WAMC - 504/3.91 MCAT retake?

[aspringDoc3243]

1. GPA 3.91, Bio Major with Health Equity minor
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown. Include all (non-voided) attempts.
   1. 504
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
   1. Oregon, US citizen
4. Ethnicity and/or race
   1. Asian
5. Undergraduate institution or category
   1. Mid tier
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
   1. 1000 hours (Phlebotomists, paid);
7. Research experience and productivity
   1. 1000 hours of research, that was selected for poster-session in one conference in March, and is also selected for another conference in November where I represent UTHSC (along with other residents from UTHSC)
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. 1000 hours, rotated across multiple specialities (part of program conducted by hospital that is associated with UTHSC, so all my hours are accessible/transparent to UTHSC). My supervisor in this program is NP at UTHSC and she is one people who will be recommending my application
9. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. 500 hours at Oregon Food Bank
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
    1. 100 hours, Vice-President of a sustainability club at college
11. Relevant honors or awards
    1. Consistently on Dean's honor roll for the semesters in undergrad
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important
    1. My FL average was 515, and real score was 504. Should I retake MCAT? There's not much time left to prepare
    2. No gap

Primary applied to

UCLA

Albert Einstein

University of Colorado

UC San Diego

University of Miami

Florida Schmidt

UConn

UTHSC

Virginia Tech

OHSU

George Washington

Wake Forest

Drexel University

Penn State

Georgetown University

Tulane

University of Vermont

Eastern Virginia Med School

University of Washington

East Tennessee State University

Loma Linda

UC Davis

University of Wisconsin

FIU

Rush University

University of North Dakota

Central Michigan University

Northeast Ohio University

University of Louisville

Wright State University

University of Nevada

University of South Dakota

Louisiana State

Marshal University

Medical College of wisconsin

Already applied in primary, what are my chances? Any recommendations on additional colleges to be added?

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[Mr.Smile12]

PNWU would likely give you an II for sure. What is your purpose as a physician?

 

[aspringDoc3243]

PNWU is mainly DO program. I am looking for MD program

 

[chilly_md]

PNWU is mainly DO program. I am looking for MD program

Unfortunately, most of those MD schools you applied to are donations due to your low MCAT and the fact you are not a resident of many of those state schools (Louisville, UConn, Marshall etc).

Your best chances for MD are at OHSU and perhaps a couple schools like Loyola, Rush, Belmont and any new MD school opening up this cycle. If you attended undergrad in TN, those schools may show some interest too. Loma Linda only if you have the same/very similar religious beliefs.

You should have several DO schools on your list. I suggest:

PNWU
Western (Lebanon)
KCU
KCOM (Kirksville)
DMU
LECOM
Marian
Campbell
Touro NV
ACOM
West Virginia
KYCOM
WCU
NYIT AR campus

 

[candbgirl]

Did you send a primary to all of those schools?
If you retake the MCAT schools are under no obligation to wait for your new score before they make a decision. If you really think you can do better and your 504 was a fluke , wait to complete secondaries so your new score will be available when the schools are evaluating your secondary.
Good luck.

 

[aspringDoc3243]

@chilly_md Yeah, my primaries turned out to be donations to these colleges, since I was expecting 512-515 since all of my AAMC FL's and Blueprint FLs were in that range. I am doing my undergrad in TN while maintaining Oregon residency (high school was at Oregon). I am a rising senior in college.

@candbgirl Thank you for the advice to strategize sending the secondaries.

Factors to consider on whether to retake in July OR retake after my senior year of undergrad is
- What else should I study to get my CARs score higher? i.e. how much of effort is required. My BB(129) and PS(130) scores are good and CP(125) is decent.

I am working and doing research this summer at UTHSC hospital (and one of the recommendations on my application is from my supervisor at UTHSC hospital). If I have to re-study for MCAT, I will have to reduce hours or pause that opportunity. I do research for 2 days and work/shadow for 3 days in a week. I may be able to request only research and drop-out of shadowing

Looking for advice.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

@chilly_md Yeah, my primaries turned out to be donations to these colleges, since I was expecting 512-515 since all of my AAMC FL's and Blueprint FLs were in that range. I am doing my undergrad in TN while maintaining Oregon residency (high school was at Oregon). I am a rising senior in college.

@candbgirl Thank you for the advice to strategize sending the secondaries.

Factors that I am considering on whether to retake in July OR retake after my senior year of undergrad is
- What else should I study to get my CARs score higher? i.e. how much of effort is required. My BB and PS scores are good and CP is decent.

I am working and doing research this summer at UTHSC hospital (and one of the recommendations on my application is from my supervisor at UTHSC hospital). If I have to re-study for MCAT, I will have to reduce hours or pause that opportunity.

Looking for advice.

Advice: fix the obvious issues. How you do it is your call since we don't know your constraints. Show us you can problem solve and execute.

 

[aspringDoc3243]

@Mr.Smile12 - Sorry, what I meant is not how to fix the CARs problem.

I would like advice on whether I should retake MCAT now in July OR later in the year (which will add a gap year). If I do not improve significantly in July (as in getting 510-515), then would it look bad on my application for next year, where, I would have already had 2 attempts with not much change and possibly a third attempt with some upward trend.

 

[Faha]

For MD schools you could apply and complete secondaries for:
OHSU
Loma Linda (if you fit their mission)
Medical College Wisconsin
Loyola
Rush
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
TCU
Creighton
Belmont
Drexel
Temple
Penn State
Albany
Alice Walton (when it opens)
Roseman (when it opens)

 

[aspringDoc3243]

Thank you Faha!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

@Mr.Smile12 - Sorry, what I meant is not how to fix the CARs problem.

I would like advice on whether I should retake MCAT now in July OR later in the year (which will add a gap year). If I do not improve significantly in July (as in getting 510-515), then would it look bad on my application for next year, where, I would have already had 2 attempts with not much change and possibly a third attempt with some upward trend.

It's your call. I suggested to add PNWU rather than sink more money unless the MD prestige is more important than becoming a doctor. You know yourself better, and if you improve your score by +10, you'll be in a better position for MD for sure, but you still have to continue all your activities and demonstrate growth. You are the one who prepared for the MCAT, so you know better how to bet on yourself on a retake.

If you want an alternative, continue your application but prepare your MCAT for an August/September date. If you don't get an II, take the test and submit an AACOMAS for PNWU and other DO programs (as @chilly_md suggested). If your profile is accurate, maybe you'll grab the attention of some of the MD schools (on @Faha's list) that push service forward as their mission. If you come from a disadvantaged environment, maybe you'll get that chance.

 

[aspringDoc3243]

Thank you @Mr.Smile12 ! I am leaning towards the alternative - continuing the application and preparing for a retake later this year (in-time for next cycle).

 

[aspringDoc3243]

Would college admissions look at the break-up of mcat scores (CP, CARs, BB, PS)?