Reapplicant- 29 MCAT, 3.97 GPA- WAMC?

[ShabbaRanks]

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Hello all,

Sorry for writing such a long post. I just want to give as much information as I can to get useful feedback.

For this upcoming application cycle I will be a reapplicant. This past cycle I received 3 interviews (2 waitlists). My MCAT was a retake taken during mid-August. This late retake caused my application to not be complete at most schools until mid-September. This cycle I plan on submitting my AMCAS application the very first week. I would love to hear feedback on my chances.

I will be changing my PS this year. This past year my dad was diagnosed with stage IV brain cancer and I will be writing about my experiences with his treatments and how it has affected me and changed my view on medicine. For the upcoming year, I received a Medical Internship in Phoenix, Arizona where I will be conducting research on the same type of cancer that my dad has. I am very passionate about this opportunity and believe it will greatly prepare me for the future.


GPA-3.97

Mcat- 29 (11/8/10)

Iowa Resident

Undergrad- University of Iowa

First Generation College Student

Caucasian

Major-Human Physiology Minor-Chemistry


Activities- (Starred activities indicate new)

85 hours shadowing 6 different specialties

300 hours serving as a TA for organic chemistry I

Studied abroad for 1 semester in non-english speaking country (taught ESL to 2 grade school children)

120 hours hospital volunteering

1 year chemistry research and *1 year STEM research working on projects for kids. I wrote a procedure for my STEM project and the University will be using this for undergraduate chemistry labs.

*I graduated with Highest Distinction and University Honors

250 hours non medical volunteering

*serving meals to homeless (100 hours by submission)

helping flood victims (70 hours)

volunteered at local museum and helped with children’s classes (30 hours)

*volunteered at random event throughout the community (for example, I helped out at a Kids Against Hunger event where 65,000 meals were packaged) (50 hours)


*Soles4Souls Shoe Drive- 200 hours
I organized and coordinated a shoe drive that raised over 1,600 pairs of shoes for people in poverty stricken areas

*Vice President of Health and Wellness Society

*Pantene Beautiful Lengths Hair Donation

Hobbies- Exercising and fishing


School List from last cycle

University of Iowa (II, rejection)

MCW (II, waitlist)

Creighton (II, waitlist)

Arizona- pre interview rejection

UA Phx- pre interview Rejection

GWU- pre interview rejection

Nebraska- Pre interview Rejection

Rosalind Franklin- Pre interview Rejection

Rush- Pre interview Rejection


I realize some of these schools were probably bad choices. I would like help with a new list for the upcoming cycle with schools that will give me a good shot at acceptance. Right now my list only has Creighton, MCW, Iowa, and UA Phx. Besides this I could use some feedback.

Thanks!!

 

[woltej1]

Apply DO

 

[gyngyn]

How did your interviews go?

 

[ShabbaRanks]

How did your interviews go?

From what I was told, they went well. I am a pretty easy going person and generally perform well in an interview type setting.

Iowa told me my mcat was a little low and I have a drinking ticket that could be explained better. She said the ticket is a non issue as long as I say what I learned. I was one of the first people to miss the waitlist.
Creighton wait listed me because I lacked non medical volunteering. I have worked hard to improve this throughout the year.
I interviewed for a waitlist spot at MCW

 

[ShabbaRanks]

Nobody has feedback?! Help with a school list would be great. I know DO is my best shot, but I really want to specialize and I feel that MD is going to open more doors for me.

@gyngyn @Goro and anyone else with admissions experience, how does my app look, and which schools should I be applying to?

Thanks

 

[HappyFeet14]

Bear in mind that this advice is dependent on advice I have been given by others and I am a first time applicant myself.

I think that you did great to improve your non-clinical volunteer work over the last year and that will improve your chances of some love this cycle. It is of great importance that you concisely explain what you have learned through those experiences and how they have attributed to your drive to become a physician. The unfortunate truth that many do not want to hear (myself included as I have a 29 MCAT as well) is that a <32 MCAT really decreases your chances of getting into an MD school. It doesn't completely destroy them, but DO is a more probable outcome. Additionally, what prevented you from retaking the MCAT in the year of time you had? I do not know how it will look to MD schools that you are a re-applicant with a 29 MCAT with no apparent desire to improve that aspect of your application.

@Goro frequently advises pre-meds to worry about getting into medical school first before worrying about the specialties/opportunities of said path. I believe you should greatly heed that advice. With the AOA and ACGME merger, I do not think that the opportunities for DOs outside of primary care will be limited; even before the merger (currently), DO opportunities in specialties were largely dependent on how hard the student was willing to work. Do not think that going DO is inferior to MD.

Ultimately, you need to sell yourself as well as you can to Adcoms in order for them to show you love. You will most likely not be pre-screened from the low-teir MD programs with your stats, so the rest falls on your statements.

