(Relatively) Easy MD schools to get in to?

[chicksdigdocs]

Do you know any schools with low mcat score averages for matriculants? "Saftey Net" schools for the application process in case one comes up short?

US MD schools, by the way.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[collegefreak12]

If you go to Tufts undergrad you should have a pretty easy time getting into Tufts Medical School, because you can apply early when you are only a sophmore. Therefore, you don't even have to take MCAT. Also, its not binding even if you get in, so its a really great backup school for anyone who goes to Tufts (Boston College also has this with Tufts Med).

 

[Law2Doc]

Do you know any schools with low mcat score averages for matriculants? "Saftey Net" schools for the application process in case one comes up short?

US MD schools, by the way.

Pick up the MSAR and you will see the stats for various schools. I wouldn't say any are "relatively easy" -- half of all applicants will not get into an allo med school, and pretty much all schools get substantially more applications than they give out interviews and interview substantially more people than they have slots.

 

[alwaysaangel]

You need to get an MSAR and find schools with numbers slightly lower than your own, and programs that pertain to your interests. This is really important because a school with lower numbers than yours will reject you if it seems like you won't go there (as would a school with numbers similar to yours). So if you're into community service, find a school that pushes that. Research? Find a school that pushes that. But you need to convince them that you want to go to their school, so you need to pick schools that you want to go to.

 

[DocJuice]

no med school is easy to get into.. not trying to be smart about it... just the reality. while some schools might have lower requirements for mcat/gpa...they can still reject on basis of something else. Best to apply within a given range i guess.

 

[coffeebythelake]

no med school is easy to get into.. not trying to be smart about it... just the reality. while some schools might have lower requirements for mcat/gpa...they can still reject on basis of something else. Best to apply within a given range i guess.

Exactly. Don't get overconfident.

 

[Wanna_B_Scutty]

Do you know any schools with low mcat score averages for matriculants? "Saftey Net" schools for the application process in case one comes up short?

US MD schools, by the way.

What kind of "low mcat score average" are we talking about here? A 29? Or a 24?

Because if you're looking for anything < 29, you'll probably want to start thinking DO.

 

[DocOB]

DOCOB-SOM. At DocOB School of Medicine, The only requirement is that you have at least once in your life entertained the idea of becoming a physician. Oh yeah, and you have to have the four year cost of $154,673.54 up front in cash, check or money order.

 

[Lests55]

If you have a 3.9 and a 38 there will be several schools that are easy to get accepted to. If you have a 3.5 and a 28, there won't be any. State schools first. Private schools with lower numbers include Rosalind Franklin, NYMC, St. Louis University, George Washington, Eastern Virginia, etc.

 

[NonTradMed]

If you have a 3.9 and a 38 there will be several schools that are easy to get accepted to. If you have a 3.5 and a 28, there won't be any. State schools first. Private schools with lower numbers include Rosalind Franklin, NYMC, St. Louis University, George Washington, Eastern Virginia, etc.

That's pretty much the rule of thumb pertaining to 'easy' schools.

The thing I found out is that schools easier stats may not be easier to get into because they may reject you despite being academically competitive. They typically have a ton of people applying and may overlook anyone who doesn't have great numbers initially and when they get to you, they may decide that you are not a 'great fit' for their school for nonacademic reasons. That's why it helps to know your scores. If you're really academically qualified for med school, applying to these lower tiered/your own public school will probably garner you several acceptances with these lower private schools as 'safety' schools. But if you're numbers are not competitive or are just barely competitive for your local public/lower tiered private schools, there may be no safeties for you.

 

[coffeebythelake]

If you have a 3.9 and a 38 there will be several schools that are easy to get accepted to. If you have a 3.5 and a 28, there won't be any. State schools first. Private schools with lower numbers include Rosalind Franklin, NYMC, St. Louis University, George Washington, Eastern Virginia, etc.

You also have to remember that the OP is not American so it will be even more competitive than this.

 

[baylormed]

You also have to remember that the OP is not American so it will be even more competitive than this.

How do you know this? I couldn't find mention of it on this thread.

 

[coffeebythelake]

How do you know this? I couldn't find mention of it on this thread.

Ahh crap, my bad. There are so many threads like this I got confused.

 

[Falco2525]

i hear Harvard is easy

 

[Garrison1]

Good numbers don't guarantee anything. Keep that in mind.
You have to evaluate your application as a whole in order to best understand your chances.
I know for a fact that some schools which have lower avg. numbers just have a certain numbers cutoff and beyond that the numbers arent factored in. I.E. you don't get extra points for being way over the cutoff.

I found this out the hard way.

 

[Critical Mass]

In my experience, the easiest school to get into in most cases can be found in the state school system of which you are a resident.

 

[premed2007]

yeah I agree, residency helps you out in the application process.

Medical School is hard to get into. Some schools are harder to get into than others. but I dont think that there are cakewalk schools in existence. Even with high stats and good ECs some "lower tier" schools wont accept because they might figure that you are going to go elsewhere (and for other reasons). so if you have that 3.9 GPA and 42 MCAT doesnt necessarily guarentee 100% acceptance at "lower ranked" schools. Although you could get in most places nothing is certain in this process that is one thing I have learned.

 

[Green Pirate]

yeah I agree, residency helps you out in the application process.

