MCATs less than 25 and interviews--post 'em!

[nochaser]

Okay, I've seen enough posts about people getting into med school with low MCATs, and as the president of the Low MCAT Scorers Club, I would like to start a new list for those of you that have scores less than 25 and have gotten interviews or accepted (!), still waiting, etc. this cycle. Please post the schools. It's up to you to post your actual scores, if you had a prep course, stats, URM status, etc. Please refrain from posting flames.
I'll start:

UIC--secondary, still under review
Loyola--nothing
Rush--secondary, still under review
Northwestern--secondary, still under review
University of Chicago--will not turn in secondary
Finch--have not turned in secondary yet
SIU--rejected w/o secondary, processed AMCAS, or MCATs (Location bias)

MCAT VR9 PS6 BS7 WSM (no prep course, 1st timer)
AMCAS GPA: 3.4 overall, 3.2 sci
URM--black

---

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[DLe]

Zummy, did you take the MCAT in April or August? If I plan to take my in August then would that put me behind. By the way, congratulation on your acceptances

 

[einey]

Zummy, that's fantasitc!

Need more info, what was your GPA and are you a URM?

 

[Dr. Don]

bump

 

[youngjock]

How is your GPA?

I say that don't count on your low mcat. Be realistic, guys. med. schools are not lottery tickets. they admit you because they think that you are worthy, not because you are lucky they didn't pay attention to your low mcat score.

 

[Maya Kommineni]

nice and useful thread..thanks to who ever started it!! Here is my stuff....24 MCAT, 3.2 GPA, 4.0 Grad, tons of research (hard science and social) volunteer, conducting my own research in neuro clinic, health educator in clinic....blah, blah, blah....! I got secondaries from all schools I applied, even the ones screening. I have had 2 interviews...ECU and WVU so I guess there is hope....

 

[Dr. Don]

bump....by the way has anyone heard from UCI or UCLA?

 

[willbeMD]

I am proof that there is hope for everyone!

Here is my info:
April 1999 MCAT
V: 10
PS: 7
BS: 9

August 1999 MCAT
V: 6
PS: 8
BS: 7

April 2000 MCAT
V: 9
PS: 8
BS: 9

My second MCAT was pretty low (I was sick when i took it) My undergrad GPA was low and from a top 15 univ. I took time off, worked full time and took upper level Science classes and raised my GPA. Then I got an MPH and did well. I applied to 10 schools and have received one interview so far.

 

[youngjock]

willbemd, will you please write to me? i want to ask you something, [email protected]

thanks

Originally posted by willbeMD:

 

[nochaser]

bump, with a vengeance!!

 

[nysurg]

I am just bumping this topic up but I also wanted to ask if anyone applied to Boston U...I interviewed there 12/17 and haven't heard anything yet. I also just got an invite from Albert Einstein and a rejection from Georgetown. Just waiting on Mount Sinai, Jefferson, Cornell, Temple, Tufts and my almar mater - Northwestern.

 

[darkhorse]

Just trying to see if anyone has gotten any new interviews! BUMP BUMP BUMP

 

[darkhorse]

bump

 

[Dr. Don]

bump

 

[BushBaby]

Is it a good idea to write a letter to a school that sent me a postcard stating that my application is complete (this was back in Nov/Dec)? I think they might have forgotten about poor little me.....the letter would basically reiterate my interest and how I am praying for an interview. What do you think?

 

[Doctora Foxy]

Mellow: I think you should call the school(s). I am in the same situation with many schools, but I recently called them and found out that my applications are under review.

 

[bentz]

buuummmmp!!!!!!!

 

[RetroMan]

Well I think is about time to add my interviews.

Interview invites:
Einstein MD/PhD
Boston MD/PhD
MSU MD (didn't apply MD/PhD)
Howard MD (didn't apply MD/PhD)

Waiting:
Harvard, Cornell, MT Sinai, Finch, GWU(hold), Georgetown, UF, Meharry, NYU(giving up my hope), Stanford, USC, Tufts

URM
3.86 Science, 3.76 Overall
MCAT >25 but <30

 

[NUgirl]

bump

 

[Aggiemaj]

I only applied to TX schools (6 of them), and I got interviews at 4 with a 22 MCAT. However, I have been rejected by 2 and am on the waiting list for the other 2.

