Reapply or wait a year?

[blacka13]

Hi there!

I am in the 2018 application cycle right now, on one waitlist for one of my top schools, however the rest of my prospects are not looking good. I applied to 15 MD schools (mostly in Florida), my GPA is 3.41 (upward trend), science GPA 3.30, MCAT 513, LizzyM 66.1, 1.5 years clinical volunteering, 40+ hours shadowing different specialties, international medical service trip, research intern at Mayo Clinic, nonclinical volunteering, and I think solid LOR's. Also white male.

With not being able to get in to any in-state schools, my hopes are pretty down right now, so I'm looking for advice. I just got hired as an emergency scribe, and I was wondering where to go from here? Should I reapply for the 2019 cycle and take another gap year, buffing up my research, volunteering, and clinical work experience? Or consider a masters degree to *attempt* to buff up my GPA? Final note, if I do reapply, I am going to apply DO and MD. Thank you!!

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[footballa]

You should go on the /r/premed and look for people in the advice threads with similar stats to you and read the advice they receive.

In my opinion, your GPA is what's screwing you over here. You should consider doing a Post-Bac or graduate program and show you can handle the rigors of medical school. In my opinion your MCAT does show that, but according to the admissions gods they just can't be sure.

 

[Cinemed]

I would not bother with the masters degree. If you apply broadly enough with that MCAT and GPA to both MD and DO schools there's no reason you shouldn't get a few IIs. I would continue full steam with scribe and keep volunteering. You are going to get nibbles from DO schools and if you are timely with your applications I could see MD schools, too. Be sure to shadow a DO primary care physician and get a LOR from them for DO app -- they love their DO letters.

 

[blacka13]

I would not bother with the masters degree. If you apply broadly enough with that MCAT and GPA to both MD and DO schools there's no reason you shouldn't get a few IIs. I would continue full steam with scribe and keep volunteering. You are going to get nibbles from DO schools and if you are timely with your applications I could see MD schools, too. Be sure to shadow a DO primary care physician and get a LOR from them for DO app -- they love their DO letters.

Thats great advice for applying DO this coming cycle, thanks!

 

[blacka13]

You should go on the /r/premed and look for people in the advice threads with similar stats to you and read the advice they receive.

In my opinion, your GPA is what's screwing you over here. You should consider doing a Post-Bac or graduate program and show you can handle the rigors of medical school. In my opinion your MCAT does show that, but according to the admissions gods they just can't be sure.

Right, thanks. The one problem I've run in to with post-bacc options is my undergrad grades weren't low enough to qualify for a post-bacc, I didn't get any C's just lots of B+'s haha. & thanks, ill look in to the thread you mentioned.