My Story, as shortened as possible: Please Help me

[Passion is Life]

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Hi everyone. This is my second time applying to med school, so I am hoping to do better this time around.

GPA: 3.21
sGPA: 2.99

MCAT: Took it very recently and I am waiting for the score (hoping for a 28+ with the way i feel after the take. who knows?! maybe i crushed it with a 30+!)
First time - (Jul 2010): P8 V7 B7 (22)

Went to UCSD majored in Bio.
First job I ever had was as a Clinical Research Intern at the Cancer Center. Felt tired of all the NRB and clinical trials and wanted to work more directly with patients.
I began volunteering as a clinical intern and logged 270 hours in various departments (Med/Surg, IMC, ICU, Emergency Department, Psych & Geriatrics Ward).
I became a physical therapist aide and have over 500 hours working with patients.
Pre Medical Society where I was involved in 100+ hours of non-patient included community service.
-------- Applied without knowing my MCAT score, obviously didn't help my case out, but I wanted my app to get processed.
Year Off:
Gained a position at a private medical group specializing in digestive disease as a healthcare intern. I did many great things in all their departments. They offered me clinical manager position but respectfully refused due to mcat studying. Still did not stop me from creating new programs, opportunities for underserved high schoolers, and an increase in patient satisfaction and business efficiency/profitability.

I would take more classes if I could, but I can't for financial reasons. One of the reasons why i took the position at the group so I could fend for myself.

My plan is that if I score 26-29, I will apply to about 15-20 DO's.
30-33= 10 DO's + 15 MD's
34+ = 25 MD's (I can still be hopeful can't I? Lol)


any advice to help me during this application would be great. i have other activities and such, but the ones i listed are the heavy ones. thank you if you read everything and thank you for any suggestions.

 

[Regal Regan]

Even with your 22, I'd apply to DO schools. It isn't that DO schools are more lenient on numbers for the hell of it. The reason some with lower scores get in is because they look at everything you've done and you've done a lot. They could very well look at your application and say "wow, she didn't get a 30, but she's a well-rounded person and I'd like to meet her for interview." The interview is where you convince them that you'll be a great doctor.

Good luck!

 

[gman33]

To be blunt, your gpa just doesn't cut it for MD schools.
In particular, the sGPA is way too low.

If you want MD schools, do a SMP.

DO schools are a great option for someone like you.
I'd try to retake some of your science classes, as DO schools let you "replace" grades, and only count the retake in your GPA.

Even if you get a 35+ on the MCAT, I don't think you will get much love from MD schools.

That being said, it doesn't hurt to apply.

 

[Isoprop]

how does your recent coursework look like? is there an upward trend? if not, you probably need at least 2 semesters of solid 3.5+ full-time upperdiv science coursework to show adcoms that you can hack med school. at least.