MD applications with 508-510 MCAT: Any success stories out there?

[Fishy fish]

So I'm feeling a little discouraged about my 509 MCAT (127/124/127/131). I have a 3.88 science gpa and 3.99 cumulative. Anyone out there with similar stats? How many secondaries/interviews/acceptances did you receive relative to number of primaries submitted? I've applied to 25 MD and 6 DO schools. Aiming for MD...

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[SadAsian]

With good extracurriculars and strategic selection of schools, you'll be fine.

Worried with a 3.99 cumulative... (also slightly confused how you have a 3.99 cGPA with a 3.88 sGPA)

 

[Fishy fish]

With good extracurriculars and strategic selection of schools, you'll be fine.

Worried with a 3.99 cumulative... (also slightly confused how you have a 3.99 cGPA with a 3.88 sGPA)

Thanks! It's the MCAT that is worrying me. I have a master's degree with a 4.00..they apparently factor that into the cumulative GPA

 

[SadAsian]

Thanks! It's the MCAT that is worrying me. I have a master's degree with a 4.00..they apparently factor that into the cumulative GPA

Ah, I see.

If it helps you, I know over a dozen people with <509 MCATs that have gotten acceptances (mostly in-state, mind you). I can't say for sure whether or not you will be okay, because each and every individual applicant is different. Some are URMs, some have military experience, some have >1000 scribing/EMT hours, some aced their SMP, etc. It's all in what else you have to bring to the table.

A 509 is not low, by any means, but it can serve as an obstacle if you want to apply to higher tier schools. Apply strategically, write your secondaries well, and I don't think you'll have any trouble securing interviews (and if you're a cool person, acceptances).

 

[MonkeyArrow]

I have a master's degree with a 4.00..they apparently factor that into the cumulative GPA

No they don't. Not for MD/AMCAS anyways.

 

[mariposas905]

Had a 507 MCAT and 3.9gpa
5 MD IIs , 1 DO II
1 DO and MD Acceptance

How many MD and DO schools did you apply to?

 

[fantasticman221]

How many MD and DO schools did you apply to?

2 DO schools, 30 something MDs

 

[SadAsian]

No they don't. Not for MD/AMCAS anyways.

Correct. I believe all they see is the following.

 

[gyngyn]

I have a master's degree with a 4.00..they apparently factor that into the cumulative GPA

Master's grades are entirely distinct from undergrad for MD applications.
DO schools see things differently.

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

This thread rubs me the wrong way Success stories with a 508-510 MCAT score? Come on now

 

[Favour517]

Isnt 508 the average matriculant score?

 

[Favour517]

i guess im a little off. The mean is somewhere between 510 and 511-kinda high (81 percentile) . Didnt realize that. Med school admission is getting so competitive. Anyways, its a mean, lots of people who score below 510 get in especially in state schools, with early apps, and good extracurricular activities.

 

[Lucca]

509 is a perfectly fine score. Your lowest section is also CARs which tends to get a little more leniency in US MD than the other sections. If you were applying in Canada, where apparently they care if their physicians can read (its a joke relax), then this would be a different issue.

 

[CJhooper123]

Isnt 508 the average matriculant score?

Last year I believe it was like 510.4 or something close to that.

 

[subdermallight]

Correct. I believe all they see is the following.

Can you explain this table a bit? What do they see about high school? And what about people that took more than 4 years in college?

 

[Fishy fish]

Had a 507 MCAT and 3.9gpa
5 MD IIs , 1 DO II
1 DO and MD Acceptance

Wow this is encouraging! Congrats!

 

[Fishy fish]

^ @Fishy fish face when he realizes his grad school GPA won't matter for his GPA

Hahaha! My cGPA for just undergrad is 3.95 so still safe I guess

 

[Fishy fish]

This thread rubs me the wrong way Success stories with a 508-510 MCAT score? Come on now

I don't mean to be one of those people but people have been scaring me about this and of course it doesn't help that everyone on studentdoc seems to have a 515+ MCAT...

 

[Lucca]

I don't mean to be one of those people but people have been scaring me about this and of course it doesn't help that everyone on studentdoc seems to have a 515+ MCAT...

look at the AAMC tables. Honestly, every pre-med should have them bookmarked on their computer. That and the MSAR are the data you need to be looking at, not tallying up stats on WAMC. SDN is not representative of the broader applicant pool.

 

[fantasticman221]

Wow this is encouraging! Congrats!

