Two Degrees higher sGPA lower cGPA

[ChangeOfPlans]

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I would like to apply to DO schools next year, but my transcripts are a mess, so I’m looking for feedback on my current situation to decide if this is worth pursuing.

Graduated with a BS in sociology in 2016, with a GPA trend that looks like a sideways S. I’ve been working as an ER/trauma tech since 2014 (8,000+ hours). I decided to get a second bachelors degree for respiratory Therapy since I could get it done in three semesters - I’ll graduate in December. I really do enjoy the work an RT does, but it’s not as fulfilling as I expected it to be. Thanks to my second degree most of my classes were considered “other science” for GPA calculations on AACOMAs. Without grade replacement my cGPA comes out to 3.15 and my sGPA 3.54.

It’s near impossible to raise my cGPA anymore based on the number of credits I’ve taken. My EC’s are average at best: 150 hours volunteering in a neuroscience lab, 20 hours of true shadowing outside of my job, 400+ hours as a canine companion volunteer for an animal rescue and 200+ hours volunteering through the catholic school system. I was also a teen parent and cared for my partner (my now husband) during chemo (the drop in my gpa was due to this). So I’d like to believe I have a compelling story for “Why Medicine”.

I’ve got to take the MCAT yet and three prerequisite courses that I’m missing then I’ll be set to apply. Is my 3.1 going to kill me? can I do anything other than get a super high score on my MCAT to off set that number?

 

[Tgfu34]

Your 3.1 cGPA is low but it’s not the deciding factor in your application at this point. Your sGPA is definitely competitive for DO schools so make sure you knock those three remaining prerequisite courses out of the park to continue raising it. Unfortunately it’s going to come down to how well you do on the MCAT. Use testimonies on here and reddit to find an appropriate study plan/materials for you and go at it with everything you got. Don’t take it until you are ready to perform at your desired level.

As far as EC’s, make sure you shadow a physician in primary care (preferably a DO) and snag a LOR if you can. I’m not sure if you held any leadership positions at your job/undergrad but those carry weight as well. Volunteering hours look solid so just continue doing what you’ve been doing there.

You definitely have a compelling story but at this point the MCAT will be your deciding factor. Get a 505+ and you will be competitive for most, if not all, DO schools. If you really crush it (512+) you could potentially sprinkle in some MD applications as well. Best of luck with your journey!

 

[Schwifty]

I would like to apply to DO schools next year, but my transcripts are a mess, so I’m looking for feedback on my current situation to decide if this is worth pursuing.

Graduated with a BS in sociology in 2016, with a GPA trend that looks like a sideways S. I’ve been working as an ER/trauma tech since 2014 (8,000+ hours). I decided to get a second bachelors degree for respiratory Therapy since I could get it done in three semesters - I’ll graduate in December. I really do enjoy the work an RT does, but it’s not as fulfilling as I expected it to be. Thanks to my second degree most of my classes were considered “other science” for GPA calculations on AACOMAs. Without grade replacement my cGPA comes out to 3.15 and my sGPA 3.54.

It’s near impossible to raise my cGPA anymore based on the number of credits I’ve taken. My EC’s are average at best: 150 hours volunteering in a neuroscience lab, 20 hours of true shadowing outside of my job, 400+ hours as a canine companion volunteer for an animal rescue and 200+ hours volunteering through the catholic school system. I was also a teen parent and cared for my partner (my now husband) during chemo (the drop in my gpa was due to this). So I’d like to believe I have a compelling story for “Why Medicine”.

I’ve got to take the MCAT yet and three prerequisite courses that I’m missing then I’ll be set to apply. Is my 3.1 going to kill me? can I do anything other than get a super high score on my MCAT to off set that number?

your EC's look good, the 8k+ hours as an ER/trauma tech will help a lot, try and get your shadowing up to 50 hours and that will be plenty. Like it was said above, its going to come down to your MCAT, DO NOT rush taking the MCAT (like I did), only take it once you are ready. Your cGPA is low (as you know), and your sGPA is on the lower side too, but it's not an app killer. 500+ on the MCAT will probably get you into a new DO school, 505+ puts you in a good spot for any DO, if you really want an MD you need a 512+ (or really 515+) with your GPA. Best of luck!

