Applied 2021 cycle - Was overseas in the Middle East (Iraq and Libya) up until July which really crippled my MCAT studying and application process. Took it September 10th, scored 502 (127/125/124/126) and decided to swing for the fences despite knowing better. Applied to 12 MD schools in mid October (I know...) and 8 DO in January (..bruh.. I know...) - took forever to finish my secondaries (more than a few were submitted within days of the deadline cutoff) because I was working as a RT in a COVID field hospital in ATL November to March - got wait listed for an interview by U of Arizona and U of Utah, rejected from all other schools. Two DO schools didn't get my released MCAT score until AFTER their deadline close)
Fast forward to today (2022 cycle) - I've gone through my entire application from last year and found a TON of grammar, spelling, wordy sentences, etc. mistakes. Basically rewrote 90% of my activities and work descriptions and secondary essays. I'll be honest, compared to the multiple drafts I've rewrote, my essays from my first round of applying were just trash. IDK what was going on... ) anyway... Here's my stats and app in summary.
Associate's in Science - Community College
Associate's in Applied Science (Emergency Medical Services) - Community College
Bachelor's in Kinesiology & Health Sciences with a concentration in PreMed and Minor in Public Health (William and Mary)
ORM - but disadvantaged (31 Single White Male) (Grew up in a dozen emergency placement foster homes, emancipated @ 17, no family or support)
BCPM - 3.51
AO - 3.38 (a few bad classes from 2008 community college...)
Upward Trend (All B's my first 2 semesters @ W&M to straight As my last 4 semesters)
MCAT - 502
Student Veteran Affairs @ W&M (200 hours)
CSAR and MedEvac Flight Paramedic (Private Military Contracting, FEMA, and stateside (AMR)) (10,000 hours)
- 3 deployments to Iraq, 2 Afghanistan, 1 Yemen, 2 Libya, california wildfires, TX flooding, 3x FL hurricanes for FEMA)
Clinical education and instructor for EMS/Nursing classes (2000 hours)
Worked in a trauma 1 hospital ER as a paramedic tech (1000 hours)
Shadowed plastic surgeon (100 hours)
Volunteered as a paramedic for a city for 5 years (5000 hours)
Own and operate a nonprofit doing safety assessments, home repair, landscaping, etc, for elderly and disabled (1000 hours)
and currently work as a rapid response team paramedic and in an ICU at a local hospital (1200)
Since my last application, I've worked as a respiratory therapist in a COVID field hospital (1000 hours), took some time off due to burn out, and currently work on a COVID vaccine task force and staff a hospital in St Thomas in VI (1000 hours)
Very simply, I'm not interested in retaking the MCAT. I know a 502 is very low - but givin that I spent all my prep time studying in the middle of a civil war in the ME, I'm super proud of it.... I'm hoping with a few new letters of recc, clean and improved essays, and applying on day 1 of the 2022 cycle, it will be enough. That being said, I'm afraid to hit submit on my application because I don't know if I should say yes or no in the section about "do you plan to take the MCAT in the future..." and retake September 10th. That's only 91 days from today, and I'm sure I could get higher than a 502 if I buckle down and hit it hard over the next three months, but I just don't have the motivation or energy to do it - which means I'd be risking the possibility of complete burn out half way through and then have to explain why I said I was going to retake but didn't - or risk doing WORSE.
All that to say, what'd you guys think? Is having a fine tuned, cleaner essays, more letters, early application enough? Or risk another MCAT score? My primary is ready for verification. My personal statement was basically the only part of my application from last cycle that wasn't a heap of burning trash and that even needed adjustments.. I feel significantly more confident in my rewritten activities and perfected PS but I just don't know..
Fast forward to today (2022 cycle) - I've gone through my entire application from last year and found a TON of grammar, spelling, wordy sentences, etc. mistakes. Basically rewrote 90% of my activities and work descriptions and secondary essays. I'll be honest, compared to the multiple drafts I've rewrote, my essays from my first round of applying were just trash. IDK what was going on... ) anyway... Here's my stats and app in summary.
Associate's in Science - Community College
Associate's in Applied Science (Emergency Medical Services) - Community College
Bachelor's in Kinesiology & Health Sciences with a concentration in PreMed and Minor in Public Health (William and Mary)
ORM - but disadvantaged (31 Single White Male) (Grew up in a dozen emergency placement foster homes, emancipated @ 17, no family or support)
BCPM - 3.51
AO - 3.38 (a few bad classes from 2008 community college...)
Upward Trend (All B's my first 2 semesters @ W&M to straight As my last 4 semesters)
MCAT - 502
Student Veteran Affairs @ W&M (200 hours)
CSAR and MedEvac Flight Paramedic (Private Military Contracting, FEMA, and stateside (AMR)) (10,000 hours)
- 3 deployments to Iraq, 2 Afghanistan, 1 Yemen, 2 Libya, california wildfires, TX flooding, 3x FL hurricanes for FEMA)
Clinical education and instructor for EMS/Nursing classes (2000 hours)
Worked in a trauma 1 hospital ER as a paramedic tech (1000 hours)
Shadowed plastic surgeon (100 hours)
Volunteered as a paramedic for a city for 5 years (5000 hours)
Own and operate a nonprofit doing safety assessments, home repair, landscaping, etc, for elderly and disabled (1000 hours)
and currently work as a rapid response team paramedic and in an ICU at a local hospital (1200)
Since my last application, I've worked as a respiratory therapist in a COVID field hospital (1000 hours), took some time off due to burn out, and currently work on a COVID vaccine task force and staff a hospital in St Thomas in VI (1000 hours)
Very simply, I'm not interested in retaking the MCAT. I know a 502 is very low - but givin that I spent all my prep time studying in the middle of a civil war in the ME, I'm super proud of it.... I'm hoping with a few new letters of recc, clean and improved essays, and applying on day 1 of the 2022 cycle, it will be enough. That being said, I'm afraid to hit submit on my application because I don't know if I should say yes or no in the section about "do you plan to take the MCAT in the future..." and retake September 10th. That's only 91 days from today, and I'm sure I could get higher than a 502 if I buckle down and hit it hard over the next three months, but I just don't have the motivation or energy to do it - which means I'd be risking the possibility of complete burn out half way through and then have to explain why I said I was going to retake but didn't - or risk doing WORSE.
All that to say, what'd you guys think? Is having a fine tuned, cleaner essays, more letters, early application enough? Or risk another MCAT score? My primary is ready for verification. My personal statement was basically the only part of my application from last cycle that wasn't a heap of burning trash and that even needed adjustments.. I feel significantly more confident in my rewritten activities and perfected PS but I just don't know..
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