PM me if you have any concerns

 

[Fishy fish]

PM me if you have any concerns

Thank you

 

[SadAsian]

Can you explain this table a bit? What do they see about high school? And what about people that took more than 4 years in college?

High school can contribute to GPA through dual enrollment I think, and maybe IB programs? I'm not sure, might need verification here.

 

[Blanky]

Just jumping in to see how the cycle goes for us.
3.82 cGPA 3.85 sGPA MCAT 507 126/127/127/127
FL ORM, 25 MD and 5 DO primaries so far...

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

look at the AAMC tables. Honestly, every pre-med should have them bookmarked on their computer. That and the MSAR are the data you need to be looking at, not tallying up stats on WAMC. SDN is not representative of the broader applicant pool.

Say it loud and say it proud

 

[FutureOncologist]

i guess im a little off. The mean is somewhere between 510 and 511-kinda high (81 percentile) . Didnt realize that. Med school admission is getting so competitive. Anyways, its a mean, lots of people who score below 510 get in especially in state schools, with early apps, and good extracurricular activities.

On the old MCAT scoring, the average MCAT was a 29; while the average matriculant's MCAT score was a 31. In 2014, that was the 83rd percentile ranking. It is high, but it isn't exactly "getting way more competitive."

I know of a few students that matriculate this fall get in with as low as a 503 MCAT. The MCAT (and even GPA) aren't the only things considered in an application, especially at in-state schools or mission-based ones.

 

[JustYourAverageFloridian]

I'm in this boat too, 3.86 sGPA, 3.94 sGPA, 510 MCAT 128/128/126/128
I've only applied to 14 MD schools but seeing people who've applied to 20+ makes me nervous...

 

[SadAsian]

I'm in this boat too, 3.86 sGPA, 3.94 sGPA, 510 MCAT 128/128/126/128
I've only applied to 14 MD schools but seeing people who've applied to 20+ makes me nervous...

14 still has the opportunity to be better (financially, time-wise, career-wise) if you're applying strategically and to schools that you're passionate about. Many people apply to 20+ schools that fit their stats but have little desire to go to 10+ of them because it's hard to relate to the rural medicine, research, etc. emphasis at X/Y/Z school. And I also bet many people apply to 20+ schools and find something that sparks their interest in all of them... it just depends. Don't get worried because of SDN, it's filled with reporting bias. Focus on you and you'll do great

 

[MissGamerMD]

I got in on my first cycle with a 510 MCAT to a school that has a 10% acceptance rate (Canada).

I'm not sure about US MD schools, but a 124 in a section is enough to make you ineligible across the board here. Is that the case there too? Regardless, I would recommend checking to make sure!

 

[Fishy fish]

I got in on my first cycle with a 510 MCAT to a school that has a 10% acceptance rate (Canada).

I'm not sure about US MD schools, but a 124 in a section is enough to make you ineligible across the board here. Is that the case there too? Regardless, I would recommend checking to make sure!

Wow congrats! US MD schools are more lenient when it comes to CARS than Canadian schools. I've found that many have accepted students with a 124 on that section only. Most won't accept 124s on other sections.

 

[MedicalDoge]

I got in on my first cycle with a 510 MCAT to a school that has a 10% acceptance rate (Canada).

I'm not sure about US MD schools, but a 124 in a section is enough to make you ineligible across the board here. Is that the case there too? Regardless, I would recommend checking to make sure!

124 CARS with 5 MD accepts here... so glad I wasn't born in Canada

 

[Fishy fish]

124 CARS with 5 MD accepts here... so glad I wasn't born in Canada

Wow congrats! Mind if I ask what your MCAT score was and what schools you were accepted to?

 

[MissGamerMD]

Interesting, I honestly hadn't realized the criteria was so different between Canada vs US. Most schools here have a 125 minimum for ALL sections (and most have minimum MCAT cutoffs that are 508-510 so often you're expected to get well above that), though we do have several schools that look only at the CARS section, so most people aim for 128+ in that section.
If US MD doesn't care about a 124 then OP I think you're fine! Some people rewrite with this score range, but unless you can guarantee you'll improve by 5+ points, it'd make you look pretty silly to rewrite and get a similar score.

 

[NoMD4Me]

If you think a 508-510 kills your chances of success, log out of SDN and take a walk.

 

[911389]

If you think a 508-510 kills your chances of success, log out of SDN and take a walk.

is taking a walk/getting fresh air a new requirement for 2018-2019? i thought it was just a suggestion? is this new?

 

[NoMD4Me]

is taking a walk/getting fresh air a new requirement for 2018-2019? i thought it was just a suggestion? is this new?

