Unsure of whether to apply this Year

[ach52]

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Hello all,

I am currently thinking about applying this year but am unsure of whether I have enough non-clinical and clinical volunteer experience. I also am awaiting my MCAT I took on June 29th (July 30th). Here's my basic overview:

-25yr old asian non-trad student
- cGPA: 3/65; sGPA: 3.65
-1st MCAT taken Jan 2015 - 22; 2nd MCAT taken June 29th 2019 - Awaiting Score (AAMC FL1, 2, and 3 were 505, 511, and 514). Probably get a 510-515
-Strong ECs
-2400 hours of research at a widely known immunology lab with 1 publication.
-100 hours volunteering at a elementary school in undergrad
-12 hours shadowing Orthopedic surgeon
-Awaiting LORs
-Gen Bio Lab TA (1yr) in Undergrad

If I apply this year, I'll get probably 3-5 LORs, finish my personal statement, and get some shadowing hours these next two months to bump that up to around 50 hours.

I also will start volunteering 1x/week (4hrs) at a hospital in early august. If I do apply this cycle I will send updates of my volunteering..

What do you guys think? Do I got a shot or wait until next year? Personally my intuition is saying apply next year but my impatience says go now! I also might be competitive for MD/Phd..

 

[Dr panda]

Your ECs are strong for a scientist but not for a med school applicant. Any clinical volunteering? Any PCP shadowing? Any non clinical volunteering besides elementary school? Frankly, it looks that you want to be a researcher not a doctor, your GPA/MCAT are lethal for research heavy schools and lack of clinical exposure and non clinical volunteering will rule you out of other schools, I would not apply this year, though I am not an adcom.

 

[ciestar]

Your ECs are strong for a scientist but not for a med school applicant. Any clinical volunteering? Any PCP shadowing? Any non clinical volunteering besides elementary school? Frankly, it looks that you want to be a researcher not a doctor, your GPA/MCAT are lethal for research heavy schools and lack of clinical exposure and non clinical volunteering will rule you out of other schools, I would not apply this year, though I am not an adcom.

I agree. This applications reads of pursuing a phd.

OP, it doesn’t matter if you plan on updates, they’ll see your app as it stands with no clinical experience or shadowing.

You should NOT apply this cycle.

 

[Dr panda]

Personally my intuition is saying apply next year but my impatience says go now!

Get rid of that trait before getting into medicine.
Also, look at MD/PhD matriculants stats, 3.65 will be low, especially without strong MCAT.

 

[Faha]

Post your MCAT score here when available. You would be better off to apply next year and accumulate 200+ hours of hospital volunteering with patient contact and another 40 hours of shadowing (including primary care) before you apply next June.

 

[ach52]

Post your MCAT score here when available. You would be better off to apply next year and accumulate 200+ hours of hospital volunteering with patient contact and another 40 hours of shadowing (including primary care) before you apply next June.

Hey Dr. Faha my MCAT score came out today and I scored a 507. I don't think I should apply this year. I think I should retake and apply next year. What do you think?

I'm starting a medical scribe position next month on an Indian reservation and will start volunteering at a hospital.. should I do a non-clinical volunteering instead of the hospital volunteering? and it would be better to work part time right to allow time to study?

 

[ach52]

I agree. This applications reads of pursuing a phd.

OP, it doesn’t matter if you plan on updates, they’ll see your app as it stands with no clinical experience or shadowing.

You should NOT apply this cycle.

I got a 507 today. I don't think Im going to apply but I will retake and apply next year.

 

[Faha]

Hey Dr. Faha my MCAT score came out today and I scored a 507. I don't think I should apply this year. I think I should retake and apply next year. What do you think?

I'm starting a medical scribe position next month on an Indian reservation and will start volunteering at a hospital.. should I do a non-clinical volunteering instead of the hospital volunteering? and it would be better to work part time right to allow time to study?

Yes, you will be better off applying next June with the hospital volunteering and scribing experience. Where is your state of residence ?