 

[mrh125]

If you applied more broadly I think that'd really help. I have a similar mcat score and lower gpa and I think applying broadly to MDs mixed with DOs will help you a lot.

 

[ShabbaRanks]

@HappyFeet14 , thank you for your reply. I did not retake my MCAT because I was taking a full courseload this past semester. I just graduated last week. I could retake it this summer, but I feel that applying the first day the application opens will give me a better chance than retaking the MCAT in August. Would you agree with this?

I met with the Dean of Admissions at my home school, and she initially advised me to retake my MCAT. After I told her about the brain tumor internship, she told me (in her opinion) that this internship would be much more beneficial for me than retaking this test. I hope this is true.

 

[Goro]

100% concur. OP, you best chance at at an MD school was in this round with your home school. If you improve your Ecs and interview skills (and perhaps the IA explanation in your app, then you might be able to pull off another II. The fact that multiple low tier MD schools where you would have had a good chance, also says you need to both up the EC hours, and, I think more importantly, get that MCAT >29, and balanced to boot.

You are fine for any DO program, including mine, and yes, DOs can specialize.

Bear in mind that this advice is dependent on advice I have been given by others and I am a first time applicant myself.

I think that you did great to improve your non-clinical volunteer work over the last year and that will improve your chances of some love this cycle. It is of great importance that you concisely explain what you have learned through those experiences and how they have attributed to your drive to become a physician. The unfortunate truth that many do not want to hear (myself included as I have a 29 MCAT as well) is that a <32 MCAT really decreases your chances of getting into an MD school. It doesn't completely destroy them, but DO is a more probable outcome. Additionally, what prevented you from retaking the MCAT in the year of time you had? I do not know how it will look to MD schools that you are a re-applicant with a 29 MCAT with no apparent desire to improve that aspect of your application.

@Goro frequently advises pre-meds to worry about getting into medical school first before worrying about the specialties/opportunities of said path. I believe you should greatly heed that advice. With the AOA and ACGME merger, I do not think that the opportunities for DOs outside of primary care will be limited; even before the merger (currently), DO opportunities in specialties were largely dependent on how hard the student was willing to work. Do not think that going DO is inferior to MD.

Ultimately, you need to sell yourself as well as you can to Adcoms in order for them to show you love. You will most likely not be pre-screened from the low-teir MD programs with your stats, so the rest falls on your statements.

 

[ShabbaRanks]

So here is the list I have come up with. Any advice will be appreciated.

Quinnipiac
Arizona
Arizona Phx (I am moving to Phoenix to work on there campus)
Utah (MSAR says they interview 16% of OOS)
Creighton
Drexel
FAU
FIU
Indiana (No secondary fee)
MCW
Oakland
Penn State
USF
VCU
Albany
EVMS
Missouri (I am on a bordering state, which they say improves chances on website)
Brown (10th percentile verbal is 8 and 10th percentile MCAT is 28)
Iowa (home state)
Vermont
NYMC

Any others? any I am absolutely wasting money at?

 

[ShabbaRanks]

@Goro @gyngyn What do you think of my list above?

Also, I am thinking of applying to Nova, AZCOM, DMU, ATSU-SOMA, KCOM, and North Texas. How do these schools look?

Thanks!

 

[gyngyn]

Your MD list is fine (given your situation). I hope you get another shot at your state school.

 

[Goro]

Goro suggests:

Quinnipiac
Arizona
Arizona Phx (I am moving to Phoenix to work on there campus)
Creighton
Drexel
FAU
FIU
Indiana (No secondary fee)
MCW
Oakland
Penn State
USF
VCU
Albany
EVMS
Missouri (I am on a bordering state, which they say improves chances on website)
Iowa (home state)
Vermont
NYMC

Any DO school. Start with DMU and the AZ schools, maybe TUCOM-NV and Western.

 

[ShabbaRanks]

@Goro @gyngyn

If I have the option to choose between being an Iowa or Arizona resident, which would you recommend based on my stats?

 

[gyngyn]

@Goro @gyngyn

If I have the option to choose between being an Iowa or Arizona resident, which would you recommend based on my stats?

AZ MD schools matriculated 141 of their 776 IS applicants last year (18.2%). The 10th% MCAT for both schools was 27.

IA matriculated 97 of their 353 IS (27.5%), but the 10th % MCAT for Carver was 29.

Your choice depends on which is more important to the school, the MCAT or IS status. I would lean toward IA except that you were rejected after interview there.

 

[ShabbaRanks]

Thanks to all that helped me with choosing a school list! I decided against applying to FAU and USF as I thought I was wasting my time and money for those schools.

I have finished up nearly all of my MD secondaries and am hoping for a successful application cycle. Would it be worthwhile to add Temple and Loyola to my list? I am unsure if it is as my VR is an 8 and they have a 10th percentile of 9. Thanks in advance!