 

[JML1DDS]

What's URM ?

 

[A. Caveman]

it's a homonym for "You Are *****."

if you haven't figured it out by this time in the cycle, then you are definitely a URM

 

[lamyers1]

Ummm, Caveman, maybe you need a Scooby Snack? Are you just in a bitter mood or do you think the poster is a troll?

 

[Dr. Don]

bump...

 

[BushBaby]

bump!!!

 

[sannyasa]

I got a score of 22 V-8 P-7 B-7 WS-R.
GPA= 3.38
School Medical College of Georgia = accepted
Second time taking MCAT
Prep course=Princeton Review

Later

 

[pooh2]

How about another definition for URM.

U R (in) Medical school!!!!!!

 

[Dr. Don]

MCAT 26, interview at UCLA/DREW coming up!!!

 

[Michelys]

Just a thought for everybody...why is it that when you list your application pluses...i.e. MCAT score, GPA, extracurrics, research, that like, URM has to be in there too?!

LOL...I just think it's funny--as if that stood out on my application as importantly as all the concrete stuff that actually gets you INTO :wink: medical school. Just some two cents from me, a URM at that.

 

[BushBaby]

Congratulations Dr. Don...what took them soo long?

 

[pooh2]

Michelys,

URM status is included because it is as important as an applicant's numbers and ECs. Do you actually think an asian or white person would get an interview at UCLA, Mayo...with numbers posted on this thread? HELL NO!

 

[Esco]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by pooh2:
•Michelys,

URM status is included because it is as important as an applicant's numbers and ECs. Do you actually think an asian or white person would get an interview at UCLA, Mayo...with numbers posted on this thread? HELL NO!•••••Geez, if you spent half as much time studying as you do bitching about URM's you'd probably be at Harvard next year! <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

 

[psyc.lover]

pooh2 you need to get over the UMR thing and just let it go. i read your whole "controversal topic" post and i think you really have a problem. you are not a UMR and never will be. simple. find something else to do with your time, other than jumping in on every UMR conversation and basically , well, HATING.

i really take offence to your previous comment about UMR meaning "U R (IN) Medschool" <img border="0" alt="[Wowie]" title="" src="graemlins/wowie.gif" /> . i dont think anyone else caught it but i know what you ment. You need not get mad at anyone but your self for YOUR short commings.

if anyone else is interested, especially a fellow UNDER REPRESENTED MINORITY, in her REAL (hostile) feelings towards us, check out her post and the other many RACIST comments on it. Some are ,in my opinion, about how to stop us (UMR's) from getting in and recieving fair treatment in this whole process. Some of them, for some odd reason, think that we are taking over and stealing all of THEIR spots in med school. Do they even realize that we are a small group that only gets a little larger every year?

sorry every one for the negative comments but i just had to say something because i too, am sick and tired of her bitching! its ok if you want to start a post on your personal hangups, but i don't think its fair or even right that you feel the need to chime in on a very inspirational and motivational thread to alot of us.

i just really think its sad. <img border="0" alt="[Pity]" title="" src="graemlins/pity.gif" />

 

[psyc.lover]

bump

 

[Orange Blossom]

What does "bump" mean?

 

[RLMD]

Okay, as soon as I saw this pooh2 guy's comments, I registered to join the fun. I appreciate this guys honesty because there are a ton of people walking around with racist, narrow minded views just like these that no one knows about. Those are the most dangerous ones, however. Those are the ones we cant find, we cant reach out to. Every URM knows what it is like to grow up being a minority and the effect that has on their lives. It is more than just the color of their skin that makes someone URM. They have experiences and backgrounds that have shaped them and will continue to shape them throughout their lives. White people cant begin to understand this. Put yourself in someone elses shoes and you can see how different the world can be. Im not saying the all URMs have it rough, or all white people have it easy. But the majority of URMs have been adversely affected by the status and perception of their race in our society. Dont let your frustration over your medical school admissions problems cloud your judgement. URMs arent treated equally in America. These medical schools are just trying to balance it out a little. I thank them for that and hope it continues. We have a long way to go as a country.

