Medical School Admissions

[Mazework]

Hi everyone,

My first posting on the SDN. I having been reading your posts for the last few months and have appreciated most of the advice.
Here is my question. I am a junior at a East Coast school who took the MCAT in August 2005. Got a 34. Have a GPA of about 3.8 with a double major in Chemistry and Biology. Am Program director for the school's volunteer department for the last 2 years. Done the EM internship, have continously worked in a lab for about 4 years now. No papers to show though.
Is my score and EC good enough to get me into a "school". What else am I supposed to be doing? Do I take the MCAT again?

Thanks

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[Arsenic]

Hi everyone,

My first posting on the SDN. I having been reading your posts for the last few months and have appreciated most of the advice.
Here is my question. I am a junior at a East Coast school who took the MCAT in August 2005. Got a 34. Have a GPA of about 3.8 with a double major in Chemistry and Biology. Am Program director for the school's volunteer department for the last 2 years. Done the EM internship, have continously worked in a lab for about 4 years now. No papers to show though.
Is my score and EC good enough to get me into a "school". What else am I supposed to be doing? Do I take the MCAT again?

Thanks

congrats on your score, you definitely dont need to take the mcat again unless you are gunning for the top schools.

i think your app looks good but you will most likely get asked by your interviewers why you dont have any publications after 4 years of research. i wouldnt worry about it too much, its not a requirement to get into med school but getting your name on a paper would help.

moving to pre-allo since this deals more with that than with the mcat, good luck!

 

[Mazework]

congrats on your score, you definitely dont need to take the mcat again unless you are gunning for the top schools.

i think your app looks good but you will most likely get asked by your interviewers why you dont have any publications after 4 years of research. i wouldnt worry about it too much, its not a requirement to get into med school but getting your name on a paper would help.

moving to pre-allo since this deals more with that than with the mcat, good luck!

No published papers because I have been working in a pathology lab with DNA strains and have had absolutely no luck with my experiments. Real frustrating.

 

[Flopotomist]

I would suggest starting with reading the MSAR, then check out the thread that is stickied that says "what are my chances."

 

[rocketman]

Do I take the MCAT again?

Yes take it again.

 

[funshine]

Yes take it again.

I was just about to say the same thing. Mazework, your MCAT score should match your GPA. So in your case, you would need a 38 (writing score is not important). Sign up for the April MCAT before it's too late!!

34 is perfectly fine. In fact, it's a great score and you definitely have the stats and research experience to get into ANY school, including the top 10. Do some fun stuff for a change...it'll broaden your horizons and you'll have more to talk about in your interview.

 

[tacrum43]

A 34 is a great score, unless you got like a 4 in one section and 15's in the others.

I do wonder how people can be like "Oh I only got a 35. That's bad isn't it?" Didn't you check where it says 95th percentile (or whatever a 35 is, I'm not exactly sure)?

 

[little_late_MD]

A 34? That's not even good enough to get into a Carribean school! I hope you like washing dishes, because that's what's in store for your future bub. 34!? Pfft.












But seriously, how is it that kids who are smart enough to build a 3.8 GPA and score a 34 on the MCAT are not smart enough to use the search button to find similar threads?

 

[funshine]

I do wonder how people can be like "Oh I only got a 35. That's bad isn't it?" QUOTE]

You're kidding, right? Thank god I've never heard anyone say that to me. I'd kill them on the spot.

 

[tigress]

Well from the writing in the OP, it seems like perhaps English isn't his first language. If that's the case, I can think of a number of reasons why he might not know that a 34 is an excellent score (if I may say so myself ).

Mazework, you have an excellent chance of getting into great schools. Just apply in a timely manner and keep doing things that interest you! good luck

 

[CoffeeCat]

Hi everyone,

My first posting on the SDN. I having been reading your posts for the last few months and have appreciated most of the advice.
Here is my question. I am a junior at a East Coast school who took the MCAT in August 2005. Got a 34. Have a GPA of about 3.8 with a double major in Chemistry and Biology. Am Program director for the school's volunteer department for the last 2 years. Done the EM internship, have continously worked in a lab for about 4 years now. No papers to show though.
Is my score and EC good enough to get me into a "school". What else am I supposed to be doing? Do I take the MCAT again?

