MD Low GPA, strong ECs and upward trend: What are my chances?

[BigST]

Hello everyone,

I'm reposting my initial submission with new information, as I did not receive any feedback to my initial post. Here is the link to my original post:
MD - Projecting my chances (Two transfers, low GPA)

1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS: AMCAS cGPA = 3.27, AMCAS sGPA = 3.15 with a strong upward trend since the beginning of my five years in undergrad. My GPA during my last three years was a 3.4, 3.4, and 3.75. My low GPA is primarily motivated by institutions that I transferred from. I attended 3 undergraduate schools with a 3.0 for one year, a 2.62 for one year, and a 3.50 for three years at the school I graduated from.
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown: Nextsteptestprep FL1 = 509, FL2 = 504 balanced. Currently 6 weeks into dedicated prep with two months left of prep time. I'd like to score quite high, and am confident I can push my score at least to a 515 before test day.
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US): IL
4. Ethnicity and/or race: White
5. Undergraduate institution or category: Higher ranked private LAC
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer): 500 hours via paid scribing, 500 hours clinical volunteering over just less than a year period leading up to AMCAS submission.
7. Research experience and productivity: Completion of a 320 hour project by the end of Summer 2017, potentially published and presented before the end of 2017.
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented: 30 hours currently, aiming for 160 by June 2018. Current specialties represented include Oncology, Pediatrics, Ophthalmology, and GenSurg.
9. Non-clinical volunteering: None
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc): Organic Chemistry TA for a year, Calculus TA for a semester, Residential Assistant for 2 years, Economics tutor for a semester, campus dialogue moderator for 2 years
11. Relevant honors or awards: Multiple Dean's List awards
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important: I feel that I will be able to submit a compelling personal statement that elaborates on my experience as a low-income, rural, first generation student during the pursuit of an education (I qualified and joined the MedMAR). This feeling is motivated by feedback from Physicians (DO and MD) that I have discussed the structure of my essay with. My LAC's department is also renowned for writing outstanding LOR to Professional and Graduate programs.

I am not sure where I stand, and what directions I should take. My GPA is a glaring weakpoint, and makes me worry that despite my potentially great MCAT I will still be circling the drain in an MD cycle.

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[Terror Billy]

Those GPAs do not hold a strong chance for MDs...however the key factor is your military service. There are people on here with way more knowledge than myself, but if you've served I've read that it can account for up to .5 GPA points! The key thing is killing your MCAT and if you do that I'd think with your ECs you'd have a viable shot at DOs and even MDs based on the military service

 

[Faha]

When are you planning to take the MCAT? What year will you be applying?

 

[md-2020]

Those GPAs do not hold a strong chance for MDs...however the key factor is your military service. There are people on here with way more knowledge than myself, but if you've served I've read that it can account for up to .5 GPA points! The key thing is killing your MCAT and if you do that I'd think with your ECs you'd have a viable shot at DOs and even MDs based on the military service

I don't think OP mentioned that they have a military service record...?

 

[BigST]

When are you planning to take the MCAT? What year will you be applying?

MCAT Date is late August, I will be applying in June 2018.

Those GPAs do not hold a strong chance for MDs...however the key factor is your military service. There are people on here with way more knowledge than myself, but if you've served I've read that it can account for up to .5 GPA points! The key thing is killing your MCAT and if you do that I'd think with your ECs you'd have a viable shot at DOs and even MDs based on the military service

Hi, I appreciate your feedback greatly; however, I am concerned that my post led you to believe I am a veteran. I am not.

 

[Faha]

Post your MCAT score here when available in September.

 

[BigST]

Post your MCAT score here when available in September.

Will do. Thank you.

 

[Goro]

Best chances will be with DO and U ILL, and possibly SIU IF you're from southern ILL.


As a teaching moment, your 3.4 -> 3./4 -3.75 do not fit my criteria of reinvention. You need at least two solid years of 3.7+.

A post-bac or SMP is needed if you're boning for MD.

