Low MCAT, High GPA + Master's degree

[Kitten Claws]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum, so I apologize in advance if I'm not following the rules somehow. I'm applying to med school (allopathic) this year, and I'm really worried about my chances of being accepted. I'm a 3rd time reapplicant, so I'm REALLY worried. I figured I should ask for advice here.

Anyway, I graduated in 2006 from a top school (Hopkins) with a 3.8 GPA. I took the 2005 MCAT and received 10 physics, 10 verbal, 11 bio, and P writing. I had several research experiences, nothing clinical though, and no community service. I applied for the first time to med school back in 2005 and was accepted to one school (not my top choice). However, because I was an idiot, I declined the offer because I wanted to improve my application and apply again to get in somewhere "better". I know, who does that?

Since then, I've worked for 3 years in a clinical lab at a medical school (and applied for the 2nd time in 2007 and got rejected from everywhere). I also pursued a master's degree, and I'm graduating in June with mostly As. Unfortunately, my MCAT expired by this time, so I retook the test and received 11 physics, 7 verbal, 11 bio, and S (!!!) writing. I'm applying now, and I'm worried that my low verbal score will keep me from being accepted.

Some people I have talked to say that my high GPA and master's degree will make up for my low verbal score. But after searching through old posts, it seems that the general consensus is that anything below a 9 (especially in verbal) is pretty much a red flag to most schools. I don't really have a good excuse for a low verbal score because I don't have problems with the English language.

Obviously, a solution is that I can retake the MCAT this summer, which would put a hold on my application until the scores are released. But the thing is, I would rather not retake the MCAT if I don't have to. So my question is, do I have a reasonable chance with a 7 in verbal, or should I just start preparing for the MCAT now? Like I said, I really would rather not take the MCAT.

Thanks so much for your help!

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[Catalystik]

I would rather not retake the MCAT if I don't have to. So my question is, do I have a reasonable chance with a 7 in verbal, or should I just start preparing for the MCAT now?

What is your legal state of residence?

It would help to know how strong your ECs are and what's new since you last applied.

 

[Kitten Claws]

What is your legal state of residence?

It would help to know how strong your ECs are and what's new since you last applied.

My state of residence is Maryland. That's actually where I was accepted the first time in 2005. I doubt they will accept me again after I declined their offer. I'm regretting that decision a lot...

Most of my extracurriculars were actually from when I was an undergrad because that's when I actually had free time. I volunteered in 3 different research labs (at NIH and at Hopkins) for about a year each. And I spent a summer volunteering in a nursing home. I also had several academic awards (Dean's List, etc). It wasn't anything astounding, but I was actually accepted at that time.

Since then, I've only done two major things. I have worked for 3 years full time (and overtime) at a hospital (JHU-SOM) in a surgical pathology lab with mostly MDs. I know I got a great recommendation from there. I was working with surgical specimens (I was dissecting mastectomy and lumpectomy specimens), so I think that this was a really strong clinical experience. And for the past 2 years, I've been working on my master's degree (M.S. in Medical Biology), which I'm actually doing abroad (in Europe). I don't know, I mentioned that because maybe that could help me stand out somehow. I also have 6 publications in clinical cancer journals from the time period that I was working in pathology.

I guess I don't have a lot of extracurricular stuff (basically nothing since I applied in 2005), but I think that employment/graduate degrees can often be more time consuming that an undergrad degree. I don't want to make excuses though. I also think that leadership abilities and compassion can be demonstrated through employment and research experience, but I don't know if med schools feel the same.

Anyway, I really don't care at this point about where I go to medical school, as long as it's in the US. I would happy to be accepted anywhere. I know that a 7 in verbal can be ignored if the candidate is truly outstanding. I don't consider myself an outstanding candidate, but I think I have pretty low self-esteem at this point, so it's hard for me to judge :/ Sorry for the novel!

 

[reddoc]

The lack of major community service/EC activities is a problem. If you apply, I would apply to as many schools as you can, focusing on schools that are not so competitive. I think you have a chance but you may wish to spend one year boosting the EC activities. During this time, you could prepare for one more shot at the mcat by taking a good prep course.

 

[Catalystik]

Honestly, I am surprised you were accepted with only three months of direct patient experience. In med school application terms, "clinical experience" refers to just that: personally interacting with sick people. About 1.5 years is the average listed. Most get this via 3-4 hours per week of volunteering.

You didn't mention shadowing. Many schools expect to see this activity on the application. About 50 hours is average, split among a few types of doc, including primary care.

Most applicants list nonmedical community service. Leadership and teaching are often mentioned and also strengthen an application.

Your research and pubs are, obviously, superb, and might help some schools overlook another weakness, but overall, I think you have work to do before you have a chance at a successful application cycle.

Thank goodness you've kept your hand in, academically speaking.

Were you to apply with a VS of 7, be aware that there are few med schools taking significant numbers of OOS applicants that have a bottom tenth percentile for acceptees that low. An MSAR will show you all of them, but to summarize those most likely to be useful to you: UIllinois, Rosalind Franklin, Utah (but only if you have 500 hours of community service), Puerto Rican med schools, and historically Black medical colleges. If you decide to proceed with an application cycle this year, which I would not recommend, you should also add many schools with a bottom tenth percentile of 8, hoping that your strong research experience, and past higher VS of 10 will help them overlook your score.

If you were to decide to add DO med schools to your list, the VS of 7 would not be a handicap, but like the vast majority of MD schools, they have expectations for patient experience, shadowing, and community service which you don't have yet.

 

[Kitten Claws]

Thank you for your response (both of you)! I think I was accepted because my BCPM GPA was something like 3.94, and I had really good recommendations. I was also a junior in college, so I didn't have as much experience as an older applicant. I don't know. Anyway, I think I'm actually going to apply anyway this summer, but I will most likely retake the MCAT in August and start volunteering as soon as I get back to the US. I actually don't think that I would benefit any more from shadowing because I worked with pathologists and residents for 3 years, and pathology is the field that I am most interested in. But perhaps more patient interaction as a hospital volunteer would be helpful. I wish I could have volunteered while doing my master's, but I don't speak the language here, so it doesn't work out too well. Plus I'm working on my thesis during every free moment.

 

[Catalystik]

It will help if you continue beefing up the weaker activities during the application year, informing schools periodically of your improved experiences via update letter, hoping to sway them positively. Good Luck.

 

[n3xa]

I'm sort of in the same boat as you (numer-wise at least) and decided to get risky and apply this year with a VS score of 7.

Good luck to you

 

[Kitten Claws]

Thanks, and good luck to you too! I think I'll retake the MCAT in August anyway just so I can try to improve my verbal score. Plus, my current MCAT is going to expire for many schools after this application cycle. So I guess it's worth a shot right now.

 

[reddoc]

One additional consideration, some schools have a time limit of 10 years on when you completed prereq courses to when you apply. I dont know when you took your classes but you should be sure you dont go over the limit. You should take a look at the rules for each school you are considering.

 

[Kitten Claws]

One additional consideration, some schools have a time limit of 10 years on when you completed prereq courses to when you apply. I dont know when you took your classes but you should be sure you dont go over the limit. You should take a look at the rules for each school you are considering.

Thanks! I took my prerequisites no earlier than 2002, so I'm just barely in time. I had AP credit for some classes in high school, but I'm assuming that's not a problem because I didn't get the credit on my transcript until I actually started college in 2002. I was also under the impression that as long as you took some upper level science classes after you graduated, your older classes were still valid. In other words, because I'm in a master's program now and taking new science classes, this validates coursework that I may have taken years ago. Or something like that.