SOS! what should I do?

[haleygirl]

I could really use some advice as to where I should apply. I am nervous with my MCAT score, I got a 499, but my GPA is super solid. It's a 3.92 with my science GPA being a 3.88. I have worked in a nursing home setting since I was 17 and have done many extra curricular throughout college. I was in a sorority and held positions, lots of volunteering at the Children's Hospital and nursing homes, and plan to get shadowing hours from a hospital and local clinic. I have been looking at DO schools. I just don't know where to apply because I don't want to waste my money and time applying somewhere that I don't stand a chance.

Any advice or help would be great! I REALLY don't want to retake the MCAT.

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[Cardboard101]

Any advice or help would be great! I REALLY don't want to retake the MCAT.

Assuming you have proper ECs, spend a few months studying and raise the MCAT. 510+ and apply to MD, 505+ and apply any DO.
Or apply now to your in state and the newer DO schools, you have a chance at some of them. Keep in mind many want a DO LOR.

 

[throw_away5122]

retake MCAT , with your GPA you should get at least 505

 

[Ho0v-man]

Retake your MCAT.

Wikipremed and khan academy are your friends.

 

[mc_bio19]

Your GPA is really great, but I feel like your MCAT score is not reflective of your capabilities. I fear that score will be concerning to admissions given the rest of your application. I think you should study and retake the MCAT as well.

 

[grapefruit17]

You would probably get into a do school. I'd say 80 percent chance. If you want I'll tell you schools that would prob interview you.

However, you should retake your mcat. Mcat is unique in the fact that you can always raise your score. On step 1 and Step 2, that score stays with you. There's no retakes. Take advantage of this. Push yourself, retake it, and if you still don't do as well you want then apply do and you'll prob get in somewhere. But always try to get the best that you can get.

I just graduated do school. I never regret going and I'm happy I have my medical degree. But, I also realized in medical school to never settle, always seek more and surpass what you think you're capable of.

 

[deleted831695]

Just retake the MCAT. A jump to a 508+ may be tough, but a 503-507 is attainable and that'll make you competitive for any DO considering your GPA.

 

[mc_bio19]

I just graduated do school. I never regret going and I'm happy I have my medical degree. But, I also realized in medical school to never settle, always seek more and surpass what you think you're capable of.

I love your advice here! Congrats on finishing med school!

 

[Goro]

I could really use some advice as to where I should apply. I am nervous with my MCAT score, I got a 499, but my GPA is super solid. It's a 3.92 with my science GPA being a 3.88. I have worked in a nursing home setting since I was 17 and have done many extra curricular throughout college. I was in a sorority and held positions, lots of volunteering at the Children's Hospital and nursing homes, and plan to get shadowing hours from a hospital and local clinic. I have been looking at DO schools. I just don't know where to apply because I don't want to waste my money and time applying somewhere that I don't stand a chance.

Any advice or help would be great! I REALLY don't want to retake the MCAT.

LECOM and the newest schools: UIW, NYIT-AR, ARCOM, RVU-UT, maybe LMU, ACOM, Wm Carey, and all three VCOMs.

 

[ChosenBrotherRaoh]

how does one with a 3.92 gpa end up with a 499 mcat??

I have a 3.3 GPA and even I was able to swing a 510 with less than a month of studying.
But still can't get past the LOW GPA cutoffs of many schools.

 

[HopefulDoc91]

I think with your stats you could get into DO schools that weigh more on GPA rather than MCAT. But if you want the best shot and don't want to risk having to reapply, I would just retake the MCAT. I scored a 496 my first time, and I got a 508 when I took it this past January. It's completely possible, you just have to figure out how you learn best with studying and dedicate every day to it. I studied for 5 hours every day for 7 months while working a full time job, and it paid off.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

But still can't get past the LOW GPA cutoffs of many schools.

No school cuts off a 3.3...

I have a 3.3 GPA and even I was able to swing a 510 with less than a month of studying.

Aren't you just so smart.... you really can't see how someone could struggle with the MCAT? High GPA students get low MCAT scores a lot actually.

OP, retake. With your GPA if you were to raise your score to 510 you could go for MD, and a 505 would put you in the running for every DO school.

 

[Alkaidius]

You stand a decent chance. It's not great, but good enough that I would apply to at least understand what the process is like. If you get an interview, even if you don't get in, it'll at least provide you with actual interview experience and a second glance if they see you apply a second time with a better MCAT score.

