Need help. 3 MCAT retakes/downward trend but good clinical, work, EC

[DO.it.right]

Hi guys, I am in a pretty tough situation. I am pretty devastated with the outcome of my MCAT retakes. I already submitted primaries before I received my 3rd MCAT retake results. AMCAS has not been verified. Working on DO secondaries. I am looking for advice on how I can still get in and apply strategically. I am also interested in primary care and working for the underserved. Do you guys have suggestions on which schools I should add to my list that takes your highest MCAT or is more forgiving?

26/F Asian and Washington Resident. cGPA: 3.61 upward trend. sGPA: 3.53
MCAT: 504>499>498 🙁. I retook the 504 because I got a 121 in CARS (Vietnamese is my first language). Practice MCAT were 504-510. I used NS, Altius, and AAMC. I used Kaplan, UWorld, AAMC section bank/Q pack for practice. I get really bad test anxiety. I got my 498 MCAT score after I already submitted my AMCAS (7/6) and AACOMAS (7/3).

Work/EC
Clinical: 2000+ hours (CNA and scribe)
Shadowing: 64 completed (both MD and DO), 32 hours that was canceled due to COVID.
Volunteering: 300 + h (Food bank, American Heart Association Fundraiser, ED volunteering, community clinic volunteering, and free clinic)
Tutoring: 240 h compensated, 30 h volunteering with underrepresented high school
Leadership: 2000+ h as specimen management for LabCorp, Took charge of creating an educational workshop on BP/heart disease for a community clinic
Research: 240 h
LOR: 2 science, 1 non-science, DO, Research supervisor, volunteer coordinator, and AHA community outreach director.

MD School List:
UW
WSU
University of Arizona
Oakland U
Northeast Ohio
Toledo
Wright S U Boonshoft SOM
Tulane University

DO School List:
AT Still-KCOM
AT Still-SOMA
AZCOM-Midwestern
KCU-COM
LECOM-Fl
LECOM -Pa
NYIT
NOVA SE
CCOM-Midewestern
PNWU
Michigan State
Touro Nevada
Touro- NY
Western U - Pomona
Western U - Lebanon
MU-COM
WVSOM
UNECOM
LMU-COM

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[Shotapp]

The declining MCAT is concerning. Applying MD is out the door. Just focus on DO schools especially the newer ones.

 

[wysdoc]

Hi guys, I am in a pretty tough situation. I am pretty devastated with the outcome of my MCAT retakes. I already submitted primaries before I received my 3rd MCAT retake results. AMCAS has not been verified. Working on DO secondaries. I am looking for advice on how I can still get in and apply strategically. I am also interested in primary care and working for the underserved. Do you guys have suggestions on which schools I should add to my list that takes your highest MCAT or is more forgiving?

26/F Asian and Washington Resident. cGPA: 3.61 upward trend. sGPA: 3.53
MCAT: 504>499>498 🙁. I retook the 504 because I got a 121 in CARS (Vietnamese is my first language). Practice MCAT were 504-510. I used NS, Altius, and AAMC. I used Kaplan, UWorld, AAMC section bank/Q pack for practice. I get really bad test anxiety. I got my 498 MCAT score after I already submitted my AMCAS (7/6) and AACOMAS (7/3).

Work/EC
Clinical: 2000+ hours (CNA and scribe)
Shadowing: 64 completed (both MD and DO), 32 hours that was canceled due to COVID.
Volunteering: 300 + h (Food bank, American Heart Association Fundraiser, ED volunteering, community clinic volunteering, and free clinic)
Tutoring: 240 h compensated, 30 h volunteering with underrepresented high school
Leadership: 2000+ h as specimen management for LabCorp, Took charge of creating an educational workshop on BP/heart disease for a community clinic
Research: 240 h
LOR: 2 science, 1 non-science, DO, Research supervisor, volunteer coordinator, and AHA community outreach director.