 

[ach52]

Yes, you will be better off applying next June with the hospital volunteering and scribing experience. Where is your state of residence ?

Arizona. But I am originally from Hawaii and fulfill the residency there as well (Born and raised in Hawaii, graduated HS there, Parents live there, etc.)

 

[Faha]

When you apply I suggest these schools:
Hawaii
Arizona (Tucson and Phoenix)
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Seton Hall
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
George Washington
NOVA MD
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
TCU-UNT
Loma Linda
Also apply to at least 6 DO schools and include AZCOM and ATSU-SOMA.

 

[ach52]

OM and ATSU-SOMA.

When you apply I suggest these schools:
Hawaii
Arizona (Tucson and Phoenix)
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Seton Hall
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
George Washington
NOVA MD
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
TCU-UNT
Loma Linda
Also apply to at least 6 DO schools and include AZCOM and ATSU-SOMA.

Thank you Faha you are amazing! 🙂

 

[ach52]

When you apply I suggest these schools:
Hawaii
Arizona (Tucson and Phoenix)
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Seton Hall
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
George Washington
NOVA MD
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
TCU-UNT
Loma Linda
Also apply to at least 6 DO schools and include AZCOM and ATSU-SOMA.

So you think if I apply this year I have almost zero chance of getting in? And do you think I should retake the MCAT or apply next year with this score?

 

[Faha]

Your lack of clinical volunteering and shadowing would greatly limit your chances this cycle. If you decide to retake the MCAT do not retake unless your practice scores are consistently over 512.

 

[ach52]

Your lack of clinical volunteering and shadowing would greatly limit your chances this cycle. If you decide to retake the MCAT do not retake unless your practice scores are consistently over 512.

But do you think I have a chance this year? Or is it wishful thinking? I really want to apply this year but just can't decide on it.

Or do you think it's a good idea to wait and boost my application so I can get into better schools next year and potentially a MD/PhD program? I'd like to also really try to get into a MD/PhD program.

 

[Faha]

No one is advising you to apply this year. Apply next year after you have accumulated more physician shadowing hours and clinical volunteering hours.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

But do you think I have a chance this year? Or is it wishful thinking? I really want to apply this year but just can't decide on it.

Or do you think it's a good idea to wait and boost my application so I can get into better schools next year and potentially a MD/PhD program? I'd like to also really try to get into a MD/PhD program.

Even if you had stellar stats and your ECs were perfect, it’s already August. If you submitted your primary today, you wouldn’t be verified until early September in the best case scenario, and secondaries submitted in September are late for MD. You’ve already missed the boat on this cycle in terms of timing, so wait until next year.

 

[ach52]

Even if you had stellar stats and your ECs were perfect, it’s already August. If you submitted your primary today, you wouldn’t be verified until early September in the best case scenario, and secondaries submitted in September are late for MD. You’ve already missed the boat on this cycle in terms of timing, so wait until next year.

No one is advising you to apply this year. Apply next year after you have accumulated more physician shadowing hours and clinical volunteering hours.

Yeah it was my girlfriend and optometrist who were pushing me to apply this year and partly my own impatience. I definitely suffer from indecisive in decision making and am working on it. I knew I should wait and apply next year but was searching for confirmation bias.

Thank you guys, I really appreciate it. I emailed all my LOR writers of my decision to wait and apply next year. I'm going to retake the MCAT and try to get a research position too 🙂

 

[candbgirl]

You really don’t need a research position. (As previously stated your stats are low for MD/PhD consideration.)You need to fill in the gaping holes in your other ECs. If you don’t fill them in, we will be right back here next year with the same holes. You have 17 responses on this thread. Eight are from yourself and six are telling you to get more clinical work and shadowing. What don’t you understand about the advice people are giving you? Be smart and stop listening to your GF and optometrist. If you want to be a doc do what you have to.

 

[ach52]

e holes. You have 17 responses on this thread. Eight are from yourself and six are telling you to get more clinical work and shadowing. What don’t you understand about the advice people are giving you? Be smart and stop listening to your GF and optometrist. If you want to be a doc do what you have to.