This past cycle, matriculating MD students had 10,000,000 fresh air hours ON AVERAGE. take a gap year.

 

[Lucca]

I got in on my first cycle with a 510 MCAT to a school that has a 10% acceptance rate (Canada).

I'm not sure about US MD schools, but a 124 in a section is enough to make you ineligible across the board here. Is that the case there too? Regardless, I would recommend checking to make sure!

Americans can’t read so schools don’t expect us to

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

is taking a walk/getting fresh air a new requirement for 2018-2019? i thought it was just a suggestion? is this new?

This past cycle, matriculating MD students had 10,000,000 fresh air hours ON AVERAGE. take a gap year.

 

[RNthenDoc]

I had ~502 and am matriculating MD this month.

 

[Fishy fish]

I had ~502 and am matriculating MD this month.

Wow congrats!! Any insights on what you think helped the most with your application?

 

[RNthenDoc]

Wow congrats!! Any insights on what you think helped the most with your application?

Being a nurse likely helped, and I have a couple very interesting ECs... but I was accepted to every school that interviewed me, so I think having extra interview practice helped. I’m a slightly older nontrad so I’ve interviewed (and been the interviewer) in industry many times, and I think that helped.

Applying to schools that were realistic for me is another big thing. SDN does a good job of guiding you there.

 

[Fishy fish]

Just for reference and comparison, overall just under 50% of those with 506-509 MCATs for the aggregate of 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 cycles were accepted
(3832 acceptees out of 7717 applicants in MD). Overall all, just under 30% of applicants with a 509 or less were accepted to MD school)

https://www.aamc.org/download/321508/data/factstablea23.pdf

GPA definitely should be considered though. I wouldn't rely on just MCAT scores. Where did you find that stat about ~30% of applicants with a 509 or less getting accepted?

 

[MedicalDoge]

.

 

[Fishy fish]

Did you really just ask me that even though the link was in my previous post? Just what did you get on CARS?

There's absolutely nothing on that pdf that mentions the 30% stat you mentioned...hence why I asked that.

 

[Fishy fish]

I used this incredible intellectual tool called MATH and figured it out! You can add and divide, cant you?

Please get off my thread.

 

[mwsapphire]

This thread rubs me the wrong way Success stories with a 508-510 MCAT score? Come on now

This reminds me of that thread "Low GPA" thread were people with 3.5X were posting, even with a 3.4 that thread is meant for people who are way off for GPA ( <10th at most MD schools).

Some people were getting really irritated about it, especially since one of them had a high MCAT.

 

[Blanky]

Just for reference and comparison, overall just under 50% of those with 506-509 MCATs for the aggregate of 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 cycles were accepted
(3832 acceptees out of 7717 applicants in MD). Overall all, just under 30% of applicants with a 509 or less were accepted to MD school)

https://www.aamc.org/download/321508/data/factstablea23.pdf

While this data is extremely useful, it does make me wonder about other factors not accounted for.
For example a 3.8 / 507 has a 66.7% chance for MD. We all know this isn't accounting for variable ECs, but I can't help but wonder how many applicants have school list that aren't nearly wide enough or are too top heavy.
I wonder if that same 3.8 / 507 with strong ECs, letters, and PS, who has enlisted sdns help and built a wide school list, in their stat range, and those that are OOS friendly has a much higher chance of success.
Edit: Forgot the advantage of early application as a factor.

 

[Blanky]

Not arguing about which stats are most important or which is most important for success in med school. Simply curious if the acceptance chances would be higher if all other said things are in order. I'm assuming it's implied that they are, but in those cases chances might be more like 80%.

 

[busterjeter]

Please get off my thread.

How u gonna disrespect @gonnif !? The SDN GANDHI

 

[mwsapphire]

There are certainly many other factors but first and foremost are academic ability. If you can be considered sufficiently strong enough to make it thru medical school, then why consider other factors? BTW, below is a summary of other factors as compiled via AAMC from medical schools themselves

View attachment 236550

Well those other factors are just talking about competition itself. It's not that people at Columbia School of Medicine don't think a 3.4 can handle med school, they just want to take the person with the 3.8 because of competition. So someone with a 3.4 and a 518 applying to just Columbia/ Stanford class schools bc of their MCAT is throwing off the data for the low GPA/ high MCAT pool. ( I feel like the reverse tend to be more even keeled.)
I agree with @Blanky, the AAMC data is actually a more conservative estimate , because someone with uneven/low stats who has a good school list that is targeted yet broad enough has a higher chance than what the table suggests.