MD School List:
UW
WSU
University of Arizona
Oakland U
Northeast Ohio
Toledo
Wright S U Boonshoft SOM
Meharry Medical College
Tulane University

DO School List:
AT Still-KCOM
AT Still-SOMA
AZCOM-Midwestern
KCU-COM
LECOM-Fl
LECOM -Pa
NYIT
NOVA SE
CCOM-Midewestern
PNWU
Michigan State
Touro Nevada
Touro- NY
Western U - Pomona
Western U - Lebanon
MU-COM
WVSOM
UNECOM
LMU-COM

TCU/UNTHSC MD school has a minimum GPA 3.0 and min MCAT 497

You are going to keep having lots of tests in the future, can you get help at learning center at your school about testing anxiety?

 

[DO.it.right]

TCU/UNTHSC MD school has a minimum GPA 3.0 and min MCAT 497

You are going to keep having lots of tests in the future, can you get help at learning center at your school about testing anxiety?

Thanks! Yes, I thought about. I thought meditation and exercise would be enough but professional help is an option for my fourth retake if I don't get in this cycle.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Thanks! Yes, I thought about. I thought meditation and exercise would be enough but professional help is an option for my fourth retake if I don't get in this cycle.

I would highly recommend getting help with this now because A. If you are admitted you are going to keep having high stakes exams in your classes and for step and you want to be in the best position possible to succeed or B. You are not admitted and need to retake the mcat but getting control of anxiety takes time.

 

[chicandtoughness]

Is there a particular reason why you’re applying to Meharry as an Asian? (That sounds a little iffy - I don’t mean to demean.)

 

[DO.it.right]

Is there a particular reason why you’re applying to Meharry as an Asian? (That sounds a little iffy - I don’t mean to demean.)

I honestly looked at their mission to serve disadvantaged community (which is my interest) in MSAR and missed that it is a HBCU. I will take that off my list now thinking about it. Thanks for pointing that out!

 

[GreenDuck12]

I honestly looked at their mission to serve disadvantaged community (which is my interest) in MSAR and missed that it is a HBCU. I will take that off my list now thinking about it. Thanks for pointing that out!

HBCUs enroll non-black students as well. They frequently enroll folks from other backgrounds who meet their mission and have extensive experience working with underserved communities. Just read through the mission statement and then decide.

 

[Damson]

I say you have a chance at DO schools.

@Goro

 

[Faha]

Concentrate on your DO application. Remove MSUCOM since they accept few non residents. You could add these schools:
ACOM
ARCOM
NYIT-AR
UP-KYCOM
CUSOM
VCOM (all schools except Monroe)
UIWSOM
PCOM Georgia and South Georgia

 

[Goro]

Concentrate on your DO application. Remove MSUCOM since they accept few non residents. You could add these schools:
ACOM
ARCOM
NYIT-AR
UP-KYCOM
CUSOM
VCOM (all schools except Monroe)
UIWSOM
PCOM Georgia and South Georgia

Add LECOM as well

 

[GoPenguinsGo]

Toledo and Wright State aren't going to be too friendly to you as an out of state applicant. They don't like non-Ohio residents very much according to the MSAR.

 

[DO.it.right]

Toledo and Wright State aren't going to be too friendly to you as an out of state applicant. They don't like non-Ohio residents very much according to the MSAR.

Thank you, I received secondaries from them so I'm thinking of submitting them anyways.

 

[GoPenguinsGo]

Thank you, I received secondaries from them so I'm thinking of submitting them anyways.

Then hey give it a shot! Good luck!

 

[Divoone123]

Hey OP, by any chance, did you get in any of the DO schools?

 

[MaxCycle42]

I would also like to know as well. As a fellow Vietnamese, I'm rooting for ya!

 

[djiboutiman]

It will be an uphill battle, but put your heart and soul into each secondary. I would follow up with each school after a couple weeks and re-express your interest. Make sure you practice for your interviews. Continue to volunteer and send in updates when you can. Good luck! If the cycle doesn’t work out this year, consider applying for PA schools as your MCAT won’t show and your GPA and extracurriculars would make you a good PA applicant.