MD Low GPA with High MCAT

[doctorleospaceman]

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[Faha]

Your MCAT should result in some interviews but I recommend applying more broadly to increase your chances. Consider adding these schools:
Vermont
Temple
Jefferson
GW
Georgetown
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane

 

[doctorleospaceman]

Your MCAT should result in some interviews but I recommend applying more broadly to increase your chances. Consider adding these schools:
Vermont
Temple
Jefferson
GW
Georgetown
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane

Thank you for your reply, Faha! Unfortunately I have to stay in the northeast and can't go anywhere too far for family reasons but I will look into Vermont, Jefferson and the DC schools. (Did not like Temple when I visited)

 

[GrapesofRath]

If you have to stay in the NE I would recommend looking into DO schools asap. No point in reapplying and wasting a year along with the stigmas that can sometimes be attached with reapplicants. The DO cycle extends later so if you can do a solid amount of research on them within the next few weeks start including them. You are fine for just about any of them.

Can't recommend wasting time on reaches like NYU where your gpa is 0.3 below their 10th percentile. If you absolutely must have reaches Rochester, Einstein, Case Western and Boston U while not particularly realistic at least aren't schools that might necessairly just discard your app as soon as they see it like NYU.

Schools I would give consideration to
UCONN
Tufts
Penn State
Hofstra
NYMC
Albany
Drexel
Temple
Quinnipac
Georgetown
George Washington
TCMC
Jefferson
Vermont
VCU
Cooper Rowan(ehh maybe)
Stony Brook(ehh maybe)

You will maximize your odds if you are willing to apply more broadly out of the northeast. If you have to stick in the northeast while you'll be competitive at the schools I listed to they themselves all get tons of apps and I would definitely recommend spending some time in coming weeks researching DO's and starting to apply to them(like I said the app cycle extends later and given you would be a strong DO candidate you might be able to get away with a slightly late app). NECOM, PCOM, Touro, LECOM are schools that you can start to look at.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

If you have to stay in the NE I would recommend looking into DO schools asap. No point in reapplying and wasting a year along with the stigmas that can sometimes be attached with reapplicants. The DO cycle extends later so if you can do a solid amount of research on them within the next few weeks start including them. You are fine for just about any of them.

Can't recommend wasting time on reaches like NYU where your gpa is 0.3 below their 10th percentile. If you absolutely must have reaches Rochester, Einstein, Case Western and Boston U while not particularly realistic at least aren't schools that might necessairly just discard your app as soon as they see it like NYU.

Schools I would give consideration to
UCONN
Tufts
Penn State
Hofstra
NYMC
Albany
Drexel
Temple
Quinnipac
Georgetown
George Washington
TCMC
Jefferson
Vermont
VCU
Cooper Rowan(ehh maybe)
Stony Brook(ehh maybe)

You will maximize your odds if you are willing to apply more broadly out of the northeast. If you have to stick in the northeast while you'll be competitive at the schools I listed to they themselves all get tons of apps and I would definitely recommend spending some time in coming weeks researching DO's and starting to apply to them(like I said the app cycle extends later and given you would be a strong DO candidate you might be able to get away with a slightly late app). NECOM, PCOM, Touro, LECOM are schools that you can start to look at.

Thank you for your input. I'm not going to go into details but leaving the northeast at this juncture is out of the question. I started school a year early so I have no problem spending a year improving my application and researching DO schools. Would rather do that than just jump into the DO cycle like some impatient premeds do.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Thank you for your input. I'm not going to go into details but leaving the northeast at this juncture is out of the question. I started school a year early so I have no problem spending a year improving my application and researching DO schools. Would rather do that than just jump into the DO cycle like some impatient premeds do.

When people ask about gap years this is what I often respond with
Almost nobody I've talked to who has taken a gap year regretted it in anyway.
There are definitely people I've talked to of all ages from medical school to attendings to those who are close to retirement who did not take a gap year and in hindsight wish they did.

So taking a gap year has many benefits that could potentially be good for you. If you spend time researching your DO schools and really having a solid understanding of them, you can apply in a month and carry along with your MD apps.
HAve you already submitted primaries? Keep in mind if you haven't submitted your primary yet you are already rather late and given your meh GPA and the fact your only interested in NE schools a late app is not what you want.

