Next move?

[316288]

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[MiniMoo]

Some questions:

• What's your MCAT breakdown?
• How many total hours of clinical volunteering have you accumulated at this point?
• What is your total overall GPA and sGPA with post-bacc work included?
• What schools did you apply to? What state are you a resident in?
• Do you have any non-medical volunteer work or community service?
• Any physician shadowing? If so, number of hours and specialties?
• Leadership?
• How are your LORs? Solid?
• You say you have some lab experience in undergrad -- is that doing research or do you mean just lab pre-reqs that you had to take?

Just at an initial glance though, I'd say your GPA is a big problem (3.0-ish GPA with a 3.3 in a post-bacc is really not good) as well as your lack of clinical experience. But answer the questions above and we can give you better advice tailored to your situation.

 

[Catalystik]

Are you saying you did nothing to improve your application since you applied?

How many hours of free clinic volunteering do you have?

Did you do some formal physician shadowing? Any teaching, nonmedical community service? Research isn't essential; do you have any research in economics or humanities otherwise? Bench research and clinical research aren't the only ways to gain this activity.

With such a low cGPA, you could consider a few routes to becoming a physician:

1) Get an MCAT score of 43. This is not likely to happen, but an SDNer got in last year to one allopathic school with a 2.92 and a 43 MCAT. Theoretically speaking,a 37-38 should do the trick, but an upward grade trend is also needed.
2) Complete an SMP (Special Masters Program). See Postbaccalaureate programs Forum for a list.
3) Apply to DO med schools. If you have a few really bad grades, you could repeat the classes and take advantage of their grade replacement policy.
4) I'm not suggesting it, as it would be too time intensive, that you take more postbac classes or get another degree, getting straight As, to show an upward trend and raise the uGPA that is the problem. Getting a 3.3 in your postbac classes thus far did you no favors.
5) Distant last choice would be to apply to Caribbean schools.

 

[MiniMoo]

Are you saying you did nothing to improve your application since you applied?

How many hours of free clinic volunteering do you have?

Did you do some formal physician shadowing? Any teaching, nonmedical community service? Research isn't essential; do you have any research in economics or humanities otherwise? Bench research and clinical research aren't the only ways to gain this activity.

With such a low cGPA, you could consider a few routes to becoming a physician:

1) Get an MCAT score of 43. This is not likely to happen, but an SDNer got in last year to one allopathic school with a 3.92 and a 43 MCAT. Theoretically speaking,a 37-38 should do the trick, but an upward grade trend is also needed.
2) Complete an SMP (Special Masters Program). See Postbaccalaureate programs Forum for a list.
3) Apply to DO med schools. If you have a few really bad grades, you could repeat the classes and take advantage of their grade replacement policy.
4) I'm not suggesting it, as it would be too time intensive, that you take more postbac classes or get another degree, getting straight As, to show an upward trend and raise the uGPA that is the problem. Getting a 3.3 in your postbac classes thus far did you no favors.
5) Distant last choice would be to apply to Caribbean schools.

I think Cat meant a 2.92 (just so the OP doesn't have a heart attack).

 

[Catalystik]

I think Cat meant a 2.92 (just so the OP doesn't have a heart attack).

My bad; you're right. I'll fix it.

 

[MiniMoo]

My bad; you're right. I'll fix it.

No worries. 🙂

 

[J ROD]

def need more clinical work.....

 

[Catalystik]

I think OP should get a prize for least clinical experience I've ever seen listed on an application. If only he/she had found SDN a year ago.

 

[illegallysmooth]

I will echo the above statements, you NEED clinical experience. Obviously your GPA is a problem. I think with more clinical experience you would have gotten a couple interviews at MD programs, and probably several at DO schools. I highly encourage you to apply to DO schools in the future, they will evaluate you as a whole applicant and be a little more forgiving of your GPA.

 

[MiniMoo]

• What's your MCAT breakdown?
  12V 10BS 8PS

I don't know how you were scoring on practice exams, but a retake on the MCAT might benefit you for MD schools since your PS section is a bit low. Of course, don't retake if you don't think you can score any better. Getting lower on a second go around would not look good. For DO schools, this score is fine.

(Note: I would focus on my lack of volunteering and low GPA as areas that absolutely need improvement first. The MCAT would just be something else that could be improved after everything else is taken care of, but it is not as critical)

• How many total hours of clinical volunteering have you accumulated at this point?
  12

This is a HUGE hole in your application. I've never heard of anyone applying to med school with only 12 hours of volunteering. Aim for 100-150 hours spread out over the course of a year or so. I would not apply again until you've satisfied this requirement.

• What is your total overall GPA and sGPA with post-bacc work included?
  Both right at 3.0, will check files

A 3.0 is extremely low for both MD and DO schools. Since you already completed a post-bacc, I'm not sure how much more this can budge. In my opinion, your 2 best options are to retake courses you did poorly in, get As, and apply to DO schools (they use the most recent grade in GPA calculations, allowing you to raise your GPA much more quickly)...

OR

If you are totally against applying DO or still want to try for MD programs, you can consider a one-year Special Masters Programs in which you basically take classes with current med students to show adcoms that you have what it takes to 'make it' in medical school despite the fact that your undergraduate GPA is so low. These programs are very high risk, high reward. They are not cheap (~$40k I think), but if you do extremely well, your past low GPA can be overlooked. However do mediocre/poorly, and your chances at acceptance are greatly diminished. You can find more information on these types of programs in the Post-Bacc Forum: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=71

• What schools did you apply to? What state are you a resident in?
  23 from Harvard to Miami. RI

Although you didn't list your entire selection of schools, I'm thinking you did not apply wisely. No offense intended, but someone with a 3.0, 30 MCAT, no research, and almost no clinical experience shouldn't be applying to medical school at all without some damage control.. let alone Harvard. If you try applying again (after correcting the deficiencies in your application), you need to aim for lower tier MD schools, and I would strongly consider DO schools as well. Also apply EARLY.

• Do you have any non-medical volunteer work or community service?
  Significant political work over the last two years. Have hired many people over the years. Worked pro bono of sorts to recoup wages for former employees.

Having outside, "real world" experience in other fields can be a bonus. Schools like diversity, so this is good. Stay active in non-medical pursuits, hobbies, extracurriculars to make your application more well rounded.

• Any physician shadowing? If so, number of hours and specialties?
  No. I have been shut out on all my attempts.

Find physicians to shadow. This is an unspoken requirement. About 50 hours worth in different specialties. This is in addition to your regular clinical volunteering of 100-150 hours.

• Leadership?
  Heaps and bounds?

Okay?

• How are your LORs? Solid?
  2 Profs from Harvard Extension who teach at Harvard Med, one Brown Econ rec (my undergrad major). Solid professional recs, solid personal rec. Even developed a relationship with the world expert in foster care alumni outcomes to paint a picture of what I faced as an undergrad.

Looks good. Keep in mind you may have to update your letters if they are more than 2 years old by the time you reapply.

• You say you have some lab experience in undergrad -- is that doing research or do you mean just lab pre-reqs that you had to take?
  Just pre recs.

Research is not absolutely required to get into medical school, so this is okay as long as you're not aiming for schools that heavily emphasize it. DO schools especially seem to be fine with no research. But if you're interested in it at all, research can only benefit your application.

 

[Catalystik]

You might try to get a job doing lab research in a university setting where free undergrad tuition is one of the perks. But any job is fine, so long as you continue with your volunteering and clinical experience somehow, even two hours for each one, every week.