Hello everyone,

I'm reposting my initial submission with new information, as I did not receive any feedback to my initial post. Here is the link to my original post:
MD - Projecting my chances (Two transfers, low GPA)

1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS: AMCAS cGPA = 3.27, AMCAS sGPA = 3.15 with a strong upward trend since the beginning of my five years in undergrad. My GPA during my last three years was a 3.4, 3.4, and 3.75. My low GPA is primarily motivated by institutions that I transferred from. I attended 3 undergraduate schools with a 3.0 for one year, a 2.62 for one year, and a 3.50 for three years at the school I graduated from.
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown: Nextsteptestprep FL1 = 509, FL2 = 504 balanced. Currently 6 weeks into dedicated prep with two months left of prep time. I'd like to score quite high, and am confident I can push my score at least to a 515 before test day.
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US): IL
4. Ethnicity and/or race: White
5. Undergraduate institution or category: Higher ranked private LAC
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer): 500 hours via paid scribing, 500 hours clinical volunteering over just less than a year period leading up to AMCAS submission.
7. Research experience and productivity: Completion of a 320 hour project by the end of Summer 2017, potentially published and presented before the end of 2017.
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented: 30 hours currently, aiming for 160 by June 2018. Current specialties represented include Oncology, Pediatrics, Ophthalmology, and GenSurg.
9. Non-clinical volunteering: None
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc): Organic Chemistry TA for a year, Calculus TA for a semester, Residential Assistant for 2 years, Economics tutor for a semester, campus dialogue moderator for 2 years
11. Relevant honors or awards: Multiple Dean's List awards
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important: I feel that I will be able to submit a compelling personal statement that elaborates on my experience as a low-income, rural, first generation student during the pursuit of an education (I qualified and joined the MedMAR). This feeling is motivated by feedback from Physicians (DO and MD) that I have discussed the structure of my essay with. My LAC's department is also renowned for writing outstanding LOR to Professional and Graduate programs.

I am not sure where I stand, and what directions I should take. My GPA is a glaring weakpoint, and makes me worry that despite my potentially great MCAT I will still be circling the drain in an MD cycle.

 

[BigST]

Best chances will be with DO and U ILL, and possibly SIU IF you're from southern ILL.


As a teaching moment, your 3.4 -> 3./4 -3.75 do not fit my criteria of reinvention. You need at least two solid years of 3.7+.

A post-bac or SMP is needed if you're boning for MD.

Thank you, Goro! I am not from the southern Illinois region and will therefore remove the school from my considerations. I greatly appreciate everyone's advice. I can't afford to do an SMP and so will likely push my application to 2019 to strengthen my GPA via evening classes at state schools/my old community college, ECs, and commitment. This will also free me up to change my state of residency as desired, and that geographic freedom will be greatly appreciated. I'll be sure to post my MCAT here is September.

 

[BigST]

@Goro @Faha @md-2020 @PhiGamDoc

Hi everyone,
I received my score on the MCAT today. My updated stats are now an AMCAS GPA of 3.1 and a 520 (128/132/129/131) MCAT. My GPA dropped because I forgot to include remedial level coursework at my old CC. I could apply next June with 200 hours of clinical volunteering, 130 hours of shadowing, strong MCAT and upward trend in my GPA, 320 hours of research + a poster at a regional conference. Where do I stand now?

 

[Goro]

@Goro @Faha @md-2020 @PhiGamDoc

Hi everyone,
I received my score on the MCAT today. My updated stats are now an AMCAS GPA of 3.1 and a 520 (128/132/129/131) MCAT. My GPA dropped because I forgot to include remedial level coursework at my old CC. I could apply next June with 200 hours of clinical volunteering, 130 hours of shadowing, strong MCAT and upward trend in my GPA, 320 hours of research + a poster at a regional conference. Where do I stand now?

My advice holds. But congrats on the MCAT!!

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
U Illinois
Rush
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Quinnipiac
New York Medical College
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
GW
Georgetown
West Virginia
Eastern Virginia
any new schools that open for 2019 (Seton Hall, Roseman, Kaiser, NOVA MD)
Also apply to several DO schools and you are competitive for all DO schools.

 

[BigST]

Final Stat Update:
@Goro ,@Faha ,@md-2020
Hello again:
I've finalized my numbers regarding my upcoming 2018-2019 application and would like some final thoughts if you're all willing to give them.
My final stats are an AMCAS cGPA of 3.33, AMCAS bcpmGPA of 3.16 and an MCAT of 520 (128/132/129/131). I performed very strongly in my final semester of undergrad. My GPAs for the last four semesters (most distant to most recent) were a 3.325, 3.80, 3.75, and 3.66 (with two courses at the graduate level in my final semester).
I will be applying in June with 15 hours (Low, I know) of clinical volunteering, 60 hours of shadowing, 55 hours of non-clinical outreach volunteering, completion of a 360 hour research project with a poster at a regional conference, as well as over 2,400 hrs of additional ECs split between family care, tutoring, TAing, and paid work.
In your opinions, where do I stand now? These are the most accurate numbers, and account for AMCAS calculations of my GPAs.
Thank you all very much for your time - I appreciate your advice immensely.

