Low or Competitive? GPA thread for ppl stuck between 3.2-3.4 with 30+MCATs

[surfstarj]

What the hell is an "above average" medical school?

Stop trying to pick fights. You know what they mean because while every US med school is a "good" school, some are higher ranked and/or more respected and/or harder to get into.

OP, how hard would it be for you to score 35+ on the MCAT? If you think a little studying would give a big increase (as in you didn't study much for that 32), that's a good idea. Don't take it again if you did a lot of preparation and got a 32. Your score isn't bad, but a really high score could tip you over the edge and it doesn't take too much time.

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[flip26]

Stop trying to pick fights. You know what they mean because while every US med school is a "good" school, some are higher ranked and/or more respected and/or harder to get into.

Evidently I don't.

Poster could have said USNews Top 30 or whatever and that would have placed it in the "more competitive" category - but he said "above average" - thus implying there are also "average" schools, and by logical extension, "below average" schools, and I do NOT know what that means when it applies to med schools...unless you are saying this is "Lake Wobegone" and all med schools are "above average"...

Edit: looking over that poster's post trail, the only school he mentions that he was accepted at is Tulane. Now if he wants to claim that Tulane is "above average" in any respect, that is his prerogative, but I don't think so...and why all the games? - just name the school (he did it on other threads, why not here?) - don't play games and talk about your mystery school as "above average" - from what I can see, while I am sure it is a fine school, Tulane isn't "above average" in anything except maybe tuition...

 

[flip26]

OP, how hard would it be for you to score 35+ on the MCAT? If you think a little studying would give a big increase (as in you didn't study much for that 32), that's a good idea. Don't take it again if you did a lot of preparation and got a 32. Your score isn't bad, but a really high score could tip you over the edge and it doesn't take too much time.

Bad idea. Read the statistics on retakes - the higher your first score, the greater the likelihood you will score lower on the retake. The "law of diminishing returns" comes into play.

In other words, only retake a score that otherwise clearly hurts your app. Don't most people agree that a 32 is NOT such a score? Maybe sub 30 is, and certainly below, say 27, it is a problem for admission to a wide range of allopathic schools. But not a 32.

OP: You have not gone through a cycle yet. Until you "test the waters" and apply, you will never know what your actual chances are - apply broadly, and you may find yourself holding an acceptance next year. Thus I would not at this point retake the MCAT - assuming you have the rest of your app in order, it is your GPA that is holding you back - so you should apply, and spend the next cycle working on your GPA as a backup plan, and perhaps getting all your ducks in a row RE SMPs, but leave that perfectly acceptable MCAT alone.

 

[Perrotfish]

That is why I said go for a DO school, much better alternative than gambling and get ripped-off by a SMP.

Nothing wrong with DO, except that they, like MD schools, expect you to have a balanced application. They just accept people with slightly lower stats (on average, I´m aware there are gread DO candidates out there). A 2.7 and a 36 won´t get you into a DO school and more than an MD school.

Whether you should shoot for DO or go for the SMP depends on the problem you have with your stats. If your MCAT is a little below average and your GPA is a little below average for MD matriculants, say a 3.4 and a 27, then you should try for DO schools. If your GPA is WAY below average and your MCAT is significanlty above average, say a 2.8 and a 35, you should do the SMP.

 

[Depakote]

please keep the discussion in this thread civil. thanks.

 

[Chuckwalla]

Nothing wrong with DO, except that they, like MD schools, expect you to have a balanced application. They just accept people with slightly lower stats (on average, I´m aware there are gread DO candidates out there). A 2.7 and a 36 won´t get you into a DO school and more than an MD school.

Whether you should shoot for DO or go for the SMP depends on the problem you have with your stats. If your MCAT is a little below average and your GPA is a little below average for MD matriculants, say a 3.4 and a 27, then you should try for DO schools. If your GPA is WAY below average and your MCAT is significanlty above average, say a 2.8 and a 35, you should do the SMP.

Agreed.

 

[djherse]

the problem is i have been told by so many ppl that the SMP is the way to go idk what to do its too late to apply this cycle and all of the masters program deadline have already past it SMP or bust basically. MY stats are not triable 32O 3.39 3.43 BCPM but with little extracurricular DO is not an option bc i aspire to do research one day and do not want to do family medicine. I am basically lost and stressed ahhhhhhh!

 

[flip26]

the problem is i have been told by so many ppl that the SMP is the way to go idk what to do its too late to apply this cycle and all of the masters program deadline have already past it SMP or bust basically. MY stats are not triable 32O 3.39 3.43 BCPM but with little extracurricular DO is not an option bc i aspire to do research one day and do not want to do family medicine. I am basically lost and stressed ahhhhhhh!

Read up on DO - you have the wrong perception about it - research careers are very possible, and not all DOs go into family med...