Strengthen Application?

[thrill21]

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I graduated from a regional university in Oklahoma May 2014, technically finished classes in December 2013 but I missed the application deadline. I majored in Health Sciences. After a year off I started an MBA program at the same university and graduated in December 2016. The only general prereq I am missing is OChem 2.

I am an Oklahoma resident, 27 white male, and would prefer to go to one of the schools here or in the surrounding states, but I am really open to any. I realize that DO is probably the more realistic. My wife is currently in nurse prac school so I am still going to be about 2 years out from wanting to get in. By that time, I should have about 2000 hours as a lab assistant and 2000 hours as a MT for work experience. I am planning on retaking OChem 1 and then taking OChem 2 in a couple of semesters.

What do I need to do to strengthen my application over the next couple years?



This is my GPA breakdown year
Freshman: 3.79 cgpa, 3.57 sgpa (28 credits)
Sophomore: 3.07 cgpa, 2.22 sgpa (27 credits) 2 C’s, one in a low level Bio and Chem1. Also 5 Ws all in one semester, I took the following semester off as well.
Junior: 3.65 cgpa, 3.42 sgpa (31 credits)
Senior: 3.54 cgpa, 3.33 sgpa (35 credits) Retook Chem1 (A), 1 W(Dev Psych, 4.0 on the 14 hours also in that semester). 2 Cs, OChem 1 and Lab (an unexpected move an hour and a half away from the college during this last semester).

Undergraduate: 3.52 cgpa, 3.22 sgpa

Graduate: 4.0 cgpa, 4.0 sgpa

Combined: 3.62 cgpa, 3.25 sgpa

MCAT: Currently studying for, have not taken.

References: I can get 2 glowing references from a DO and MD.



Clinical Work Experience: 1120 hours in a rural hospital lab preforming lab assistant duties while training to be a Medical Technologist, such as phlebotomy and performing analysis on specimens. I am currently working here and will be testing for Medical Technologist(AMT) in roughly 5 months.
Shadowing: 40 hours in the ER and 24 shadowing the hospitalist at the local hospital. Also 40 hours in Physical Therapy and 16 in Radiology.
Volunteering: 240 hours volunteering at a church group with kids.

 

[angeloflogic]

Your stats are overall good along with your ECs. I don't think it's unreasonable to think you can't get into an MD.

The only thing you should really do is focus on your MCAT. That's all that matters at this point. Even if you have to take time off from work for a few months to dedicate to it, I would. That's the only thing you can do imo to really shift your application any way.

 

[luckyely91]

I think you have a pretty strong background. I recommend continuing working at the hospital and obtaining more clinical work experience, and with patients if at all possible. I didn't get accepted to medical school right away, and I'm a non-traditional student. I was fortunate to have been accepted to medical school a couple of months ago, and was told that my experience working in the hospital with patients post-graduation was one of my strengths on my application.

Be careful though - some medical schools do not consider your graduate GPA when applying. That being said, if you're in the position to do so, I would recommend possibly retaking 1-2 classes to show your dedication and potentially improve your GPA. 🙂