 

[Sherille]

Hi Everyone,

I think this is a great topic !!! I just took the April 2002 MCAT and applying this year. My GPA is low and want to get an adice on which schools to apply. Haven't received my MCAT scores yet.. But do any of you guys have any advice for me ?

 

[Ryo-Ohki]

•••quote:••• Some of them, for some odd reason, think that we are taking over and stealing all of THEIR spots in med school. ••••The medical school admissions game is zero sum.

I am flaming you.

 

[psyc.lover]

pooh knows better than anyone what a UMR is, thats all she talks about from her posts. she wasnt asking what a UMR was, she was making fun of what a UMR was.

i dont under stand the last post.

 

[weca]

has any one been accepted from this thread? i have low MCAT scores and decent gpa, 2 waitlists and still waiting for UCLA's answer. URM.

 

[Rhizoid]

Is URM status a matter of race alone? How are the "minority" races determined? Obviously not by state population statistics. I understand that a majority of traditional minority races have not had equal access to education or were exposed to circumstances that may have made academic achievement difficult, but I doubt that rule applies to most URM's applying to med school. I'm willing to bet that a very small percentage of minority HS graduates from schools in the worst parts of the country even entertain the thought of entering into pre-med studies. MOST URM pre-meds I've met are typical kids from the suburbs who attended a good public or private HS and college who just happen to get a bonus when applying to almost anything. URM status should apply to those students who actually endured adverse conditions during COLLEGE (who cares about HS? It doesn't matter at all; if your parents made no $$, then Uncle Sam would have gladly paid for your education and living expenses. I have no sympathy for single people with typical 18 year-old commitments who claim they can't afford to go to school. I didn't have the cash either, but I took out loans and so can everybody else.) such as single parents, those who cared for ailing parents, etc., not simply race--it's a poor indicator, especially in states with large, traditional minority populations. I thought the UC's had stopped considering URM status as part of applications. And what's up with the minority majority at some CA schools? That's quite a contradiction. URM status should be given to students with demonstrated hardship, regardless of race. Yes, it would increase the admissions workload, but it'd be a lot more fair than giving the rich, Samoan kid next door an advantage over me, the typical non-URM applicant.

 

[MyEyesMesmerize]

Rhizoid, heres a simple way to understand what a URM is. Take the national population and say that 10% of it is part of a certain ethnic group or background. This group would be considered underrepresented in medicine if lets say only 2% of all US physicians were from that group. URM status isn't necessarily race based but it seems like it because there are certain races in the US that are not represented enough in medicine. There are occasions where there is more of a representation of a certain group in medicine than in the total population. So even though they are minorities in a sense, they aren't underrespresented. I know it may seem unfair to people but the logic at times is that many patients like to see doctors who have similar bakcgrounds to them and can tend to them better having such a relation. Hope it cleared some stuff up.

 

[STi555]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Rhizoid:
•Is URM status a matter of race alone? How are the "minority" races determined? Obviously not by state population statistics. I understand that a majority of traditional minority races have not had equal access to education or were exposed to circumstances that may have made academic achievement difficult, but I doubt that rule applies to most URM's applying to med school. I'm willing to bet that a very small percentage of minority HS graduates from schools in the worst parts of the country even entertain the thought of entering into pre-med studies. MOST URM pre-meds I've met are typical kids from the suburbs who attended a good public or private HS and college who just happen to get a bonus when applying to almost anything. URM status should apply to those students who actually endured adverse conditions during COLLEGE (who cares about HS? It doesn't matter at all; if your parents made no $$, then Uncle Sam would have gladly paid for your education and living expenses. I have no sympathy for single people with typical 18 year-old commitments who claim they can't afford to go to school. I didn't have the cash either, but I took out loans and so can everybody else.) such as single parents, those who cared for ailing parents, etc., not simply race--it's a poor indicator, especially in states with large, traditional minority populations. I thought the UC's had stopped considering URM status as part of applications. And what's up with the minority majority at some CA schools? That's quite a contradiction. URM status should be given to students with demonstrated hardship, regardless of race. Yes, it would increase the admissions workload, but it'd be a lot more fair than giving the rich, Samoan kid next door an advantage over me, the typical non-URM applicant.•••••I agree with you Rhizoid I have no problem giving preference to those that have had hardships but I don't like the URM thing. I believe the UC schools still give URMs preference and FYI asians don't count as URM, as I assume that it is what you are refering to as the majority minority.