 

[Blessthefall]

You stand a decent chance. It's not great, but good enough that I would apply to at least understand what the process is like. If you get an interview, even if you don't get in, it'll at least provide you with actual interview experience and a second glance if they see you apply a second time with a better MCAT score.

I respectfully disagree with your recommendation. Reapplying only makes things more difficult for yourself considering ADCOMs want to see significant changes in your application to make up for the first round of initial subpar metrics. For the OP to submit his/her current MCAT score would not yield very many interviews as it is, even at the newest schools and those listed by @Goro . Scoring even 5 points higher on the MCAT is a feat in and of itself and having to do so as a second time applicant- it basically will become a requirement in this case.

TL;DR: OP, my advice is to retake the MCAT BEFORE submitting your application otherwise things will be even more of an uphill, extended battle later on if you submit and end up reapplying.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

For the OP to submit his/her current MCAT score would not yield very many interviews as it is, even at the newest school

Eh I disagree. People with a GPA like that tend to do ok, even with a 499 (or 25). I wouldn't be suprised if they got around 3-4 interviews. That being said, I suggest retaking the MCAT because with everything with the merger going on I would try and go to the most established DO school I could, and the those schools have higher averages. Even a 503+ would open more doors. I have a hunch the newer schools will be affected the most by the merger.

I definitely agree with retaking before applying. Trying to apply while already planning a reapplication is dumb and will make things more difficult unnecessarily.

 

[ChosenBrotherRaoh]

No school cuts off a 3.3...



Aren't you just so smart.... you really can't see how someone could struggle with the MCAT? High GPA students get low MCAT scores a lot actually.

OP, retake. With your GPA if you were to raise your score to 510 you could go for MD, and a 505 would put you in the running for every DO school.

High GPA low mcat should be a major red flag about the student's ability to do well on step and handle the rigors of med school

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

High GPA low mcat should be a major red flag about the student's ability to do well on step and handle the rigors of med school

No really no. It depends on how low the MCAT of course but anything above 500 is good honestly.

 

[ChosenBrotherRaoh]

No really no. It depends on how low the MCAT of course but anything above 500 is good honestly.

3.9 GPA and a sub 500-505 MCAT...i wouldnt put money on an MD acceptance. Maybe if the school is a state school with an IS bias.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

3.9 GPA and a sub 500-505 MCAT...i wouldnt put money on an MD acceptance. Maybe if the school is a state school with an IS bias.

Yes but that's not what we are talking about. You said that a high GPA and low MCAT should be "huge red flags about the stident's ability to do well on Step and handle the rigors of med school."

That's just not true. Anyone with a 500 or higher has been shown to have no more trouble graduating and passing step than someone with a higher score.

 

[ChosenBrotherRaoh]

Yes but that's not what we are talking about. You said that a high GPA and low MCAT should be "huge red flags about the stident's ability to do well on Step and handle the rigors of med school."

That's just not true. Anyone with a 500 or higher has been shown to have no more trouble graduating and passing step than someone with a higher score.

I agree that a sub 500 score correlates to a high probability of graduating and passing...but it does not have a high probability of matriculating. Thus, on that notion, I think it raises red flags. In my opinion, a high gpa should lead to a high MCAT.

In an ideal world, many might assume that, but when disparities exist between GPA and MCAT, a red flag is raised. I had a low GPA and a 510 mcat...there were red flags in my application hence why I did not get into medical school.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I agree that a sub 500 score correlates to a high probability of graduating and passing...but it does not have a high probability of matriculating. Thus, on that notion, I think it raises red flags. In my opinion, a high gpa should lead to a high MCAT.

In an ideal world, many might assume that, but when disparities exist between GPA and MCAT, a red flag is raised. I had a low GPA and a 510 mcat...there were red flags in my application hence why I did not get into medical school.

You keep changing the mark.... I don't disagree with anything you just said. That wasn't your original statement.

 

[workaholic181]

I could really use some advice as to where I should apply. I am nervous with my MCAT score, I got a 499, but my GPA is super solid. It's a 3.92 with my science GPA being a 3.88. I have worked in a nursing home setting since I was 17 and have done many extra curricular throughout college. I was in a sorority and held positions, lots of volunteering at the Children's Hospital and nursing homes, and plan to get shadowing hours from a hospital and local clinic. I have been looking at DO schools. I just don't know where to apply because I don't want to waste my money and time applying somewhere that I don't stand a chance.