What if I retook the MCAT and scored 512+ and took up a research position. Would they still be too low for MD/PhD? Do you think I should retake the MCAT or apply with my 507?

I am taking the advice people are giving me (see my last post) but I want to know their thought process as well. I also did not want to wait a whole year so I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. Thank you I am working on that lol

 

[DrStephenStrange]

What if I retook the MCAT and scored 512+ and took up a research position. Would they still be too low for MD/PhD? Do you think I should retake the MCAT or apply with my 507?

I am taking the advice people are giving me (see my last post) but I want to know their thought process as well. I also did not want to wait a whole year so I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. Thank you I am working on that lol

A 512 with your GPA will probably still be too low for MD/PhD. Your best chance at becoming a physician scientist would probably be at DO/PhD programs.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Rosalind Franklin allows entry into their MD/PhD track in your second year, their website has details. I'm not considering it, so I only know what I briefly gleaned from the website, but that might be a "backdoor" option for OP as a currently marginal MD/PhD candidate.

 

[candbgirl]

What if I retook the MCAT and scored 512+ and took up a research position. Would they still be too low for MD/PhD? Do you think I should retake the MCAT or apply with my 507?

I am taking the advice people are giving me (see my last post) but I want to know their thought process as well. I also did not want to wait a whole year so I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. Thank you I am working on that lol

Your issues are not the MCAT score or your research experience. The issues are your lack of clinical experience, lack of shadowing and lack of nonclinical volunteering to those less fortunate than yourself. As @spb1703 clearly stated in post #2, your application looks good for a scientist but not for a medical school. Only you can decide if you want to follow the medical school path or the grad school PhD. path. FYI- the current mean MCAT for MD/PhD matriculants is 515 and the GPA is 3.6xx.

You keep bringing up retaking the MCAT . You have taken it twice. You keep talking about getting a research job even though you have 2400 hours of research. We keep telling you about your lack of clinical experience , shadowing and nonclinical volunteering and you immediately go back to research and retaking the MCAT. You will have very hard time getting into any med school without these activities. I’m not sure why you even posted if you weren’t going to at least look into what you need. I think it’s because you really want to be a researcher and you are getting pressure from someplace to be a doctor. Only you can make the right choice for you.

 

[ach52]

Your issues are not the MCAT score or your research experience. The issues are your lack of clinical experience, lack of shadowing and lack of nonclinical volunteering to those less fortunate than yourself. As @spb1703 clearly stated in post #2, your application looks good for a scientist but not for a medical school. Only you can decide if you want to follow the medical school path or the grad school PhD. path. FYI- the current mean MCAT for MD/PhD matriculants is 515 and the GPA is 3.6xx.

You keep bringing up retaking the MCAT . You have taken it twice. You keep talking about getting a research job even though you have 2400 hours of research. We keep telling you about your lack of clinical experience , shadowing and nonclinical volunteering and you immediately go back to research and retaking the MCAT. You will have very hard time getting into any med school without these activities. I’m not sure why you even posted if you weren’t going to at least look into what you need. I think it’s because you really want to be a researcher and you are getting pressure from someplace to be a doctor. Only you can make the right choice for you.

Yes I hear you I am speaking on addition to all those ECs you mentioned. I am starting a 4 hour/week six month commitment at a local hospital next month. I am also going to email physicians to shadow. I also enjoy teaching and have done it in the past so I am considering tutoring underserved kids. I am currently in the process of becoming a full time scribe at a remote area outside the city on an Native American reservation. I am not sure whether to do the full time scribe job or to do a part-time one in the city (2-3 8hr days/week) and combine it with part time research (20-30 hours/week).

The reason I keep asking about the MCAT because I'm afraid that I still might not get accepted despite doing all the ECs you and others recommend. And you're right, that first MCAT of mine scares me too. I am not getting pressure from anyone to be a doctor. I want to be a doctor because I enjoy the pursuit of knowledge and helping others.