Taking a gap year to improve your EC's can help your apps for MD schools. Considering you are only looking at a certain number of MD schools, it could be a prudent decision to boost your app in the next year to maximize your chances of success there. I think you(and honestly the vast majority of pre meds) would benefit from gaining additional clinical exposure and volunteering, particularly volunteering with the needy such as those in hospices and the terminally ill. You want to apply once and do it right. Saying I'll just do a little bit this year and if I don't get in just try again next year and do DO's then serves no purpose. Either pick a year this year or the next one and go for it all.

I will say if you do not end up applying until next cycle I would definitely recommend consider trying to do some post-bacc work. If you can boost that gpa from 3.37/3.31 to say 3.50/3.45 a year from now you can really start talking about adding more schools to your list in terms of middle tiers and also maybe taking a stab at a few bigger name schools with 10th percentile GPAs that are under 3.6. With that GPA and MCAT score you would boost your odds of finding a MD school in the northeast to stay in tremendously.

 

[Goro]

OP, did you have a rising trend?

Your MCAT is nothing to sneeze at.

Invest in MSAR Online and target schools whose median stats are closest to your own.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

When people ask about gap years this is what I often respond with
Almost nobody I've talked to who has taken a gap year regretted it in anyway.
There are definitely people I've talked to of all ages from medical school to attendings to those who are close to retirement who did not take a gap year and in hindsight wish they did.

So taking a gap year has many benefits that could potentially be good for you. If you spend time researching your DO schools and really having a solid understanding of them, you can apply in a month and carry along with your MD apps.
HAve you already submitted primaries? Keep in mind if you haven't submitted your primary yet you are already rather late and given your meh GPA and the fact your only interested in NE schools a late app is not what you want.

Taking a gap year to improve your EC's can help your apps for MD schools. Considering you are only looking at a certain number of MD schools, it could be a prudent decision to boost your app in the next year to maximize your chances of success there. I think you(and honestly the vast majority of pre meds) would benefit from gaining additional clinical exposure and volunteering, particularly volunteering with the needy such as those in hospices and the terminally ill. You want to apply once and do it right. Saying I'll just do a little bit this year and if I don't get in just try again next year and do DO's then serves no purpose. Either pick a year this year or the next one and go for it all.

I will say if you do not end up applying until next cycle I would definitely recommend consider trying to do some post-bacc work. If you can boost that gpa from 3.37/3.31 to say 3.50/3.45 a year from now you can really start talking about adding more schools to your list in terms of middle tiers and also maybe taking a stab at a few bigger name schools with 10th percentile GPAs that are under 3.6. With that GPA and MCAT score you would boost your odds of finding a MD school in the northeast to stay in tremendously.

I have already sent completed secondaries to the majority of schools on my list after getting my score, I knew I was later in the cycle as it was and wanted the MCAT to be the last (and latest) piece of the puzzle. I have been told my ECs list is really good with regards to volunteering, clinical experience and research but I suppose there is always room for improvement.

 

[GrapesofRath]

I have already sent completed secondaries to the majority of schools on my list after getting my score, I knew I was later in the cycle as it was and wanted the MCAT to be the last (and latest) piece of the puzzle. I have been told my ECs list is really good with regards to volunteering, clinical experience and research but I suppose there is always room for improvement.

Well there's always room for improvement. Yes a rising upward trend is very important as well. Your chances of acceptance go way up if you have several recent semesters of strong work(3.7+).

Since you seem intent on applying this cycle I would recommend taking the time to research DO's and try to apply to some this cycle.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

OP, did you have a rising trend?

Your MCAT is nothing to sneeze at.

Invest in MSAR Online and target schools whose median stats are closest to your own.

Somewhat of a rising trend but not much I'm afraid. A 2.7 first semester sophomore year is what hurt me the most but my last three have been a 3.4, 3.5 and 3.7 respectively, given with increasingly difficult courses (last semester was physics, biochem and anatomy/physiology which I got As in)

 

[Goro]

There are plenty of schools that favor the last 2-3 years over the entire four.

Somewhat of a rising trend but not much I'm afraid. A 2.7 first semester sophomore year is what hurt me the most but my last three have been a 3.4, 3.5 and 3.7 respectively, given with increasingly difficult courses (last semester was physics, biochem and anatomy/physiology which I got As in)

 

[GrapesofRath]

Somewhat of a rising trend but not much I'm afraid. A 2.7 first semester sophomore year is what hurt me the most but my last three have been a 3.4, 3.5 and 3.7 respectively, given with increasingly difficult courses (last semester was physics, biochem and anatomy/physiology which I got As in)

You did well in 3 very important classes at the end of college. That's a positive thing. You can be competitive just get those secondaries in and like I said start doing research on the DO's its not too late for them this cycle.