Any advice or help would be great! I REALLY don't want to retake the MCAT.

OP I think you could get into a DO school somewhere in the country this cycle if you apply broadly.

If it were me though, I would consider doing MCAT a 2nd time. Your GPAs are phenomenal. If you think you could do better with more time, a class, whatever, then I would think about a second MCAT to complement all the other hard work you've done rather than hinder it.

Either way, I think you'll probably be a doctor someday. So congrats on what you've accomplished thus far.

 

[IslandStyle808]

I could really use some advice as to where I should apply. I am nervous with my MCAT score, I got a 499, but my GPA is super solid. It's a 3.92 with my science GPA being a 3.88. I have worked in a nursing home setting since I was 17 and have done many extra curricular throughout college. I was in a sorority and held positions, lots of volunteering at the Children's Hospital and nursing homes, and plan to get shadowing hours from a hospital and local clinic. I have been looking at DO schools. I just don't know where to apply because I don't want to waste my money and time applying somewhere that I don't stand a chance.

Any advice or help would be great! I REALLY don't want to retake the MCAT.

Think about it this way. At this point, you have a shot only for the newer schools with your MCAT and GPA combo (maybe even some of the schools that have been around for 10-30 years). With a retake, you have the potential of hitting even some of the mid-tier MD schools! You may hate the MCAT, but you will hate it more going to a school with a poor set up and opportunities.

I go to a newer DO school, and I have to struggle even more than a student at an older DO school to get the same opportunities. The questions on our exams have had a poor vetting process and they are being stingy about the points being awarded on exams. So you don't know if you are passing/failing classes fair and square or not. With older schools, you don't have to deal with this (had years of making sure the questions are good) and you have a great support system which extends all the way up to residency. However, I thank everyday that I had a high enough score to go to a DO school and not the Caribbean.

You have not maxed out yet, until you have taken the MCAT 3 times and still have similar scores, you should not apply to medical school yet. You want the world to be your oyster and not begging for scraps. Yes, this is how much your MCAT score matters!

 

[ChosenBrotherRaoh]

You keep changing the mark.... I don't disagree with anything you just said. That wasn't your original statement.

I learned this technique watching the presidential debates leading upto Trump's (El Jefe's) election.

I'll say one thing, OP might end up retaking the MCAT...but what if he/she scores similarly or worse, scores worse!

 

[IslandStyle808]

I learned this technique watching the presidential debates leading upto Trump's (El Jefe's) election.

I'll say one thing, OP might end up retaking the MCAT...but what if he/she scores similarly or worse, scores worse!

The gains outweigh the losses in this case. If OP had a 505 for instance, then it would be fool hearty. However, in this case he/she is on the border for getting in with that score. I think it justifies a retake.

 

[MADD!!!]

To OP, I would recommend a re-take. So I was literally in your shoes this past cycle but had a 500 on my MCAT, and unfortunately there is a substantial difference between a 500 and a 499. Most DO schools do have a cut-off score of 500 on the MCAT, but you will have a very good chance at acceptance to a select number of DO schools IF you apply early (like right now), have a strong application otherwise, and have good EC's. (LMU-DCOM, ACOM, new schools like UIW, ArCOM, LECOM, BCOM, CUSOM, and possibly a few others...)

The reason I would recommend a re-take is that it's not just about being accepted to a school, but you really want options. If you have a higher MCAT score, you will likely receive much more interviews than with your current score and have a better chance to pick a school that's a better fit for you. Before I applied, I told myself I'd be ecstatic with an acceptance anywhere, but after interviewing at schools I realized I wouldn't be happy at school X or Y for personal reasons. Schools are very different when you visit them in-person vs. what you see online and personal fit is important. Of course if I had one acceptance only, I'd take it and run. BUT you don't want to enter an application cycle thinking that you limited yourself by not putting your best foot forward into applications. At the end of the day, it's a personal choice.

Alternative choice: If you have the discipline to do so, I would apply this year while also studying for the MCAT. This way if you get an acceptance, you just saved yourself a year. If not, you studied anyways and took it sometime during the year and prepared for re-application if necessary.