Medical School is hard to get into. Some schools are harder to get into than others. but I dont think that there are cakewalk schools in existence. Even with high stats and good ECs some "lower tier" schools wont accept because they might figure that you are going to go elsewhere (and for other reasons). so if you have that 3.9 GPA and 42 MCAT doesnt necessarily guarentee 100% acceptance at "lower ranked" schools. Although you could get in most places nothing is certain in this process that is one thing I have learned.

wow. with a 3.9 gpa and a 42 MCAT, I would think the only way you could get rejected from a good school is if you spit on the interviewer or something.

 

[etf]

In my experience, the easiest school to get into in most cases can be found in the state school system of which you are a resident.

my "local" state school happens to be ucsf. they wouldn't even give me a secondary, bless their hearts.

 

[premed2007]

wow. with a 3.9 gpa and a 42 MCAT, I would think the only way you could get rejected from a good school is if you spit on the interviewer or something.

well Im not saying that youll only receive one acceptance and thats that. It also depends on your ECs interview etc. I mean you will most likely (hopefully) get in where you want with those stats but my point was with those stats a lower tier school might pass up on you because they figure you will not attend their school because you will get accepted into a "higher tier" school. so the safety net schools are not always going to be there although they could very well be as nothing is 100% certain. Ive also heard of 3.7 GPA and 37 MCAT getting rejected from Harvard and people with those stats getting in so it depends. The numbers i gave was just at random.

 

[deleted128318]

If you have a 3.9 and a 38 there will be several schools that are easy to get accepted to. If you have a 3.5 and a 28, there won't be any.

disagree. those numbers can get you an interview at any school in the country if you have an exceptional app otherwise. Someone with these numbers and the peace corps on their app could interview at several top tier schools

 

[NonTradMed]

yeah I agree, residency helps you out in the application process.

Medical School is hard to get into. Some schools are harder to get into than others. but I dont think that there are cakewalk schools in existence. Even with high stats and good ECs some "lower tier" schools wont accept because they might figure that you are going to go elsewhere (and for other reasons). so if you have that 3.9 GPA and 42 MCAT doesnt necessarily guarentee 100% acceptance at "lower ranked" schools. Although you could get in most places nothing is certain in this process that is one thing I have learned.

I've heard that Rosalind Franklin is like that. If your MCAT score is 35+, they are more hesitant about interviewing b/c they assume you are going to only come to their school as a backup.

disagree. those numbers can get you an interview at any school in the country if you have an exceptional app otherwise. Someone with these numbers and the peace corps on their app could interview at several top tier schools

I think he/she was assuming that you have an 'average' application. Going by the assumption that you have a 'great' application is hubris in this process and has only led many premeds to bitter disappointment. Best to assume that your application is average or above average rather than "I have a steller application so my mediocre numbers will garner me acceptances from lower tiered schools".

 

[Critical Mass]

my "local" state school happens to be ucsf. they wouldn't even give me a secondary, bless their hearts.

I'm not good at giving advice to Californians. There are private schools out there that take a lot of west coast dawgs with solid yet not outstanding numbers. Check out an MSAR.

 

[premed2007]

I've heard that Rosalind Franklin is like that. If your MCAT score is 35+, they are more hesitant about interviewing b/c they assume you are going to only come to their school as a backup.

yeah exactly, the medical schools want to accept applicants who have a good chance of matriculating. Those who want to go to the school.

 

[etf]

I'm not good at giving advice to Californians. There are private schools out there that take a lot of west coast dawgs with solid yet not outstanding numbers. Check out an MSAR.

sounds like my situation. let's hope there's a private school out there eager for my dough.

 

[Auron]

yeah exactly, the medical schools want to accept applicants who have a good chance of matriculating. Those who want to go to the school.

ok but what about if you do have such high stats and you honestly do want to go to said school (for whatever reason), how do you show them that you really want to go there? interview, loi?

 

[premed2007]

ok but what about if you do have such high stats and you honestly do want to go to said school (for whatever reason), how do you show them that you really want to go there? interview, loi?

yeah a letter of intent will work. Maybe in the essay you can hint how you want to be in that school's area (if you have family etc). Im not saying that 100% for sure they will pass an applicant like that over, I just said it isnt as if an applicant can look at all of the "low tier" schools and think "im in there for sure". That "low tier" school could as well take that person. It depends on the persons stats, and the school. Just people shouldnt take things for granted in this crazy process.

 

[rickthetwinkie]

If you have a 3.9 and a 38 there will be several schools that are easy to get accepted to. If you have a 3.5 and a 28, there won't be any. State schools first. Private schools with lower numbers include Rosalind Franklin, NYMC, St. Louis University, George Washington, Eastern Virginia, etc.

While Eastern Virginia is technically a private institution, it is biased against out-of-state residents.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

disagree. those numbers can get you an interview at any school in the country if you have an exceptional app otherwise. Someone with these numbers and the peace corps on their app could interview at several top tier schools

Or there are DO programs......

 

[deleted128318]

I think he/she was assuming that you have an 'average' application. Going by the assumption that you have a 'great' application is hubris in this process and has only led many premeds to bitter disappointment. Best to assume that your application is average or above average rather than "I have a steller application so my mediocre numbers will garner me acceptances from lower tiered schools".

I agree that doses of humility and realism are pretty vital in this process.

To regress, I don't think it's appropriate for someone to throw out superlatives to someone who is questioning whether his/her numbers have ruined his application. Sorry, I just think it's absurd when I read the "truisms" people post on this site.

To the chagrin of many (I am not one of the many) there are URMs at every school in the country (yes, that H-school) with 3.5s and 28s. So let's keep the absolutisms to a minimum...