Taking the MCAT a third time (comments on updated list please)

[bosewearer1]

I am one year removed from my BA. I am 23 years old, and don’t plan to matriculate until Fall of 2026. I have about fifteen months to improve my application for MD programs. I have taken the MCAT twice, and am planning on taking it again; I am confident in my ability to do score at least a 513 with a 126 in CARS. I would like advice on how to improve my application, and what schools I could consider with three MCAT attempts under my belt.

1. GPA 3.52
2. MCAT
MCAT1: 510 (126/123/130/131)
MCAT2: 508 (130/122/129/127) moderator's note see updated 3rd score and activities here: updates to app
5. B.A. from Top 25 US Liberal Arts Institution, Biochemistry w Honors
6. Clinical Experience
Interaction with rare disease patients (20+ hours)
Planning on finding opportunity for other clinical experience
Volunteer experience in operating room (50 hours)
7. Research experience and productivity
Chemistry research assistant (2 publications in chemistry journals)
Research assistant at NIH
Speaker at different conferences discussing NIH research
Abstracts published and posters presented discussing NIH research
8. Shadowing experience
Experience shadowing pathology, ent, internal medicine, orthopedic hand surgery (25+ hours) beginning shadowing program this July
9. Non-clinical volunteering
Volunteer at homeless shelter working with children (beginning in July)
10. Extracurricular
Organic chemistry tutor, New York City marathon runner, 2 years of research at NIH
11. Honors/Awards
Honors in biochemistry
Multiple semesters on dean’s list
12. I want to learn about the various connections of the human body in order to treat and care for individuals struggling with illness.

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[Mr.Smile12]

Can you tell us what you have done with clinical and nonclinical experience (with hours)?

 

[bosewearer1]

My research assistant position is translational. I do cell culturing experiments to study the rare genetic disease, and get to meet the patients that I am trying to create a treatment for. I have even had the opportunity to witness an autopsy of one of these patients. It is a very rewarding experience that makes me crave for more understanding of the human body and medicine.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Emphasis on HOURS. Follow the template instructions. Total hours is???

Also what about your prehealth advisors? What do they say about your profile?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

My research assistant position is translational. I do cell culturing experiments to study the rare genetic disease, and get to meet the patients that I am trying to create a treatment for. I have even had the opportunity to witness an autopsy of one of these patients. It is a very rewarding experience that makes me crave for more understanding of the human body and medicine.

You sound like a good candidate for graduate school (MS/PhD). Nothing stands out yet about "why medicine."

 

[candbgirl]

Why are you retaking the MCAT? You went down on the second attempt. What if you go down again?
Have you thought about taking a couple of gap years to develop a med school application? There isn’t one thing in what you’ve shared that says “I want to be a doctor and help people”. Your application screams “lab rat.”
You seem to have no theme to tell your story.

Please fill in this grid if you want good and focused help with your application.

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[bosewearer1]

You sound like a good candidate for graduate school (MS/PhD). Nothing stands out yet about "why medicine."

Please refer to my edited original post.

 

[Faha]

Your application will not be ready to apply in June. At a minimum, you should have 150+ hours of clinical volunteering/employment, 150+ hours of non clinical volunteering and 50 hours of in person physician shadowing when you submit your application. It does not appear that you will have those hours until after June 2024 but may have those hours by June 2025. You should also be aware that many schools average MCAT scores so that even if you increase your score to 512 your average will be 510 (which was your original score).

 

[bosewearer1]

Assuming that I collect these hours, and apply in June 2025, which schools should I apply to?

Your application will not be ready to apply in June. At a minimum, you should have 150+ hours of clinical volunteering/employment, 150+ hours of non clinical volunteering and 50 hours of in person physician shadowing when you submit your application. It does not appear that you will have those hours until after June 2024 but may have those hours by June 2025. You should also be aware that many schools average MCAT scores so that even if you increase your score to 512 your average will be 510 (which was your original score).

 

[Faha]

Assuming that I collect these hours, and apply in June 2025, which schools should I apply to?

For MD schools I suggest these:
Your 3 NJ state public schools
Hackensack
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Belmont
Alice Walton (when it opens)
TCU
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
You are competitive for all DO schools with your stats and I suggest these:
Rowan
Touro-NY
NYITCOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
MU-COM
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
CUSOM
WVSOM
NOVA
ACOM
UIWSOM
AZCOM
TUNCOM

 

[Goro]

For MD schools I suggest these:
Your 3 NJ state public schools
Hackensack
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
Belmont
Alice Walton (when it opens)
TCU
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
You are competitive for all DO schools with your stats and I suggest these:
Rowan
Touro-NY
NYITCOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
MU-COM
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
CUSOM
WVSOM
NOVA
ACOM
UIWSOM
AZCOM
TUNCOM

I agree with the wise Faha.

