WAMC: 3.58 cGPA, 3.28 sGPA, 33T MCAT, NY res, great LORs, great ECs

[latony]

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Graduated from a top-5 east coast school in 2010 with an Art History/Fine Arts degree. I subsequently took Organic I/II, Stat and the MCAT in August 2010. In Spring 2011, I finished my last course, Bio I, with an A.

My GPA has basically remained flat, with some upward trend (although a C+ in Orgo II Lecture) in my post-bacc courses. Lowest grades are two C+'s (the other one's in Bio I). I look one upper-level Bio (cell bio/biochem) and got a B.

cGPA: 3.58
sGPA: 3.28
MCAT: V: 11, B:11, P: 11, W: T (33T)

LORs: Bio prof, thesis prof, student gov advisor, wound research (signed by 2 PhDs and 1 doc), current job in surgery (signed by 3 surgeons); I have read 3/5 and they are exceptional (at least in my opinion ).

Paid research: Trauma Bay 25+ hours/week overnight in an extremely busy hospital at night for four months (direct patient contact, many hours of shadowing surgeons included); Neuroscience Research full-time for 1 summer and an entire school year part time; (1 year total); Full-time Wound Care research after graduation for six months (direct patient contact, 1 pub in submission; only left b/c my boss left the institution)

Current position: Coordinator for clerkship programs and surgery education research at a large med school (both my physician bosses are on the admin committee; 1 pub on education in submission)

Leadership College: Chair of Stud Gov, VP of sorority, Vice Chair of large women's organization, Leadership in Hillel

Volunteer: ED volunteering (4-6 hours/week), Rape Crisis Counselor (24 hour shift on a crisis hotline for LGBT people in crisis/month), Member and Philanthropy Chair of Vagina Monologues V-Day Campaign

Additional: 1 undergrad publication, currently building a business based on a daily blog and online store

I am applying to an overly ambitious 40 or so MD schools with a wide mix of my state schools (NY) and easier OOS. I am mixing in DO, but would prefer not to go that route.

Thoughts?

 

[waterpolo480586]

Good shot of getting in somewhere but the science GPA will hurt you at a lot of places. But with 40 apps you are most likely to get a few interviews and are a shoo in for DO.

 

[Catalystik]

Graduated from a top-5 east coast school in 2010 with an Art History/Fine Arts degree. I subsequently took Organic I/II, Stat and the MCAT in August 2010. In Spring 2011, I finished my last course, Bio I, with an A.

My GPA has basically remained flat, with some upward trend (although a C+ in Orgo II Lecture) in my post-bacc courses. Lowest grades are two C+'s (the other one's in Bio I). I look one upper-level Bio (cell bio/biochem) and got a B.

cGPA: 3.58
sGPA: 3.28
MCAT: V: 11, B:11, P: 11, W: T (33T)

LORs: Bio prof, thesis prof, student gov advisor, wound research (signed by 2 PhDs and 1 doc), current job in surgery (signed by 3 surgeons); I have read 3/5 and they are exceptional (at least in my opinion ).

Paid research: Trauma Bay 25+ hours/week overnight in an extremely busy hospital at night for four months (direct patient contact, many hours of shadowing surgeons included); Neuroscience Research full-time for 1 summer and an entire school year part time; (1 year total); Full-time Wound Care research after graduation for six months (direct patient contact, 1 pub in submission; only left b/c my boss left the institution)

Current position: Coordinator for clerkship programs and surgery education research at a large med school (both my physician bosses are on the admin committee; 1 pub on education in submission)

Leadership College: Chair of Stud Gov, VP of sorority, Vice Chair of large women's organization, Leadership in Hillel

Volunteer: ED volunteering (4-6 hours/week), Rape Crisis Counselor (24 hour shift on a crisis hotline for LGBT people in crisis/month), Member and Philanthropy Chair of Vagina Monologues V-Day Campaign

Additional: 1 undergrad publication, currently building a business based on a daily blog and online store

I am applying to an overly ambitious 40 or so MD schools with a wide mix of my state schools (NY) and easier OOS. I am mixing in DO, but would prefer not to go that route.

Thoughts?

If you'd had a higher BCPM GPA, I could say you'd have a 72% chance of an acceptance to an MD school. Even a steep upward grade trend in the postbac would be very helpful. What is the postbac-only BCPM GPA?

I do agree that you have a lot going for you to help adcomms overlook that flaw in your application. And ECs can trump lower numbers.

Do you have any shadowing aside from surgery? OBGYN perhaps or another primary care doc, ideally?

