Realistic Expectations?

[mulcahysj]

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Hey everyone! I am a long time lurker, and finally getting ready to take the plunge to apply myself. I will not write a wall of text as I am looking for advice as well. I take the MCAT in July and will subsequently send my application after. At the time of application I will have a cGPA/sGPA - 2.9/3.75. I know I need to crush the MCAT so that is what I am planning on doing. Long story short:

Went to college and didn't do so hot. Dropped out and enlisted. Completed 8 years Active Duty as a medic with multiple combat deployments as an front line infantry medic for the Marines. Multiple awards and honors. Countless leadership and experience. Decided I wanted to be a physician and went back to school my last two years while I was active duty. for the past 50-60 credits I have maintained a 3.9ish while retaking the classes I could. What are my expectations for applying this cycle? There are not many classes I can retake at this point. I have outstanding LOR's from many DO's as well. Thanks for the help everyone and to all applying Good Luck!

 

[MightBeACylon439]

Original_Poster: I have these stats and EC's, NO MCAT YET!

SDN_Cumulative: Come back when you have an MCAT score and we can give you advice.

Random_SDN_poster: I want to contribute, so here's the above opinion re-stated in slightly different words!

 

[Mad Jack]

With AACOMAS retakes accounted for, you still have a 2.9 cGPA? That will put you below the filter for the majority of schools, regardless of MCAT. They won't even see your scores.

 

[mulcahysj]

Yes unfortunately I was irresponsible and decided to just stop going to school so I have one semester of straight F's. I have petitioned the school for a retroactive withdrawal for that semester and if it is granted it will put my cGPA up to 3.2, Otherwise I will have to wait to finish a retake in December that could potentially put me at a 3.01 I was initially a Philosophy major hence why my sGPA did not get tanked as bad as my cGPA. I know that an MCAT score is needed to truly advise on what I should do, however I am just curious that if I do perform well on the MCAT that I still have a chance somewhere.

 

[change4med]

Honestly I think you'd be able to get in somewhere if you score a 500+ on the MCAT?

You have a lot more real life health experience than most of the premeds applying, and your last 60 units are at a really high GPA. IDK if you'd be able to get in the more MCAT selective DO schools if you had only an average MCAT score (AZ/Western/TouroCA/NY/PCOM) or because of your GPA (KCUMB has a 3.25 min GPA I think I heard), but even with an average MCAT score I think you'd be able to get in somewhere if you applied to other/newer schools? But assuming you have a high MCAT score, I'd apply broadly and I think you'd def find luck.

I would really look for ways to retake the classes from the semester of all F's if the retroactive withdrawal doesn't go through cause I feel you're really limiting yourself with that cGPA when you'd be able to get into a lot more schools with your experiences/upwards trend.

But yeah, just my two cents! I'm only applying this cycle so I don't really know much! Good luck!

 

[mulcahysj]

Thanks for the response! I actually had some correspondence about the retro withdrawal today. Nothing definitive but progress is progress nontheless!

 

[MightBeACylon439]

progress is progress nontheless!

This is my mantra when I go golfing.