 

[missbonnie]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by RLMD:
•Okay, as soon as I saw this pooh2 guy's comments, I registered to join the fun. I appreciate this guys honesty because there are a ton of people walking around with racist, narrow minded views just like these that no one knows about. Those are the most dangerous ones, however. Those are the ones we cant find, we cant reach out to. •••••Do you realize that you are doing the same thing by calling whoever racist & narrow minded? Perhaps not the racist part. By placing judgements on people (regardless of what they said and however heinous to us it might seem) is still judging.

This isn't meant to single anyone out but to make ppl aware that flaming people back or judging back is not the solution but is actually doing the same thing they are.

-bonnie

 

[isidella]

Does anyone know if being a URM changes the way an MD/PhD or MSTP application is considered? I have a feeling that in the big "package deal" manner that these apps are looked at that minorty status has very little to do with it, but I may be wrong. I appreciate anyone who can give insight.

 

[jot]

from what i've seen, (interns i've worked with here, urms who have gotten into every program imaginable, from the top 30 to elite md/phd: hst md/phd etc...) being an urm does help, to some degree. it should. however, that being said, those that get into the elite programs are phenomenal people. i met a harvard md/phd urm while at work, and he was amazing. i wouldn't say he was disadvantaged (upperclass fam) he went to hopkins bme and kicked ass, has a terrific personality and now has been rewarded by going to hst. it doesn't matter that he was not particularly disadvantaged, he is committed to becoming an academic (very rare in science for afroamericans) and is committed to encouraging other black students to come into science. that is what is important. not that one black or urm gets in and has a good life, but that they go back and encourage others to as well. there are numerous examples of urm here that have been economically disadvantaged as well. the fact that they are doing internships here, which is an elitist institution to the nth degree speaks to their abilities. non urms from here have also done equally as well.

i'm technically asian, and not economically disadvantaged, so i have that "Stigma" attached to my app. nevertheless, and i'm being completely honest, as i apply, though i will most likely be irked if i lost a spot only because of urm status, i really do understand. furthermore, there is more to being an urm than just that urm status, so they probably deserved it more than i. and if you honestly still don't understand why i feel this way, please read an incredible book, "Lies My History Teacher Told Me" by Loewan, and if you are a thinking person, it should clear things up. Its short, fascinating, and deeply-informaative, about many things.

one final note. the amcas app asks you if you have been disadvataged in anyway. this is not a race question. this applies to a white kid born with nothing in the bronx as well. this applies to economics as well. class distinctions between the poor, working class and the rest defy the laws of a so called meritocracy, and are slowly being addressed. people argue on this issue based on their limited suburban feelings about life, and what is fair; gain some perspective. do your own primary research into this, there is propaganda abound, on both sides. its a compelling argument, which is far from perfect. anyway, enough.

-jot

 

[Mudd]

bump... with the hope that this thread will offer some inspiration to those who just got their scores.

 

[Tweetie_bird]

okay guys,
let's not make this a flaming thread. I think at this point, it would be good for us to discuss score + which school people got into so we can see some trends (as if we don't know them already )

Let's please lay off the URM-bashing, okay? Let's hear it from some inspiring people who got into great schools with a &lt;25 on MCAT.

Tweetie

 

[lola]

there's hope for those of us who got <30!