 

[ChangeOfPlans]

Your 3.1 cGPA is low but it’s not the deciding factor in your application at this point. Your sGPA is definitely competitive for DO schools so make sure you knock those three remaining prerequisite courses out of the park to continue raising it. Unfortunately it’s going to come down to how well you do on the MCAT. Use testimonies on here and reddit to find an appropriate study plan/materials for you and go at it with everything you got. Don’t take it until you are ready to perform at your desired level.

As far as EC’s, make sure you shadow a physician in primary care (preferably a DO) and snag a LOR if you can. I’m not sure if you held any leadership positions at your job/undergrad but those carry weight as well. Volunteering hours look solid so just continue doing what you’ve been doing there.

You definitely have a compelling story but at this point the MCAT will be your deciding factor. Get a 505+ and you will be competitive for most, if not all, DO schools. If you really crush it (512+) you could potentially sprinkle in some MD applications as well. Best of luck with your journey!

All of my documented shadowing hours are with rural primary care, he did offer to write me a LOR, so I’ve got that. I also already have two MD’s from my ER job that are writing letters. I’m going to try to find a DO in IM or PEDS to shadowing that will hopefully be able to write me an additional one. I’m looking into MCAT study plans now, but I don’t think a 515 is a reasonable goal for myself. I’m pretty confident in my ability to get a 505-509 score though.
Thanks for responding!

 

[Cornfed101]

Try to get some volunteering with the underserved. The teaching volunteering is good, animal volunteering is fine, but serving people is obviously the goal. Like what others have said previously you have to do well on the MCAT. Have you taken any practice/diagnostic tests? Everyone thinks they can do well on the MCAT, but it doesn't happen for everyone. Take a practice/diagnostic MCAT and set up your plan based on that. Expect to study ~40 hours per point you want to increase.

 

[ChangeOfPlans]

Try to get some volunteering with the underserved. The teaching volunteering is good, animal volunteering is fine, but serving people is obviously the goal. Like what others have said previously you have to do well on the MCAT. Have you taken any practice/diagnostic tests? Everyone thinks they can do well on the MCAT, but it doesn't happen for everyone. Take a practice/diagnostic MCAT and set up your plan based on that. Expect to study ~40 hours per point you want to increase.

I’ve done two practice/diagnostics to gauge how much studying I need and I was at 502 and 503, so I know where I’m averaging. But I will keep in mind the 40 hours per point. Thanks!

 

[Goro]

I would like to apply to DO schools next year, but my transcripts are a mess, so I’m looking for feedback on my current situation to decide if this is worth pursuing.

Graduated with a BS in sociology in 2016, with a GPA trend that looks like a sideways S. I’ve been working as an ER/trauma tech since 2014 (8,000+ hours). I decided to get a second bachelors degree for respiratory Therapy since I could get it done in three semesters - I’ll graduate in December. I really do enjoy the work an RT does, but it’s not as fulfilling as I expected it to be. Thanks to my second degree most of my classes were considered “other science” for GPA calculations on AACOMAs. Without grade replacement my cGPA comes out to 3.15 and my sGPA 3.54.

It’s near impossible to raise my cGPA anymore based on the number of credits I’ve taken. My EC’s are average at best: 150 hours volunteering in a neuroscience lab, 20 hours of true shadowing outside of my job, 400+ hours as a canine companion volunteer for an animal rescue and 200+ hours volunteering through the catholic school system. I was also a teen parent and cared for my partner (my now husband) during chemo (the drop in my gpa was due to this). So I’d like to believe I have a compelling story for “Why Medicine”.

