MD & DO some advice will be greatly appreciated...what are my chances?

[the_realistic_persona85]

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upward gpa trend with current cgpa (end of third year) of approx. 3.55 and sgpa of 3.4.
junior year overall gpa was 3.9/ 4.0
taking mcat in june
looking to apply this cycle, ideally i would love to get in somewhere in PA/NJ/NY (PCOM/LECOM/Drexel/Temple/Rowan?) but i'll go wherever i get accepted.
research experience in molecular lab, published in medical journal.
lots of community service hours and volunteer experience in hospital environment.
letters of recommendation from 2 DO docs and 1 MD doc and professors.
EC includes multiple leadership roles on campus including being on exec. board of organizations and being an resident advisor in the dorm setting for first years.
What are my chances? and ideally what should i aim for on my mcat....i've been doing practice tests and i have not doing as well as i would like....

 

[lmn]

If you can keep you gpa where it is for another year, your cgpa and sgpa should be into a good enough range for the MD programs. Drexel/Temple MCAT scores are generally lower, somewhere around the 30 region, so although your goal should be to do as well as the MCAT as possible, rather than aiming for a particular score for schools, if you can get a 30+ you should have a fair shot. DO schools are a bit lower even, but shoot for somewhere around their average and you should be able to get an interview if the rest of your application is as strong as you describe it.

How long have you been studying for the MCAT, and how are you averaging currently? If you don't think you are going to be ready by your June test date, push it back another month or w/e you need to get it done right the first time, you aren't in any particular rush since you aren't applying this cycle.

 

[the_realistic_persona85]

If you can keep you gpa where it is for another year, your cgpa and sgpa should be into a good enough range for the MD programs. Drexel/Temple MCAT scores are generally lower, somewhere around the 30 region, so although your goal should be to do as well as the MCAT as possible, rather than aiming for a particular score for schools, if you can get a 30+ you should have a fair shot. DO schools are a bit lower even, but shoot for somewhere around their average and you should be able to get an interview if the rest of your application is as strong as you describe it.

How long have you been studying for the MCAT, and how are you averaging currently? If you don't think you are going to be ready by your June test date, push it back another month or w/e you need to get it done right the first time, you aren't in any particular rush since you aren't applying this cycle.

Thanks for the response! Just to clarify, I AM applying this cycle. I've been studying for the MCAT since January, but had to cut back because i wanted to keep my semester grades up so I stopped it until May (last week) and started up again. I'm scoring in the mid-20s at the moment (my goal score is a 34) and I'm planning to take 2 practice exams every week to up my score and review like crazy in this month to be ready by June 13th. yikes! any advice knowing this?

 

[lmn]

Thanks for the response! Just to clarify, I AM applying this cycle. I've been studying for the MCAT since January, but had to cut back because i wanted to keep my semester grades up so I stopped it until May (last week) and started up again. I'm scoring in the mid-20s at the moment (my goal score is a 34) and I'm planning to take 2 practice exams every week to up my score and review like crazy in this month to be ready by June 13th. yikes! any advice knowing this?

This is pretty concerning to me, imo it is extremely rare for people, depending on your current score, to gain nearly 10 points in one month. If you are scoring in the mid 20's, that usually means that you are really struggling to understand concepts or you have a big problem taking tests. Both of these are pretty hard to correct and get solidly comfortable with to perform consistently on the MCAT in such a short time. A 34 is a very strong score, and shows a very high proficiency in subject material and test taking ability and comfort, I don't really think it is realistic that you'll be able to reach that level from that of a mid 20's scoring average in a month's time. And even if you just wanted to shoot for the average (matriculating) of somewhere around a 32, you would really have to make some quick improvements.

I would honestly recommend delaying your MCAT and likely your application cycle because of this. You're not looking like you're going to be able to get a decent MCAT score (much less your goal) with the time you have left, and getting a bad MCAT score is not only bad because it will pretty much instantly kill your application cycle, but will always show in the future as well. Although retaking is always an option, and if you score much better the next time, the first bad score isn't the biggest deal, if you go ahead and apply and then tank the MCAT, you are basically making yourself a reapplicant next year instantly (search up what LizzyM and others say regarding expectations of major improvements for reapplicants). I'm sure you like everyone else is really eager to get into med school and begin your training to become a physician, but rushing things will very likely hurt your application, and waiting a year and having to take a gap year is becoming extremely common, and many will say that taking that gap time was a great decision.

Now if you are still really set on going through with this MCAT date and applying this cycle, I would really suggest that if you don't start seeing major improvements in your score in the next week or two, you accept that you are pretty much limiting your chances to DO schools only this cycle, and if you score something like a 25, realize how difficult that will make it for you to get into a DO program even.

 

[Messier83]

The gpa shouldn't be a deal breaker, just don't expect interviews at 'top schools' (whatever that means).

Echoing other sentiments here: the MCAT. If you cannot break 30, do not apply this cycle. You're hurting yourself by applying with a bad score.

If you need it and want it, take a year. A year is nothing. Get that 34. This test is manageable if you clock in the hours. There is a definite learning curve and pattern.

Also during that year you can boost your Ec's.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Goro]

100% agree

If you can keep you gpa where it is for another year, your cgpa and sgpa should be into a good enough range for the MD programs. Drexel/Temple MCAT scores are generally lower, somewhere around the 30 region, so although your goal should be to do as well as the MCAT as possible, rather than aiming for a particular score for schools, if you can get a 30+ you should have a fair shot. DO schools are a bit lower even, but shoot for somewhere around their average and you should be able to get an interview if the rest of your application is as strong as you describe it.