P
parski
reposted
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You won't like this.
AMCAS and AACOMAS open in what, 3 weeks? Your app is done for 2015-2016. Too late to do anything for this year.
If you're serious about applying this year then you need to get going on your DO assets. Hint: you need a DO letter.
Regardless, you shouldn't be trying for MD with your app as it stands. If you want MD, you need to improve every number. Your numbers are all 1-2 std devs below average for MD matriculants. With a math degree your physics section, at least, should shine, but it doesn't. There's no confidence-inspiring academic work in your app.
One year of meh in a terminal masters does nothing to help with the meh in your undergrad work and the meh in your MCAT.
In your shoes, if MD is what you want, I'd be looking at a rigorous traditional grad program in a hard science, and I'd be hellbent for pubs. I'd also be hellbent for a WAY above average MCAT. The plan would be to reapply in about 3 years. I'm totally serious. I have a math degree and came back from worse damage than you have.
I'm baffled as to how an "adcom" can give you extensive help on your PS, as if that matters with your numbers. As an "adcom" this person should have some comprehension of what a competitive app looks like, and should understand that an intense PS effort for MD schools is 2-3 years in the future for you.
Sorry you got bad guidance and wasted an app year.
Best of luck to you.
AMCAS and AACOMAS open in what, 3 weeks? Your app is done for 2015-2016. Too late to do anything for this year.
If you're serious about applying this year then you need to get going on your DO assets. Hint: you need a DO letter.
Regardless, you shouldn't be trying for MD with your app as it stands. If you want MD, you need to improve every number. Your numbers are all 1-2 std devs below average for MD matriculants. With a math degree your physics section, at least, should shine, but it doesn't. There's no confidence-inspiring academic work in your app.
One year of meh in a terminal masters does nothing to help with the meh in your undergrad work and the meh in your MCAT.
In your shoes, if MD is what you want, I'd be looking at a rigorous traditional grad program in a hard science, and I'd be hellbent for pubs. I'd also be hellbent for a WAY above average MCAT. The plan would be to reapply in about 3 years. I'm totally serious. I have a math degree and came back from worse damage than you have.
I'm baffled as to how an "adcom" can give you extensive help on your PS, as if that matters with your numbers. As an "adcom" this person should have some comprehension of what a competitive app looks like, and should understand that an intense PS effort for MD schools is 2-3 years in the future for you.
Sorry you got bad guidance and wasted an app year.
Best of luck to you.
P
parski
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I strongly recommend forgetting bout MD schools, and focussing only on DO. Apply broadly, and many thanks for your service to our country.
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Just curious why you are not recommending an SMP? OP is probably not ready for one now, but maybe in the future.
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He/she already did a terminal masters. Which was premature, and unsurprisingly unsuccessful, after an unredeemed sub-3.0 sGPA.
I don't particularly like any of the MD recovery strategies with a sub-3.0 sGPA and a sub-3.5 SMP/SMPish. In my experience, nobody's willing to go back to undergrad after an SMP/SMPish. But even if the student is WILLING to go back and do another lap of the usual 2+ years of 3.7+ mostly-science undergrad possibly followed by another SMP, and is actually ABLE to get high numbers all of a sudden as if by magic, that's a total of about 8 years as a premed with no employable resume assets. Hard traditional structured grad work would bring a better picture of legitimacy and employability, as well as a chance of networking, to this story.
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What is said here is spot on. The road to an MD in your situation is full of far too many obstacles to make it a proposition with a high probability of succeeding and it is a huge financial risk and a huge time commitment with like the above poster said "not having employable resume assets". I have no idea about you or your abilities or anything like that so there is no reason to take this personally but there are many people on here with low GPAs who talk about "working their ass off" and getting their GPA into MD territory. Not many actually do. It's really really hard to perform at a 3.9+ GPA level when you haven't come anywhere near that your whole life. It's just not realistic for many. If you do want to do an MD at all costs, you are really looking at 3 years before applying again, that's no exaggeration.
Now, for DO schools, it is a different discussion. Your GPA is still a problem even for them, but if you can retake a couple classes you did poorly in you have solid experience and an MCAT that is above average for DO's. Retake some classes and take some new ones and you can easily boost yourself into 3.25 GPA territory for DO school calculations and give your self a shot there. Good luck mate.
Now, for DO schools, it is a different discussion. Your GPA is still a problem even for them, but if you can retake a couple classes you did poorly in you have solid experience and an MCAT that is above average for DO's. Retake some classes and take some new ones and you can easily boost yourself into 3.25 GPA territory for DO school calculations and give your self a shot there. Good luck mate.