I’ve got to take the MCAT yet and three prerequisite courses that I’m missing then I’ll be set to apply. Is my 3.1 going to kill me? can I do anything other than get a super high score on my MCAT to off set that number?

Chill out, you'll be fine with a broad application and a high MCAT.

 

[ChangeOfPlans]

Chill out, you'll be fine with a broad application and a high MCAT.

Thanks! What do you consider a high enough MCAT for my situation? I scored 502 and 503 on my diagnostics, but I think I’d be setting myself up for disappointment shooting for anything higher than 510/511 given my practice scores.

 

[Goro]

Thanks! What do you consider a high enough MCAT for my situation? I scored 502 and 503 on my diagnostics, but I think I’d be setting myself up for disappointment shooting for anything higher than 510/511 given my practice scores.

510+

 

[Cornfed101]

Thanks! What do you consider a high enough MCAT for my situation? I scored 502 and 503 on my diagnostics, but I think I’d be setting myself up for disappointment shooting for anything higher than 510/511 given my practice scores.

If you are doing the last month or two of studying correctly you should improve 5-10+ points just in that last stretch. After content review, I improved from a 507 on AAMC FL 1 to a 516 on the real thing just by doing FL practice exams and reviewing them thoroughly. My diagnostic before content was a 500. You can definitely do it!

 

[ChangeOfPlans]

If you are doing the last month or two of studying correctly you should improve 5-10+ points just in that last stretch. After content review, I improved from a 507 on AAMC FL 1 to a 516 on the real thing just by doing FL practice exams and reviewing them thoroughly. My diagnostic before content was a 500. You can definitely do it!

That’s awesome! How many months/weeks did you study for to get that big of a jump? And how did you divide up your time through the week to Avoid getting burnt out?

 

[Cornfed101]

Here is my post from the 509+ compilation. There are a ton of good tips and strategies on here if you have the time to parse through them!

Got my score this morning! So glad to be done with this monster.

1) Your individual scores and composite score

• 516 (129/129/128/130)

2) The study method used for each section

• I was working full-time while studying so I studied about 700 hours over a period of 9 months. I used MCAT Self Prep for my study plan and I would recommend this to anyone. It was very easy to keep to a plan with it and it would have been easy to integrate 3rd party resources had I done that. The biggest benefit to MCAT Self Prep, IMHO is that there is an AAMC mini exam at the end of every section that is basically a 3rd length MCAT using AAMC questions.
• I did content review for the first 7 months and then took 1 FL every Saturday for the last 7 weeks.
• C/P - this section required the least work for me because I was a mechanical engineering major and I didn't have to do much with physics. I had just done a post bacc and taken ochem so that was pretty fresh as well.
• CARS - this section gave me issues for a while, I finally started doing well on CARS when I learned how to avoid the traps that the AAMC always uses.
• B/B - this section just required reading a lot of passages and learning the best way to dissect them.
• P/S - 86 page doc and UWorld that I borrowed from a friend.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, TBR, etc)

• I hate textbooks. If I can avoid textbooks then I will. Luckily, there are so many video resources for nearly everything on the MCAT. If you are a visual learner, don't waste any more time on books than you have to.
• C/P - this was solely KA and AAMC
• CARS - I did a little Jack Westin, UWorld, Testing Solutions, but none compare to AAMC. I went through both Qpacks 2 times and this was the biggest help. I just dissected why each answer was correct and why each answer was wrong and tried to find patterns. When I figured out these patterns my score in CARS improved significantly.
• B/B - KA was good for this too, but the SB was really the most important. I went through the SB once while doing my mini exams and then again in the last month before the exam. It was amazing how much better I was able to understand after simply going through a lot of Bio passages over the last few months. This just takes practice!

