Need Advice!!! PLZ!!

[Kliffmeister]

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Hello,
I will be applying for the 2012 DO admission but was wondering if it was good idea to apply right now to get first dibs or to wait till I redo my mcat in early Aug.
These are my stats MCAT 10BS 10PS 6VR (AHHH!!!) so 26Q. 3.34gpa, summer research, thesis paper, EMR, 2part time jobs, VP for student group, orchestra member.
I studied 2.5weeks for mcat and i know i can do a lot better if i study hard for 2months.
Now the question is, do i apply now to get early into rolling system, or wait and apply after my mcat retake (no guarantee i'll do a lot better tho).
Any advice will be appreciated...thanks!

 

[SNDO]

I think your current MCAT score is fine for DO schools. I believe the average MCAT for DO schools is about 27. And is that 3.34 GPA your overall GPA or your science GPA? Have you shadowed any doctors and done any other medical volunteering? How are your letters of recommendations?

If you can't guarantee that you'll do better on the MCAT, then don't take it. Only take the MCAT if you know for sure you can do awesome. I think it's pretty amazing you pulled off a 26 from 2.5 weeks of studying though

 

[Kliffmeister]

My science gpa is slightly higher and my prereq science courses are near 4.0. The only problem is that there's a downward trend and I have messed up during my final year by taking 6 courses along with my research project while doing 2jobs and other volunteer works.
I only volunteered at hospital for 7months and having hard time finding a DO physician to shadow. Most of my volunteer is from my EMR experience.
And thx....i know i can do better on mcat, but i dunno how much better i can do. No point for me to do it again so soon if i can only pull up few points.
I hear VR is the toughest section to pull up the marks and that's where I screwed up the most

 

[Colbare]

I think working through both EK 101 passages and TPR Hyperlearning workbook is the best way to improve on the VR section

 

[mafunk]

I think it depends upon your goals and life situation.

If you are trying to get into top schools, are young and not in a hurry, then you might want to retake your MCAT, after a serious course of study.

If you are happy with avg schools or are in a hurry, then apply now. Personally I don't think it matters what school you go to. If you do well, you will get a good residency/job when you graduate. So if I were in your shoes I would apply now to schools that were attainable.

 

[FuturePharm21]

I think working through both EK 101 passages and TPR Hyperlearning workbook is the best way to improve on the VR section

Really?? Because I keep getting 6-8 in verbal and CANNOT go up, no matter what...and I've been taking practice verbal tests since December...I don't know what I am doing wrong?!!!

 

[FuturePharm21]

With your stats, you have a decent/somewhat good chance at getting into DO schools if you apply to many schools and do everything early...

However, your GPA is sort of low and I don't know if you need to retake classes or do a Masters program if you don't get in this year because your MCAT score is fine for DO schools...

Obviously I would recommend taking MCAT, studying more than 2.5 weeks for it and getting at least an 8 in verbal to match your great PS/BS scores...

GOOD LUCK!!! I am freaking out as well:/

I think working through both EK 101 passages and TPR Hyperlearning workbook is the best way to improve on the VR section

Hello,
I will be applying for the 2012 DO admission but was wondering if it was good idea to apply right now to get first dibs or to wait till I redo my mcat in early Aug.
These are my stats MCAT 10BS 10PS 6VR (AHHH!!!) so 26Q. 3.34gpa, summer research, thesis paper, EMR, 2part time jobs, VP for student group, orchestra member.
I studied 2.5weeks for mcat and i know i can do a lot better if i study hard for 2months.
Now the question is, do i apply now to get early into rolling system, or wait and apply after my mcat retake (no guarantee i'll do a lot better tho).
Any advice will be appreciated...thanks!

 

[Kliffmeister]

I'm not planning to do masters...i think it'll be waste of my time and money and won't really bring up my gpa that much. My gpa is sort of a rollercoster and my major screwup was during my final year.
I should've applied last yr when it was 3.67....hindsight is a beep....

I'll rewrite my mcat in aug but will apply early and give AACOM the notice that I'll be rewriting the mcat. I focused mostly on VR last yr so i know i can do better on BS and PS. Good luck on ur mcat and hope u kill it....40+!!! That's what I'm aiming for to offset my low gpa.

With your stats, you have a decent/somewhat good chance at getting into DO schools if you apply to many schools and do everything early...

