WAMC- apply this cycle or hold off?

[mitskigirl]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi! Here are my stats/ECs:

1. 3.46 cGPA, 3.17 (AMCAS) 3.20 (AACOMAS) sGPA rip I have a huge upward trend
2. MCAT: 510 126/129/124/131
5. Undergraduate institution or category: Boston University (Biology)
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer):

- 1000+ hours as an MA with direct patient contact (1000+ projected as I plan to work until I go back to school)​

- 200 hours hospital volunteer​

7. Research experience and productivity:

- ~1000 hours during the school year + one summer, including poster presentation and abstract.​

- Before leaving, my PI told me I would be a co-author on one of their papers, but I haven't heard anything back about that.​

8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented- only virtual shadowing

- 10 hours shadowing virtually because of COVID​

9. Non-clinical volunteering:

- 300 hours for Jumpstart/AmeriCorps​

- 100 hours Peer Health Educator​

- 10 hours volunteering with unhoused people​

Here is my tentative school list. I am afraid it is unrealistic given my stats.
TouroCOM-NY
UNE COM
RowanSOM
PCOM
LECOM
MSUCOM
CCOM
OU-HCOM
DMU-COM
Loyola
Rush
Tulane
Vermont
Drexel
Albany
Medical College of Wisconsin
New York Medical College
Wake Forest
Quinnipiac
Rush
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
UMass
Hackensack
Temple
Tufts
George Washington
Oakland

Thank you!!

 

[chilly_md]

What are your year by year trends for cGPA and sGPA? Don’t retake the MCAT.

You have 1000 completed MA hours right now and another 1000 is projected?

 

[Faha]

You are competitive for most DO schools with your stats and I suggest these
UNECOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
CUSOM
MU-COM
DMU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
TUNCOM
TUCOM-CA
WESTERN
UIWSOM
For MD schools I suggest these:
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Tufts
Dartmouth
Hackensack
Drexel
Temple
George Washington
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Loyola
Rush
Creighton
TCU-UNT
Tulane
NOVA MD
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia

 

[mitskigirl]

What are your year by year trends for cGPA and sGPA? Don’t retake the MCAT.

You have 1000 completed MA hours right now and another 1000 is projected?

From freshmen to senior year:
cGPA: 3.04 -> 3.30 -> 3.51 -> 3.92
sGPA: 2.4 -> 2.92 -> 3.40 -> 3.85

Correct- I have been working for 1 year, so I have 1000 hrs as an MA right now. I plan to keep working, so 1000 projected hours on top of that.

 

[skeptastic]

From freshmen to senior year:
cGPA: 3.04 -> 3.30 -> 3.51 -> 3.92
sGPA: 2.4 -> 2.92 -> 3.40 -> 3.85

Correct- I have been working for 1 year, so I have 1000 hrs as an MA right now. I plan to keep working, so 1000 projected hours on top of that.

Nice upward trend!

 

[chilly_md]

From freshmen to senior year:
cGPA: 3.04 -> 3.30 -> 3.51 -> 3.92
sGPA: 2.4 -> 2.92 -> 3.40 -> 3.85

Correct- I have been working for 1 year, so I have 1000 hrs as an MA right now. I plan to keep working, so 1000 projected hours on top of that.

Apply with Faha's list. You should have success at the DO schools with the 2 years that showed you are a better student. Competitive applicants at Rush have closer to 1000 hours of non-clinical volunteering, so maybe leave that one off. You may receive no interest from most of the MD schools though due to only having 1 year of a strong GPA.

 

[mitskigirl]

You are competitive for most DO schools with your stats and I suggest these
UNECOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
CUSOM
MU-COM
DMU-COM
KCU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
TUNCOM
TUCOM-CA
WESTERN
UIWSOM
For MD schools I suggest these:
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Tufts
Dartmouth
Hackensack
Drexel
Temple
George Washington
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Loyola
Rush
Creighton
TCU-UNT
Tulane
NOVA MD
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia

Thank you!

 

[mitskigirl]

Apply with Faha's list. You should have success at the DO schools with the 2 years that showed you are a better student. Competitive applicants at Rush have closer to 1000 hours of non-clinical volunteering, so maybe leave that one off. You may receive no interest from most of the MD schools though due to only having 1 year of a strong GPA.

Thank you for your feedback. That's what I'm worried about for applying this cycle- that I have no chance at MD. You said don't retake the MCAT. Is it because it's too risky to do a retake and do very well? Even with a higher MCAT, does my weak gpa ruin my chances?

 

[chilly_md]

Thank you for your feedback. That's what I'm worried about for applying this cycle- that I have no chance at MD. You said don't retake the MCAT. Is it because it's too risky to do a retake and do very well? Even with a higher MCAT, does my weak gpa ruin my chances?

It is hard to do significantly better and it would not remedy the lower GPA.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Would only be worth the risk if you were consistently scoring 520+ in timed FLs

 

[ujsc]

Thank you for your feedback. That's what I'm worried about for applying this cycle- that I have no chance at MD. You said don't retake the MCAT. Is it because it's too risky to do a retake and do very well? Even with a higher MCAT, does my weak gpa ruin my chances?

You have.some very good experience. You could do a masters or post bacc to offset the GPA to be competitive for MD schools. It would show you can handle the work. You have come this far, why not optimize your chances? I would wait. It would allow you to get some more hrs in shadowing. You should have a publication by then. Why was GPA so low in beginning? You have a nice CARS score, so it is very possible to improve MCAT by 5 to 10 pts if you study properly. This is just my opinion.

 

[ujsc]

Maybe tmi, but I was dealing with some mental health things my first two years. I had a hard time adjusting to college in nearly every aspect, and it took a very heavy toll on me. I matured a lot in that time and pulled myself together. It's frustrating because I think now, if I had taken those classes, I would do fine. But c'est la vie.

I could do a masters/post bacc, but the costs and time of it are barriers. I've gotten conflicting advice about the MCAT score on here, reddit and from advisors, so I don't really know what to think rn. Gut feeling says a much better MCAT would help my app a lot, but idk if I can 100% say I'll do significantly better next time. It would at least quell the "what if" in my head if I apply with a better MCAT. I was aiming for 515 as that was my FL practice average, so 510 was not ideal for me.

If you are OK with DO, try your present course. You probably will find something. If you want MD, retake MCAT if you can properly study and find a way to finance 1 yr masters or post bacc. This is done to show optimal GPA at present. Many MD schools look at these post grad GPA and weigh them highly in selection..