Should I delay applying a year (sigh)

[Yhorm the Giant]

In my last 7 semester, 105 credits, I have a 3.92 cGPA. That brings my total cGPA up to a whopping 3.09....from my previous 100 terrible credits. amcas sGPA is a 3.42 and aacomas sGPA is 3.72. I'm graduated and out of money, so if I take a year off my GPA won't be changing. (Insert excuse about focusing on grade repair not EC's). Here's what I've got:

-2,300 hours paid working with people with mental disabilities

-300 hours unpaid anatomy lab TA and tutoring, along with 40 or so paid in the lab and 280 hours paid TA for the anatomy lecture portion, giving my over 600 hours tutoring anatomy

-80 hours volunteer sunday school teacher for 3-9 year old kids, the last 30 hours my specific job most of that time is being with a special needs kid who needs some one on one help and has been way cool actually. Kinda hesitant to put this on there though...

-50 hours at local library, specifically helping with a children's summer reading program over the last 3 summers and brief help with reading program for special needs

-280 hours as department rep for my schools student association for the exercise science department, so leadership type stuff

-Currently 18 hours of shadowing, 3 hours with one doc, 15 with another (who I got a letter from). Both are family practice DO's at an instacare, and can keep going with either of them and get another 20 real quick if needed, both are awesome and said I can literally drop in whenever for however long

-Other stuff are things like poster presentations and abstract publication from research, 200 hours of cadaver dissection to prepare for anatomy students, club stuff and a hobby.

So the thing is I'm taking the MCAT 6/30. I got a 508 on AAMC fl1 last Friday, studying like crazy for that, so hoping I get a 508 at least, my question are:

-How much making up for low numbers in volunteering can I do if I start as soon as my MCAT is done and update hours in the fall?

-Would it be better to put off sending in my app until I get a bit more experience?

-Which area should I focus on the most between volunteer or clinical exposure? I've been trying to find clinical volunteering, but it's been rough.

Focusing on the MCAT, but not sure if I should send in app to get verified ASAP. I'm 28 and really want to get going, but I know there is a pretty big stigma against being a reapplicant.
I appreciate your time and feedback guys!!!

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[zukunft195]

You have a massive upward GPA trend, good sGPA, and solid ECs. Most importantly, you're above the 3.0 cGPA cutoff.

If you get a 505+, you should apply very broadly to DO programs as early as possible.

 

[austintr]

I would use any time you have to study for the MCAT and when not studying, get your app ready to submit. Take a couple more FLs and see if they're in your desired range. AAMC FLs are pretty good indicators of performance barring test day anxiety, etc. Make sure you're taking them under strict time conditions. You should be fine to go ahead and apply, assuming you get your app verified and apply as broadly and early as possible.

Your ECs are solid. I would pick up that other 20 hours to try and get as close to 40 as you can, since that's kind of the preferred amount for some schools. Good luck!

 

[deleted244469]

You have a massive upward GPA trend, good sGPA, and solid ECs. Most importantly, you're above the 3.0 cGPA cutoff.

If you get a 505+, you should apply very broadly to DO programs as early as possible.

Seconded. Do well on the MCAT (I'd even say 503+ will be OK) and you should be in great shape! You are competitive.

Your massive upward trend will make a much larger impact on Adcoms than the 3.09 cGPA. It shows that you are dedicated and have improved as a student.

I'd also look at applying to MD schools that look at your last 40-50 credits (I think Case Western and Wayne State are two of those programs) if you do extremely well on the MCAT (510+)

Good luck!!!!!!

 

[SLU Student]

Agree with the above posters.

I would just like to ask how your AACOMAS sGPA is higher than your AMCAS sGPA? AACOMAS no longer does grade replacement, and it also does not factor in math courses. Did you fail a bunch of math courses to bring your AMCAS sGPA that much lower than your AACOMAS sGPA?

