Need advice!

[braves78]

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I need some advice as far as what to do from this point. I was planning on applying MD before I received my test scores, but now most likely taking a gap year. I am a NC resident at a somewhat smaller school. I am a male and have qualified for the Fee Assistance program and am able to apply to 14 schools.

My Stats:
Biology Major
6/30 MCAT- 22 (8,6,8)
9/3 MCAT- 22 (7,6,9)
3.8 Overall GPA
3.8 Science GPA

For the first MCAT I took a Kaplan course and did not really like their strategies so for the retake I did not passage map or skip around questions.

Extracurricular:
Student-Athlete- Football player which is essentially a full-time job.
Upper level science tutor for a year
Shadowing with multiple doctors over 100 hours
Member of Student Athlete Advisory Committee- voice for student athletes
Have had 2 jobs during summers and part-time during school since high school
Numerous volunteer hours with Boys and Girls Club, Senior Games and a camp leader for multiple youth football camps.

I would like to apply MD but am open to DO or possibly even going the PA route. The reason I have considered the PA route is because multiple doctors have told me if they could go back they would become a PA instead of a doctor.

I am open to any advice and would like to see what advice people have for somebody in my situation.

 

[AlexMack12]

First of all, congrats on that awesome GPA, especially while juggling commitments as a student-athlete!
Whether you apply MD or DO, you'll need to raise that MCAT. Although DO schools can be a bit more lenient with MCAT scores, you'd still want to aim for a score in the upper 20s to be a competitive applicant. Your science GPA is impressive and shows that it's less likely to be the content on the MCAT that's giving you a rough time but the exam itself. Don't be fooled- to some extent, the MCAT tests how well you know the MCAT. Try to examine why your scores are what they are. Are you running out of time and not answering enough questions? Not recalling formulae you need quickly enough? You'll have to adopt a study plan to address these issues. But practice definitely makes perfect with the MCAT after you've reviewed the content.

As far as MD vs. PA goes- I always take other people's advice with a grain of salt. It's pretty easy to say "I wouldn't get this degree again and would get a different one" when one already possesses said degree. I've encountered more than one PA who has lamented he wished he had gone to med school instead so you're likely to find "grass is always greener" folks on both side of the debate. What you're best off doing is shadowing people in both specialities, comparing time/money/social and emotional costs and career trajectories for each and seeing for yourself what would make you happier.

Besides increasing your MCAT, keep building your ECs and you should be fine! Good luck!!

 

[Catalystik]

Have you checked on the requirements for PA school? Some, like those in my state, require 2000 hours of patient care experience for consideration. Coursework requirements can vary from those for premed as well.

 

[braves78]

As far as the MCAT I feel like I know the material because when I would review test I knew the material I just think the time pressure always got the best of me. I did not know if taking the MCAT three times would look bad to med schools. As far as PA school I plan on finding a job that would count towards those hours you need for PA school in my gap year. I also graduate in December so essentially I will have a year and a half to get those hours in. In that gap year I plan on shadowing more physicians and physician assistants.

Thanks for the advice and any more will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Guero]

As far as the MCAT I feel like I know the material because when I would review test I knew the material I just think the time pressure always got the best of me. I did not know if taking the MCAT three times would look bad to med schools. As far as PA school I plan on finding a job that would count towards those hours you need for PA school in my gap year. I also graduate in December so essentially I will have a year and a half to get those hours in. In that gap year I plan on shadowing more physicians and physician assistants.

Thanks for the advice and any more will be greatly appreciated!

Congrats on awesome stats. I was in a very similar position aside from the desire to pursue PA. I think you've already received some great advice. So I'll keep it concise: I would try to evaluate what's holding you back with the MCAT, be it via contacting a professional or seeking counseling to address potential testing anxiety issues. As you address that barrier, continually reevaluate with practice tests; and don't sign up for the real test until you've demonstrated significant improvement (e.g., no less than 27 or 28 via AAMC practice tests). If you can reach that level on an AAMC practice test, you should have no problem with DO or PA options and would still have a genuine shot at an MD school regardless of the prevalent negative MCAT hype from your allopathic peers. (There's a thread dedicated to celebrating those achieving MD admission with MCATs equal to or less than 29, including myself.)

Even if you don't reach that point, I imagine you can still look into PA/NP schools. I'm just not familiar with PA schools. Good luck!