You might reasonably plan on taking additional postbac, upper-level Bio during the fall term so as to have good news on the GPA front to include in your fall update letters.

 

[latony]

If you'd had a higher BCPM GPA, I could say you'd have a 72% chance of an acceptance to an MD school. Even a steep upward grade trend in the postbac would be very helpful. What is the postbac-only BCPM GPA?

I do agree that you have a lot going for you to help adcomms overlook that flaw in your application. And ECs can trump lower numbers.

Do you have any shadowing aside from surgery? OBGYN perhaps or another primary care doc, ideally?

You might reasonably plan on taking additional postbac, upper-level Bio during the fall term so as to have good news on the GPA front to include in your fall update letters.

Thanks! My post-bacc BCPM (Orgo I/II, Stat, Bio I) is 3.48. My committee letter will reflect the fact that I had a seizure the week of my Orgo II final and that was responsible for the lower grade.

I am planning on taking 1-2 bio/biochemistry classes in the Fall to send updates that are positive.

As far as shadowing, my experience has only been in surgery and emergency medicine. I can definitely pursue some other shadowing opportunities as I currently work at a large MD school.

Honestly, I will go to any MD school that will take a chance on me - I just hope that my personal statement reflected how much I want to be a doctor.

 

[Catalystik]

Is the med school which with you are currently affiliated a reasonable shot for you (per the docs and profs you know, because known LOR writers sometimes carry more weight)? Have you met with the dean at that school to get some input on what you can do to improve your application?

 

[latony]

I'm at the #27 school in the nation - average BCPM of 3.79 - so I have pretty much eliminated it as a possibility, but I am applying. I have spoken with the surgeons I work for and they are aware of my GPA; they are going to do what they can, but it is my personal belief that even though they are on admissions my chances are extremely slim. My bosses do have connections at some more reasonable schools (Hofstra, for example) and I have some connections to NYMC as well. These are far weaker, though.

I can speak with the Dean of Admissions, but it is his first year and he was just hired a month or so ago I believe. I think it's a good idea to contact him anyway.

I will take the classes in the fall, continue my volunteer work and maybe work on some primary health care shadowing. Honestly, anything I can do to make my chances better.

Thank you for all your help! I am trying to remain as optimistic as possible, but am aware that it will be an extremely uphill battle. My apps are in and I should be verified this week.

 

[latony]

For reference, my list is below. (I grew up in CA, so I do have strong ties there; I know there are a few ridiculous reaches, but I have connections at most of them and a girl can dream?)

Albany Med College
Albert Einstein
Baylor College
Boston U
Brown University
Chicago Med, Rosalind Franklin
Columbia
Commonwealth
Creighton
Drexel
Emory
Florida International
George Washington
Georgetown
Hofstra
Jefferson
Loyola U of Chicago
Med College of Wisconsin
Mount Sinai
NYMC
NYU
Oakland University
Penn State
Rush Med
St. Louis U
SUNY Downstate
SUNY Stony Brook
SUNY Upstate
Temple
Tufts
Tulane
U Buffalo
U Cincinnati
U of Rochester
U Penn
U Pitt
UC Davis
USC Keck
UVM
VA Commonwealth
VA Tech
Wake Forest
Weill Cornell
Sackler New York Program
Ben Gurion
PCOM
CCOM
NSUCOM
UMNJD
NYCOM/NYIT
TouroCOM-NY
TouroCOM-CA

 

[latony]

Just wanted to update to let everyone know I'll be matriculating at Brown next year! It's been a long long year, but somehow the persistence paid off. This just goes to show that sometimes stats aren't everything. Thank you for the advice and help.

Good luck to everyone on their applications!

 

[NCMED101]

Congrats, seems like you had a successful cycle. I hope to have similar success, as I have similar stats (3.52/3.45/34). Do you think talking to any admission deans was helpful?

 

[positron2296]

Wow! Congrats! My stats are similar to yours and I am applying this year. Any advice?

 

[Catalystik]

Just wanted to update to let everyone know I'll be matriculating at Brown next year! It's been a long long year, but somehow the persistence paid off. This just goes to show that sometimes stats aren't everything. Thank you for the advice and help.

Good luck to everyone on their applications!

Congrats, and thanks for coming back to let us know. if you have an impression of what factors and ongoing efforts since your last post may have led to your success, please give your feedback here, for the sake of future applicants in your shoes. From your MDapps, I see that you had a respectable number of interviews and a number of other acceptances. Well done!