 

[bears1992]

Kudos on the fantastic MCAT! Hard to imagine a silent MD cycle with a 520 MCAT and upward trend. Last time I checked the MSAR, there wasn't a single school that had an average matriculate MCAT as high as 520.

 

[Goro]

Final Stat Update:
@Goro ,@Faha ,@md-2020
Hello again:
I've finalized my numbers regarding my upcoming 2018-2019 application and would like some final thoughts if you're all willing to give them.
My final stats are an AMCAS cGPA of 3.33, AMCAS bcpmGPA of 3.16 and an MCAT of 520 (128/132/129/131). I performed very strongly in my final semester of undergrad. My GPAs for the last four semesters (most distant to most recent) were a 3.325, 3.80, 3.75, and 3.66 (with two courses at the graduate level in my final semester).
I will be applying in June with 15 hours (Low, I know) of clinical volunteering, 60 hours of shadowing, 55 hours of non-clinical outreach volunteering, completion of a 360 hour research project with a poster at a regional conference, as well as over 2,400 hrs of additional ECs split between family care, tutoring, TAing, and paid work.
In your opinions, where do I stand now? These are the most accurate numbers, and account for AMCAS calculations of my GPAs.
Thank you all very much for your time - I appreciate your advice immensely.

Applying that so few hours on non-clinical volunteering is worrisome

What is "family care?" If it's your family, you're supposed to do that, and it doesn't count as an EC.

My worry is that you're banking on your MCAT score to open all doors.

 

[BigST]

Applying that so few hours on non-clinical volunteering is worrisome

What is "family care?" If it's your family, you're supposed to do that, and it doesn't count as an EC.

My worry is that you're banking on your MCAT score to open all doors.

Those are fair concerns. To clarify, family care refers to taking care of my brother's children. Throughout my undergrad I had to help him out by watching/taking care of his daughters and son.

It is not my intent to rely solely upon my MCAT but I feel it's a strong point in my application.

I understand the concern about my clinical hours, but at this point I cannot alter them.

Thank you both for your reply!

 

[Goro]

Those are fair concerns. To clarify, family care refers to taking care of my brother's children. Throughout my undergrad I had to help him out by watching/taking care of his daughters and son.

It is not my intent to rely solely upon my MCAT but I feel it's a strong point in my application.

I understand the concern about my clinical hours, but at this point I cannot alter them.

Thank you both for your reply!

The key thing about Medicine is taking care of people to whom you're not related to, even if some of them are not very nice either. Hence, taking care of family doesn't count.

Your scribing hours are fine and make up for the lack of clinical volunteering. It's the non-clinical volunteering that worries me.

Your MCAT is a super strong point, but it can't be the only point.

That said, there are schools that are stats ******....WashU, NYU, to name a few.

 

[BigST]

Where do you recommend I go from here, @Goro ?

 

[Goro]

Continue volunteering and see how an app cycle shakes out. Have a strategic school list.

Contrary to SDN mania, being a re-applicant is not lethal.

 

[BigST]

Continue volunteering and see how an app cycle shakes out. Have a strategic school list.

Contrary to SDN mania, being a re-applicant is not lethal.

Thank you for your perspective. Are there particular schools you'd recommend I avoid? I can afford to apply to about 15 programs at most.

 

[Goro]

Thank you for your perspective. Are there particular schools you'd recommend I avoid? I can afford to apply to about 15 programs at most.

15 schools isn't a lot.

Avoid the service loving schools:
Netter
Tulane
SLU
Loyola
Rush
Creighton
Gtown

ALL state schools except your own

 

[BigST]

Before I revived this thread I had a list put together. Given that some of the schools you mentioned I should avoid are on the list, who would you recommend I replace them with? Should I be aiming higher? I understand that fifteen schools isn't a lot for the majority of applicants; however, I am the only one financing my application cycle and cannot afford to spend $600 on primaries as well as $1600 on Secondary applications. I've considered the FAP but the program requires tax information from both parents and I do not have any contact with my father. I appealed this and was denied.

Albany Medical College
RFUMS Chicago Medical School
Quinnipiac University
Georgetown University
Loyola
New York Medical College
MCW
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Virginia Tech Carilion
Wake-Forest

 

[Faha]

Apply to the schools I listed above and include the new schools that are now accepting applications:Seton Hall, NOVA MD and California University. Also add Kaiser, Roseman and any other private schools that may open for 2019.