Should I wait until next year?

[binko]

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I have a ~3.3 cGPA, ~3.0 sGPA, graduated UG in 2007, somewhat of an upward trend but not super consistent. 519 MCAT taken last fall. 50 hrs shadowing, a cumulative total of less than 50 hrs clinical experience, less than a year of research that was over 5 years ago, one review article accepted for publication, a relatively successful career in web dev, about 50hrs volunteering non-medical and none of it recent, and a recent trip to observe/shadow on a medical mission (an actual legit one).

I'm considering waiting another year to apply and doing 100 hrs of hospital volunteering in the meantime as well as volunteering as a street medic after I complete the training for that. Is this a worthwhile reason to postpone? I've already gotten a primary application almost all the way done but I haven't verified yet. Am I just getting cold feet that I should ignore or will my chances really be better next year with more clinical volunteer hours?

 

[AccessoryNavicular]

You need GPA repair to have a shot at allopathic medical schools. With that MCAT, doing well in a DIY post-bacc may be enough but for good measure you might want to look into SMP programs. Good job on your MCAT though, very solid and a great foundation to build around


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[confidentandgood]

Solid MCAT and GPA for a chance at DO schools. Your lack of clinical experience may raise some eyebrows.

 

[binko]

I already did a sort of DIY post-bacc for two years and I've heard really conflicting things about SMPs being effective after something like that.

 

[AccessoryNavicular]

How did you do in your post bacc and how many credits was it? It depends which SMPs you go to, the big name ones have a solid track record of getting kids into medical school

I would just add that you are pushing it beginning your AMCAS in July. Reapplicants are at a disadvantage.

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[Goro]

Applying next cycle makes vastly more sense!!!!! The GPAs are going to hurt you.

What is your year by year GPA trend look like????

I have a ~3.3 cGPA, ~3.0 sGPA, graduated UG in 2007, somewhat of an upward trend but not super consistent. 519 MCAT taken last fall. 50 hrs shadowing, a cumulative total of less than 50 hrs clinical experience, less than a year of research that was over 5 years ago, one review article accepted for publication, a relatively successful career in web dev, about 50hrs volunteering non-medical and none of it recent, and a recent trip to observe/shadow on a medical mission (an actual legit one).

I'm considering waiting another year to apply and doing 100 hrs of hospital volunteering in the meantime as well as volunteering as a street medic after I complete the training for that. Is this a worthwhile reason to postpone? I've already gotten a primary application almost all the way done but I haven't verified yet. Am I just getting cold feet that I should ignore or will my chances really be better next year with more clinical volunteer hours?

 

[binko]

Applying next cycle makes vastly more sense!!!!! The GPAs are going to hurt you.

What is your year by year GPA trend look like????

During regular UG it was an upward trend, minus the junior year because I was studying abroad and everything was just pass/fail. So it goes from Bs with a few Cs in freshman/sophomore to mostly As with one B senior year. Followed by graduation, followed by a REALLY bad year where I took got Cs and Ds in ochem and Bs in a couple bio classes. Then a little over a year at another school where I got As in ochem, Bs in a few grad-level science classes, and one C in the middle of the year when I made the mistake of allowing my psychiatrist to make dramatic medication changes right before finals. One prof let me reschedule the final but one didn't and that's the one with the C.

So it's really up and down. It's also been six years since I was in a college class so if I were to try to take more classes to up my GPA I'd have to find a college that I can get to and apply to it and try to refresh my memory. I worry that it would be a lot of work and not have the desired effect on my overall GPA.

 

[Catalystik]

I have a ~3.3 cGPA, ~3.0 sGPA, graduated UG in 2007, somewhat of an upward trend but not super consistent. 519 MCAT taken last fall. 50 hrs shadowing, a cumulative total of less than 50 hrs clinical experience, less than a year of research that was over 5 years ago, one review article accepted for publication, a relatively successful career in web dev, about 50hrs volunteering non-medical and none of it recent, and a recent trip to observe/shadow on a medical mission (an actual legit one).

I'm considering waiting another year to apply and doing 100 hrs of hospital volunteering in the meantime as well as volunteering as a street medic after I complete the training for that. Is this a worthwhile reason to postpone? I've already gotten a primary application almost all the way done but I haven't verified yet. Am I just getting cold feet that I should ignore or will my chances really be better next year with more clinical volunteer hours?

Your chances will be better next year with added active clinical experience (interacting with patients) and more nonmedical community service, ideally helping those in need and perhaps related to what you already have so it won't look like box checking.

Many med schools will have a concern if you haven't taken any college coursework in 6 years. Consider taking any upper-level Bio related to med school-like coursework to allay those concerns, even though it won't budge your GPA much to earn another A.

 

[binko]

Your chances will be better next year with added active clinical experience (interacting with patients) and more nonmedical community service, ideally helping those in need and perhaps related to what you already have so it won't look like box checking.

Many med schools will have a concern if you haven't taken any college coursework in 6 years. Consider taking any upper-level Bio related to med school-like coursework to allay those concerns, even though it won't budge your GPA much to earn another A.

Is it typical for nontrads to be expected to take undergraduate classes right before applying to med school? I can understand the point, sort of, but I'm also working full-time and living in an area where getting to a school would take me about an hour and a half commute each way. Also at the state school that is least far away from me, it looks like to start in the fall I would have had to applied already by this past February.

 

[Catalystik]

Is it typical for nontrads to be expected to take undergraduate classes right before applying to med school? I can understand the point, sort of, but I'm also working full-time and living in an area where getting to a school would take me about an hour and a half commute each way. Also at the state school that is least far away from me, it looks like to start in the fall I would have had to applied already by this past February.

I've seen schools express a concern as soon as two years after the last coursework was completed (and use it as an excuse for rejection, I might add). I think most nontrads will have taken more recent coursework due to completing prerequisites before the MCAT, so it doesn't come up often. You might check on the issue by calling schools you'd plan to target and see what their policy is.

That said, I think yours would be a situation where a CC class or an on-line course (without a lab) could be looked into.

 

[binko]

I've seen schools express a concern as soon as two years after the last coursework was completed (and use it as an excuse for rejection, I might add). I think most nontrads will have taken more recent coursework due to completing prerequisites before the MCAT, so it doesn't come up often. You might check on the issue by calling schools you'd plan to target and see what their policy is.

That said, I think yours would be a situation where a CC class or an on-line course (without a lab) could be looked into.

I will contact schools and ask their policies.

When you say concern after 2 years, does it matter what they were doing in those 2 years? Does it help at all that my recent work is in computer programming, or is it all the same whether someone spent ≥2 years stocking shelves at Best Buy?

 

[Catalystik]

1) When you say concern after 2 years, does it matter what they were doing in those 2 years?
2) Does it help at all that my recent work is in computer programming, or
3) is it all the same whether someone spent ≥2 years stocking shelves at Best Buy?

1) No.
2) No.
3) Yes.