MD & DO Looking for constructive criticism before my first cycle

[psu228]

Hey sdn,

So I know everyone is freaking about about the grade replacement thing (and as someone who replaced two Cs with two As I feel your pain), but I'm really looking for some advice and honest appraisals of my applicant profile if you don't mind.

Assuming that grade replacement is out, my grades are:

Bio 110: A-
Bio 230 (molecular bio): B
Bio 434 Pathology: B
Bio 412 Neurobiology: B
Bio 112 Physiology: B
Note.. I took neuro and physiology the same semester at which time I got really sick with pneumonia for a month. Definitely impacted my grades.

Chem 110: C retake A (lab and lecture)
Chem 112: C retake A (lab and lecture)
O chem 1: C+ lecture, A lab
Bio chem 1: A (lab and Lecture)
Note.. Have yet to take O Chem 2 but plan to before next fall.

Physics 1: A (lab and lecture)
Note.. Have not taken Physics 2 but am this semester

Trig: B-
Bio Stats: C

I majored in History and minored in Biology, Jewish Studies, and Middle Eastern studies. My cGPA is 3.52 and my sGPA with no grade replacement is 3.32 at this juncture.
I also got an A in Bio 400: Teaching biology. Not sure if that would be factored in. Sure hope so!

ECs:
-Ran a charitable student organization for two years for pediatric cancer. Raised over 75K in two years.
-Office of admissions tour guide for three years
-200 hours of research in psych/neuro lab. No publications or posters
-TA for Bio 230
-TA for intro sociology
-Resident assistant for 1 year
-Interned at a Middle East think tank in Rome my junior year summer
-Shadowed an osteopathic surgeon for 50 hours
-Currently working as a PCA in a radiology unit. Have 250 clinical hours now and will be around 300 by application time.

No MCAT to date. Planning on the June 1 test. Took a practice test and got a 505 without studying. Planning on studying heavily for this.

Anyway, I'm just looking for any critiques, ways I can improve. My dream school is pcom or NOVA. I own property in Philly so am planning to apply to all the MD schools there other than Penn. Also will apply to Penn State. My DO LOR is a pcom grad.

Thanks for any input.

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[AlteredScale]

Moving this to WAMC.

 

[ciestar]

Hey sdn,

So I know everyone is freaking about about the grade replacement thing (and as someone who replaced two Cs with two As I feel your pain), but I'm really looking for some advice and honest appraisals of my applicant profile if you don't mind.

Assuming that grade replacement is out, my grades are:

Bio 110: A-
Bio 230 (molecular bio): B
Bio 434 Pathology: B
Bio 412 Neurobiology: B
Bio 112 Physiology: B
Note.. I took neuro and physiology the same semester at which time I got really sick with pneumonia for a month. Definitely impacted my grades.

Chem 110: C retake A (lab and lecture)
Chem 112: C retake A (lab and lecture)
O chem 1: C+ lecture, A lab
Bio chem 1: A (lab and Lecture)
Note.. Have yet to take O Chem 2 but plan to before next fall.

Physics 1: A (lab and lecture)
Note.. Have not taken Physics 2 but am this semester

Trig: B-
Bio Stats: C

I majored in History and minored in Biology, Jewish Studies, and Middle Eastern studies. My cGPA is 3.52 and my sGPA with no grade replacement is 3.32 at this juncture.
I also got an A in Bio 400: Teaching biology. Not sure if that would be factored in. Sure hope so!

ECs:
-Ran a charitable student organization for two years for pediatric cancer. Raised over 75K in two years.
-Office of admissions tour guide for three years
-200 hours of research in psych/neuro lab. No publications or posters
-TA for Bio 230
-TA for intro sociology
-Resident assistant for 1 year
-Interned at a Middle East think tank in Rome my junior year summer
-Shadowed an osteopathic surgeon for 50 hours
-Currently working as a PCA in a radiology unit. Have 250 clinical hours now and will be around 300 by application time.

No MCAT to date. Planning on the June 1 test. Took a practice test and got a 505 without studying. Planning on studying heavily for this.

Anyway, I'm just looking for any critiques, ways I can improve. My dream school is pcom or NOVA. I own property in Philly so am planning to apply to all the MD schools there other than Penn. Also will apply to Penn State. My DO LOR is a pcom grad.

Thanks for any input.

These course numbers make me cringe. Chem 210 was soul sucking. Pretty certain we went to the same undergrad.
(BTW are you sure it's biol 412? I took the same course but it was ecology and not neuro).

You TAing for credit will factor into your GPA, mine did, but for econ 296.

Try and maybe shadow another specialty, just to get a broader view beyond surgery. You need some nonclincial volunteering too (although I am not sure what your THON experience was). If you're currently in Philly, there's hundreds of places to get involved in some way.

Just get a good MCAT school and I definitely think you'll be fine for DO. GPA is low for MD but you'll never know if you don't apply. But limiting yourself geographically is really risky and I don't recommend it, given that Drexel, Jeff, and Temple are all low yield because of how many apps they get every year. While they favor IS residents, go for RowanSOM, it's close to Philly.

 

[psu228]

These course numbers make me cringe. Chem 210 was soul sucking. Pretty certain we went to the same undergrad.
(BTW are you sure it's biol 412? I took the same course but it was ecology and not neuro).

You TAing for credit will factor into your GPA, mine did, but for econ 296.

Try and maybe shadow another specialty, just to get a broader view beyond surgery. You need some nonclincial volunteering too (although I am not sure what your THON experience was). If you're currently in Philly, there's hundreds of places to get involved in some way.

Just get a good MCAT school and I definitely think you'll be fine for DO. GPA is low for MD but you'll never know if you don't apply. But limiting yourself geographically is really risky and I don't recommend it, given that Drexel, Jeff, and Temple are all low yield because of how many apps they get every year. While they favor IS residents, go for RowanSOM, it's close to Philly.

You're right, the correct number for neuro was bio 469.

I really appreciate the advice, will look into adding some more shadowing hours somewhere.

WE ARE