Need some guidance and clarity

[karenbarren]

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Hey guys, I am a non-traditional pre-medical student applying to medical schools this year. My only concern is my CARS section is a 122 overall 506.

 

[ppushpak]

Where was your post bacc? Does your post-bacc have a medical school associated with it?
What was your cGPA for undergrad? sGPA? How long ago was it?
Is this your only MCAT score, how were your practice tests in comparison to your actual score?
Any volunteer work and how much?
How strongly would your rate your LORs 1-5 with 5 being the highest?

Overall I think you have a chance but low. This current cycle, I've had friends with a 514 and a 516 with 4.0s in our post-bacc only get waitlisted at multiple schools and no acceptances thus far. Largely this process is hard to predict so I do think you can get in somewhere if you apply broadly enough. If you have more of the info I asked for above I can try to advise better.

 

[Peter Pan.]

Any nonclinical volunteering? Honestly with that CARS it will be tough to get in. Many schools screen out subsections below 124/125 even with higher overall MCAT scores and a 506 in itself isn't a competitive score. How many credit hours is that post bacc and how many years was it? Do you think you can get 510+ on the MCAT? Depends on the quality of your upward trend and what your overall GPA is.

 

[965978]

I would highly recommend spending 2-3 months making MCAT study your life mission. It’s literally the only thing holding you back.

On the bright side, a 122 CARS is very receptive to increase. Going from a 122 to a 126 is several magnitude easier than going from a 126 to 130.

 

[Peter Pan.]

I would highly recommend spending 2-3 months making MCAT study your life mission. It’s literally the only thing holding you back.

On the bright side, a 122 CARS is very receptive to increase. Going from a 122 to a 126 is several magnitude easier than going from a 126 to 130.

Yeah but CARS is the hardest section to improve. Some people didn't grow up reading or english is their second language.

 

[965978]

Yeah but CARS is the hardest section to improve. Some people didn't grow up reading or english is their second language.

I didn’t say it’ll be easy.

A 122 CARS is a serious holdback.

 

[karenbarren]

Where was your post bacc? Does your post-bacc have a medical school associated with it?
What was your cGPA for undergrad? sGPA? How long ago was it?
Is this your only MCAT score, how were your practice tests in comparison to your actual score?
Any volunteer work and how much?
How strongly would your rate your LORs 1-5 with 5 being the highest?

Overall I think you have a chance but low. This current cycle, I've had friends with a 514 and a 516 with 4.0s in our post-bacc only get waitlisted at multiple schools and no acceptances thus far. Largely this process is hard to predict so I do think you can get in somewhere if you apply broadly enough. If you have more of the info I asked for above I can try to advise better.

I just answered another post, here are the rest of my stats:
My post bacc does not have a medical school associated.
cGPA is 2.97, cGPA with PB is 3.11
sGPA without PB is 2.5, sGPA with PB is 2.8
My undergrad was 2011-2015 at a pretty well-known school.
My PB was for 2 quarters.
My practice test scores were 500-502.
I have 1000 hours of volunteer, leadership
I am ORM.

 

[gyngyn]

If it came to a choice between DO and not being a physician, what would you say?

 

[karenbarren]

Any nonclinical volunteering? Honestly with that CARS it will be tough to get in. Many schools screen out subsections below 124/125 even with higher overall MCAT scores and a 506 in itself isn't a competitive score. How many credit hours is that post bacc and how many years was it? Do you think you can get 510+ on the MCAT? Depends on the quality of your upward trend and what your overall GPA is.

I called schools and applied to schools who did not have a CARS cutoff, and applied to most low-tier to mid-tier schools. My PB was ~43 credit hours.
I do think 510 is possible but at this point, not sure if a retake is possible.

I just answered another post, here are the rest of my stats:
My post bacc does not have a medical school associated.
cGPA is 2.97, cGPA with PB is 3.11
sGPA without PB is 2.5, sGPA with PB is 2.8
My undergrad was 2011-2015 at a pretty well-known school.
My PB was for 2 quarters.
My practice test scores were 500-502.
I have 1000 hours of volunteer, leadership
I am ORM.

 

[karenbarren]

Yeah but CARS is the hardest section to improve. Some people didn't grow up reading or english is their second language.

It is

 

[karenbarren]

Any nonclinical volunteering? Honestly with that CARS it will be tough to get in. Many schools screen out subsections below 124/125 even with higher overall MCAT scores and a 506 in itself isn't a competitive score. How many credit hours is that post bacc and how many years was it? Do you think you can get 510+ on the MCAT? Depends on the quality of your upward trend and what your overall GPA is.

Yeah

 

[karenbarren]

If it came to a choice between DO and not being a physician, what would you say?

Hey, I went to a DO preview day a week ago to learn more about their practice and how DO school systems operate. I was thinking to work and submit DO applications late July.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Hey, I went to a DO preview day a week ago to learn more about their practice and how DO school systems operate. I was thinking to work and submit DO applications late July.

At this point DO schools might be your only choice. With that cumulative and sGPA, your chances are very low at landing an MD acceptance even if you raised your MCAT to a 510+. Acceptance rate for applicants with 3.20-3.39 GPA and 510-513 MCAT is 40%. Don't worry about taking a spot from someone that wants to learn OMM because as it stands right now many of us here in DO schools could care less about OMM. We're here because we wanna be doctors and going to a medical school MD or DO was the only way to do it.

 

[Goro]

Hey guys, I am a non-traditional pre-medical student applying to medical schools this year. I have a great application and I know I will be an exceptional physician. My only concern is my CARS section is a 122 while the rest is CP 129, BB 128, PS 127 (overall 506).
My stats are:
-4.0 Post Bacc GPA
-I have started my own organizations
-I have been on an executive board at a hospital
-I have lots of interning and volunteer hours at the clinic (~1000+)
-I have done some time of research (~1 year)

What are the chances that I get into a medical MD school with the MCAT score, especially CARS? I do not want to apply to DO schools because I do not find any interest in OMM's mechanical side and would rather not take someone else's seat who happens to appreciate that aspect of practice. Please advise.

I feel that your chances for MD are close to non-existent.

Retake the MCAT if you're boning for the MD, because Beggars can't be choosy.

OMM is the tax you're going to have to pay to be a doctor, for screwing up your MCAT score

 

[Seihai]

Hey guys, I am a non-traditional pre-medical student applying to medical schools this year. I have a great application and I know I will be an exceptional physician. My only concern is my CARS section is a 122 while the rest is CP 129, BB 128, PS 127 (overall 506).
My stats are:
-4.0 Post Bacc GPA
-I have started my own organizations
-I have been on an executive board at a hospital
-I have lots of interning and volunteer hours at the clinic (~1000+)
-I have done some time of research (~1 year)

What are the chances that I get into a medical MD school with the MCAT score, especially CARS? I do not want to apply to DO schools because I do not find any interest in OMM's mechanical side and would rather not take someone else's seat who happens to appreciate that aspect of practice. Please advise.

A 122 on any subsection, especially CARS, is (in the words of other people I've seen here) lethal. You're probably going to get screened out or ignored by the majority of schools you apply to if you apply straight MD.

 

[PA_dud3]

Why are you so opposed to OMM? It's such a miniscule part of many DO's practice that if you don't belive in it you don't need to use it, just take the class. I know some of the stuff they teach is kinda iffy, but a good bit of it has significant benefits compared to placebo.