Should I do SMP and/or retake MCAT?

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mchl8976

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Well I have submitted pretty much all of my secondary applications for DO programs and for the MD schools in state as of beginning of August and as I anxiously wait to possibly hear back from schools I am thinking about what my plan is if I do not get any interviews this cycle. I realize my grades are my weakest point and my MCAT score isnt stellar ether with a 26M (8 PS, 8 VR, 10 BS) and that I may not hear back from any for interviews. (already have been denied pre-secondary by one DO school and decision deferred by two other.)

For this year, I plan on retaking classes I earned C's in over the course of next year (biochem, mol gen. and Ochem II) as well as adding a few science classes (pharmacology, STD pathogens class, possibly another micro bio class spring). With that being said, I think if I earned A- or higher in all of them i could boast my cGPA to about a 3.3-3.4 and my sGPA to over a 3.2.

Here is the link to a post in the what are my chances thread that has my EC's and specifics: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=920603

With that background info at hand, should I consider applying to special masters programs or some biomedical masters program this winter for next fall as well? or do you guys think I would be okay for next year as far as DO goes with the retake? (I know nothing is guaranteed and it wont help my AMCAS gpa very much other than showing a positive upward trend.)


Also what about the MCAT? do you guys think it would be beneficial for me to retake it come next late winter or early spring of next year?

I am not concerned with how long it takes for me to get into medical school and I will do whatever it takes. I just want to make sure I do well with the academic aspects of my application this time around and make the correct decisions. Thanks for your help.

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Well I have submitted pretty much all of my secondary applications for DO programs and for the MD schools in state as of beginning of August and as I anxiously wait to possibly hear back from schools I am thinking about what my plan is if I do not get any interviews this cycle. I realize my grades are my weakest point and my MCAT score isnt stellar ether with a 26M (8 PS, 8 VR, 10 BS) and that I may not hear back from any for interviews. (already have been denied pre-secondary by one DO school and decision deferred by two other.)

For this year, I plan on retaking classes I earned C's in over the course of next year (biochem, mol gen. and Ochem II) as well as adding a few science classes (pharmacology, STD pathogens class, possibly another micro bio class spring). With that being said, I think if I earned A- or higher in all of them i could boast my cGPA to about a 3.3-3.4 and my sGPA to over a 3.2.

Here is the link to a post in the what are my chances thread that has my EC's and specifics: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=920603

With that background info at hand, should I consider applying to special masters programs or some biomedical masters program this winter for next fall as well? or do you guys think I would be okay for next year as far as DO goes with the retake? (I know nothing is guaranteed and it wont help my AMCAS gpa very much other than showing a positive upward trend.)


Also what about the MCAT? do you guys think it would be beneficial for me to retake it come next late winter or early spring of next year?

I am not concerned with how long it takes for me to get into medical school and I will do whatever it takes. I just want to make sure I do well with the academic aspects of my application this time around and make the correct decisions. Thanks for your help.

Seems to me that you're already applying to both MD and DO schools, and since many SMPers are doing an SMP solely to avoid DO schools, that puts you into the "wait to hear back from DO schools and if you don't get in go to an SMP category."

Yes, retake the MCAT.

Spend your year of off time, assuming you have one, studying for it, and taking upper division science courses.

Grade replacement doesn't happen with MD schools, and since you got C's in the pre reqs, DO schools won't replace the grades, either. Forget about retakes.

Take harder sciences and do well.

Do better on the MCAT.

The alamo for you is the caribbean. You can probably get in, there.
 
Seems to me that you're already applying to both MD and DO schools, and since many SMPers are doing an SMP solely to avoid DO schools, that puts you into the "wait to hear back from DO schools and if you don't get in go to an SMP category."

Yes, retake the MCAT.

Spend your year of off time, assuming you have one, studying for it, and taking upper division science courses.

