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[mmiv9]

.I was just wondering if I could get some advice on my situation:.
. .
.I’m a junior at a private university in Ohio and I will be taking the MCAT at the end of May. I currently have a 3.45 cGPA and a 3.3 sGPA. .
. .
.My EC’s include:.
. .
.Varsity Baseball – 1 year.
.Emergency Medical Services – 3+ years.
.Volunteer at Hospital – 1 year.
.Pre-Health Professions Club – 1 year.
.Other small interest clubs – 2+ years.
.Preparing for an Immersion trip to Ecuador this May.
.Research Assistant in Neuroscience – 1+ year.
.Worked in Family Practice doctor’s office – 5+ years.
.Numerous shadowing experiences including general surgeon, family practice, podiatrists, veterinarian.
. .
.I’m a certified EMT-B and currently hold a leadership position in the department..
. .
.I’m planning on applying to osteopathic schools such as LECOM-Erie and OUCOM. .
. .
.Please let me know which schools I would have the best shot at, and any other helpful advice that may be out there..

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[Catalystik]

Your ECs look great. Do you have any experience in or come from a rural area?

Your chances will rest with your MCAT score. Your cGPA is right at the average for those accepted to DO schools, so if you get an average MCAT of 25.5, you'll be in good shape for applying through AACOMAS.

Assuming you are wondering about applying to allopathic schools at the same time (since this is a subforum for PreMed Allo), if you get an MCAT score of 32-33, I think you have a shot at some MD schools too, assuming you have a recent steep upward trend in your science classes. Northeastern, Wright (the reasons I asked about rural experience) would be possible for you, as would Toledo.

OOS schools to consider: MSU, Virginia Commonwealth, EVMS, Drexel, NYMC, Tulane, UIllinois, Rush, GWU, Temple, Buffalo, Loyola, Loma Linda.

Just because it needs to be said: you'd be in a much stronger postion if you wait a year and continue to improve your GPA. This would be true for DO and MD schools if your recent science grades haven't been sterling.

Were you to wait, a year of nonmedical community service would be nice to see on your application. If you've done any teaching/coaching/mentoring/TAing, include that along with hobbies and artistic endeavors.

 

[mmiv9]

Thanks for your feedback!

To answer your first question, I am from a suburban area, but it is very close to some rural areas, so I'm definitely familiar with those types of areas.

I am planning on applying to both MD and DO, but I figure my best shot is going to be with DO, and I think you would agree as well. Your suggestion to wait a year is well taken, but I would like to take my chances this year and see what happens, and if need be, then re-apply. Do you really think I have a chance with all of the schools you listed, because I haven't even considered some of them because I didn't think my prereq's matched what they were looking for.

Basically, from your post, I'm able to take away that at this point everything rests on my MCAT score?

 

[Catalystik]

I am planning on applying to both MD and DO, but I figure my best shot is going to be with DO, and I think you would agree as well.

Do you really think I have a chance with all of the schools you listed, because I haven't even considered some of them because I didn't think my prereq's matched what they were looking for.

Basically, from your post, I'm able to take away that at this point everything rests on my MCAT score?

If your MCAT score is 20, DO schools won't consider you. If you have a falling GPA trend in the sciences, no one will consider you. If your MCAT score is 25-31, your best chances will be at DO schools. Above that, and the schools I listed will consider you. Exceptions would be schools with a mission to serve rural or underserved communities, if you have zero actual experience in such an environment. (Hint: it's not too late to do some rural doc shadowing. If you don't have a DO LOR, you could kill two birds with one stone this way.)

Whatever chance I'm implying you'll have based on numbers would be strengthened with the improvements I've given. What else did you think you are lacking?

 

[mmiv9]

My GPA trend is fairly consistent, rising slightly since freshman year. My EC's are about set to what they are going to be once I get my application in. The only thing that is going to change about my profile is when my MCAT score comes in. I've shadowed 2 DO's and 1 MD, and could get LOR's from any of them if I asked.