Thanks

Mazework, everyone's been joking but you're an excellent applicant. It sounds like you have a great GPA and MCAT score plus ECs. I'd say the only things you should focus on are getting great LORs - 2 science profs (at least) that you took a class from, 1 non-science professor and maybe someone from the hospital and lab. I would suggest getting them now - some schools can hold them until you apply and you won't have to worry about it later.

When are you planning on applying?

 

[ahumdinger]

Hi everyone,

My first posting on the SDN. I having been reading your posts for the last few months and have appreciated most of the advice.
Here is my question. I am a junior at a East Coast school who took the MCAT in August 2005. Got a 34. Have a GPA of about 3.8 with a double major in Chemistry and Biology. Am Program director for the school's volunteer department for the last 2 years. Done the EM internship, have continously worked in a lab for about 4 years now. No papers to show though.
Is my score and EC good enough to get me into a "school". What else am I supposed to be doing? Do I take the MCAT again?

Thanks

I really want to be nice and welcome you to the boards, but I also really want to get something off my chest. If you've been reading the posts for the last few months, how could you possibly think that you are a weak applicant?! Take the MCAT again? with a 34?! Are you kidding?? You sound like a bright applicant in every way, but I am appalled by the lack of personal insight and awareness of your own successes. (you're not the only one, there have been many other posters with 3.7+/30+ who wonder if they're good enough)

Take my advice, apply to a wide range of schools: your highest goals and dreams (your hopkins and your washU's), but also mid-range schools and maybe one or two safety schools (for your stats, depending on your state, the state school usually will fulfill the mid to safety range). Don't get too cocky and only apply to the top 10, those are the nightmare applicants who have 4.0 and a 40 MCAT and get rejected everywhere. Be a little humble (but not as humble as you are now-- you'll just piss off other pre-meds). And don't apply to the lowest ranked schools because they'll spot you as a "they'd never come here" and may outright reject you for that reason.

Good luck. Apply strategically and you'll definitely get in.

 

[jbrice1639]

I do wonder how people can be like "Oh I only got a 35. That's bad isn't it?" Didn't you check where it says 95th percentile (or whatever a 35 is, I'm not exactly sure)?

i suppose it could just be a product of how the test is scored. if someone, for whatever reason, was not familiar with the scoring breakdown, it would be easy to just look at a 35 and think, "wow, i only got a 78%"

so basically, a great score is getting a C/C+ on the mcat while we're expected to have a B+/A GPA...ah, this process is so awesome.

 

[tacrum43]

i suppose it could just be a product of how the test is scored. if someone, for whatever reason, was not familiar with the scoring breakdown, it would be easy to just look at a 35 and think, "wow, i only got a 78%"

so basically, a great score is getting a C/C+ on the mcat while we're expected to have a B+/A GPA...ah, this process is so awesome.

Perhaps, but it says the percentile right next to it. You'd think if you're able to get a score that high you would be able to figure what it meant.

 

[1SwtWrld]

I having been reading your posts for the last few months and have appreciated most of the advice.

Then you should know that you have no chance for this application cycle......Go caribean.

 

[Mazework]

I totally agree with you that I posted a dumb question. Believe it or not I have been so worried about the MCAT's that I have reading only the MCAT thread on SDN. Pretty myopic huh! That's what happens when you are 19 and over ambitious.

Now can someone tell me how to close the question. No more wisecracks please.



QUOTE=little_late_MD]A 34? That's not even good enough to get into a Carribean school! I hope you like washing dishes, because that's what's in store for your future bub. 34!? Pfft.