 

[Yhorm the Giant]

You have a massive upward GPA trend, good sGPA, and solid ECs. Most importantly, you're above the 3.0 cGPA cutoff.

If you get a 505+, you should apply very broadly to DO programs as early as possible.

Thank you! Yeah that was honestly very lucky how it all worked out and I'm glad I did as well as I did because if I had dropped below a 3.0 when grade replacement went away I would have been devastated. I'll get my MCAT back August 1st and hope to be verified and everything by then. Thanks for the encouragement!!

 

[Yhorm the Giant]

I would use any time you have to study for the MCAT and when not studying, get your app ready to submit. Take a couple more FLs and see if they're in your desired range. AAMC FLs are pretty good indicators of performance barring test day anxiety, etc. Make sure you're taking them under strict time conditions. You should be fine to go ahead and apply, assuming you get your app verified and apply as broadly and early as possible.

Your ECs are solid. I would pick up that other 20 hours to try and get as close to 40 as you can, since that's kind of the preferred amount for some schools. Good luck!

Thanks for the good advice!! Unfortunately I only have the sample left and I'm taking that one week before the actual. I had taken FL2 when I thought I was going to be a few weeks out, then pushed my test back a couple more weeks, then took FL1 and felt more on track so I knew not to push it back more, but I'll be taking a next step this week and then the sample. Thank you!!

 

[Yhorm the Giant]

Seconded. Do well on the MCAT (I'd even say 503+ will be OK) and you should be in great shape! You are competitive.

Your massive upward trend will make a much larger impact on Adcoms than the 3.09 cGPA. It shows that you are dedicated and have improved as a student.

I'd also look at applying to MD schools that look at your last 40-50 credits (I think Case Western and Wayne State are two of those programs) if you do extremely well on the MCAT (510+)

Good luck!!!!!!

Thanks a ton, that makes me feel a lot better. Yeah I'm hoping that the last 3 years of 3.92 show something to counteract my grades from 10 years ago at a CC. Thanks for that info, I didn't know they did that, do you know where I can find a list of the others that look most heavily at even the most recent 90? I tried a SDN search but maybe I'm using the wrong keywords.

 

[Yhorm the Giant]

Agree with the above posters.

I would just like to ask how your AACOMAS sGPA is higher than your AMCAS sGPA? AACOMAS no longer does grade replacement, and it also does not factor in math courses. Did you fail a bunch of math courses to bring your AMCAS sGPA that much lower than your AACOMAS sGPA?

So, unless I have something wrong, which is totally possible, AMCAS does NOT count exercise science courses in their BCPM, but AACOMAS DOES count exercise science in their sGPA, and I'm an exercise science major. Also, I failed a math class 10 years ago at a CC and that counts in AMCAS but not in AACOMAS, so there's another reason for the discrepancy. Does that sound reasonable or am I missing something? Which is entirely possible

 

[SLU Student]

So, unless I have something wrong, which is totally possible, AMCAS does NOT count exercise science courses in their BCPM, but AACOMAS DOES count exercise science in their sGPA, and I'm an exercise science major. Also, I failed a math class 10 years ago at a CC and that counts in AMCAS but not in AACOMAS, so there's another reason for the discrepancy. Does that sound reasonable or am I missing something? Which is entirely possible

If your primaries for both the AACOMAS and the AMCAS have been verified already, then you should be good. I just thought it was interesting because that is a huge disparity. I've never seen that before. I never knew the AMCAS did not count exercise science; that is good to know. Given that's your major, I guess the disparity makes sense.

 

[deleted244469]

Thanks a ton, that makes me feel a lot better. Yeah I'm hoping that the last 3 years of 3.92 show something to counteract my grades from 10 years ago at a CC. Thanks for that info, I didn't know they did that, do you know where I can find a list of the others that look most heavily at even the most recent 90? I tried a SDN search but maybe I'm using the wrong keywords.

I don't. I'd just start a topic on the Allopathic Forum. @LizzyM or one of the mods should be able to help you out