Grade replacement doesn't happen with MD schools, and since you got C's in the pre reqs, DO schools won't replace the grades, either. Forget about retakes.

Take harder sciences and do well.

Do better on the MCAT.

The alamo for you is the caribbean. You can probably get in, there.

Yes I do technically have a year off. I am retaking biochem, which I got a C in and I added two other science courses. I am also working 24 hrs as an ER scribe so I didn't want to overload myself esp. since I am going to retake the MCAT in early winter. Will be retaking mol gen in spring and then adding one or two more science classes then.

So DO schools won't do grade replacement on my OChem II then since I got a C in it? Can anyone else speak to this? I was just assuming that they do since they grade replaced my one physics class on my AACOMAS application. Guess I should just contact the schools i applied to and check.
 
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Yes I do technically have a year off. I am retaking biochem, which I got a C in and I added two other science courses. I am also working 24 hrs as an ER scribe so I didn't want to overload myself esp. since I am going to retake the MCAT in early winter. Will be retaking mol gen in spring and then adding one or two more science classes then.

So DO schools won't do grade replacement on my OChem II then since I got a C in it? Can anyone else speak to this? I was just assuming that they do since they grade replaced my one physics class on my AACOMAS application. Guess I should just contact the schools i applied to and check.

Grade replacement aside, I've heard from admissions committees themselves that they prefer to see coursework in new subjects (upper division, only) in cases of academic repair.

When you retake a course, you essentially have an unfair advantage, since you've seen the material, before. What does getting an A in a class like that tell anyone?

Where do you go to school?
 
Grade replacement aside, I've heard from admissions committees themselves that they prefer to see coursework in new subjects (upper division, only) in cases of academic repair.

When you retake a course, you essentially have an unfair advantage, since you've seen the material, before. What does getting an A in a class like that tell anyone?

Where do you go to school?

Thanks for the insight, I didn't think of it that way. I will remember that when I am scheduling classes for spring. I still may retake molecular genetics though because I had a C- and that is technically not an official pre medical prerequisite. Then maybe I'll add an upper level microbiology class and immunology. But as far as this semester, biochem is the only class I am retaking from previous years, when i took it before it was 10 weeks of biochem crammed into 5 weeks over summer and needless to say my study/time management skills where not good enough to handle it at that time.

I currently attend Ohio State and am a nutritional science major.
 
Thanks for the insight, I didn't think of it that way. I will remember that when I am scheduling classes for spring. I still may retake molecular genetics though because I had a C- and that is technically not an official pre medical prerequisite. Then maybe I'll add an upper level microbiology class and immunology. But as far as this semester, biochem is the only class I am retaking from previous years, when i took it before it was 10 weeks of biochem crammed into 5 weeks over summer and needless to say my study/time management skills where not good enough to handle it at that time.

I currently attend Ohio State and am a nutritional science major.

Hope it helps.

If you haven't looked into administrative options for changing grades, I suggest you do that, as well.

For example, at my school you can file for a late change of grading basis to pass/no pass for certain courses.
 
Hope it helps.

If you haven't looked into administrative options for changing grades, I suggest you do that, as well.

For example, at my school you can file for a late change of grading basis to pass/no pass for certain courses.

thanks. I will have to look into that.
 
Seems to me that you're already applying to both MD and DO schools, and since many SMPers are doing an SMP solely to avoid DO schools, that puts you into the "wait to hear back from DO schools and if you don't get in go to an SMP category."

Yes, retake the MCAT.

Spend your year of off time, assuming you have one, studying for it, and taking upper division science courses.

Grade replacement doesn't happen with MD schools, and since you got C's in the pre reqs, DO schools won't replace the grades, either. Forget about retakes.

Take harder sciences and do well.

Do better on the MCAT.

The alamo for you is the caribbean. You can probably get in, there.



Where are you getting that AACOMAS will not replace grades higher than a C.

They will in fact do so. Whether it is worth it or not is a separate question.
 
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