UMDNJ-SOM and august mcat

[gotgame83]

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Hi,
Im fairly new the osteopathic forum. Im going into my senior year as a biochem/mol bio major. My overall gpa is a 3.55 and science gpa is 3.75. I was not going to be fully prepared to take the april mcat. It was impossible to devote 100% while taking my full course load. This probably hurt me but hopefully i will make up for it with a good mcat score in august. I am a new jersey resident and UMDNJ-SOM is my number one choice. However, i have yet to read of anyone being accepted there if they only took the august mcat. I plan on having all application materials ready when i get my scores but im guessing im at a huge disadvantage. My question is do you know anyone who has been accepted to umdnj-som even when they applied so late?

 

[nvshelat]

Hi,
Im fairly new the osteopathic forum. Im going into my senior year as a biochem/mol bio major. My overall gpa is a 3.55 and science gpa is 3.75. I was not going to be fully prepared to take the april mcat. It was impossible to devote 100% while taking my full course load. This probably hurt me but hopefully i will make up for it with a good mcat score in august. I am a new jersey resident and UMDNJ-SOM is my number one choice. However, i have yet to read of anyone being accepted there if they only took the august mcat. I plan on having all application materials ready when i get my scores but im guessing im at a huge disadvantage. My question is do you know anyone who has been accepted to umdnj-som even when they applied so late?

Your best bet is to talk to the admissions committee, they were very friendly and helpful when I talked to them

 

[brewcow]

I ttok the August MCAT and didn't submit my supplemental application until the end of January, got an interview for March and got accepted a week later to UMDNJ-SOM. You should be fine!

 

[lmccraven]

I took the August mcat, didn't finish my apps till laaaaaaaaate, interviewed in April and I'm in.

Wouldn't recommend this as a strategy though. You can still apply even though you haven't taken the mcat. Finish your app as soon as you can. Then when you get your scores in Oct. you'll be better off. I know folks who even had interview offers before they took the mcat. I'm sure their acceptance was dependent on a decent score, but still....

 

[gotgame83]

Thank you guys so much for the replies. It really boosted my confidence today. So lmccraven your saying do all of my application, even send it to umdnj and then just send them the mcat score once i get it?

 

[lmccraven]

Do the AACOM's Application Service (AACOMAS) application (and AAMCAS too if you're also going allopathic). Those apps take forever to fill out. Get all your transcripts going to the right places. Something funny always happens there too. It happened to me twice, once for AAMCAS and once for AACOMAS. Get all your letters of recommendation taken care of.

Believe me, you'll be really busy taking care of all that and studying for the mcat. Once your mcat scores are in they will automatically be sent to the AAMCAS application folks. You will have to ask to have them sent to AACOMAS or at least I did.

Also, volunteer and shadow as much as you can, it makes a big difference.

Good luck!

 

[Kazema]

I submitted my secondary at the end of January and was invited for an April interview (subsequently moved to mid-March) by mid-February, and admitted three days after my interview. Ah...memories...

With your GPA (and hopefully a strong showing in the August MCAT) you should be fine - I'd still recommend finishing your AACOMAS (and AMCAS if you're doing that too) before you take the MCAT just so you have no additional hold-ups.

And definitely get in contact with Paula Slade and the rest of the admissions staff early on, UMDNJ's staff are all extremely helpful and she'll tell you everything you need to know to make your application a successful one. It also won't hurt a bit to let them get to know you early on, and to let them know that UMDNJ is your top choice.

 

[gotgame83]

I started my AACOMAS about an hour ago. Theres a section saying when i took the MCAT, i just put down august 2005 because thats when im planning on taking them. Now im on the section of entering all my course work.. this should be fun. I also called my two of my local hospitals and I will be contacting a few DO's which i found in my insurance book to see if i can shadow them. Thank you again for your response and i will definitly be getting in contact with them and yes UMDNJ is my top choice...

If you read any of my previous posts all of them where in the pharm-D forum, however after my finals this past semester my two biochem professors and the head of our pre-med program sat me down and told me i should definitly take the mcats. I had originally been planing on this however I had switched over to wanting to pursue pharmacy for a while because if only having to put in 3year post undergrad. Well, I have made up my mind, i will try my absolute best to get into med school. If I cant i have my pcats to fall back on, but atleast i gave it my best shot.

Thank you all again for your responses. I have read this forum for atleast a week non stop, without it, it would have taken me monthes to get all this information....