 

[bosewearer1]

1. cGPA 3.53, sGPA 3.56.
GPA was 2.8 first semester freshman year, deans list every semester afterwards.

2.1 126/123/130/131 510
2.2 130/122/129/127 508
2.3 130/127/129/129 515

3. NJ

4. White/Caucasian

5. Top 20 liberal arts college

6. 100 hours working as operating room volunteer/MRI front desk volunteer
Shadow doctors at NIH

7. 2 years working as postbac at NIH
2 summers working as undergrad chemistry researcher
6 publications
3 seminar talks

8. 30 hours shadowing at walter reed general surgery
20 hours shadowing clinicians at NIH

9. 100 hours volunteering at a homeless shelter

10. marathon runner, organic chemistry tutor, piano player, spanish learner

11. honors in biochemistry, magna cum laude

12. persistent

 

[bosewearer1]

My school list right now is
1. rutgers robert wood
2. rutgers
3. hackensack
4. gw
5. wake forest
6. georgetown
7. cooper rowan
8. sidney kimmel
9. creighton
10. temple
11. chicago rosalind
12. vermont
13. dartmouth?
14. brown?
15. miami
16. emory
17. nymc
18. st louis
19. geisinger
20. drexel
21. tufts
22. tulane

 

[bosewearer1]

I see that my thread was added to my old thread. Difference is that my mcat is now 515 and I have added clinical/volunteer experience

 

[Faha]

Your 100 hours each of clinical and non clinical volunteering are below the 150 hours of each that is used to screen out applicants. If you increase those hours to 200 hours of clinical volunteering and 200 hours of non clinical volunteering you could apply in June 2025. Schools such as Georgetown, Creighton and St. Louis are looking for applicants with many hundreds of hours each of clinical and non clinical volunteering.

 

[bosewearer1]

If I get to those numbers, would you agree with my list? @Faha

 

[Mr.Smile12]

OP: Tell us what feedback you received about your previous application cycle. How many hours do you have at the time you submitted this reapplication?

 

[Faha]

If I get to those numbers, would you agree with my list? @Faha

Yes, except for the schools I mentioned. Also, Dartmouth, Brown and Emory are unrealistic with your stats.

 

[bosewearer1]

OP: Tell us what feedback you received about your previous application cycle. How many hours do you have at the time you submitted this reapplication?

I have not applied yet. I am going to apply June 2025. I have a lot of time to get volunteering hours. I am mostly asking that if I play my cards right for the next year (collect research, volunteer hours), would I have a shot at the schools i've listed

 

[bosewearer1]

Yes, except for the schools I mentioned. Also, Dartmouth, Brown and Emory are unrealistic with your stats.

Even if I got to 300 hours of volunteering, would you still eliminate creighton st louis and georgetown? @Faha

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I have not applied yet. I am going to apply June 2025. I have a lot of time to get volunteering hours. I am mostly asking that if I play my cards right for the next year (collect research, volunteer hours), would I have a shot at the schools i've listed

Getting in 1000 hours over the next year is pretty easy: That's just 20 hours x 50 weeks, or 4 hours per day. Get started. Don't just meet the minimums; show us you are committed to serving others outside of a clinical/health context.

 

[Faha]

Even if I got to 300 hours of volunteering, would you still eliminate creighton st louis and georgetown? @Faha

Those schools are not competitive with your GPA of 3.52. If you had many hundreds of hours each of clinical and non clinical volunteering you could try them.

 

[bosewearer1]

Do you recommend any other schools that I could consider, if I get my volunteer hours up? @Faha @Mr.Smile12

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Do you recommend any other schools that I could consider, if I get my volunteer hours up? @Faha @Mr.Smile12

You already have a good list from Faha. The question is your mission fit.

 

[Faha]

Do you recommend any other schools that I could consider, if I get my volunteer hours up? @Faha @Mr.Smile12

Add all of the schools (MD and DO) from my original list that you have not yet included.

 

[bosewearer1]

How will the three attempts be viewed by admissions committees?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

How will the three attempts be viewed by admissions committees?

Many schools average all MCAT attempts for screening, and since your three scores are clustered, the average is probably your most representative score. Some schools may still put weight on your most recent attempt. Some schools may not view your three-attempt history favorably. It depends on your schools and anything else in holistic review that shows strong mission alignment.