my buddy is seriously bummin...

[seaturtle112]

I think he's being completely ridiculous. please, listen to his sitch and tell me what ya'll think...

BA Economics, GPA=3.47
MCAT this april, 9V,9PS,P,11B = 29P
he's volunteered for over a year in a hospital, other EC's, blah blah blah... (not a URM)

he's totally bumming. we both studied SO hard for that test. now he's like not planning on even applying. i think he's being ridiculous! i mean, yeah, he's no super-standout world beater, but he's right there! he's in the game! Plus, he'll be a GREAT interview, and that's what its all about, right?

what do ya'll think? help a brother out here!

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[imtiaz]

i say tell him to apply. he is not a frivolous candidate by any means. im sure he will land a few interviews. apply to a good number of schools (~15) and make sure they are a wide range of schools. definitely dont sit this application cycle out. good luck to both of you guys.

 

[Lloyd Christmas]

Do not let him miss this application cycle. A 29 is nothing to be ashamed of, in fact he will probably be able to get in some where if he has decent other "stuff" as well. As the previous poster stated, make sure to apply to a very wide range of schools (you never know if you will like a school until you get there and interview).

If you friend is set on going some where like Hopkins or WashU or Mayo, he will probably not get in, but there is still a chance. A 29 will probably get you in somewhere, do not pass up a year of the admissions cycle, you never know how much can happen in a year. Good luck.

 

[futrfysician]

I'd tell him to prep for Pod school man. Seems like he was set on 40 or bust.

Seriously, your friend needs to get a life. <img border="0" alt="[Pity]" title="" src="graemlins/pity.gif" />

 

[Toejam]

Yeah, I'd say prep for pod school (since I'm a pod and I can tell you that as long as he has a palpable pulse, he's in......but, on the other hand, I couldn't recommend it, hence my attempt to enter MD/DO school). Wait a minute! If he applies to podiatry school that'll eliminate one more person for me to compete with!!! DO IT!!!!

 

[none]

Applications are going to get more competitive in the future, not less. Apply this year and beat the bad economy rush!

 

[Retro]

Well, I have to say, your buddy was being realistic. I had been through the whole process last year and although I got in, the process is very very competitive. Unless he is from an Ivy League school or Berkeley, MIT, Stanford, Caltech, and sorts of that nature, a 3.47 in Econ is average at best (unless if you are in a state where state med school are easy to get in, which isn't the case for CA or NY). However, a 32 or above score will make his application very competitive, but a 29 with 3.47 simply wouldn't cut it nowadays if he is not URM. He can apply to over 30 schools and he may get one interview, which probably will end in bad news. My advice will be for him to apply to Post-bac programs, which are linked to various med schools, and after one year of study with over 3.5 in that program, you admission to that linked med school is virtually guaranteed. His stats are competitive enough to enter those programs as offered by Columbia, Grudger College, etc. I won't advice apply this year, it will be a year of disappointment. Apply to med school is not a matter of luck, even some may tell you inspirational stories or special cases, the average joe never gets to see the light of the heavy package when applying with an average stat, unless your state med school is easy to enter. sorry for the bad news

 

[Mr. H]

don't let this Retro guy dissuade you from applying. His/her views are extremely narrow minded, and saying that with a 29 you won't get in is RIDICULOUS. The average med school student has a 30 mcat, you are not that far off. Apply to many schools, do something medically related over the summer, and work hard on the apps. Listen, you have nothing to lose by applying, by not applying you are simple removing yourself from the chance of getting into medical school. But make sure you have a backup plan, look at post-bac programs, see what you can do to improve your chances; consider taking the mcat over again in APRIL if you don't get in, or you really feel like you can do better, then retake this August. Good luck1

 

[TommyGunn04]

DEFINITELY apply! But make sure your friend very carefully chooses reasonable schools to apply to. Applying to a higher than average number couldn't hurt either, to hopefully maximize the number of interviews offered.

 

[seaturtle112]

thanks all! great advice... i think he's coming around and will apply!

love ya SDNer's!! good luck to all!

 

[Retro]

Mr. H, be it narrow-minded, or be it truthful, only time will tell. Next time just state your case and reasoning, there is no need for name calling; we are all adults here. The statement "just apply and you have nothing to lose" is spoken too lightly often times. How about the $3000 dollar in application fee? How about the time to fill out the secondaries? How about the despondence when receiving rejection letters week after week. I recommended the post-bac; and if you disagree with me, why didn't you think of something better? I agree I am being too frank about his chances, sometimes one does need a boost of confidence... However, I have seen too many people disheartened by an luck-based attempt in applying to med school, and after that, they got so sick of this process that they abandoned med school all together. What is the wrong in asking one to prepare further and apply when the chance of admission is more than 60%?

 

[seaturtle112]

*BUMP*

 

[mpp]

I agree that your buddy should apply. According to the <a href="http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/famg62001a.htm" target="_blank">National Matriculant Data</a> published by the AAMC, the mean matriculant GPA over the last five years was about a 3.53 with a standard deviation of about 0.35. This means that two thirds of the matriculants had GPA's within the range 3.18 to 3.88 (although the distribution is more than likely skewed to the higher GPA's). Total mean MCAT for matriculant's last year was 29.6 and the standard deviation is quite large (almost two points for each section but no total score SD given). A GPA of 3.47 with a 29 MCAT is definitely within the acceptable range for medical school. Another important factor would be the science GPA. If the science GPA falls within a standard deviation of the mean, it seems reasonable to apply.