4) Which practice tests did you use? (Optional: include scores)

Practice Exam or Practice Problem Set Name	Date	C/P	Predicted Score	CARS	Predicted Score	B/B	Predicted Score	P/S	Predicted Score	Predicted Total Score (low)	Predicted Total Score (mid)	Predicted Total Score (high)
NextStep Diagnostic	8/21/2018	63.33%	125.0	56.00%	123.0	54.84%	124.0	76.67%	127.0	495.0	499.0	503.0
AAMC Mini Exam 1	9/20/2018	63.15%	124.7	47.61%	120.7	80.00%	127.3	25.00%	118.0	486.7	490.7	494.7
AAMC Mini Exam 2	11/14/2018	89.00%	129.0	70.00%	124.7	60.00%	123.3	64.00%	123.8	496.8	500.8	504.8
AAMC Mini Exam 3	1/5/2019	89.00%	129.0	89.47%	129.5	88.00%	129.0	82.00%	127.0	510.5	514.5	518.5
AAMC Mini Exam 4	1/23/2019	73.00%	126.3	85.00%	128.0	85.00%	128.5	65.00%	124.0	502.8	506.8	510.8
AAMC Mini Exam 5	2/6/2019	77.00%	126.8	70.00%	124.7	80%	127.3	50.00%	121.5	496.3	500.3	504.3
AAMC Mini Exam 6	2/19/2019	82.00%	127.7	90.00%	129.5	100.00%	132.0	50.00%	121.5	506.7	510.7	514.7
AAMC Mini Exam 7	2/28/2019	83.00%	127.7	80%	126.7	85.00%	128.5	60.00%	123.3	502.1	506.1	510.1
AAMC Mini Exam 8	3/8/2019	86.00%	128.3	100.00%	132.0	75%	126.3	71.00%	125.0	507.7	511.7	515.7
Official Guide Questions	3/9/2019	70.00%	125.8	90.00%	129.5	63.00%	124.0	80.00%	126.8	502.0	506.0	510.0
AAMC FL 1	3/16/2019		128.0		126.0		127.0		126.0	503.0	507.0	511.0
AAMC Mini Exam 9	3/20/2019	80.00%	127.3	91%	130.0	90%	129.7	75.00%	126.0	509.0	513.0	517.0
AAMC Mini Exam 10	3/21/2019	82.00%	127.7	85.00%	128.0	90.00%	129.7	83.33%	127.5	508.8	512.8	516.8
NextStep FL 1	3/23/2019		129.0		126.0		127.0		126.0	504.0	508.0	512.0
AAMC Mini Exam 11	3/27/2019	55.00%	123.4	75.00%	125.5	85.00%	128.5	85.00%	128.0	501.4	505.4	509.4
Kaplan FL 1	3/30/2019		125.0		126.0		127.0		125.0	499.0	503.0	507.0
AAMC Sample	4/6/2019	77.97%	126.8	79.25%	126.3	77.97%	126.7	86.44%	128.3	504.1	508.1	512.1
Kaplan FL 2	4/13/2019		128.0		127.0		130.0		127.0	508.0	512.0	516.0
AAMC Mini Exam 12	4/17/2019	100.00%	132.0	80.00%	126.7	90.00%	129.7	0.8333333333	127.5	511.8	515.8	519.8
AAMC FL 2	4/20/2019		130.0		129.0		128.0		128.0	511.0	515.0	519.0
AAMC FL 3	5/4/2019		129.0		128.0		127.0		129.0	509.0	513.0	517.0

5) What was your undergraduate major?

• Mechanical Engineering

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

• Please please please focus on AAMC materials. Nothing else comes close. Go through every single problem that the AAMC offers and then go through them again.
• I recommend MCAT Self-Prep. It worked really well for me. Don't buy the $1000 plan though. It's not really worth the money. Get the $10 plan and get some of the mastery courses. If you have specific questions on them, ask.
• UWorld is awesome for P/S
• If you don't like textbooks like me, don't think that you are doomed to a low score. Use the method that works best for you. There are so many great video resources on the internet these days.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

• 700 hours over 9 months