This is crazy but it's true

[caffeinemia]

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So I helped someone get into DO school with an MCAT of 22. He had a snowball's chance in hell, but we did it. He will become a doctor.

There is hope y'all. Be inspired.

 

[Goro]

One of our best students in recent years had a low 20s MCAT score, and this kid is in a big name surgery residency on the West Coast. And yes, I did some checking with people who actually know about these things, and it's a reall top program!

So, you never know.

 

[wagonwheel23]

@caffeinemia You my friend have a future in marketing. That was some pretty spectacular click bait.

 

[FistLength]

@caffeinemia You my friend have a future in marketing. That was some pretty spectacular click bait.

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Student finds trick medical schools DONT want you to know

 

[Psai]

Admissions committees hate him!

 

[caffeinemia]

Yeah, I'm so excited for this kid. He really worked hard to make it happen. Woooot. Now I get to crush him if he ever rotates at my program 😀

 

[Terry Toma]

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Student finds trick medical schools DONT want you to know

Ten tricks medical schools don't want you to know. Number 3 will BLOW YOUR MIND.

 

[efle]

So...how'd you do it? Give us a WAMC style summary so we can see how shocking this actually is!

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

So...how'd you do it? Give us a WAMC style summary so we can see how shocking this actually is!

They probably have a Bronze Star Medal or something.

It's not very useful to post these outlier stories imo.

 

[caffeinemia]

1) I set expectations - <5% chance, unreasonable to do MD, try for DO with the knowledge that he needed to retake MCAT if this cycle was unsuccessful.
2) I helped him compose a stellar statement/secondary responses, that really highlighted strong, mature reasons for wanting to be a physician, and acknowledged and owned up to previous shortcomings, failures, etc and showed growth and improvement.
3) Arranged for strong letters of rec from diverse experiences/courses.
4) Multiple sessions of practice interviews.
5) Letter of intent/interest.

MAGIC.

 

[Lawpy]

So...how'd you do it? Give us a WAMC style summary so we can see how shocking this actually is!

Regardless of a WAMC, a 22 is good enough to be accepted to the new DO schools and some established DO schools. Some reports even suggest that LUCOM accepts people with <<20 MCAT.

Another example why going to the Carib because of poor stats is a stupid idea.

 

[occams_razor]

Regardless of a WAMC, a 22 is good enough to be accepted to the new DO schools and some established DO schools. Some reports even suggest that LUCOM accepts people with <<20 MCAT.

Another example why going to the Carib because of poor stats is a stupid idea.

Yeah, definitely. For example this med student took the MCAT 3 times and her highest score was a 19 but she still got into a DO school

https://studentdrdiva.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/mcat-the-struggle

 

[Law2Doc]

They probably have a Bronze Star Medal or something...

I think that's the point people are missing. Numerical stats are only part of the picture. If you are an otherwise amazing applicant to some degree you can overcome them. So this guy wasn't getting in WITH a 22, he was getting in DESPITE a 22. In most cases the typical other person who scores similarly won't have the same legs to stand on.

Also I'm not sure why this in pre-allo.

 

[GrapesofRath]

When there are DO schools with median MCATs of 24 I'm not sure why this is some sort of surprise. Kind of crazy how schools also let in people with an MCAT two or even three entire points below their median isn't it

And as this example shows, letting in people with 22 MCAT scores in itself is not a bad thing in many cases; HBMC and Puerto Rican MD programs have been doing it for years after all.