interviews are September through February-ish, and decisions come out anywhere from October to June of the next year.

With your GPA, I don't see being able to get acceptances to an MD school. Also, your OAT score has no bearing on what your MCAT score will be, as the MCAT is notoriously more difficult than the OAT.

Moral of the story: Med school next year is not happening for you unless you go DO. I don't see your GPA jumping up to >3.5 by graduation without an SMP or post-bac.

 

[burbbs]

OP If you can get your GPA to 3.5 by the end of this semester and then to a 3.6 by the time you graduate, then you will be fine.


To answer your questions,

1. Take the MCAT when ready but anytime from now until before you apply in June 2014.


2. Don't remember this question since I'm using mobile and I can't recheck

3. And like the above poster, no but you will need to have it completed before matriculating to medical school. Also it helps to do well on the MCAT.

4. Probably not. Maybe...probably not. Ultimately it's your classes and your GPA. Not so much how much you took at a time

 

[member1992]

Thanks for all your honest opinions! I think I will apply next cycle!

 

[sinombre]

Thanks for all your honest opinions! I think I will apply next cycle!

Since you were originally pre-optometry, do you have any relevant clinical experience/ECs?

 

[member1992]

Shadowing in both optometry and ophthalmology offices, which is what helped me change my mind. I'm going to try to do some more EC's during my time off after graduation

 

[sinombre]

Shadowing in both optometry and ophthalmology offices, which is what helped me change my mind. I'm going to try to do some more EC's during my time off after graduation

Aren't you applying in 2014? That's not going to give you enough time to get clinical experience, because AMCAS gets transmitted to schools at the end of June. Try and volunteer somewhere and shadow more physicians. Scores aren't everything in this process... successful applicants tend to have pretty impressive and extensive lists of ECs.

 

[SOMBound13]

I will be graduating in spring 2014 and finishing my first bachelors in 3.5 years.. I have a 3.3 gpa, hopefully it'll be a 3.4/5 by the end of the semester.

Do NOT graduate after 3.5 semesters. Your GPA is too low. You need to go for the full 4 years and use that extra semester to boost your GPA. Then apply AFTER you graduate.

Have you taken all the premed prereqs? What grades have you gotten so far? What is your major?

You need to take some extra BCMP classes to boost your science and cum GPAs. But, only choose classes that you'll get A's in.

 

[member1992]

@sinombre Yeah that's true, thanks for the advice 🙂 I really appreciate it.

@SOMBound13 That's what I was thinking, especially since graduating early really wouldn't matter anymore lol nope, just need microbiology and orgo2, which is what I'm planning to take. My major is biology and I've gotten 3 C's so far which I know is pretty bad, so I will retake those classes. This semester I'm planning on getting straight A's, so hopefully that'll boost my GPA. I'm definitely planning on taking easier classes and smaller load, so hopefully that'll boost the GPA, too. Thanks!