- Joined
- Dec 13, 2005
- Messages
- 1,244
- Reaction score
- 230
so first of all traditional i am not (by any means )
here are my current stats:
undergrad cum gpa: 3.2
science cum undergrad gpa: 3.75
grad gpa: 2.8
mcat from april 2004: 26R (9v,9p,8b)
here is a little bit of the background...my undergrad cum gpa is low because i spent two years in the wrong major 11 years ago and have essentially 4 semesters of failing grades in my coursework (in radio-television so in no way shape or forum related to any future in medicine). anyway, i digress. i have a *significant* number of undergrad credit hours so any attempts to significantly change my undergrad gpa will not happen within the next year (plus i have already graudated and have all the reqs for med school so a post bac is out).
upon recommendations of some schools i pursued a specialized masters program here in chicago at rosalind franklin last year. i ended up missing the required gpa by one question on my biochem final...AGGGHHH!!! so now i am essentially back to square one.
i will say though that my experience at franklin was *quite* eye opening and actually showed me that i want to be in an osteopathic school with people who thought like me .
that brings me to here.......i am applying via acomas but due to geographic restrictions i am only applying to ccom. i am desperately trying to figure out the best way to proceed and if i have a chance at all or if i am wasting my time and spinning my wheels yet again fighting what one dean of admission from an allopathic school has called an "uphill battle". i decided to take the kaplan prep class to better my mcat score and they have gotten better (have been hovering around 29-31) but then the last test i took this past saturday was a 26. my husband and i also welcomed our 3rd child in early july so that has taken a significant amount of my study time away as i am caring for her (loving every minute of it but it is very time intensive). i have not been able to study as much as i would have liked for the august mcat and am feeling very UN prepared....in fact i am seriously considering not taking it and waiting until january. but that means that i submit my application as is...no frills...no changes...no nothing. i should mention that i will be taking graduate classes this fall and spring to raise my grad gpa...but obviously those results will not be in before i submit my secondary.
i have called and spoken with various admissions reps at ccom in vain attempts to try to figure out what the best chance i have of submitting the most competitive application i can is and i can not get a straight answer....heck i can not get ANY answer. all i am aksing them is how to optimize my application best to be considered competitive there...you think i was asking them if i would get in or not....all i want to know is if i have a chance as is or if i really need to bust my behind these next two weeks and raise my mcat up (also realizing the very real risk that i may not raise it at all ). that brings me to the current debate and what i came here to figure out....if i should leave my app as is or chance taking the mcat again and hope like heck i see some improvement?
i am beyond frustrated right now....i know i have the capability tobe a great doctor one day, i honestly felt the program at franklin was my best chance at anyone giving me a shot but i did not cut the gpa requirement. and by risking that program i have now hurt my chances of getting in because my grad gpa is not as high as someone else who may have chose to pursue a traditional program rather than the one yr intensive program i was in. i just feel like i am banging my head on the wall....or better yet i am chasing my tail and getting no where except in a big circle. i just want to be a doctor...that is all i want yet it seems so impossible.
if anyone can offer any insights/advice/etc it would be VERY much appreciated!!!
here are my current stats:
undergrad cum gpa: 3.2
science cum undergrad gpa: 3.75
grad gpa: 2.8
mcat from april 2004: 26R (9v,9p,8b)
here is a little bit of the background...my undergrad cum gpa is low because i spent two years in the wrong major 11 years ago and have essentially 4 semesters of failing grades in my coursework (in radio-television so in no way shape or forum related to any future in medicine). anyway, i digress. i have a *significant* number of undergrad credit hours so any attempts to significantly change my undergrad gpa will not happen within the next year (plus i have already graudated and have all the reqs for med school so a post bac is out).
upon recommendations of some schools i pursued a specialized masters program here in chicago at rosalind franklin last year. i ended up missing the required gpa by one question on my biochem final...AGGGHHH!!! so now i am essentially back to square one.
i will say though that my experience at franklin was *quite* eye opening and actually showed me that i want to be in an osteopathic school with people who thought like me .
that brings me to here.......i am applying via acomas but due to geographic restrictions i am only applying to ccom. i am desperately trying to figure out the best way to proceed and if i have a chance at all or if i am wasting my time and spinning my wheels yet again fighting what one dean of admission from an allopathic school has called an "uphill battle". i decided to take the kaplan prep class to better my mcat score and they have gotten better (have been hovering around 29-31) but then the last test i took this past saturday was a 26. my husband and i also welcomed our 3rd child in early july so that has taken a significant amount of my study time away as i am caring for her (loving every minute of it but it is very time intensive). i have not been able to study as much as i would have liked for the august mcat and am feeling very UN prepared....in fact i am seriously considering not taking it and waiting until january. but that means that i submit my application as is...no frills...no changes...no nothing. i should mention that i will be taking graduate classes this fall and spring to raise my grad gpa...but obviously those results will not be in before i submit my secondary.
i have called and spoken with various admissions reps at ccom in vain attempts to try to figure out what the best chance i have of submitting the most competitive application i can is and i can not get a straight answer....heck i can not get ANY answer. all i am aksing them is how to optimize my application best to be considered competitive there...you think i was asking them if i would get in or not....all i want to know is if i have a chance as is or if i really need to bust my behind these next two weeks and raise my mcat up (also realizing the very real risk that i may not raise it at all ). that brings me to the current debate and what i came here to figure out....if i should leave my app as is or chance taking the mcat again and hope like heck i see some improvement?
i am beyond frustrated right now....i know i have the capability tobe a great doctor one day, i honestly felt the program at franklin was my best chance at anyone giving me a shot but i did not cut the gpa requirement. and by risking that program i have now hurt my chances of getting in because my grad gpa is not as high as someone else who may have chose to pursue a traditional program rather than the one yr intensive program i was in. i just feel like i am banging my head on the wall....or better yet i am chasing my tail and getting no where except in a big circle. i just want to be a doctor...that is all i want yet it seems so impossible.
if anyone can offer any insights/advice/etc it would be VERY much appreciated!!!