Torn: Take a year off or not, CA resident 3.6sGPA/3.7cGPA/28 mcat

[carebear123]

Long-time lurker on these threads. I've been trying to decide if a year off will be worth it in my case and have been torn trying to make the decision, so I felt it was time to consult the SDN community.

CA resident
I'm going to wait for my spring quarter grades and according to my calculations, will be at a 3.6 sGPA and 3.7 cumulative. Unfortunately, I've racked up a lot of B's from my Physiology classes this year (go to a top UC btw) so the downward gpa trend is probably not in my favor either.

Took the MCAT last September and got a 28. I'm signed up for a retake in May and I'm hoping to score 30+. If I feel unprepared, I'll probably postpone to June because I know a high mcat to make up or the lackluster gpa will be tons of help.

In terms of activities:
Research for 2 years: 2 poster presentations at international conferences, 1 review article submitted and pending review, another review article to be submitted in June
(can I even list the articles if they haven't been published yet? we are expecting publication for sure)
Lots of clinical activity-around 500 hours from patient interviews to rotating through various departments
Lots of tutoring kids in the neighborhood
Worked as a lab assistant for some time

I know if I take a year off, then I can definitely improve the GPA and MCAT score and submit early in June next year, I just don't really want to take a year off if possible because I don't mind too much where I end up for medical school. Granted, I feel like with the research publications, I have a shot for one of the UC's or another top school, but we all know Cali isn't too friendly and my stats are plain average.

If I'm not able to improve my MCAT, is the 28 bad enough to make me wait a year? and if I do improve it to the 30-32 range, is an acceptance likely?

Also, I'm not interested in DO.

Thanks everyone.

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[FrkyBgStok]

Not likely no. Possible, yes. 30-32 isn't considered "high." And you are a CA resident. You aren't competitive for your state schools with a 30-32 and you are given no OOS preference anywhere. So it is possible you could get accepted, but saying it is likely is a lie. Too bad you aren't interested in DO. Same job and you wouldn't have to wait. Oh well. To each his own.

 

[Catalystik]

Research for 2 years: 2 poster presentations at international conferences, 1 review article submitted and pending review, another review article to be submitted in June (can I even list the articles if they haven't been published yet? we are expecting publication for sure)

Everyone expects publication for sure. Submitted articles can be mentioned in the related Research entry, but an accepted, but not yet published, or a published paper can be listed on their own under Publications. A citation should be given. Prior to publication, one can say "in press."

 

[carebear123]

Thanks Catalystik! Any suggestions on my chances? Also, how impressive are oral or poster presentations and review article publications? Is it something that will give you an upper-edge when the school is trying to decide between applicants that have been interviewed, or is it also considered something note-worthy that can push a school to give you an interview even if your stats are low?

 

[Jamie561]

OP, your chances at a "top" school and your chances at a CA school are very, very low. Research publications (of which you have none) would not rescue your poor numbers. Your MCAT is below the average of all matriculants nationwide and your GPA is on the low side of average. I would say that your chances of getting into an MD school are reasonably good, but please be aware that you are below average when compared to all matriculants to US MD schools.

 

[sector9]

OP, I applied in CA and was soundly rejected from all schools despite roughly the same cGPA, a little higher sGPA, MCAT 5 points higher, and 3 years of research with 3 or 4 posters and 2 pubs.

In short, don't take it for granted that taking a year off to improve your MCAT and give yourself an extra year for the pubs to be accepted will make you competitive in CA. I have been accepted OOS and will be matriculating OOS.

Your current stats put you in at about 50% historical acceptance rate for all applicants. I vote to apply broadly this cycle both in and out of state, especially if you retake the MCAT and increase by a couple of points.

 

[Catalystik]

Thanks Catalystik! Any suggestions on my chances? Also, how impressive are oral or poster presentations and review article publications? Is it something that will give you an upper-edge when the school is trying to decide between applicants that have been interviewed, or is it also considered something note-worthy that can push a school to give you an interview even if your stats are low?

Your chances with a 3.7/28 are probably less than AAMC stats suggest because you do not have a lenient state school to fall back on. And we can't judge if you'll get extra credit for comprehensive ECs, as you don't give much detail. And great ECs can certainly improve one's odds.

Review articles do not add to generalizable human knowledge, thus they don't add the dazzle that published hypothesis-based research would. Still they are publications. I think you'll get more of a bump from being invited to do poster presentations (presumably related to your original research) at an international meeting. I think you'll need a much stronger MCAT to reasonably apply to the type of schools that value research endeavors, over say, humanistic involvement. And that type of school would also probably want to see some substantive peer leadership, which I don't see on your list.

 

[palsi]

OP, I applied in CA and was soundly rejected from all schools despite roughly the same cGPA, a little higher sGPA, MCAT 5 points higher, and 3 years of research with 3 or 4 posters and 2 pubs.

In short, don't take it for granted that taking a year off to improve your MCAT and give yourself an extra year for the pubs to be accepted will make you competitive in CA. I have been accepted OOS and will be matriculating OOS.

Your current stats put you in at about 50% historical acceptance rate for all applicants. I vote to apply broadly this cycle both in and out of state, especially if you retake the MCAT and increase by a couple of points.

Are you a resident though?

 

[sector9]

Are you a resident though?

CA resident? Yes.