However, your GPA is sort of low and I don't know if you need to retake classes or do a Masters program if you don't get in this year because your MCAT score is fine for DO schools...

Obviously I would recommend taking MCAT, studying more than 2.5 weeks for it and getting at least an 8 in verbal to match your great PS/BS scores...

GOOD LUCK!!! I am freaking out as well:/

 

[Kliffmeister]

BTW, AAMC full mcat practice exams are a joke...they're so much easier than the actual test. I got 30+ for all of them and was sorta happy till i wrote the real exam.

 

[Goro]

You'ew fine...apply now. The weak MCAT verbal might raise a question in the interview, but nothing you won't be able to handle. You might want to add some more patient contact volunteering to your ECs to make you even more attractive.

 

[FuturePharm21]

any advice for me?

 

[FuturePharm21]

my stats:

3.3 science, 3.4 BCPM, cumulative: 3.66, non-science: 3.9,

more than enough leadership roles, patient contact, volunteering, shadowing, research, and extracurriculars....

21 mcat...retaking soon

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Honestly, I just retook the MCAT cause I got a 23 and I told my wife, "with an increase I probably won't take it again, even a 24. I feel like I have a decent enough app to get in somewhere. I retook cause I want to get into a specific somewhere, but its a DO school. With a 26, you should be fine.

 

[megathunder]

BTW, AAMC full mcat practice exams are a joke...they're so much easier than the actual test. I got 30+ for all of them and was sorta happy till i wrote the real exam.

I disagree, I took all of them to study for my second mcat and they averaged out to exactly a 31 which is what I ended up getting. I'm a huge proponent of the AAMC tests, well worth the money to take all of them.

 

[Kliffmeister]

Other than your mcat score, i think your grades are competitive; especially the non-science part

my stats:

3.3 science, 3.4 BCPM, cumulative: 3.66, non-science: 3.9,

more than enough leadership roles, patient contact, volunteering, shadowing, research, and extracurriculars....

21 mcat...retaking soon

 

[PeepsLove]

Hello,
I will be applying for the 2012 DO admission but was wondering if it was good idea to apply right now to get first dibs or to wait till I redo my mcat in early Aug.
These are my stats MCAT 10BS 10PS 6VR (AHHH!!!) so 26Q. 3.34gpa, summer research, thesis paper, EMR, 2part time jobs, VP for student group, orchestra member.
I studied 2.5weeks for mcat and i know i can do a lot better if i study hard for 2months.
Now the question is, do i apply now to get early into rolling system, or wait and apply after my mcat retake (no guarantee i'll do a lot better tho).
Any advice will be appreciated...thanks!

Your scores are for DO programs. My question is why are you stuck on DO schools. Ever consider MD? My advice, retake MCAT and apply to both MD and DO schools. I'm a DO grad and would recommend MD if you can. It makes life much easier.

 

[AmicaVera]

I know at some schools (LECOM, for one) you can submit early, call up the admissions office, and ask them to hold your application until you're ready to be considered with updated GPA or MCAT. One of the people I spoke to in admissions said that they will do it if you've been in contact with someone before applying, and it's mostly advantageous for their applicants.

 

[Kliffmeister]

I'm stuck on DO schools because I have applied to MD schools and was rejected. 🙁 But I might consider applying to MD schools again if I can score high on mcat

Your scores are for DO programs. My question is why are you stuck on DO schools. Ever consider MD? My advice, retake MCAT and apply to both MD and DO schools. I'm a DO grad and would recommend MD if you can. It makes life much easier.

Thx! I'll keep a note of that and call the school

I know at some schools (LECOM, for one) you can submit early, call up the admissions office, and ask them to hold your application until you're ready to be considered with updated GPA or MCAT. One of the people I spoke to in admissions said that they will do it if you've been in contact with someone before applying, and it's mostly advantageous for their applicants.

 

[PopeJoja]

I know at some schools (LECOM, for one) you can submit early, call up the admissions office, and ask them to hold your application until you're ready to be considered with updated GPA or MCAT. One of the people I spoke to in admissions said that they will do it if you've been in contact with someone before applying, and it's mostly advantageous for their applicants.

This is nice. I have my MCAT date set for June 16. Would submitting early and having those scores sent by July 16 speed things up versus just submitting when the scores come in. Thanks.

 

[Kliffmeister]

I found a DO doc to shadow....I am SOOOOO happy. This will be an amazing experience and I can apply to several places right after I get the LOR.
Yay!