Poor MCAT/ Gap Year Help

[kmedhopeful95]

I am in my senior year, still have one semester before I graduate. I took my MCATs recently, and did not do well enough to balance out my mediocre GPA (503, 3.6) for Allopathic MD. I was already planning to take a gap year (or two) off. I am trying to figure out the best use of my time. I have a good overall trend (3.8 or higher for the upperclassmen classes), good extra-curriculars (President of Clubs, Crisis Counselor, Published in research), and good letters of recommendation. I was originally planning on Psychiatry, and I know there are many routes to get to a similar position like Masters or PhD in Clinical Psych--> Neuropsychology.

I want to give it one more shot before I give up the Med school dream. I am planning on getting serious about the MCAT (devoting 6+ month of concentrated studying) and shadowing more, and hopefully working in the health field for experience. I was wondering what you all recommend for someone in my position. Here are things I have considered:

1. SMP Program- USF MSMS heard good things about getting into med school after, however I don't think my GPA is THAT terrible that I need 32 extra credits +debt that goes with that.
2. Graduate Certificate in Neuroscience or Med related- Helps with GPA adding 12 grad credits in a specific field and can still get a Masters degree after if MCAT doesn't work as a back-up
3. Diving into work/shadowing and just focusing on MCAT.
4. Applying D.O - great respect for D.O, will still apply to D.O's even if I get a better MCAT.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated (thanks for reading) !!!

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[FindersFee5]

If you really know you're interested in psychiatry, then I would definitely suggest applying DO. You should be relatively competitive there, and it's pretty easy to match into psychiatry from an osteopathic school.

 

[efle]

I doubt your GPA is going to hold you back at 3.6 with a good upward trend. I'd find a good gap year job and just hardcore study for MCAT Round 2. If that comes back disappointing, then go DO because as mentioned above, psych is not at all a competitive specialty and so there is less to worry about going DO instead of MD.

 

[sullen-burger]

Do option number 3 and 4.

Also save most of full length practice exams and q banks for the last 1-2 months.

 

[kmedhopeful95]

Thank you all for the suggestions! Definitely going to focus on the MCAT and getting some real world clinical experience. Embracing this time off to better my application and work on my weak areas. Also, just got my final grades back for this semester and it looks like I will be going into my last semester with a 3.66! Thanks again!!

 

[libertyyne]

Improve app . Retake MCAT. Apply DO .