But seriously, how is it that kids who are smart enough to build a 3.8 GPA and score a 34 on the MCAT are not smart enough to use the search button to find similar threads?[/QUOTE]

 

[Mazework]

Mazework, everyone's been joking but you're an excellent applicant. It sounds like you have a great GPA and MCAT score plus ECs. I'd say the only things you should focus on are getting great LORs - 2 science profs (at least) that you took a class from, 1 non-science professor and maybe someone from the hospital and lab. I would suggest getting them now - some schools can hold them until you apply and you won't have to worry about it later.

When are you planning on applying?

June 2006. Thanks for the vote of confidence. MCAT's get to you.

 

[gujuDoc]

Agreed with Coffeecat. You sound like a great applicant and don't seem to have anything to worry about.

 

[masterMood]

never ever use the word myopic in a sentence again.


It is the forbidden word.

 

[little_late_MD]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The dead walk again!!

Necropost! Necropost! Necropost!

 

[DrBowtie]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The dead walk again!!

Necropost! Necropost! Necropost!

A true necro would be bumping a thread from 2001.

 

[masterMood]

Or 1999.

 

[indigoblue]

i suppose it could just be a product of how the test is scored. if someone, for whatever reason, was not familiar with the scoring breakdown, it would be easy to just look at a 35 and think, "wow, i only got a 78%"

so basically, a great score is getting a C/C+ on the mcat while we're expected to have a B+/A GPA...ah, this process is so awesome.

actually a 35 is closer to 95th percentile

 

[gujuDoc]

actually a 35 is closer to 95th percentile

Yes. I believe 35 is around 95th percentile, 37 is roughly 97th percentile and 30 is 70th percentile.

Also, I believe 33 is around 88-90th percentile and 34 is roughly 90th-93rd percentile. I don't recall exacts, but you can figure this out by looking at the bell curves from past administrations.

The thing is that the test is scaled. Hence, it you cannot just take the raw score conversion of 35/45 to determine what your percentile is. Look at the AAMC data if you are more interested in seeing what percentiles different scores fall under.

 

[willow18]

Hi everyone,

My first posting on the SDN. I having been reading your posts for the last few months and have appreciated most of the advice.
Here is my question. I am a junior at a East Coast school who took the MCAT in August 2005. Got a 34. Have a GPA of about 3.8 with a double major in Chemistry and Biology. Am Program director for the school's volunteer department for the last 2 years. Done the EM internship, have continously worked in a lab for about 4 years now. No papers to show though.
Is my score and EC good enough to get me into a "school". What else am I supposed to be doing? Do I take the MCAT again?

Thanks

You have NOT been reading our posts for a few months if you can ask such a question.

 

[Turkeyman]

lolzorz, IM A BOAT OF GRAVY!

 

[happydays]

Ummm... Is this another one of those "I only got a 45T and a 4.5, do I have a chance" threads? It's not funny anymore!

If not, please go see your premed advisor. No one here can comment without seeing your entire file.

 

[md2010???]

Mazework, I could only hope and wish for your kinds of stats. While I'm sitting here biting my nails as to what'll happen with my apps because of my crummy science gpa. Yeah, I should probably stay away from SDN...

anyway, don't freak out about the lack of publications. I don't think any interviewers would really ask you about that (unless you were going for MD/PhD--maybe). It'd be a great asset to have it, but in your situation I doubt it would hold you back. Your only setback might be coming across as being "too academic". you should really look into community service and shadowing in order to present a more rounded application. Being too science intense may hold you back in the very top schools--so look into some non-academic EC's to add to your app (again, doesn't have to be too intense--just that extra something).

 

[letmein!please?]

And don't apply to the lowest ranked schools because they'll spot you as a "they'd never come here" and may outright reject you for that reason.

Agreed. I've heard so many applicants say, "This process is such a crapshoot. I got interviews from most of my reach schools and was flat-out rejected from all my safetys!" Well maybe it is a crapshoot, but they got rejected from "sefety" schools because the adcom knew they would never go there. Almost all adcoms, in all schools and all programs, are shooting for the highest matriculation rates possible. Not only does this help fill classes without massive waitlists, it also makes them look good! Plus, it helps those of us sub-3.8-ers get in

Kind of off topic... Anyway, you'll do fine!