need some insight..please help :)

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mommy2three

PGY-1
15+ Year Member
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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!!! :mad: 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!!!

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Well, let me start by saying... just be patient and relax.

You can't expect medical schools to say "This is how you can get into our school..." because there are no rules to getting in. Just search the forums for previous advice, try to be involved and do well in school.

I can't discuss the marriage/children issue because I'm neither married nor a parent, but I can vouch for a little advice in academics. Your MCAT is not fighting the "uphill" battle as intensely as you are made to believe IMO. Would you be better off if it were higher? Of course. Everyone would be better off with higher grades, a higher MCRAP and more ECs. However, your MCAT is competitive I would say. It would be in your best interest to try to improve your graduate GPA this year during the application cycle, so that you can show them a transcript after they are released around Christmas or so. Should you take the MCRAP again? That's completely up to you because as I said there are no rules and there's no rule that says "If you take the MCRAP again, your score will increase." I took it twice and scored a 27 both times.

Just do whatever you think is best for you because only you know what is truly best for you. Just relax, get your application in early, study hard and enjoy some quality time with your family. It'll all work out. :)
 
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