Based on my profile, do you think applying in late June as soon as my MCAT score came in would be sufficient? Do you think that applying to in-state schools such as Ohio State, Case, Toledo, NEOUCOM, Cinci and Wright state should be done? From your previous post, are those the OOS schools that you think would be my best shot? Out of curiosity, which DO schools along with LECOM-erie and OUCOM do you think I would stand the best chance at getting in?

Right now, the only thing that I think my application is lacking is a little with my GPA's and it all depends on my MCAT. My EC's are as good as I can get them at this point, and I think they are pretty strong as they are. (I forgot to mention, I do have some tutoring experience. Each year I help move in the freshmen students and am assigned to a small group in order to help them transition into college.)

 

[Catalystik]

I assume you are an Ohio resident. OOS=out of state. Yes, the ones I listed in post #2 are the ones I think you'd have the best shot at, provided you meet the MCAT score guidelines I gave. They are listed by least selective, on up.

Which in-state schools you apply to will depend on the MCAT score. Ohio State and Case are fairly selective schools. I think Cinci too.

My strategy for MD schools would be to submit in early June listing only Northeastern. It only takes a few days to get your transcriopts verified the first week of June, whereas it takes more like 3 weeks the last week of June. Then after the MCAT score comes back, add more MD schools depending on how competitive your MCAT score is (or not). Newly added schools will get the entire application within a day.

I don't have a sufficiently broad perspective on DO schools to advise you on where to apply. They also vary in selectivity. My first choice would be the one in Ohio. These resources might help you decide on others to add:
DO MSAR http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/cib2010/2010-CIB-complete.pdf

DO admission stat averages for specific schools: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=598056

Definitly include the mentoring/tutoring experience you mentioned under Teaching.

 

[mmiv9]

My strategy for MD schools would be to submit in early June listing only Northeastern. It only takes a few days to get your transcriopts verified the first week of June, whereas it takes more like 3 weeks the last week of June. Then after the MCAT score comes back, add more MD schools depending on how competitive your MCAT score is (or not). Newly added schools will get the entire application within a day.

Thanks for all your help so far. I'm still a little confused on when the best time to submit my application would be. I won't have my MCAT scores until the later end of June. Are you saying that I should submit my application without my MCAT scores, and then once I get my scores in send those to the schools that I sent my applications? I've always heard that it is more confusing for schools to be receiving your applications in parts rather than in one piece.

Also, as for LOR's, we as applicants provide the people that are writing the letters for us with the addresses of the schools we need the letters sent to, is this correct?

And for transcripts, we have to have each school that we have a record at send in a transcript to each med school we apply to as well, correct? For example, colleges that we took summer classes at?

Sorry for all the questions....

 

[Catalystik]

Each school you attended will need to send a transcript to the application services, AMCAS or AACOMAS, including wherever you went to summer school. They aren't sent to individual schools.

Not sure how AACOMAS works, but I think most MD schools get the LORs through AMCAS now, so they aren't sent to individual schools generally. This is a new program in the last two years, and I'm sure it will be different this year than last, so I'm not sure what MD schools still need individual letters sent to them, if any. Ask or do a search in the PreMed Allo Forum about this.

Yes, I'm suggesting you apply to AMCAS without a known MCAT score so the transcripts can start getting verified. When the MCAT score is back, AMCAS will automatically send it to all the schools you've applied to so far. You don't have to do anything for it to happen. If you've applied to one or more schools before the score is back, they won't consider your application until they have the entire application, including the MCAT score. Of course, if the MCAT score is so low you would not have a chance at MD schools, you've wasted the $130 application fee. But if the score is competitive, you've saved the three weeks it would take for the verification process and gotten your application to schools much sooner. Whether you choose to employ this strategy is up to you.

For AACOMAS a new MCAT score has to be released to them. Not sure what you do to achieve that. But you will not send the MCAT score report yourself for either application service.

 

[J ROD]

I would recommend before deciding on whether or not to submit in early or late June to look at how your practice scores are going....if you are breaking 32+ consistently, then send it in early...

not breaking 30, wait and prepare for the DO.....

 

[Catalystik]

Here is a link to the list of medschools taking AMCAS LORs. All of your state schools aren't on it. Specifically note the FAQ link to the right: http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/faq/amcasletters.htm